Jam Session

Percussion Search
It had been three days since the extravagant meeting between Joplin Joan and Bessonova Anna as well as their sudden team-up against Cranberry Caprice. The -centered pirate crew had sailed through the open sea of and found themselves docked at  due to their. Currently, the crew was sitting at a nearby cafe and having an important discussion that could decide the very fate of the world.

"The name of our crew should be Guns n' Roses! It fits with my red and black aesthetic and your... hmmm." Joan hummed to herself in thought, ignoring the sound of 's palm smacking directly into his face at the blunt attitude of his newfound captain. It was honestly amazing how she acted sometimes, almost as if she was deliberately trying to piss off people. In the end, it didn't matter so long as he did his job and got compensated for it.

"Oh, your idol shit! Roses are used by idols, right?" Joan questioned, turning to Roadie who was drinking another mug of rum as if his life depended on it.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think many idols use roses.” A brightly colored man said to the left of Anna, his hair a striking blue hue and his clothing neon in color, his muscles shown due to his lack of upper body clothing. Despite his striking and intense appearance, he seemed shy in a way, his eyes glancing back and forth from Anna to Roadie, looking the man up and down before looking away, repeating that multiple times, being as subtle as he could be, puffing up his chest as a means to impress Roadie, looking back to Anna awaiting her impending response

“We’re not naming our crew Guns n' Roses! What kind of name is that?! We should call ourselves the Superb Nova Generation!” Anna yelled, waving her arms through the air as she proposed her name, displaying a beautiful image of their name on a billboard in her head, in awe at her beautiful name decision, Joan just had to agree with her, or so she thought.

"Rejected! It's tacky and I refuse to have my name attached to a name thought up with the creativity of a five-year-old!" Joan cried aloud as she slammed her fist on the table, causing the various dishes to shake as a result. If they were going to make this crew, the name of it had to be grand! Impressive! Explosive! It had to be hardcore and awesome! Like her. "We should call ourselves Heaven & Hell Pirates! You'll be the Heaven of the crew because you are soft and all about being pure and junk like other idols while I'll be the Hell of the crew, badass and raining down flames as well as rock n' roll."

"That's kind of a mouthful and even then, I feel like that name has been taken before in the past." Roadie informed, stealing one of Joan's onion rings. "You guys could come up with something a lot better than that."

“Yeah. Why not something like the Seastar Girls or the Seastar Brigade.” Seiryu said with a smile, proud of his idea.

“It’s okay, Roadie. Joan’s probably used to her mouth being full!” Anna barker back, slamming her hands on her table, shaking the already unstable plates even more as Seiryu tried to balance it all, slightly dismissing Seiryu’s ideas with her loud remarks.

"What the hell did you fucking say to me?! I hear that you idols have to spread your legs in order to get a deal, so you must be used to lying on your back!" Joan retaliated, getting in front of Anna's face with her red eyes glaring directly into her partner's eyes.

"Oh, that's a pretty good name. Seiryu is correct, Seastar Girls is a good name." Roadie said, ignoring the argument between Joan and Anna. "Though, I think the name Sea-Star Pirates would fit a lot better when we are referring to ourselves under the banner of a pirate crew."

“Thanks! Now we just have to wait till they stop arguing so they can hear it.” Seiryu said, smiling ear to ear, his cheeks blushing his hair even seemed to get brighter, his mood a total 180 compared to the two girls beside him.

“Spread MY legs?! Everyone knows you rocker girls sleep around, you’ve probably had an entire tour bus run through you in only a few miles! I wouldn’t be surprised if you even fucked Roadie!” Anna screamed, waving her arms frantically as she spoke and stomping on the floor, the plates becoming even more unstable as she picked up a piece of chicken and ripped some meat off it the bone before throwing it back in the plate.

"Please don't drag me into this." Roadie requested with an annoyed look, taking a bite of his steak. While he was also annoyed at Anna's statement between him and Joan, he already knew he didn't have to say anything. His adopted little sister would defend him after all.

"Excuse me?! I'm not some floozie like that and I wouldn't fuck my own brother, even if we aren't related by blood! My brother isn't into that weird siscon shit you probably practice with your fans!" Joan screamed, her eyes blazing with anger as she swallowed her entire burger in a single bite before belching in Anna's face as she held up her hand towards Roadie for a high five. He left her hanging but Joan wouldn't put her hand down. "Besides, how do I know you aren't sleeping Sei-Sei?! He seems to be your type after all!"

“How fucking dare you!! I would never fuck Sei! He’s like a brother to me! You really never know with you rock star whores! You’ve probably be bent over a drum set right before your performance! I’ve always wondered why your skin looked so nice, it’s probably all the unborn kids you’ve had splattered on your face, you bitch!” Anna screamed back, stomping her foot frantically, her eyes raging and her fist balled so tight her nails dig into her skin.

“Yeah, I’d also like to be left out of this.” Sei spoke, drowned out by the sounds of the girls yelling, not so much annoyed as he was nervous as to where the conversation would go, and of course, he and Anna knew there was only one person on the ship he had his eyes on.

"Excuse me, you failed abortion?! I'll-!" Before Joan had the chance to continue the argument, it was silenced by Roadie punched the table as it collapsed underneath the force of his strike like a twig. His dark eyes glared between Joan and Anna with annoyance, having clearly reached his mark for the amount of bullshit he was willing to put up with. Taking a deep breath, he sighed and spoke.

"You both are done with this meaningless argument, do you understand? Because if you don't, I'll personally shove my fist so far up your asses, I'll change the both of you from a musician and an idol into my personal muppets!" Roadie screamed as the people around them dashed off, scared at the threat even if it wasn't directed towards them. "Are we clear on this?"

“Wow...” Sei sat in his chair as the table crumbled before him, Roadie silencing the space around them. Sei stared at Roadie intensely, his eyes not moving as his cheeks began to slightly blush, despite his attempts to hide it, he was stuck in his own thoughts, not even realizing how much he had been staring or blushing.

“How dare you call HER, a musician!” Anna screamed, not catching onto the tone of the room in time, her yell echoing across the small ship deck as she stared confused between Roadie, Joan, and Sei, picking up on the vibe of the room and slamming back down into her seat with a huff, crossing her arms and legs as she glared at Roadie and Joan, still steaming from yet another of her and Joan’s arguments.

"Yeah, the only thing she should be idolized for is the amount of di-!" Before Joan could finish her sentence, Roadie glared at her as she closed her mouth immediately at the sight of his stare. Sighing, Roadie looked up at the sky before speaking.

"Look, I understand that you guys get along as well as water and oil but you guys are stronger together than apart and you... " Roadie points at Joan who blinked in surprise. "...asked her to join and make this crew. So, stop with your bullshit and just work with her already."

Joan sighed, knowing her adopted brother was once again. Looking over at Anna, she gave a smirk and questioned. "The name Sea-Star Pirates does have a ring to it, don’t ya think?"

“Yea, not as good as the name I chose, but good enough.” Anna said reluctantly, her arms crossed as she glared at Joan and Roadie.

“So that settles it! We’re the Sea-Star Pirates!” Sei exclaimed, jumping from his seat in exclamation, his muscles bulging from his chest and his hair bouncing up in the process.

"Good. Now, we continue towards the next point of business." Roadie said, giving a smile at having everything resolved. "We should check out this Drum Off competition going on? I'm sure it would be pretty cool to see since we've got the time to do so."

"Oh, that's a great idea! I can even get one of them to join up with me and collab as well!" Joan said with a devilish grin on her face. Despite her incredible skils with a guitar, she knew her music would rise to new heights if she got a drummer in order to work alongside her. Of course, she could only have the best on her crew. Hopefully, she could find someone who fits the bill to work with her.

"Let's go check this out!" The rock n' roll guitarist said, leaping up out of her seat as she rushed off towards where she assumed it was taking place.

“Come on, Sei, let’s go see what new talent we can find.” Anna said, following off behind Joan and Roadie. Despite the fact that she was no rockstar, she saw and heard what her music was like when paired with Joan, so that along with a drummer could be even better, she had her hopes high, and her ears even higher.

The Spirit of Competition
The townspeople of Sonar Island were seen gathering to the central plaza with a joyful atmosphere as the long-awaited Drum Off Competition was scheduled to take place very soon. It had been advertised and promoted for weeks to various islands and all the best drum artists from across the seas were expected to be there, including the most infamous one who was known by his nickname "Sticks". It wouldn't be a stretch to say most of the inhabitants of the island were coming just to see him as his reputation after he had officially become a pirate skyrocketed. Whether out of admiration of fear, people wanted to see Sticks and this competition was sure to bring him out.

On the subject of Sticks, a young man wearing a black beanie on his head and a sleeveless fur coat was spotted bristly walking through the streets, munching on a cheeseburger. His eyes darted from one part of the town to the other, whistling when he counted the rather large amount of people that had gathered on this island.

"They all must be excited about the Drum Off, huh?" He swallowed the bite, savoring the delicacy in his hand. He had arrived on this island a few days ago and had fallen in love with this island's cheeseburgers that were mouth-wateringly good. Was it the cheese or the added pickles that gave it that rich texture? It didn't matter, it was freaking good.

He swallowed the rest of the burger and threw the wrapper away, clearing his throat as he stretched his body. Now that he had filled his stomach and already done his morning workout, it was time to get down to business as he began running to the location of where the Drum Off was set to take place.

"I wanna get a good look at my competition. Maybe I'll even find someone who even better than me. Heh, wouldn't that be a shock?" He said excitedly, hopeful that this competition would be both invigorating and fun.

Hundreds if not thousands of islanders had gathered together in front of a large platform where several drummers were standing on, setting up their stations and finalizing their equipment as they prepared for the face-off.

Whispers and murmurs were heard amongst the crowd in anticipation for the competition as everyone speculated who would be the winner. Some claimed it would be the rock and roll Drummer known as Big Hands while others believed Flashy who was known for his speed drumming would take home the prize. However, there was no denying that the drummer everyone had their eyes on would be Sticks with his unusual drumming style that some people couldn't explain.

At the entrance of the competition, the guard who was allowing people in and out spotted a rather peculiar group of two men being led by a female duo as they approached the venue.

"Welcome to the Drum Off!" The muscular and tall dark-skinned man greeted them with a smile but then looked a bit confused.

"Huh, I don't recognize you guys from this island. Are you all travelers?"

"Hell yeah! We are here to check out your competition!" Joan said with a grin, adjusting the strap to the guitar case on her back. She was pretty excited to see this "Drum Off" as, truth be told, Joan had come to the realization if she didn't get a drum for her crew, it would spell the end for her career due to stagnation. "So, do we just sit down or what?"

Roadie sighed at the frivolous words of his adopted sister before looking towards the guard. "I believe she means, how much to we need to pay for tickets to get into the Drum Off?"

“Oh, of course! For a normal ticket it’s 15,000 for a V.I.P ticket it’s 30,000!” The ticket booth worker said with a smile, slightly taken aback by Joan’s earlier words, directing the group's sight to the prices listed on the board to his left.

“I’ll have 4 V.I.P tickets,” Anna said, arriving from behind Joan and Roadie. She reached deep into her purse, pulling out the proper coins, passing them over to the man.

“Thank you for your purchase! Your money will go to financing this event for years to come, as well as compensating the many musicians who perform!” The man exclaimed, handing Anna four golden lanyards and directing the group to the now open gate.

“Here.” Anna threw a lanyard to Joan, Roadie, and Sei, putting hers on and flipping her hair back up and out of the lanyard around her neck, drawing a few stray eyes as she walked through the gates, waiting for the group on the other side.

Placing her lanyard around her neck, Joan walked in after Anna and blinked in surprise at the sight of how full the stadium was, seeing the entire venue was nearly filled as there was an astronomical number of individuals who were seated. Feeling a tap on her shoulder, she turned to see Roadie pointing at Anna and Sei who were already ahead of them. Grinning sheepishly, she strutted after the popstar and her manager as Roadie shook his head as he followed after his little sister.

"Man, I've gotta admit I wasn't expecting to see so many people at a music event for drummers," Joan said, glancing around as she approached Anna and Sei.

"People have different preferences in what makes up the main part of a song. For you, it would probably be the guitars or bass but for these people, its the drums and they enjoy that to a high level. After all, your fans enjoy your music when you could benefit from other instruments." Roadie lectured, scratching his chin as he avoided an excited fan nearly rushing into him.

"I guess that's true." Joan said as she tapped her chin, glancing down at the stage below. "I just hope I see someone who can really 'wow' me, ya know?"

"I'm sure there's someone here worthwhile. This is way more people than I expected." Anna remarked, now walking side by side with Joan and Roadie as Sei looked around to the front of the group.

"So, where should we go first?" Sei said from the front of the group, still looking through the crowd, in search of a special sound in a seat of cymbal crashes and drumstick hits.

"We should take our seats. If we are going to search for a drummer, I wanna be as relaxed as possible." Roadie stated as he observed the stage as well.

"Oh, that’s true. Let’s get a move on!" Joan exclaimed as she rushed ahead to find their seats with Roadie trailing after her, beckoning Anna and Sei to follow them.

As the four of them searched for a pair of appropriate seats to get the best view, they were soon approached by a young woman with brown hair wearing a formal uniform as she greeted the group with a smile.

"Hello. It seems to me your having difficulty finding some open seats. Please, follow me. As you are all V.I.P guests, we have the best seats available for our esteemed patrons"

She beckoned them to follow her as she directed them through the crowded plaza to the V.I.P section that was located on a higher level than the ground floor where numerous rich looking individuals were seated. They walked up the stairs and the lady pointed towards an open group of seats that gave them a full scale view of the Drum Off and were at the front.

"I hope these seats are to your liking. We'll be serving food and refreshments during the performances so please don't hesitate to call upon one of the staff should you require anything. Please, enjoy your stay" She bowed respectfully and left the group to their devices.

Joan was sitting on the edge of her seat, barely containing her excitement as the start of the competition neared. Glancing over to Roadie who was focusing on the stage, she nudged him with a large grin on her face. "I can't wait to meet my new drummer here. It's gonna be exciting as hell!"

Puzzled, Roadie questioned with a raised eyebrow. "And how do you know you'll meet the drummer of your dreams here? For all you know, these guys won't meet your standard of musical talent."

Joan poked her adopted brother in the face and gave a demonic grin. "Oh trust me, Roadie. I know that I'll find my drummer here. I can feel the talent in the air." She focused her attention back on the stage as her red eyes shined with anticipation.

"They'll be able to rock the all of the blues with your beat. They have to if they wanna join my crew."

"Stop being such a realist, Roadie. Sometimes you just need to be unrealistic and have some hope." Anna remarked, taking a seat next to Anna, Sei following behind her, but rather than sitting next to Anna, he took a seat next to Roadie.

"Hope you don't mind if I sit here." Sei muttered, avoiding eye contact, noticeably shy, but trying his absolute hardest to hide and shred of it from Roadie.

As the four of them settled down into their seats, a sharply dressed man appeared on the center stage platform in front of the widespread audience that covered the entire plaza. With a microphone in his hand, he smiled widely and took a deep breath before he shouted into his device.

"Thank you all for coming to the Drum Off! I'm sure you're all here to see the best drumming performances the mighty seas of the Grand Line has to offer, am I right!?" His voice was thunderous as the crowd roared in agreement. Nodding his head, the man continued.

"That's what I like to hear! The rules of this competition are quite simple. Each drummer will perform their best solo on this stage and once they've all finished, we'll let you the audience decide which one was the best based on how loudly you cheer for them. Does that sound like a good time, hm?" He asked already knowing the answer.

As he predicted, the crowd were in full agreement and the excitement in the air was electrifying. No one could wait anymore, they wanted to see it now!

"Hehe, no need to be so impatient. We'll start things off right now!" The host himself was also excited and he turned to the dozen or so drummers behind him with a friendly expression.

"The stage is set and I hope you all can put on a fantastic show" He smiled when he saw the nods of acknowledgment from the various drummers but frowned momentarily when he looked through them all and found someone missing.

"..Where in the world could Sticks be? I already informed him when he should be here but there's still no sight of him" The host was very worried. Sticks was by far the most popular drummer they had managed to invite and were expecting an amazing show from him. If he didn't show up, things might get real messy with the large crowd down below.

"We'll just have to buy some time for him" The host nodded to himself before signaling to the first drummer that he could begin.

While that was going on, a familiar young man was seen miles back from the performance stage, running as fast as he could hear the sounds of drumming way up ahead.

"Damn it, I shouldn't have stopped for another bite at that restaurant. Hope I'm not too late" He'd never forgive himself if he missed the competition and picked up the pace. With how large the crowd was, it was gonna take a while before he could get to the stage and he hoped he'd make it in time.

Ten minutes in and several drummers had already performed on stage, with the crowd having been pleasantly entertained and amused at some of the unique styles they had seen. One of the staff attendants was serving out refreshments and snacks and passed through the V.I.P section where she offered the group of four a plate full of delicacies with a smile.

"Care for a drink? Or perhaps a small meal? I hope you've all enjoyed the Drum Off so far"

"I'll take a beer and some fries if you don't mind and I've been enjoying it so far." Roadie replied before glancing over at Joan who was currently slumped over within her seat with a bored expression on her face. He could already tell what was going through his sister's mind, having been around her for a long time but knew it was better if she directed her attention to him and not one of the staff attendants. "What do you think of the event so far, Joan?"

"These guys are pretty good but none of them are playing anything that really stands out to me. It just sounds like the most generic shit, ya know?" Joan frowned as she unenthusiastically stared at the stage watching the current drummer play his heart out. She wasn't trying to be rude but they all had some specific style that was restricted to a certain brand of music. She wanted someone who was universal, being able to adapt to whatever genre she wanted to play.

"Maybe, my gut feeling was wrong." She lamented with a sigh, resting her head in her palm.

"I'll take a lemonade and a funnel cake for the blue-haired guy over there." Anna remarked as she pointed over to Sei who was watching the show diligently. She slumped back into her seat and watched the performers, nothing really caught her eye, sure, their technique was good, but they lacked the uniqueness to match what she and Joan were already bringing to the table.

"Eh, I expected better." Anna said aloud, now only half watching the show, most of her attention waiting on her drink.

While the two ladies had much higher standards than the average person watching the show, there were others in the crowd who had started to share in their disappointment as time passed.

“This is starting to get boring” A husky old man grumbled from the left corner as he sighed.

“I thought this competition would be more exciting but so far it’s just been meh” A younger man said with a frown as the latest drummer left the stage.

The host’s ears immediately picked up on the change amongst the crowd as a nervous sweat fell from his forehead. This wasn’t good; the crowd was beginning to weary of the repetitive performances. There was no doubt these drummers were talented but eventually, once you’ve seen a handful of drummers, you’ve seen them all.

“Damn it” He cursed “That’s why I need Sticks here! He could easily change the vibe with his unique and crazy style” The host darted his eyes everywhere, hoping to catch a glimpse of the severely late teenager but alas, his hopes went unanswered.

“Hey!” A woman in the crowd shouted, altering everyone’s attention. “Where's Sticks!? The only reason I came here was to watch him!”

“Yeah” This time, it was a man stepped up. “Bring him out! I paid good money for these tickets because I heard that Sticks was going to perform!”

“That’s right, where is he!?”

“Sticks! Sticks! Sticks!”

There were shouts coming from all over the plaza as the host was astonished that the situation had become this dire already. Worst case scenario; there might be a brawl on his hands.

“E-Everyone! Please remain calm, we promise that Sticks will definitely perform today!”

“S-Sir, w-what should we do?” Several of the staff had approached the host at the side as they feared for their lives with how rowdy the crowd was becoming.

“How should I know!? Have you found Sticks yet!?” He shouted.

“N-No sir, we still haven’t located him”

“Useless! What good is the money I’m paying you if you can’t even find one man on this island!” He was at his wit’s end as he wanted to pull out his hair at how everything was spiraling out of control.. Even the drummers backstage were getting nervous as dejected looks appeared on their faces, clearly showing that they felt insulted that they were being completely ignored.

Just as the host looked ready to run away and crawl in a hole, a sudden voice was heard somewhere amongst the countless people gathered in the plaza.

“Don’t you guys know that the best is always saved for last?” Several sets of eyes turned around to see the appearance of a young man wearing a beanie with a cocky grin on his face as he jumped into the air and twirled his drum sticks. He then slammed them against the air behind his figure, propelling him forward like a rocket through the air pressure that had been released from his drum sticks hitting the air.

“W-What the hell!”

“Oh my god!”

“That’s him! That’s Sticks!”

Gasps of amazement were heard across the crowd as they watched Sticks soar through the air until he eventually landed on the platform after doing a front spin and he addressed the crowd with a wide smile.

“Sorry for being late but better late than never, am I right?”

Taking the Spotlight
There was dead silence in the plaza before an eruption of cheers and roars exploded from the crowd.

“It’s about damn time!” The host immediately ran over and tearfully hugged the flabbergasted Gray.

“Where were you!? Thank goodness! I was so worried they’d kill me!” The host comically wept as Gray tried to pry the man off him while apologizing.

“Sorry, I lost track of time and had a difficult time getting through the enormous crowd”

“Oh don’t worry about that, your forgiven you loveable bastard!” The host forgave him completely and after a few more moments of hugging, composed himself before grabbing the mic from one of the embarrassed staff and addressed the crowd.

“Ladies and gentlemen! We’re terribly sorry for the wait but I now present to you our main event. You already know him but here he is; Sticks!” The drummer yelled and the crowd roared in anticipation as even the harsher audience members were thrilled to see what this young man could do.

Gray waved towards the crowd and swept his gaze over them before his eyes settled on the VIP section on the left where he noticed a peculiar group of four seated together watching him intently. Gray had no idea why but he could tell that they were more than just your average citizens, especially the two women, and a fire was ignited in his spirit to perform even better than usual to impress their judging eyes.

“''Heh, you wanna see what I got? I’ll give you guys a show you won’t ever forget''” He smirked at them before focusing back on the crowd as he prepared himself for his performance.

Joan's eyes perked up at the sudden announcement of the drummer known as "Sticks", hearing the various cheers of the patrons around her as he walked out onto the stage. Just by looking at him, she could already tell there was something different about him when compared to the other drummers they had seen before in the Drum-Off. He had a certain air around him that seemed to cause something to resonate within her. Unable to stop herself, Joan leaned forward in her seat as a demonic grin spread across her face in excitement.

"Come on, Drummer Boy. Show me what you've got." Joan whispered to herself, her crimson eyes shining with anticipation.

"I see he's got you all riled up, Joan" Anna remarked, watching as Joan's attention was locked on the boy, despite their short time being together, Anna could read her like a book. Anna sat back in her seat, sipping her drink, she knew if he had Joan's attention, he must be the real deal.

The crowd could hardly contain their excitement as even the other drummers who were considered Gray’s rivals looked anxious and dying to see just what was the fuss about with this guy.

Once his preparations were set, Gray stretched his body and took a deep breath. It was a trick he learned to calm his nerves before a big performance and it had never failed him before as he looked ready to throw down, smirking as he twirled his signature drum sticks in his hands.

“It’s showtime”

Gray wasted no more time as he got right into a catchy and easy to follow base snare beat that had the audience bobbing along. It was fun and upbeat as Gray watched more and more people get into it and he continued to do so before switching to a faster beat that was focused more on the toms of his drum set and got some of the younger audience members up on their feet vibing to it. Gray maneuvered the drum sticks in his hand with perfect rhythm as he always kept his eyes on the audience, gauging their reactions and adjusting his pace to match with the current vibe. Because drum performances could get boring rather quickly, it was essential for a drummer to always mix things up and pay attention to what their audiences preferred.

Switching once more, Gray was now hitting the back cymbals and producing a slower, more relaxed beat as the older audience members appreciated the slow jam more than the upbeat tempo.

“I-Incredible…” The host who was watching behind the curtain expressed with shock at what he was witnessing. Most drummers stuck to one style and tried to perfect it but not only was Gray clearly proficient in various styles, he actually seemed to be getting better with each passing second as the beats changed and had more variation.

“''I think I’ve warmed up enough. Let’s kick it up a level''”

Finished with his warm-up, Gray’s eyes shined as he began striking every drum kit with blinding speed, producing a multi-faceted beat that made almost every audience member drop their jaw in shock. He was moving his hands so fast they became blurs and it almost felt as if the drums were playing themselves. Even the most die-hard fans were stunned before they began cheering loudly in a frenzy, unable to get enough. This was easily the greatest drum performance they had ever seen!

The waitress who had been serving the VIP section and standing near Joan and Anna even dropped the plate she was holding as she was beyond captivated by the artistry performance.

“I-I can’t believe my eyes…”

Roadie was unable to prevent himself from going slack-jawed in surprise as he was assaulted by the rhythmic beat of the talented drummer. With each sound of the drum, he could feel his heart leap with excitement as he stood up to get a better view of the performer. His mouth closed and formed a large grin as the crowd cheered, understanding that Joan had been correct in her intuition about there being a drummer unlike any other within this competition. Laughing aloud, as it was quickly drowned out by the roars of the patrons, he sat down within his seat and spoke in a loud voice as he still watched the show.

"So, it looks like you were right about this guy, Joan. The real question is how are you gonna get him to join your crew?" His question went unanswered as he heard nothing from Joan, only the sound of cheering fans. Frowning, he diverted his attention from the show to where Joan sat, only to be shocked when he saw an empty seat and a missing guitar case. His eyes widened as he frantically looked around the stadium for his hellion of a sister, barely spotting Joan thanks to her signature hat as she moved closer to the stage with a grin on her face.

"MOTHERFUCKER! Joplin Joan, get back here!" Roadie screamed aloud as he watched his sister move closer towards Gray with each passing moment.

"Whoops, I guess he finally noticed that I left," Joan mumbled to herself as she heard the angry voice of her brother from above. It wasn't like she was doing anything wrong. She was just going to hope up onto the stage and ask him to join her crew. Simple as that. He was the only person within this entire competition who stood out to her and his music solidified her choice! She had to collab with him and what was the best way to collab with him? Exactly, have him join her crew! They would make awesome music together!

"You better get ready to join my crew, Sticks! I'm coming for ya." She grinned as she listened to the beat of the drum and moved forward.

"Your crew my ass! It's our crew!" Anna barked, strutting onto the stage, sipping on her lemonade as she approached Joan and Sticks, Sei and Roadie looking to her seat, now realizing she had left as well, however just like with Joan, they didn't realize when.

Anna simply looked him up and down, despite his performance, she valued image and character to a certain extent as well, because what's a song if it's written by a shitty person?

Gray smiled genuinely as he saw the audience react positively to his drumming, a feeling of satisfaction now rising within him. He briefly remembered those two girls in the audience he had seen before he started that were watching and shifted his eyes back to those seats, hoping they were enjoying themselves but found himself staring at a rather angry short-haired man and an exasperated red-haired man.

“''Huh? Did they leave?''” Gray was inwardly stupefied as he darted his eyes all over the place, searching for the duo while still playing the drums. It was a testament to his insane skill that allowed him to multitask at such a level.

Finally, he found his targets when he looked down below and saw the girl with the hat and the other one that was sipping her drink approaching the performance stage. He blinked confusedly and assumed perhaps they wanted to get a better front row seat to his performance as he smiled widely at them.

“Get as close as you can, I’ll give you the best show you’ve ever seen”

Gray decided to up his game once more and utilize his devil fruit powers as he stopped drumming on the drum sets and instead began drumming on the very air itself in front of him. The music produced by his air-drumming changed completely, producing a new and crazy beat that his fans knew all too well as they began cheering even louder than before.

“H-How is he doing that!”

“He’s drumming on the air!?”

“Somebody call my mom!”

Gray was on fire, his beat quickly becoming radical and more intense by the second as a few drips of sweat fell from his forehead and he found himself unable to hide his fun like expression as he hoped he had impressed the two girls approaching him.

Joan smiled excitedly as she listened to the sudden shift within Gray's performance, finding it to be "fucking awesome" in layman's terms. If his previous beat rocked her body, the current one was shaking her very soul to its core with each sound of the drum. She had to get up there and ask him to join the crew now! She couldn't risk waiting till after this event to speak with him. She had to make her move now.

Without hesitation, Joan grabbed onto the shoulders of a nearby fan and used him as leverage to launch herself into the air, soaring above the crowd like a little devil. Her smile grew larger as she opened the case for her guitar and retrieved her instrument, uncaring as the case smacked an innocent man within the face. It sounded like it hurt, however. Poor guy. Nonetheless, she landed on the stage as she played a loud guitar riff, initially starting off as off-beat from Gray's own drum solo. However, within mere seconds, she was able to match the tempo of his performance as the beautiful melody echoed throughout the stadium.

The sound of cheering fans, if possible, got louder as they were unable to contain their excitement upon hearing such music. Joan couldn't help herself from laughing, loving every moment of this. It was the type of stuff she lived for. To see so many people brought together by music! It was fucking awesome! Unfortunately, she couldn't dwell on this any longer. She had a drummer to recruit!

"Hey, you're Sticks right?! I want your ass and sick drumming skills on my crew!" Joan said, not bothering to beat around the bush. She wanted him on her crew and damn it, she was gonna get him! Maybe she could promise pictures of Anna in exchange for him joining? Maybe...

Just outside the venue, the marines gathered in place, heavy artillery and weapons ready. The man at the head, Henry Benjamin, breathed deeply, in and out. "I just haven't gotten a break lately."

Standing beside the Marine Captain was his second-in-command, Suzuran. With a clipboard in hand and a frown on her face, she gave a sympathetic look towards exhausted Benjamin. He had recently been dealing with a wide range of criminals including a recent encounter with his adopted brother.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t within the area to help him as she was getting her promotion to her current rank at a Marine Base. Has she been made aware, she would have raced over to aid him. Nonetheless, she can’t change the past and she was here now. That’s all that matters.

"Apologies, Captain Benjamin. It seems that there has been reports of several Pirates within the area." She said, looking through the papers attached to the clipboard. "It seems three of them have bounties well over fifty million bellies."

"Only 50,000,000?" said Benjamin. He'd tired himself out fighting rookies with bounties over 100,000,000. "Get the troops in position around the venue. The second they're clear of any civilians we'll take them in."

Suzuran nodded as she glanced over at the lower-ranked Marines around her. Crossing her arms, she let out her orders. "You’ve heard your orders! Surround the venue and allow civilians to pass through the blockade! When we see the Pirates in question, we’ll take ‘em down! Am I clear?!"

"Yes, ma’am!" The Marine soldiers responded with a salute before rushing out to carry their orders, setting up a perimeter around the stadium.

"Hopefully, this will be an easy one but it’s never that simple when it comes to the likes of Pirates." Suzuran signed as she directed a Marine where to set up the position of a platoon should be at.

"Which pirates are we dealing with?" asked Benjamin. "And what abilities do they have?"

"The first pirate is Tony Gray, otherwise known as "Sticks", who possesses a bounty of 60,000,000. He seems to have eaten an unknown Devil Fruit that allows him to "drum" on objects, whether they are animate or inanimate, to create special effects. His crimes include disturbing the peace, refusal and assault of a Marine Lieutenant Commander, and several counts of property destruction." Suzuran informed Benjamin with a scowl on her face, already disliking the person in question.

"Next, we have Bessonova Anna, also known as "Miss Supernova" on DenDenTube, who has a bounty of 88,000,000 and debuted three days ago. While she doesn't possess a Devil Fruit, she seems to be capable of conjuring ice and lightning through use of a wand. It is unknown if there is more within her arsenal but nonetheless, it is quite possible. In addition to her counts of disturbing the peace and refusal to listen to a Marine Captain, she assisted in the defeat of Captain Caprice." Suzuran continued as she flipped the page to the last pirate.

"Finally, there is Joplin Joan, also known as the stage name of "JoJo", who has a bounty of 95,000,000 and, much like Bessonova, debuted as a pirate three days ago. She seems to use a unique guitar which is capable of producing several effects with the known ones being fire and wind. Her crimes are the same as Bessonova, however she was the one who delivered the final blow on Captain Caprice. It is assumed she and Bessonova are in leagues with each other as they were seen leaving together, sir."

"I see." Benjamin began cracking his knuckles. "It would be wise not to underestimate them. Perhaps they have more under their sleeve than one would expect. Are the men in position?"

"They are, Captain." Suzuran replied as she stretched her legs out in preparation for the battle to come. "They are awaiting see the order to attack upon seeing the Pirates in question."

Confrontation
Back at the venue, Gray was dumbfounded as he watched that girl from earlier jump onto the platform as she branded her guitar and began strumming to his beat. At first, it was off beat but through what he assumed to be her natural talent, she not only complimented his beat but also enhanced it as Gray’s eyes widened in amazement. The music being produced from the collaboration between the two was soul shattering and Gray’s body began to shake in excitement.

There were few people that could match his speed and tempo and she had done so in mere seconds. If that wasn’t a natural born talent for music, what was?

He didn’t know who this chick was but she was kick ass, that’s for sure. Cute too, and that was always a welcome feature in Gray’s book.

Before he could ask for her identity however, she had called out to him, using his nickname as she rather bluntly asked him to join her crew. Well, that was unexpected. The way she made it sound had Gray raising an eyebrow at the rather… suggestive nature of her words but he quickly snapped those thoughts when he locked eyes with her and saw the passionate fire burning within them.

Those were the eyes of a true musician, like himself.

“Heh. I don’t know who you are lady, but you’ve got some banging skills. Your one hell of a guitarist” He complimented with a wide grin as he continued to drum. “Your a pirate right? You must be if your looking for crew mates to join you. Got a name, sunshine?” He asked with a smirk, curious as to her identity.

"The name's Joplin Joan and I'm a hellion, not 'sunshine'." Joan said with a wide grin of her own as she continued to strum her guitar to match the beat of his drum. "As for being a pirate, the answer is hell yeah! That girl over there with the fat ass is Anna, she's my partner-in-crime and not in the sheets." She informed with a carefree attitude, twirling her guitar.

“Heh, figures” Gray smirked, as if he already knew the answer to her identity as a pirate. “Only a pirate chick would call herself a hellion and talk like that. I can tell your a bad bitch” He laughed before the name she had spoken clicked in his head. “Joan huh? I’m sure I’ve heard the name before. Guess I really need to keep in touch with other artists” He admitted before he let his eyes wander over to the woman that Joan had pointed too; the pretty one with long hair.

“I'm Gray. Pleasure to meet you, Anna. Or should I call you ‘chick with the fatass’?” He joked with a smile as he swore he caught Joan laughing out of the corner of his eye.

“Do you also plan on joining in on the fun? If your partners with her, that must mean you’ve got skills right?” He asked with excitement in his eyes, curious to know if she had her own musical talent. She didn’t have a guitar or instrument in her hand. A singer or dancer perhaps? She certainly looked like one.

"There's nothing wrong with a fat ass! People even like it these days. But yes, I have skills, you'll see." Anna remarked, making her way over to Joan's side, giving her a punch on the shoulder. "Don't ever embarrass me like that again!" Anna barked, a vein appearing on her forehead as she yelled at Joan.

Joan simply responded by smacking Anna on the ass as a loud SLAP sound echoed through the area followed by the laughter of the red-eyed girl. "Lighten up, Anna! There is no need to be so uptight when we are getting a new member!" Turning her attention back towards Gray, she continued her attempt to acquire the drummer on her crew. She was a master persuader, after all, she had this in the bag. "Anyways, join my crew! We’ll play sick music and make an awesome band!"

Truly, a master of persuasion...

Gray winced at the slap to the woman called Anna’s ass that made him momentarily stop drumming for a second. Ouch, that had to hurt. Judging by the sound, it must have been one full ass he surmised in his head. He sent his condolences to the poor girl’s rear before he focused back on the guitar chick who once again shot him an invitation to join her supposed crew.

Subtlety definitely wasn’t something in this girl’s repertoire. Still, he gave her props. A confident woman who didn’t beat around the bush and knew what she wanted was certainly a positive trait in his eyes.

Honestly, he was definitely considering the offer as he had been looking to meet musicians like himself to try to expand his music range. Going solo was getting boring and these girls seemed to be cool and down to earth at least, not to mention quite easy on the eyes. That thought aside, it was the draw of being able to create more music like what they were playing now that captivated Gray the most.

Of course, he still had his reservations as he didn’t know the slightest thing about either of them. Especially the one called Anna, he still needed to see how good she was.

“That does sound kick ass. I’m definitely interested... ” Gray agreed with Joan who for some reason, was puffing her chest out as if she was proud of something she said or did. Weird.

He was going to ask her something else before Gray’s eyes narrowed when he saw out of the corner of his eye activity from several tens of people. When he looked harder, Gray immediately recognized their uniforms and clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“Shit, it’s the Marines….” He cursed before turning back to the two ladies on stage with him.

“But before that, it seems we’ve got company” He smirked as he motioned for the two of them to follow his line of sight towards the Marine soldiers who were lining up just outside the venue as he stopped drumming.

“Are they friends of yours?” He joked, already knowing full well they weren’t.

Joan stopped playing her guitar as she glanced outside of the venue, spotting the Marines who were currently set up, most likely for herself and Anna. Glaring in annoyance at the dogs of the World Government, she quickly turned her attention towards Anna and said, "Anna, go grab Roadie and Seiryu. Those Marines fuckers are here and I doubt they'll let us throughout without a fight."

She was kind of hoping to avoid the Marines today but this actually worked out better in her favor! After all, she and Anna managed to collab together within the heat of the moment and she was sure the same could happen for Gray. It would just be less musical and more brutal.

"Well then, let's get the hell out of here! Welcome to the Sea-Star Pirates and we are gonna make the entire world know who we are! Are you ready to raise hell, Gray!?" She said, giving him devil horns as flames expelled from her guitar.

“I don’t remember becoming a member of your crew just yet” Gray scoffed a little before a grin surfaced on his face and he stood up from his seat. This was actually perfect. Now he could see if her fighting skills were as refined as her musical talent as Gray would never join a crew full of weaklings.

“But hey, I’m always down to let loose on those fuckers so I’m with you there. I just hope you can fight as well as you guitar” He snarked before stepping to the front and began twirling his drum sticks, ignoring the confused stares coming from the audience members. The host himself had no idea what was happening but kept himself in the back with all of the other drummers and staff.

Gray glanced back at Joan and winked at her.

“Try to keep up” He challenged as he jumped high into the air and pulled his arms back before he struck the air in front of him with his sticks, generating a loud sound that sent a powerful gust of wind heading straight towards a section where dozens of Marines had gathered. The blast hit its target as dozens of Marines were sent flying in different directions and temporarily created an open path for him to follow.

Landing back on the ground, Gray wasted no more time and charged straight for it as he kept darting his eyes around, hoping to spot any high ranking Marines that might try to stop him.

"Of course you are gonna join! I'll only accept you as my kickass drummer!" Joan cried out, leaping into the air to follow after Gray. Landing on the ground with a thud, she rushed forward and swung her guitar like a club, slamming it into the bodies of several marines as they were sent soaring high into the sky.

Shifting her grip on Earth Wind & Fire, Joan performed a short hop and kicked the face of a nearby Marine soldier, causing his face to briefly cave-in before being used as leverage to launch the rockstar into the air. As she soared above the myriad of Marines, she noticed a platoon of Marines aiming to their firearms at Gray as he was busy taking care of several footsoldiers. Frowning at the sight of her newfound drummer being harmed, Joan strummed her guitar as she roared aloud.

"Serpinite Fire!" Jets of red-hot flames spewed forth from the instrument as the fire amassed in order to form a fiery serpent, letting out a loud hiss-ing noise before it slithered towards the platoon. Despite their best efforts to shoot the blazing snake, its for naught as they were engulfed in a cascade of roaring flames.

Twisting her body midair, Joan managed to land directly on the face of another unfortunate Marine, forcing him to the ground as his back popped at an unnatural angle before took off running towards Gray without hesitation. Within moments, she was able to catch up to the drummer as Joan slammed her guitar into the torso of Marine who got within her way.

"Damn, you really are better than I thought you were! You took those guys out like it was nothing!" She remarked with fiery excitement.

Gray was wreaking havoc on the poor bastards that stood in his way as he utilized his impressive agility and devil fruit powers to overwhelm the Marines that challenged him. When he saw the pillar of flames envelope a group of Marines by his blind spot, he swiftly turned around to see Joan approaching him as she bashed her way through the soldiers as if she were a human juggernaut.

He whistled with an approving look. Now that was impressive.

When she finally caught up to him and praised his skills, he rubbed his nose a bit in embarrassment, a trait of his he wished would go away as he didn’t handle compliments well, especially from a pretty face.

“Thanks, but you're the amazing one. That guitar of yours is hella dope. I wonder what else that thing can do” He responded with intrigue as he kicked a Marine that tried to attack him. When he landed back on the ground and turned to Joan, he noticed a Marine sneak up on her from her left while she was facing him and was about to slash at her.

Gray moved with incredible speed as he rushed right towards her, grabbing her by the shoulder as he pulled her to his side and then landed a heavy kick on the Marine’s face, sending him crashing into some chairs.

“That makes us even for that save earlier” He smiled as he let her go and stood back to back with Joan as more marines approached them.

“There’s no end to em. Hey, is that friend of yours with the fat ass gonna help out or what?”

Joan blinked in surprise at the question, turning her head in order to search for Anna. Her eyes widen upon spotting Anna still standing in the exact same spot before she chased after Gray. Taking a deep breath, she shouted at her co-captain. "YO, ANNA! STOP STANDING OVER THERE DAYDREAMING ABOUT BEING GANGBANGED AND MOVE THAT FATASS OF YOURS! WE GOTTA GET GOING!"

Having heard the vulgar statement from the fiery-eyed girl, several Marines were unable to prevent themselves from going slack-jawed in surprise as the words registered in their brain. However, before the soldiers could regain themselves, they were quickly taken out by the combined efforts of Gray and Joan as the duo rushed by.

"There, that should get her attention. If not, Roadie and Seiryu should be able to do it." She said, giving an uncaring shrug. They were meant to be co-captains of the crew, meaning Anna had to shoulder her share of responsibility on the crew. Besides, it wasn't her job to manage the popstar.

It was Seiryu's job. Literally.

As Gray continued his assault against the marines, a sudden flash appeared before him. The commanding officer of the marines present had joined the battle himself. "Tetsu no Dangan!" He aimed a punch, with the hardness of iron, directly towards the pirate's face.

Gray's eyes opened wide when he saw a blur in front of him that turned into a marine aiming a punch at his face. It was far too late to dodge as Gray used his reflexes and brought both his drum sticks to block the punch, the impact causing him to skid back as he grit his teeth.

"This guy's strong!" He thought as he finally came to a stop a few meters behind where he once stood as he glared at the Marine who now stood before him and Joan.

"It seems we've grabbed the attention of a big fish" He smirked, judging the man before him to be a few ranks higher than the Lieutenant Commander he had defeated so easily. This guy was no pushover and he was definitely going to need Joan's help to take him down or at the very least, create an opportunity to escape.

Suddenly, a large spark of electricity would fly past the Gray and Joan, whipping through the air and smashing into the ground before them with a large clap and large explosion. "CALL ME FATASS AGAIN!!" Anna screamed, holding onto her baton connected to her now lightning charged ribbon, making her way over to the duo.

She whipped her baton once again, this time that much stronger, sending marines flying all over. She looked to Joan then back to Gray. "Let's get this over with." She said sternly, standing as her hair whipped around from the wind of the impact, almost like a maiden of battle purging the field of her enemies, for a pop star, this was intense.

Gray was surprised for a moment before he laughed in amusement. "Damn, you chicks really are wild. That was a sick attack fat as- I mean Anna" He corrected.

"Should we go help them?" Seiryu asked Roadie, standing up and looking over to him.

Before he could respond to the question, Roadie's eyes caught a white blur heading directly towards Anna. Eyes narrowing, he didn't bother responding to Seiryu's question as he instead grabbed the bluenette and placed him on his back, giving him a piggyback ride. Roadie quickly leaped towards the ground, falling at a rapid pace as his body began to undergo a metamorphosis. Following suit, his body began to become more lizard-like as he sprouted scales, claws and sharp teeth.

By the time the duo hit the ground, Roadie was no longer human. Instead, he was a creature long forgotten, having only been seen in the ancient past. A Velociraptor. Unleashing a powerful roar, Roadie rushed forth at impressive speeds like some sort of scary monster. For the Marines who crossed his path, they were taken down with a swipe of his claws, the once white uniforms being soaked in their own blood.

Within seconds, he reached Anna and, using his powerful jaw, grabbed her by the collar of her shirt before carrying her off. Before anyone had time to question the strange occurrence, the ground where Anna once stood sunk in as Suzuran had landed with a powerful kick, having missed her target. Huffing in annoyance, she turned towards Benjamin and spoke.

"Captain, I'll pursue on Bessonova Anna and her companions! I will be sure to bring them to justice!" With her piece said, the white-haired Marine displayed an impressive usage of Soru as she rushed forth, chasing after the now trio.

"Don't let them get away!" Benjamin called after his subordinate. He turned back to the two pirates before him. "This is the end of the line. I'd prefer if you simply surrendered, but I can do this the hard way if you'd like."

Ensemble of Two
Having heard Benjamin's ultimatum, Joan scowled at the Marine captain as an annoyed look spread across her face. She already decided she didn't like this person. On top of being a Marine, he had interrupted her excellent recruitment of Gray and decided to attack him as well! Who the fuck did this asshole think he was?! He could be related to the future King of Pirates and she still wouldn't care! This guy needed to learn a lesson.

"How about you take the third option: sit on this and spin, ya dandruff-haired, weasel-looking motherfucker!" Joan yelled at him, giving Benjamin the classic middle finger as she glared at him.

Gray blinked in silence before an eruption of laughter exploded from him at Joan’s display of “sticking it to the authorities” as he clutched his stomach. Here he was worrying about how to get out of this mess and yet this girl just flipped off a high ranking marine officer with unbridled bravado. She had more balls than any man he’d come across so far that’s for sure as he wiped a tear and walked forward, standing next to her.

“Well put there, firecracker,” Gray said as he slung his arm over Joan’s shoulder and smirked at her widely, respect gleaming from his eyes. “You’ve really got a way with words, you know that? So how about me and you show this clown what a couple of musicians are capable of? Whaddaya say?” He raised a fist towards her, idly wondering why this sensation felt so nostalgic to him despite having never fought beside her, or anyone really, before today.

Joan glanced over at Gray as her grin returned twice fold, her eyes shining with happiness and excitement. She wasn't going to pass up on such an opportunity, especially when she had been trying to get him to collab since the moment she heard his music. It was almost as if fate was placing all of the chips within her corner. There was just one obstacle within her path and she would be damned if it stopped her now.

"Hell yeah, let's fuck 'em up!" Joan said as she bumped fists with Gray, ready to begin the battle and prove that she was worthy of being his captain. After all, it wasn't fair she didn't prove her worth when he did the same for her unknowingly. That was just being rude.

Benjamin didn't seem fazed by the sudden display of Joan's middle finger. As Gray spoke, he lifted up his leg, it seemed to glow as he launched a kick in their general direction. "Rankyaku "Nokogiri"!" The air blade that was fired from his leg took the shape of a rotating saw, headed straight for the two criminals. This type of attack would cut them in half. He wasn't playing around.

Gray nodded with his signature grin when she pumped fists with him.

“Then let’s get to it-woah!” He didn’t get the chance to finish as both he and Joan moved out of the way to avoid the razor-sharp projectile sent their way from the stoic Marine officer. Gray landed a few feet away as he frowned at him.

“You son of a...” Gray growled at the man for the unexpected surprise attack that made him want to kick his ass even more as he twirled his drumsticks and raised them high into the air.

“Earth Snare!” He shouted as he slammed both drumsticks on the ground, generating a loud snare sound that caused the earth below Benjamin’s feat to begin trembling and without warning, it caved in as a giant hole appeared underneath his feat.

“Take it away!” Gray turned to Joan as he gave her the signal to utilize one of her attacks while he was distracted.

Joan nodded as she strummed her guitar in order to activate the Dials installed within the instrument once more. With a pluck of several guitar strings, she triggered the and  at the same time, resulting in a burst of compressed air enhancing the stream of fire. Instead of a simple flamethrower being unleashed, an inferno was razing the ground as it rushed towards Benjamin to swallow him within its fiery maw.

"Fields of Fire!" Joan cried out, keeping a keen eye on the Marine. He had already proved to be quite fast and would most likely use that to avoid being burnt.

"Trying to take away my footing," said Benjamin, "Child's play. Geppo! In a flash, he had already bounced off of the ground, kicking off the air to stay air born. The techniques of Gray and Joan passing harmlessly underneath him. "Rankyaku "Ran"!" Several smaller blades of air rained down upon the two pirates, and over a wide area as well. His ability to control the trajectory of each individual blade was impressive, even if they didn't have the same power of his previous attack.

“Tch, nimble bastard” Gray cursed as he attempted to avoid the razor blades raining down on him. They were nearly endless as Gray hopped around like a rabbit and dodged each one with impressive agility. A few of them scratched his clothes but overall, he was able to dodge the vast majority of them and had put some distance between himself and the airborne marine.

“''Great, so the bastard’s got both long-range and close-range skills. This’ll be tough…''” Gray’s mind went into overdrive trying to think of a way to beat the enemy before him as he glanced over to Joan to see how she was doing.

"Son of a..!" Joan's eyes widened as she observed the deadly rain of air blades rocketing towards her at an alarming rate. She reacted with haste by dashing back in order to avoid being sliced into ribbons, utilizing a combination of her small size and natural nimbleness to dodge the razor-sharp projectiles. However, despite her best efforts, she was unable to evade the entire onslaught as several blades sliced her body, leaving her with a number of cuts.

Joan clicked her tongue in annoyance, knowing she couldn't keep avoiding the Marine without tiring herself out. Quickly turning to face Benjamin, Joan plucked several strings on her guitar as she triggered several Jet Dials implemented within the instrument. Soon, a large concussive blast of compressed air was unleashed as it collided with the myriad of mini Rankyaku, dispelling them with ease.

The blast continued to soar through the air as it rushed towards Benjamin with deadly force, possessing the power to knock him out of the sky.

As Joan's attack made its way towards him, Benjamin's body began rotating wildly, until his body looked more akin to a twister in midair. "Tekkai Kenpo "Haneguruma"!" The blast made contact but quickly dispersed upon hitting his body. And just like that, he zeroed in on the captain's position. In another flash, he was back on the ground, right in front of Joan... "Tetsu no Dangan!" and aiming a punch directly to her gut.

Joan blinked in shock at seeing Benjamin suddenly appear in front of her with his fist reeled back, intending on delivering a devastating punch. Unfortunately, she was unable to properly react as the powerful strike impacted her body, feeling a sickening mixture of bile and spit rise up from her stomach as the pain echoed through her body. However, Joan wasn't a quitter as she focused on the battle at hand, screaming at herself to ignore the aching coming from her stomach.

As she was skidding back as a result of Benjamin's punch, Joan snorted up a loogie within her mouth and spat it out with disgusting precision towards Benjamin's eyes. Even with the slight distance between them, it would still be difficult for the Marine captain to dodge such an unexpected projectile.

It was disgusting, the phlegmy filth that pirate had launched into his face. With his high speed, he quickly removed his opponent's loogie from his eyes, before closing the distance once again. His next punch was aimed towards her jaw, to make sure she couldn't do the same thing again.

That brief window of distraction was all Gray needed however as he was currently flying straight towards the marine officer after striking the air behind him with his drumsticks to create a sonic boom that propelled him forward like a meteor.

He also thought Joan’s tactic of using a loogie was crude and nasty but hey, if it worked why not?

“Boom Kick!” Gray yelled as he spun in the air several times to build up his momentum before he stuck his leg out and aimed a devastating straight kick towards the face of Benjamin who was solely focused on Joan.

Benjamin looked, just in time for Gray's kick to hit him in the side of the face. He staggered slightly, but something was off. His body didn't feel like it was made of flesh. It felt like iron. Benjamin grabbed onto Gray's leg to slam him into the ground.

“''The fuck!? What’s this guy’s face made of, steel!?''” Gray was unprepared for the marine to actually tank his Boom Kick with his face and winced when the man grabbed his leg.

“Gah!” Gray shouted in pain as he was slammed into the ground, lying flat on his back as he glared at the man who stood over him before a shaky grin creased his lips.

“Your one tough son of a bitch” He admitted as he brought both his drum sticks together and focused on Benjamin’s arm that was grabbing him.

“Yeah, you might wanna let go of that. Boom Spark!” He warned before he struck one stick with the other, causing the friction to create a small spark that soon turned into an explosion that detonated right on Benjamin’s arm that had grabbed his leg, causing the man to let go of Gray’s leg who jumped back to create some distance and stood near Joan.

Benjamin shook his arm. Smoke came off of it, but he seemed unharmed regardless. "Is that the best you can do?" Benjamin didn't ordinarily enjoy goading his opponents, but he was legitimately curious. After his fights with Avery and Zephyr, he didn't feel properly challenged.

“You wish” Gray scoffed at the man’s taunting as he spat on the floor to the side “We’re just getting started, old man”

Having said that, worry was slowly edging into Gray’s mind at how to deal with the walking tank before him. Physical attacks were useless and he had enough speed and mobility to evade both his and Joan’s elemental attacks. This wasn’t even mentioning his offensive versatility to attack from both close and long-range.

“This guy’s tough” He spoke to Joan. “We won’t beat him using any simple parlor tricks or half-assed attacks. That loogie you spat on him was a good move, I just didn’t expect he’d be able to tank my kick like that” He grumbled, formulating a plan in his mind that might work out if they played their cards right.

“I’ve got an idea. Back me up with your flames!” Gray shouted as he took off running towards Benjamin, hoping that Joan would assist in his plan.

Having recovered from the earlier strike, Joan nodded in agreement as she observed Benjamin with a keen eye. Despite being the same rank as Cranberry Caprice, it was quite obvious he was on an entirely different level in comparison. With his physical parameters already being astonishing, Joan agreed with Gray's statement. They were going to have to kick it up to eleven if they wanted to defeat this Marine captain.

"Alright, let's do this!" Joan replied to Gray as she played a riff on her guitar, triggering several Flame Dials within her instrument as several fireballs were unleashed in a blaze of glory aimed directly towards Benjamin. Watching as great balls of fire rushed towards her foe, Joan wasn't entirely sure what Gray had in mind but it was quite clear he had something planned and she was going to assist in his plan at the very least!

Gray kept running as he saw the fireballs fly over his head and straight towards Benjamin as he smiled, thanking Joan for placing her trust in him. He wasn't going to let it go to waste as he readied his drum sticks and waited for Benjamin's counter response.

"Come on, show us what you got pussy!" Gray taunted.

"Tekkai Kenpo" Benjamin began. The fireballs exploded on contact with their target, creating a massive cloud of smoke and dust. And suddenly it was parted. With the speed of Soru he flew straight towards Gray, almost appearing as a flash of light. "Lariat!" He aimed he iron-hard arm towards Gray's neck. His goal was to break his collar bone, and continue on to deliver a second blow to Joan's gut. Minor burns covered his body, and his favorite coat had been burned clean off.