Eddie and Calliope stopped momentarily as they say the large lights around the town of Max Flicker out. "What happened there?!" eddie spoke
"Seems like someone turned off a generator. Lets keep going!"
Within moments, the two reached the Docks. It was a huge floating dry dock with a large tower near the front of the dock. Large spikes coming out of it. Like a metal watch tower or Lighthouse
Noise filled the air as the sound grinding filled the air from manual grinders. Many ships that were hobbled together. This was where ships that were destroyed by the Deri warriors and Hard Rock Fleet Were brought to be reconstructed into the horrifying amalgamations of steel
"What is that…" Calliope squirted into the distance as what looked to be a standard marine battle ship that had been modified to look like a mess of metal jagged edges noticeably came out of the water.
Her and The Skeletons eyes focused as it rose more when suddenly–
"Oh Shit!" Her eyes widened as the Battleship was coming right for them! Thrown through the air!
Calliope shot her hands up, the electromagnetic arora glowing around her hands as electricity sparked! The Ship coming to a slow and a stop "Haff…This things a big heavy!"
She pulled her hands back and thrusted them forward! Repelling the Magnetism in the opposite direction! "Take it Back!"
A man stood on the docks watching as it came soaring back to him.
Winch, the Shipwright of the Hard Rock Fleet. Most of the Buildings on Hard Rock were made by him through a variety of means. He had long eggplant colored hair that was swept to one side and covered one of his eyes.
His lips were in a frown with a scar across his lip. His body was muscular and lean with a clear eight pack abdomen. A neckbrace of leather wrapped around his his neck that then went across his chelst diagonally with straps connecting it to his body. Small shoulder pad with spikes on his left arm
The most notable aspect however was the giant purple mechanical arm on his right side. Three spikes on the rounded joint with a giant horn coming out the side. Pistons and Mechanisms through it all with a large hand with four total digits.
"Hmph…" The metal arm whirred as he curled his fingers into a fist
Tham! Winch slammed his fist into the hull of the ship! Causing it to create a mighty dent in the sea stone stipped bottom! Causing it to be sent flying meters away to splash into the sea away.
"Oh this gonna be fun…." Steam shot out of the machine to relieve pressure from the Pistons.
"Hrnnnn…Grah!" He leapt high into the air! Causing the entire floating Dry Dock to bounce in the Sea! Leaping through the air with fist reeled back and tightening and Calliope came into view!
"Clinched Strike!" Calliope and Eddie leapt backwards! The ground cratering and shattering the ground! Tossing the debris and smoke 3 dozen meters up into the air! High above the building skyline!
The Preliminaries were well underway. A few dozen Corsairs had fallen to Kales blade and laid around the first mate in various states of disarray
"Next up! We got a cold blooded killer! A Man straight from the Tools! And the man trying to prove himself to move into the motley crew!" Caldera waved his hand to the entrance, a large arch way
"Bill!!" Cheers filled the air
"Tch. What kinda name is bill–" Kale was suddenly cut off as a blur of green attempted to tackle him! "Oh hell!"
With a quick kick up into Bills sternum, the First Mate launched bill off of him! "Was that a…"
He kipped up, landing on his feet and whipping around "A Lizard?"
A large thin slicked tongue wiped across a scaly face that looked to be both reptilian but in the shape of a humans head with a flat nose, eyes in a downward slant and slit pupils. "A Monitor Lizard…"
"Toka Toka No Mi; Model Monitor Lizard." Bill said in a hiss. "Everything a Monitor Lizard can do." He bent forward and barred his teeth and claws! Giving a loud hiss!
A quick whirl of his sword. "Always heard lizard skin was nice…Come and prove me right will you?" He flicked the sword forward to gesture for bill to come at him
"Rah!" Bill leapt forward! "Tokage Muchi!" He spun on his feet, talons from his digitigrade legs to scratch into the ground as his long spindly tail snapped! Cracking Like a whip but 30 times faster with a shockwave that caused pressure to shove Kale backward!
"You won't be doing that again…" The first mate stood up. Bill was turned away before gazing at the Swordsman "Oh we'll se-"
"Ah–" Kale lifted up his tail with one hand. A goof 75% of the tail was cut off. Flexing and twitching slightly as blood poured across the ground.
"Izzat so?" Kale tossed the length to the side.
"Yeah. It is!" Bill flexed, steam coming off his body as in a split second his tail rapidly regenerated! Nerves, bone, joints, ligaments, tendons then muscle over it before scales rapidly formed across it with shed skin falling to the ground.
"Regeneration…What's with you freaks…" He flexed his arms to the side and burst forth! He gave slashes across the lizard, who quickly began to heal. But Kale had a plan. Or…the Concept of one.
"Toka Talon!" Bill gave dozens of quick slashes at Kale, but was quickly countered by The First Mate "Samidaregiri…" He spoke as he made quick strokes
"Tokage Muchi!" Kale, with extreme agility, leaned back and under the whip with ease. Continuing his strikes
He made deep, non fatal cuts across Bills body, cutting fingers, gashes into his scales, slicing off pieces of flesh, and stabbing into him before shuffling backwards to appreciate his work
"Haff…Kaff!" Bill spat blood. Steam coming off of him again. The wounds healing quickly. Tendons and strands of muscle stitched back together.
"How you feelin lizzy? Seems like you Zoans need to not over rely on your Animal and actually focus on Technique. Something I learned myself."
"Haff…haff Haff. I'm fine you ass…!" He snapped to Kale! "Grah!"
He attempted to lunge forward! "Saigo No Tokage!"
"Nitoryu: Shita…Kiri" Kale slashed Bill down the chest! Splitting him deep! Causing him to fumble and fall away behind the First Mate.
Bill began to revert to his original form. Chin with a prominent but non distracting overbite that pushed his chin back. Black hair messy across his head while his body was mostly average.
Kale rolled his eyes. It surprised him that the crowd cheered despite one of their comrades being felled in front of their eyes. "Hah…" He let his head hang in disappointment.
"You Look Disappointed Pirate!" Caldera said as summoned pillars of magma, and then solidified them into cooled pillars to walk on.
"Yeah. You're throwing shit at me and I expected gold dusting." He said with a scowl, pointing his sword to the other first mate.
"Well. Then I'm Pleased to say…You won't have to wait much longer!" Caldera raised his hands, the crowd cheering!
"Listen well Masamune…This is the reason I wanted you here…" A pillar beneath him pushed him up and back on to the dome
"From the revered land of Athenia! The Supposed man that slayed beasts! He who truly defined what it means to be a swordsman for his Nation! A Name thats been forgotten by history!"
"I present to you–!"
"Beowulf!"