Of Mice and Men [Open to Shichibukai]

Tsk. A desert of the thirsty. Of the hungry. Typical, surrounding myself by the hands of the beggars. Ice crept along the street as the Admiral kept himself cloaked, several snipers crossing the buildings to protect him. They were tougher than what would be expected within the blues, but nothing like within the New World. He was going to start his plan, his plot. The plot to overthrow the Fleet Admiral and rule with an iron fist, even dominating the World Nobles once the time came. They were weak, fragile, and often reckless in what they called killing. He was indeed a powerful man, enough to turn city into icy rubble. Underneath his cloak was a shrunken Longinus spear, masked in leather as well as leather clothing replacing his marine clothing. Moving on to the rendezvous point, he had watched the poor of the streets shuffle along, brushing the dirty sand around whilst they bustled. He was disgusted by their appearance and by his own attire, it was the look of the common. Commoners were scum in his eyes, but it wasn't much worse than what deal he was about to make. He had sent messages to the Shichibukai, inviting them to a "vacant" building within Alabasta for a meeting. He was out of his element, but there was hardly anyone capable of opposing him.

Upon arriving at a door guarded by two thugs, he just gave them an icy stare, only his eyes showing through the shade of his hood, which had instigated them to step aside and allow him to enter. The snipers took position from afar, keeping their obsolete rifles ready for fire. Adrian walked throughout the building, approaching a room with a group of thugs playing some sort of card game. "Leave." the thugs laughed at the admiral, apparently hired by his marine contact so they wouldn't know anything if interrogated by someone else. Rolling his eyes, he blur past them in a flurry of ice, and all of a sudden their throats burst open (they were nothing more then grunts). They didn't even fall from their chairs; their muscles were held in place by by an icy cold. The blood clotted from each throat due to the chill, and he just walked down the stairs ahead to a lower floor where the meeting would take place. Awaiting the Shichibukai, he forced the robe from his body and sat in a wooden throne, crossing one leg over the other and putting his finger tips, spread, together in contemplation. "The King Awaits." And shall I shine the brightest?

“I love how warm it is here. Makes the women even hotter! Bwagah!”  Raziel’s thick black boots sifted through the scalding sand. His eyes darted from women to women as he passed through the market. Buzz, his blue-Raven companion fluttered his golden-armour clad wings in the arid atmosphere. “I prefer colder temperatures… Keep your eyes on the goal, Raziel. We’re here for a meeting, not to prowl for revolting, fickle whores.”  Raziel’s blazing gaze settled on a petite brunette working on a miniature bread stall. His hips swayed, pointing towards the woman. “Ohoho, Buzz.. I got my eyes on the goal..”

“How do ya do, sweet cheeks?” The young Shichibukai approached the brunette, flashing a warm, vibrant smile towards her. She turned on her heels, her dazzling almond eyes shifting from Raziel’s feet, to his face. She retorted with a light chuckle before returning his attention to the bread stall. “Good evening handsome.” Raziel took a step back, his eyes set on her scrumptious rump.  “Mm-mm-mm. It’s too bad I got somewhere to be or I’d be all over that…Actually..”  Before the ecstasy-radiating Shichibukai could swim in like a deadly shark, Buzz sank his talons into his shoulder.  “We’re not here for this. The Admiral is waiting for us.”  

Raziel depressingly licked his lips before turned back towards the market pathway. He turned back, waving his hand at her.  “Wait for me, sweety. I’ll be back! “  The voluptuous baker’s lips flared with a bright grin, before shooting Raziel with a kinky wink. He continued down the dust-littered stone path towards a large abandoned building. “Oi, I s’pose this is the place.”  The young Shichibukai gripped his overly-large iron gauntlets clipped to his leather belt, gazing backwards to see the semi-concealed snipers. “This is it.”  

Raziel pressed the palm of his hand against the door, lightly pushing it open. He slipped inside, attempting to be discreet as possible. His footsteps rang throughout the complex as he made his way towards the stairs leading into the underground chamber. “Oi, oi! Mr. Ice! I made it! “  His red figure would be easy to spot within the dark meeting area. “Show him some respect. He is your superior. “  He shrugged off his avian partner’s nagging, taking a seat at one of the dusty wooden chairs present in the room. He’d have chosen the spot right in the middle of the table, looking down towards Admiral Ice.  “Oi, is this it?”

"I swear, that stupid admiral. I just know that he picked this location to mock my powers!" shouted Axel, reluctantly walking in what seemed to be a desert, which was to his liking, or would have been if he let go of the paranoia he held, which made him believe the possible chance of the admiral picking this island, Alabasta for a 'meeting' that would end in a fight, obviously with the winner being the marine himself, thus ruining the shichibukai's reputation as the sand king. No one would respect him or his powers if he got defeated in his own habitat. Of course, reasoning stopped Axel from being overly fearful, since if the events played out the way he thought they would, it would be revealed that Admiral Adrian decided to meet with the shichibukai secretly, which would be bad on his part.

The sun was shining bright, and it got brighter as Axel began to leave the pure and barren desert area and entered the city where the meeting would take place in. It was still as sandy, but at least there were people and buildings around. As he stepped along the streets, the warlord, in his bright white overcoat, got the attention of some people who were not as fortunate then others. Every few minutes a man or woman in dirty apparel would walk towards Axel and wave a mug at him, which meant that they wanted a bit of change, but the chestnut haired male knew better than that. Most of the people he has ever met that were homeless he saw take the money of generous people and then as soon as they left their sight, they would spend it on useless things, forgetting about their dreadful circumstance. He did not wish to take his chances, so the swordsmen would half-way unsheathe his sword when begged for money, which would send the men and women running and looking for someone who looked less dangerous. After a few more minutes, Axel was standing before the door with two thuggish-looking men guarding the door. All he had to do was turn the soft and smooth skin on his face into sand for the two to jump to the left and right, allowing him to pass, and once he was inside, he formed back into his regular looking self.

Axel walked down the hall, took a right, walked some more, took a left, and then entered the door on his right, which was already open. There was a group of men playing cards on a round table, and as soon as they saw the warlord, they simply pointed to a set of stairs that led down. He followed this path, then opened a door that showed him a large room with two men already in it. There was a table, and one man was on a wooden throne sitting across from another man sitting on a plain chair, so Axel took a seat on the side.

"Hmmm, if I recall, here we have Admiral Adrian Rhyfel, and shichibukai Raziel. How are you two this fine and sunny evening?" Axel asked, but was quiet enough so that no one from above would hear the names. He had a smirk on his face.

Wind breezes along the long flowing hills of sand that led to Alabasta, the city that Evangeline had been tasked with arriving at to attend a meeting among other Shichibukai and the infamous admiral, Adrian. As far as she was concerned, this was just another call to duty that she had no choice but to come to, as was the duty of all with her rank in the world. She remains pestered by the flowing sand in which the wind seemed to pick up, it was not the most pleasant of areas in the world to gather, had she not already been near by her ship Eva would have honestly have not bothered to come at all.

"Of all the places in the world it had to be Alabasta..? I would have preferred somewhere with more mild weather then this, although I suppose my complaints are nothing in worth to those that are not here to hear them." She spoke while fixing the dark cloak she had affixed onto herself to protect her weapons and outfit from the harsh tempests of sand that the desert was known for, only stopping on her way every hour or so for a drink from her canteen to keep herself hydrated.

Once she arrives at the desolate building that the others and Adrian were supposed to arrive at, she moves the door of the building's entrance open and strides in, removing her cloak at the corner of the front room and proceeds further within the building until coming across others whom had been no doubt awaiting her. By the looks of things it seemed that she was one of the last arrivals with Axel and Raizel having settled themselves in the room already and the Admiral she had come to see was in a wooden throne, those cold eyes of his gazing right at her.

"I have arrived as requested, Admiral.."

Adrian looked left and right, viewing the initial two Shichibukai who finally arrived after he had waited so long. Snow had circled around in his open left hand, and he smirked with devilish intent. A third Shichibukai had entered, greeting him as he awaited more to enter. Thinking to himself, he wondered if he would have to limit his original intentions just to further his plans. Pondering on the idea of over-throwing the Fleet Admiral Xerxes, he wondered if it was true the man held the power to tear away devil fruit powers without the power of the Shadow Fruit. It was a terrifying thought, even for someone of his power, and he had hoped it wasn't true. Slowly rising to his feet, he organized his movements to give an aura of might. All of a sudden, the temperature of the confined space began lowering at an alarming rate, as well as the pressure thinning. Opening his eyes after they were closed, they shined brilliantly towards the warlords of the Grand Line. "It's a bit chilling to the bone, I know. Standing here...in front of me. In front of someone who lets you walk the planes as the scum you are. Condescension is going to be a hammer hitting your nail quite often, so get the fuck over it right now." he chuckled, seemingly mocking the warlords that sat next to him.

The snow that circled in his left hand had manifested into a solid knife that he tossed into the ground, watching it land deeply. A pulse of wind came from the impact, shifting the sand that drowned the floor. "So. I am going to give you two options right now. I can let you forget about this, leave, and you'll find yourself stripped of your title because you killed a beloved marine ally of mine. Or you can heed my word and follow it as dogs. Pick." His grin grew wide, scanning the faces that surrounded him as he was prepared to act on the foolish reaction of another, had he need to. Adrian was not a kind person, he even mocked the warlords to their faces, people feared by the ants that walked around day in and day out. The peasant air stung at his throat, and he was a hair away from silencing the smell with his cold. It wasn't pleasant for his marines to follow under him, and these people needed to do so or they would be stripped of their rank and he wouldn't be far behind. It would be stupid if they turned him down, of course he is going to use corrupt tactics to goad them onto his side. He wasn't afraid of their revolt either. He'd kill them in front of children if he had to.

“Oi, Oi!” Raziel broke the awkward silence when the alleged ‘Sand King’ entered the chamber. He knew exactly who it was due to his notorious control over sand. He knew about all of the Shichibukai, but this was the one he figured he’d watch out for the most. “Mr. Sand King! Glad you could make it, Grain. Bwahaha.”  Buzz dug his claws into the young Warlord’s shoulder, causing him to elicit a small yelp. “Show him respect.”  “Damn, alright. You don’t have to slice me open! “

After what seemed like forever, a woman made her way into the confined meeting room. Just from the pale, plum coloured gaze of hers, he could tell who this was. Evangeline Lisette, dubbed ‘The Phoenix’ by the World Government. Known for her miraculous Devil Fruit that allows her to transform into a full-fledged Phoenix, she is one not to be messed with. “Mrs. Phoenix. How do ya do? “  He lowered his voice, projecting his question towards Buzz. “Polite enough for ya? “

The two Shichibukai were indeed frightening beings in terms of power, no doubt about that. The one that struck the most animosity and fear into the air was the Admiral sitting down at the end of the table in a wooden throne. From what Raziel’s heard, he rules with an iron fist. Most of the marines that work under him either hate it, or are extreme hard asses. That wasn’t even the intimidating part. His mastery over ice-based powers was something that could rival a god’s. It was terrifying. To be able to instantly freeze another human being, or anything for that matter, in the blink of an eye.. it was truly remarkable.

Raziel had to bite his tongue to keep himself from retaliating to the Admiral’s harsh statements. Buzz leaned in closer to the young Shichibukai, whispering, “Following Admiral Ice will heed more benefits. “  Raziel nodded his cranium, allowing his almond coloured hair to wisp through the air. Raziel nearly flinched from the impact of the ice-knife sinking into the floor. God damn, this guy was powerful. Anyone would be a fool for not following him. “I’m here for a reason, Admiral. “  He planted his right index finger on the table to indicate that he wasn’t going anywhere. He was here to stay and support the Admiral.

It seemed as if the two men sitting next to Axel ignored his question and went straight to rude comments that annoyed the shichibukai. First it was Raziel, trying to make a joke that resulted in calling the chestnut haired male a grain. The weird-looking Raven that sat on his shoulder then digged into his neck, followed by telling Raziel to show Axel respect.

"Hmmmm.... Interesting bird you have there Raziel. I assume that with your power and magma logia, you are only brawn  while he is the brain of duo?" asked Axel, attempting to get back at the red-headed with rude words of his own, while continuing to smirk. Before the admiral began his rather cold speech, a third warlord showed up. As soon as Axel looked up at her he knew that it was Evangeline, wielder of the Phoenix devil fruit.  He always had a thing for her, as he liked a woman that could handle a sword well.

"Ah, the Phoenix in the flesh. For a second I thought it was just going to be me and these two," Axel commented.  Right after she took a seat,  the admiral began to speak. With every word that came out of his icy breath,  the warlord wanted to stay him more, but knew that wouldn't be the best thing to do. Unlike Raziel, he didn't need a bird to tell him how to react. Half way during his words, the ice king created a knife from his hand and threw it right into the ground, then continuing. The man left the 3 shichibukai with an ultimatum, which included either allying with him, or getting their titles revoked, and Axel knew that it was not wise for him to be a pirate without any protection at all. He needed the government and the Marines as much as they needed him, regardless of the terror he went through as a boy because of the very men he followed.

"Alright, Mr.  Freeze. I will play by your rules for now. Just know that if you try to betray us, I will do anything in my power to make sure you get your just-desserts," replied Axel, still smiling.

(Taking Control of Evangeline's Character to give her a proper exit)

Evangeline looked at the Ice King with pure annoyance as he made his attempts of intimidation to no avail, she was just trying to sit through the obvious speech of superiority. It wasn't surprising that she would be hearing talk of how she's scum or how the Admiral is the all-knowing, all-being, all-powerful. The man had given them an ultimatum and seeing as how they wouldn't be too far away, he would have been swiftly upon them as soon as they had exited Alabasta and they would have been executed. She wasn't stupid - she knew that aligning with the man would be the best option, regardless of the costs. It was either his rule or a journey to the grave at this point. How it would continue would be another thing, she didn't know what the future would entail. "I apologize, but I must take my leave. I know you probably have more to say, Admiral Rhyfel, but I have other things to attend to. I'll make sure to contact you later."[/color] With that, the Ice King waved her away and she had left.

------

The Ice King had glared at the more rambunctious one with the wise bird. He seemingly had little manners, being quite rude to the other Shichibukai Axel Rover. "Calm, child. Or I'll cut that tongue out, have Sandman here dry it so I can preserve it." After everyone had finished their greetings, the Sandman had given him a bite of his own, which was quite unexpected from the dog. Some dogs just needed their nose jammed into their own shit. Forming an ice chalice and a clone of the throne behind him, as well as a stretched table extending across the room, he looked at it with dim light shining through. "Well, now that you have all agreed. I have a task for you two, one that would have been easy if Miss Phoenix hadn't left." smiling, he watched a disguised marine come down and slide a file along the table. "Here's a surprise for you, Rear Admiral Laka. You two. Are going to kill him." chuckling, he opened the file to show the Rear Admiral's details.

"He's a Zoan-user, cursed by the power to become a snake. He is known to show a prowess of agility similar to that of the Gomu Gomu no Mi. While he can't fling around like a rubber band, his flexibility is grand and his C-Q-C prowess is outstanding. He became a Rear Admiral due to his ability to make the weaker buckle before him and would pose a challenge against his peers. Nonetheless, he's a nuisance who wants to take me down for a promotion. Recently, he discovered I've frequented the brothel and beat the women on another island. He wants to play the game I taught him. Formerly a crew member of mine, he's grown to be quite the fool. When you go to kill him, you will do so with no witnesses left to live to speak. If they see you, they die. Understood?" Adrian spun the chalice in his hand, smirking with a devilish smile.

A small stream of steam rose from the Shichibukai’s shoulder until he was pecked on the cheek by Buzz. “Keep your cool. We are on a mission. We’re not here to fight each other. “ Raziel clenched his fist under the table, before throwing on his cocky smile once more. He gave Miss Phoenix a nonchalant wave before he exited the chamber, leaning back in his chair. There was something comforting about being in the presence of both an Admiral and fellow Warlord. “So let’s get on with this mission, Admiral.”

He allowed Admiral Rhyfel to continue on explaining their mission without interupting anymore than he already had, figuring it not to be such a good idea.  “This mission better involve fighting, because I am fired up.” And he was. Having gone three days now without so much as a small skirmish, being a Shichibukai was tough. A renowned pirate with a reputation of destroying ships and being aligned with the World Government, it wasn’t likely for anyone to challenge him; Ever. All but the brave ones actually stepped up to the batting plate in order to face him. That being said, Raziel was ready for a fight.

“ A fellow Marine, huh? Admiral, I never knew you to be such the devious type..” Raziel muttered with un-needed sarcasm. “But… This sounds fun. Taking out a Rear Admiral should be a blast.. “  Buzz pressed his beak against Raziel’s ear, muttering some insight to him. “Keep your eyes and ears peeled. I have a bad feeling about this. “  Raziel waved his badgering off as one of his usual  ‘Bad omens’.  Maybe Admiral Rhyfel was different than he thought. He always saw the Admirals as unrighteous assholes who loved nothing more than to belittle everyone else. And in fact, Admiral Rhyfel was exactly this. But he had that mischievous mindset about him.. Raziel respected that.  “Y’know Admiral… I’m beginning to like the way you think…. I’m in.” He lowered himself back against the miniscule wooden chair, crossing his arms. A devilish grin flashed upon his lips, his mind racing at the thought of having to battle a strong opponent.

Axel listened to every word that the admiral had to say about what he and Raziel would do next. Evangeline would have also been included, if she did not leave before he gave the details. This only made Axel more interested due to the fact that he would have another challenge, since it was only going to be the two of them versus a rear admiral who Adrian disliked at the moment. The warlord raised his eyebrows when the marine insisted that they killed anyone present at the time of the assassination that would occur.

"Wow admiral, a marine in a prestigious spot such as yours asking two men to kill innocent lives? I never thought I would see the day," Axel commented with a smirk. "Anyway, I guess if Raziel here is willing to participate, it wouldn't hurt to get into some illegal activity. I also understand that if we are spotted, you will leave us out to rot. No problem, because I don't plan to get caught. Now, tell us where to find this man and we will be sure that he is no longer able to meddle in your affairs," he added.

Adrian smiled, as if everything was all going according to plan; it was like villains in movies and he was the one getting his way. There was no hero in this story, not yet, and no one would stand in his way. Snaz Laka had gotten on his last nerve, and now it was time for him to receive punishment by the hands of the dogs whose chains he held. He remembered a time where everything was greener, and he wasn't so despaired by the thought of his own marines turning on him, a time where he was rising in power. Remembering what he did in the past, what he has sacrificed and the betrayals he has made has brought him to this darkness. He was no longer a guardian, he was a reaper and everything was for his profit. "Let me tell you a story. A boy who hardly finds friends due to his uncontrollable anger finally finds one. She's younger, but he decides that her being fragile like she was deserved his protection. Multiple times he killed for her. Multiple times he had to prevent her from being corrupted by the evils of this world, and yet he failed. But throughout their childhood he did what he could to protect her until that very day where he left for the marines." he wanted to show them how ruthless and dedicated he was...and maybe he would be successful.

"You know...I think this story is for another time. Needless to say I made the past not even matter. Some died. But needless to say, it was someone who killed the Fleet Admiral's brother." he chuckled at the thought, the person he referred to has brought the Fleet Admiral's up-most rage and hate for the Yonko. Even if he would not attack three of four Yonko, this person was someone he would try and kill on site. Adrian has become a changed man, he's killed a Rear Admiral before - hell he's killed a Vice Admiral before as well. But it was all in the shadows, it was all another person to the public's eyes. He was getting older, and his history is starting to grow more perilous; more dark. Darker than Black. Back to the subject at hand, after he was thinking about his past he remembered when Snaz Laka was his subordinate as he was a Vice Admiral. The days Snaz was still a conniving snake, but loyal to him and his cause. Snaz knows too much for him to let him go. After he extorted the Admiral, he needed to die. "He's hiding from me. Here, in fact. Not this city, but elsewhere in Alabasta, a safehouse in a small village South of here. This is a treat for you from fate, Sandman. Make sure you enter the village unseen otherwise they are all witnesses. He'll be in a safehouse pinpointed on this map." handing them a scroll, he adjusted his mask as it was getting uncomfortable.

(BTW, He was in his uniform/disguise so you don't know what he really looks like. Sorry for not mentioning that.)

Magma bubbled and slithered through the rocky underground of Alabasta. Due to his Magma-Logia abilities, Raziel was able to burrow deep underground, and burn his way towards the duo’s destination. His partner on this mission, ‘Sand King’, Axel Rover, was presumably traveling atop, due to his Sand-Logia abilities. Suspicion rose within the Warlords mind considering what Admiral Rhyfel was making them do. He was going to go kill a fellow marine. A Rear Admiral, at that. Though, fighting was his specialty.. so on a good note, he would be able to engage in combat.

Buzz had taken residence with Axel for the time being due to Raziel being underground and not knowing exactly where to go. Their telepathic communication would allow Buzz to relay information from Axel to Raziel with ease, and vice versa. As the group traveled across the drought desert of Alabasta, Buzz flew closer to the Sand King.  “He would like to know how much longer it is until we reach our destination? “  The sheer heat from Raziel’s magma was able to incinerate rocks and rubble at least ten feet in front of his actual stream. This allowed for quick transportation. Due to being underground, he had no idea if Axel was ahead, behind, or going a completely different direction. He just faced the way the Admiral had shown them, and went.

'So, I finally get to test my strength against a person as skilled as a rear admiral. How interesting, heheh,' Axel thought, as he traveled through the desert of Alabasta, heading towards the city in that the marine was in. He was in logia mode, turning into a small wave of sand that went as incredibly fast speeds. Buzz was flying right next to him, as Raziel insisted that while he traveled underground, his bird companion would need to be near Axel in order to somehow relay which direction they went telepathically.

“He would like to know how much longer it is until we reach our destination? “ asked the raven for his friend Raziel.

"Tell him that the city is just a few hundred more meters ahead," Axel replied. Onward they went, until finally the group made it to a giant city that is the last known location of Rear Admiral Laka. There were tons of large buildings that all still looked neat despite the desert appearance, and Axel couldn't help but be amazed. People were everywhere, heading towards various shops that seemed to be on every street corner. Axel turned back into his regular body form.

"Alright raven. Tell your pal that we are here," the warlord said.

---Playing as Snaz Laka---

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. The boastful Rear Admiral knew he would be afflicted by the perversion of his superior eventually, but little did he know it would be two Shichibukai acting as proxy daggers. It would be too suspicious that the two would come together, however. Snaz had munched on an apple, relaxing on top of a pile of molted skin as he repeatedly continued to peel lengths of dead skin off of his body. "Damn fruit, making me molt at all the wrong times and places. In all the wrong places. Oh god, I think I'm molting on my crotch!" all of a sudden a marine subordinate approached and bowed before the Rear Admiral. "Hm? What is it?" the marine shuttered in fear for the demonic man, whom had taken lessons from his former captain Adrian. "S-Sir. We have spotted shichibukai near the village, two accompanying each other. We...aren't sure how they know each other but it seems to be Shichibukai Raziel and Axel Rover." Snaz tilted his head in curiosity, wondering what the likes of them would be doing. Axel Rover was practically the king of the desert presumably, but Raziel was an unusual element.

Standing up, he stretched his extremely flexibly body, bending all the way back and folding like a chair due to his flexibly spine. Taking heavy steps forward, he began to slouch into a crawl before shape-shifting into a boa constrictor, keeping covered by the sand before disappearing into the village from their heightened outpost. He was to meet a contact to send information to the Fleet Admiral, someone who apparently resented the Admiral even though he earned his position being as ruthless yet useful as he was. The Rear Admiral would await the two to enter the village, using the alley-ways as hiding spots and utilizing sand and shadow alike to conceal the out-stretched body. What are these two up to?