It had been two weeks since Jeanne had landed on this island. She had no time to grieve. As currently she was in her steam form! The cloud of her body zipping up and down and around branches and moss covered thick branches as something behind her stomped with massive weight!
This. Was Chriton Isle.
The Prehistoric Island that was famous for being infested with Animals Millions of years old. Unlike Masamune who was going up against terror lizards, Chriton Isle was filled with all in between! From Mammals, to Avians, Reptiles and all others! Currently a Massive Smilodon was breaking through the bramble behind her!
Suddenly, it erupted! Breaking through a massive 30 meter tree and attempting to snap its massive maw down! The big cat was enormous! Over five meters long, with its teeth nearly the size of Jeannes torso! But all it latched onto was the steam from her logia's intangible form!
Quickly, the Markswoman reformed into a physical form, She was wearing a bandolier around her torso, a belt around her waist that had a massive knife on her hip, and a large cannon of a rifle on her back. Her weapons from the Ember Blossom and Desamare had been left behind when she was transported away by Benjamin Condents Nikyu Nikyu no Mi.
This current current weapon, Shoshaw, was a Magazine operated fully automatic light machine gun with a curving magazine on the bottom carrying 20 rounds, firing 7.62 . On her hip was a volcanic pistol of Eccelente Quality and blessed to be explosive with each shot, named 'Krakatoa'. But primaily, currently in her hands as she leapt up through the air! Kicking from the bark of the tree and aiming with immense skill and dexterity
Was a massive custom built single shot breach loaded rifle it was a simple almost jury rigged wire framed rifle with a simple wooden handle and metal buttstock that curved up into a sealed breach and extended out into 3 and a half feet of barrel with a muzzle break at the end. Firing the massive 14.5 mm round!
With her back falling towards the ground, and stock snug into her shoulder she whispered "Blue Oyster…"
The sound was cacophonous! A massive fire ball expanded from the end of the gun and zipped through the air and ripped through the big cats throat and out the other side in a spray of blood like water from a hose! Sending the cat that was still mid leap rolling through the air before slamming and breaking a tree behind it!
"Haff…" With a light thud. Jeanne landed on the ground. She had spent 3 days in the forest of this island before the Engine Hunter Corp that patrols the waters sent in another hunting party. She had, as pragmatic as she always was, made a deal with the. They would provide her with materials, and weapons if she brought in the highest Reward Hunts in the area.
Most problematic, or most sought after.
She had essentially become a hunter…What better way for a sniper to train than against such Wild Hunts…
This one, "Shiny Tooth" was a big problem for recent parties. As Chriton was uninhabited. All fauna only hurt itself and others that came onto the island. Engine Hunter Corp was both a Preservationist Organization, Botanist, Agricultural and Hunter. They used the products from these animals, but not in mass production.
They in fact were constantly at odds with those that went to places like Gardens to extract as much from them as possible for profit despite the rarity and unsustainable populations, primarily by the Exto Guild. All around the grand line there were places with unique Animals that could be used and sold for large sums. Single 'Rare' 'Super Rare' 'Ultra Rare' and 'Mega Rare' animals could be sold up to nearly 45,000,000,0000 in the cases where only a single known example exists like the rare Ruby Crimson Dodo that sold for nearly 100 billion. It weighted only 5lbs. But every single part of it was sold and dismantled to get the most of it. A feather, one of ten thousand selling for 25 million. Its meat 75 million a gram.
Engine wanted to keep these animals alive if possible. Keep them in preserved places like zoos or protected islands for research. But often due to funding from outside sources and companies or private individuals. Exto got to them first.
"Good work!" Elias, a large burly bear of a man said. Slapping the back of Jeanne. "That Smilodon has been over predating on the local raptor population for months! Its meat and pelts should sell well"
They sold what they could to scientist or to bespoke craftsmen. They wanted to make sure none of it went to waste. Even if they had to sell it.
"Thank you thank you…Lets just get it all done up and shipped out. Im sure Exto aint gonna wait…" Ever since she landed on Chriton. She had this internal mania. Putting off and bottling up her emotions and grief at every turn she could. She threw her self at tinkering just as she was right now. Allowed smoke and tobacco to numb any pain.
Currently. As the Corp cheered and ate well cooked smilodon that Jeanne herself had roasted expertly on a massive crank rotisserie. She was away in the workshop. Surrounded by metal, books, sketches, and tools. Tinkering with her guns. Reading on how they were made.
Luckily for her. By the time she saw the news about Leroy. Her mind was made up on what she was going to do. She was going to do all she could to get stronger. And not stay weak. Even if she stayed the weakest on the crew, when monsters like Leroy and Noir existed, she was not going to be outdone by standard mooks and foot soldiers she had spent her time with when she was in the marines years before meeting Leroy.
"Blessed Steel…" She traced her finger down the page "Its said that the way they become blessed by…Diping and quenching them in specific liquids that allow for specific effects to occur…A chemical reaction occurs and binds to the metals and can be done for the ammunition that results in a supernatural effect…A variety of effects can occur depending on the process. These are the most widely tested. But it can also been done through more esoteric means."
It was known that even if one uses traditional magic or imbuement. When in the case of forging a firearm. For what ever reason. It can cause a separate ability and effect into them that was not previously known.
"And for Excellent Grade Firearms. A specific form of sonic and ultra sonic based metallurgy is used. Vibrating the metal to allow it to handle more powerful load of cartridges that are empowered by better or more unstable chemicals to propel and allow for the shots to impact with harder forces…This can be achieved through Ultrasonic Tempering and Forging, Chemical Sciences, or what ever the smith is able to utilize. It comes down to the fact that the frame, hinges, and entire fire arm and pieces must undergo this Ultra sonic Metallurgy."
Jeanne hit a deep toke from her joint as she thought and wrote down a mutlitude of notes "So that means that technically anyone can use a Excellent Firearm. But the fore coming out of the end or even the small amounts not absorbed and felt in the recoil must have a weilder…." She did a few equations and cross referencing
"At least 5% as strong as the total load of a single session of the firearm…." She flips a few more pages in the gunsmithing books.
"It is common though and pondered by many a consumer and collector why most firearms do not undergo ultrasonic tempering to improve durability. The main reason is–" She squints and leans forward
"That is it is not accomplished it can shatter the firearm! For each weapon must start from the beginning stages. A powerful high tier excellent cannot jump to this level from coming right off the factory press. It must start at the same place as all others!"
The time that it took to temper the firearms was proportional to its step in the process. Beginning can take up to 72 hours. With higher and higher taking up to months for full treatment to hold. It is possible for the firearms to go from start to finish peaks, with a 0.72% success rate in a matter of 3 and a half months of treatment. In a batch of a thousand units. Not 1 will make it out. And only 50 will make it to a decent level. And only a single piece will make it to a level of excellency that is able to be up to snuff and salt in the late halves of the grand line.
"No wonder!" Around Jeanne were dozens of books. She had express ordered them from catalogs and manufacturer inquiries from all around the grand line and paid entire hunts worth of berry to get them to her as fast as possible. Delivered by Swiftfins, Sail fish that travel along the bottom of the ocean at speeds in excess of ten times faster than sound to make delivers on nearly the same day!
She poured and devoured all the information. Flipping through books. Lighting a joint. Downing a cup of coffee, then chain smoking cheap cigs. Only a few hours after she started her research, her mania had allowed for her to fill an entire note book worth of ideas.
"There exit a collection of firearms said to have such unique effects or be so strong they fall into a category known as 'Ultima' rarely seen, few accounts record their effects. With some existing as far back as 400 years ago during the birth of Gun Powder in the Age of 1000. Ever since, this collection has expanded and shrunk as new ideas for what truly makes a gun strong has shifted."
Images of Guns that fired skulls. Guns that could shatter an island in a single shot. Guns said to not even truly exist but only within a single person, a photo of a white and silver gun carried by none other that Sparrow the Emperor was seen, labeled as an ultima due to notoriety, known as Cadecus. Many believed it was made from his very Haki. A Firmament.
There was a Bow of all things that was known as 'The Grand Sky Splitter Serpent' once said to be wielded by a god, and could travel faster than the speed of light and split the seas.
Currently, as of the current edition and speculation. Only 25 Ultima's existed. With only 5 being made in the past hundred years. 10 in the past 125. And the the remaining 15 made from the birth of Gunpowder all to modern times. So strong, that in the hands of a fighter, it would define them as a someone worth recognition as being the greatest gunslingers in the world.
"Oi! Jeanne!" Tabi, an attractive woman in the eyes of the markswoman said as she slammed the door open! Causing the room to shake and the nerves of the woman to do so ten fold! "Wah!" Her cig flew from her lips and clattered against the ground limply. Extinguished.
A blush quickly formed across her face "Ye-Yes Maam!" She stood.
"Cmon! Get ready! Were just about made it to the next Island! Apparently this islands been trying to get its native bird population to handle its rodent population. Im sure you can use that pretty little head of yours to think of something to help em out!"
"P-Pretty?" Jeanne said, blush deepening. "Ye-Yeah!" She pat herself down, and put another length in her lips as she walked passed Tabi. Struggling to light her lighter.
"Hey." Tabi said. Jeanne quickly turned on her heel, only for Tabi to be right in front of her face, leaning close as she used her own smoldering cherry of lit smoke to help light Jeannes.
"There. Coulda just asked for a light silly~" She teases lightly. Leaving Jeanne a stumbling mess as Tabi walks away. "Hehegthe hebeh hesh ahHHH" She finally relents. And the flustered nature causes her to leak into steam. Face transforming into a blushing cloud.
Arquette Jeanne. For the next 4 years. Will work tooth and nail to be the best gunner she could be. Trying her strength, and inventing better and better weapons and utilities to help herself in the fight for her crew!