-On a Marina Ship in the East Blue-
"Listen up Marines, today isn't a day where failure is an option. Headquarters gave us intel on the Donning Crew and their Captain "Charles Don" who has a bounty of 15 million. We were informed of the crew's location at Burkley Island." Aylos declared.
Aylos is known as a mighty Marine Captain who today was tasked with a mission of taking down a fearsome Pirate Captain.
Aylos had risen through the ranks quickly with his excellent performance in double swordsmanship and his reputation of ending the journey of many pirates who searched for the One Piece. This made him a famous Marine in these parts of the East Blue and a force to be reckoned with.
But swordsmanship wasn't the only thing Aylos excelled in. His intellect and strategic battle planning is ultimately the reason for his rise to Captain and today was just another day where his plans would be actualized.
A few days ago Captain Charles Don's brother Lance Don received word of a Devil Fruit being sold by bandits, Lance who was always weaker than his brother Charles decided this was opportunity to finally make a name for himself and step out of his brother's shadow.
On the day of the deal when Lance arrived on shore of the island, he was instantly surrounded by Marines who hid awaiting his arrival. Lance hadn't anticipated that his intel was compromised, and it was a setup by Captain Aylos. Captain Aylos made quick work of Lance, ultimately killing him.
However, this event would be fabricated by Aylos, and his death would be recorded as an illness. Aylos had thought this was necessary to make sure Captain Charles Don's reaction wasn't anger, but sorrow. Sorrow for being in a position of being helpless to his little brother's death, nobody to blame, and alcohol to wash away his pain.
And Burkley Island was nothing other than that, and Island that was known for its beggars and drunkard pirates who passed by for the booze and alcohol.
"Checkmate" Aylos thought.
The marine ship had finally arrived on shore, "Alright Marines, follow my commands to eliminate these pirates who terrorize our sea and cause havoc! We won't let any of them get away with the destruction they've caused in the East Blue, today we are serving Justice where Justice is due!" Aylos shouted, in a confident tone.
"SIR YES SIR!", The marine squad members firmly stated as they rushed out on the shore of Burkey Island.
"Oh man... I never had to fight a pirate crew this strong..." Owen thought to himself, Owen was only a marine enlist, all he could do is wipe his sweaty palms against his pants and grip his musket tightly while he followed his squad members infront of him. His distress was quite visible amongst the squad members, like ink on snow.
"Don't worry about these pirates Owen. I'm sure they haven't fought anyone as nearly as strong as Captain Aylos. Just follow the captains lead, and you'll be fine." Quin says confidently. Quin was also a marine enlist but she was more confident than the others, she was considered a marksman with the flintlock amongst her peers.
The marine squad was marching through the town about to engage with the Pirate Crew in Burkleys Bar.
The islands town seemed to be one that was old and run down with rats and trash in-between the worn wooden buildings along the road.
The town had nothing but mean mugging townsfolk with the homeless outnumbering the residents, it was a town of beggars.
"The people here don't look too welcoming" Owen thought.
While Owen was marching with his squad he took notice of the despair the town was in, the trash, the people, he even seen an unconscious girl on the side of the street, "Poor girl, she probably has nowhere to go, and with these pirates in the town, Who knows what they'll do to her if we don't defeat them." Owen thought to himself, he wanted to help her being the kind person he was.
"Stay focused Owen, we're almost there, theres no time to be distracted" Quin remarked, she also took notice of the surroundings, but she didn't let it bother her, she had no interest in anything else besides carrying out Justice for the Marines.
"Halt!" Captain Aylos shouted, the marine squad arrived at Burkleys Bar, "On my go." Aylos commanded, he was finally ready to carry out Justice, and actualize the plans he had set in motions days ago.
Captain Aylos cut through the tension the marines were feeling by raising his arm to signal the marines to rush into the bar.
And just like that all the marines rushed into the bar equipped with their flintlocks, muskets and weapons alike, all of them pointed their weapons in the direction of the bar once entering. However, there was no one in sight, dead silent, only the rats running out of the bar from the commotion of the marine's movement.
They lowered their weapons in confusion, "Where.. where are they..?" Owen thought while trying to swallow his nervousness.
The other marines were equally as confused upon this and they couldn't understand what was going on, "Damn it, are we too late?" Captain Aylos thought to himself, he pondered if his plan was executed too late. He started to question his own brilliance, and his own capability.
"NOW!" Captain Charles Don shouted with desperation, in a blink of an eye, 8 pirates came up from hiding behind the bar counter, with their muskets and flintlocks pointing towards the marines. As if they all were aiming at lined up prisoners to be executed, with their faces sneering with joy as if their plans had been brought to fruition.
In only 2 seconds, 32 shots had been fired at the marines. The Marines dropped like flies; it was a massacre. "GET DOWN!!!" Aylos screamed to his marines hoping it least one of them had survived.
Owen had been hit twice in his shoulder and one time in his thigh, however out of most of the marines he had been lucky, as this was all non-fatal gunshot wounds. "UGH, it hurts... it hurts!" Owen cried out from the unimaginable pain he felt. Owen naturally fell behind a table that gave him cover and tried to apply pressure to his thigh to stop the bleeding.
"Hey Quin, are you okay? Owen noticed Quin in his peripheral vision beside him laying against the table he also took cover at. The smoke of all the fired muskets and flintlock had started to engulf the room, the shots had continued with no hint of halting.
"Owen..." Quin gasped, as she coughed up massive amounts of blood, "Please, get out of here... I don't think... I'll make it, and I never told you that I-" Before Quin could finish speaking a bullet ripped through the table and out her brain
Owen screamed in horror as his friend had been killed. There was a pool of blood that soaked his pants, and he thought this was certainly the end for him.
"STOP!" Captain Charles Don shouted, and just like that, the shots came to an end.
"I think we got all of em' captain" Buckler remarks, a member of the Donning Crew.
"Hehe, these marine fools never even seen it comin'" Thanur states, another member of the Donning Crew smiling as if he had got his hand on candy.
Captain Aylos jumped up over the table while gripping his sword shouting, "Charles! You fuckin bastard, what have you done!" he gritted his teeth as he lunged forward easily piercing through Thanurs heart, and swiftly retracting his blade as Thanurs body fell to the ground.
Buckler who was known for swift speed reacted immediately with his Cutlass thrusting at Captain Aylos but it was too late, Aylos clutched his sword from the hilt and slammed it on the side of Bucklers jaw, swiftly ending Bucklers attempt to react.
"So, it seems not all marines are complete garbage" Captain Charles Don announced as he chuckled, it was as if he finally found a formidable opponent for once.
"Don Technique #3 Busting Iron" Charles sent a fist crashing in the path of Aylos's liver. Aylos managed to block with his sword, but it was no use, his fist shattered the sword that was protecting his body and his fist crashed into Captain Aylos's liver.
Captain Aylos dropped his knees unable to physically continue with the battle, Aylos tried to maintain posture, but it was too much, he never felt power like this before, "Was our reports wrong? Why is this man so strong? I need to inform headquarters this man is stronger than we initially had thought" Aylos thought to himself, but Aylos still had his intellect, he figured he'd try to make him act recklessly and capitalize on it.
Captain Aylos chuckled while on his knees still, "Haha, I'll admit, you're a lot stronger than I thought, especially more than your brother that's for sure, he was weak as a bug. I've killed lots of pirates, but he died a dog's death" Aylos stated in a condescending tone grinning ear to ear.
Captain Charles Don blurted out laughing hysterically, "Now that was funny... you marines sure are full surprises, I'd keep you as a comedian if I could."
Aylos was visually confused by Charles Don reaction, Aylos whole plan had crumbled, every part of it gone to waste, and even his last attempt of baiting him into recklessness, and he wondered why. "Are these pirates just heartless? " Aylos thought to himself.
A flintlock pushed up against Captain Aylos's head from behind, Aylos while on his knees still, turned his head to meet the eyes of a man he'd never seen before.
"So you're behind Lance's death? I'm not surprised he was able to be fooled into a chance at power, he was always greedy which clouded his judgement, and that made him unreliable." Pearl Don proclaimed, the Vice-Captain of the Donning Crew.
"P-Please..I'll do anything to survive... JUST DONT KILL ME"" Aylos wheeped on the floor, begging at Captain Charles Don feet for an ounce of mercy like a guilty trickster whose crimes were execution and all his sly tactics failed.
Vice-Captain Pearl Don cocked his flintlock back, "Don't come begging for mercy when you tried to kill us, we aren't saints, we're pirate's dumbass", Pearl Don declared, as he pulled the trigger with a bullet ripping through Captain Aylos's head, his body dropped to the floor.
"It was as you said Pearl, they tried to capitalize on our brothers death" Charles said in a voice that hinted at approving his brother's intelligence..
"Our brother was quite the fool, but no matter, anyone who tramples on our family's name will be put to death without mercy." Pearl Don states without grief in his tone.
"Listen up men, go search all the marine corpses for beli, items we might need" Charles Don commanded to the rest of his crewmembers.
"I heard the island over has Log Poses for sell for people trying to enter the Grand line, we'll head there next." Charles declares in a confident tone.
"Grandline? But you know how dangerous that place is Charles.. even we might have trouble..." Pearl Don says with serious concern.
Charles Don didn't directly respond but he grinned, as if nothing could stand in his way.
"Uhh Captain.. we only found a little bit Beli, muskets and flintlocks" Buckler remarked unsatisfied with his findings.
"Alright men, lets get out of here." Captain Charles Don commanded
End of Chapter 3