"Alright Alphie. As a Commader, I'm going to let you take the helm on this Campaign. It's just a bit of anti-piracy work, so it shouldn't be too much, but I think it's the perfect time for you to get some practice in. With the rate that you're moving you'll be the Captain of your own ship one day, so I think now's the time I start grooming you into a suitable Marine Captain." Alphie stood at attention in Captain Blanka's office aboard the Bastion, the Company's ship. "So what do you think?

Truth be told the Commander wasn't foreign to the art of Captaining. For a small handful of time he was Captain of his own crew of pirates, he was sure the Captain knew this, but was probably choosing to respectfully dismiss it, though Alphie would rather him not. Basa had also spent a large sum of time as a Red Water Pirate and as a Division Commander at a very young age, so being a leader was something he was familiar with. Despite this, he didn't brush off the fact that he could still learn a thing or two from this short campaign. Leadership skills were more than proving to your followers you could fight well to get what you wanted and many failed to understand that. There was also a bit of speech-craft that came with being a leader, as well as knowing how to sway the hearts of those who follow you. Everyone had a different path to their hearts, some looked for well spoken and level headed people, some looked for people who were immensely powerful and could fight well, some wanted people who could lead them to riches and fame. "So who is it that I'm trying to appeal to Captain?" Alphie felt that was what he needed to know, so that he could appease tot he right crowd to portray himself in a good light to the correct audience. "That's a question you have to answer yourself Basa. Who are you trying to lead or satisfy? Is it the Crew? Is it the Government and the men above you in rank? It may even be yourself." Alphie thought on the words and understood what his Captain was saying and saw why he choose not to tell Alphie who he should try to appeal to.

"The one thing about being a leader that one should always remember and that I can tell you is that you shouldn't get it confused with being manipulative. Being a good Captain and leader is when you genuinely care for the one's you are leading and trying to come off a certain way to. Manipulation is simply appeasing to a certain crowd, because they have something you want. DO you understand?" The Captain had walked from behind his desk tot eh wall to Alphie's left, he was staring out the little circular window out to the sea. "I get it." Alphie said. It was during that moment that he truly realized how sinister the act he was committing was and why the Government would hunt him down for it when his intentions were brought to light. They were the hand that was feeding him and while he was doing work for them that could be seen as payment, to turn around and bite them in the end, Alphie would surely look to kill anyone that did the same to him. While he had always known what he was doing wasn't something the Government was going to be happy to hear about, he finally grasped the principals behind such an act. But yet it did nothing to extinguish the flames or quench the coals that fueled his fire to become a pirate again. Alphie was a dreamer and he'd let nothing come in the way of his dreams and the Government should do the same.

With a bit of justification behind his train of thought keeping him feeling righteous in a sense, he came out the labyrinth of his thoughts and emerged with not a new plan of action, but with a reaffirmed motive and a desire to rove the seas stronger than normal. "Sir! We spotted three pirate ships doing a tradeoff about 250m out." Alphie and Captain Blanka had turned their attention to the Marine Alphie having had to turn his whole body. "So what's the move Basa?" Alphie thought for but a moment, recalling the conversation him and the Captain just had. "Tell everyone to prepare to engage. Our priority is to capture the Captains of the ships, their crew can be disposed of." With that the Marine saluted and left as quick as he came, the sound of men coming to attention then moving to prepare for battle could be heard from inside the cabin. Both Blanka and Alphie didn't meet each others gaze though they were both thinking about the same thing, Alphie wondering if he choose the right choice and Blanka wondering if Alphie was wondering if he choose the right choice.

Walking out the cabin to prepare for battle, Alphie quickly found relief in being out on the open deck though the crew was running around frantically preparing for battle. Moving down to the lower quarters where he stayed, he retrieved only Same-kiri Bocho and strapped it to his back. The sound of his black boots stepping on each step of the stairs back up to the deck reflected calmness in Alphie's mind, despite him actually being in deep thought about the talk him and the Captain had. Not so much the talk really, but more so the fact it had him feeling such a way. The talk was very informational, but the bit about manipulation had Alphie thinking if what he was doing was really the right thing. Such a feeling was venomous and got in the way of what he dreamed to do and with a fight ready to commence soon, he couldn't think of such things. As he opened the door and the sunlight of the day hit his frame, the thoughts were pushed back and he entered a militant front. The pirates had mobilized in a wall with their three ships and they were firing cannons at the Marine vessel. The man on the helm did his best to steer out of harms way, but of course they'd get hit here and there, but Alphie was now here to prevent that. Only about 50m left to travel to be right upon the three ships, the cannon fire was beginning to hit home, so Alphie began to assist in the defense of the ship. Taking Same-kiri Bocho off his back and onto his right side, he swung the blade over to his left. No Marines were in his vicinity nor were obstructions from the boat, to his swing and preparation for the swing weren't interfered by anything. With the swing came the birth of a powerful gale of wind that billowed outwards in a wall. The air being distorted in front of him, when this sheet of wind collided with an armada of cannon balls, the iron spheres broke to pieces and debris rained down into the water's of the south blue. Nearly in range for his next maneuver once the Marine vessel was about 15m from one of the pirate ships, Alphie swung his cleaver once more. This time it was in a vertical fashion, that stopped before crashing into eh wooden deck of the ship he was on. Projecting a thin hardly visible blade of air, it traveled through one of the enemy ships before dissipating like a rogue breeze. The pirates on the ship had dove out the way as to avoid being bisected, but even the one's that were late diving out the way didn't find a single scratch on their body. It was only after moments later, that the ship began to creak and water forced itself clean through the middle of the ship. It had been bisected and was beginning to sink or better yet, fall over.

Direct close quarters combat hadn't even ensued much and the mast of the ship that was cut clean in half was falling to the right and left towards the ships on the sides of this now destroyed vessel. Marines and pirates alike were in awe, despite some pirates also being in a frenzy. The mast and half of the ship falling on each of the other still standing vessels, the Marine ship pulled close and dropped down two long boards of wood allowing the Marines to board the ships. Footsteps storming over, once they hit the deck of the battered vessels that were supporting the weight of a fallen boat, they turned into sounds of battle. Clashing swords, the smell of gunpowder, and grunts and groans, Alphie ignored most of the common masses of pirates and sought out the Captains. Of course on his way, his blade swung to cut down a few no name pirates, but his eyes were steady scanning for the leaders the whole time. Finding two pretty gaudy looking blokes, he deemed them the Captains and questioned them. "I'm guessing you are the pirates I'm looking for?" They didn't reply with words, only with the production of a pistol and the other with a sword. Strafing to his left, Alphie dodged the bullet due tot eh pirate's slow reflexes and firing right upon noticing movement at Alphie's previous location. The sword wielding pirate charging in, Alphie swung his weapon downwards from a 2 o'clock angle. The two weapons clashed birthing a bit of sparks, but not even a second after a second application of force was produced and pounded on Alphie's weapon. This caused the sword of the pirate to split into two pieces and let Alphie's weapon rocket downwards through the rest of the swings motion. The result was the blade digging deep into his collarbone causing a great surge of blood. Alphie's eyes immediately went to the other pirate's upon seeing his blow land. Pulling his weapon out the man's body and letting him slump to the wooden deck unconscious, Alphie reeled his weapon back, his foe frozen in fear. With one hand on the handle and the edge of Same-kiri Bocho facing out in the direction Alphie's back was facing so that the sword was perpendicular with the floor of the ship, he swung forward. Same-kiri Bocho would naturally cleave through air over his shoulder as if he were throwing a hatchet, but it would proceed beyond the release point to end fully extended, parallel with the ship's floor now as if he was finishing a thrust. Throughout this motion the blade would have adopted a red hot glow, but at the end of the motion the glow would climb up the weapon at a fast pace, then seemingly cause an explosion. Flames would lash out greedily in front of the tip of Same-kiri Bocho, fanning out to sear the Pirate Captain. Rather than latch on and continuously burn his flesh and clothes, the flames simply burned him that one second, for the duration they were existent. This did indeed burnt he man, but it also sent his body into shock causing him to pass out from the nerve shock.

Spoiler:

It had been a week since they dropped off their first batch of pirates under the orders of this campaign against piracy. Alphie still hadn't shook the feeling Captain Blanka had given him with their talk despite that the Captain was just trying to inform Alphie on the principals and makings of a leader. As far as his cabin went,t here was complete silence, but the footsteps, grunts, and shouts of the Marines on the deck doing PT kept his surroundings a bit live. Silently he sat in his cabin tending to his weapons, polishing Curtail after having disassembled it to clean the access gunpowder. Sharpening Same-kiri Bocho and Īzasu to ensure they cut as if they were brand new. In time however the droning of his Baby Den Den Mushi summoned his attention. Answering it, he spoke into the speaker. "Commander Basa." "Sir we need you on the deck right away!" Basa groaned a bit, but pulled himself together and replied. "Alright, on my way up." *kachank* Propping Same-kiri Bocho up against the wall of his cabin, Alphie got up tossed on a shirt and headed to the deck. "Commander!" Alphie waved down the Marine's salute, he was never a fan of all the formalities. "So what is it?" "Erm -uh, we saw a flare go off. It seems to be about 3 kilometers off North." Alphie didn't even have to think of what to do and gave the order in an unperturbed manner. Dispatching the situation with a wave he headed back to his cabin. "Come get me when we're within two-hundred meters or so."

After a small deal of time, the Baby Den Den Mushi began to sound once more. Grabbing the small thing, Alphie answered the call. "Commander Basa." He was lying in his cabin's bed in thought, mentally laying out his plan for things to come in the future and trying to see the different paths he could take, rather than just tear away from the World Government. "We're not within the two-hundred meter mark yet, but from here we can see that it's a Marine Cargo ship. It appears that there are some pirates looting it." Alphie hadn't understood the relevance of the call, the orders remained the same despite this clarity on the situation. "Okay . . . I'll be up in due time." *kachank* He hung up and yawned. Swinging his legs over to off his bed, so he could sit on it comfortably with his feet on the floor, he sat for but a moment before coming to a stand. Suiting up for battle he grabbed both Curtail and Īzasu along with Same-kiri Bocho this time. Working his way up to the deck of the ship, he was given yet another status report detailing practically the same thing he was called about. Was being the Captain of a Marine Ship truly this much of a bother? "Alright, let loose a warning shot and load the cannons in the meantime. If they don't show signs of surrendering in a minute, we open fire."

After the warning shot was left off, the timer was ticking and Alphie watched in an uninterested stupor. These Marine laws were ridiculous. Warning shots? What kind of bullshit was this? At his current rank straying from such laws were punishable offenses, but for those up top with the shiny medallions on their chest, the Captain's jackets that shouted justice on the back that made the shoulders look broad, they didn't yield to such laws. At their rank their own interpretation of Justice reigned above such those forgotten rules and they did what they saw was fit. So Alphie watched on. He knew they wouldn't surrender, but he entertained the thought until a trail of black smoke began to bleed into the sky upwards. "Hey what's going on out there!" Alphie shouted out to the man in the Crow's Nest. "They set fire to the cargo ship!" Alphie cursed and commanded the men to drop all the sails. "Are we pursing the Pirates or are we going to get the people on the Cargo Ship?" Captain Blanka had snaked into a place beside Alphie out of nowhere slightly startling him. He was like an embodiment of his good natured conscience, what little he still had. The other side of him told him to ignore the one's on the cargo ship. Dead weight was dead weight, if they couldn't save themselves, why should they be saved, to be captured and put in the same scenario again? "Ignore the Cargo Ship and pursue the pirates before they get away!" He knew he was probably the only one who felt like that was the right choice, but he had lived a different life than they had. Captain Blanka scoffed and looked at Alphie to see if he was going to change his mind and this time Alphie didn't bend under his gaze nor avoid his eyes. "You told me to lead and I'm doing what I feel should be done." Alphie looked Captain Blanka in his eyes and he only shook his head at Alphie. ". . . you heard him, move beyond the Cargo Ship and pursue the pirates!" With that the Marines scrambled to action and began to commence cannon fire on the fleeing ships. As they sailed by the burning Cargo Ship, the yells and cries from the burning people on board sounded over the cannon fire that was beginning to slow in subsequence. "Why are the cannons firing slower, pick up the pace!" Alphie demanded and with his command, the cannons began to fire at a rate that was only a bit slower than normal. He could feel the tension on the ship and knew it'd would undoubtedly change his standing with everyone aboard the vessel. Possibly even beyond the vessel should word get out.

It was what he saw fit however and the crew executed what he saw fit just as he told them to. The only thing in their way now was the fleeing pirate ship and though there were three, their cannonballs had worked to disable one. Sailing to the immobilized ship, the marines stormed the vessel and Alphie did as well. There were only twenty pirates on board and they didn't put up that fierce of a fight. Using only Īzasu, Alphie filleted about seven of them to the point they couldn't move before tossing them overboard with the rest of the bodies. Commanding the marines to loot the ship, Captain Blanka watched from the Marine ship. Alphie had walked back to the ship while the Marines looted the pirate ship. "If I knew letting you Captain my ship was going to lead to this then I wouldn't have agreed to it." Alphie nodded and took a seat on the deck floor to Captain Blanka's right. "After reflecting on our talk, I've chosen to appeal to myself . . . I'll act for the Government's good, but I will do it my way and that way happens to be darker than what most would like." Blanka scoffed and shook his head. Extending an open hand out gesturing tot he act the Marines were committing, Alphie could tell Blanka was livid. "Looting! You have my men looting a ship! This is borderline piracy! It's sickening." Alphie nodded his head considering the Captain's words. "I would call it legalized piracy personally." He looked up at the Captain and smiled. It wasn't a devious or serpentine smile it was a smile of one enjoying their time. "But what's wrong with looting?" Alphie looked back to the Marines at work, their expressions were slave like and deadened. "You have World Nobles enslaving other human beings and killing who they wish, yet you furrow your brow and spit venom at the act of looting?" Alphie shook his head and stood up. "This world is fucked up Captain. And I don't aim to fix it . . . that's not my dream. And apparently those aren't the aims of the Marines or World Government either, so am I really a bad guy for ignoring a burning Cargo Ship of people who couldn't even defend themselves. Or for looting from a pirate ship? I'm eradicating pirates and that's what this campaign is about, so as far as I'm concerned what I'm doing is right." With that Alphie went back below deck to his cabin.