The sun was high in the air, as its rays stretched across the waters of the West Blue. Raphael had isolated himself on a unnamed island in these very waters. Only his crew knew which island the man was on in the vast space know as the West Blue. Where was the golden eyed man on this island exactly? Well, he was doing what he did best which was sleeping in a interesting place. Somehow he had managed to climb into a lone palm tree that was on the beach. He had climbed up here to enjoy the warmth of the sun more and ended up falling asleep. The tree was oddly enough comfortable to the pirate; he did find most things comfortable though. "Captain, you'll get sun burn if you remain up there." Von said with his head up looking towards the top of the Raphael's resting spot.

Raphael remained still and with closed eyes replied to his crews resident scientist. "You see this melanin? We don't burn easy." Von chuckled at Raphael's reply. The scientist returned his head to its normal position and adjusted his glasses. "I suppose you're right Captain, but it's still quite possible." Raphael let out a loud sigh before sitting up. "Why do you always do this..." Raphael was obviously agitated with Von by the tone in his voice. "Because I have your best interest in mind my glorious leader." Von had thrown his arms into the air dramatically. Raphael at the point had learned from his perch and was looking at Von. He looked at the pink haired man with a stale expression. Raphael sighed again before sitting completely up. "I don't understand you sometimes." Von smiled and brought his hands back to his side. "Then that means our enemies won't understand me in the slightest." Raphael blink a few times. "I guess you're right."

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The two men would grow silent for a minute, but just as the silence encroached the me it dispersed. This was because footsteps trotting through the sand broke the silence. Von quickly shifted his attention into the direction of the noise. He demeanor became serious as he shifted his glasses to a more suitable position. "It appears we have company captain." Where Von had become tense, Raphael felt unbothered by what could be a approaching enemy. When the footsteps were replaced with a voice Raphael, who had been facing the opposite direction, looked over his shoulder while angling his body to look down to the ground. "It's ok Von." After Raphael calmed Von the pink haired man relaxed himself. He shifted his arms so that his left would come across his body horizontally, while his right hand would rest stop his left vertically.

"I could ask you the same thing Byron. It's been awhile." Raphael stood and placed both hands inside his shorts pockets. Taking a single step he quickly found himself in the air, jumping from his "nest". When he landed Raphael bent his knees to cushion the impact from jumping from that height. "This is Von Jaeger. He's a new member of my crew." Raphael shifted his body to stand comfortably. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance." Von bowed slightly to the two newcomers. "If you've come all this way I can only assume it's for a reason." The golden eyed of Raphael scanned the woman standing before him. "Hmm? So who is she." Raphael asked tilting his head to the side. "I assume it has something to do with her as well." Even though he did not seem like it was truly a insightful young man.

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Raphael stared blankly as Sandra spoke, although he wasn't so rude as to ignore the friend of his friend. The two locked eyes, Raphael found a strange sense of tranquility in her eyes. It reminded him of the waves in the ocean. When she spoke he snapped back to their conversation mentally. Raphael had to think about her question for a few moments. "I remember words similar to those from my foster Father. He told me I have truly fearless eyes. The eyes of a predator." Raphael shrugged as Sandra continued. "Well I was never taught a formal fighting styled. I basically was forced to teach myself how to fight. The only thing I was taught was how to throw a punch." Von remained silent and lowered his head. The pink haired man adjusted his glasses, smiling at the words of his captain.

"I wouldn't call it spectacular, but I started my own crew and we're heading to the grand line soon." Raphael became silent for a split second. "Actually join my crew Byron." The words of Raphael were more of a demand, but question. He didn't mean any harm, but he had seen Byrons Talents before and knew what he could bring to the crew. "Of course the invitation is extended to your friend as well." The face of Raphael had a look of seriousness. Even though he really did want them to join; he could only express it through a air of complete business. Raphael lifted his arm and point his thumb over his shoulder to Von. "He's actually a part of my crew. He's a scientist who attacked me trying to test his creations." Von chuckled. "That's all in the past dear captain. "However like that woman says. Their is something about you. Something in your soul only that your eyes can show."

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Raphael ignored Byron's actions and returned them with a bland stare. Raphael's interest became peaked the more Sandra began to talk. "Potential huh?" Von himself couldn't have put the words any better. He had the same thoughts of Raphael. That's why he had asked the boy to join his crew. He wanted to see just how far Raphael could go. Raphael and Von both stared at Byron with a blank expression as he answered Raphael's invitation. He however was happy to hear that the two would be joining his crew. Raphael and Von both stood back, putting a good amount of distance between themselves and Sandra. He took note of Byron's words to Sandra. The golden eyed pirate became even more interested in what the woman wanted to show him by this point.

Raphael focused on Sandra's words himself; his eyes trained on her movements. Raphael was staring like a predator analyzing their prey. He gave off a aura that made Von take a step back from him. Raphael hadn't even noticed Von take those steps back. Sandra swung. Nothing happened, or at least that's how it appeared. Not much after she had swung the trees that she had aimed at warped and were torn completely apart. Raphael listened intently as Sandra explained the techniques mechanics. However, it was up to Raphael to execute the attack correctly.  Raphael began stretching his arms as he stepped forward. "Fishman Karate huh? So that's what it was about you. You're a fishman." Raphael brought his arms up above his head, while taking a deep breath in. He lowered them slowly exhaling his breath while he was at it.

"I was told about your people and their fighting capabilities. I've long to meet one of you and learn this." Raphael shifted his body into a offensive stance. He closed his eyes and began breathing slowly through his nostrils. Sandra's instructions replayed in his mind. "Sync with the Vapors around me..." Raphael calmed his mind and body. He became truly zen, but could not feel the vapors. Suddenly advice from his pseudo father came to his mind. "Visualization is key in any form of training." Raphael began to visual that it was raining. The rain suddenly froze in place; the rain drops began more clear. They became smaller and smaller eventually multiplying and becoming what looked like waves of water floating around Raphael.  He was halfway there and had only seen the attack once.

Now the hard part. Well maybe it wouldn't be so hard. All he had to do was catch the "wavelength" of the water and he could easily preform the attack. Raphael reached his hands out and brought them back close to his body. He then began to move his arms and body in fluid motions. He looked as his he was wading through water, or rather shifting the water around him through the air. He stopped and brought his arms back down to his side before putting is hands out to each side of him, and in front of him. He dug his feet into the sand before shifting back to his offensive stance. Raphael's eyes snapped open as he sent his right fist flying straight, towards a group of tree besides the ones that Sandra had mowed down. At first nothing happened, but Raphael could see it. The water had indeed moved.

A split second later the tree he had aimed at warped and exploded. His attack only affected two of the 5 trees he had aimed at. Meaning that he wasn't quite there yet. Raphael acrobatically began punching and kicking at the air. He was trying to get his body used to moving the vapors around him. The each swing of his limb the attack began to get stronger and stronger. Raphael held out his palm. Raphael began thrusting it through the air. After moments of nothingness the trees began began exploding one after another. It looks like he had caught on pretty fast. Von clasped his hands together and smiled. "Excellent Captain. Simply Excellent." Von's words were mumbled and to himself. Raphael turned to Sandra.

The young man gripped his fist and looked at it. He then looked back to Sandra with a sort of gleam in his eyes. She had helped Raphael's fighting style become complete with him learning fishman karate. He could feel it, the vapors, all around him. He hadn't noticed them before so he felt strange. Von adjusted his glasses. He wanted to test Raphael's new found power. "Practice makes perfect Captain." As those words left his mouth Von was swinging his sheathed weapon at Raphael.  Raphael wasn't facing Von, but he felt the man coming. Raphael stepped to the side to avoid Von's vertical strike. Raphael jumped back to put distance between them. Raphael immediately began punching the air in front of him. Again nothing appeared to be happening, but Von, who defended himself using his weapon, was sent flying.

Just from the force of the attack Von's body went tumbling across the sand. He stuck the sheath of his weapon into the ground to catch his balance. He could only rise to one knee for a moment. Von visibly looked as if he was out of breath; he was breathing extremely hard. "Quite...the...punch...you've...got." Von used his weapon in order to stand. "That fighting style fits you rather well captain." Von said while walking back towards Raphael, Byron, and Sandra. "You had such raw fighting power, so the fact that you picked this up as quickly as you did. Shouldn't be a surprise to you." Von's entire body ached from just that one attack, but he didn't say anything about it. It wasn't anything he couldn't handle. Raphael looked back towards Sandra and Byron. "Sandra Please teach me everything that you can. For some reason this style just feels comfortable to me." Raphael looked down at his hands once again and then back to Sandra. "I want to learn more about Fishman Karate."

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Raphael held his fist in the air; it was up to about his chest. The stared at Sandra. A look of excitement in his eyes, even though his face remained calm. "I'll create something that no human has before." Raphael clenched his fist and looked down at it. The same look of excitement trained now on his hand. Von grinned at the words of Raphael. This was why he stuck by Raphael. The young pirate always seemed to surpass everyone's expectations. He had the true talent to reach great heights. All he needed was to be pushed. "Well Byron. First things first. We need to get the whole crew together." Raphael looked back at Von. "Mind giving us a ride back to Yotsuba. Oh! I have a ship also. It should be docked in Yotsuba by now." Von bowed his head to Sandra and Byron. "It's a pleasure to meet new members of our Captains family." He paused and stood back up straight. "A ride you greatly be appreciated."

[Exit on Breaks post]

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