It rushed over those aboard his ship like a wave of applause, but instead of thunderous clapping there was the grasping of the shoulders, tightening one's body, the emission of frost from one's mouth as that gasped from the sudden temperature drop, they had finally come across their first Island in the Grandline.

With the Island in sight, with or without the Gold Leopards leading them Ondori had commanded his men to prepare to dock. As they did so and proceeded closer to the island, Ondori and a few he trusted could hold their own should a battle occur retreated to their respective rooms to suit up. The cold pierced even the depths of his ship, despite the fact they were only in the general area of the island and had not yet docked. Covering himself in a black cloak and wearing long sleeve garbs underneath that to protect himself from the elements, he grabbed his two swords, Taka and Treachery, then his Eye Scope and exited his cabin. Stepping out onto the deck of his ship it was like a whole new than just five minutes ago. His footing was compromised on his ship as a thin layer of snow and frost had quickly conquered the empty space.

He approached the railing of the vessel and stared out beyond the shore towards the foreground. The sound of the spent waves hardly made the ship sway, but even then it didn't have the ability to cause any real disturbances. Like a ghastly specter the foretold a soon coming omen frost billowed out Ondori's slightly ajar mouth as he just gazed out beyond the trees to many odd shaped mountains. Licking his lips, his eyes retained their focus and he spoke. "If we embark upon our next island and our faces aren't well known, then we didn't do a good enough job here." The silence onboard the ship let Ondori know he had his crews complete intention without even having any of his men in his line of sight. "Make sense?" With this question he broke focus with the tall cylindrical shaped mountains and turned to face his crew. Each of them nodded their heads in an affirmative manner. "Good, field team lets rendezvous with the Gold Leopards and discuss our plan, the rest of you guard the ship." Not counting Ondori, ten men stepped off that boat and walked to a middle ground between the docked ships, the ARAKHNE and the ship of the Gold Leopards. Ondori's black cloak covered all of his body save for his shoe covered feet, and all above the base of his neck.

 

It had certainly been a while since the two had spoken in person, but one thing that wasn't forgotten was the vigorous aura the man bled and ushered forth with his presence alone. Shaking his hand briefly, Ondori spoke as he stuffed both his glove covered hands in the pockets of his cloak."Yeah things were fine, just interested in seeing how those rumors about the Grandline pan out. I'm sure we're up to the challenge though." Ondori's gaze went from Leparo to those in his company giving them a nod of acknowledgment. "Judging from the uproar I assume your sailing went smooth as well." Not one to really waste time, Ondori figured the pair could walk and chat at the same time, so towards the trees that bordered the innards of Drum island they would walk, or at least Ondori and his men would.

"I probably should have let you know before I tagged along with you though . . . I'm not here in the Grandline just to sight see." His eyes would go from the forestry that they'd be walking through if Leparo walked with them, to the man himself, only his eyes. "I'm here chasing fame and the men with me are ready to raise hell here on Drum Island. Not necessarily in an effort to conquer it, but just for the sake of gaining some limelight as childish as it sounds."

Ondori wasn't sure how Leparo would receive his words, but regardless the youth would stand by what he said, Leparo would either be discerned as an ally here or as a pebble in Ondori's road to fame that he happened to pick up along the road before casting aside. While Ondori hoped to be gaining an ally, he had many on the ship and wouldn't hesitate to cut off his ties with the Gold leopard himself. "It should go without saying, but this means that if your plans here were business the our alliance was short lived." Again only his eyes would shift over to gauge the behemoth's reaction. Not that he expected Leparo to burst out in vehement rage and attack Ondori, but to observe his facial expressions just to get the slightest hint about how his words were resonating within him. Between bits of silence where words didn't fill the atmosphere only the crunch of snow beneath the marauders shoes would echo throughout the scene.

 

As Ondori listened to Leparo he noticed the density of the wilderness was beginning to thin, they were drawing near civilization. With Leparo's dialogue coming to an end, Ondori would be content with the fact his comrade had the same intentions. In an amused fashion Rooster smirked and chuckled showing a bit of his arrogant side. "Hardly a competition, but for your sake I'll pretend it is one." He would look back at his subordinates and they would meet his gaze. "I hope you stepped on this Island without intentions of making it to the next, because it's all or nothing."

They exchanged glances between themselves, obviously nervous of what was to come given it was their first island in Paradise. Ondori too found his innards churning without rest, but with anxiety to get things started. Fear had long ago discovered it had no place in his body when it was only humans pitted against him. As long as that was the case, there was no reason he shouldn't be able to rise above and come out the victor.

Dismissing the uneasiness of his aides with a short lived laugh he spoke once more to Leparo, this time his eyes would stay forward as they would be coming upon a clearing on top of a snowy hill. "I'm playing, may the best crew have the World Government at their heads first." Looking out then down, he'd see a fair sized town at the foot of the hill. Words wouldn't need to be exchanged at this point in time, for now was the time to show the other that they were really about what they just were speaking about. Taking his hands out of his pockets, his left hand would move to his right eye to secure his eye scope on to his face. His right hand on the contrary moved into the confines of his cloak to find the handle of his cursed katana Treachery.

As said before no further words were needed to be shared and Ondori would take off safely down the hill with his juniors following him towards the town. The town was bordered with multi meter high wooden logs that were pointed at the tops. The gates were crafted of stone however and outside stood roughly ten guards. Clutching tightly on the hilt of Treachery the cursed cold flames would pour forth and shroud the sheath of the weapon though it was still hidden within the confines of his cloak. "Call it a Declaration of Piracy!"

 

The cold flames of his blade Treachery would pour forth and seemingly force his cloak open from their volume alone. This wasn't the case however. Unsheathing his sword with a swift motion of the right arm, he'd unleash a horizontal slash. This motion of the arm creating the aesthetic that the cold light blue flames were the cause of his cloak being forced open. One could wonder why Ondori would waste a potent quick draw since he was still fifteen meters away from the guards at the gate, but if their eyes could catch it, sailing amongst the white snow was an arc of green flames. Six feet in length, the arc would be able to attach to three of the guards who's eyes had trouble seeing the apparition due to the it's color not contrast the hue of the snow heavily. Upon contact it'd cling to their bodies like a leech. It wouldn't burn them as a traditional flame did, but it'd burn them as dry ice on the flesh did.

"You wanna but those muscles to work and handle the gate? These guards shouldn't be much." The light armor the guards wore didn't offer them much protection if any when compared tot he strength Ondori and Leparo wielded, but it did serve as a means of halting his cursed flames from making contact with their skin. Quickly they stripped out of their upper body wear, choosing to be freezing cold from Drum Island's unrelenting chill than eating ate by the flames of a demon. "Smart."

His blade unsheathed as were the weapons of his subordinates, they closed in on the ten guards and would make a mess of them. A state of panic lead the guards who had stripped to stumble with retrieving the weapons they threw down to remove their clothing. Ondori would pass these guards, careful to avoid the flames on the discarded clothing, his underlings could deal with them. His blade thirsted for more capable warriors. With not even a side eye as he swiftly made his way beyond these unprepared souls, he'd leap up about three feet high while sustaining his forward momentum to bait the spear toting guard he approached to attempt a thrust at him. Such a reaction being desired, Ondori was prepared for it and with his free left hand he drew his secondary blade, Taka, that was on his right hip. Cutting outwards at an angle he'd sever the spear at the wooden shaft before the thrust attempted was fully developed and could reach him. This meant the actual metal prong would no longer be pointing at Ondori's person as it began to fall to the ground with an uneven application of pressure. Using his right leg whilst still in an aerial position he'd kick the wooden shaft to his right side, so not even the shaft could harm him. Landing safely in the guard's immediate proximity with his right hand's blade reeled back, he'd thrust forward stabbing the man through the stomach. Then with a leftward horizontal slash at this same guard's neck Ondori would force the man's body to slump over to the left and fall dead in the snow to be buried by the falling flakes. A firm grip on Treachery as the guard fell, the blade would remain in Ondori's hand and slide out the corpse while it chose who's soul to reap next.

46x T0 Drum Island Guards 20x T1 Drum Island Guards

 

Thankfully Ondori's troopers had stayed back and dealt with the forefront guards, while Ondori himself and Leparo's forces went in closer for the Gold Leopard was quite reckless with his assault. If Ondori hadn't been scanning the battle field for a next target he wouldn't have seen Leparo's attack and might have found himself chopped into pieces. Sprawling onto his stomach in the snow, swords laying flat unable to harm him, Ondori would avoid the golden arcs that sliced the rest of the guards into pieces while tearing down the stone gate. Standing back on his feet and safely brushing the snow off the front of his cloak with blade bearing hands he scoffed at the sight before him. Stone rubble poured into the town and a few bodies, well divided bodies, were mixed in with it. "That works I suppose." Not faltering or bothering to scold Leparo for his recklessness, because he could be the same way, Ondori wouldn't wait for anyone as he potentially ran ahead of the group and towards the town.

Coming to the foot of the rubble, he'd jump precisely landing on the bulkier pieces of rock that were stable and wouldn't shift when he landed on them. Hop scotching along the rubble in this fashion he'd see on the other end of the rubble the townspeople were in chaos and running away from this gate while guards filed into their ranks at the opposite end of the debris. Sheathing his blade Taka, only Treachery remained in Ondori's right hand as he eyed the guards who had come to attend his induction into the ranks of piracy. "I'm sure your bodies won't stack high enough for me to reach what it is I'm aiming for, but a ladder has rungs for a reason." He could hear his subordinates and maybe the others moving through the stone rubble to enter the town as well, but he wouldn't wait so they could execute a synchronized attack, his sword wouldn't allow it. Their travel straight from the South Blue to the East then here had taken so long that the ever hungry sword nearly had him steal the lives of his men in the night. It was a terrifying feeling, even without the blade strapped to his hip it called out to him and commanded his body when his brain was resting.

He had to be sure to quench its thirst now so he would be able to close his eyes with peace of mind.

A shallow hop would bring an end to his journey in the rubble of the stone gate and start part two of his battle in the snow. Just as soon as he landed and found solid footing, he'd take off again opening with a ranged assault. Giving the glutton three deft swings, three fang bearing cleavers would be crafted out of the brisk and frosty air itself. As they sailed forward their forms became more defined, but it was only apparent to the enemy that the conjurations were meant to kill when each of them accomplished what they were made for. All three that were marked were cut at the neck and they would succumb to death from blood loss or suffocation in due time, it didn't matter to Ondori as long as they assisted in quelling the sword's yearning.

Ondori's intentions realized, the guards wasted no time in running towards one of the reaper's many employees. The powerful brightness the winter wonderland harbored once again working in Ondori's favor he would swing his blade into empty air with one of the guards a modest two meters or so within him. Again when he motioned this weapon another strange projection was emitted. This time it was a keen light blue thin arc, surely hard to see, for its lifespan mirrored that of a spark from clashing blades. Again a life was extinguished and the Ondori was applauded for his murder. "Spearmen take to the front of the formation, something isn't right about this guy's swordplay." Ondori chuckled and gave them the time to scramble about and assume a new formation where those with range would lead the assault. "I'm not the only one you should be worried about you know." Not only was Leparo also present wherever he may be, but Ondori also had his ten juniors with him as did Leparo have his crew mates. "I owe this thing a lot of bodies, hopefully we can clear this town out soon and move on to the next."

24x T0 Drum Island Guards 20x T1 Drum Island Guards

 

With Spearmen taking the front of the formation and Ondori's subordinates arriving to assist, five of which that bore guns ordered a command that would initiate the next stage of combat. "Get down!" With that Ondori's forces would duck below the height at which his allies shoot bullets. Whizzing through the air they'd collide with the guards. Some would bore a hole in their head, while some went into their necks and guts. As they fell to the ground, the other's in Ondori's company would charge the front lines. As he was about to enter the spearmen's range of domain, he himself would but a light strain on his body to increase the speed at which he could move his body. While he'd be moving in a linear fashion, he'd zip in four different directions. Straight, then to the right, then to his left(to face his original front), then left once more. As he did so he'd utilize another technique in his book of assassination techniques.

This gambit was known as Instant Hell Murder and with it's application Ondori would unleash five sword strikes whilst he zipped through the unprepared enemy ranks. Furthermore his mysterious power from before persisted. This teaching being the technique that increased the range of his sword swings through means of a light blue arc of light. This made it so not only five souls were reaped during his bout of high-speed movement in both his legs and arms, but instead he with his increased range he could take the lives of twelve souls.

His men busy at work, one of them had fell to a miscalculated spear thrust, but he was quickly avenged by the other subordinates. Some of the spearmen charging Ondori's gunmen, before they could reach they firearm toters, they were blasted taking five more lives to Ondori's content.  "About twenty left." As he spoke he pivoted on his right foot towards his right shoulder to swing around to where his back was previously facing. His blade raised horizontally level with his face, but spaced multiple inches away from him, he blocked an incoming spear attack. His offhand placed against the blunt side of his blade to help with combating the force of the spear, he pushed forward knocking the spearman off balance, before rolling forward in the snow deftly. He'd roll off to the spearman's side whilst he was still off balance, exploiting the lapse in the target's reactive abilities. As he rolled he'd end up behind the spearman and pivot similarly to how he did before. On the right foot and over the right shoulder. Stopping to where he was facing a direction his back previously faced, he'd expel a slash outwards as he rotated that'd cut above the hip, but below the ribs in the spearmen causing him to drop into the snow.

Another spearman instantly replaced this corpse, he was charging Ondori head on in a direction that'd make him trample the corpse of his comrade, but he jumped with his forward momentum to avoid doing so. Ondori, down in a kneel seemingly in a disadvantageous position, would again roll forward overtop the corpse he just freshly produced and would simultaneously take the dead man's spear in his left hand. Turning one-hundred eighty degree to face behind him where the new enemy was, he'd thrust forward with the spear, piercing the nape of the neck damaging the man's spine paralyzing him. Letting go of the spear and forgetting that specific encounter just like that, he'd move onto the next until no more remained. Using the flames from his cursed blade he'd reap lives and spread a wave of terror throughout enemy lives and further his allies would be able to perform above the other soldiers to completely wipe them out. "Whew . . . I'm gonna rest up while I head to the next town. He had expended a lot of energy, but found himself unharmed save for a few light nicks and scratches.

[Exit]