Task Name: Making the Band
Tier: 4
NPC or PC: PC
Location: Swallow Island
Crew, Team, or Personal: Crew
Description: After sending out his broadcast, Nico has made his way to Swallow Island in the hopes of meeting those that have answered his call. However, in spite of those interested in Nico's proposition having shown up, others with more malevolent intentions have also appeared.  A large group of pirates has apparently seen an opportunity to kill a Shichibukai - feeling as though accomplishing this will bring them world-wide acclaim. Nico has decided to use this as a test for his prospective companions - taking down these pirates in order to see what they're made of.
Enemy Details: x25 T1 Pirates, x10 T2 Pirates, x5 T3 Pirates
Boss: Yes

Boss Name: Pedro
Tier: 4
Description: Pedro is a man of advanced age, however, he is 6'4, muscular, and has white hair that that takes the form of a mohawk. Despite his age, his strength isn't something that should be underestimated. He's a user of Jio-Ken and the devil fruit known as the Bomu Bomu.  
Devil Fruit: Bomu
Haki: Buso
Equipment: N/A
Strength: 6
Durability: 3
Speed: 3
Perception: 4

Nico and his Uber helmsman, The Gorton's Fisherman, had arrived on Swallow Island not too long after sending out the broadcast. After dropping Nico off on the island, the mysterious Fisherman seemed to prefer not disembarking the ship. He opted to stay on the submarine, sailing about 50 meters out before submerging and "hovering". Nico also agreed that this would be the best choice, as he would have preferred that possible recruits and whoever decided to show up weren't aware of his ship immediately. If things were to go left for some odd reason, he didn't exactly want his ship to get caught up in the crossfire.

For now, Nico simply decided to make his way to the shade of a nearby palm tree and wait. He wasn't sure how long it would take for those that heeded his call to arrive, but he knew he didn't want to get sunburned waiting for those that may or may not arrive. Hopefully he'd be rewarded for his patience and a few talented prospects would arrive.

Swallow Island. That was what that broadcast had mentioned, right? I had been strange. Just after taking over the island of Minion, the Dandyman had received a call on his Den Den Mushi, from none other than a shichibukai looking to recruit some people. A very interesting prospect if he did say so himself. Now that he had established a power base of his own with Minion, allying himself with a Shichibukai would help ensure that he kept that power. A smart investment. Plus any funds he gained would go into improving Minion. Genius!

So now here he was, on Swallow Island, where the broadcast said to meet.  He would keep a sense of caution about himself though. For all he knew this could be some sort of trap. The ship that brought him anchored off the coast as he took a rowboat over to the shore. Once on land, he looked around, twirling his cane as he tried to figure out what to do next. With nothing else to do, he would begin to wander along the beach. Maybe he might encounter the shichibukai's ship. Who knows.

His wandering wouldn't last long before he came across a figure sitting underneath a tree. A pale young man with white hair, and a slightly creepy air about him. Gerard reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a piece of paper. An old wanted poster. When he heard the name, he quickly acquired one to see what the man looked like. Sure, it was old, since him being a shichibukai meant a bounty was pointless, but it was for visual reference more than anything. This was definitely the g he was looking for. Stuffing the poster back into his pocket, he approached the shichibukai.

"Nico Moretti I presume?" he asked, leaning on his cane.

"Swallow Island huh?" Joey said to himself. The country boy found himself rowing in a rowboat towards said island after visiting his mentor in Lvneel. After leaving the farm house, Joey had gotten a message from his den den. At first he assumed it was someone trying to call him, but as much as he tried getting whoever was talkings attention, they never seemed to answer back. What this Nico person was saying would soon really get the teen's attention as to Joey it sounded like he was a captain in need of a crew which the blond found to be the perfect way of redeeming himself for what happened in the East Blue!

So now here he is approaching the so called bird shaped island. Joey had a grin on his face, excited about what new people he will come in contact with, and what this potential captain of his would be like. As he inched closer, and closer to the island, Joey would glance over, and notice some buildings at one part of the base. He wouldn't realize what it was until he turned his head fully, raising an eyebrow. "Is that one of those Marine Bases?" he'd ask himself. Joey has seen Marine bases before, so there was no doubt in him that this was another one! Why would a pirate choose an island where marines flock at out of all places? Unlike most people, Joey isn't exactly sure what a Shichibukai is, picturing it being something similar to one of those Super Novas. Perhaps that Nico guy was planning on destroying that base? Perhaps to exert his power? The thought of that made Joey even more glad he decided to follow this random broadcast!

Finally, on Swallow Island, Joey would walk around, getting a it distracted by the various carnivorous birds that flew around. To most, they would be scared, terrified! But in Joey's eyes, they were just another possible ingredient for his home style cooking which speaking of, he brought along with him twenty hush puppies packed in a container he made the other day that he's considered sharing with. Finally, Joey stumbled upon two individuals, one dressed sharply with a cane, and another that looked rather feminine in nature to the country boy. Unlike the dandy looking guy, Joey went in this without any wanted poster, or good enough information whatsoever. Just....food.

He approached them after the dandy guy asked his question. "Howdy!" Joey said with his country like accent. "I got yer message. Really nice ta meet ya, Nico." he'd say, but instead was facing the wrong person. Not being the brightest, Joey assumed that the orange haired guy was Nico. "Also nice to meet you too, miss." He'd turn towards Nico with his arms folded behind the back of his own head, assuming that he was she. Already off to a GREAT first impression!

An hour, or maybe two, had passed by and Nico had gone from simply standing beneath the palm tree to sitting. The warm feel of the sand coupled with the soothing breeze that blew through the area began to give Nico the urge to nod off for a bit. Honestly, he wasn't sure if there would be anyone responding to his broadcast - especially in a place like this. This was a Blue, after all. Even though the Blues were infamous for producing some of the most talented Pirates that the world had ever seen, maybe being three years removed from the outside world had given Nico a different perception of the place. Maybe the World Government had done a better job in that time-fram of curtailing the rise of piracy in the Blues. Maybe the only people that heard his broadcast were Marines and regular citizens that didn't appreciate the hijacking of their Den Den Mushi. There were a lot of "maybes" that continued to pop up as Nico thought more about the situation, and he began to feel as though he had wasted his time traveling out here.

This feeling of doubt didn't last too long before the Shichibukai noticed something quite odd - a man traveling with a cane, ascot, and a fedora. These accessories weren't "odd" on their own, but they were very odd to see on a person traveling along a beach. To say that he appeared to be out of place would be an understatement. Coincidentally, the man appeared to notice Nico as well before pulling out a crumbled piece of paper from his pocket. The man glanced down at the paper before glancing back in his direction a few times - and Nico could only assume that he was using whatever was on the paper as a reference to see if he was in the presence of the correct person. After quickly stuffing the paper back into his pocket, the gentleman began to walk towards Nico. Once he reached a distance of about seven meters away, the man propped himself up on his cane and went on to ask a very simple question.

"Nico Moretti I presume?"

Yet, before Nico could respond to the question he noticed yet another new face making his way in their direction.

"Howdy!"

It sounded to Nico as if the young man had a stereotypical country drawl when he spoke, and this observation was further expounded upon as he continued to speak - greeting the fedora-equipped man as "Nico", and referring to the real Nico as a woman. Where one may have been offended by all of this, the young Shichibukai merely took it as a compliment. One thing that Nico had always took pride in was the flexibility of his appearance. Nico's almost feminine appearance has been something he's always taken full advantage of, due to the fact that he's often been employed to kill certain targets every now and again. Being able to pass as a woman in some circumstances is hugely beneficial, especially when certain targets tend to let their guard down around a woman - or have requested the company of a woman. Being so easily mistaken for a woman simply meant that his guise was effective, and being effective is something to be proud of.

Unaware of the act, Nico found himself smiling whilst in the company of the two men. Not necessarily for the compliment he'd just received moments ago, but because the doubts he had about anyone taking heed of his broadcast had been quelled. Though he would have liked it if more than two people had arrived, he also remembered that some of the strongest crews and organizations to ever exist were founded by small like-minded groups. Hopefully these two held some of the potential worthy of organizations of that stature.

With a friendly wave of his hand towards the young man in the overalls, the seasoned Pirate began to introduce himself.

"Hello. I'm actually the "Nico" you're referring to. I must say, it's a pleasure to meet you two."

Nico paused for a second in order to let those words settle in before continuing. He had never been one for small-talk, so he figured he'd simply move onto the important matters. They had traveled all this way for a reason, and it would have been disrespectful to waste their time. However, before he began to speak he found his attention being caught by what appeared to be a ship approaching on the horizon. It wasn't a huge ship, by any means, however, it seemed suitable enough to house a large amount of people. Joy once again filled Nico as he thought about even more potential recruits making their way towards the island, yet, he'd give them the details when they arrived. He had two people standing in front of him that deserved his attention now.

"As you heard in my message, I'm looking for potential companions to join me. Though, I suppose it would be better to say that I'm looking for "alliances", so to speak. This will be more than some simple-minded crew where every member is in some way beholden to their Captain. This organization will be one in which your word will hold just as much weight as my own. This organization will be a partnership. Yet, before I "partner" with any of you, I need to know exactly what it is that you bring to the table - so i'd prefer if you both introduce yourselves to me and give me a brief rundown of who you are, your goals, what you've accomplished so far, and what you're capable of."

Gerard blinked as someone approached them, a country boy judging by his dress and his accent. More specifically, the boy thought that HE was Nico, and that Nico himself was a girl. Gerard would have laughed if this wasn't a shichibukai they were talking about. Though to be mistaken for one of the warlords was something to be prideful for. Before he could respond, Nico spoke up, correcting the young man and not seeming at all angry for the confusion. Perhaps this wasn't the first time.

Nico went on to explain to them what this deal was. He wasn't looking for subordinates, but rather partners, allies. It seemed Gerard wouldn't have to give up any freedom in pursuit of this. That suited the sharply dressed man just fine. Then came the interview portion of this meeting.

Gerard smirked. "The name's Gerard Sinnet." He introduced himself, holding up a hand to let some gas rise up into the air. Nothing dangerous or anything, but just a light teaser of what he could do. "I'm what you'd call a "Gas man". As for what I've done, while I haven't been in the game for very long, I've since established myself as a leader of a nearby island. Minion Island, you heard of it? Had to fight pirates, revolutionaries, and marines for the title. And you can guess how that turned out for me." He gave a smirk at his presentation. Surely the fact that he had acquired turf of his own so quickly would be enough to impress a shichibukai.

Joey continued to hold his hand out to who he assumed to be Nico with a grin on his face. This dandy looking fellow did not return the handshake, but the country cook continued holding his up, thinking that any moment he would do the same. It wasn't until the person who the blond mistaken for a woman finally spoke introducing himself as the actual Nico that he would put his hand down. "Woah!" Joey would jump back a bit, not because he had gotten the people mixed up, but because of Nico's masculine voice taking him by surprise as he was still in the mindset of thinking he was a she.

"Gee, coulda fooled me." Joey said with a light chuckle before crossing his arms. If this white haired guy is Nico, then who is this other guy? Perhaps he was also here to join up with this guy? But then again, this fancy looking man didn't look to be much of a fighter in Joey's eyes, and would rather be up in those fancy mansions drinking tea or whatever it was rich folks did. Joey returned his attention back to Nico as he began to get down to business. The country boy tilted his head as Nico spoke of this being an alliance, or partnership unlike a basic pirate crew. This was something Joey never thought of before, thinking that all pirates crews traveled together on some ship going from island to island for adventure, and such. What Nico was bringing up however sounded interesting to Joey either way, staying quiet through the whole explanation until the shichibukai brought up what these two could possibly bring to this "partnership" of his.

"Umm..." Joey would think, placing a finger on his chin until the other guy started to speak in which the blond turned his attention towards him. The moment that Gerard guy introduced himself, and displayed a small portion of his potential, Joey let out a small, "Well I'll be..." under his breathe in surprise. Was this guy one of them devil fruit users? Or perhaps better, he was a magician! He then talked about being a leader of an island, having taken out people from different factions to get there. The country boy's jaw dropped a bit. Someone capable of doing all that....amazing! But it made him wonder why he would be wasting his time here.

Once Gerard finished, it seemed like it was Joey's turn. "My name's Joey...Joey Pryce, but y'all can call me Jojo." he said, folding his arms behind the back of his head. "I don't know nothin about bringing anything to any tables, but I'm a damn good cook, if I do say so myself." he claimed, pulling out a container filled with twenty hush puppies. "These bad boys right here can get anybody kickin, and are packed full of energy." He snickered before continuing. "It's probably nothin like Gerard, but I wrassle'd with my fair share of pirates...." he added, pausing a bit before looking down at the food he brought, appearing as if his mind is elsewhere. "....and Marines." he continued with less enthusiasm, recollecting how he got a friend arrested by beating down some marines. He'd quickly shake his head, and look back up at the two. "Other than that ermm, I think that's all!" he said with a grin, but he did forget one last thing about himself which might have been actually interesting to hear....

"Oh, by the way...what's a shee chee buck eye?" he'd add lastly, still not exactly sure what a shichibukai is.

One after the other, those that had heeded Nico's call began to introduce themselves in the manner that he'd requested. Gerard was the first to speak, and his summary of himself left Nico highly impressed. Mr. Sinnet had already been taking on some pretty high-risk ventures for someone so early into their pirating career. When this was combined with the fact that he also seemed to have consumed what appeared to be a logia-type devil fruit, Nico found himself sold on the idea of partnering with Mr. Sinnet. He'd been given a solid impression that Gerard held the potential he'd been looking for in the Blues. Hopefully, in working with one another, Nico would be able to help him fully tap into said potential.

The next introduction didn't exactly hold Nico's interest as much as the prior one. The man in the blue jean overalls introduced himself Joey Pryce, and took immediate pride in his abilities as a chef - even showcasing a few huspuppies that Nico could only assume he'd made. While there was nothing wrong a noble profession such as cooking; that's exactly what it was - noble. If Joey were attempting to enter a life of piracy at the level Nico was suggesting, he'd have to give him more of an impression of what he was capable of. It was then that Joey mentioned that he'd "wrassle'd" with Pirates and Marines from time to time. This still wasn't enough to give Nico a solid impression of that Joey would be able to bring to the organization...in all honesty, it sounded as if Joey would have been better off applying for work within Baratie in the East Blue. However, Nico decided he was being a bit harsh in his opinions. After all, he'd come to recruit people that he saw with the potential to grow - not those that had already established themselves. Though Joey's repertoire seemed rather limited, he did find himself impressed that a man such as this would have even shown up knowing Nico's position as a Shichibukai. It showed guts, if nothing else - until Joey then revealed that he wasn't aware of what Nico's position even meant.

"Hmm..."

Unbeknownst to himself, Nico's feeling of disappointment had begun to show on his face, causing him to frown slightly before beginning his response.

"Well, a Shich-"

Before Nico could go further into his explanation of his position, he felt a disturbance within his area of perception. Three small objects had simultaneously pierced the area; each one with a differing trajectory. However, in reading their movement in relation to the waves their were disturbing, it was obvious that these objects weren't due to impact anyone in attendance. Once the small objects made impact against their respective targets, the being behind the act announced their presence by declaring that they were "here too". Nico could sense the physical dimensions of the man as he walked within ten meters of him, soon appearing to Nico's right as he emerged from the underbrush and continued to walk forward. The Shichibukai turned his head slightly as he looked in the newcomer's direction.

"Susanoo. No last name. Marksman, bounty hunter, and navigator."

It was then that this man's entrance began to make sense. Though there were obviously better ways of introducing one's self, as a marksman, it made sense for him to feel the need to show off his abilities - after all, Nico had asked to hear about them. Maybe this "Susanoo" person felt that he could show his abilities better than he could tell them. With a slight smile, Nico nodded as he accepted the minimalist's approach to introducing himself - however, he did note that Susanoo had oddly left his exploits and goals absent from the introduction. Maybe he was simply in the same boat as Joey, and had nothing of interest to add.

With that out of the way, Nico decided he'd go back to explaining his position with the World Government to Joey. Agreeing to partner with these three meant that they needed to know exactly what they're were signing up for - and something like Nico's position would be important information to withhold.

"Simply put, a Shichibukai is a pirate in the employ of the World Government. This in no ways means that I'm a Marine, however, should the World Government need assistance I will heed the call. In return, I've been given my freedom and quite a bit leeway when it comes to adhering to laws they've put in place."

During the time that Nico spoke about the Shichibukai position, he continued to watch the ship that had grown closer and closer during their initial introductions, and had docked during Susanoo's. A large group of what appeared to be Pirates were making their way towards their location, and their was a rough, grizzled look about them.They were about a distance of 50 meters away now as Nico finished his explanation.

"It looks like we have more guests!"

Excitedly, Nico pointed in the direction of the group in order to alert Gerard, Joey, and Susanno of their  presence. He hadn't quite expected such a large turnout, but he was excited to hear their introductions as well. They all looked rather tough, making it obvious that they'd have a multitude of stories and experiences to share. With a smile, Nico began to wave towards the advancing group.

It seemed he had made a good first impression on the shichibukai. The king of Minion couldn't help but smirk at the look the shichibukai had given him, before turning his attention to the boy. So the kid was a chef huh? Unfortunately he didn't seem to make as much of an impression, but hey, we all hard to start somewhere, right?

Then he appeared out of the shadows. The man Gerard had believed to be called Jupiter. However, when the newcomer introduced himself as Susanoo, the thief rose an eyebrow. A false name? Or was Jupiter the fake? It was hard to tell at this time. But he still seemed interested in joining the group, and Nico seemed impressed by him as well. This was certainly one interesting group they had here.

He listened quietly as Nico explained the concept of the shichibukai to Joey, pretty much confirming to Gerard what it meant to be a warlord of the sea. He smirked as he looked over at the young man. "And I do believe those benefits apply to anyone tied with the shichibukai, which will be us." Forming ties with a warlord was just a smart thing to do. Marines didn't bother you, and other pirates were wary about getting a warlord's attention.

It was then that he noticed Nico looking out to the see, seeing another ship coming their way. These guys weren't exactly trying to hide their approach, but something about this group caused Gerard to be wary. Were they here to join up with Nico also? Or was it something else?

Despite Nico's obvious expression of disappointment, Joey continued to just grin at the man, unknown to how much of a bad first impression he is making right now for himself. He had no idea just how powerful some of these folks are, nor what jobs they would probably get into. To Joey, he just saw a way to redeem himself, to actually call himself a real pirate. Just as Nico was about to answer the country boy's question, he paused. "Hm?" Joey tilted his head a bit in confusion, only to sense this same disturbance as well.

Unlike Nico, Joey looked over in the same direction with curiosity as the three projectiles went towards their attended targets. In his mind, the teen thought to himself, 'Ohhhh that was so coooool!' But was still curious as to who, or what caused that. Just then, the culprit would speak up as he made his way down to the three. Joey looked towards him for a bit then looked down at the marble that rested just in front of his feet. As the new guy made his way to the group, and began to introduce himself, Joey crouched down to pick up the marble sent his way before standing back up to observe it while still listening in a bit to the others.

To most people who found themselves in this situation they would probably think about how close they were to getting killed, how easily this could've went straight through one's head if the shooter wanted to, but Joey isn't like most people. "You fired all three of these on yur own?" Joey would ask before flicking the marble he held with his thumb in an attempt to toss it back to Susanoo. "That's really awesome, and a navigator too!?" Joey continued with his minor praising. He'd then hold a hand out to offer Susanoo a handshake, not really being bothered if he'd accept it, or not. "I'm Joey, but you can call me Jojo. Nice to meet ya, Susanoo." he'd introduce himself. He also wondered to himself why a bounty hunter would want to roll around with bounty holders such as pirates, but decided to keep that to himself, mainly because Nico started up with explaining his position.

"Huh?" Joey raised an eyebrow as he turned his attention back to Nico. A pirate....that works for the World Government? It was something unheard of to Joey though it seems to be common knowledge. Maybe he's heard about them before, but never really paid much attention to it. Gerard wondered if they would get the same benefits Nico does. From the looks of it, it seems Joey is the only one who's somewhat bothered about it. He'd rather be punching out Marines not helping them!

Before the country bot could say anymore about it, Nico pointed out the boat coming this direction which is 50 meters away at the time. Joey looked over, and completely forgot about the whole Shichibukai thing. "Gonna be a mighty big crew I reckon." he'd snicker a bit before placing his arms back behind his head as usual.

As the group of rough looking pirates continued their advance, Nico continued to wave in their direction. This was far more than anything he'd expected when first arriving in North Blue. To think that there were this many eager Pirates in this part of the world was amazing. As Nico awaited their arrival, the one known as Susanoo announced that he was "going back into the jungle". It seemed that he was a shy person at heart, and would rather avoid interaction with a large amount of people. With a nod, Nico accepted that explanation and observed the other two that were still in attendance. Their eyes appeared to be trained on the advancing group - they were obviously as excited about these Pirates as Nico was.

Soon enough, the group of ruffians were now at a distance of about fifteen meters. They stopped their approach almost in unison and never uttered a word, simply staring in the Nico's direction.

"Hey! It's nice to see all of you were able to make it! Would you guys mind introducing yourselves? I'd like to get to know all of you."

Nico had decided to break the awkward silence by keeping the reason behind the meeting from halting. However, as he made his request of the group, he was met by snide laughter and mean looks. "That's rude...", was the first thing that came to Nico's mind as he wondered why they'd react to his question in such a way, but nevertheless, he continued to keep a cheery smile fixed on his face.

"Well, if you guys are shy, I understand. I'll just introduce myself first then! My na-"

Before Nico could begin his introduction, he found himself aggressively interrupted by a tall man with white hair.

"There's no need. We already know who you are, Nico Moretti. Or rather, I guess we should refer to you as "Bitch of the World Government", right?"

With that comment, all the rough-looking pirates began to roar with laughter mixed with wave of profanity-laced comments being hurled in Nico's direction. With a slight frown, Nico tried to calm the situation down. He still couldn't comprehend what was going on here. Did they travel all this way just to insult him? If so, it wasn't exactly a smart strategy when it came to trying to impress someone. Standing up from his seated position, Nico tried once again to calm the situation.

"C'mon guys, there's no need for name calling. I just want to get to know you all before we potentially partner up. I think we all got off on the wrong foot. Let's just start with the introductions and move on from there. Whaddaya say?"

"I "say" that you should shut the fuck up. Really, I can't imagine a bitch like you being a Pirate, let alone a Shichibukai."

Once again, the crowd of Pirates began to roar with laughter. The entire time, Nico simply found himself confused about the entire situation. Usually, he'd be offended with so many insults being flung in his direction, but he simply couldn't understand what the intent was. He began to wonder if this was yet another case of someone trying hard to impress him. He thought back to Susanoo's entrance and wondered if all of these insults were simply their way of making themselves seem tougher than they actually were.

"We're here to kill you, Nico Moretti. It doesn't seem like you understand what any of this is, but I suppose you're the idiot we've all pegged you for."

With this said, the elderly man directed his attention towards those in Nico's vicinity.

"We're not here for you guys. You're free to leave - hell, I''ll even let you join my crew! However, I will warn you, I have no problem killing anyone that gets in my way. Don't be a hero."

It all made sense now, and Nico couldn't help but internally face palm. He should have expected that after sending out such a broad message he'd catch the ear of those that wanted to make a name for themselves in such a way. Nico could understand exactly where they were coming from, he even agreed with what they were attempting to do. However, they were interrupting something very important to him. After taking in a deep breath, Nico began to exhale slowly; this action allowing him to clear his mind and calm his emotions, all while mentally and physically bolstering the strength of his existence and what existed around him, respectively. They were here to disturb the progress he was now making after three years of solitary confinement. They were here to once again take away the dreams he held dear. They were here to make their existence known and to push their influence upon him, and as their snide laughs and profane remarks continued, Nico made sure that they were now within a sphere of his own influence.

A few fleeting moments had passed since the time of the Elder's last words, and by now it was readily apparent that something was now occurring. The loud laughing was now being drowned out by sharp gasps which was then followed by screams. One by one, many members of this "rival" crew began to fall face first into the sand while clutching their chests. At first glance, many on the outside would have likely assumed that they were simultaneously suffering from the effects of a myocardial infarction.

"HEY! WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?! WHAT'S HAPPENING?!"

"I killed them. I'll kill you as well, if you and the rest of your men don't leave immediately. I called this meeting for a reason, and I won't have it interrupted by a would-be Pirate such as yourself."

The rage-filled face of the Elderly pirate gave Nico the impression that he wasn't in the emotional state to process the danger he was in, however, Nico hadn't woken up that day with the desire to kill. If a life could be spared, he didn't mind allowing for it. However, he wouldn't shy away from destroying this man if push came to shove.

"This is your final warning. Leave. Now."

Task Status wrote:All Tier 1 enemies have been killed

345/450:

With Susanoo's departure, that left the three of them on the beach as the rough looking men from the ship came onto the shore, approaching them. More potential recruits, or something else? If the whole crew wanted to join up, why not just send a representative, instead of bringing all these men?

The answer became clear when they started flinging insults at Nico. "Oh dear," he muttered. Well, if one broadcasted their presence to the world, chances are someone was going to try and take a crack at them. It seemed Nico was a bit slow on the uptake before they had to outright spell it out to them that they were planning to kill them. Though they did give Gerard and Joey a chance to flee, hell, even join their crew. Gerard rolled his eyes. Abandon a shichibukai for some no name pirates? Thanks, but no thanks.

And that was shown plain as day when all of a sudden, 25 of the pirates suddenly dropped dead, killed by some unseen force. Well, really some unseen force controlled by Nico. The pirate captain was furious, the rest shocked as Nico gave them a chance to leave. The gas man couldn't help but laugh at it all. "All those men, and over half of them killed in an instant. Tell me, what exactly was your plan again?"

A number of the pirates turned their attention onto Gerard, no doubt pissed by his mockery. "You son of a bitch!" one of them shouted out, drawing a pistol and firing it at him. The bullet simply passed right through, hitting the sand behind him, as a small wisp of gas came from the bullet hole before it closed. The pirates looked at the gas man, stunned.

Gerard smirked, holding his cane tightly. "I think we can safely say they decline your offer Nico," he chuckled sinisterly.