Kitaro was positioned on the deck of the ship on it's incoming into Saobody, he was near the front of his ship but not all the way at the prow. There was that face on the front and the extending upward ram meant for destroying larger vessels. However, he was not the most inclined to begin battle at sea. He would more be the type to offer a parlay or sail his ship away from an unfriendly flag. Confrontation was bad for business and a risky business in itself, although...Kitaro had lately been changing quite a bit. "Flounder, go awaken our ship's guest and inform him that we will arrive on Saobody in a matter of minutes, under an hour surely. It will just be a matter of docking soon. Tell him to get ready for departure." As they approached Kitaro had eyes for but one ship in the harbor at Saobody. A monster of a ship, one that he would expect an admiral or a Yonko to sail the seas upon, surely this monster had cost hundreds of millions to make and was manned by a frightening crew. It was a message that there was someone on the island that could either be a wonderful ally or a horrible enemy...

Kitaro's red and orange Kimono and robes were flowing in the wind giving him a much more impressive physical form than he had. While an impressive height of six feet and eleven inches tall, just the slightest hair beneath an impressive seven feet, his muscle was lean and his body was toned rather than being a sight. For his time on Saobody this time around, he wanted to cut an impressive figure. The ship before him was massive and he could see through the sails even from a distance the mighty Kraken that adorned it's sails. It filled him with a certain kind of excitement that could only be felt by anticipation and just the tiniest hint of dread. That all being said however, or in this case thought, it was Kitaro's firm thinking that he should be careful and present his best form.

To this effect, Kitaro would be donning his Geta Sandals, his most reddish orange Kimono and his sleekest of dark pants beneath. It was the style of Wano to contrast reds and oranges with blacks to make them stand out more. Made an even greater sign of his Wano heritage by the gold inlaid and black circlet and Wano styled head piece that held his vibrantly red hair on top of his head. The robes were loose fitting to him but they were held together by some black rope that was incredibly apparant against the reds and oranges that adorned his clothing. Kitaro looked like fire made flesh with his choice of clothing and that sort of striking and impressive appearance to convey his own status in the world. Even though his status was entirely unknown by most people of the world and that his business took place on the dark underbelly of society.

After Kitaro had changed into his finest of garb, he came back out from his captain's quarters in the back of the ship. He was still haunted by the idea that he needed something bigger, it had been most of the reason why he had, had to lose so many of his slaves. He hadn't had the room and he needed to sell them off to pay for his new ship. The one that was just sailing into the bay and pulling up in the dock just next to that massive monster of a kraken ship that he had spotted in the harbor. As impressive as a Shichibukai was, and as much as he could gain from an alliance regarding one, Kitaro's eye was now mainly and significantly interested in seeing what kind of person owned that impressive ship.

Kitaro left the docking and anchoring process to Mojojoa and Flounder as far as manning the ship's helm and guiding it into the proper dock. The one just to the left of the massive Kraken inlaid monster that had so much taken his eye. While this process was being handled by his two deck hands he walked forward, the rocking and shaking of the boat that had increased for this time of docking didn't bother him at all. Kitaro had long ago grown his sea legs and his were some of the most study and inherent among those who live on the sea besides. It was something he was quite proud of and considering when the ship finally reached it's position and he got a good chance to look up at the massive five storied Kraken Ship.

Kitaro standing near the front of his own deck and looking up at the front of the deck of the Kraken vessel he was taken aback by the sign of clear royalty that shone in his eyes. The sun giving off a purple glow as it's rays first struck the jewelry and amethyst. There were rays of golden light, rays of white light, all within a massive swirl of beautiful and importantly royal violet shining down on him. He could see that it was indeed someone who was standing above him, a woman clearly. Her presence was so commanding that Kitaro actually didn't even notice the four others that were standing in front of her and around her. Seemingly they were conversing as Kitaro could see them positioned around her in a way that would seem as if they were blocking her from moving.

A quick thought ran through Kitaro's mind, he could risk starting an incident by acting boldly or he could play it the safe and slow route of watching things. While Kitaro wasn't necessarily the most chivalrous of individuals, the sheer nobility that was being screamed at him through rays of sunlight and master craftsmanship on such a scale could not be resisted. The only issue between getting to her and acting boldly while at the same time managing not to make a complete farce of himself by getting stuck like a bug trying to climb up the wall that was her ship. When suddenly the idea of how struck him like a giant wooden ram would strike a giant wooden ship. Kitaro would use the height of the giant wooden ram to accomplish his devilishly bold plan to make his way to the most noble person he had ever encountered, seemingly the wealthiest as well. He knew all too well what they always said, that purple was the color of royalty and she had it in spades!

Kitaro stepped quietly and as he normally would along the wooden planks of the deck all the while making a sound with his Geta sandals that was like a loud clacking. Suddenly as he was approaching the very front of his vessel, Kitaro broke into a run with at his incredibly quick pace up the thinning wooden beam, before gracefully seeming to step off of the wooden beam toward the deck level of the ship he had pulled besides. Of course the jump was still quite significant and required a great amount of speed as well as strength of legs to carry him as far as he needed. A prayer screamed itself in his mind the whole while that Kitaro was making the effort. It screamed, do not let yourself fall short and have to climb up, do not let yourself fall short and have to climb up, do not let yourself fall short and have to climb up. Thankfully, he did not at the end of what felt like an eternity of hanging in the air rising, feeling his leg muscles flex and un-flex from the springing force of the jump.

Kitaro did end up landing with his Geta Sandals, rather gracefully, onto the deck of the massive Kraken ship. Since he had already come this far it was too late to go back now, and so he made his way at a quick pace though certainly not at a run that would be blindingly and instantaneous to most people toward the group. His eyes were naturally drawn to the beautiful princess that soon stood before him and he found it hard to pay the proper focus and attention that his plan and intention required him to pay to the other four. She was radiating with beauty and royalty and they made Kitaro's eyes quite hungry.

Kitaro looked down upon the violet eyes of the woman before him, surely he had attracted at least that much attention by his arriving presence. Though as soon as their eyes would meet, Kitaro would find it difficult to maintain the eye contact. He had been raised to respect his betters and those who were born better, then he had been a slave and it was beaten into him that he should not even make eye contact with his betters, finally he had to respectfully work his way into a business in which his betters decided his success or failure and commanded the utmost respect. His approach to make a move would cause his face to redden and his eyes to lower, his entire head in fact soon did after that. Staring directly at the ground while standing in front of her, his head bent at a ninety degree angle, her shoes taking up more of his vision than the rest of her royal purple visage. But Kitaro had found his way to speak and to push forward through what he had come up here to do. "My lady, I could not help but notice your clear royalty and that these men seemed to be in your way. I have nothing but respect for those who stand at the top of the world I would like to offer you my services. If you should need a path cleared or if you should like assistance here on Saobody or further, my lady need only ask."

Kitaro was a bit rusty as far as how to be polite as well as reverant and proper when addressing those who were of much higher status than him. He had spent too much time in the grimy and grungy side of the world and it shone in his speech and likely in his dialect as well as accent. Kitaro was trying his hardest not to think of how he had absolutely ruined his own dignity and presence by his inability to look her directly in the face when he was offering if not pledging himself to be at her service for her time here. It had all happened suddenly enough that most people experiencing the anxiety that Kitaro was currently feeling would have become light headed if not pass out. But it was simply that he needed success and allies in the world that were capable of standing in the light so that he could continue his success in his business on the underbelly of the dark in society. There was no one that Kitaro had ever seen who was standing more clearly or more radiantly in the light than the woman whom he had approached.

Character Info:

The journey, while long, had been rather peaceful. The duration of his relaxation on the deck of the ship had revealed it would likely be a calm path towards Sabaody. He was used to long journeys however, having dealt with his own ship dozens of times before. He never liked the problems that came with larger ships, but the company, quiet as everyone was, seemed to comfort him in some meaningful way. Perhaps he was growing soft, but it was a rough life to be alone on the seas, let alone for years at a time with constant attacks and paranoia dragging him down into spirals of what could be considered madness. In any case, shortly after his initial time on deck, he went into the quarters Kitaro had mentioned, deciding some rest would do him good. The problem came in that he could not seem to find any sleep, even though he tried so desperately. His mind would not rest. He was in unfamiliar territory, with someone he could only consider an acquaintance for the moment, surrounded by people loyal to that person, and yet he felt more safe than he had in a while. He was quite unsure what was happening now, but he would not let it overtake him, which caused the problem, with sleep. He could not let himself truly relax with anyone, not anymore. Even if these people were loyal to him, they would simply become liabilities later on, so he could not let himself become attached. His desire to be truly free was too much to let anyone close enough to where they became part of his weaknesses.

Instead of sleeping for so many hours, Kuro meditated, something he almost never did, but felt was necessary to clear his head in this case. His body and soul seemed at odds, his mind being entirely confused and hopeless at this point. His meditative state was interrupted by the sudden and drastic change in the waves flowing on the ocean, rebounding into the ship's constant back and forth shaking. As a navigator, he knew quite well what the change in the waves meant. They were close to land, but they must have been close to a small island as well, given the closer object was certainly changing the waves as well. The air had changed too, not as quickly, but enough to notice for one such as him. As the waves went through once more, he realized he was wrong, it was not a small island, it was a stupidly large ship, likely one belonging to an admiral or Yonkou. Given his current predicament, he had two major choices to make. Should he appear as himself, they could likely get by without incident, so long as the ship did not belong to a Yonko. A Yonko, however, would cause many issues either way, but much less so if they did not recognize him. He could probably convince a Yonko ship to let them pass, if he did it right. There were many ways to deal with those who thought they had power, and Yonko were not known for their mercy, or sanity. Kuro, however, was known for being crafty. Kuro did not believe himself to be a large power in the world, but he would never deny having used his cleverness to get out of situations that he could not otherwise have dealt with.

It was something sudden, but Kuro decided to adorn his previously mentioned armor set, mixed with his elaborate mask, all designed with the express purpose of hiding his identity. The mask was something strange, a solid surface only slightly curved to better fit the face, with just two eye holes for sight, and with what seemed to be tribal markings decorating the top and bottom of the mask, covering the white mask with blue, purple, gold, and red. He wore the dark, iron armor, from before, covering his hands and feet from notice, before covering even that with tattered red robes, with the arm and leg portions of said robes completely gone, making it only cover his torso, shoulders, back, chest, and upper thighs. The hood of the robe was also up, covering the back of his head, so that the only visible thing under the hood  was his mask. Taking a quick look at himself through some water he had collected for drinking, he realized he looked like he was constantly glaring at everything with the mask on, as if he had attack eyebrows. He sighed lightly, knowing it would work. Strapping his two abnormally large swords to his back, he decided it was time to make his appearance. Following that line of thought, he began to walk towards the deck, completely ignoring Flounder who was on his way to obey his master's orders. Kuro, while not being outright racist like he presumed Kitaro was, cared nothing for the fishman because he had no personal relationship with him, and had no mind to think for himself with, though that could certainly be attributed to Kitaro breaking him as a slave. Kuro, for all his lacking confidence, did not believe he could ever be broken in that way. Adding that to his perception of himself as weak, it was only fair that he would consider anyone who would break like that weak and simply not worth the time to deal with.

Arriving on deck, just in time to see Kitaro land on the oversized monster of a ship, Kuro decided he would have to follow him this time. He chuckled lightly, only to himself, for no one else was around to hear it. "Always something new, at least. Maybe this will prove more beneficial than I expected." True, he had not expected his search to bear fruit any time soon, as he had sort of talked himself down from having hope along the way from Gubo to their current location, but he had a feeling something great was about to happen. Although there was also the possibility of Kitaro leading him to an Admiral and then reporting him for trying to get slaves. Somehow he doubted Kitaro would do that, mostly out of pragmatism. Using a Shichibukai's crimes against him would benefit him only temporarily, but using a Shichibukai's desire for power to create business opportunities would last a lifetime, so long as the two could come to agree. Kuro had to admit, only to himself of course, that he would be rather easy to manipulate with the right conditions, power hungry as he was. The difference was that he could see it when it happened, and would respond to whatever be believed would be most beneficial. His minor trust in Kitaro allowed him to see more reason this time, as Kitaro had a change to just attack him outright the moment they set sail.

Glancing at the size of the ship, Kuro estimated he would have to jump around fifty to sixty meters to get there, which was not impossible. Kitaro had done so by virtue of his speed and momentum. Kuro did not have those things, but he did have his massive strength, and weight to throw around once he got high enough. Given the deck was likely made of wood, he was going to have to time everything perfectly, and respond in the perfect manner for no damage to come to the ship, He could certainly jump high enough, but they were too close for his jump to be diagonal, and he did not have the momentum or speed to do what Kitaro did, so he would have to improvise, which he often was forced to do. He crouched down, focusing his strength to his legs for a moment, making sure to put his full strength into play here. For a moment, he remained there, the sea even being calmer during this time, with no noise happening. The silence was broken when Kuro launched directly upwards, the ship beneath him reacting in the appropriate manner, shifting the moderately sized ship's bow sunk close to the water, but the ship balanced out in the end.

As Kuro rose, he took out his greatswords, keeping his arms at his side for the moment, he waited for the exact moment his momentum stopped, which happened to be two meters above the ship. In that moment, Kuro thrust his right greatsword forward, utilizing its massive bulk to shift his entire body towards the ship. As he arrived directly above the ship, but kept moving forward, he aimed for the area with no one around, and nothing to damage, before shifting his lower half to brace himself for what was to come. His left foot hit the ground first, before he turned his waist to divert the momentum into his blades, spinning in a circle only once, turning what could have been a loud and powerful crash into a mere gust of wind. Without words, he sheathed both weapons, before turning towards where Kitaro and the noble were. Well, he enjoyed making an entrance, if nothing else. Hopefully the two would understand what he did and not take it as an act towards hostility. He would rather not deal with that as he was...

Char Info:

Kitaro kept his head lowered, staring down at the feet of those who were standing on the ship, and to be true, for a moment he had forgotten the Shichibukai entirely having been caught up in this new wave of events and the sudden presentation of a noble that had been overflowing with the puprle colors of royalty and with such presence commanding white hair. To be true, Kitaro had broken his dignified status in his appearance and demeanor as soon as he noticed that her eyes had also been purple. The most powerfully genetic trait Kitaro could imagine in regard to a true symbol of deserved royalty. It had taken him so much by surprise that his body had reacted out of his control to stare at her boots, which admittedly, were also screaming a sense of royalty and nobility about her. He didn't really know what to expect next, but he had offered her his services in any case and that was all that he felt he truly needed to get out of him in the first moment of their meeting. He wasn't really aware of how things would progress from here or just how fated this meeting truly was, but soon Kitaro's entire mind would be taking a backseat to the sheer fate of it all. 

It was pretty soon after this that Kitaro managed to figure out what exactly was going on in the situation though. As soon as he had enough time for his mind to fully catch up, things moved pretty fast starting after that, at least until Kitaro's brain would get a little slow following it. 

Immediately after Kitaro's brain had gotten back into order to wher his head had begun to raise, he heard the yells of one of the men much shorter than himself and he raised his head, glancing his eyes to lock with the purple eyes of nobility that had beaten his head to a ninety degree angle so recently. But when Kitaro's eyes came to land on that of the man who had spoken up and yelled at him for his daring to speak to the crowned princess, Kitaro had a much better idea of the situation he was in. Kitaro's eyes fell on them with a dull black color and gaze that was as dead as it was deathly toward them. It's not like Kitaro was murderous at or about them, but it was to make a point. They would only be a hindrance, as Kitaro knew these types well. They were the kind of people that felt like they were honoring their loyalty to their master, or in this case their mistress, by being protective and staying a strict to what orders they had been given or what job description they fell under as possible. They were not bad men, they were not evil men, but they were men who would remain forever unchanged and that was much more boring and much less of a concern for the future as that of the noble princess of amethyst and snow that he saw before him.

However, before Kitaro could speak he was beat to the punch by the woman whom he had turned away from to look at those who were going down the whole "How dare you undermine by status in this situation" types. But again...Kitaro knew that they were coming from a good place and probably truly loyal, his stayed hand giving her time to speak. Her voice was sweet and small and somehow familiar to him but he couldn't quite place it. He imagined that he would remember if a noble of such a caliber and such a clear presence would have been before his eyes before. But she called him a guest, and she clicked her tongue is tsk fashion to emphasize her point, before she had finished the sentence he had assumed it was going to be a Celestial Dragon style rant about how his presence there was dirtying her ship, but she came to HIS aid as far as the conversation came. Kitaro was surprised to say the least as he could not recall a single time that a noble had been on his side about anything, much less in public in front of anyone else...He wasn't even able to fully comprehend the moment before he was further inflated by the moment going on. She called him a kind sir, and it gave him hope again, in a way that he had back when he would go to sleep in his slave pens under the Dressrosa colloseum. The noble princess explained the situation to him that he had misunderstood, though he had surmised that the men had been loyalists rather than interfering. It was more of a problem on him that he had figured that out though, over analyzing the situation and drawing as many conclusions as he could. Just choosing and assuming the least insane and most explicable solution as the one that he followed. 

Kitaro was almost distracted by a booming behind him as the Shichibukai that he had temporarily lost his focus on as well as his focus on the recent, important, mission. It had been to achieve the powers of a Devil Fruit for a Shichibukai and ensure a loyal or at least ally among the Shichibukai to further his own position. Before this encounter he had thought that if it would not be a boost to his reputation fully it would easily be a boost to his business. As the Shichibukai were a clever bunch and almost always had a scheme to advance themselves hatching in some way. Sort of ideal for his life so far to  achieve such alliances in number and in a sturdy fashion.

Then the noble lady addressed them both. But what was that...? Did she say that her name was Daenys "D!" Seastar? D of the Will of D, D of the Ancient Kingdom, D of the free people, the inheritors of the Will of D, the force that could turn the world upon it's head, the power that could destroy the world rests in THIS girl?!?! Kitaro considered this gravely, so much so did her name pull his thoughts in that he did not see the other two any more, he turned to face her once more but his eyes were barely seeing her this time, looking at her but looking for the D, looking for the power that would be inheretited by her if she had not inherited it already. In a moment his mind was a flurry of thoughts back to the legends of Wano, the people of D, the Inherited Will of the World. This was a living legend who he had come across, no simple noble, and so much more than those great bastards known as the Celestial Dragons. Kitaro was not in the presence of a noble, a royal, or a dragon, but in the presence of a power that could shake the world and a woman who was a royal of this very world to it's core. His mind exploded into shards.

He barely even registered the words she spoke to him about a song that would be coming while he stared at her, his mouth slightly agape about it. He even actually managed to foget about the other four entirely. He wasn't really sure if they had said something more to him or not, but Kitaro simply turned his head back to it's normal angle and then walked away from where they all were. He was sort of in a daze, but his focus was on his chance encounter with a D. A being straight out of the legends of his childhood. He hadn't heard her but he followed her along with the basic grunts all the same. Trailing behind her black dress, snow hair, and amethyst adornments. It made sense to him now why she had been so adorned in the true color of nobility, as she was a true world's noble.

She walked to the throne that had been seated on the deck, and Kitaro had not even turned around to see if his Shichibukai companion had landed with damages to the ship. Though somewhere in the back of his mind and in his consciousness he was aware that if he HAD damaged her ship that it would have to come out his pocket to pay for the repairs generously to make up for the grave offense that would have been committed. When Kitaro noticed that those around him, and around the throne, were taking a seat and so he dumbly plopped himself down. He stared on at her as his senses began to come back...Until he heard the song itself.


This was THE song, this was THE voice, he had never heard the lyrics before and that alone would have been enough to convince him but this was THE voice. He had heard it back in Dressrosa, and what was it that she had said earlier about Dressrosa, her reveal, her status as a divine being on the surface of the planet had distracted him so. He racked his mind for it. When she looked up at he and Kuro, Kitaro could only stare back in wonder at who he had found. Not only one who truly deserved the title of nobility, who had truly been born with the merit, but his savior. Had he wanted to do anything else, he could only stare.


This was the song, there was no doubt in his mind. And as she took a moment to pause, Kitaro took a moment to breathe. He didn't want to seem rude and insult this true Noble that he had found and so he sat quietly and stared on, his mouth had finally closed at least as he waited for his turn to be able to speak to her. Gently swaying in tune with her humming as he sat among those grunts who served her. He no longer doubted their reasons or their mission to protect her and make sure she was not exposed to dangers unwanted or unneeded. 


As Kitaro's senses came back to him, she smiled out across everyone who was watching, her pauses to breathe had become his own pauses. Though he was regaining his senses and sensibility as a human, if not all the way as the man that he was. He had been surprised by two of the greatest and most oerwhelming surprises that could have possibly been sprung upon him in his lifetime. Two that he had never expected to encounter.


Now that his mind had come back, it was not just the song that he remembered, it was the lyrics that he paid attention to. Her singing of her dear friend, the songs that he had heard after he had been taken away from someone. A princess of long ago, a slave who had been kind to him and who he found his only peace in hearing the songs of, in seeing the warmth of her, in surviving every day to have something, someone, that cared if he had lived or if he had died. Though someone that he had to die to the world for so long ago, as only with his dissapearance, his vanishing into the crowds of slaves, could her life have been spared that her legendary father and her adored mother disown her for him.

 

Kitaro had forgotten the words of this song and their true meaning. After he had left, after he had stopped having someone to survive for and thrown himself into a dirtier life so that she would not be dirtied by his own. Hearing her singing had been his solace, but it had been his drive to become something once as well. It had been lost under many years but the song remained, the song that was hope not for his survival. He remembered now as he heard it once more. As fate gave him another chance to hear and see. And for that moment he forgot the D that had shattered his mind, and he was once again smiling at her after a victorious survival, and he was once again curled with his face in his knees hearing her pain from the tower above. His hope had not been to escape, it had not been to be in the tower, it had been to deserve entry into the tower rather than to hide and sneak to steal his precious few shared words.

 

Kitaro couldn't help but let a tear of the raw emotion leave his own face, though the single bead that had escaped from him hardly left. It was an overwhelming experience and he had forgotten himself in it, but the final lines of the song. He had never heard them before and while they had been sung heavenly, beautifully though that had not been what had taken him in so. It was like fulfilling a long lost promise to himself, though he was not sure that she would ever want to see him again. He was not sure that she would forgive him for having left her before. But he realized now why he couldn't look into those purple eyes, why he had completely offered her service and broken his dignity before her. Why she seemed to peirce him as much as she did. She was the girl from the tower. She was his savior from slavery and his hope for life in the past. She leaned overhead, loomed overhead more like. She asked for them to come forth and speak their names, but Kitaro wasn't entirely sure that he would be able to in good faith tell her who he was. 

The memory of it brought him shame as much as happiness that her song had claimed she would be okay, as much as it destroyed him that it ended with "I Am Not The One". Kitaro didn't want to assume the song was about him, but she had made it after he had dissappeared, he had heard her sing it farther every night until he was actually taken away. So when she asked of them their names, he bowed his head shamefully before speaking. Waiting for the grunts to leave and allowing Kuro a chance to speak before him if he would so choose to break his silence.

Only then did Kitaro speak, after he made sure that there had been moments of silence before he spoke, and he sighed as he did. Not so much at her or Kuro but at himself for his position. This shame that he felt, it had not been something he experienced since he was a samurai and it was deep, to the bones of his very soul. He had betrayed someone who truly felt love for him, even as a slave, even she as a noble. Even she as a noble that the world recognized through it's own soul, even as a D. He had betrayed her. "My lady of D and Seastar, I am Kitaro of Redtyde, once a Samurai of Wano, known as a Broker of the Underworld, and once a fighter in your very own Arena, princess of Dressrosa." Kitaro raised his face to meet hers now that it was just the three of them present, his single tear having only reached the bottom of his face now due to it's movements. He displayed his face for her as one would display the body of a broken loved one's body, at least that was how he felt he should have been presented.

Character Info:

There were moments in his life where Kuro felt unsure of what he should do, of what path he should take. At the moment, knowing this girl was neither Yonko or Admiral simply by appearance, Kuro was unsure whether to continue the charade of the disguise, given the current uselessness of the task. It was quite inexplicable that such a person, noble or not, had such a ridiculous ship, the cruiser being perhaps the largest vessel Kuro had ever seen. The simple size was enough to cause panic for anyone unfortunate enough to gaze upon the monstrosity. Even were he to slice the ship with his strongest attack, it would not be bisected, which was a strange thing to worry about, but it made plenty of sense in the Grand Line. A flawed perception at best, but Kuro worried often about the more dangerous circumstances, regardless of how unlikely they were. It was why his first mission during training with dual greatswords was to learn how to create long range slashes, simply due to the insanity that dwelt within the mighty ocean. Power to fight power, that was his desire, so that he may never be weak again. It was a flawed mentality that was crafted through various encounters with arrogant but strong individuals, one that had been furthered by the discussion with nobles. In general, this caused a wide divide between him and any noble, despite his admiration for the clothing styles they possessed. For this girl, however... There was nothing that particularly stood out to him about her, not in the way that would usually cause him to cease any hostilities. Still, he felt a strong inclination to give this one a chance, to prove himself wrong. He gave into that inclination rather easily, after all, he was wrong pretty often.

There was no immediate action from Kuro when he was spoken to, ignoring the meager complaints of the children protecting the noble. He doubted any of them had seen dangerous combat, and from the simple way she moved, it became obvious the noble girl was the most dangerous of the crew, though he was quite confident in both himself and Kitaro should a fight break out. If nothing else, he could escape from this boat to Sabaody. It was only when the noble girl spoke up, this Daenys D. Seastar, that he decided to end his silence and choose his path. There was a short moment of silence, before Kuro spoke up, spending his time thinking. 


"I am Psychosis." 

His voice had changed, a trick he learned from childhood, to be varying in the sharpness, almost giving it an echo quality. There was a calm quality to it, as if he were more comfortable behind that mask. That short time he used to think, he was deciding what he wanted this alternate persona to be, He needed it to be separate from himself, something he would not be connected with. His own personality was thought to be quiet, calm, and mostly direct, so the exact opposite would be... Loud, excited, and confounding, but he did not want that. At least, he would prefer to be that as himself, not a masked man. As it was, he decided to instead act as the calm, curious, and dark persona, with an overwhelming intensity to him. Yes, for the moment he needed to be something terrifying, something that screamed power in a way nothing else did. However, to truly complete his persona, he needed a new ability, something he could easily adapt to, but could not be connected to him. His style was not exactly well known, most who saw it were not strong enough to survive, as he disliked onlookers. Holding a Shichibukai title gave him opportunities that others could not have, but it held him back as well, it was only sheer luck that he avoided the mainstream media enough to keep his abilities something of a secret. Oh, they had an idea, but nothing concrete. Besides, he could always just say he learned from someone else, it would not be doubted in this age of laziness. Who made their own style in a time like this? The Government should have no idea, but the swords would be a slight giveaway. He needed something more...

For the moment, however, he simply enjoyed the song. He was starting to like this noble, reluctant as he was to admit it. She seemed nice enough, at least to not mind two people randomly jumping on her ship, despite both of them being more than intimidating than the average pirate, though Kitaro's first words may have had something to do with that. It helped that she defended both of them from the others aboard. Good men, bad men, whatever they were, they were annoying. Their presence was neither helpful nor harmful, simply irritating. For her to get rid of them... either she was supremely confident in herself, she was an idiot, or she could somehow tell the two did not have any hostile intentions. Given the concept of Haki existing, he supposed the last was most probable, though he may have been harsh towards her. Even if she did not have haki, or confidence in herself, she could be using simple emotional manipulation to ensure her own survival, though with Kitaro, that seemed pointless. Regardless, Psychosis found himself curious about the reaction from Kitaro, the emotions being more than Psychosis had ever seen from the man, short as their time together had been. It was quite interesting, and certainly made things feel different. He frowned behind his mask, knowing it was best to not ask, as it was simply none of his business. 

"A beautiful song." He murmured, sure that the others could hear him, but quiet enough to ensure it was seen as a comment to himself. Yes, he found it beautiful, but there was something deep in those lyrics, he could tell. It certainly seemed to have an impact on Kitaro, though he seemed to freak out over her name as well. Having his hands in the marine's dealings from time to time, Psychosis learned that there was a great mystery about those who had the middle initial D. He was not sure why, nor did he care. Kitaro finally spoke again, mentioning the D. He certainly seemed obsessed with it, but the way he said it was... odd, as if it were a great family, which was definitely concerning. Still, the name meant nothing to Psychosis. Rather than some title, he found interest in her actions. What was the point of a title if it meant nothing? Even if it did, then it would show through the person holding the title, giving him a reason to be interested. If every D. was like this, then perhaps there was something more to it than just a middle name. Psychosis could not remember his own middle name, if he even had one, but he forgot a lot of things these days. Even his parents were just blurs in his memory now. Only his goal remained.

Leaning slightly against a wall, Psychosis crossed his arms, taking careful note of the two's actions now. He did not want to snoop, but this felt very interesting to him, this depth between two people. It almost seemed like fate itself had decided these two would meet once more. Interesting as that was, his promise to kill any controlling entity like fate, destiny, or even God, remained in the back of his mind. No man should control the fate of all mankind. As much as he disagreed with slavery, at least it was limited to individual people, but to enslave all mankind under a false flag of faith? He turned his head towards the Red Line, starring towards Marie Jois. Yes, the path was clear now, he just needed allies he could trust, difficult as that may be to find. The two before him seemed perfect candidates, but would either agree with him? Kitaro could be persuaded by money, most likely, but a noble? That seemed unlikely, so he would simply keep observing for the moment. 

Char Info:

Now that Kitaro's mind had come back to him, shameful as it was when it came back, it brought a seriousness with it. Being able to see both Kuro the Royal Warlord and the princess Daenys of Dressrosa taking on such a serious demeanor rather than the emotional patterns that ran across Kitaro's mind. It had not been such from either of his companions here and as the last of the grunts faded off of the ship, Kitaro began to sink in the full reality of the situation. His savior princess had forgotten him and probably thrown all of her thoughts of him into the sea when she made that song to it's end. Kitaro felt no twang of the old emotions that had been their bond when she sang the final words that the sea had taken him away to never allow him to hear the end. It did not feel like the same song even though it was the same voice. 

In the more immediate concerns as Kitaro's eyes seemed to return to their vague, black, and distant state that was commonly known to represent his demeanor in a situation. His calm had returned to him for the most part as he allowed Daenys lack of recognition for the little slave kid that she had flung with in the past to slide off of him. Surely it had wounded him, but wounds were something to tend to after the battle. A mindset brought on first by the words of Kuro who had named himself Psychosis to the Princess. It was a shrewd move, but it was not something that Kitaro had wholly unexpected due to the mask that he had adorned for the sake of the meeting and for maintaining his Shichibukai status in the future. He was being careful, just as he was with not ever directly stating his problems in the past and when he was asking for assistance just recently. He did not want himself to be known any more than he had to be to get to his goals, at least for the moment that seemed to be his plan.

Daenys however was acting with much less caution, an ironic thing given that she was a noble who spoke of her dislike of nobles and yet expected herself to remain unharmed by sending her men away from her and making demands of the two that had arrived. It was unlikely that she had awakened the Haki abilities that Kitaro was sure lay dormant in her. However, that sort of thing was beyond the question at this point. She had revealed her last name to be a D, she was truly the daughter of Hafthor Seastar, a pirate to whom Kitaro was familiar with. While the two of them had never met before it was hard not to hear of his legend spoken around Dressrosa. Not to mention that he was in among the warrior class, albeit a slave back then. But as a slave he was subject to quite a lot of talk from those who held money and power within Dressrosa who spoke very highly both of Hafthor's martial prowess and his days on the sea. While Kitaro may have missed the time that her father was on the sea during his days on Wano and as a slave in Hafthor's own country, he was well aware of it. 

The room, or in this case the ship, had turned cold on him while he wasn't paying attention to the world outside of his own mind. It was times like this that he wished that his Haki had been developed in an empathic way instead of a violent one. Contrary to popular belief, Kitaro had more on his mind than that of spilling and trading blood. Kitaro mostly ignored Kuro's comment about the song as it was true and it seemed more like an attempt to remain on the same side of a quickly turning weary and sparking conversation and situation rather than an actual comment. Kitaro understood that sentiment however, as he looked at Daenys D. Seastar and truly locked eyes with her, his mind having fully returned along with his strength of will. Kitaro knew what he had to do, Fate itself had put him here and his entire life he had been raised to react only one way to this situation. With people turning hostile toward him, with demands being made of him, speaking to him as an outsider after having been spoken to as an insider. There was truly only one way to take it all just as truly as the events that took place just then aboard this vessel, The Hammer of Waters, had lit a fire within Kitaro. Following the only course of action that Kitaro truly knew, he quickly moved his right hand to grab the hilt and sheath of his Titandachi from the ornate black rope that held it at his waist. Kitaro was first a survivor and foremost with some values that were more ancient than he instilled in his mind, body, and soul. Above all else, these are what must be defended by my life. Kitaro thought somberly. 

Stepping back in time a few moments, to what brought about the destrined response to all of that negativity from Kitaro, the words that were spoken to him directly had landed on him in a strange manner. “Mmm… Kitaro, tell me something; when you offered your services, was it because I’m a noble? Or was it because I was simply looking as if I were in danger?" he heard Daenys say. It was a fair question as one who had actually traveled the world and seen the way that people behave in what Ktiaro would consider a real way compared to the blanket and facade that comes over most people of the world when they encounter someone who was of noble birth. Celestial Dragons, Noble Houses, Aristocrats even. They were all treated as some untouchable force that people could curry favor with and throughout a great deal of Kitaro's life up untl this point he had been forced to play a part of this game. These words did not sting him as they were as legitimate as a question could possibly be, however, when he opened his mouth to answer them he had to close it again as her smiles died and she stared on with a new flash of emotion across her face. Her demeanor changing on the two of them suddenly.

 “Actually, I don’t know if I want to know the answer, instead I will give you a chance to prove yourself." This line confused Kitaro greatly, as he was suddenly taken aback by the sudden harshness to her, the girl that Kitaro remembered from Dressrosa did not have rage, did not have harshness in her nature, she was a true soul that knew nothing of the darker concepts of the human mind. But he had to admit that he had changed quite a bit since the naive slave that she had forgotten from long ago.

"Although a Noble of birth, and by right, my father was the opposite, my father, Hafthor D. Seastar, also known as Hafthor ‘The Drowned’ Seastar; was once an orphan; raised by pirates on the sea, he became a very free man for a long time." These words brought a smirk to Kitaro's face that was uncontrollable. It was like the feeling that he had gotten when he saw Ursa Akuma for the first time, it was the feeling of excitement that was beyond his mind's choice. It was the feeling of his blood boiling for something that he exactly wanted to have. The words chosen, the way that they were said, the fire that was being used to break through the icy atmosphere that had befallen them all. It is what began the fire that this conversation would light in Kitaro and he couldn't hold the smirk back.

 "I’ve been allowed the freedom he had until it comes time for my return to Dressrosa. However I do not like other Nobles, I do not like the Government, and I don’t like Celestial Dragons.” These words, however, struck Kitaro differently. It dimmed his smirk if only for a moment. For what freedom had a person earned if it was something that they had allowed? Kitaro became a slaver because he had earned the freedom to do so by escaping his slavery. He had escaped slavery by earning money and by waiting out the system and surviving long enough to get there. He had gained power in the world both physically and socially among the elite circles because he had usurped the control that he had sought out into the ocean and found himself. He let an agitated "tch" Escape from his lips as his teeth came closer together, his will to speak had left for the moment.  

“My ultimate goal is to end the cruelty of the others, and give the world an era of peace. And if you don’t like this, I think you ought’ to leave my ship.” Daenys spoke these words and raised back highly in her seat, sitting back in her comfortable throne to stare at the two men who remained standing on the rough deck of her massive vessel. Kitaro stared back up at her, his black eyes dry but full of meaning and purpose. There was a fire lit behind them and one that could turn the world on it's head. It would be enough for sure, as for the moment Kitaro felt that not all of Saobody, the World Government, or the Yonko combined could shut down the surges of will that he was feeling, wave after wave of them as he stared on. Unblinking, unmoving, unwavering awaiting for her words to finish. 

"Those who abuse power, who treat others as if they are meaning less… That’s truly disgusting. And those people will fall one by one.” These words became too much for Kitaro to bear, it was as if something inside of him that had been locked away since he was a child in Wano had been awoken once more by this woman. He had not seen her in many years and she had not seen him in more. She had forgotten him and progressed to this woman that stood before him. A radiant purple symbol of nobility, not of the Celestial Dragons, not of the Pirates, not of the Revolutionaries, but of the world itself. The smirk returned to his face as Kitaro stared at her with the intensity in his eyes reaching the fiery level that sent his right hand shooting to wield the the hilt of Titandachi and his left reaching to grab the sheath of the blade. Above all else, these are what must be defended by my life. Kitaro thought somberly. 

Standing up to his full height and drawing his sword from it's sheath, Kitaro stared, his eyebrows furrowed, stepping forward to be closer to the throne than he had approached before both out of reverance for who she was and respect out of the memories they had shared. However now, he took his drawn Titanium blade and dropped it with a low casual force to send it skittering beneath the throne that Daenys sat upon. Speaking with the fire in his soul as soon as the sword began to skitter, his booming and deep voice possessing overwhelming seriousness and presence to the point that Kitaro may never had been able to manage before. It was truth and from the only place within the sum that is a human to bring forth the next words that came from him with such force. 

"DAENYS D. SEASTAR! I have survived more battles than I can count, I have lived in more countries than most can name, I have dealt in the lowest and highest statrums of society my entire life, always from the bottom. Yet I have never been able to find The Will of D. There is a legend in Wano of a great King of the Sea who had possessed it, who refused to conquer but who managed to rule the ocean itself. There is a legend of the willpower of ancients who were far greater than mortal men who had come from the sky, come from the lands only visible to those of the Fairy Vearth who beared the name of D. For the name, for the people, for those who possess such a will to be able to change the world more than any others. I came onto your ship because you bore the presence of a great of this world, but I had never imagined that you would be the one who had this very will! It is the honor of any man born of Wano, any Samurai, any Daimyo or Shogun in the history of this world to be of service to the name of D. That name which exists to embody the freedom of the world itself. Cast aside that service which I offered you before, Daenys D. Seastar, and accept instead the life I offer to one who's nobility comes from the will within!" Kitaro's fire burned hotter than his sword ever had when he spoke these words. Speaking at first loudly and calling her name, he ignored all that was said before, she had to understand what it meant to be a D. She had spoken exactly of the legendary will to be free that was the Will of D. Nothing else said, nothing else done, no history or past of anyone here compared to the future that would bring.

Character Info:

As he listened to the speeches the two gave, Psychosis had to hold back on his own opinions for the moment, instead deciding to play up his persona and make the same points without giving as much away. His paranoia had caused him to be careful thus far, even if the sheer force of will from the two before him was causing him to develop a sliver of trust for them. Quite simply, Psychosis was a man who respected willpower, the very concept of it. It was the precise reason he desired Haki even more than a devil fruit, For his own willpower to become such a magnificent weapon, it would have become his dream had he not desired so much more. True, he was greedy, but his avarice was not in vain. His desire for worldly possessions did not dismiss his ultimate desire of knowledge, given his belief that knowledge was another form of power. Even though the two before him held an unmistakable awareness of each other, Psychosis felt drawn towards them, knowing how chaotic they would become. In most instances, Kuro would have watched silently, speaking a single word or two, taking care to observe more than to act. Kuro would gather information in detail, as much as he could possibly gain. It was really too bad that he was not Kuro at the moment.

Psychosis stepped forward, leaving his spot on the wall, his eyes turning between Kitaro and Daenys. As he slowly walked towards the two, he began to clap, honestly amused with the situation, though also excited. His instincts were screaming at him now, and this felt like his best opportunity to date. The clapping was certainly not sarcastic, though it may have seemed mocking for the moment. His metal gauntlets warped the sound of the clapping as well, only matching his warped voice more now. Yes, this was a spectacular display of raw emotion, and so much information as well. He had suspicions, but to learn of Kitaro's actual past was quite intriguing, not what he expected at all. A slave turned slave trader? Quite the interesting story, but perhaps overshadowed by the noble daughter of a pirate, only seeming to desire freedom for everyone. It was a beautiful goal, one he could support fully, though his next statement would receive an answer, said answer being the deciding factor for how he would act with this noble from now on.

"A beautiful sentiment, both of you. Really, a noble hating other nobles, and a former slave... Quite the ragtag group we have here, wouldnt you say? Well, I suppose it doesnt matter. Daenys, your goal is truly a great one, but if you think that it will be as simple as destroying one group or another, you will never move forward. Peace?" Psychosis chuckled darkly. "What a terrible concept. Peace is the worst kind of hell. Stagnation on a world wide level, nothing to move us forward, nothing to force us to develop. As long as there is suffering, humanity will grow stronger. The moment that is removed entirely is the moment humanity truly dies. Society may thrive during peace, but men thrive during battle. Although..." He paused once more, taking a more scrutinizing glance at Daenys. "Perhaps you know that. Perhaps you meant a different form of peace? It will be interesting to see how you decide to move in either case."

Psychosis paused, listening to what Kitaro said now, his ally being quite forthcoming and trusting, particularly for an underworld broker. Kitaro made a few concerning quips, particularly about this will of D that the government was so worried about. True, he could learn more of it later, but he did not particularly care enough, it sounded too superstitious for him. He never cared for such silly concepts, even though he admitted they were more possible than not. The world was a strange place, after all. No one could claim otherwise, at least no one worth the time to ask. Still, Psychosis needed to respond to that as well, it seemed Kitaro was extremely hooked on this D thing, whatever it really meant. 

"A name is a name. I could add a D to my name, it would make no difference. What does make the difference, however, is the actions of the individual using the name. A great many heroes slaughtered more than their villains." It may seem cold, or perhaps aggressive, but Psychosis felt the need to make this point, for everyone's sakes. If Kitaro held Daenys up to the standards of some legends, he may never see her as a person but as something to put on a pedestal. "You of all people should know this, but in this matter, I will clearly admit you know more of this... D. than I do. Even so, are you ready to put your life on the line for someone simply because of a letter in their name?" He shrugged at this point, showing an uncaring attitude, not knowing how Kitaro would respond, and thinking it would be best to remain neutral. "Either way, it is your choice, you just seem hasty in your decision here."

Psychosis turned once more to Daenys, his eyes seeming to search for something, though whether he found it or not... "I profess now love for nobles, the government, or celestial dragons. Were there an opportunity to slaughter them all, I would give my right arm for it. Still, you know what you are saying? You need to be incomprehensibly strong to achieve your goals, and that takes something very special. So, Daenys D. Seastar, just what are you planning on sacrificing to accomplish your goals?" A dual layered question, but one he felt would help him decide even more than any previous statements. These two were acting strangely, though it never crossed through his mind that his own actions were also considerably different from normal. "Your goal is the same as mine, but before anything, I want to know, how much is your goal worth to you? Even if our goals align, it is not in my interest to ally myself with those unwilling or unable to go the distance required for such extreme measures."

Had he been thinking more rationally, he would have been kinder in his words, or at least less harsh. He still would have made the points, but the words would likely not have sunk as deep as they did now, particularly for Kitaro, who seemed to have a deeper understanding of Psychosis than he let on. Either way, the two needed to make up their minds on their actions now. A meeting like this was extraordinary, far too much to be a coincidence. Fate or not, it was too wonderful and interesting for Psychosis to not move forward, a desire to seek his most difficult goal lighting his inner world with sparks of lightning he had not felt for so long. Celestial Dragons were irritatingly stupid, their meaningless actions holding far too much weight in this world of power and knowledge. Why would he stand for any ignorant weakling being on top of the hierarchy? No, only the best should be at the top. Not that anyone could understand his true motivations with that knowledge alone. True understanding would require a heavy investment into learning about Psychosis. It was doubtful anyone would make it that far.

He found it terribly amusing that his words had come out as tests for both of them. Would Daenys have the will and mindset required to move that far down an unstoppable path? Would Kitaro risk everything for one person, believing in a legend, of all things? At the very least, Kitaro seemed willing to risk his life for what he believed in, as much as Psychosis disagreed with him. It was something he could respect, but not something he would immediately trust. Kitaro seemed... eager. Perhaps he sought a higher purpose than being a slaver? He would not be surprised, it was quite the unfulfilling life, in his opinion. Daenys, however... just saying what she did was enough of a risk, enough to show she was serious at least, but it could also be that she did not understand the sheer depth of what she wanted, of the difficulty the road she chose. Even so, he had to applaud her bravery in dealing with Kitaro and himself, showing herself as more than the average noble, just not quite enough to earn his respect yet. 

Kitaro and Daenys seemed extremely focused on each other, but Psychosis felt an intense need to take the spotlight for that brief moment, though he was quite unsure why. Kuro usually preferred being in the background, believing himself too weak to survive in the spotlight. He found it quite intriguing that he had act almost by instinct to move forward and test the two. What was he even testing them for? True, his goal would require a crew, but these two were strangers who he did not truly know yet, respect or no. He should have no reason to trust them, yet he found himself hoping they would join him on his journey, and this time it was not born of loneliness. Some force, something Psychosis did not realize existed, had moved the three to unite today, and it was unlikely that it happened by coincidence. As much as he hated the idea of fate or destiny, he did not mind it in this case. It was all just too... interesting.

Char Info:

Kitaro had expected for Daenys to be the one to respond to him, but it turned out that Kuro stepped forward to reply to the both of them at once. Kitaro assumed it was only fitting that in the light of passion that one who had become something in the world like that of a Warlord would eventually be drawn into the light. It had been Kitaro's wish that he drew himself into the light and so that the three of them could speak of their future together. Kitaro had decided upon the Will of D when he was a child. He recalled memories of his parents even now. They had told little Kitaro throughout his entire life that there were great secrets hidden in the world that would only be found by the champions of freedom. Those who bore the name of D, in truth, would be the ones to reveal those secrets and throw the world into a storm from which it would never return to how it was before. They had told him it would be the honor of any man or woman from Wano to serve one but that it was rare that anyone would meet one. That they were the only ones that would be accepted onto the shores of his home country, but that there were the pretenders that would claim the name and they would be subject to worse than being thrown back into the sea.

His princess of old, had yet not recognized him for who he was but that was alright. It was something that she had sung about having to get over and he felt great shame for betraying her, worse now that he knew she could change the world. She spoke in ways that furthered his understanding of her truth in the Will of D however, even while she denied it, it was the means that she was denying it with, the reasons she gave, the statements she was making were for the greatness of freedom and that was what Kitaro had been waiting to hear. Even if she didn't understand that she was embodying the Will of D even more the more that she spoke, it was clear as day to Kitaro.

But it was Kuro that was demanded Kitaro's immediate attention turning to first Daenys and then himself and then back to Daenys. It was only her right that she be able to respond first as she was further addressed than he. Though it made him feel, or rather notice, that he was speaking in a way that neither of them could understand. It was understandable as he was from Wano where this was common knowledge, taught to every baby at their mother's breast, taught to every samurai along with the Bushido code, and taught to every lord in their great halls and palaces. To these people, the Will of D was a secret that the World Government held close to the vest, but it didn't seem like they let it bother them. While he thought it over about what exactly they WOULD be able to understand in regards to his knowledge and what he could say that would make sense to them, he allowed and listened to Daenys responding to Kuro. After which it became his turn.

To the comments that Kuro had made about the name of D and then directly to him about adding a D to his name, heroes slaughtering more than villains, if it was supersition that he was following and throwing his life on the line for. Kitaro never had any doubts and he took no offense at the question. He had, after all, realized that his actions and words were of and from a place that they were ultimately, completely, unfamiliar with. "Hmph, it may be supersition to you but I don't think either of you could handle the full truth of what I speak. It is a large topic and it will consume the world one day, such is the gravity of the knowledge. However, suffice to say so that you both know, it is not the D that I follow, it is the expression of it being shown to me so clearly here, it is only confirmed with the name rather than initiated. It is clear that it is a conversation to save for later regardless, when you have seen enough of the world to be able to understand." Kitaro stated cooly, while he had sworn himself earlier, he was not one to debate with people that didn't know what they were debating about in the first place. Their lack of knowledge didn't dissapoint him in them, but it made him wish that he and they were in the same place to understand what they COULD accomplish.

When Daenys raised from her throne, Kitaro raised and eyebrow, he listened to what she had been telling Kuro about peace and to Kitaro, it didn't really interest him what the people of the world were doing. It mattered to him if the individual was of peace or of battle. Kuro was a man of battle and Daenys was a woman who could sail in either direction as the situation called for. For one of the first times, Kitaro felt that he was arguably the most peaceful person aboard a ship. It was an interesting situation that Kitaro was able to ponder as his weapon was kicked at him from behind the throne. Flying out from underneath the throne and coming at him with an impressive force for the small woman to be able to manage. Though he was hardly surprising as he was sure that with her being who she was, she had much more to her than met the eyes. Just as Kuro would surely have secret tricks and hidden trump cards, it wasn't even a debate in his mind that she would also be capable of much more than it seemed. She had kicked a sword at him from behind her own throne after all.

Kitaro's hand outstretched, as catching a blade was as natural to him as the entire concept of eating, especially a sword he was as familiar with as his own blade. As it came hurdling his way, he was easily able to track it and raised his hand beneath it to catch the hilt as he would normally wield the weapon. However, before he could sheath it, it was as if Daenys had heard his thoughts she emerged wielding a monster of a weapon. It only confirmed his thoughts that there was more to her than she had revealed. The ease in which she wielded it, the familiarity with it of her stance, she was accustomed to combat and had seen it before. She knew how to kill and Kitaro could see that plain as he could see the sky or the purple of her eyes. “If you choose to follow me, than ready yourself, we must determine if we will be suitable to fight with each other for the battles to come.” Came out and Kitaro understood what her intention was, and it was a fair assessment. Though understanding who and WHAT she was more than either of them seemed to, as well as being seemingly the only one of the two that truly remembered their past, Kitaro made a slight adjustment to his own weapon before she could actually make a move toward the combat. Releasing his grip on the hilt ever so slightly with a light upward thrust and spin, he caught the weapon within the same moment, potentially even faster than either of them could even see, the weapon returning to his grisp with the back of the katana facing outward and the blade facing inward. He would not fight to kill these two, he would wield only blunt force for the sake of not only their future and safety, but to ensure that there was no jeapordy in a test of fluidity.

Kitaro had already decided that he need not make the first move, he had already established that Daenys was not aware of her fullest Haki potential, while she may be aware of it and having unlocked to a minor degree. He had tested it earlier when she had sent her grunts away and made a point of noting it. He had also been paying close attention to her reaction at the toss of his sword, the very fact that she had surprise at all revealed her lack of at least Kenbonshoku Haki. Though in his own mind the very act of testing was proof he was never quite fully at peace with any situation. He supposed that might make him the least peaceful person on the ship, but the paranoia that Kuro had been showing, the lack of trust in the goals that he himself desired, could easily prove him wrong. Regardless, Kitaro's eyes blazed violently as he backed himself up closer to the gunwale on his side, seperating he and Kuro by a matter of several meters, and putting the distance between he and Daenys to be further. The blaze behind his eyes being the releasing of his Kenbonshoku Haki, it had been something that he wanted to test Kuro in as well but who had provided no event to accurately test his ability to use Haki, though perhaps that was on purpose as well...

Kitaro had but one more small bit of speaking to do as he reached his location and he gave a light smile. Feeling the hostile intent of both, surprised at the level of it that was coming from Daenys herself. His smile was sad as he had never felt the violence of a D before and it's direction at this point was something that did not fill him with his earlier passions. "I sense the both of you very clearly, and I have no wish the make the first move here. I think whoever is the more aggressive should always be the aggressor. Though I accept your test to see if there is any fluidity amongst us. Traveling together through dangerous waters often means being able to rely on others instead of simply hoping, or worse yet assuming that they could manage on their own." As if to prove a point, Kitaro closed his eyes and made a slight bow between the both of them, his Haki being more than sufficient to determine any movement from either of them as the sensations of a battlefield were very familiar. His mental processing of the sounds of rushing wind, drawing of weapons, and even the rushing wind of weapons against the air were easily distinguished and processed incredibly quick by the perceptive Kitaro. He did not know of either of their strengths, but if he was not able to detect them with his Haki, his most prided set of abilities, he did not deserve to be a part of the journey that was being organized here. So he stood, eyes closed, sword drawn with the reverse of the blade primed for combat, his red-orange kimono flowing in the wind as he waited for one or the other to decide who would be the aggressor. In a way, Kitaro had never stopped testing the both of them since they arrived on this ship and this would be the most telling of all.

Character Information:

So much happening, so very quickly. He smiled behind the elaborate mask of his, knowing it would eventually come to this. Though, not in so many words. He had assumed, naively, that they could talk and understand each other better, but there was always that fact of life, involving swordsmen advancing their understanding of each other by communicating through combat. No words would be needed for that, and he knew it quite well. Kitaro seemed less paranoid than himself, but there was something about that man that caused him some concern, though not quite to the level he had expected. Something was going on with him, something very different from what he was used to, as if his mind had entered a special state not normally associated with his mentality. No, he saw potentials now, some great, and some small, yet they all led to the same conclusion. Kuro doubted he would win this. Psychosis, however, did not care. In a way, the donning of the mask caused a drastic shift in Kuro's personality, allowing him to feel more removed from the situation, removing his doubts and focusing his intent. It was highly unlikely that anyone would notice for what could be years, given the lack of psychological profiling on the Shichibukai. His paranoia had not waned, though his awareness seemed to have increased. Unfortunately, Kuro had no idea what was going on, only that something was. As much as he knew through psychology, it was much harder to look inwardly for differences than it was to look outward.

Daenys' response was somewhat expected, even if the answer made Psychosis smirk behind his mask. Confident, understanding of consequences, and seemingly willing to go the distance for her desires. No doubt this was similar to what that "Will of D." nonsense was about. If so, he would gladly admit to being wrong, though perhaps this was a special case? He was unsure, as he had never met someone with a D. in the name, to his knowledge. As she spoke of peace and battle, he nodded once more. "Yes, I can agree. All men should be free to fight for their desires. Even a monster like me has a place in a world like that, I suppose." He chuckled, the weight of his own words almost making him falter, as if in memory of something.

Kitaro's response, while more deliberate, was less expected, yet clued him into the fact that Kitaro had a far different upbringing than the other two, if the slavery wasnt a big hint already. "I see. I cannot agree with the idea, but I can understand the sentiment. We all have things we come to respect more than anything in this life." From what Kitaro said, it was similar to someone respecting a superior officer. He did not necessarily agree with the ideals, given his individualistic nature, but it was still something he could bring his head to understand. He paused as the two began to get ready for a fight, listening carefully to the words spoken before. He had to take a moment to collect himself, knowing quite well it was a big decision.

He had plenty of reasons to join, and plenty to not. Their aligned goals made everything more simplistic, but the idea of following under someone made his blood boil. True, he was a Shichibukai, but he did not follow the government so much as get hired to be on call by them. Following, or serving under another pirate... He doubted he could agree to that, especially as he was right now. He needed people he could rely on, yes, but that did not mean he would jump at the first chance. Perhaps the battle would reveal more, but the simple fact was, if he had to serve under anyone, what tattered pride he had would evaporate into dust. It may have seemed conceited, or idiotic, but for a man who had little confidence, pride was a important aspect. The pride that came from being able to claim to never have been an underling was a large part of his identity for the moment. Beyond that, the risk that came with it was far more concerning towards his Shichibukai status. His title would get revoked if he served under anyone, and he quite liked the title. With his belief that he was on the verge of losing it for being too weak, he was totally unwilling to risk it, hence the extreme disguise. Still... Something told him to go through with it, perhaps under different terms, but to still follow through. Daenys and Kitaro had both answered well, revealing quite a bit about who they were. Kitaro seemed to be quite different from anyone he had met before, his ideas of pride and greed being defining aspects of the man, at least in Psychosis' eyes. True, he had not been observing like he usually would, but such obvious things would never escape his sight. More to the point, Daenys had shown an incredible willpower, something he truly did admire, but would it match his own? There was a difference between Perseverance and Determination, after all. He had to wonder which one fit Daenys more.

Thoughts flooding his head, it still only took a moment before he responded towards Daenys. "I follow no one." It was far more than a matter of pride, he realized. It was a matter of his very soul, rebelling at the idea. "But I would gladly be allied with you, partners even." He would never accept anyone ruling over him, not after... Well, in any case, his mind was made up, but it still seemed like it would be fine. Daenys did not seem the type to lord power over people, and he doubted she would be capable of forcing him into such a thing, particularly when he was so against it. Additionally, with the display of power about to occur, she would not be likely to deny the offer. Kitaro and Daenys seemed ready now, though neither made the first move. They were not aggressive fighters, he figured. Then again, he was not usually, either.

Calmly reaching up to grab one greatsword in each hand, Psychosis chuckled as he drew the weapons. The enormous heaps of iron, swords only in shape really, were feathers in his hands, given his strength, yet there did seem to be some unseen weight on his shoulders. The massive blades being a solid foot and a half wide, two inches thick, and six foot long, almost as tall as Psychosis himself. He held them in the same way a normal person would hold shortswords, though only for the moment. His right sword was parallel with the ground, his arm holding it straight down, while his other sword was leaning towards the ground at a 45 degree angle. He would have to be the initiator in this confrontation. Regardless of dealing with these two later, he found he would not mind revealing his style for this battle, something that rarely happened. Usually he just dealt with things and erased any witnesses to avoid his style being found out, aside from the very basics. In this case, something else pulled him towards not holding back, some desire he did not realize he had.

He stepped forward, his right foot slamming down dramatically on the wooden deck, not nearly enough to crack it, with his knee bent to put most of his weight on that leg. In the same movement, he slammed his greatswords together, flames sparking from the action, lightning the combined blades on fire, before he swung the swords horizontally, aiming towards the area between Kitaro and Daenys. The action, at first, seemed pointless, but almost immediately after the blades finished their movements, a large red wave of energy rushed towards the two, growing in size as it moved from his blades. The wave itself was also covered in flames, as if the wave was some fire-devil fruit based attack. The trajectory of the wave would cause no damage to the ship itself, but would definitely hit Kitaro and Daenys should they not avoid it, though he doubted it would kill them. The wave, by the time it reached the two opponents, would have grown to a massive twenty meters long, Naturally, the wave and fire would not harm the ship or anything but the two who he was fighting. After all, a swordsman only cuts what they want to cut.

In the next instant, which would be the moment the two's vision would be obscured by the wave and fire, Psychosis rushed forward towards Daenys, Holding his left arm above his head, the blade of the sword pointed downward to form a sort of shield for his left side, he stabbed his right greatsword foward towards where Daeny's stomach would have been, careful to aim towards the left side of her stomach, to avoid fatal injuries. Even if he had somehow taken insult to the following comment, he needed her alive, he respected her goals too much to actually try to kill her, although he had been told he was far too dangerous in even light spars, but he did not doubt these two could handle it. He would not normally be so reckless, but for the moment he was, likely for the same reason he had been acting strangely. For the moment, though, he was keen to enjoy this fight.

Char Info:

Kitaro immediately sensed the hostile intent of Kuro when he took his step forward, it would seem that the paranoid one of the bunch had the most questions to answer and the most eager to answer them with a show. As one would call his initiating attack to be a show of force it was only fitting that he be the one to initiate the showing of them all in that case. Still, Kitaro opened his eyes as soon as he felt the intent of it. A  brief heartbeat before the stomp actually occurred, his eyes opened now as spirals revealing his Kenbonshoku Haki effects, and as he looked at both of the others he did not see anything like it in either of them. It was what he had gathered about Daenys, that she was a skilled warrior who had not yet awakened her Haki potential, though he was more surprised that Kuro was not showing any applicable level of Kebonshoku Haki. It was even stranger that when he slammed his blades together in this show of force, that it was without the added element of Buoshoku Haki. Stranger and stranger things were becoming in regard to the two here. Though Kitaro had already decided.

Kitaro simply watched, his eyes picking up everything with his level of perception even furthered enhanced, as the fiery wave of energy came at him, red in color, he watched the fire blaze around it. Both of these things were things that he was very familiar with as he did similar things himself, though his were faster rather than the brute force blocks that he was experiencing here. They were powerful and they came from a place of skills, but it felt raw rather than refined, at least compared to Kitaro's own Bushido stylization. Though the concept of precision was what his combat was entirely based upon and so it did not surprise him that Kuro's abilities seemed to be of a rougher variety. 

Regardess, his vision being blurred obscured by the energy that was coming and the blazing of the fire that was attached to it did not effect his ability to perceive the both of them inherently. As combat had begun and the plans of Daenys played out in his mind as she was performing them, at the same time Kitaro found himself more annoyed than he should have been that he was going to have to deal with this massive red block of fire and energy. As a result of this minor incovenience of feeling, Kitaro did not name the technique that he was perfomring this time around and simply did it. It was a move that he had named Cut-Off Cutting which was normally meant for attacks that felt a bit weaker than this, but Kitaro had an easy answer to the difference between the two in the form of Haki. He felt that it was a good test to make a direct point of using Haki. 

So while Daenys was moving out of the way of the strike by taking advantage of her raw speed advantage and timing her movements to begin early enough in the process of the attack being performed to succeed. Kitaro raised his sword above his head casually, his arms going a dark metallic grey-black color. Though this would only be visible to someone else who had unlocked the inherent Buoshoku Haki that lied within all life. The coloration would slide down his blade as instantly as it came over his arms as his blade came down against the wave of rede energy. While this move sacrificed Kitaro's own ability to move in the time it was being done, the advantage was an extra edge despite it's low drain upon his own stamina. Enhanced with the power of his Haki his single strike would break the movement of the energy wave as it came for him and cancel it out, leaving only the flames which were more of an advantage for Kuro to have thrown to him rather than an attack. The Cut-Off Cutting Skill allowing him to redirect rather than simply block as the advantage that was made up for by his not being able to move during the course of the Skill's execution. While the redirected wave of energy would be less powerful, the fire that would be cast along with it, would be of equal power. 

As Kitaro's blade could inherently move fire along with it, the strike downward, not only cancelled the red wave but blasted it backwards in the area that he struck it. While perhaps only half of the size of the original with only about half of the original's power.The flames that had been added to the attack would be taken and thrown back across to where the two of his opponents for this sparring and judgement session would end up. The very edge of it reaching where Kuro had ended in his strike while the other edge would be to where his Haki had alerted him to Daenys' end position to be, sending the strike in her direction a brief moment before she reached it. However, what happened next worried him more than dealing with the oncoming flames. Daenys began to sing while wielding the great spear/hammer weapon that she had produced earlier and this was concerning. In Wano there had been bards of the sword who were considered Ronin but were capable of swaying the minds, hearts, and actions of others the longer that their music had been listened to. There were only a couple of ways for a man to avoid the siren's song of good music before it had sinister effects, and even fewer when it is empowered by the spirit of the one who sings it. It is a dangerous combination, and there would be no other reason to sing during combat, but as nothing seemed to be occurring immediately, Kitaro decided to take a cautious route about the whole thing. He had seen men beat themselves to death over music, he had seen men walk into the ocean with music. 

Kitaro did inherently trust her enough not to take this as a serious battle to the death between the gorup of them but it was something that he had seen so many times end so badly. When something was sound, it was hard to block out. The sounds of the battlefield were so vital to being able to stay aware and when it was turned against you...Well Kitaro had never seen it end in a good way. It did add some more levels of intrigue as far as Kitaro's curiosity in her regard and part of why he had decided to send the flames and reverberate the attack Kuro had sent after the both of them rather than just after Kuro. Kitaro couldn't help himself but test the two of them and he felt a strange calm about the whole thing besides. He couldn't decide why he was feeling this way as it was strange to him to feel a calm rather than small anxiety when on a battlefield itself. Perhaps it was that this was one of the least deadly battles that he had been a part of? Though it was no less meaningful, if not more meaningful than most that he had been through. It was bringing up a lot of his focus in the battle being toward thinking things like this over, checking himself, being drawn into the larger picture rathern than the immediate moment with this supernatural calm that was sweeping throughout his body. Nevertheless, the waves of calm were focusing in a way as they were now, bringing him to a state of breathing easy would be his words for the feeling as it was now.

 Moving rearward on the ship and taking some simple walking steps moving several meters farhter away from the both of them while maintaining a facade in appearance as if he was circling the battlefield. Perhaps moving his back toward the gunwale behind him to give the appearance of being backed into a corner furthering this visage. Making sure to distance himself from Daenys and her song while keeping his eye contact toward her. He did hope that this would provoke the combat to move closer to him in a physical sense as well, if Kuro's Haki was as lacking as it was beginning to appear, he may take the lack of Kitaro's eyes attention as a lack of attention to his position or powers and cause him to be the result of further attacks. Of course Kitaro's Haki was equally focused on the two of them and paying close attention to the movements and the future motions of either of them as the flames swam through the air at them both. 

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