133 The cutlass falls

The winds howled as the two sides of the conflict clashed terrifyingly, debris and pieces of wood colored the pale blue surface of the water as overbearing roars echoed into the stormy canvas of war.

Gun shots echoed as the clash of weapons drawled into the night sky, and yet within the conflict, one would find a massively underrated situation on the side of one ship that shone as an outlier in its presence. For, even though the one that led it wasn't as strong as the head of Big Mom's forces, there was not a single casualty within their ranks.

Instead, the pirates on board said ship looked to be in high spirits, fighting for a period of time before retreating into the back of the crowd to disappear entirely!

A bullet zoomed through the thicket of the crowd as a third ship neared enough to board it, swimming mercilessly on the bones of its fallen brethren. The galley stood proudly in the air as the boom of canons sounded in the background.

"Attack!" A man roared, his mane like blue hair swimming in the turbid air around. A scar ran across his stubby chin where a beard once grew, while his pale green eyes glared at the minute, in comparison, ship before him.

He was the captain of the 'Black Cutlass' a swift and sleekly built Tender, borne from ash wood. He had been the captain of a pirate crew that sailed with that ship, the ' Cutlass Pirates' they had been called, and they had made quite a name for themselves in the first half of the Grand line, Paradise.

Only after this man had entered the deep and dark chasm that was the New World, did he realize that there were many people like him, better than him and a scanty few that were worse.

So he did the only thing that had seemed rational at that time. He had bowed to a stronger man, a terrifying force of nature even back then, Kaido had been on his first conquests of Wano and when this man had joined him, there were only a small number of compatriots that existed within the pirate group.

So here he was, bowing to the wishes of the madman of the seas, going to war with an arguably equally terrifying force of nature. He was conflicted.

His first mate on the other hand, clearly did not share any of his inhibitions, for with a roar he launched himself forward. In one huge leap landing on the smaller Ice Breaker.

He sighed as he followed along, a new battle awaited him on the other side..

With a loud bellow to invigorate his spirits he plunged forward, a transparent layer of Haki surrounding his open fists.

Dummm! The wood groaned as he landed, his hands buried in the neck of what would be the first casualty of the meek Ice Breaker.

The ignored gangplank stood behind him, creaking under the weight of his boarding men.

A small smile appeared on his old and wizened face as he waded through, the roar of his men a merry jolly jingle in his ear.

Of course, that was only for a period of time, for where the morale filled roars of his men once called, a gargle of pain remained, blood splattered on the deck under the headless bodies of men that he had known.

Still this man fought, digging his trusty yet chipped blade into the sternum of a man that charged him, digging his pistol into his eyes he fired.

With a swish of his long hair he turned around, swinging his freshly bloodied blade in a long arc around he stepped into a new swathe.

An unseen kick rammed into his shins as he groaned, a cleaver appeared overhead barely blocked as he buckled. His legs now bloody he swung forward letting the cleaver nick him in the clavicle as he rammed into the massive chest of his faceless attacker.

With the roar of the aging bronze pistol he drew blood, twisting quickly as he belted the legs off from under the massive man. Then his cutlass came down, cutting deeply into the man's chest.

With a swift drop he avoided a sword to the head, before his new assailant was laid to rest by his panting first mate.

"Cap'n sweatin' yet?" The bulky man asked, his balding head rimmed with sweat. His single eyes stared at his captain as he grinned, his three teeth gleaming annoyingly in the scarce light.

"The o'ers been downed by them already, fell like flies the lot of 'em. Only Sway and a few of the other boys are still kicking." he grunted out as he charged forward, uncaring of weather the panting captain had heard his report.

The captain took a deep breath as he limped forward, his shins slowly recovering from the metal tipped shoe that had been rammed into it.

"You bottom feeders, Get your asses into gear! Anyone dying here are gonna be fed to master King!" He roared as he advanced swinging his blade more fiercely at the seemingly never ending onslaught.

His First mate roared his assent as he ran forward, jumping into the fray behind his captain. The duo could only maintain their Haki for a small period, so though they had not fought for more than a half hour they were already running on fumes.

"Uoooh!" the balding and foolish first mate roared as he charged, before suddenly collapsing into a bloodied heap.

His head rolled off his stuffy neck as a spurt of red liquid colored the browning of the deck, where he had stood a long nosed witch stood instead, her eyes filled with manic glee as a wicked scythe sat comfortingly in her hands.

Her large nails dripped silently as she advanced, tearing into anyone that came in her way, with a simple swipe of her hands she tore out the throat of a random figure, before swiftly swinging her scythe around, and with it an uncanny chill ran down the captain's neck. Followed then quite closely by his head, expressions of disbelief and all.