The Tenshū slipped silently from the harbor's embrace under the cover of a starless sky, its sleek silhouette barely kissed by the faint glow of the crescent moon. No farewells echoed across the water, nor were any explanations whispered in the night air. The only sound was the gentle whoosh of the wind teasing the edges of Lila's cloak, its fabric fluttering softly, and the rhythmic creak of the aging wooden deck beneath their boots. Juno, the ship's mechanic, had yet to repair many of the vessel's parts, eyeing the weathered boards with a sigh, knowing they would soon need to be replaced with sturdy steel. Lila stood steadfast at the helm, her eyes fixed with determination on the shadowy horizon that stretched infinitely before them.
Buzz, with his rugged face shadowed in the low light, leaned against the rail, his arms crossed tightly against his chest. "You sure about this?" he asked, his voice low but tinged with concern.
"They'd try to stop us," Lila replied, a steely edge to her voice. "Or worse — offer their help."
Zin, a wiry figure with a mischievous glint in his eye, chuckled softly. "And we can't afford to owe the Straw Hats anything."
Vexa, her brow furrowed in thought, muttered, "They're good people. But this isn't their fight."
"Not yet," Lila said, her voice firm. "But it's ours." Lila still can't really put together what she saw years ago. That black shadow figure. Despite her saving people who need saving, that figure from her past needs a whole army against it.
As the moon climbed higher, they descended the narrow stairs to the lower deck, where the crew huddled around a table illuminated by the flickering light of a lantern. A tattered map lay sprawled across it, edges curled and stained.
"Fort Dreadspire," Vexa said, pointing to a marked spot on the map. "It's a joint military-pirate base. They're holding civilians from Isla Nieve. We hit hard, fast, and loud." Her words hung in the air, charged with the gravity of their mission.
Juno's expression darkened, her jaw set firm, and her eyes narrowed with a steely determination. "We're going in without backup," she declared, her voice low but resolute.
"We're going in with purpose," Lila retorted, her fierce resolve evident in the hard edge of her voice and the fire in her eyes.
Veyra's eyes gleamed with a sharp intensity as she nodded, the corners of her lips curling slightly upward. "Then let's make it count," she said with a calm yet powerful assurance.
The Tenshū, a sleek, black vessel, cut silently through the choppy waters, its hull gliding effortlessly just beyond the shrouding fog line. It dropped anchor, a silent predator poised for a lethal strike, its silhouette barely visible in the thick mist.
The moment the command echoed in their ears, Lila, Buzz, Gorren, and Zin sprang into action. Their synchronized movements mirrored a well-oiled machine, each step executed with ruthless efficiency. Lila's eyes narrowed as she charged forward, the muscles in her legs coiling and releasing like powerful springs. Buzz's broad shoulders plowed through the crumbling bricks, his jaw clenched with determination. Zin's lithe frame twisted and turned effortlessly, dodging falling chunks of concrete. Gorren's body frame is larger than most, and he cracks his fist ready to fight. The quad smashed through the outer wall, a cloud of dust and debris erupting around them as they pressed onward with laser-sharp focus.
In tandem, Vexa and Juno darted down the dimly lit corridors of the compound, their movements synchronized like a well-rehearsed dance. Vexa's fingers, nimble and confident, pried open a panel on the wall, revealing a tangle of multicolored wires. Juno crouched beside her, pulling tools from his belt with practiced ease. As Vexa clipped one wire after another, sparks flew, casting brief flashes of light against their focused faces. Juno passed the device to Vexa, and she tapped rapidly on a handheld device, her eyes flicking between the screen and the darkening monitors around them. One by one, the screens went black, and the hum of the comms grid fell silent, testament to their precise and urgent actions.
Veyra and Milo crept into the lower cells, their figures merging with the darkness like phantoms. Each step was calculated and precise, their soft-soled boots making no sound against the cold stone floor. Veyra led the way, her sharp eyes darting from one shadowy corner to the next, alert for any unexpected motion. Milo brought up the rear, his senses heightened, listening intently for the faintest whisper of danger. Together, they moved with the lethal elegance of seasoned assassins, executing their mission with unwavering focus to save the victims.
The base was thrown into chaos as guards scrambled in confusion, caught off guard by the sudden and calculated assault. But their bewilderment lasted only for a fleeting moment.
Sirens screamed into the night, piercing the air with their urgent wails. Spotlights blazed to life, their beams slicing through the darkness with blinding intensity.
And then, with the force and speed of a lightning storm, the Driftborn surged forward, a tempest of motion and power. Their movements were a blur, swift and unstoppable, as they descended upon the base with the precision and fury of a well-coordinated attack.
Buzz wound up and launched a firebomb with a mighty swing of his arm, sending it soaring through the air in a graceful yet destructive arc. As it struck its target, a fiery explosion erupted, illuminating the night and sending shards of glass and splinters of wood shooting in all directions. The roar of the blast was deafening, and smoke billowed into the sky. "I thought we were being subtle!" he shouted, his voice barely cutting through the cacophony of destruction around them.
Zin's eyes were slits of concentration, his body taut and ready for action. As the soldier swung the rifle butt toward him, Zin's reflexes kicked in. With a graceful and precise movement, he sidestepped and parried the blow effortlessly, his hand a blur of motion. His voice remained calm and unshaken as he said, "This is subtle. For us."
Gorren created rock armor over his fist and started smashing their faces into bits.
Vexa's voice crackled with urgency through their comms, "Turrets offline in three… two… never mind, just run."
Perched atop a high tower, Riven calmly picked off targets, each shot precise and lethal. "You're welcome," he muttered into his mic, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.
Meanwhile, Lila moved with relentless intent, her blade slicing through a reinforced gate as if it were paper. "Focus," she reminded her team, her tone sharp and unwavering, "We're not here to win. We're here to save." They all nodded once they heard her voice through the earpieces.
In the cell block, Veyra concentrated intensely, her fingers tingling with energy as frost crept over the metal locks, rendering them immobile. Meanwhile, Milo, his muscles straining under the weight, carefully lifted a frail elder whose leg was crudely bandaged and bleeding. Juno, with a scarf wrapped around her mouth and nose to filter the acrid smoke, shepherded a group of coughing, wide-eyed children through the thick haze. Lila stumbled upon a young girl huddled in a corner, her small hands tightly gripping a broken pendant that glimmered faintly in the dim light. "They said no one would come," the girl whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief. Lila knelt beside her, her expression softening with reassurance. "They were wrong," she said firmly, offering a gentle smile.
Soon after, the Tenshū, a sleek boat with gleaming metal panels, went off into the ocean, leaving behind the fiery chaos of the burning base. Flames licked the buildings, casting an orange glow that contrasted sharply against the darkening twilight. The victims, huddled together in safety within the ship's hull, whispered relieved thanks to their rescuers. Their mission was accomplished, yet an uneasy silence filled the cabin, punctuated only by the hum of the wind.
Buzz, a tall man with tousled hair and a weary expression, finally broke the silence. He glanced over at Lila, whose eyes were fixed on the horizon's fading light. "You think the Straw Hats will forgive us for leaving?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern.
Lila, her face partially shadowed by the brim of her worn-out cap, didn't respond immediately. She continued to gaze at the distant line where the sky met the earth, her thoughts hidden behind a stoic exterior. "They'll understand. One day," she murmured eventually, her voice barely rising above a whisper.
Buzz sighed at her terse reply, wishing for a glimpse of the sister he once knew. "It's okay to show your brother some emotions," he said softly. "You two walked on different paths, but you're doing the same thing—freeing people from oppression."
Lila remained silent, her expression unchanged, but Buzz noticed the tiniest flicker of something in her eyes, a crack in her armor. A small, involuntary smile crept onto his lips. He knew he had touched a nerve. Lila had saved him once when they were just kids, pulling him from the brink of death with determination and courage that belied her years. Though he pledged to follow her lead until his last breath, he longed to see her truly smile one day, to witness joy light up her face instead of the ever-present shadow of wrath.