Black Ball Proving Grounds

South Blue, Black Ball, Proving Grounds:::.
Morning, 0600 Hours::.



The morning was warm with a gentle breeze blowing. The clouds sat high in the sky shielding the island from the sun's warm glow. Before the notorious Rear Admiral Arken Jones a large verdant field of luscious green grass sat. The Rear Admiral had seen his fair share of combat over his many years in the service and taken in his many criminals of every shape and size. Some of which it'd be hard to believe just down to sheer size.

One of the biggest had been the right hand man of the Yonko, Heimdall Rokoro. A half giant by the name of Caesar Kutt. A monster of a man armed with a devil fruit which only made his strength even more incredible. The fight had been difficult and trying, but with such determination and perseverance Arken had been successful in ripping out the bastard's right eye and using his blindness to win the fight.

He'd been informed that today he would be gifted new recruits to join his crew. One of which he would he would be leading. It had been five years now since he'd led a crew and after the slaughter that had happened when he failed his crew, he felt finally ready once again to take on the role. Heimdall had been the one who had taken away his crew after he took away his right hand man.

Standing atop the roof of the marine training centre, Arken awaited the sight of his new recruits who were being shipped in. He couldn't wait to get his hands on them and see what they were made of.



The naval ship which was carrying Arken's new recruits was well on the way. As it had arrived and the anchor was being lowered two of the recruits were found to be already getting acquainted. Seaman recruits Seff Mistletoe & Colton Ryker.

"I hope this guy ain't some hard ass with a stick up his ass like most rear admirals"

"Haha. I'm sure he'll be fine."

"I guess we'll see."

"Do you think he'll get us to fight against one another?"

"Oh god I hope not. I hate doin' that kinda shit."

"I don't even know how to fight!"

"Well then I definitely want to go up against you!" Colton chuckled.

"But you've got a devil fruit!"

As the two headed from the ship on to the island Colton and Seff were already seen to be making a close bond as friends. The only question that would be left is if they would still be friends when the real work begun and what would this Rear Admiral be like. Would he be a real jackass like Colton thought or would he be the kinda guy Seff could look up to and become best friends with.

Colton had heard there was a third member meant to be aboard the ship, but he had no idea who he was. Seff was pretty clueless though and as far as he knew there was only himself and Colton. But they'd find out soon enough as they would soon meet their new leader.

Rear Admiral Arken Jones.

Towns were always lively, always full of sights, sounds and smells and for Kaito the latter two was definitely true. All around him he could smell the cooking coming from restaurants and homes alike, the mixing of scents made his mouth water, this prompted him to stop and place a cigarette between his lips and light it with a silvered lighter, an inscription on the side easily reading "Love is Blind". As he stood lighting his cancer stick the towns sound mixed around him, carts pulled by horses and mule sent vibrations in the earth, people moving about and shopkeeps shouting their wares filled the air with vibrations, so much so it felt like Kaito was able to see despite the dead eyes he had that were hidden behind dark shades on his face.

It was do to this smoke break that Kaito noticed a shape that had been starting to fall and below it...was that..?

Kaito moved forwards and upon bumping into something gave a light but sudden shove before a loud crash was heard and nearby women screamed in shock and fear and the sight before them. Kaito in his dark green winter coat was on the ground is cane laying nearby and on his head was a mix of a clay pot and dirt and right on top looking as if it hadn't been damaged at all? A bright pink daisy in full bloom. Nearby a little girl got up,no one realizing just yet he had pushed her out of the way and hit by the pot that had been about to fall on her.

As Kaito set up and hissed in pain at the bump that had already started to form. "Ow.." He muttered before a sound hit his ears, it started off quiet, but soon picked up and then more joined in. It was laughter, they were laughing at him.

"OI, LARDARSE! GET OUTTA BED!"
This dream was strange.. He could feel the vibrations and it was muffled, it was almost too real. Vaetric was buying a pair of fruit with a pair of oven mitts. It was just what the vendor needed, and he'd get two oranges and one apple in return, he knew it was two oranged and one apple, but the fruit basket looked full. He'd only have two oranges and one apple.

"LARDARSE! DON'T MAKE ME COME DOWN THERE!"

It was louder, he heard footsteps, but he was in the middle of the marketplace. Oh well. He couldn't see it, but he knew he'd forgotten his trousers, somehow. Everyone was laughing at him. He didn't have to look down to see if it was true, he just knew. The one shouting at him was nowhere to be seen, then out of the crowd, an annoyed looking woman glared at him, and opened her mouth again.

"THAT'S IT!"

He was pulled out of his dream, and into the real world. His eyes were closed shut. What was going on? He felt himself get hauled out of bed, no.. It was too early to start washing, wasn't it? That started at eight. He wasn't late, was he? He willed his eyes open, only to be greeted with dark, annoyed looking ones belonging to a tanned face. Oh. Oh dear.

"WAKEY WAKEY HERES A KNEE!"

She bellowed, causing him to wince, which deepened into a bemoaned grunt as she slammed her knee into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Alexis let him go, causing him to crumple into the ground.

"Awake yet?"

Vaetric jerkily nodded, clutching his stomach in pain.
"Great! We've got training to do, recruit! Get dressed, or I'll kick your arse, lardarse!"

...Why was this happening to him? He remembered. He'd been "promoted" to seaman recruit at the behest of Alexis. ...Crap.

---

"EYYYYYY ARSEHOLES! LONG TIME NO SEE, DUMBARSE!" Alexis called down to the two, but more specifically to Colton. She hoisted a now dressed Vaetric up onto her shoulder and leaped down to the two, following them. "See this guy? He's Lardarse. You can see why. I'm gonna make him stronger, then see how he does for real. Plus, he can't disappate into embers unlike a certain other dickhead I know." Alexis said casually as she then began to walk side by side with Colton. Seems she'd knocked Vaetric unconscious once upon a time.

Bidi bidi bidi, bidi bidi bidi

Feeling vibrations from his belt buckle Arken reached for his den den mushi lifting the receiver.

"Rear Admiral Arken Jones speaking"

"Sir the ship with the recruits is here."

"Right you are"

"Should I inform the recruits you are making your way down here?"

"No. I have something in mind for them."

"Right you are sir"

Hanging up the call and placing the receiver back Arken turned from his position on the rooftop heading for the stairs and more importantly his office. It was time he got to work and met up with his recruits. They would need to be taught a couple of things some of which were what they should be expecting donning the naval sigil.



Laughing at Seff's response to him having a devil fruit Colton heard a familiar voice from above and tilted his head looking for the source. Seff looked too out of curiosity. It seemed this guy knew allot of other marines whilst Seff knew next to no body except for Enda. But he hadn't seen her in a long time now. He wasn't even sure if she was still alive or not. For all he knew she could be retired.

Colton watched as Alexis hoisted a recruit who looked almost as pathetic as Seff over her shoulder and mentioned something about him being weak and unlike Colton himself. The two hadn't always gotten on all too well despite looking as if they could be brother and sister. Rolling his eyes Colton returned back to Seff.

"You have a sister?"

"No, I've worked with her a couple of times. I think she's just jealous because I have a fruit and she doesn't."

"Oh!"

At that moment Colton had a second thought and turned his gaze back up towards Alexis.

"Hang on. Alexis why're you here?" Colton had already started putting two and two together but feared he'd be working alongside the butt monkey.

"Are you joining Rear Admiral Jones's crew too?" Seff shouted up towards Alexis curiously.

Hoping dearly that he response would be a no Colton waited for her response.



The sound of clashing was a dead give away that something had gone wrong. There were many citizens already gathering around and watching the man who'd been on the receiving end of a plant pot which had brought him down. Curious if the man was alright Marine sea man Jonas Reaper made his way towards the incident. Pushing past a couple citizens the seaman grinned.

He had been told that there was a blind marine on the island somewhere who may need finding. It seemed that he had been right, he just didn't think it would be this easy to find him. Looking at the picture he'd been given of the soldier the recruit looked at Kaito and shook his head.

"Chief Petty Officer Saiyuka?" the recruit questioned just to make sure it really was him. "Rear Admiral Arken jones sent me to collect you, he was a little worried that you might've gotten lost."

As he heard his rank being called out his head turned in the direction and brushing the clay pieces and dirt from his hair as best he could as well as the daisy, before his laugh joined the crowds as the man said he had been sent because of the worry he might have been lost,this was true of course but Kaito was always stubborn. "Lost? Oh no no I was just doing my job" He says as he dusts himself off standing up with his cane in hand. "One moment.." He says  before he walked to the side where the young girl was and comforting her to stop the tears "But you got hurt because of me!" At her words, the laughter of the crowd stopped laughing and a new feeling came over them...shame. He told her as a marine it was his duty to protect others and no silly potted plant would stop that. Although the fact he then pulled out a large lollipop and gave it to her that stopped her tears. With a final pat on her head, he got up and made his way back to the recruit. "Sure smarts though.." He says rubbing his head as they walked away from the crowd.

(Color=Alexis)
(Color=Vaetric)

Alexis snorted in response to Seffs comment, then spluttered at Coltons.

"Heeell no am I jealous at that emberlicker!" She protested, hoisting Vaetric onto the other side, still unconscious after she gave him a smack over the head due to taking too long to get dressed. Heck if she was gonna be late because he was too used to being a choreboy. She then heard a question, thus deciding that she brought herself to their level, she jumped down toward them, landing behind, then hurrying to their side, so they walked shoulder-to-shoulder. "Warrant Officer, bitch. How d'ya feel, recruits?" She grins widely, turning around slightly to give them a show of the "JUSTICE" emblem on her back.

"And yeah I'm joining Jones' crew. Why else would I be here, y'cohksuckin'wankuhs?" She says, briefly reverting to her old accent to give Colton a little piece of nostalgia. ..Or confusion. Meanwhile, on her shoulder, Vaetric stirred.

"Ugh.." He mumbled, shaking his head and holding his head. It felt like he had been smacked with a sledgehammer. On his head. There was no blood, though. Then he felt that he was moving, and looking down at the back of someone. He was being carried. "W-! L-Let me down p-please!" He asks in a slightly more high pitched tone than he'd like, aiming to pat Alexis' back, to which she gave no reply, more interested in speaking to Colton and Seff.

Stopping by his office Arken made sure to grab some necessary tools of the trade he could really put use to put the recruits to the test with.



Watching as Alexis and Vaetric joined the two of them Seff was a little shocked at how Alexis was able to leap down from such a height with little to no pain or damage. As she'd answered the questions about joining the same crew as them Seff responded.

"That's cool. It'll be fun working with you guys. So what can you guys do?"

As for Colton's response he simply made a sound of disappointment. It seemed that Colton wasn't as pleased with the idea of Alexis being in the same crew as him and working alongside her again.

"She's basically a soldier proficient with hand to hand combat and weapons, that and a foul mouthed stone cold cow." Colton answered for Alexis.

Feeling the tension Seff decided not to say anything else and looked to Vaetric who looked unhappy and unenthusiastic about joining the crew. The four of them had started their way towards the large marine building and it was only getting bigger in size. The building was in sight and soon Arken would be too.

"Well Alexis, if we're going to be working with one another again, maybe this time you could not break my guitar like last time. I got a new one a little while back and I quite like this one."



Watching the marine with the cane known as Kaito get to his feet and laugh about the plant pot the recruit tilted his head as he spoke about not being lost when he clearly was and comforted the girl with a large lollypop. Smiling as the girl stopped crying the recruit waited for Katio to join him.

"That was sweet sir. Now if you come with me I'll guide you to Arken."

Gesturing the way to go to Kaito the recruit waited for Kaito to make a move before he realised he was blind. It was difficult to get used to as he was so used to seeing to people who weren't blind. Grabbing hold of Kaito's arm gently the recruit realised he'd have to guide him like this.

"That's just my hand on you sir. If you'll come with me we'll go at a steady pace."

Beginning to lead the way the recruit had one question he was dying to ask but couldn't bring himself to open up about due to sheer awkwardness and how insensitive it may be. He was curious about how a blind man managed to do so well in the Marines, but wasn't curious enough to puncture the air of awkwardness.

"What's wrong eh, kid?" She asks Seff. Of course, he was around the same age she was when she first joined the Marines, but they didn't need to know that. Well, Colton probably already knew that. He somehow managed to stay as a seaman recruit despite having a devil fruit, pretty pathetic if you asked her. Then Colton gave Seff an unglamorous explanation of her abilities.

"'Tard." Alexis says, rolling her eyes. [/b]And Colton's a lazy bugger who can spit embers but can barely roast a partridge.[/b]" Alexis answers for Colton.

Meanwhile, Vaetric had given up trying to tell Alexis to let her go after his first attempt had failed. Now he was just waiting. Waiting for the inevitable meeting of their captain. He stared at the floor, unable to escape from Alexis' grasp. Waving softly in the wind and sway, completely and utterly useless. No one to help him.

"What's that? Break your guitar? Well, I don't know, Colton. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. Just bring it along to a battle, maybe I'll do it while you give some pirates a tune, or some highwayman a little shanty to bring them to the Marines, how about that?" Alexis asks. "Oi, Vaetric, d'ya have to be so hard on the shoulders? You're heavier than these two combined, and that's just in your arse. Can you believe this prick? How could anyone be so weak? He fell unconscious at the flick of a wrist. Bloody hell." Vaetric gives a little whimper in response.

Kaito chuckled feeling the mans hand on his arm as the echoing tapping of his cane filled the air mixing with the other sounds of the town. "Very Well," He says a bit surprised by the assistance he gave that made the smile already on his lips grow slightly. 

Minutes passed as they walked and Kaito let out a puff of smoke with a sigh before he spoke again "I bet you're wondering how I got in this position, aren't you?" He says before letting out a laugh as he knew he had read the mans mind "You aren't the first to wonder, although I don't think its the answer one might think. Noone owes me favors, I am no relative of a higher up, despite what the rumors say I simply worked hard...some might say harder then most but how can one call themselves a Marine if you never put your all into your work?"