Next Stop, Thriller Bark and the Yubashiri!

For three days, Nina and the Marines have been exploring the seas of West blue. These three days brought on many discoveries, mainly islands they had yet to explore, others being pit stops. This was the forth night that they spent out there, but all was well. The only ones out and about were Nina and the boy who was looking out for any islands. Nina, who was mopping the deck, occasionally took a break to watch the water around them. She was currently waiting for something big to happen so she could skip out and explore. The boy who was looking out called to her, "Hey, we've got some suspicious looking fog up ahead!" She stopped mopping and glanced to where the fog lingered. It was true, the fog was thick and quite mysterious looking. Nina placed the mop aside and walked over to the front of the ship to peer out toward the fog. There was something being hidden. But, neither crew mates knew what it was. Nina asked nobody in particular, "What in the world could that be? It looks like some sort of island...or, ship?" A shadowed silhouette drew closer and closer to the Marines. Nina muttered, "Hm, the captain better know about this." Immediately, she ran inside to the captain's office and swung his door open. He looked up from his desk with bloodshot eyes, "Eh, what'd ya want?" He was drunk. Nina sighed and told him about the fog and silhouette, "Captain Shepard, we need to be given orders about heading through that fog and that island may be dangerous. Should we turn around?" Shepard thought about it for a moment and then shook his head. "Nah, we head through and go straight for the island! If it's shrouded by fog, then it's Thriller Bark. I've heard rumors of a special sword located somewhere around that place." Nina nodded and reported to the awakening members of their orders. Thriller Bark would soon be docked.

sc: 27
Ittoryu Mastery: 44/50

The entrance to Thriller Bark was damaged by what looked to be age. There were run-down pirate flags and broken posts. Nina watched as the ship docked next to the island entrance. She walked out of the ship with two other Marines. The three have been given orders to locate this special sword and bring it back to the ship. They embarked on their mission immediately. One, to avoid instant danger. Two, nobody wanted to stay in such a creepy place. Finally, they wanted to get that sword of the stories. Nina led the way deeper into Thriller Bark, her swords at the ready. "Come on. We don't know what's ahead, so let's be extra careful,"she told the two lanky men, and continued her fast pace.

After about 30 minutes, they finally came to some ruins with suspicious looking statues. All of them were in a circle formation. Nina thought to herself, What are these things doing here? Could they have some kind of significant meaning? She and the two men stopped in the midst of the statues. There was something in the hands of one of the statues. She ran up to it and yanked the object out of the stone claws and examined it in her own hands. "I can't believe it. This is the sword we've been looking for! The Yubashiri!"Nina held the sword up in the air triumphantly.

sc: 23
tsc: 50
Ittoryu Mastery: 99/50
Yubashiri obtained

Nina examined the legendary blade, her eyes full of excitement and great wonder. This was a great break for her, but a thought lingered in her mind with no end. If she were to return to the Marine ship, then there was the possibility of someone trying to kill her for it. Never had this come across her before, so why now? She glanced back at the men that accompanied her, they weren't like their usual selves for some strange reason. Nina narrowed her eyes and asked them, "You guys alright? You don't look like yourselves." They ignored her. Their eyes were dark, shrouded by the shadows of greed. Were they entranced by the sword and its power? It was quite possible. Their eyes must have been truly focused on this legend of a sword. One of the Marines took sluggish steps towards Nina and growled evilly, "Give me...that sword." She hurriedly tied the sword to a strap around her waste and made a break for it. Escaping from those guys was her main priority at the moment since they were possessed by this unknown nature. The two of them followed close behind her, which quickly caused Nina to sigh in frustration. She muttered while running, "This is getting to be real troublesome. I should just knock you guys out now to save myself." Using her superior speed, Nina darted up a 30 story wall and stood at the top with her hands raised above her head. The Yubashiri was held tightly in her right hand as thunder rumbled around Thriller Bark. Lightning flashed around her and some of it struck the blade. "Get lost!" She demanded and fired the lightning at the feet of the two Marines. They apparently snapped out of their greedy thoughts and wasted no time in running away. One of them shouted, "AAAGH!!!! We're so sorry! We'll leave, we'll leave! Just don't kill us, please!" Nina sighed as the Marine troops left her alone. They would most likely report this mess to the captain, meaning that she would be in a lot of trouble. The best thing for her to do would be to run away. Maybe join the life of a pirate for her life's sake. Wasn't there this one pirate group that was pretty notable in the Grandline? The Black Coat Pirates?

As Nina wandered the ruins of Thriller Bark, she noticed a rush of cool air brushing her face. That meant that she was near open water, very close to it in fact. "Okay, there's a start,"she said with a hint of excitement. The moment she arrived at the edge of the island, there was a nicely sized boat waiting for her. Inside were supplies that seemed too good to be useable, but they were. Everything she needed to escape. She made haste and got inside the boat as the Marine ship peered around a corner. Making everything seem a little more rushed. There was no word to describe on how fast she paddled out of Thriller Bark. Now, to go to the Grandline. This was the beginning of her new life. The life of a pirate! Wonders and dangers will be awaiting Nina, which she was prepared for. Out on the open sea, Nina paddled and ate little as the calm waters allowed an easy trip. The weather was in her favor at this point as she got father and farther from Thriller Bark. The Marines had probably gotten lost in the maze. A smile came across her mouth, she was free.

sc: 50
tsc: 100
Occupation Change: Marine to Pirate 50/50