Serious: For those who have yet to wake up

"Captain Birch, eh?"

A red haired man made his way over to the docks, he seemed to be holding some sort of document with his left hand whilst his right hand was tucked into his pocket. He was examining the document with a smile, he was finally going to get back to work. Ever since his last crew disband, Matt had been sitting idle for quite some time. Now all of that was about to change, he had been assigned to Birch's crew and was pumped to get started again.

He noticed the ship he was looking for in front of him, according to some of the marines, Captain Birch was supposed to be on that ship with his recruits. Matt folded the document and tucked it into his pocket. He made his way onto the ship and removed his backpack, placing it somewhere to the side.

"Officer Matt, reporting for duty, sir!" Matt yelled out loud, ignorting the fact that Birch was right beside him. Old habits die hard, eh?

Reyes dived out of the way and created a bit of space between himself and the fight. He was about to jump back into the fray when he noticed a sailor not a part of the ring of sailors that had formed around the fight. This one was yelling something right next to Birch.
He dropped his arms into a relaxed pose as he tried to hear what the fellow had to say.
"Off att, ting or duty, si!"
A foreigner? What kind of language is that anyway?
Reyes waited patiently for Birch to notice the newcomer before he did anything else.

As nanami seemed disastisfied with Birch his combat skills and tried something funny with her sword Birch stepped back as the sword missed him, he inmediatley stepped back in and slammed his pole in as he turned his body and moved upwards making his pole slide along the sword and then into nanami after, if he wasn't  interupted by a recruit that was.

Someone was on duty, stopping the strike he'd land on nanami he made sure he seemed defenseless but his defense would be without holes when he turned around at looked at the new recruit. '' Ah I knew they'd send one more, I kind of don't have your file here. but show me what you can do, want to go 1 on 3 or two on two, he smiled waiting for an answer while spinning his weapon around while provoking Nanami, knowing she was getting pissed by his way of leading and fighting.

"It would only be fair to go 2 v 2 but I need I do need to learn how to fight with my fellow crew members, so I guess I'm gonna have to go 1 v 3, plus it makes things more exciting, right?"

Matt smiled and cracked his knuckles, was he the only one here without a weapon. Oh well, he was used to going into combat with his hands anyway. Matt walked on over beside his teammates, it had been some time since Matt was in a fight. It was time to get the ball rolling once more, Matt cracked his neck and raised his fists.

Birch was about to slide past her defences and strike her, however they were interrupted by a man. She took a couple of steps back as Birch stopped his attack and looked toward the newcomer. He seemed.. Formed, and thusly she would think that he’s the only other officer, commissioned or not who actually pays attention to the rules. She’d bow her head in greetings.
 
Birch continued to not conform himself to his rank. He span his staff around. “One verses three it is.” she’d say, spinning toward Birch on her heel and then begin with a flurry of slashes (blunt side) toward him. She wouldn’t make any rhyme or cohesion for now, simply keeping an eye on Birch’s body and head in general, once she’d see him make a slip, she’d take it.

He looked around. The sailors who'd dropped their crates and ropes to watch were between confusion and awe. Honestly Reyes didn't see the point in randomly fighting but he sighed and raised his weapons once more. Nanami seemed pleasantly competitive and the newcomer seemed eager to fight; way too much energy for this time of the day.
The rain fell slightly harder as if in response to the fight.
"Fuck it."
Reyes jumped to the right of Nanami, slamming the blunt side of his axe at Birch's left arm. He raised his shield again to block a front attack.

A three versus one, Birch was alone in this, but the others were as well, they didn't know each other how could they trust each other, his styles iritated nanami, and he was being more and more sloppy to provoke her. more and more sloppy to make things more fun.

As nanami was spinning on her heel and then aimed a flurry of quick attacks to his right side, he only had to put his pole inbetween, the strength of these attacks were quite heavy, but that wasn't something he couldn't handle. Smiling to see Reyes attack as well coming from behind nanami he smiled, just when nanami was continueing her flurry, he stepped back a bit making her sword nearly miss him, ripping a small bit of his coat, smiling he slided his pole down to the end and grabbed it with both hands, crouching slightly he put all his force into a blow aiming for Nanami her side, and reyes his side aswell, his almost two meter long pole could hit both of them, and if they would dodge this or be slammed to the ground by this, his swing would continue all the way to the new recruit

Seeing the two charge in with their weapons, Matt waited for a chance to jump in and attack. Once he saw Birch dodge one of the woman's attacks, he got ready to make his move. He saw Birch crouch slightly and aim to hit both the man and woman across their right side.

Matt got ready as Birch swung his weapon, he ran towards Birch's left side and pulled back his fist. He aimed to give him a blow across his jaw, though not too hard, he didn't want to injure the captain too much.

Nanami was growing increasingly irritated with Birch’s fighting style. He fought with neither grace nor any particular style. He simply put his staff imbetween himself and her blade. She had half a mind to thrust, but that may culminate in a wound to which she couldn’t afford to give so early in her career.
 
As she swung again, Birch stepped backwards, she managed to rip a bit off his coat but he then crouched, aligning his staff with her right section he began to thrust. She’d twist her wrist to tap onto the staff and hope to divert it away from her side, though this may cause it to hit Reyes a bit in the middle. She would begin to strike, but Matt seemed to be ahead of her. She instead disengaged and moved to the side, hoping to flank Birch.

Reyes dropped back after the failed attack and quickly lowered his shield to stomach level to stop the strike from the staff. It slammed into the Adam Wood shield harmlessly. "Good thing my left arm's stronger than my right," Reyes whispered to himself with a grin as he pushed against the staff.

As matt stormed in ready to punch him when his staff was swinging to attack the others birch smiled. getting up from his crouching position and with his right hand continueing his strike that was blocked by a shield he leaped downrds towards matt who wanted to strike him with his fist .ducking under he then intended to push matt back at the other two and if nanami wouldn't stop hed cut her own tteam mate ." I might not be the most gracefull fighter but it gets the job done " he said as he reslammed his pole towards his crew with quite a bit of force and momentum .even when blocking this some damage would be felt .

Nanami would frown as Matt got in the way, though luckily she was only using the flat edge of her blade. Should Matt get pushed toward her and Reyes, she would attempt to evade him while gently pushing him to the side so the force would be redirected to.. Reyes or the floor, she guessed. She ignored Birch’s comment. Unfortunately most of her attacks should only be used against criminals trying to kill her first, so she couldn’t use any of them. She’d start to run toward the back of Birch, before trying to launch a quick strike toward his shin while bending her knees, hopefully this would give the other two some leeway to attack his back.

"Damn." Matt thought to himself as his attack missed.

He spotted one of his crew mates go for Birch's back, Matt planned on joining however he spotted his captain's pole charging right at him. He got out his arm and got ready to block it. It would sting a bit but Lero's kicks to the face hurt a lot more. Once the pole collided with his arm, he could attempt to grab hold of it with his free hand. This would hopefully give the man with the shield and blade time to go for the back.

Reyes watched this all unfold before him calmly. So the new kid blocked it with his arm.
Is it made of mithril?
Reyes regained his composure in time to realise the boy's plan He stepped forward and swung his heavy shield at the shoulder of Birch's pole-wielding arm, aiming to dislocate it with the edge of the shield.

This new guy was pretty strong to catch the pole. and the other two tried to use that to attack him from the back . Birch smiled " your teamworks not bad . but a staff can be used for different things then slashing" he said a tad bluntly as he pushed the pole hold by matt into the ground with full force .matts grip wouldnt losen .but as Birche jumped up and used the bottom of the pole to ballance himself in the air .leaning on the pole with his full body.

after the jump he would slam down and if matt wouldnt duck away he'd be crushed by himself and the pole, to make sure he wouldn't wound matt to bad . he launched himself off the pole. possibly knocking back matt possibly then aim both his legs one at nanami one at reyes .both trying to hit their head . " you guys almost done or?" Birch said provoking

Nanami blinked as her slash touched nothing. She stopped herself from continuing the flurry to look up and see Birch on top of it. She considered kicking the pole to make him fall off it, but then he decided to launch himself off. She attempted to jump back from the kick, though only managed to make the kick hit her chest rather than her head, she fell backwards, rolling a bit and ending up in a kneeling position. Obviously Birch was more skilled than she was. “Hrm.” she’d grunt, rubbing her sore hit spot, saluting with her blade before resheathing it.

Matt released his hand from the pole and dodged Birch's next attack by ducking to the left. Once he had successfully evaded the captain's attack, he pounced towards him (he sprinted) and got his left fist ready.

"I'm only getting started, captain!" Matt replied with a grin.

He swung his left fist, but little did Birch know that this was a feint, the real attack was a right fist charging to his stomach.

Reyes failed to push Nanami out of the way and instead opted to save himself. He dropped the shield one more to block the kick. It knocked him back a few centimeters but he was unharmed.
"I'm do-" Reyes started before the new sailor re-entered the fight. Reyes simply withdrew from the fight as Birch and Newbie went at it. He turned, picked his discarded coat up and tried desperately to put the drenched coat on while still looking reasonably respectable. He wasn't successful. Fortunately the rain had halted to a drizzle.

As both others gave up only matt was left, Birch shook his head, as a punch headed his way, but this clearly was a faint, he put his hand out and blocked the faint catching his hand '' Okay I know enough, you guys pass, now prepare for a long journey, because we got one at hand''

end of thread.  

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