Legend
Kingslayer
- 1,308
- Posts
- 16
- Years
- Age 33
- New Jersey
- Seen Jun 23, 2018
Kasumi Kobushi- The Kobushi Tower Comes Crashing Down
Things were not going at all as she expected. Kasumi did not think the Unit would fail in such spectacular fashion. It was a disappointment, but hardly a poor investment. They did their part in the grander scheme of things and at this moment provided an acceptable means of escape. Everyone would be distracted fighting and she could easily sneak out. It was always feasible that her Dinas operation would be come crashing down eventually, but she expected it would be an inside job. Some lower level member of her corporation would sell her out in some capacity and she would have to either go into damage control or abandon the bulk of her operation. But not this. Never something like this.
Kasumi had already abandoned her office, carrying a small bag of her most valued supplies. It was mostly files and some trinkets of personal value. She tended to keep backups upon backups at other offices, so she could travel light from location to location. It did not help that Kasumi was guilty of paranoia, so it was almost as if she was always prepared to make a quick escape. Completely aware that many of the Skull Pirates who had opposed her where either near death or fighting Billionth, Kasumi swiftly made her way down the stairs, firmly believing that the elevator would corner her too easily.
Deciding to make a small detour and check one of her backup files in the storage room, Kasumi bolted out of the staircase and swiftly through one of the many doors on the level. She had practically memorized the entire organization system, having designed it herself. Combine that with a photographic memory and it would be impossible for her to find something within a few quiet moments. She nabbed the necessary files and fled the room, locking the door as she left.
"Going somewhere?" A voice said from behind her as she locked the door. She then heard a click as if a gun was being primed to fire.
Kasumi could only smirk. "Commodore Zakiru Kiba. I was wondering when you would return," she said. With a quick pivot, Kasumi returned the favor and aimed her own gun at Kiba. Her pistol was far smaller than Kiba's Handcannon, but held it's the same perk of being loaded with Seastone bullets. However, that distinction did little in this case we both lacking any Devil Fruit powers. Instead, it was her finesse opposing Kiba's raw power.
Kiba tensed his arm, readying to pop a bullet into Kasumi at a moment's notice. Kasumi, however, remained calm. At ease, even. As if the entire situation was expected. Kiba tried to twist his grimace into a smile, to put on a pretense of confidence: "I did not take you for a coward, Kasumi. Is this you admitting that your Unit has failed?"
"It is a calculated retreat, yes. But the war is far from lost," Kasumi replied. "Though, I must ask, why do you raise your weapon against a Shichibukai? Don't you have some prey to hunt…'Predator'?"
"Once a pirate, always a pirate," Kiba said flatly.
"Must I remind that we Shichibukai have no bounties and have pledged loyalty to the World Government?" Kasumi said with a confident smile.
Kiba grimaced at Kasumi's near infallible logic, but then smiled ever so slightly. "I beg to differ when it comes to you," Kiba said.
"Whatever do you mean?" Kasumi said with a tilt of her head. "Unless my intellect has failed me, which it does not, I have contributed more to the World Government cause than any other Shichibukai."
Kiba's body grew tense. "Which is why I suspected something in the first place." Kasumi raised an eyebrow slightly as Kiba spoke. "Your joining of the Shichibukai appeared abrupt to me. After all, very few ever join as willingly as you did when the Marines cracked down on all your backdoor operations: arms dealing, illegal smuggling, intelligence leaks, merchant raiding; monopolization of virtually everything. The Kobushi Corporation had grown exponentially ever since you and your father had taken over. But for you to suddenly to explicitly become a pirate and then insist on being Shichibukai never sat well with me."
"So I did some searching in the records at HQ. I will admit that I had to connect a number of dots, but things began to make sense. When you became a Warlord, many shared my sentiment and questioned your loyalty. But you knew that didn't you? Your quick alliance with Akasame assured that, as you sold out pirate crew after pirate crew. Your intelligence network guaranteed you had a ear to the ground about nearly every passing crew here in Dinas, a key stop for anyone daring the sail the Grand Line. In response, the Marines turned a blind eye to your dealings in the city and across the seas. Any time, Akasame or someone grew suspicious, you would toss them a bone and we wouldn't be the wiser. Am I correct or no?"
Kasumi did not respond, but kept her gun fixated on Kiba. He could only smile, feeling he was close to the truth.
"I'll continue then. For some time, you were quiet. There wasn't a lot of action coming from your end, especially with Morris D. Rallo gone. But then suddenly Duke Island happened. Ginokami told me that Akasame called it your brainchild; a product of months of planning. Really now? I'm guessing it took about thirty minutes to put together. Tell a bunch of pirates treasure exists on the island and only the winner gets it? Please, Kasumi."
"To be fair, your admiral did modify it a bit. Mine was a bit more complicated," Kasumi said with a giggle.
"Regardless of what came to transpire, I was curious. I came to Dinas seeking confirmation of my suspicions. The timing of the Duke Island event coinciding with this Golden Age of Piracy was too…convenient. When I docked here, I didn't know what I expected. Then I bumped into Wright D. Morgan, who seemed to share the same sentiments I did. Sure, he was hardly as eloquent as I am, but the man, despite his questionable taste in friends, has his ethics. Imagine my surprise when I lurked in the dungeons. They are pirates sure. Legitimate criminals as well. But political prisoners. Naysayers of the great Kasumi Kobushi. Individuals who claimed that were imprisoned for suspected information leaks. Those who swore they have direct proving your…intent to commit treason. Put together with your Unit members who bend to your every whim and are willing to kill anyone you point them at. Sounds like a recipe for a cover up operation to me!" Kiba tightened his finger on the trigger of his Handcannon.
"What exactly are you accusing me of, Marine?" Kasumi said.
"It did not occur to me until I saw everything and took a step back. It honestly pains me that I did not realize it as clearly as I do now from the beginning. You have been planning this from the start. You became a Shichibukai to use both sides to your advantage: keep the marines off your back but retain your affluence. Play the marines from time to time to keep your influence in the pirating world, but sell out a crew or two to maintain your status. Dinas was to be your home base of operations so you had a constant stream of information, while also getting the supplies you needed to pull off your grand scheme. You used us to protect yourself while removing the competition. Duke Island was the culmination of all that. Wasn't it?!"
"Hehehehehehehe," Kasumi laughed. "You really think that is all there is to it?"
"What?" Kiba asked.
"I do commend you for conceiving that notion from a bit of research and intuition, but stating that Duke Island was the culmination of my years of planning is an insult to every Kobushi in my family's history. No, Duke Island was an example of my talent. An audition for Akasame to put me in his inner circle, if you will. And trust me when I say I passed with flying colors, Commodore. And the best part is he doesn't suspect a thing, unlike you. You see, your theory behind what drives each and each carefully orchestrated move is entirely true. I have been playing you Marines like a fiddle. All I had to do was say a few vows and throw you a bone or two. When you finished it, I threw another and not one of you were none the wiser to anything I was doing behind your backs. I would equip a couple pirate crews with guns and you disposed of them for me. 'Removing the competition' you said? I couldn't put it better myself. But you see, that was all for show. I was inching closer to the heart of what drives the World Government these days: eliminating the pirate threat. You see, the real culmination, my conspiracy theory ridden friend, is everything around you." Kasumi gestured with her free hand with Kiba simply glaring at her, shaking in anger.
"You seem confused. As expected as much, as your brain could probably only process so much. Allow me to explain in simple words what I'm intending to do. By putting himself in the inner circle of the World Government, I will have access to every little bit of intelligence you have. Which of course, allows me to plan years ahead. But the real prize are your ears. All I need to do is whisper in them and bend the World Government to my will. And that's the real power because once all my competition is dead and I am the last pirate standing, all I have to do is," Kasumi suddenly stopped speaking and snapped her fingers. " And I am Queen."
"I won't let you get away with it!" Kiba roared. "Now you have confessed I-"
"Hehehehehehehe!" Kasumi laughed, louder than before. "Oh please, Commodore. Your word means less than nothing to the Admirals, considering you let your crowning prisoner escape your grasp a handful of times. Your witnesses fear me more than death itself. And so you find some miracle to put me in a court…well, let's just say no court would dare convict me. You are powerless to stop me."
Kiba was shaking in anger. "I'll just ki-" Suddenly the entire tower rumbled and small cracks in the walls emerged. Distracted, Kiba felt his focus slip but immediately tried to redirect it at Kasumi. She was making her way towards a nearby window, shattering it with the butt of her gun. Kiba fired a quick shot with his Handcannon, hitting her in the leg. Kasumi winced in pain, but turned around and fired her own shot in the Marine's dominant hand. The recoil of the bullet forced Kiba back with a groan in pain, old injuries from Narro reawakened.
"Till we meet again," Kasumi said with a wince. She leapt out of the window, descending into the city below. A small parachute shot out as she disappeared out of eyesight.
Kiba punched a wall in frustration. "Damn it," he said. It was the only words that came to mind. With a grunt, Kiba noticed the cracks growing. "I better get-" Kiba said, before being interrupted again by his Den-Den Mushi ringing once again. Rolling his eyes, he picked it up, figuring one of his subordinates was trying to reach him.
"Hello?" A voice asked, one he did not recognize.
"Who is this?" Kiba fired back.
"Oh, it worked. It's uh, Kurisu. From before."
"How…how did you reach me?"
"Right, that. I picked up your frequency when we broke that one group of prisoners. Anyway, long story but the tower is coming down any minute now."
"I've noticed."
"Damn, must be going faster than I thought. Well, that makes this next part really important. There is a group of people fighting up on the upper levels. They are going to be buried under all this rubble unless you get to them. Can you manage it?"
"I can," Kiba asked. "Who are they?"
"Um, look at the time, gotta go!" Kurisu abruptly said with a loud click.
"Well, then. Time to listen for the sounds of battle," Kiba said, placing his snail back in his pocket.
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