Island The Azure City, Chongqing

[Einsauer]

Several more minutes of hiking stairs persisted, air growing thinner and colder with every step. Firelight continued springing to life as the duo continued, the light highlighting every breath leaving Shaarib's lungs. The ascent had lasted nearly that of an hour of quiet walking before the air reached its thinnest and the hairs on both Shaarib and the emperor began to tingle and raise.
They were nearing the apex, the top of the staircase sat before them. At the peak was a small, unassuming door with a small paneless window carved delicately into the elegant wood.

The emperor stopped at the door, turned and sat on the top stair. Emperor Dai Yuanjun removed his metal-cased boots one after the other, then glanced to Vice-Admiral Hassan.
"Remove your shoes." He ordered the powerful marine whilst doing the same. "And prepare yourself, it's cold out there." He said with a bit of grim humor before standing, leaving his boots to the side of the door and preparing to open it.
He looked back to Shaarib Hassan. "I trust you are ready?" He asked the Skypiean, hand already on the handle of the door.

The biting cold could already be felt by the Vice-Admiral and emperor, a bitter layer of shard-like powder snow consistently blasted in through the carved window. Soon they would hike through the bitter snow, Shaarib would be at an advantage compared to the Azure City monarch. The jewel-adorned hand of the emperor pushed open the wooden door letting in a horrendous blast of cold wind.
The emperor pushed through first and took in the snow-covered open plaza, a huge collection of stone courtyards and walkways sat underneath a thin sheet of snow. Small stone obelisks and statues lingered all around, obscured by the slow-rolling clouds passing around them (acting as a fog).

After the current cloud shifted past, more was revealed to Skypiean newcomer; ornate temples speckled with powder snow and even trees up at this insane height. The roar of frigid waters echoed in the distance from what sounded like a waterfall.
Emperor Dai Yuanjun walked barefoot to the center of the courtyard and waited silently for-- something.

@Emperor Cross

 

[Emperor Cross]

Shaarib regretted his idea not to speak. He had thought their walk would be fast and short. He thought they would zigzag into the corridors and arrive in a room with a dragon waiting for him but it wasn't it at all. They spent one hour on their trip, the Emperor being too proud to run. He cared about his traditions and didn't want to rush the process. They reached the peak and the only thing between them and Seiryuu was an elegant wooden door. Simple and minimalistic, he would never expected this style from them. Their castle was too majestic for the entrance of their sacred grounds to be like that.

The emperor stopped at the door, turned and sat on the top stair. Emperor Dai Yuanjun removed his metal-cased boots one after the other, then glanced to Vice-Admiral Hassan.
"Remove your shoes." He ordered the powerful marine whilst doing the same. "And prepare yourself, it's cold out there." He said with a bit of grim humor before standing, leaving his boots to the side of the door and preparing to open it.
He looked back to Shaarib Hassan. "I trust you are ready?" He asked the Skypiean, hand already on the handle of the door.

SHaarib took out his shoes without even looking at them. He was more at ease without them. Dai seemed to be worried about the incoming temperature outside and since the Emperor had been polite, Shaarib couldn't risk it at tell that he didn't feel the cold with his fruit. He was made out of fire. The only type of temperature that could affect them was a mystical one like the one he felt in the Temple during the challenge. The Vice-Admiral nodded and took position. Either way, his uniform was heavy enough to protect him. A gust of wind welcomed them in. They were in a plaza. A plaza covered in snow and Shaarib appreciated the view. They were high enough in the air for him to feel at home. Oxygen levels were low. Shaarib inhaled and expired. He looked like a kid observing the scenery with the waterfall noise in the background. The Emperor walked and drove them to an immense courtyard and waited. Shaarib followed suit but decided to sat in the snow. He preferred to wait that way.

- " What a magnificent place..." said the man after an hour of silence.

 

[Einsauer]

The Emperor walked and drove them to an immense courtyard and waited. Shaarib followed suit but decided to sat in the snow. He preferred to wait that way.

- " What a magnificent place..." said the man after an hour of silence.

Emperor Dai Yuanjun smiled weakly at Shaarib, this place was like a second home to the emperor in a way. Much of his young adult life was spent in these surrounding temples, training his connection to Seiryū and by extent, Chongqing itself. Through his curled lips, a puff of hot air escaped into the cold atmosphere in a puff of steam. "It truly is."
Arms now folded, it seemed the emperor was prepared to wait for however long was necessary as the cold winds painted the edges of the emperor's mustache with frozen speckles. A flash of light below could be seen and the accompanying low rumble of thunder below could be heard; the rain must have picked up in Chongqing far below.

As the lightning flash passed, the rumbling seemed to continue; low at first but growing consistently. Soon the rumbling could be felt in the ground that the two stood on. The clouds that were shrouding the mountaintop seemed to form into a thick, circular, spiraling curtain around the snow-powdered, mountaintop temple. The grey-white shroud thickened and thickened as the air immediately around the emperor and the vice-admiral cleared.
In a show of respect, the emperor of Chongqing gently fell to both knees with his hands on his lap before him; as if preparing to meet an old friend.

He looked to Shaarib as if to assure him that it was time, as if it wasn't abundantly clear. Lightning crackled outside of the spinning funnel-cloud curtain, the light that casted displayed an enormous silhouetted shadow onto the cloud. The visage was unmistakable; an enormous, serpentine head (though still shrouded) took up a huge portion of Shaarib's vision.
"Lord Seiryū." The emperor said, in a manner of formal greeting as he gave a slight bow from his sitting position.
The rumbling grew and grew, as thunder seemed to boom in rhythm.
"DARA"

"DARA"​

"DARA"​

...This wasn't thunder.

"NO NEED FOR SUCH FORMALITIES, MY DEAR FRIEND!"​

The voice came down on them like a mighty storm, causing the ground to tremble in its presence; it was as if a force of nature was given a voice. This was Seiryū, the almighty aegis of The Azure City; lightning crackled showing the colossal being was looming JUST beyond the cloud curtain. Shaarib wouldn't even be able to traced at outline of how large the dragon was in the short time given by the lightning.

"DARA"

"DARA"​

"DARA"​

@Emperor Cross

 

[Emperor Cross]

Shaarib forgot his prideful heart; instead of acting like The Emperor, the Skypiean got up and stood there, limbs heavy and tight. What the fuck just happened ? There were in a paisible ambiance, admiring the snow, listening to the water chutes. And now, thunder danced and roared above his head, was it a tornado, was it a storm ? Shaarib did not know, his vision was covered by it. He could only look at it with fear. This type of storm always made him reminisce about his childhood trauma. The joy left his eyes, and Shaarib waited for the consequences of his actions. A voice was ordering to run, to hide in the temple. But the voice seemed to be covered by the yell of despair.. Yet, his legs were heavy as an island. His lungs were full of smoke and half of his body was on fire. He shouldn’t be burning but the fear was winning over reason. He needed to flee, he needed to run before the spear pierced him once again. He didn’t want to feel that pain. He only calmed when the storm rumbled and spoke. It wasn’t Ener’s lazy and twangy voice. It was someone else, something else. It was Seiryu ! The mighty dragon finally appeared!

His goofy personality returned in force and Shaarib couldn’t help but laugh in unison with the rumble. What a poor first impression. Him the Hero of the Government that acted so cocky hours ago, was now scared shitless. Hands fully soaked in sweat. Shaarib’s hurt was hitting his ribcages hard. Excitement, he was in the presence of a divinity. He needed to act like was used to it. He was destined to lead the Marine , he couldn’t act uncool, but Shaarib’s body moved without its avail. The Vice-Admiral knelt in front of the dragon, humbled.

- "Lord Seiryu."

 

[Einsauer]

- "Lord Seiryu."
a

The universe stood still for the young marine hero, from beyond the gossamer curtain of storm clouds he could feel the world peering in on him. It was more than the attention of a single deity that Shaarib drew in with his words, but the attention of what seemed to be a crucial extension of nature itself. The storm clouds began to part atop the secluded mountaintop, still leaving the draconic deity loosely shrouded. Even without seeing Seiryū's eyes, Shaarib Hassan could feel their presence burning into his dark-toned skin. A light rumbling ensued similar to his laughter, but quieter like a snicker, then he responded to the respect given:

"SHAARIB HASSAN-"​

The voice pierced all senses, granting itself attention regardless of those in audience's intention. Effortlessly and with few words, Seiryū's authority put the emperor's to shame (or it would have if they weren't seemingly tethered together). The marine's name was being broadcasted by, what could only be described as, a divine voice. A dull roar of lightless thunder accompanying every syllable of the enormous dragon's annunciation of the Skypiean's name.
The words flowed like an elemental force rather than a voice. With all attention granted to this draconic deity, the words continued to rumble out:

"YOU ARE THE FIRELIGHT THAT FLITS ABOUT THE LAND OF MY PEOPLE"
"I HAVE WATCHED YOU FOR SOME TIME, THOUGH EVEN MY VISION HAS LIMITS-​

Despite the godly energy of every sound granted to the vice-admiral and the emperor, it seemed as though Seiryū was building up to something. These words were simply a precursor or forewarning for words to come. Soon too did those words roll through the sky:

"-TELL ME WHY YOU ARE HERE"​

A perfectly timed crack of lightning appeared from behind the entity once more, casting his colossal shadow onto the curtain of clouds once more. The air grew thin and thick as the dragon released frigid breaths upon the mountaintop. The dragon was not asking Shaarib why he had obeyed the order, but rather why he was in Chongqing at all. He seemed to be a loose cannon, a chaotic force of selfish good- was there more to Shaarib Hassan?

@Emperor Cross

 

[Emperor Cross]

"SHAARIB HASSAN-"​

The voice pierced all senses, granting itself attention regardless of those in audience's intention. Effortlessly and with few words, Seiryū's authority put the emperor's to shame (or it would have if they weren't seemingly tethered together). The marine's name was being broadcasted by, what could only be described as, a divine voice. A dull roar of lightless thunder accompanying every syllable of the enormous dragon's annunciation of the Skypiean's name.
The words flowed like an elemental force rather than a voice. With all attention granted to this draconic deity, the words continued to rumble out:

"YOU ARE THE FIRELIGHT THAT FLITS ABOUT THE LAND OF MY PEOPLE"
"I HAVE WATCHED YOU FOR SOME TIME, THOUGH EVEN MY VISION HAS LIMITS-​

Shaarib twitched when he heard his name. He was in the presence of a divinity. The thunder was rumbling, but our hero header every syllable clearly. The information was transmitted without any loss. Seiryuu knew his name, he might even know everything Shaarib represented. Was it in his powers to see the past or the future of simple mortals ? Shaarib was in awe.

The Dragon even joked. Shaarib's numerous travels to the Sunken CIty had been remarked. The sky had been lit with blue fire for a whole night. But then the divinity admitted its fault. Its vision had limits, was Seiryuu speaking about what happened in the Temple ? Was SOng Wuji's dark arts strong enough to conceal a whole area from their guardian ?

"-TELL ME WHY YOU ARE HERE"​

A perfectly timed crack of lightning appeared from behind the entity once more, casting his colossal shadow onto the curtain of clouds once more. The air grew thin and thick as the dragon released frigid breaths upon the mountaintop. The dragon was not asking Shaarib why he had obeyed the order, but rather why he was in Chongqing at all. He seemed to be a loose cannon, a chaotic force of selfish good- was there more to Shaarib Hassan?

Shaarib stopped. He had already spoken about his intentions the night before. The Emperor was connected to the guardian. To repeat himself was maybe overdoing it. SHaarib had to be frank, he couldn't bullshit his way out of this ordeal. The Skypiean took a deep breath and whispered some prayers. He needed something to bring him courage.

- "I came to this island to fight some pirates. My grandfather wants me to be a politician; he wants his grandson to be an admiral, but I only came here to kill the Leviathan Pirates. I found myself investigating the disappearance of the Commander of our base. The Jiangshi decided to attack us and sink one of our ships. My investigation led me to the Temple and then for revenge purpose, I decided to fight and kill all of them... " He paused to think about his next words "... Sadly It was more than a kidnapping case. The priest had entrapped a powerful spirit and wanted to use it for nefarious reasons... We fought, I died, and the spirit brought me back to life. " The SKypiean smiled " We had to free the temple from Wuji's presence, so I had to fly the kidnapped women back to their homes while facing challenges to get to them." He shrugged " We succeeded but I had to break a lot of rules... That's why his majesty is here for." finished SHaarib while advancing.

He was here for more. He had thought he could have fought the Dragon and proved himself. Compared to Seiryuu he was but a mere insect, and regardless of the outcome, he needed to know one thing and one thing only.

" I am here because I wish to be more !" Flames roared around Shaarib" I am conceited, I feel that this power is not for mine to own...I feel that I can do much more without it. I feel that I'm destined for more than this. My fight against Queen Orca proved it. I won, I was stronger than her but I wasn't able to capture her... I myself wondered what was the solution. I do not have it... I have to jump over a wall but I forgot the fundamentals. I want to be like him ! I want to be a hero ! A real one ! Like the one that freed Skypiea ! " The flames went to form a circle around the Vice-Admiral and danced around him. He was getting angry without realising "Begone Fallen Sky and all that crap... I have to take a new path... Because I'm in a position where I can't stop. I have to walk the path, I reached the peak too soon. I cannot sit still,I can't stagnate... and to be the one they respect and admire, I would have to cross a line...That's what I always thought... I even pitied Akainu for that... I braced myself for the day I would have to make the choice... But then I died, and everything was nice and calm, with no noise and no responsibilities; I was at peace when I closed my eyes. At least I saved a country I thought.....Here I am... I'm not 6 feet deep, so it means I'm here for a real reason! It's time someone new comes back from this judgment, my lord...I need guidance." finished Shaarib with despair in his voice.

 

[Einsauer]

- "I came to this island to fight some pirates. My grandfather wants me to be a politician; he wants his grandson to be an admiral, but I only came here to kill the Leviathan Pirates. I found myself investigating the disappearance of the Commander of our base. The Jiangshi decided to attack us and sink one of our ships. My investigation led me to the Temple and then for revenge purpose, I decided to fight and kill all of them... " He paused to think about his next words "... Sadly It was more than a kidnapping case. The priest had entrapped a powerful spirit and wanted to use it for nefarious reasons... We fought, I died, and the spirit brought me back to life. " The SKypiean smiled " We had to free the temple from Wuji's presence, so I had to fly the kidnapped women back to their homes while facing challenges to get to them." He shrugged " We succeeded but I had to break a lot of rules... That's why his majesty is here for." finished SHaarib while advancing.

All the while Shaarib let loose his anxious ramblings to the dragon before him, the storm clouds began slowly parting more and more. The dragon was coming into full view, even swimming through the air, closer and closer to the peak but remaining at a safe speaking distance for the tiny mortals. The giant, feathery eyebrows of the draconic deity rose as Shaarib spoke, in some sort of mild amusement, Shaarib went on:

" I am here because I wish to be more !" Flames roared around Shaarib" I am conceited, I feel that this power is not for mine to own...I feel that I can do much more without it. I feel that I'm destined for more than this. My fight against Queen Orca proved it. I won, I was stronger than her but I wasn't able to capture her... I myself wondered what was the solution. I do not have it... I have to jump over a wall but I forgot the fundamentals. I want to be like him ! I want to be a hero ! A real one ! Like the one that freed Skypiea ! " The flames went to form a circle around the Vice-Admiral and danced around him. He was getting angry without realising "Begone Fallen Sky and all that crap... I have to take a new path... Because I'm in a position where I can't stop. I have to walk the path, I reached the peak too soon. I cannot sit still,I can't stagnate... and to be the one they respect and admire, I would have to cross a line...That's what I always thought... I even pitied Akainu for that... I braced myself for the day I would have to make the choice... But then I died, and everything was nice and calm, with no noise and no responsibilities; I was at peace when I closed my eyes. At least I saved a country I thought.....Here I am... I'm not 6 feet deep, so it means I'm here for a real reason! It's time someone new comes back from this judgment, my lord...I need guidance." finished Shaarib with despair in his voice.

The godly being watched on for a quiet stretch of time, taking in the sincerity of the moment and trying to best understand Shaarib's perspective. Despite the solemn moment, Seiryu couldn't help but interrupt it with a low rumbling laugh once more accompanied by the storm itself.

"DARA"

"DARA"​

"DARA"​

Boomed out the mighty voice of the the dragon god: Seriyū, his elegant moustache dancing with every movement of his titanic maw. He wasn't attempting to mock Shaarib's plight, his divine sense of indifference simply overpowered his empathy for the phoenix-man. The dragon, was both friendlier and far more intimidating now that he could be seen without any form of coverage. While he had long grown accustomed to formalities (and could even be upset without them), he still regarding such pageantry as a bit silly.

"MORTALS SAY SO LITTLE WITH SO MUCH"​

The enormous god hung in the air, suspended by some sort of divine magical force. Storm clouds closed in atop Shaarib and began to descend towards him; threatening to siphon him up into the air the localized funnel-cloud wormed its grasp towards the Skypiean. Seriyū's eyes briefly flickered bright, like the sun. He held up a mighty arm and answered Shaarib's cry, seeming to hone in on Shaarib's genuine pleas. The Skypiean began to find himself in a wind siphon of sorts, being pulled off the ground and robbed of air, trapped in a torrent of oxygen-stealing gale winds. Shaarib would continue rising until Seiryū deemed him to be 'eye-level'.

"VERY WELL, SHAARIB HASSAN"​

The young marine could only watch as the taloned arm of Seiryū, large enough to hold three warships with ease, reached out towards him with a single claw extended. Once more the eyes of the dragon shone bright, as did the claw-tip as it was held right before Shaarib. While the light was blinding, there was no pain...It was similar to his near-death experience not too long prior, but different...Still fully aware.

Shaarib could feel his body changing, despite not being able to see such a thing happening. His fingers thinned slightly, and lost the light webbing between his fingers. His gills folded into his neck and sealed away, disappearing from his interior anatomy. While certainly bizzare-feeling, it was all relatively painless--
Until something struck him from within, Shaarib felt a pain only describable as: his ribs shattering outwards from within and his soul trying to pull away from his beating heart.

清除-
你變得空虛
Destructive Potency Rank: Z

Spoiler: DPR

7. Mountain Level (seems appropriate) + Rank: Z (+6 DPR) + Haki (+3 DPR) = Total: 16. Galaxy Level!!!!!?

@Emperor Cross

 

[Emperor Cross]

"DARA"

"DARA"​

"DARA"​

Boomed out the mighty voice of the the dragon god: Seriyū, his elegant moustache dancing with every movement of his titanic maw. He wasn't attempting to mock Shaarib's plight, his divine sense of indifference simply overpowered his empathy for the phoenix-man. The dragon, was both friendlier and far more intimidating now that he could be seen without any form of coverage. While he had long grown accustomed to formalities (and could even be upset without them), he still regarding such pageantry as a bit silly.

"MORTALS SAY SO LITTLE WITH SO MUCH"​

The enormous god hung in the air, suspended by some sort of divine magical force. Storm clouds closed in atop Shaarib and began to descend towards him; threatening to siphon him up into the air the localized funnel-cloud wormed its grasp towards the Skypiean. Seriyū's eyes briefly flickered bright, like the sun. He held up a mighty arm and answered Shaarib's cry, seeming to hone in on Shaarib's genuine pleas. The Skypiean began to find himself in a wind siphon of sorts, being pulled off the ground and robbed of air, trapped in a torrent of oxygen-stealing gale winds. Shaarib would continue rising until Seiryū deemed him to be 'eye-level'.

"VERY WELL, SHAARIB HASSAN"​

The young marine could only watch as the taloned arm of Seiryū, large enough to hold three warships with ease, reached out towards him with a single claw extended. Once more the eyes of the dragon shone bright, as did the claw-tip as it was held right before Shaarib. While the light was blinding, there was no pain...It was similar to his near-death experience not too long prior, but different...Still fully aware.

Shaarib could feel his body changing, despite not being able to see such a thing happening. His fingers thinned slightly, and lost the light webbing between his fingers. His gills folded into his neck and sealed away, disappearing from his interior anatomy. While certainly bizzare-feeling, it was all relatively painless--
Until something struck him from within, Shaarib felt a pain only describable as: his ribs shattering outwards from within and his soul trying to pull away from his beating heart.

Shaarib, was out of breath, maybe a little bit out of depth. He had led his feelings out. He had said everything he had left. He was ready for his sentence. The clouds had went away and he could now assess the judge. The Government really underestimated the might of Azure City. Shaarib only met a few legend, Bullet was the strongest and most dangerous one he met. That beast of a man was nothing in comparison to Seiryu. The Skypiean couldn't imagine what would have happened to them if they had destroyed the port like Hajib intended.

Clouds closed in on the marine's position. The Dréagon spoke but Shaarib was already in a transe. The fire around the birdman died out and when Seiryuu's eyes shone, a siphon pulled him above ground. The gigantic talon came down, and light engulfed the Vice-Admiral. The dark-skinned felt his body changing. He was burning, gone were his eyebrows and the mohawk (I don't remember if he cut it or not). His gills shut downed, they closed and SHaarib opened his mouth to breath in but it was too late. At first he felt no pain but as as soon as he mouth opened, his ribs began to crack. Like second nature, he tried to summon the flames to heal him but nothing appeared. Something within was paving its way out. His heart was beating fast and strongly and finally a blue ball was extirped out of his mouth. The birdman looked at it confused, was it his soul ? DId he fail the judgment? Was it goign to be the end thought our hero before losing consciousness.

CUT !
​

The world wasn't dark when Shaarib regained consciousness, he could not believe he was opening his eyes again. He wore another of the fine made tunics made on Azure. Wait a minute... This already happened ! Shaarib instantly knew where he was ! He was in the same room he came to himself after the Temple incident. Unlike that time, SHaarib had no wounds on his body. He got up and lost his balance, nearly hitting his head against the wooden headboard. He took a deep breath but his gills did not move. He tapped his neck with his hand and had two realizations. He had neither gills nor web hands. His fingers were not linked anymore, they were thinners. A laugh interrupted the man, someone was in the room with him : Ayol.

- " Happy to see you awake boss !" said the woman

- " Were are my giills ? What happened to it ?"

- "Sir, are you sure you are alright ? Gills ? You never had Gills, you are not a fishman descendant sir..."

The world stopped spinning. Shaarib always had gills. It was conversation they had in the 169th when he revealed them. But now one of his most trusted advisor seemed to forget it. Had Seiryuu changed reality ? Or was SHaarib dead ? The Skypiean walked to the window and slid it open. A cold breeze welcomed him. A cold breeze ? SHaarib felt cold, it wasn't supposed to happen. The birdman tried to summon his flames, tried to run into a bird but nothing happened. He jumped through the hole and sat on the tiles. Tears on his face. He received his sentence. He lost his identity. A phoenix he was no more. He took a peek into his unique and saw that his body was not covered with burn mark anymore. He was simply Shaarib Hassan, a Skypiean. There was no more trauma. Seiryuu gave him another chance.

 

[Einsauer]

Shaarib Hassan awoke anew in many ways; both a gift and a challenge from the dragon god Seiryū. Perhaps, in fact, this was less of a punishment and more of a second chance to the young marine hero, it would seem Seiryū had expectations of this young man. The cold air, fresh from a day of rain, met the man as a gong sounded off in the distance.

It seemed in some ways the world itself had been rewritten, though upon stepping out of his chambers it seemed some things were unchanged. Visible from the hall Shaarib stood in, the front door stood had a large slash in it; it seemed the repercussions of everything remained the same; now with a new understanding not privy to the original truth of the matter.
Marine Commander Stein greeted the young Hassan with a salute. "Shaarib, sir." He said. "You're ship is prepared as you ordered and most of your party awaits you there."
"Thank you for all you've done here in Chongqing." Stein continued as his assistant; Lt. Commander Mina approached as well, saluting when she reached speaking distance to the two.
"The commander was telling me how much the emperor took a liking to you." She said with a warm smile, the bags under her eyes seeming dissipated a bit from a good night's sleep (for once). "That's amazing, you truly are a hero Vice-Admiral Hassan!"

"Thank goodness Matron Wēn arrived when she did." Stein added, trailing off a bit as the vice-admiral's head rushed with theories and thoughts-
It seemed almost everything remained the same in their memories except any details of Shaarib ever having fishman ancestry or the powers of the phoenix. The dragon had seemingly altered history in a very specific manner.

The soldiers stationed in Chongqing lined the walls of the main room of the embassy and as Shaarib Hassan entered they all saluted him for his heroism. The two in charge of the embassy thanked Shaarib one last time and wished him a safe continuation of his journey.
After saying his farewells, the outside world would embrace the Skypiean as he pushed the doors open.

The sun came down strong despite the gentle coldness in the air. In the far distance Shaarib could hear the chatter of citizens going about their daily business and pleasure. There was a sense of relaxation and newfound cheeriness that seemed to envelope the entire island- The scourge was gone.

As he moved, on foot (rather than through the air), he noticed more and more folks as he moved from the fancier part of the city to the harbor. Some unfamiliar, some:
A large raccoon-mink, with his arm around a beautiful human woman walked near Shaarib and then stopped him for a moment. "Oh, Kallavan!" He said joyfully. "I must admit, I don't know what came over me when last we met! We must surely meet up again soon!" He said and moved on, continuing with his date.

A bit closer to his ship, an old monkey-mink woman turned her back in disgust to the marine...
While some seemed a bit cold to the marine, others thanked him in passing; the word of his actions seemingly have gotten around already.

Distrust for the World Government was still strong here, but through the actions of Shaarib Hassan and his partners...Perhaps there was still future for a proper allegiance.

Despite the strange magic taking place, it seemed everything was normal in Chongqing- more normal than it had been for decades. Just as Shaarib's history was beginning anew, so too was The Azure City's.

@Emperor Cross