"Freebird" Sparrow

//The design is still not exactly final, but I am proud to present the Master of Musou himself, “Freebird” Sparrow, in all of his visualized glory!  We’re still playing around with certain minor portions, but the big part, the winged hanfu, is very close to what I had imagined!

freebird-sparrow​:

“Damn it!”

Sparrow ran as fast as he could from the battle that was raging behind him, trying to get to safety as things went pear shaped in a hurry.  He had thought this island was going through an upheaval in authority, only to learn very late that it was a wild free-for-all against two rival societies on the same island.  He had hoped that he would be able to enact a sort of justice for the side he chose, only to learn that both sides weren’t quite as admirable as he had thought.  Now, legendary as the Rebel Warrior was, the Freebird now found himself to be public enemy number one, one of the rare times his freedom fighting efforts were in vain.

Evading the battle and angry inhabitants as best he could, Sparrow found himself near a cliffside.  His boat was out of commission as it was destroyed during the fighting, and there was no way to get off the island.  He needed to either steal a ship, or become a stowaway.

Taking out his retractable monocular, he surveyed the scenery.  There were skirmishes all across the island, it was difficult to figure out what was going on, and to tell who was friend or foe.  As he quickly scanned the area, he saw a group of angry townsfolk running roughshod and giving chase to a small band of people in the distance.  Peering closely, Sparrow could make out a familiar figure, one that he had seen across many bounty posters.

“…Huh?  No way…”

Sparrow recognized him immediately.  The red top, the scar on his eye, and the straw hat.  It was him!

The Straw Hat pirate himself…

“Monkey D. Luffy…!?  What’s he doing all the way here!?”

The angry mob behind them were starting to catch up, weapons in hand, and there was little chance his crew weren’t going to be able to hold them off.  They needed one more sword at their side.  Collapsing his monocular, Sparrow pocketed it as he gave his wings a resounding “POMF” to straighten them out.

“Time for the Freebird to swoop in…”

Getting some distance for a running start, Sparrow unsheathed his Dao and dashed forward and swan dived off the cliff, spreading his arms as the wingsuit deployed, his feathers stiffening, and whisked him up as he took flight toward the chase in question.  Whether the Straw Hat Pirates liked it or not, the Master of Musou was here to help, and help he would…

Fighting is easier when there’s no need to hold back.

The crew’s doing their best, doling out non-fatal blows where they can’t just force the crowd back, but there’s only so much that can be done when the townsfolk don’t have the same reservations and their weapons are used with intent to cut down what to them is just another band of pirates the world would be better off without.  The launch is not going fast enough, Sunny’s anchors take *time* and three hands just isn’t enough to get everything set so Brook and Sanji split off too leaving them short-handed. Even Luffy’s ability to deflect bullets is too risky, the ricochet unpredictable and they don’t believe in collateral damage.

They’re losing ground, pressed back and back and it won’t be long before they’re funneled on the dock and that’s not good for anyone. He’s too busy protecting the crew from errant shots to use his whip and the amusement is gone, swallowed up into a single-minded focus that has his jaw clenched in determination and sending punches where he can as Robin spreads herself thin with extra limbs sprouting to create a barrier when something tickles at the edges of his awareness.

Usopp’s got a smokescreen on the left edge, stinging eyes and throats but that’s not what does it. It’s the displacement of that smoke, an unnatural shift of wind that compliments the feeling that there’s something more before he’s seeking it out, pinning his attention on the figure dropping to the ground too close to their ranks to not be taken seriously.

Friend or foe? A look is shared amongst the crew, short but conveying the concern nonetheless. Luffy doesn’t pay attention to posters; it just doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things to him–he’s going to take someone down or form alliances or help regardless of what reputation they might have, posters are only interesting as long as they have familiar faces and then it’s only as a measurement.

*Look how far we’ve come*.

Robin knows, though. She’s always paid more attention to the news, always read up on the ones that might be relevant to their adventures, and though it’s never a guarantee just what side of her captain’s very firm line of belief new faces will fall this one she knows at least isn’t out for them. *Why* he’s dropping in though…that’s a bit of a mystery. The look is met with the barest hint of a smirk and that’s all he needs to know.

It’s always his been his belief that actions speak loudest, second only to his own intuition with regards to alignment, and Luffy watches first and swings second in this moment but the one taking the measured force of his fist isn’t the man but the one with a sword raised high to strike. “A birdman!” He announces gleefully, distracted just north of enough to be risky and it’s Chopper filling the gap as Luffy breaks defense to fit the stranger into the ranks as Nami shouts above the ruckus that they’re minutes from departure.

The gust carried him as far as it could as he surveyed the scenery from his high vantage point, the wings of his hanfu keeping him in the air long enough to circle around the ensuing battle.  The mob had completely forced the Straw Hats into a bottleneck at the docks, as two figures where attempting to raise their ship’s anchors and set sail as soon as they could.  Luffy looked like he was trying to keep them back, but the islanders clearly had the numbers game on the crew, and Sparrow simply couldn’t hang in the air any longer.

A smokescreen suddenly enveloped the area, blinding both sides.  Now was the time to swoop in.  Sweeping around and with a sharp flap of his arms to his side, the wings folded and Sparrow dove headfirst into the action down below.  Just before he hits the ground, he brings his knees to his chest, his wings back out and with a mighty flap of his arms, gave his wings a massive wingbeat using his Musou art to blow the smoke away, and break his fall as he lands in a crouched position.

The Freebird’s gaze turns to the Straw Hats as many of them look at him with a mix of bemusement, awe, and elation, the last one definitely in relation to the captain as his fist was flying in his direction with a call out to Sparrow.

“A birdman!”

Sparrow’s eyes widned as he ducked the path of the fist flying toward him, only to realize it flew to an attacking swordsman.  As the man’s body flew back towards the crowd, the fighting came to a standstill as the Rebel Warrior stood between the mob and the Straw Hats.

“’Freebird’ Sparrow!?”  One man called out.  “We should have known you’d be with these pirates!  You think you can go around and say what you think we need!?  We never asked for your help!”

With his sword in hand, Sparrow called back out.  “I did what I could to help one side because I felt you had mistreated them!  I’m fairly certain the Straw Hats felt the same way!  But your island is a maelstrom of chaos that seems to be beyond help!  I did my best to do what was right and give you all a mutual understanding!”

“You joined them without even consulting anyone!  We never wanted your help, and then Straw Hat decides to show up and call the shots!?  We don’t need you!”

“You’re as bad as the pirates!”

“You probably ARE a pirate!”

Sparrow gripped his sword tighter, as he brought a hand to his chest.  “I am not a pirate!  Nor am I with these pirates you’ve been chasing!”  He shouted.  “I do what I do because I want to see a brighter tomorrow for all civilizations!  I helped because I thought you needed it!  Clearly I was wrong!”

“Yes, you were!”  One shouted.  “And you’ll pay for that mistake with your blood!”

Sparrow’s brow furrowed, as he brought his Dao up into a fighting stance, channeling his Haki into his blade as he prepared for a Musou strike.  “So be it!”  He cried.  “But you will not lay a hand on these pirates!”

As the crowd began to charge toward the Freebird, a bright blue flame erupted from the blade, as Sparrow prepared to strike with a mighty cry.

“MUSOU!”

With a sweep of his blade, a mighty energy wave launched forth, sending hundreds within the mob flying as if they were caught in a tidal wave.  The fight had commenced, and Sparrow was now holding his own against the hundreds that attempted to keep the Straw Hats at bay.

The pirates, and its captain, could see fully why the figure in front of them was known as the One Who Fights One Thousand.

Sparrow was pushing them back just enough to give the crew some breathing room.  After another Musou strike, bringing the mob back further, Sparrow turned around and shouted at the pirates.

“Now’s your chance!  Get out of here!”  He waved the Straw Hats away to give them time to raise sail.  The mob then pushed back and brought Sparrow closer to the pirates as they now struggled against time to leave.

Complete Catastrophe

It’s impossible to make everyone happy all of the time.

Their timing is terrible, making landfall in the middle of a war zone they hadn’t even known had been happening, and as their captain was known to do they were sucked right in, a third party in a complete clusterfuck, trying to make right a series of wrongs so tangled that it was hard to tell just who the innocent party was.

Even as the dust settles, battles won and the crew haggard from their efforts, it doesn’t really. All the townsfolk see is another set of pirates, unknowing of the goings on on the battlefield, and they’re chased from the town with by a misguided sense of justice that has Luffy laughing near-hysterically. It’s so familiar it aches – takes him back to the beginnings of their journey when it was freshly three, not ten, running for two small boats – and even the new addition of Marines and a fresh face that came to their aid mid-battle isn’t enough to dislodge the nostalgia that has him elated.

“We need to shove off, and fast!” Nami shouts from ahead, Franky and Zoro hot on her heels to get the ship readied as a few of the Straw Hats hang back to fend off the civilians and buy some time.

“Damn it!”

Sparrow ran as fast as he could from the battle that was raging behind him, trying to get to safety as things went pear shaped in a hurry.  He had thought this island was going through an upheaval in authority, only to learn very late that it was a wild free-for-all against two rival societies on the same island.  He had hoped that he would be able to enact a sort of justice for the side he chose, only to learn that both sides weren’t quite as admirable as he had thought.  Now, legendary as the Rebel Warrior was, the Freebird now found himself to be public enemy number one, one of the rare times his freedom fighting efforts were in vain.

Evading the battle and angry inhabitants as best he could, Sparrow found himself near a cliffside.  His boat was out of commission as it was destroyed during the fighting, and there was no way to get off the island.  He needed to either steal a ship, or become a stowaway.

Taking out his retractable monocular, he surveyed the scenery.  There were skirmishes all across the island, it was difficult to figure out what was going on, and to tell who was friend or foe.  As he quickly scanned the area, he saw a group of angry townsfolk running roughshod and giving chase to a small band of people in the distance.  Peering closely, Sparrow could make out a familiar figure, one that he had seen across many bounty posters.

“...Huh?  No way...”

Sparrow recognized him immediately.  The red top, the scar on his eye, and the straw hat.  It was him!

The Straw Hat pirate himself...

“Monkey D. Luffy...!?  What’s he doing all the way here!?”

The angry mob behind them were starting to catch up, weapons in hand, and there was little chance his crew weren’t going to be able to hold them off.  They needed one more sword at their side.  Collapsing his monocular, Sparrow pocketed it as he gave his wings a resounding “POMF” to straighten them out.

“Time for the Freebird to swoop in...”

So, if you’re just now following me, welcome!  I’ve not been on this blog for two years so please bare with me as I get my sea legs back into writing on this platform!  I hope you all enjoy Sparrow as I did creating him back in 2020!  If you love some Dynasty Warriors inspired action in your One Piece, you came to the right place!

freebird-sparrow:

Sparrow had always been a gadgeteer at heart.  Despite his affinity for his Musou art and his Haki abilities, he always had a few other knick knacks at his disposal that had often saved him, or had further enhanced his skills.  His grappling hook, for one, helped him maintain air time while he was in flight.  A device as that had been incredibly useful in traversing a long distance in a very short time. This time around, however, Sparrow had been cleaning and reconstructing two rarely used weapons in his arsenal.  His double barreled dual flintlock pistols.  Often, they were used as a last resort, or even just to make a loud noise as a distraction.  They were fantastic when he needed precision instead of a tidal wave from a Musou wave.

Deciding to work on them on the lawn deck on the Sunny was a last minute choice.  While the Crow’s Nest was his preferred spot, the weather was actually nice today.  The wind was cool, the temp was only slightly warm, and he could use some sun.  The winged robe was shed next time him, folded as he worked on his weapons. Sparrow’s gaze shot behind him as he smiled.  “Hey, Nami.”  He said as he blew down a barrel before scrubbing it with a brush.  “Just doing some minor cleaning on my kit before we find ourselves in another fine mess our esteemed Captain may put us in.”

Nami let out a soft noise of acknowledgement at Sparrow’s words, and she straightened back out before turning her attention around the ship in search of their hyperactive Captain. When he wasn’t bouncing around trying to find something fun to do with the rest of the crew, he was up on the figurehead of the Sunny, and right now that’s exactly where he was. Seeing him being calm for once had a breath releasing through her nose, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Sparrow wasn’t wrong in preparing for the next crazy bout of shenanigans Luffy decided to throw them all in. It wouldn’t surprise her in the slightest if that was exactly what was going to happen on the next island. There was always something that sparked the rubber boy’s interest, and then he’d be off, leaving the rest of the crew to reluctantly follow behind him and clean up whatever mess he left in his wake. Hopefully it just wouldn’t include any Marines, or a strong pirate crew. ❝ Probably a smart idea. Who knows when we’ll be in the midst of trouble next because of his recklessness, ❞ she muttered absently, eyes still trained on Luffy while he swayed from side to side, probably singing to himself while he watched the ocean. Blinking, Nami looked back down to Sparrow, ❝ Which reminds me, I should probably get my Clima-Tact to Usopp for a maintenance check… ❞

@freebird-sparrow liked [+] for a starter.

   Law is growing tired of watching this. Just another instance of those in power abusing their privilege. Playing with the lives of those they rule over, all for their own benefit. It’s the same everywhere, even in places where the World Government isn’t in control. All Trafalgar Law sees is a pointless cycle. Nothing will ever change, not here and not anywhere else. Protests like this one are just futile.

   He sighs, fingers tapping at his cheek. Law leans on a balcony railing, chin resting on a hand. He watches the demonstration with disinterest. It’s something about a wrongful imprisonment. He’s kind of stopped listening to the chanting. Right now he was hoping for a bit of peace. The crew had managed to finish their little job here without causing a fuss and he’d given them permission to relax while the log pose records the islands magnetic field. Of course, they’d end up in the center of some form of upheaval.

    “Alright,” he says, straightening. His next words address the members of the crew hanging out in their shared hotel rooms. “I’m gonna go for a walk. Contact me if anything interesting happens.”

   The Surgeon of Death leaves their rooms and heads into the street, moving through the protesting crowd. He’s really hoping he doesn’t get dragged into something by these people. Trafalgar Law has no interest in their agenda or their lives. It is none of his business.

“So this is what this was building up too...”

Sparrow sat perched on a building as he saw the protests that have sprung up on this island over the past few days.  There had been whispers that an uprising was going to take place by the people, and that an overthrow of the local government was imminent.  Many events as this were Sparrow’s forte, given his reputation as the Rebel Warrior.  Whenever there was a rebellion, he was often there to help the people succeed in their goal.  Often, the people of a society would grow so tired to the point of violence in order to show their power hungry rulers that the people are a very dangerous powder keg that is capable of blowing up if not handled correctly.

It would seem this was one of those times where that keg would no doubt be primed and ready to explode.

A watchful eye peered through the crowd, until Sparrow could see something slightly out of place of the civilian population.  With an eyebrow raised, he drew his telescope and scanned through the droves to find this unique figure wading through the crowd.  He could have sworn he saw a familiar black and white hat bobbing through the sea of man...

His suspicions proved right.  Within the crowd was Doctor Death himself, the infamous Trafalgar Law of the Heart Pirates.  He had been a noted reluctant ally to the Straw Hats, and Sparrow had heard the stories of Law helping them in their travels.  If Law was here, and he knew Sparrow was a Straw Hat, that would no doubt cause some tension between the two right off the bat.

After all, Luffy’s eccentric... treatment of the Surgeon of Death was already cringing at best from the eyes of the Freebird.

//So, I know I've been inactive as hell and dropped off the radar, but take a look at what I've completed in my absence!

I built my very first PC!

   ✉ @freebird-sparrow said:    ❝ Whoa—you, uh—wow—that’s—that really suits you.❞

Sparrow’s broken exclamation of how the dress looked on her had Nami humming softly, and she twisted in the mirror to get a better view of how it looked from the back. Thin metal chains attached to the middle of the halter neck draped down along her spine before splitting off over her ribs to connect to the side of the fabric covering her ample chest from view. She brought a hand up to fiddle with them a bit more so they rested better against her skin, expression pinching in concentration.

❝This outfit needs to be perfect. We’re not going into this casino just for a fun night. We’re gathering information,❞ Nami stated absently, turning back so she was fully facing the mirror once more, and tugged the material down her thighs a little further. Unfortunately, with how short this dress was, Nami wouldn’t be able to take her weapon with her. So she would need to rely on the boys if this whole thing turned belly up. But she had faith in their abilities, and trusted them entirely with her life. Didn’t ease the fact that she was going to feel extremely bare not having that comforting weight on her thigh the whole time. She had to admit; she did look damn good in this particular ensemble. It hugged her curves perfectly, and accentuated her assets in the best way. Was it going to be enough of a distraction so she could get what she needed out of the other casino patrons and workers? She wasn’t so sure. Of course, her best flirtatious lines were going to need to be at the forefront of her mind tonight. Smooth words and coy looks would definitely make up for whatever she felt her outfit lacked. This wasn’t her first rodeo in keeping the attention of men, and women alike, on her for long periods of time. On the vanity to her left she already had a pair of black heels to match with the dress along with large silver hoop earrings, and a thin silver necklace to round off the whole look. Now, she just needed to figure out what the hell to do with her hair. ❝What do you think. Up?❞ Nami asked, gathering as much hair into her hands as she could and pulling it up into some semblance of an updo, ❝Or down?❞ she then let long, messy orange locks fall back over her shoulders, fluffing it up a little bit and twisting random pieces around her fingers to try and get it to not look like an utter mess.

Sparrow had always been gobsmacked by Nami’s beauty, and every time she wore the most expensive, revealing clothes, it was always a blessing for him.  Despite being her childhood friend, she was damn near a bombshell to him.  But she was right.  This wasn’t a date night.  They needed to perform a stakeout that would eventually lead them to their target, and that meant Nami needed to use every bit of her charm and her assets at her disposal.

The Freebird, however, was no stranger to style himself.  The winged hanfu he was known for was traded in for a tailored high roller styled suit, unlike the semi-traditional Kano clothing he was so used to wearing.  Nami had helped him style his long, black hair into a singular braid that trailed down his back to spiff up his look.

He could only imagine how the other Straw Hats, Nico Robin especially, would look.  Though, Luffy would certainly be a subject of curiosity.

Sparrow shook his head to snap himself out of it before eyeing Nami in the mirror as she fiddled with her hair.  “You look a lot more alluring with it up, Nami.”  He said, putting a finger to his bottom lip.  “Leaves people wanting you more, hoping that they’d see you unravel it for them if they imagine a night with you alone.”

//Here’s the crazy thing.  I am absolutely all for crossovers.  My majority of my RP tenure, either on Tumblr or privately with friends, have been all crossovers.  They’re essentially my greatest strength.

That being said, I haven’t exactly considered a crossover that would be solid enough with One Piece or Sparrow.  The lore and world is so grand on that, there’s really nothing I can add to it as a crossover.  Sparrow, as a whole, was built specifically for One Piece.  That’s often how it goes with most OCs I create for existing series.