Jakko Esperanq

A true joker, and a true fool. Jakko is someone who can be reasoned with, someone who understands reason, someone who can come to the most logical and reasonable conclusion to any conflict. However, he will never show it. Personifying himself as a "Foulaphant", one begotten of making light of the world around him, treating it all as if it were a game, and a game designed for him.
He sees himself as a player in a world tailored to interest and interact with him, and this extends to how he interacts with others as well. While caring and considerate of his crew and friends, he harbors the feeling that they all take their lives much too seriously. In his eyes, life, death, it doesn't matter which path comes to you, as long as you have fun, it's all worth it in the end. He has a tendency to act as if he doesn't understand the gravity of harsher situations, and can come off as egotistical to those who are burdened, or rather, who feel they are burdened, by the roll of the die fate has granted unto them.

## Appearance

Jakko Esperanq is a slender figure, and quite lithe when in action. He has short, white hair, and dresses in old-fashioned "gentleman's attire." This often sees him wearing long coats, scarf-ties, and thin gloves. He often additionally wears a top hat adorned with roses, however he tries not to wear it in battle, as he doesn't wish to tarnish it's integrity.

Jakko can be seen occasionally with a strange-looking doll lying atop his left shoulder. If one were to question him regarding it, he would laugh at them and shift the topic, often saying things along the lines of "what ever do you mean?" in response, acting as if there was nothing there at all. It's not sure if Jakko actually recognizes it's existence at all, himself not paying it any mind when it...acts up.

## Personality

Jakko defines himself by reaction rather than extensive foresight. While he is unnaturally good at making predictions and the like, he often refuses to integrate this innate talent with his active persona. He has a massive gambling addiction, and loves nothing more than leaving things up to chance. He pursues what he believes to be the most fun option, with rare contradictions, and often winds up in awkward, easily preventable, situations that get him into trouble. He isn't necessarily good nor evil, however it might be naïve to consider him neutral either. His alignment sways alongside the flow of time, and aside from a few traits he has anchored to himself, he sways just as much so. He also much prefers that people refer to him as Jakko, unless they be someone he considers close.

## Relationships

Jakko Esperanq is generally friendly, however isn't generally seeking to make friends. He considers his crewmates, alongside a few of the people from his home, to be his close, true friends, while everyone else is a sheer cliff below them in terms of his view on them. To him, most people are simply there for him to experience interacting with, but nothing more. Thus, he can occasionally come off as someone who disregards the lives of the many, and those of the unmet. While this is actually true in a sense, it's not as if he doesn't care about them, they just aren't his priority.

Sol Oriana **-** While currently lacking in consistent interaction, the two, when together, seem to forget the positions they hold as opposing forces in the world. They see each other as amazing drinking and gambling buddies, often going to taverns and casinos together when given the chance. When together, their demeanors complement each other very well, and they are at the point where they can even finish each other's sentences. This relationship is hidden to the Navy, and the rest of the Celestial Pirates seem to just turn a blind eye to it

Vynai Caducea - Esperanq and Caducea can often be seen working together when on crew expenditures, and the two are also easily designated as the mischiefs within the Celestial Pirates. Though, while Caducea is more of an instigator, Esperanq is generally more of a harmless prankster. When the two develop extensive prank setups, though, it becomes annoying rather quickly

Aurora Haumea - Esperanq was Haumea's mentor for Tendō, perhaps since he is the most proficient user of the Seraan Core, which Haumea chose to focus on. The two get along quite well, and Haumea looks up to Esperanq. This is not necessarily a good thing, as this has aided in developing her personality into an erratic one as well. Esperanq occasionally visits Haumea, often sparring with her to see how her training has improved. This is in fact one of the only instances in which Esperanq can be seen fighting seriously.

## Abilities & Powers

**Fortune From Above:**

As mentioned earlier, Esperanq is quite the gambler. If there's something to be bet on, it can be assured that he will be there, betting on it. Luckily for him though, and this taken quite literally, he has unnaturally good luck when it comes to gambling and activities of the sort. One could expect Esperanq to be the lucky 1,000,000th customer at a restaurant, or win an all-in with nothing but a low pair. If a town were to feature a casino, he would easily spend days within it, gambling and laughing cheerfully all the way. This does not translate to 'non-idle' scenarios, those that are generally accepted to be skill-based and/or skill-intensive, however it's much better than nothing at all. For better or worse, it let's him into good happenstances, and alongside his natural silver-tongue, it helps in extension his crewmates as well.

**A Silver Tongue:**

Esperanq is a very charismatic person. He is well-spoken, and often laces charms amongst his dialogue to draw others into placing him in their favor. Quick-witted, he often gets let off the hook for things he should've been tried for, and with bursts of eloquent, yet confusing language he leaves debates swiftly while others ponder his words. While he does have magnanimous luck, this charisma has gotten him out of trouble some of the times he has lost. While he is charming, he doesn't actually intend to particularly use said charm outside of short-term gains. While he may yet remain in good opinion from others lastingly, he himself simply moves on, forgetting where he has intentionally or otherwise laid his wiles. This isn't much of a problem, though it can lead to awkward reunions, often due to misunderstanding.

**The Doll:**

Esperanq has found himself the the everlasting presence of a doll within his grasp. It most often rests atop one of his shoulders, it's preference being the left, as it sits idly by. It never falls off by accident, nor does it move much at all. Even in the presence of a grand wind the doll would remain seated, even though it's not sewn or attached by any special means. When Esperanq removes it himself, which is a rare occurrence, it lifts with ease, as one would expect a doll to. If one other than Esperanq, and a select few individuals, were to attempt to remove it however, it would not budge an inch. While Esperanq himself rarely finds himself burdened by any harsh or passionate emotions, the doll is another story. Where one might expect Esperanq to become frustrated or angry, often the doll is where these emotions become apparent. While it doesn't actually take much action itself, it can be seem beginning to shake, or vibrate, increasingly violently the more it's inflicted with strong emotions. If it is a happy emotion, it will emanate a yellow aura around it, if it's a sad emotion, it will shake noticeably less violently, and shine a dark-blue aura around itself, if it's an angry emotion, it will shake furiously, emanating a sharp red aura. What happens when it reaches it's limit? No one actually knows, as Esperanq tends to try and calm it down when it enters this state. Which is incidentally the only time he even so much as recognizes it's existence at all.

**Tales Told:**

Esperanq is the official chronicler of the Celestial Pirates. It is his job to write down all the major happenings of the crew in an orderly format, and to file them within the Manta Sol's library. He is interested in happenings not related to his crew, though they remain the priority, or focus of his literature. In combat, he often finds himself trailing behind, or sitting out of the way of the main combat, as he feels that watching the events as they occur to record them is effort better spent than fighting himself. As for the quality of his works themselves, the actual chronicles are articulate and extensive, though occasionally he takes a strange turn and records his writings in Dactylic Hexameter-style. (Heroic Hexameter)

### Physical Prowess

Esperanq is an agile fighter, and he prides himself in his ability to keep a consistent distance from his opponents, not allowing them to draw to near, however still being within striking range from his own blade. He most often fights, when he does actually fight, in a gentlemanly manner, and will not take kindly to trickery and unfairness in combat. He will not strike more than he must, and holds disdain for those who find a rush from killing and using physical strength as a moniker for power.

**Speed and Agility:** Most of Esperanq's technique involves making and closing distance within a close quarter environment, dancing in and out of the range of his opponent's blade while doing the same for his own. Thus, he is a very slippery foe, making good user of his footwork to dodge slashes and strikes, while also utilizing his rapier to parry and pirouette as well. While quick on his feet in a fighting scenario, he himself is not that fast over distance. This is in part due to him being a lazy runner, but also due to his tendency to move in bursts but not with much stamina applied to each stride.

**Strength:** Esperanq is strong, however he is not *that* strong. He is able to hold his own in combat, however he lacks when it comes to displays of sheer power, or that of muscular strength. He has practiced much with rerouting and applying force to his movements, however these are short-term fixes to something that simply just isn't there. So while he may be able to lift and toss a boulder in the span of a few seconds, were he to have to hold said boulder for much longer, his arms would falter rather quickly. It complements well his dexterity, however it sometimes becomes problematic if, and when, he has to deal with opponents who emphasize the use of blows both fast and heavy in a prolonged setting.

**Endurance:** Esperanq isn't very durable, yet he finds himself able to offset a fair amount of damage done to him. Integrating Tendō techniques as well as his devil fruit, he has enabled himself to massively increase the durability of point locations on his body. These must be activated consciously, however they provide high temporary defense on certain areas of his body, often those that he believes are most prone to being struck. While not using this technique though, he cannot handle too many hits in a single sitting. Sometimes, he is also able to shift the angle at which he is hit. For example, if a strike were to launch him backwards, he might be found being launched to either of his sides instead.

### Fighting Style

Jakko Esperanq is a master practitioner of Tendō, having mastered the Comet Style, Meteor Style, and Celestine Form. He often surprisingly sticks to the basics in regards to the former two, however he has modified all of the CF/1 techniques that he has learned. He has a unique center and motion of gravity, one that tilts perpendicularly in comparison to his fellow planet-fruit users, and this has forced him, or perhaps given him the opportunity, to find niche strengths in the CF/1 techniques that others simply cannot access. That said, he cannot access the normal CF/1 techniques by that same coin. This of course also applies to the standard Celestine Form techniques as well. Notably, his version of Pakka Orbiter will send the target either into the ground or into the air, rather than around Jakko. Within the Malachite Form, he particularly excels in the Seraan Core, in which he has additionally created several techniques.

Within the Seraan Core, Esperanq has developed the following techniques:

* **Sei Echo:** The user moves their blade (or fist) in an irregular circular motion, where it begins to appear to drag in the light, making it extremely hard to gauge where the actual location of the blade (or fist) is. Once this motion is stopped, the position becomes clear once more.
* **Sei Skip:** The user dashes towards their target, aiming their weapon at them, before halting immediately in front of said target. The momentum of the dash is then transferred into the user's weapon in addition to their own weight, causing the blade to surge forth with the accumulated weight and momentum of the dash.
* **Sei Skip-Rend:** The user uses **Sei Rend** on a target, applying **Skip** to the rend. This can be compiled infinitely, and the user has full choice over when to activate the accumulated damage to that spot.
* **Sei Sideline:** The user channels all their energy into defense and natural evasion, which sees the body subconsciously perceive and react to threats by dodging, and proceeds to watch as the battle ensues without helping whatsoever

The following techniques are the set of CF/1 techniques that only Esperanq can perform, though subsequently making the applicable standard techniques inaccessible to him.

* **Teno Orbiter:** The Esperanq strikes the air before them, forcing incoming objects or opponents to be dragged in revolution around them. However, due to Esperanq's devil fruit, this revolution will find the incoming objects or opponents being flung directly into the air or the ground beneath them, rather than the standard of horizontally around the user
* **Lord of Heaven:** The Esperanq drags the air around them, creating a giant tornado (or multiple giant tornadoes) around them, and/or a cyclone. They additionally create a horizontal tornado from one or both of their palms, that is slow, but controllable by Esperanq. Due to it's angle, it is easily more devastating as it is much harder to dodge, and forces that which is caught in it's path away, rather than simply becoming caught in a normal twister or tornado.

Jakko Esperanq is able to use both armament and observation haki, though excels further within observation haki comparatively to his armament skill. The extent of his usage of armament haki is generally to tank blows to minimize damage, or to coat his pair of returning scissors to add to their blade strength. Esperanq's observation haki is superior to most within his crew, and he has the ability to easily perceive, and single out, every stimuli occurring within the space around him, from a conversation across a bustling street, to the shuffling of cards, each card being recognizably distinct to him in sound. He doesn't tell anyone of this heightened sense of perception, however sometimes it can be alluded to by his actions.

## Equipment

Jakko often equips a Court Rapier adorned in an array of gemstones and glamour. It's sheathe allows it to double as a walking stick, making it an unsuspecting draw at the beginning of a quarrel.

He additionally carries on him a pair of scissors made by Rezka Saturn. They are extremely sharp, and if thrown will open, exposing the blade as to cut anything in it's path. It will them return as if it were a boomerang. Luckily, Jakko has trained for quite some time learning how to catch it perfectly, or else he may lose his hand just as easily as the next man.

## Trivia

Jakko is based on the character Xerxes Break from Pandora Hearts