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- "Death comes for everyone in time. Don't be so eager to face the reaper's blade."
- ―Bartimus Lich warning before battling Jarod Krieg.
Appearance[]
Bartimus stands at "8'9" and is covered entirely by armor. What hair can be seen under his armor is bone white. During his early career Bartimus lost his eyes to a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. To replace them he had his crew carve two sapphires to place in his skull. When the powers of the Yomi Yomi no Mi activated a year later with his first death, the energy from his soul caused them to glow an icy blue.
Always in his grip is his sword, Frostsoul. For as long as the world has known of Bartimus he has always carried the sword everywhere he went. Not much is known of how he obtained it, but many believe it to rival Yoru in terms of power and craft. It is a common myth that the sword was forged in the fires of hell and cooled in the chill of the underworld.
Personality[]
- "Death comes for the weak. You have been warned."
- ―Bartimus's declaration to the world.
Bartimus is a calculating man. Every move he makes serves a purpose, this has served him well over his career. Bartimus cares little for the affairs of "lesser mortals", however he is very much aware that those below him can possibly rise above him and as a result he constantly watches the world, studying it's movements and observing events, only intervening when it serves his purposes.
The only thing more powerful than his cunning is Bartimus's sheer determination and force of will. No matter who his opponent is he will never back down. Combined with his Devil Fruit powers and sheer might, this makes Bartimus equal to a force of nature. His power is such that it is rumored that even Hell itself is terrified of him, though this myth is only believed by those who are unaware of his ability.
Bartimus is very secure in his power, having little to no concerns about being overpowered by an opponent. This is backed by his career and his ability, which make actually defeating him near impossible. However he will not tolerate ambitions against him lightly, as evidenced by his meeting with Jarod and the following duel. Despite this, Bartimus is not an overly cruel man. He enjoys watching opponents grow stronger through battle and occasionally (though very rarely), he will subtly seek to guide them to greater heights. He typically spares powerful opponents or rivals so long as they avoid causing him trouble, as evidenced by his sparing of Jarod Krieg.
Bartimus follows a philosophy of "Strength is Life". He believes if someone isn't strong, then they should not live. However this does not mean he values only the strong, only that he believes one is strong if they test their bounds and grow stronger as a result, rather than fail and perish. He also believes those with no ambition to be little more than waste. This is part of why he spares powerful and ambitious foes and enemies.
Abilities and Powers[]
Bartimus, as a Yonko, carries and wields immense strength and power. Bartimus is virtually undefeated in battle. His physical strength alone is said to move mountains and his force of will has made even the strongest of foes doubt their chances. It is worth noting that he single handedly defeated Jarod Krieg, a fellow Yonko/Emperor who plans to crush the World Government, in a single day. His sheer might serves as a deterrent for any and all who seek to conquer the New World.
Bartimus is a master swordsman who specializes in the usage of one sword, specifically his sword Frostsoul. No foe that has faced Bartimus has defeated him in swordplay. It is believed by many that he is a Power-based Swordsman.
Bartimus has mastered all three forms of Haki, making him a very dangerous foe in battle. Though he is formidable in the usage of Armament Haki, and his immense will and might makes it near impossible to resist his Conquerors Haki, Bartimus specializes heavily in the usage of Observation Haki, as he uses it to "see" the world in place of his eyes.
As a user of the Yomi Yomi no Mi, Bartimus is functionally immortal. Very few attacks can actually damage him in any meaningful manner and so long as his body remains intact he cannot die. Bartimus has mastered the powers of the Yomi Yomi no Mi, allowing him to channel the chill of the underworld by infusing his sword with his soul. This mastery renders him immune to the sensation of coldness. He can also use a form of Astral Projection by separating his soul from his body, allowing him to scout vast distances. However his body is left behind, leaving it vulnerable. Because of this, Bartimus frequently freezes himself in a block of ice before separating. He also has the ability to sense the souls of others. Combined with his Kenbunshoku Haki, this makes it very difficult to surprise him and allows him to accurately "see" the world in place of natural eyesight.
History[]
Not much is known of the life of Bartimus Lich before he became a pirate. However it is known he originated from the New World, having traveled to North Blue to start his career for reasons unknown. A year after he entered piracy Bartimus faced off against the Warlord, "Siegewall" Magnus. Though he emerged victorious, Bartimus's eyes were destroyed in a desperate attack from Magnus just before he died. To show the world that he was beyond such simple needs as vision, he ordered his crew to find and carve two sapphires to replace the eyes he had lost rather than try to restore them.
A year later Bartimus died fighting an Admiral, severely weakened by a toxin he had been exposed to three days prior to the battle by a rival crew designed to slowly and systematically shut down the body. Shortly after his death, the power of the Yomi Yomi no Mi activated, resurrecting him. Rather than seek to return to his body immediately, Bartimus bided his time, gathering strength, information, and his followers. When the World Government decided to make a public example of Bartimus's "death" by displaying his ruined body as a threat to all pirates, he made his move, returning his soul to his body and killing the Admiral by crushing his skull between his fingertips before massacring anyone else present, declaring that Death comes for the weak. His crew then made their appearance and Bartimus escaped. The event was broadcast to the entire world.
Soon after this the newly christened "Death Pirates" entered the New World, where they left a trail of carnage everywhere they went. Eventually Bartimus challenged the Yonko, Mars to a duel. The battle waged for four days before Bartimus emerged the victor. With the remnants of Mars' crew swearing allegiance to him, Bartimus completed his victory by claiming the title of Yonko, establishing his headquarters on the frozen island of Icecrown. Ever since he has been busy consolidating his power.
When Jarod Krieg rose to the position of Yonko, Bartimus visited him personally, both to speak to the young warmonger and judge him as a threat. When Jarod attempted to strike him down to claim his title and territory, Bartimus reminded Krieg that he wasn't the only titan in the sea, defeating the Yonko after a day of battle. However Bartimus had no interest in claiming a 2nd throne, and deeming Jarod below his interest, he spared Jarod, warning him never to cross him or his territory. To this day Jarod has heeded the warning, avoiding Bartimus even as he waged war against the other Yonko and the World Government. In turn, Bartimus is content to watch his campaign from Icecrown, uninterested in intervening unless challenged.
Themes[]
Trivia[]
- Bartimus Lich was created as a tribute and shout out to Arthas, a character from Warcraft.