Raymond Xerxes

"I could feel it, that monster. I don't understand why I got it, or why it saved my life. It lurks inside me, waiting for the right moment to take over."

- Raymond Xerxes

Raymond Xerxes(クセルクセス レイモンド Kuserukusesu Reimondo) is the captain of the Ship of Fools Crew that has a rather ominous past. With the brithplace of his birth being unknown, Raymond was once a freelance scientist who dreamed of being as revolutionary, if not more than Dr. Vegapunk. He was currently working on a method to extracting the mysterious powers of the Yami Yami no Mi when a mysterious incident happened.

After this incident, Raymond's life was forever changed, forcing him to live the life as a bounty hunter. He couldn't care less, secretly using his bounty money to continue his research. His decision to become a pirate was influenced by none other than the powerful okama and future first mate, Krolowa D. Divino. Having a bounty of 750,000,000 beli on his head, Raymond has developed a fierce and deadly reputation.

Appearance
Raymond is a very handsome man who has a very tough aura about him. At times he stated that it was all thanks to his "intensive training." He has a very strong, yet appealing build, having a build of a tough athlete. He has long, snow white hair that is styled in an abnormal fashion. Another unusual feature that he seems to possess is having two different colored eyes, one being blood red, while the other being emerald green. Finally, he posesses a cybernetic right arm that is used to channel his dark powers upon a certain activation command.

He dons black, long-sleeved blazer with gold trim that is zipped up all the way to his chin, even covering his neck. He also wears black baggy pants that even goes past his ankles. Raymond also wears a waist length red jacket that has an excess amount of buckles. On his feet are red and black winter boots that have two buckles on each boot. He also has black gloves that cover up to his mid forearm with a red jewel on each one. Lastily, he carries a large sword on his waist with two belts supporting it.

In his younger days, Raymond was much thinner, but still had a very toned body. He was also much shorter, being 5'9". His hair was straight and short, barely reaching the back of his neck and barely passing his ears. Both of his eyes were also emerald green.

Personality
Raymond can be described as a very intelligent man who also has a carefree personalilty. He is often laid back, not caring much about the world. This has often earned him the scolding from his more serious crewmates. Raymond pretty much acts like an older brother to the more younger members of the crew, often doing his best to comfort them. He is also opposed to fighting, preffering reason over violence. Another humourous fact is that his biggest fear are okamas. Their ways of life had scarred the man during his younger days, thanks to a certain revolutionary. He boldly states that he loves women, and only women.

Underneath that intellectual surface lies a man who had experienced the far worst of fates. He has quite a few skeletons in his closet, causing him to go in a daze sometimes. Raymond never really knew what a family was like, with thanks to the death of his parents at a very early age. Overall, Raymond just needs somebody to open up to and to express his emotions comfortly.

In battle, Raymond is rather relaxed, fighting with only a portion of his strength. He analyzes the enemy's fighting patterns and strengths, as well as their weaknesses. From then, he will adjust according to that particular fighting style. If they prove to be strong, Raymond will put more effort in as well. There has only been a select few that have ever seen him fighting in full strength, and even a few from that group that had lived.