On the vast ocean, with no land in sight, a small boat was drifting about. In the boat laid a lone person. They were sprawled across the boat, stretched out in the noon sun. Arms crossed behind their head, eyes closed, seemily asleep. They were wearing a loose dark grey shirt with an open collar and simple, dark blue pants. Leather boots enclosed their feet and a black beanie rested on top their head. Dirty blonde hair peeked out from under the hat, bangs resting in the middle of the forehead, three small golden loop earrings decorated their ears, two in the lobes and one in the helix. This person, name was Neal.
Icy blue eyes snapped open as something hit the boat. The clear ocean the boat had just been in had now been covered in debris of a wrecked ship. A simple pirate flag slowly sank. Neal narrowed their eyes at the lack of bodies. Neal ruled out a marine attack. They navigated through the floating debris, looking for clues or anything useful.
"Damn it!"
Neal jumped at the sudden appearance of a voice. They weren't really expecting someone to be out here. The source of the shout was a man, tied to a slowly sinking mast, struggling with the ropes that bound him. The boat pushed debris aside as they moved their boat closer to the man.
"Need some help?" Neal asked the sinking person with a casual, 'you're not in any sort of danger' voice.
The man early 20s or late teens. He had magenta hair tied lowly, a piercing in his right ear,
"Gah." The man exclaimed. "Where did you come from?"
"Thin air."
The man gave a scoff at the humorless joke.
"What happened to this ship?" Neal asked
"Some idiot on my old crew accidentally set off all of our gunpowder, I was knocked out from the blast." he told Neal. "Don't know if I should be lucky I'm still alive, or wishing the blasted had killed me so I don't have to suffer drowning."
"Well why are you tied to the mast?"
"I voiced my dreams out loud, everyone called it stupid and I said I was going to leave at the next island." He explained. "My captain didn't like that and ordered me to be tied up and took my treasured weapons."
"Ah?" Neal voiced, their mouth twisting into a small smile. "You were a part of a pirate crew?"
"Heh. If I answer that, will it stop you from saving me?" he asked as water lapped his chin.
"Nope." Neal told him. "Because I want you to be the first member to join my crew."
He looked at her with wide eyes, as if not believing they could possibly be a pirate theirself.
"You're a pirate too?" He exclaimed as he tilted his head up to avoid water from getting into his mouth.
"Yep."
"I suppose I have nothing to lose, so why not."
As he said that water finally got to his mouth and he started gagging. Neal held out two fingers, at the tip of each one was a purple ring. They crossed their fingers, causing the two rings to overlap, the result was a beam of light the cut the ropes holding the new first mate to the mast
Neal grabbed the man's arm and pulled him onto the small boat with ease. The boat rocked at the sudden shift of wait. Neal was crouched keeping balance while the man was now sprawled out like a wet cat over half the boat.
"By the way, I'm Neal."
They extended their hand to the first mate as he expelled some water from his mouth.
"Cero." the man said, taking his new captain's hand.
Cero had no shirt, a simple gold chain hung around his neck. He wore loose fitting grey pants the were stuffed into a pair of boot that Cero was currently prying off his feet to dump water out and let them dry, he proceeded with his socks soon after and then his pants. He was now chilling in his half of the boat in just some boxers.
"May I ask." Cero spoke up as he laid his wet articles out to dry in the sun "What was that... thing you did when you cut the ropes?"
"You mean this?"
Neal held out their hand and a purple ring appeared over it. The inside of the ring looked as if someone had melted a rainbow as colors swirled around, never staying the same for more than a moment. It was hard to tell in broad daylight, but if one would look close in the middle of the day, they can see a slight glow in around the ring.
"Yea, that…. What is that?" Cero asked.
"Heck if I know." Neal told him, they made the ring float off their hand. "I have always been able to do this. I can make up to four of these."
Neal mad three more the same size, two were purple two were blue.
"It's a Devil Fruit power I know that much."
Cero's eyes widen and his mouth dropped open at that information.
"Devil Fruit? But that's just a myth!" He cried out, not believing his new captain.
"Obviously not." Neal rebuffed
"Other than me, I know one other person who has a Devil Fruit ability."
"How can you be so sure?" He asked, calming down and leaning forward to checkout the rings.
Neal closed the rings, only to summon another one, this time it was green.
"There is one trait that all Devil fruit users have, the only thing in common between us."
"And what's that?"
"We can't swim." Neal told him, dismissing the ring. "We sink like hammers if we become submerged in water."
"So why are you a pirate? If water is your ultimate weakness, why risk your like sail the seas?" Cero asked.
"Because I made a promise." Neal told him, looking at the sky with a small smile on her face.
"By the way Cero. Do you know if there's any land nearby?"
Cero didn't answer right away, he looked at the sky, check the sun's positions.
"Ya, we're a few hours South from Festival Archipelago." He said.
Cero moved and changed the boat's heading. Adjusting the boat to sail north.
"Festival Archipelago?" Neal questioned as they pulled out a leather bound book, seemingly from nowhere.
"It's a cluster of five island." Cero side and began drawing an invisible map. "You have the four outer islands, all of them have varias resorts and hotels. The center island is the biggest of the five, it holds one of the biggest amusement parks in the world."
"I take it your from there?" Neal asked him
Neal pulled out a pen and started scribbling in the book.
"Yea, that's where I joined up with the Flash Pirates."
"You think we'll see them there?" Neal asked, pausing the pen.
"It's possible, they roam this area thanks to the large number of tourists."
"Would it be possible to fight them?"
"There are fifty member under Captain Flash's rein, He and his first mate are the strongest, I was claimed as the third strongest before, well, you know."
"Claimed?"
"Yea, The Flash and his first mate wouldn't let anyone challenge them, saying we were far from their strength."
Neal snorted at that. Detecting the very obvious bullshit of that statement.
"Sounds like weaklings then."
"What do you mean?"
"Anyone who boasts their strength by refuse to prove it tend to be lying about how strong they actually are, and 50 members do nothing but put fear in people, that means nothing if they can't put up an actual fight."
Cero didn't say anything after that, he was think about what his new Captain had just said.
"Are you planning on attack them?" Cero asked after a bit, he was staring at the horizon, making sure they are going the right way.
"Yep, after all, they have your weapons right? What kind of Captain would I be if I didn't do things for my crew?"
"Not much of a crew."
"Quiet you! I set sail yesterday. I haven't had much of a chance." Neal remarked, giving Cero a light jab.
Neal and Cero landed on a very, very, very, colorful island. Neal looked at the island with irritation and a scowl. It reminded them of a place, a place they didn't like. The buildings were painted in bright colors that only seemed brighter in the sun. Confetti floating in the air. Colors of all kinds fluttering softly to the ground. People crowded around stores, shops, and stalls of all kinds.
"Where do you live?" Neal asked Cero, dodging around people in the crowd.
"It's a little ways away from here." Cero replied, also avoiding people. "It's in the woods outside of town."
Confetti cannons went off and the crowd cheered. Neal and Cero silently agreed to finish talking once they were out of the noisy town.