It is high time for an update.

Mmmmm, hold on. I do not own One Piece. I really doubt that Oda – Sensei would mind if I said that I did, but.....


If it wasn't almost lethal at this height, Vic would have been dancing.

It was too good to be true. He had finally done it, finally gotten a machine to fly. It wasn't easy. The new mayor was far lass forgiving than Harbo had been. But none of that mattered. He had done it. Tesla D. Vic was an Aeronaught, just like his childhood hero!

No. Not just like his hero. Until he flew across the Grand line, he did not dare compare himself to Shmitt. Even so, this was a glowing accomplishment. He was almost in the clouds now! A small seagull flew past his plane. Vic leaned out.

"Hey, Birdy!" he laughed. "Becha never saw someone this high up before, huh? Surprised?" Predictably, the bird did not respond, it only kept following the plane. Vic laughed. "So, jealous of me, Birdy? I can fly all day without lifting a finger. Does all that flapping make you tired?" Vic continued to taunt. He didn't really know why he was making fun of this bird it couldn't understand him but he was having far too mush fun flying to care.

After growing board with the bird, Vic began to look at the future. Really, the goals were hand in hand, or could be. If things went this well, he could just fly to the One Piece and fulfill both of their dreams...but then, that wasn't what Sarner would have wanted. He always had talked about gathering a crew and sailing the world in search of adventure. So, convenience had to wait. But then...

"I think," Vic said aloud. "that I will fly to the Grand Line, and then sail the world with a crew." It seemed reasonable. The only problem was that he really didn't have a clue where the Grand Line even was. He looked at his compass, the one he had worked into the dashboard. No good. It was spinning to fast.

Wait...

Vic removed his goggles, determined to see if what he saw was true. It was. The needle of the compass was spinning out of control. Vic growned. "This cant be good."

At that moment, the controls went mad. The normally straight flying plane suddenly tore into a barrel roll, almost hurling Vic from the seat. It then began spinning erratically, stopping, starting, almost shutting off before lurching back to life again. Vic tried to detribalize the controls, but there was nothing he could do. According to everything he had read about planes and that was quite a bit there was nothing wrong with the plane! It was like it had a mind of it's own, and that some cruel spirit or god had decided that that mind should be totally insane!

"Damn...damn damn damn damn DAMN!" Vic shouted. "How can this possibly get any worse?!"

It would be quite some time before Vic ever used that phrase again. He never really believed in curses, so he saw no problem speaking the words that had doomed so many men before him. As the Skytalon spiraled upward it was greeted by an interesting sight. Were this any other situation, Vic would have been amazed, and terrible confused. He would have asked why, or how something like this could be possible. But spinning through the air on a mad plane, at an utterly stupid height above the ground, giant serpent that looked down at him inspired nothing but panic.

"YAAAAAAAAAAGH!" he screamed, stopping his current action and beginning to pull down on the controls. Interestingly, the plane responded fine to this. It began to fall, almost in a vertical motion, hurtling out of the sky. Vic was confused, terrified, enraged, and above all else, in a state of blind panic.

And to top all of this off, as he fell, he could swear that he heard the squawking laugh of a seagull.


It was absolutely certain. Vic knew he was going to be the King of the Pirates, as no one else could have survived that ridiculous fall. After the accident, he had looked over the ruins of his plane, piked up the Flight Unit, and started off down the road. No other part of the plane was as irreplaceable...or carryable. He took his bag, his Multitool, the Unit, gave his arm a quick systems check and departed. About a mile down the road, Vic realized that he should have brought the compass as well, but was far too lazy and too lost to go back for it.

The compass would have done him little good, in any case. For it to work, he would have to know where he was, to have some idea of what direction to head in. So he followed the road. Vic had no idea that there were any islands as big and dry as this.

Eventually, he found a fork in the road, marked by a small sign. It pointed left and right, one side faded, the other side proclaiming "Tarlin Village."

"Tarlin." Vic mumbled, exhausted from walking. "Well, better then nowhere." He continued onward, hoping to have some kind of plan by the time he got there. It didn't take long. Apparently, the reason that the sign was so well maintained was because the town itself was only a mile away. It was a new sight, to be sure. It wasn't much bigger than Pastori Town, but it seemed quite a bit more...advanced. The streets were paved, the buildings were all made of brick, and, to Vic's dismay, a World Government Flag flew in the center of town.

"Okay." Vic mumbled. "So clearly, I'm not in the South Blue." He didn't have a moment more to think before he heard an odd voice in the middle of town. It sounded somewhat like a sick duck.

"Do you think I'm being funny? Look at my face! Is this the face of a funny man?! IS IT!?!?!?"

What Vic saw war rather amusing. A tall, bone skinny man with white hair, wearing a blue suit that looked like it was made of felt, was berating a smaller, official looking fellow.

"Captain, I really don't see the necessity here. Moral is low enough, and a public execution will only make it worse!"

"Why are you speaking? Did I ask you to speak?! No!! I asked you to execute a dangerous criminal, which, for some reason, you refuse to do!!!!" Spit flew from the man's mouth like bullets from a Gatling gun. The official looking man seemed determined to be heard over the waterfall of spittle and rage.

"With all due respect, we need to try her!"

"Try her? Like a bunch of Wave Republic Patricians?! Willard, have you forgotten that this is the World Government, and that we must exact absolute justice?!? That woman is a murderer, and I will see her die for it! And so will everyone in Tarlin, justice must be served!!!!"

Willard sighed. "Very well. Tomorrow morning it is, then. I hope you are right."

"DO NOT QUESTION ME!!!!!" the tall man screamed again, before storming off in a blind rage. Willard departed in a different direction. Vic looked at the scene, dumbfounded. Who was getting executed? What had they done to upset that guy so much? He kept wondering until he saw a small cage hanging in the middle of town, from a post in the middle of the square. A person sitting in it.

Vic slowly approached the cage. It looked a bit like an iron birdcage for a person, and swung on a rusty chain. Vic also noticed that in front of the cage sat a decently sized claymore. It was beautiful and looked very deadly.

Vic began to think about it. Sure, he had weapons, but this...this was too good to pass up. He began to reach toward the blade

"Misora is not a toy."

Vic almost jumped as he realized that the woman in the cage was still alive. A dark haired woman in excellent shape sat cross legged in the cage. He expression was rather angry.

"Hey, calm down," Vic responded. "I was only looking at it."

"Yeah, right. I know that look." She responded coldly. "What are you here for, come to gawk at the terrible monster who almost killed Captain Shnellem?"

"Shnellem?"

"The idiot who was screaming a few seconds ago." she said, like it was the most obvious fact known to man.

"Oh. Are you the one who pissed him off so much? Why'd ya try to kill him?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

"You don't answer any."Vic quipped.

The woman laughed. "You are a bit of a pest, aren't you? Okay, I'll talk, but first, I want to know your name."

Vic shrugged. "Sure, ok. I'm Tesla D. Vic, and I'm gonna be King of the Pirates."

There was silence between them for a moment. Then, the girl broke out laughing. Vic growled.

"What's so funny? Don't think I can do it?"

"No, it was the way you said that. You were so sure. But no, you'll fail."

"How would you know?!"

"You just wandered into town, idiot, and you don't seem that strong. Do you even have a crew?"

"Good point. You wanna join up?" Vic said, as if he was asking for a drink. The woman stared at him for a second before bursting out laughing again. Vic rolled his eyes and started walking away. However, he did not get very far.

"Stop!! Who are you!?!? Consorting with prisoners is illegal and punishable by death!!!" It would seem that Shnellem had returned, now supported by a vanguard of marines. Vic sighed.

"Do I have to go over this again? Fine. My name is Tesla D. Vic, and I'm going to be King of the Pirates!"

The entire square went silent, one could hear the insects skittering across the ground. The silence was finally broken by the captain.

"WHAT!?!?!?" DIE, YOU INSOLENT WORM!!!!!!!" he pulled out a pistol, and fired it at Vic's chest. Vic took the blow right to the shoulder...and it ricocheted! Shnellem looked on in disbelief, as did the girl in the cage.

"That's it? That's really it?" Vic asked. "Okay, if you say so, my turn!" he wound up his left arm.

"Pressure One....

As he threw the punch, his hand flew off of his wrist, only attached by an iron wire.

"IMPACT!!"

As his fist hit the captain, or perhaps the ground around the captain, dust flew up everywhere, and the marines flew backward like paper dolls. Shnellem ran away cursing.

Vic turned arrogantly back to the cage. "So, what were you saying about me being what the?!?"

The girl had somehow smashed through the door of her cage, and was standing there, holding her sword, grinning.

"Wow, Vic, you really pack a punch!" She laughed.

"How did "

"Oh, I could have escaped at any time." She said. "By the way, my name's Iris, Swordswoman extrodinare and warrior of the Hibari-Ryu."

"So, will you join my crew?" Vic asked. Iris smiled.

"Tell you what." She said. "I will if we can get out of here ok."

"Why would we have a problem with "

At that moment, Vic became aware of the surroundings. All of the streets that lead to the center of town were filled with thugs. Vic looked at Iris.

"Did I not mention that the psychopath has an army of thugs? Sorry."

"Wonderful." Vic griped.


Ok, another chapter done. I know hunger...give me villains and doctors!