New Island! New People! And a New Challenge!

Henry was sitting on top of the wolf head, using a pair of binoculars to look for land. He grins big and stands up. "MARA I SEE LAND!" He laughs and stands up. "WE'RE ABOUT TO LAND! LOWER THE ANCHOR! RAISE THE SAILS! OTHER SHIP TALK!" He laughs and jumps back on the deck and grins.

The man from before was looking through his set of binoculars and grins as he sees Henry's ship. "Kesese~ Looks like I found me some dumb pirates~ This should be fun!" He smirks and sets up three cups and puts a ball under each one of them. He inhales deeply and gives his best honest smile.

The ship lands further down on the beach and the anchor lowers. Mara raises the sails and sighs. She rubs her chin in thought. "Now, how much money do you have?"

Henry chuckles and rubs the back of his head. "Well, currently I have about 20,000 berries, so not much, but it's better than nothing, right?" He chuckles and smiles.

"Well..." She hums in thought. "Do you think you can handle going and buying a few things? Nothing big. I have written a list. Now only buy what's on the list. It shouldn't cost you much."

He nods and grins. "Right! What are you going to do while I'm gone?" He tilts his head a bit to the side.

"Well, I do have to paint our Jolly Roger on the main sail and that will take me some time. So I shall be occupied with that. Now go on and go. Don't stray from the list." She says sternly.

He salutes. "Got it! I promise I will only buy what's on the list!" He smiles. He runs to the treasure room and takes the sack of money. He climbs down the rope ladder and walks down the beach. When he turns the corner, out of sight from Mara, he sees a man waving at him.

"Hey! You there good looking sir!" The white haired man smiles, his ruby red eyes practically sparkling. "Would you care to play a game?" He smiles and tilts his head a bit to the side. He was wearing a short sleeved white button up shirt, a pair of brown shorts that stops above the knee, and a pair of sandals. He was noticeably pale.

Henry blinks a few times. "Play a game...? But I have to buy some supplies from the market...I have a list!" He holds up the folded sheet of paper.

"Well you can DOUBLE the money you have now with a simple game! Come on! One game won't hurt! 50 berries for one game!" He gives a small and tilts his head a bit, his eyes softening.

Henry blinks and hums. "Weeeell...okay! One game!" He smiles and nods.

He grins and claps. "Kesese~! Good! Now sit! Just give me 50 berries and I can show you how to play!"

Henry smiles and sits down in front of the crate and sets down a 50 berri coin in front of him. "Alright! My name is Henry by the way!" He smiles.

"Nice to meet ya! My name is Gilbert." He takes the coin and chuckles. "Now you see this ball?" He lifts up a cup to show a ball. "Now keep your eye on the ball!" He lowers the cup and switches it with another one and grins. "Now where is the ball?"

Henry blinks a few times and grins, pointing at the cup. "There! That one has the ball under it!"

Gilbert lifts up the cup and laughs. "Correct! Look at that! Now you win 50 MORE berries!" He grins and gives him a 50 berry coin. "See?! You can easily double what you bet before!" He smiles and rubs his hands together.

Henry's eyes sparkle and he grasps his hands together, getting really excited. "Okay! I wanna play some more! This is a really fun game!" He laughs and throws his arms up in the air.

Gilbert smirks and nods. "But of course. We can play as loooong as you want. Kesesese~" He was hoping this guy was an idiot and he hit the jackpot with him!

And so they continue to play. Henry wins a few more games and then he starts to lose. The cups moving much faster and more intricate than Henry could keep up with. But he was determined to win! But before he knew it, all his money was gone.

"Sorry there Henry. But you're all out of money. Meaning you can't play anymore, but it was fun while it lasted!" He quickly turns over the empty crate and packs up everything, making sure to remember his winnings, and runs off, leaving a trail of dust behind him. Henry blinks a few times and gulps a bit, dreading what he'll have to say to Mara.

Speaking of Mara, she had just finished painting the main sail and she nods at a job well done and wipes the sweat off her forehead. "There, that should do it." She nods, very happy with the Jolly Roger painted on the main sail. Since it was dry, she hoists the main sail once more and looks over to see coming back, head down, an air of depression over his head. She raises a brow wondering where the supplies are. "Henry..." She says in a warning tone.

He whines as he climbs up the rope and on to the ship. "Soooooo...uh...don't be mad! Buuuut-" Then he explains how he was gambling with a strange white haired man named Gilbert on the beach. Henry then receives a hard punch to the head, making him hit the floor of the ship with a large lump on the top of his head.

"I honestly didn't think you're were a gambling man, but I was proven wrong." She sighs heavily and slips on her black jacket and turns on her heel and walks to the banister of the ship before she jumps down from the ship. "Come along! You have to show me this man so we can get our money back!" She calls up to him.

Henry pouts as he jumps down and nods. "Okaaaay. Let's go!"

Gilbert sighs happily when he arrives in his empty house. He makes sure to close the shades and put any pictures face down. He walks over to a chest set against the wall and opens it Inside was a larger sack that he opens and it was full of berries. He pours the new amount inside and sighs happily. "I think this should be enough!" He smirks and nods.

Henry checks inside a barrel and then inside a house through the window. "Not here either...oh man how hard can finding one guy be!" He whines and pouts.

Mara sighs heavily and crosses her arms. "How hard can it be to find a man with white hair, pale skin, and red eyes?" She rubs her chin. Suddenly said man ran right towards her.

"HEY GET OUT OF MY AWESOME WAY!" He yells. She blinks and looks at him and he crashes right into her and both are sent crashing into the ground. They both groan as they sit up. "GEEZE WHY DON'T YOU WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING?!"

She glares at him. "You were the one who came running into me!" She scolds.

"I said MOVE! Are you deaf?!" He groans and glares back.

Henry's eyes go wide. "Hey! It's you!"

Gilbert freezes and laughs nervously, standing up and picking up his big sack of money. "Er...Hallo! Nice to see you again! Bye!" He makes a quick getaway, leaving a trail of dust.

Henry blinks a few times. "HEY GET BACK HERE I NEED MY MONEY BACK!" He runs after him leaving Mara in his dust.

She blinks and sighs heavily, rubbing her temples. "I suppose I can give him a chance at trying to fix this, but I have a very bad feeling about this..."

"GAAHH LEAVE ME ALONE I NEED THIS MONEY MORE THAN SOME PIRATE!" Gilbert yells back at Henry and groans. He was catching up.

"COME ON! I JUST NEED MY MONEY BACK! CUT ME SOME SLACK!" He grins, seeing he was catching up. "STOP NOW AND I WON'T TACKLE YOU!"

"NEIN! LEAVE ME ALONE YOU FILTHY PIRATE!" He turns a corner, hoping to lose him but Henry was right on his tail.

The two speed around the town, turning corners, avoiding people, and jumping over things. It was an intense chase but finally, the two stop and try to catch their breath.

"You...you're fast...you know...you know that...?" Henry chuckles and smiles at him.

Gilbert snorts and chuckles. "We-well...you're pretty...fast yourself!" He suddenly shakes his head. "Okay! You're not getting your money back! Got it! I need it WAY more than you do!" He growls and glares at him.

"But what do you need it for? And why are you carrying that HUGE sack of money around for?!" He scratches the top of his head.

"Tha-that's none of your damn business! Just leave me alone already! I don't have TIME for this!" He growls and hits his fist on the ground. "I have to go NOW!" He stands up. "I can't afford to be distracted." He lifts up his shirt and pulls out something from the back pants pocket. "I'm sorry! But I can't waist anymore time...you seem like a nice guy. But this is important!" He pulls out a flintlock gun. "My trusty Flintlock .44 Caliber six shot revolver...sorry to do this..."

Henry blinks and takes a step back. "Hey! Wait a minute! You don't have to do this!"

"See ya...SMOKE BULLET!" He squeezes the trigger letting loose three rounds of of heavy smoke clouds that covers the area and make it impossible to see. He makes a run for it while Henry is coughing and waiting for the smoke to clear

Henry looks around and blinks. "Wait! Whoa! That was pretty cool!" He coughs and blinks. "Wait...where did he go...?" He tilts his head a bit. "OH CRAP I LOST HIM!" He grips his hair.

Gilbert pants softly and leans against a building and glances back around it. "Okay...I lost him...good..." He takes a deep breath and sighs. He walks the rest of the way to the middle of town. There stands a tavern that has a pirate flag hanging over the name of the tavern. The flag design has a picture of a lit bomb on it and crossbones behind it. Gilbert glares at the flag before walking in.

Inside, sitting at the bar, facing the door was an older man. He looks to be in his mid 20's. He had messy auburn hair with a strange cowlick sticking up and tan skin. His blood red eyes lock on to ruby red. A grin crosses his face. His captain coat hanging over his shirtless upper body and his dark brown pants crinkle as bit as he crosses his legs.

"Gilbert! What brings you here! Why don't ya sit down and have a drink with me?" He smiles and pats the seat next to him. "Come on, you can have some juice since you're still under age."

Gilbert sets down his sack of money and glares at the man. "I WANT MY BROTHER BACK! HERE'S YOUR DAMN MONEY!"

Henry hangs his head low and pouts a bit. "Man, I can't believe I lost him...this isn't fair..."

"Henry." Mara appears behind him, making him yell and jump up in the air. "I take it you couldn't catch him?"

Henry laughs nervously rubs the back of his head. "Well uh...yeah. I sort of lost him. He used this gun to fire like...clouds of smoke! Then when it cleared he was gone..."

She sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. "Well...I suppose you tried your best. But I shall take over now. Lucky for you, I saw him walk into a very suspicious tavern. We shall go there."

Henry grins and nods. "Sweet! That's why you're the best! Oh I'm so glad you joined my crew!" He laughs and puffs out his chest.

She nods and walks past him, motioning for him to follow. "Come along. Let's go."

"Right behind you!" He laughs and happily follows behind her.

Gilbert glares at the man who continues chugging down his drink at the moment. "DID YOU HEAR ME ALLEN!? I SAID-"

"I heard you, I heard you. No need for yelling." He sets down his mug and wipes his face. "So...you managed to get me a million berries in three months huh? That's impressive! You probably worked really hard getting those berries huh?"

Gilbert grits his teeth and clenched his fists tightly, his hands visibly shaking. His eyes bore into the others, heavy breathes coming out his mouth. "Yeah, now I want my brother! You said you'd give him BACK when I got you the money! Now hand him over!"

Allen holds up a finger and shakes his head. "Uh uh. I said I'd CONSIDER giving your brother back if you got me a million berries in three months. And I've considered it...and I say it's not enough." He smirks and laughs. "Give me another million berries and this time I PROMISE I'll give him back!" He laughs harder and soon his crew that fill the bar all start to laugh as well.

"YOU DAMN BASTARD!" He growls and runs at him, his fist raised. Tears fill his eyes, blurring his vision. He makes it three steps toward the fearsome captain. Before he gets another step forward, a strong fist slams into his stomach. His eyes go wide and a little blood drips down the corner of his mouth. He falls to the ground and curls up, gritting his teeth and shaking.

Standing over him was a very tall man. He has short dark brown hair and crimson red eyes that look ready to kill. He wears a long black coat with red trimming. Thick leather gloves fit over his fists snugly. "You should show more respect for the Captain." The man has a thick accent as he frowns down at the young man.

Allen laughs and shakes his head. "Come on Gilbert, did you really think you can take ME on? I'm one of the strongest pirates in the South Blue! There is no way you could take me down if Iron Fist Ion here didn't stop you. So go on and go before ya get yourself hurt." He shakes his head, picking up his mug and taking a sip.

"Whoa he took a direct hit from Iron Fist." One man whispers to another and chuckles. "Wouldn't be surprised if he's dead." "Nah, he's still breathing. Ion wouldn't waste his time killing this kid." "Man what an idiot." They all continue to whisper and chatter among each other.

Gilbert coughs up some blood and wheezes. He slowly pushes himself up and winces as he tries to stand. He gets on his feet and stumbles back a bit. "D-don't think...! This is...is OVER! I...I can t-take...you d-down! I have to! F-for my...l-little baby! Brother!" He clenches his fist and glares up at the much larger man.

"Alright Ion, go on and teach the punk a lesson. I'm gettin tired of hearing his damn voice." Allen shakes his head and sighs heavily. He gives a bored look and yawns.

The man nods and rears back his fist before launching it forward. Gilbert pants softly and closes his eyes, knowing this was gonna hurt. He lifts up his chin, ready to take the hit, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. He waits a few seconds but nothing happens. When he opens his eyes he was astounded.

"Hey now. That's not very nice...hitting a guy when he's way out of your league. Why don't you try pickin on someone else, huh?" Henry stands between the two, holding Ion's fist in the palm of his hand. He chuckles lightly and smiles. "The name's Henry. Pleasure to meet ya."

Mara sighs, sitting at the bar. She orders herself a drink. "I knew he was going to get himself involved...no point in trying to stop him now..."

Allen jumps up and looks at her. "Who the hell are you!? And when did you get there?!" He shakes his head and looks at Henry. "And...who the hell are you?!" He growls and glares at him.

Ion's eyes were wide as he stares down at Henry, who manages to stop his fist when he was in full swing. He takes a few steps back and narrows his eyes. This guy was strange, he could tell.

Gilbert blinks a few times and wasn't sure what to say. He was the LAST man he'd expect to come to his aid! "Wha-what the hell!? What are you doing here!? Hey! Just because you saved me from getting my face punched in doesn't mean I'm go-"

"I don't care about the money. It's alright. You do need it more than me after all." He chuckles lightly and smiles back at him. "You needed it for your brother. I understand. Though these jerks here don't seem to want to keep there promise!" He huffs and crosses his arms.

Allen laughs and looks around. "Oh? And what exactly are you gonna do about it? Okay sure, you catching Ion's fist took me by surprise! But what exactly do you plan on doing you little punk? This doesn't concern you."

Henry chuckles and shakes his head. "Well, I plan kicking your ass~" He cracks his knuckles and smirks. "Gilbert is my friend. So as a friend, I gotta help him out."

TO BE CONTINUED

Thatwolfbutler: And we are introducing a few new people! Isn't that awesome?!

Gilbert(Prussia): I still don't get why the idiot is gonna help me! He's going to get himself hurt!

Allen(2P!America): HA! I can't wait to wipe the floor with the punk.

Ion(2P!Russia): Hm. He might be stronger than he looks...

Henry: *He laughs* Man, I can already tell this is gonna be an AWESOME fight! Can't wait! Until next time everyone! Keep on reading and don't forget to cheer me on!