-cries tears of joys- I…I'm moving up in the world…for the first time…my number of reviews have surpassed the number of chapters for this story. People do care about it. Even if it only becomes a sleeper hit….I SHALL CONTINUE THIS STORY WITH A PASSION! So, a short 2 days later….I present you guys with chapter 4!

I apologize in advance that this isn't an action heavy chapter…but I need sometime to sneak some character development in.

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Adventures of the Seagull Pirates

A One Piece Fan-crew story by Viewtiful Aryll

Chapter 4:

A Walk Up Spiral Mountain.

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Milo and Diego looked at the clouds pass by overhead. Just moments ago, Roark had dragged Aryll into his workshop so they could plot out their new ship on some drafting paper. This left the two guys with nothing to do.

"Guess it's just you and me for now, huh? Anything you want to do?" Milo asked.

Diego shook his head. "No. I was not expecting Aryll to leave us out of the ship planning."

Milo shrugged. "She said she wanted to surprise us. She always liked surprises when we were little," he said. A moment of silence passed between the two of them before Milo spoke up again. "I know! Since we're going to be crewmates, why don't you and I get to know each other better? We could head up Spiral Mountain, and show each other our abilities. Since we'll be fighting together, it'll help if we know what each other is capable of," he suggested.

Diego thought for a moment. "A walk up Spiral Mountain? I suppose so. I would like to see just why Aryll seemed so excited to invite you on our crew," he replied.

Milo grinned and said, "Great, I just need to grab some stuff I left on the boat. The base of Spiral Mountain is just outside of town…the spirals are actually a path, and you can get onto the path at the base. I'll meet you there." He then dashed off in the direction of the harbor, where the Straight Shot was.

Diego grinned, and headed in the opposite direction. 'This will make for an interesting afternoon,' he thought.

--

Aryll stood, hovering over Roark's shoulder as he sat over his desk, sketching on a large piece of paper. "It needs to be big…with plenty of rooms," she said as she pointed to the paper.

Roark nodded his head. "What kind of rooms? I'll make a men's quarters and a women's quarters for sure…and a kitchen and storeroom…plus a workshop for me….but what else will you need?" he questioned as he began to draw out the various rooms.

Aryll tapped the top of her sword handle. "Well…Milo will want a place to store his books….he has about three crates of them in his ship…and we'll need a medical bay for when we have a doctor…" she began, her voice kind of trailing off near the end.

Roark sketched a couple more rooms, and then his eyes lit up. "Have you guys figured out what you're going to do with the Straight Shot?" he asked.

Aryll shook her head. "We were going to sell it to afford the new ship, but since you're doing it for free, there's no point in doing that," she said.

Roark laughed. "Good….I just had an idea," was his only reply as he began to sketch something else out.

Aryll just grinned. "Cool."

--

Diego stood at the base of Spiral Mountain. It was actually a pretty impressive sight. Suddenly, Milo came into view. He now has some kind of supply bag at his side, the straps looped over his shoulder. "What's in the bag?" Diego asked.

Milo patted the bag and answered, "Just some stuff…additional weapons…my journal…an emergency first aid kit…some empty bottles…standard adventuring gear really." He then began to walk up the mountain, shouting back, "You coming?"

Diego quickly jogged after him. Once he caught up, he slowed his pace to match Milo's and turned to the young archer. "So, you good with that bow?"

Milo grinned. "You bet! I've been training with one of these all my life!" was his reply.

-Flashback-

A young Milo and a young Aryll, about 8 years old and both wearing simple blue jeans and white t-shirts, are in a small yard behind a house. Nearby a series of archery targets have been set up. Milo is holding a bow in his hand, his quiver full of arrows and an excited look in his eye. Aryll meanwhile has tossed her quiver of arrows on the ground and is leaning on her bow slightly, looking bored.

A short, old man suddenly walks into the yard. He is bald, with an unusually large head, thick round glasses, and a long beard. He's dressed in blue robes and walks with a wooden stick longer than him. "Aryll! Stop doing that! You'll break the bow!" the man shouted.

"Meh, who cares, old timer? I'm not into bows. Swords are my style," the young girl said in a cocky tone.

Milo sighed. "Sis….that's no way to talk to Elder Sturgeon. We should be more respectful. He's taking time out of his day to teach us archery," he said.

Aryll got up and cracked her knuckles. "Only 'cause Dad said something. If you don't mind, I'm blowing this place. I'd rather be training with Orca-sensei." She then ran past Sturgeon, heading towards another part of the village the house was in.

Sturgeon shook his head. "She's hopeless anyways. Not like you, Milo my boy! You were born to hold that bow! I can see talent in you! Now, show me what you can do!"

--

Milo laughed. "I was trained on my home island by a man named Sturgeon, who was apparently quite the sharpshooter back in his day. He always said I was his best pupil. I spent a lot of time there, so when I had mastered all he could teach me with a bow, he began to teach me science, history, and other facts. It's because of him that I'm also a scholar," he recalled.

Diego nodded his head. "I see. What about your sister?" he asked.

Milo shook his head and continued, "She was always training with Elder Orca, or our dad, trying to become an unbeatable swordswoman. In fact…that sword she's carrying right now is a family heirloom. Our dad gave it to her right before she left home."

Diego chuckled, "So, I'm assuming her Devil Fruit abilities are something more recent?"

Milo grinned and said, "You could say something like that. But enough about me…what about you. I've heard tales of the infamous 'Gentleman Brawler'. Just why did you leave the Marines? Why did you even join in the first place?"

Diego paused for a little bit before answering. "I suppose I joined the Marines because back then….I thought that it was the best way for me to bring justice to the world."

-Flashback-

A younger, 14 year old Diego was in a martial arts dojo, wearing a simple grey karate gi. In front of him, on a mat, sat a much older woman. She wore an all black karate gi that could barely contain her breasts. She had long brown hair tied tightly into a braid that reached her shoulders. She looked at Diego. "Diego! There's something important I want to ask you. What do you want to do for your life? What are you going to do after you leave here?" she asked.

The young boy answered without hesitation. "Sensei, once I complete my training…I want to join the Marines!"

The woman laughed loudly. "Ku ah ah ah ah ah! And why is that, Diego?" she questioned further.

Diego one again answered without pausing at all. "Because Sensei! You're in the Marines, and so is your husband…and so was my father! Not to mention, Kristoph said he wants to join them too!" he said.

Once again, the woman laughed loudly. "Ku ah ah ah ah ah! And that's your only reason?" she said, her voice sounding slightly mocking.

Diego then suddenly shouted, "And…and….AND I WANT TO BRING JUSTICE TO THESE ENTIRE SEAS AND PROTECT THE PEOPLE I CARE ABOUT!"

The older woman grinned. "Much better Diego. That's a great reason. Now go, run along. I want you to run 100 laps around the dojo for me. Come see me when you're done," she said as she patted Diego on the head, ruffling his hair a little.

--

Diego sighed and went on, "Besides…the people who raised me were Marines. I grew up idolizing them."

Milo curiously raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't explain why you left them," he pointed out.

Diego shook his head. "Sometimes…you find out things about this world…and everything changes. I found out that the Marines and the World Government I was serving had become corrupt. I left…on bad terms, which resulted in my bounty," was all he had to say. The rest of the trip was kind of silent until they reached an area where a wooden frame announced the location of a mine that lead into the mountain.

Milo looked at Diego. Tapping his chin with his finger, he began to speak, "You know…it's pretty easy to guess you're a martial artist…but what style do you use exactly?"

Diego smiled. "Ah, I'm glad you asked. You see, I utilize the Five Elements School of Zodiac Martial Arts. Personally, I am a user of the Wood School."

Milo looked confused. "Never heard of it," he muttered.

Diego chuckled as he heard Milo. "Of course not…users of this style are rare. You see, my school believes there are 5 elements that make up the world. Metal, Wood, Earth, Water, and Fire. Each of the elements except for Earth are given three styles based on the twelve signs on the zodiac, while Earth is comprised of 4 styles, one from each other element. But…only people with the right ki can learn the secrets of an elemental style," he explained.

Milo shook his head. "Ok, now you've completely lost me," he said, confused.

Diego continued his lecture. "You see, ki is a person's lifeforce…their spiritual energy. Some martial artists, with the right training, can learn to tap into this. Now, some people's ki is…influenced by certain things. My ki is wood influenced, and because of that, I am able to learn and master the Wood School of the Five Elements style."

Milo nodded his head. "Ok, I think I understand. What three zodiac styles do you know?" he asked.

"Dragon style, Tiger style, and Rabbit style," Diego replied.

Milo grinned. "Can't wait to see them in action. Speaking of action…how would you like to see my archery in action?"

Diego looked at Milo's bow, then back at the archer. "Sure. I'm sure it'll be interesting," she said.

Milo nodded his head and pulled his bow out. "Ok, now most archers just shoot normal arrows, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Of course, I have normal arrows, and I'm a very good shot with them," he began. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out and apple and tossed it high into the air. As the apple fell to the ground, Milo suddenly drew and arrow, knocked it, and then let it fly at the apple in one smooth motion. The arrow pierced the apple right throw its center and pinned it to the entrance of the mine.

Diego clapped at Milo's display of skill.

"Ha, thanks, but that's nothing. My next kind of arrow is a bit more volatile," he said as he drew another arrow and knocked it. "You see, my quiver is separated into three compartments, with each compartment housing a different kind of arrow. Further more, each kind of arrow has a different raised pattern on the shaft so I can tell them apart just by touch," he continued. He then aimed the arrow at the path ahead of them, centering his sights on a rock jutting out of the ground. He let the arrow fly, and as soon as it hit the rock, there was a small explosion.

Diego jumped back a bit, slightly startled. "Very impressive," was all he had to say.

"Bomb arrows. The arrowhead is hollow and packed tight with gunpowder, and is designed to break slightly and spark on impact. Thus…boom! But…if you thought that was cool, wait until you see my third and final arrow. It also has a hollow arrowhead filled with something, but this one is very special," he said as he drew and readied a third arrow. This time, he aimed for the apple he had impaled earlier. Drawing back the string, he let the arrow fly. Upon impact, Diego saw the arrow head break and splash a liquid over the apple. Then, suddenly before his eyes, ice began to form over the apple!

" H-how did you do that?" Diego asked, looking absolutely shocked.

Milo laughed. "Freeze arrows. My own special concoction. It's a special chemical I developed that freezes quickly when exposed to air. It's my secret weapon."

Diego shook his head. "What other tricks do you have up your sleeves," he said, his voice sounding honestly impressed.

"I have a boomerang…some handheld bombs I developed…a wooden mallet…my grappling hook…" Milo listed off, counting on his fingers.

Diego adjusted his cravat slightly and said, "Heh, between our skills, your sisters swordsmanship and Devil Fruit ability, and Roark's ability…we'll be very hard to beat. I almost feel bad for the pirate crew who fights us. Now…I think it's about time we head back and check on our captain," he said.

--

On the ship of the Black Pearl Pirates, the entire crew was gearing up to invade Spiral Island. Their captain walked through the ranks, inspecting his men, until he finally reached the front of the large crowd. He was an older man, in his 40s, with thinning long brown hair, wearing a long captain's coat and a fairly standard captain's hat. He had a large saber strapped to his belt. Facing his men, he held up his hands, signaling their silence.

"This island…has insulted us! They have looked down upon our might, and refused our demands. You know the penalty for those who refuse the Black Pearl Pirates!" the captain stated as he began his speech.

"BLOOD! DEATH! DESTRUCTION!" his entire crew shouted.

Grinning, the pirate captain drew his sword. "Then sail forth! We shall attack this town immediately! All men…to yer battle stations!" he ordered.

"AYE AYE, CAPTAIN BARBASS!" the crew shouted, every member scrambling, exiting the room until only Captain Barbass and three others remained.

Turning to the three others, he laughed, "Yar har har har har! Of course…you three are with me…we're going to take down that Devil Fruit girl…that power of hers is dangerous, and we don't need it interfering with our fun, now do we?" He then began to laugh again, his laughter joined by his three subordinates.

--

Diego and Milo reached the shipyards to find it buzzing with activity. "What's going on?" Milo shouted as they saw Brock run on by.

"Those pirate losers from earlier are coming back, only this time they have their whole ship. The lookout says he saw at least 50 pirates on the top deck, and possibly more below deck. Heh, the entire town is gearing up for a fight. Roark already ran to help rally the town militia. And you won't believe what you captain did," the shipwright explained.

Milo eyes widened. "What trouble is she getting herself into this time?" he asked.

Brock grinned and replied, "Why….she's gone off to fight those pirates alone. Truth be told, I like her style." He then ran off towards town.

Diego and Milo looked at each other. No words were needed, for they were each thinking the same thing as they suddenly burst into a run after Brock.

It was time to aid their captain.

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Alright! Chapter 4 is done! And it looks like things are heating up! Time for the preview!

Aryll: I think we can all agree it would be much easier if you guys turned around and left without a fight, so you might as well not bother with this attack of yours.

Barbass: Look around you girl! Yer outnumbered! Outgunned! There's no way you can beat us all!

Milo: Aryll…you moron! You're going to get yourself killed!

Next time: You're In Over Your Head!

Until then,

-Stay Viewtiful!-