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Oregano: Finally Out at Sea! Part 2

By: peanutbutterlung (Whale)

Deep Inside the 'Unforgivable Path'

The sound of rushing water was growing louder and louder as the Cherry Maria was swept along by the now turbulent and bumpy current that had appeared within the 'Unforgiving Path'. Tension was now filling the air at an alarming rate around Oregano, Polen and Barnaban as the unknown drew nearer.

"Ayeee! What the heck is causing the water to make such loud noise?!" Oregano shouted. He couldn't hold it in any longer as he ran up to the front of his ship. He wanted to see if he could find what was making the noise before it caught them all by surprise.

The situation at hand was very intense and all, but Oregano couldn't help but grin slightly at the exciting adventure that had fallen before him. His adrenaline was pumping wildly, but fear was also a prominent emotion inside him, so he was at least some way balanced. The darkness within the cave was now darker than ever since they had now traveled deeper and deeper down the path. The opening of the cave was now a small speak of light in the distance behind them. This made seeing anything past one's outstretched hand nearly impossible.

Polen who was now currently curled up in a ball and buried inside Oregano's shirt and was tightly gripping Oregano's stomach hoping to cut his anxiety down a bit. He could only shiver at this terrible situation they had all found themselves in. Oregano began to instinctively pet the koala to try and soothe and relax him the best he could as he desperately scanned the darkness to see anything that could possibly help, however it was to no avail, Oregano had terrible vision in the dark.

"Barnaban! Do you know anything more about this path that might help us out? Like rumors or something?" Oregano shouted as he gave up looking around and returned to the older man who now had his fingers pressed firmly into his forehead. Oregano had to stand closer than usual to actually be able to see the man - He was certainly in his personal space bubble, but this was forgiven since it was the only way they could actually see each other.

"I'm afraid that when it comes to rumors,there are much too many to name Oregano… and many don't match up well either, so believing one story over another gets tricky." Barnaban shook his head slowly as he continued. "However I say we figure things out for ourselves. I'm not going to wait for the terrors of this path to get the best of us! Allow me to find out what our surroundings are! I didn't get the name 'Burning Stallion' for nothing!" Barnaban yelled out with false confidence to cover his fear of what might soon be seen.

Oregano took a deep gulp after hearing what Barnaban had to say and gave a dramatic fist pump into the air. He wondered what Barnaban had up his sleeve and most of all he wondered what they would see before them once the area became visible. The rushing water was closer than ever and if they were going to beat this path they had to become aware of their surroundings.

Barnaban nodded after seeing Oregano signal his agreement. Then in one fluid motion Barnaban pulled out a platinum case that he kept inside jacket pocket. With his other hand he drew one of his sabers out of its sheath and much to Oregano's surprise the blade wasn't a blade at all it was a just a carved piece of wood.

Barnaban then snapped open the case he had pulled out of his pocket and within it were many light green sprouts. Oregano was perplexed at the sight before him but he had no time to ask because Barnaban quickly picked a couple sprouts up and tossed them into his mouth and began to chew on them vigorously. He then held the wooden blade up to his mouth and blew on the end of it.

Immediately following this action Barnaban slashed the wooden sword against the wooden deck of the Cherry Maria and a righteous flame emerged at the end of the carved wooden sword. There were many flicks and sparks making noise from inside the flame as the fire flared out.

"There we go!" Barnaban shouted as he walked over to the front of the ship. Oregano was ecstatic at the sight before him and quickly ran over behind Barnaban. "Whoaaa how the heck did you do that?!" Oregano asked, his curiosity after witnessing this magical sight was killing him.

"Heh, I am not only a pirate captain I am also an avid botanist and those sprouts are my very own creation, I call them 'Hell Sprouts' they are incredibly flammable due to very special chemicals that I brought out from inside of them after many years of crossing various traits and genes." Barnaban replied as he waved the flaming sword around the front of the ship.

The light the fire was giving off made their surroundings clear. The cave walls were a dark earthy brown color and were very damp. Overhead were a jagged mass of stalactites some reaching close to five yards in length. The light of the flame also reflected off many yellow glowing eyes that were peering down at the ship below them. This proved to be a very spooky sight indeed, but Barnaban didn't have time to gaze up at bats so he aimed the flame down at the water to see what the condition of the current was and if anything could be seen to help them navigate. When looking at the water in the cave it was much rougher than ever before and was now covered completely by a surging froth of foamy sea water.

Now that the fire had been going strong for a while and had kept a constant light around the area, Polen decided he would take a chance and crawl out of Oregano's shirt. He had seen the light shine through the cloth and felt that things would be safer now that they could all see around them. The koala eased his way out the bottom of the shirt and landed on the deck with a thud. He then proceeded to hesitantly crawl up on the front of the ship and looked around at what the fire illuminated.

Barnaban began to shake his head as he muttered. "I have a bad feeling about what is making this current so rough."

Oregano began to scratch his head as he nodded in agreement. "Yeah for sure man, that noise is really testing my nerves."

Barnaban began chewing the sprouts that were still in his mouth again and let out a whisper so he wouldn't waste too much juice that could be escaping from his open mouth. "Get ready we are about to see a lot more of this cave!" Then taking in a big gulp and holding the carved wooden blade in front of him he let out a mighty blow of air as he shouted "Stampeding Inferno!" The juice from the sprouts that Barnaban blew hit the already existing flame in front of him and sent forward a roaring wave of fire reminiscent of a blazing stallion galloping into the unknown!

Oregano stared wide- eyed and had a huge grin spread across his face as he laughed at the wicked technique Barnaban had seemingly pulled out of nowhere. Polen on the other hand was terrified at this display and contemplated using a 'Death Glare' against Barnaban and he even considered pouncing on the man and mauling him but after seeing the fireball he was capable of shooting he decided against it and scurried off to hide behind the mast of the ship behind him.

The fireball kept going through the cave for a while and lit everything around it up so that Oregano and Barnaban could see what was in the distance. What they saw made their hearts sink as they both stared in shock at what stood before them in the distance. A massive stalagmite that had a width that easily took up over half the width of the path itself was staring back at them. It was in the middle of the canal and left a tight squeeze of space on either side of it.

"Crap! The 'Unforgivable Path makes its first moveee!" Oregano shouted as he quickly ran back to man the wheel and steer the Cherry Maria so they wouldn't crash into the massive stone blocking their path. "What side are you feeling Barnaban?! I would pick one myself but I don't really have the best of luck!" Oregano yelled to Barnaban hoping for a quick answer.

Barnaban shook his head as he snorted in a manner similar as a horse would as he pressed his fingers to his forehead. "Let's go left Oregano!" He replied back.

"Haha alright you got it - Left it is!" Oregano yelled in response as he spun the wheel of the ship rapidly to fight the terribly fierce rapids that were fighting them inside the canal. The Cherry Maria was a relentless warrior as it battled the waves that were around them. All the while Oregano was struggling to press the ship to the left side of the passage.

The ship was now rocking back and forth like a bucking bronco causing Oregano to tightly grip the wheel in order to stay up on his feet. Barnaban was clinching the side of the ship so that he wouldn't slip. He was a bit of a rodeo man himself but this rocking wasn't like any horse he had ever ridden.

Polen was terrified at the sight he had seen with the fire and the constant shaking of the ship did not make matters better for him, so he desperately scurried up the ship's mast he was still hiding behind and made his way into the Crow's Nest. It wasn't much but he felt secure in the small compact area up there and his thoughts on the matter were that the higher up he was from the danger the better.

"Whoa this is going to be a tight fit fellas!" Oregano shouted as the Cherry Maria was now heading straight for the slight opening on the left of the massive stalagmite.

Barnaban sternly nodded his head as he watched the gap between the stone and the wall get closer. The current was now faster than ever as water was forced to either side of the stalagmite making the ship bounce viciously on the water.

"Hold on tight!" Oregano hollered when he knew the roughest part should be coming up. The Cherry Maria was now rattling about like some sidewinder out in the desert, as the front of the ship finally made it by the stalagmite.

Now the ship found itself in the tight squeeze between the cave wall and the rocky stalagmite as the rapids whirled from side to side. Oregano desperately tried to steer the ship through this mess but the ship was taking so much of a beating that the wheel began to spin like a propeller which threw Oregano off balance and caused him to slide across the deck of the ship.

"Craaaaaap! Crap! Crap!" Oregano desperately shouted as his body continued to slide towards the side of the ship. He quickly tried to regain his balance and stand up but a new wave hit the ship every time he tried to do so, each time harder than the last.

He continued to slide until he eventually ended up actually hitting the side of the Cherry Maria with a splat. The breath was knocked out of him upon impact and he struggled to breathe for a couple seconds.

He eventually regained composure and reached his hands up to grip the siding of the ship and was beginning to pull himself up when out of the corner of his eye he saw a large wave heading directly towards him. The wave had ricocheted off the cave wall beside him and looked rather nasty and fierce. The wave in an instant hit the ship hard before he could even react and the impact managed to send him flying into the air and off the ship into the rapids below.

"Nooooo! Oregano!" Barnaban cried out as he witnessed the event take place before his very eyes. Due to his already firmly placed grip he was prepared for the heavy impact but Oregano was caught off guard and thrown overboard like chopped liver.

Polen heard Barnaban's shout and hesitantly perched his paws on the edge of the crow's nest. He scanned the deck beneath him and much to his dismay could not find his master anywhere. The koala then noticed that the stalagmite they had seen earlier was now just behind the ship. Polen realized they had made it passed the obstacle by the skin of their teeth and the waters were a little calmer now. Polen quickly rushed down the mast and onto the deck when he saw Barnaban quickly run over to the opposite side of the ship and look into the water below.

Barnaban then began to shout desperately. "Oregano, Oregano are you there?!" He couldn't see anything in the water below and there wasn't a response heard either, and even if there was the loud rushing water around them could very easily be drowning out the noise.

After hearing Barnaban call to Oregano over the ship Polen began to worry as he then ran over and scurried up Barnaban's back to see what he was looking at. All the koala could see was dark water below and it was then that things began to click in his mind and his eyes began to tear up.

Barnaban shook his head as he suddenly felt Polen's presence on his shoulder. Barnaban was shocked at what had taken place, it all happened so fast. He reached his hand up to pet the koala's fuzzy head to try and comfort it the best he could but Polen quickly hopped on the outer wall of the ship and desperately ran along the edge to try and see if he could find Oregano in the dark waters below.

Barnaban then realized he had been tuning out a sound even louder than the sound the rushing water made flowing around the stalagmite they had just passed. The distraction of trying to find Oregano proved to momentarily distract him, but could only do so for so long."Of course it isn't over is it?" He cried out as he ran over to the wheel in order to brace himself for what this cursed canal had in store for them next.

"Oregano I want to try and save you, but I have to keep your ship, koala and myself safe in order for that to happen. I'm sure you understand." Barnaban muttered as he prepared for a massive fire ball to be shot with one hand while steering with the other. Barnaban was very uneasy as to what might be coming next.

Polen was still busy frantically searching the waters for Oregano as he ran around the wall of the ship. The tears in his eyes made focusing on the waters below him even harder but he continued to try none the less. Desperately squealing out all the while for his best friend, the little koala simply would not give up.

The sound of rushing water was now greater than ever and the heavy pounding echoing off the cave walls was causing Barnaban's eardrums to throb. "What in blazes does this path have in store for us next?" He shouted as he reached inside his jacket for more 'Hell Sprouts", much to his dismay his hand only grasped a couple, leaving his hand more than half empty when he pulled it out. "What a crummy time to run out." He muttered "I just have to hope this batch will be enough."

And with that Barnaban stuffed the sprouts in his mouth and began to chomp down upon them. Juices began to fill his mouth as he held his wooden blade up in front of him. He then took a deep breath in through his nostrils and let out a roar. "Stampeding Inferno" A fireball was then sent flying into the dark cave lighting up the surroundings just like it had before.

In part of Barnaban's mind he hoped that this sudden flare of light would help Oregano possibly get his bearings and make it towards the exit or the ship one. The fireball had now reached out a good distance in front of the Cherry Maria and lit up a darker area in the cave than the rest. It was on the right wall of the cave and the noise was coming directly from it. The fire's light reached out to it a bit more before it completely extinguished in the darkness but for that brief moment Barnaban knew exactly what he had seen. It was a subterranean waterfall!

The current began picking up faster and faster right as Barnaban saw the horrific sight that he was now heading directly towards. "A waterfall in this cavern?! If we go over that we are as good as done! Our flames will surely be put out!" He shouted as he began to frantically turn the wheel to the left. He knew he had to hug the left wall of the cave tightly so that the ship could make it by the viscous current the waterfall was making on the opposite side of the canal.

The Cherry Maria was now bobbing all over the place as it fought against the current in the 'Unforgivable Path'. Barnaban desperately tried to navigate the ship to the left side of the cave and as he did this his heart began to ache as he thought about Oregano. That waterfall might be too much to handle… if he hasn't already been bested by this terrible place already.

Then out of the corner of his eye he saw Polen still racing along the ships outer wall moaning and squealing as he tried his best to call out to his master. 'The poor thing.' Barnaban thought as he pressed his fingers into his forehead firmly. Agony was filling his heart and mind.

Barnaban quickly became stern though, he did not want his emotions on this situation swaying him. He had to be strong because that was the only way he could make it through. "A courageous fire is burning in my soul! Do you hear me' Unforgiving Path'? Oregano do you hear me?! Let my fire ignite the same flame in your soul so we can make it out of this place together! Please hear my voice!"

The waves were now stronger than ever but Barnaban had actually managed to make it extremely close to the left wall of the cave. The waterfall was almost directly across the cave from him now. He had high hopes based on his current position that even if the rapids did pull him towards the right that he would still be moving forward enough to escape the pull zone when it mattered the most.

It was a fierce battle between the Cherry Maria and the cruel currents in the 'Unforgiving Path'. It seemed to last for hours for Barnaban but in reality it was no more than a couple of minutes. Suddenly the waves stopped hitting and pulling on the boat however and Barnaban could hear the sounds of rushing water fading behind him. He had finally passed the falls!

Then in the distance to make this news even better he saw light at the end of the cave. He panicked for a mere second and took a quick moment to think as he hoped that this light was not actually him dying and entering the afterlife. Could he have actually been killed back at the waterfall?

Barnaban simply shook his head at how as he realized that he was being too dramatic and watched as the light drew nearer. He walked over to the side of the boat and looked into the water. The light coming from the end of the cave allowed more water to be seen and he desperately hoped to see a swimming Oregano somewhere near the ship. Polen then came running towards him making what seemed like his hundredth lap around the ship as he continued his searched of the waters.

Barnaban reached out his hand to stop the little koala from running anymore. Polen quickly came to a halt as he looked up towards Barnaban. Barnaban slowly shook his head as he rested his hand on the koala's head. He then pointed at the light in the distance and Polen looked up to see. The exit slowly revealed a lush green lagoon with tropical plants and birds flying all around. There were houses on stilts at the water's edge and all the homes were connected to a massive system of docks that were used as walkways between the houses, shops and other various parts of the city.

"Damn it… beautiful as ever, but after everything we have been through, it does nothing for the senses." Barnaban muttered as he gazed upon Sukini City. The Cherry Maria was now completely out of the cave and heading towards the center of the lagoon.

Meanwhile On the Sukini City Dock Ways

"Mama, Mama! Come look quick!" A young child called out to his mother from a dock that led out into the bay. His mother was currently busy feeding the hollering child's baby sister at the time but decided to humor her child's wishes and came out of the family hut to see just what the youngin' was so excited about. When her sight met with what her child was pointing at the woman's eyes grew wide and 3 times their size at the image before her. Her child's voice echoed softly and faded into the background as she starred at the pirate ship in the bay.

"That ship just came out of the 'Unforgivable Path!" The child roared in astonishment.

This yelling caught the attention of many other villagers and one by one, the people of Sukini City began to form a mob along the docks as they all watched the ship sail nearer. Their mouths were all agape not knowing what to do in this situation. They had never witnessed a ship enter the bay from 'that' cave before.

The locals all watched as the ship turned and pulled up to a nearby dock. Certain members of the city hesitantly started to move their feet towards the ship to see who could have survived that hellish cave. Others began to step backwards fearing that the only things that could handle that path were demons!

"Attention everyone!" A sudden, strong and velvety voice boomed over the lagoon.

The mob of citizens quieted down immediately and turned towards who they knew the voice belonged to. It was the Mayor of Sukini City, Mayor Dimblanté. She was an incredibly tall and slender woman with a rather distinctive tan complexion. She had waist length black hair with highlights of red that ran through it here and there. A fancy pair of angular sun-glasses were worn on her face and she wore a burgundy pantsuit with a royal blue badge pinned on the front indicating her status in the city.

Once the mayor realized the attention was now on her she continued. "I understand that the events recently with '8-Fold' and the rumors of a showdown between him and the Marines have rattled some of you and now with this current situation before us all, many of you are even more concerned now than before. I just want to let you all know that our officers will now move in on this mysterious ship and see what or who is on it. Do not fear, your Mayor knows how to take care of her people."

It was reassuring for most of the citizens present at the docks to hear that their Mayor had things handled so well now. However, it was how fast efforts were made on her part to already assemble a plan of investigation despite the ship being present for only a couple of minutes that left many feeling more amazed than reassured.

After the Mayor was finished speaking, a group of 20 armed officers hustled onto the dock that the Cherry Maria was now about to reach.

The mayor continued to speak as this situation was being looked into. "Now as they check this mystery ship I would like to tell you all about the event with '8-Fold' and the Marines. I received a call from Lieutenant Commander Difetto just moments ago telling me that he and his crew successfully sent '8-Fold' away from this island after a hard fought battle at sea. As you all know '8-Fold' Remey and his crew, The Rascal Pirates have stuck around Yortori Rise for a while now, and starting today the Marines have finally decided to station troops here on a more regularly based schedule for our safety.

A sudden uproar of whispers and cheers started to break out from the crowd after hearing this but the mayor motioned for them to quiet down so she could tell the last bits of information she had.

"Lieutenant Commander Difetto himself will be coming into the city momentarily to give us more information on the matter. "

Then looking up to see how close the ship was to docking the mayor realized that it was just a couple feet away and she paused her speech and stared. This in turn caused the citizens to follow suit and they all watched the scene at hand in a breathless frenzy.

A sudden rope was thrown off the side of the ship and an officer barely managed to catch it as it bobbled in his hands from shear surprise. This showed everyone watching in the city that someone was indeed on-board. The officer with the rope then proceeded to tie the rope to the dock and the crowd watched as the ship eventually came to a stop.

Barnaban who had been kneeling down on the deck of the ship for the past couple of minutes was out of sight to people peering from the docks He was busy mixing some 'Hell Sprout Seeds' and other chemicals in his travel sized mortar and pestle. Once he ground it all up into a fine powder he swept it into a tiny bag and tucked it in his pocket. "I hope I don't have to use this." He uttered as he shook his head slowly.

Still hunched over on the ground there was no sign of the life that threw over the rope from the Cherry Maria from the perspective of the citizens of Sukini City to see so tension began to grow.

"Could this be a sneak attack?!" One startled citizen shouted. They couldn't take the suspense any longer. "Was it all a trick?!" "We fell for it we are doomed!" Other shouts followed causing a state of panic to develop deep within the minds of many.

Suddenly the crowd was left speechless as a fuzzy being leaped off of the ship and soared through the air until it landed onto the dock with a thud.

"Ah…ah…a… koala?!" One of the officers muttered, confused at the sight before him. The other officers all began to scratch their heads as they watched the koala run frantically passed them. What was a koala doing on that ship? That was the thought on everyone's mind.

"Polen come back here." Barnaban shouted from the Cherry Maria as he finally rose to his feet to reveal himself.

"Look there's someone on the ship!" A citizen shouted as he pointed at Barnaban.

"He is human?" "No way this can't be true!" That flag he has flying on his ship says all we need to know. He is a pirate we can't trust him!" These were just some of the shouts being thrown around now that Barnaban had finally shown himself.

Barnaban expected a welcoming party but the sight before him was really something else. He figured that just about the entire population of Sukini City was staring at him from the docks. Although the population really wasn't too big he still felt odd being the center of attention to a group of people of this size. He quickly cleared his throat to announce what he had to say to the people.

"Hello people of Sukini City, I realize this might sound cliché but I mean you no harm… Yes I understand that it is hard to believe since I have a pirate flag flapping in the breeze behind me but it is the truth. I realize that your experience with '8-Fold' and other pirates like him might have ruined all pirates in your eyes but I can guarantee you that I myself and a young man who I met today who just happens to be the captain of this ship are not like the others."

Many whispers began to fill the crowd as the people then watched Barnaban hop down from the ship onto the dock beneath him. He then continued to speak.

"I myself have visited your city on various occasions in the past so I am well aware of the awe you all must be in after seeing a ship come out of the 'Unforgiving Path'. I had heard of its rumors and can now say I lived them… all because the captain of this ship that you see before you has what some might call the 'heart of an adventurer.' He however has not made it out of the cave yet…"

After hearing all of this Mayor Dimblanté couldn't afford not to speak so she butted in quickly as to show authority. "Still in there?!"

Barnaban nodded as he replied. "He fell off the ship and into the current below. I realize this is a lot to ask, especially from a stranger, but is there any way you could provide a search party and go into the cavern to look for him? He is an honorable young man I give you my word on that."

The crowd was silent after hearing this news. Although the man before them was a stranger and on top of that a pirate they couldn't help but feel what he was saying was true about the overboard captain.

Mayor Dimblanté wished there was something special that she could say, she felt the emotions of her citizens wavering around her from the news they had heard but she had to respond with the truth.

"From this side we can't get into the cave due to the overwhelming current, and as for searching from the other side… well that could wind up costing us more… well maybe not 'more' but it might endanger the lives of those who search."

The mayor had slipped a little realizing that subconsciously she had revealed that she already considered the captain dead. She hoped it wouldn't be paid too much attention to however. A slip up like that with the people obviously so attached to this event now could severely impact her re-election next year.

As the mayor's response sunk in on everyone, Barnaban nodded his head. "I understand." He then pressed his fingers into his forehead and sighed.

When suddenly from out of nowhere however a loud screeching voice broke the dramatic silence that had fallen on the Sukini City Docks. "ATTENTION, THIS IS LIEUTENANT COMMANDER DIFETTO OF THE MARINES!"

Everyone at the docks was so caught up in Barnaban's story that no one had even noticed the marine ship enter the lagoon from one of the many other caverns that led into the city.

The marine ship cruised up to the docks before the mob that was present and stopped next to the Cherry Maria.

A scratchy voice was then heard again over the den den mushi speaker. "PEOPLE OF SUKINI CITY! PIRATES BELONGING TO THE BLAZING STALLION CREW HAVE BEEN LOCKED UP ON BOARD THIS SHIP! THEY WERE FOUND SWIMMING IN ONE OF THE CAVERNS HEADING TO YOUR CITY. WE SUSPECT A SNEAK ATTACK WAS BEING PLANNED. THEIR CAPTAIN BARNABAN NOOSECLEF HAS YET TO BE FOUND HOWEVER…"

The feed was suddenly cut out however as word reached Difetto that his men had surprisingly spotted Barnaban directly on the dock next to them. This made Difetto spring to his feet as he ran out onto the deck of the marine ship. Difetto was a man in his early thirties and had a smug look plastered on his face. There was a noticeable burn scar that took up the majority of the right side of his face. His hair was hazelnut in color and was short and parted neatly to the side. As for his marine uniform he sported the usual outfit however his was customized with his jacket being light blue, with the interior being a variety of shades of blue creating a camouflage like pattern.

"Attention people of Sukini City that man before you is none other than Barnaban Nooseclef! Back away immediately I am sure he was about to lure you into his trap! Too bad for him we caught his crew!"

The crowd was startled at this turn of events and all began to retreat. Their spirits were crushed. How could they have been so foolish to trust that pirate? Mayor Dimblanté gave instructions as the mob began to get a safe distance from the pirate. Many retreated to their homes not able to handle all the commotion before them. Such wild events were far from the norm in Sukini City and this was simply too much for the common townsfolk to take in all at once.

Barnaban was now left in a sticky situation that knotted up his stomach like nothing before. He was unable to help Oregano, he was seen as a filthy liar by an entire town, he was now targeted by a marine ship and he stood there all the while knowing that his crew was being held captive and helpless inside of it.

He turned to Difetto and sighed. "I guess it is the end of the line for me today."

Difetto sneered at this comment from Barnaban as he chuckled. "The end of the line indeed." Difetto then pulled out a cigarette and lit it before he continued. "Now are you going to offer yourself up the easy way or are you going to put up a fight?"

Barnaban hung his head low as he contemplated an answer to Difetto's question. He looked up and was about to reply to the question when suddenly a gunshot echoed through the lagoon.

Difetto was now as pale as a ghost standing on the deck of his ship. He couldn't move. The cigarette he had just lit had now been blown to pieces from a bullet while still in his mouth.

"HE'S GOING TO PUT UP A FIGHT!"

A voice called out from the lagoon. Marines and the few Sukini citizens still near the event had their heads spinning looking for where the shot could have come from. Whoever shot it was nowhere to be seen.

"Oregano…?" Barnaban softly muttered as he held back tears. A massive grin quickly took the place of sadness though as he drew his wooden blades.

Difetto was still in shock with what had just happened not more than 3 inches from his head. His men were doing their best to try and snap him out of it so that they could receive orders but nothing seemed to work.

Suddenly another shot was heard and everyone watched to see what this sharpshooter would hit next. There was no target this time however as the shooter's voice rang out over the lagoon again.

"Those were warning shots you sucker! Another one and it is 3 strikes you're out! Please just release the Blazing Stallion pirates and then get out of town."

Adrenalin and rage kicked in for Difetto at this moment and managed to snap him out of his paralysis as he signaled to the men that they were not in any position to fight against a sniper in this situation.

His men then hurriedly entered the jail cells and brought the pirates out and escorted them onto the docks.

After seeing this task was completed, Difetto began to grit his teeth in frustration. "WELL THERE YOU GO THE PIRATES ARE FREE!... WISH I KNEW WHERE YOU ARE YOU LOUSY COWARD! DON"T HIDE BEHIND THAT GUN NEXT TIME WE MEET AND WE WILL SEE WHAT HAPPENS!" And with that Difetto and his ship exited the lagoon through the caverns on the opposite side of the island.

"THANKS!" Oregano replied to Difetto as he watched the marine ship leave the area. Completely ignoring everything he said except for 'There you go'. He then proceeded to get to the scene at the docks so he could finally squeeze Polen and meet back up with Barnaban. He honestly couldn't believe he was still alive after what he had just experienced but he didn't come out of it unscathed by any means. He had barely managed to climb his way up a little ways onto the cliffs of the lagoon to find a suitable place to snipe from without the use of his left leg.

While being swept about in the harsh current he was slammed multiple times into countless rocks and boulders and he ended up with a broken left leg. He had a few cuts and bruises here and there as well but the broken leg was the big thing. He knew that scaling down this cliff was going to be a real pain but he wasn't about to wimp out and be a baby so he kept on going. This determination was partly due because he really wanted to makes sure Polen was alright, partly because he knew his leg needed to be treated and a small part of him even thought that getting out of this place as quickly as possible after what he had just done to those marines might be a good idea. So he bit his lip and made his way down the cliff. Only slipping a couple of times here and there, each slip up doing absolute wonders for his broken leg.

Back at the docks the Burning Stallion Pirates all came running to their captain who greeted them all with a cheerful yell. They had finally made it back together after all they had been through today.

Barnaban was then asked to explain the sniper situation which he did as fast as he could. He wanted them all to be on the same page. He then turned to the people of Sukini City and saw terror in their faces. His heart sank as he knew he couldn't possibly win them over after what Difetto had said. He suspected the officers present might try and attack them so he alerted his crew to keep their eyes open to the mob of people watching their every move.

Now that he had his crew looking out for their safety he had bigger matters to attend to as he scanned the area for any sign of Oregano. As he continued looking a small speck caught his eye and was moving towards him from a dock in the distance. As the speck got large enough for him to see he began to shake his head as he smiled.

It was Oregano! Clung to the young man's head was a fuzzy koala which made Barnaban chuckle. "Well you found him huh Polen?" Barnaban smiled at the sight but then noticed a severe limp in Oregano's walk as he made his way towards him. Barnaban quickly alerted the doctor of his crew of a possible issue. The doctor gave Barnaban a nod as he took off a massive case that he carried on his back nearly the size of himself.

As Oregano struggled along the docks he was still so happy that he had made it out alive. He was drifting off thinking about what he had gone through when suddenly Polen became aware that he was not paying any attention to him so he began to wiggle all about on him. "Ayeee Poleeeen!" Oregano laughed as he rubbed the koala's head. Polen was clinging to him as tightly as possible and couldn't stop whining in joy.

As Oregano continued to his ship he could hear the people of Sukini City whisper. "Did he really come out of the 'Unforgiving Path?" "Maybe that Barnaban was actually telling the truth!"

Oregano shook his head and smiled at these comments. "He was in some senses a legend on this island and that was incredibly cool to him!

He finally made it to the dock that had the Cherry Maria docked at it and Barnaban and his crew were waiting for him on the dock beside it. Oregano shook the hands of the pirates and fell down to the ground. Between doing meticulously careful limping, hoping on one foot and at times crawling to get to where he was now with Barnaban and the others he was all worn out. He explained to them that he thought he had broken his leg. The Burning Stallion doctor checked him and unfortunately he confirmed this belief of Oregano's to be true.

As the doctor prepared his supplies Oregano then explained to the pirates how he managed to come out alive from the cave. He mentioned how Barnaban's fire helped him see points and locations while in the cave that he could grab onto like small stalactites and such and eventually he found a gritty beach like path that was above the water level that he got to rest on for a while. The beach eventually led to a small natural trail that winded around rock formations and eventually led him to calmer water that he was able to traverse.

Barnaban and his crew were amazed by all of this and were truly in awe that they had witnessed such a miracle take place before them.

Once the doctor shook off his amazement at Oregano's story he opened his case and began to prepare a special cast for Oregano. His equipment was incredibly efficient and fast and before Oregano knew it his left leg was in a cast that started just below his knee and went down to the start of his toes. The materials used by the doctor all had a small red decal that resembled a sweater of some sorts and had the letters 'CRDGN' underneath it.

Oregano was then given a foldable/collapsible crutch that had been stored in the case and a bottle of pain medicine as well.

Oregano stood up slowly with the help of Barnaban's crew and placed his cast on the dock with a thud. He worked the crutch up underneath his left armpit with minimal effort. He wobbled for a moment but caught his balance in just the right time before tumbling off the dock and into the lagoon.

"Whoa whoops!" Oregano laughed as he eventually got the hang of using the crutch. "Thanks so much for everything!"

Barnaban then shook his head as he muttered "It is the least we could do Oregano! You saved us all from a life in jail!"

Oregano smiled as he nodded "Haha yeah I guess you are right! But hey, you took awesome care of my ship and Polen while I was gone so let's call it even!"

Barnaban and the rest of the Burning Stallion pirates all smiled as they nodded and laughed at the goofy pirates comment.

Oregano then looked up to the sky that peaked down into the crater-like lagoon surrounded by cliff walls on all sides that they were all within. He saw that it was starting to get late so he figured he better head on out. "Well I think I need to get out of here Barnaban do you happen to know which is the closest island to this one? I didn't really get to do any shopping or anything here like I had hoped due to the big ordeal."

Barnaban smiled as he nodded. "Yes the closest to here would be Oion. It's famous for tough Marines though so be careful. It seems like you are likely already a big target. I would bet that Difetto is already planning to have this island surrounded to capture us all so leaving now is certainly for the best. Just leave through any of the caverns… none of those are cursed!" Barnaban laughed as he continued. "And just head south west, you should be at Oion by noon tomorrow if you leave now. Are you sure you are going to be alright with that leg of yours though?"

Oregano smiled and gave Barnaban a thumbs up. "Thanks man! Oh and yep! I will be just fine! An adventure worth experiencing should never be easy and I got reminded of that today! I feel more alive than ever before! I think I could probably do anything I set my mind to!"

Oregano then turned to the Cherry Maria and grabbed onto the ladder. He pulled up a bit and realized his leg was absolutely killing him. "Um well could I just get a boost up onto my ship real quick?"

Barnaban busted up laughing at this statement because it just followed Oregano's heroic 'I can do anything speech' but he none the less helped Oregano up the ladder and onto his ship.

Oregano then leaned over and asked. "Wait how are you guys getting off this island? After the Remey incident you are ship-less! You wanna ride with me?" Barnaban then pressed his fingers to his forehead as he suddenly chuckled "Well we are despised by the people of this island already so we might as well be pirates and just steal us a ship!"

Oregano laughed at Barnaban's reasoning and hobbled over to the steering wheel with his crutch so that he could set out.

Barnaban waved as Oregano and Polen pulled out of the dock and sailed across the lagoon and ultimately through one of the many caverns that lined the cliff walls.

"WE WILL MEET AGAIN SOMEDAY OREGANO!" Barnaban called out.

"YOU BET MAN!" Oregano replied as the Cherry Maria completely entered the cavern it was about to travel through.

Before long Oregano was finally back out at sea after the crazy time he had just had today.

"Well Polen next stop Oion! Hopefully we have another great adventure there too huh?!" Oregano teased his pet koala. Polen stuck out his tongue at this comment and Oregano busted up laughing. "I guess we can turn it down a notch or two! I did almost die today huh?!"

Polen shook his head slowly as he put his paw to his face. Oregano was crazy, but he couldn't help it. That was just who he was and Polen was going to stick with him no matter what.

"Oh yikes I need to change out of these wet clothes by the way before I catch a cold." Oregano chimed as he and Polen walked down the steps into the living area of the Cherry Maria. They were certainly ready to retire for the day.

Meanwhile Back on the Sukini City Docks

A sudden smirk began to appear on Mayor Dimblanté's face as her mind began racing.

"So his name was Oregano huh?" She whispered as she recalled what Barnaban had shouted.

"I'm certain Difetto would love to hear that name!" She laughed as she retreated away from the docks. No scoundrel was going to make a ruckus in her city and get away with it. His disrespect to the marines would give her island a bad name and her reputation would be at stake. Whether this Oregano was a legend or not she was the boss and would make him pay! Plus getting on the good side of a Marine like Difetto would certainly prove to be advantageous for her status and may even provide her with certain benefits to boot. These thoughts and more were whizzing around in her mind . She couldn't wait to get back to her office and notify Difetto of everything she knew. Oregano was on his way to becoming West Blue's public enemy number 1.