See, what did I tell you? Back on track. And boy do I have a chapter for you all. Get ready for a good surprise!
The Good Heart Pirates woke to the sound of hammers and saws. Naturally, they had no idea why so they ran to the deck. But they didn't even have to go that far. The moment the men left their combined room, they saw the Marines prowling around the deck. A pirate's first instinct when that happens is to get either really scared or really angry. But in the case of Bear's men it was more…expected. At this point they weren't surprised.
Alec groaned as he rubbed the sleep out of his baggy eyes. His normally slicked back hair was messy and sticking out in odd places. He wasn't a morning person. "So….the hell are they doing and why couldn't they wait till later?" Next to him, Rook was too busy nodding off to say anything.
Doc, who was a morning person, just chuckled as he walked out of the kitchen and handed the thief a cup of coffee. "Bear noticed the hole in our ship. She he sent some men to fix it." He looked with mild concern at Rook as his eyes closed as he fell back asleep standing.
Alec took the cup and sipped from it, ignoring the heat that burned his mouth. He made a sound of appreciation as the caffeine entered his system and smacked his lips together. "Okay. And they couldn't do this later…why?"
The captain shrugged. "You know Marines, always doing something. This is probably the only time they could squeeze us into their schedule." He took a sip of his own beverage, probably something caffeine free, like tea or hot chocolate. The good doctor didn't like caffeine. Said it made his hands shake and makes him lose his focus. "Just accept the help. Now we don't have to pay a shipwright to do it."
That pacified Alec. If it meant they didn't have to spend money, he was all for it. So he went from complaining to silently drinking his coffee.
It was around that time that Rook suddenly woke up again. His eyes popped open and he sniffed at the air. "I don't smell food. Is Maya not awake yet?"
He was interrupted as one Marine, a little shorter than the others, ran up and saluted to them. "I have a message from Mother! She says that breakfast is currently cooking and you should make your way to the Mess Hall in about an hour."
All three men blinked slowly. "Mother?"
The Marine straightened his back. "Yes, sirs! Mother Maya has been gracious enough to cook breakfast for the entire ship."
"My god." Alec groaned. "She's even got the Marines whipped."
The Marine's stomach suddenly growled. "We don't have a fully qualified chef stationed here. So we haven't had a good meal in weeks." He gulped. "Mother chased away those of us who were loitering around the kitchen."
They could all picture that perfectly. A bunch of starved looking Marines hovering around Maya, just trying to smell the food she was cooking. And then the inevitable backlash as the mermaid beat every one of them.
Shaking his head, Doc finished his cup and nodded at his crew. "Well I'm off to talk with Bear. We'll be heading out as soon as the repairs are done. Until then, just relax." He set off for the Marine ship before shouting back, "And Alec? No looting!"
He made a short detour to Sick Bay to check on the recovering men. So far, it looked like they would all make a complete recuperation. It warmed his heart to see it. While he was there, he even checked over Isaac, who was sleeping on one of the beds there. He opened one eye to watch Doc as he approached, but other than that he didn't make any movements. He just sat silently as Doc made sure that none of his wounds had begun to fester or that his bones hadn't slipped out of place again.
Once he was reassured of his health, he went to the Captain's Quarters. Upon entering his room, Bear looked up from his desk and belted out another of his bellowing laughs.
"Well if it isn't the doctor! Hope my men are treating your ship well?"
Doc smiled and nodded. "Of course they are. They're tearing out the broken planks and replacing them with new ones. It really is saving us a good deal of time and money with you doing this. You have our thanks." He extended a hand which Bear shook.
"First you saved my soldiers and now your cook is whipping up a meal the likes of which we haven't seen in days! If anyone should be thanked, it is you pirates. Bahahaha! Never thought I'd hear myself say that!"
As he spoke, a waft of aroma drifted from the kitchen. Bear took a deep breath to enjoy it. But then his brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait…is-is that ham?" He sniffed the air a few times before he pulled open a drawer in his desk only to find it empty. "That mermaid took my ham!" There was a rage in his eyes that Doc couldn't readily identify. But then, the larger man slammed his fist on his desk, causing a hidden compartment to open on the top, revealing another ham. Bear laughed as he picked it up and took a big bite out of it. "And that is why we keep the Emergency Ham!"
Doc was beginning to wonder how this ship even managed to stay afloat with Bear as its Captain. But it was time to get serious. "So…what are you intentions with my crew?" He knew that he was grateful for saving his men. But here and now he needed to know what he intended. It wouldn't be the first time a Marine had acted friendly before slapping on the irons. Bear seemed like the good sort, the likable sort. He wanted to trust him. But if they didn't hash this out now, there would always be a doubt in his mind.
Captain had a weird look on his face as he munched on his ham. "What are you talking about? As soon as we're done with repairs, you're free to go."
Doc raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Just by turning me in, you would likely get a promotion. Not to mention you would get a cut of my bounty."
Bear waved a dismissive hand at him. "If I was interested in a money, I wouldn't have become a Marine. It is my sworn duty to protect the people. And you, Doc, are not a threat to anyone." He looked into his eyes with an unwavering sincerity. "You are a force of good. If I take you in, I can't imagine how many would suffer or parish without you to help them. I'm well aware of your network. While surveying the damage to your ship, my men noted the large amount of Transponder Snails you keep on board. They must connect to islands, patients, people who need you. Why would I tear you away from them? In my eyes, the only crime you ever committed was making enemies with the wrong people."
Hearing him say that lifted a huge weight from his shoulders. But there was one more thing he needed to know. "And what of Isaac? He's still my patient."
Bear leaned back in his chair. "That's a different matter. Unlike you, he has hurt people. Wherever he goes, he destroys buildings and puts people in hospitals. There are only minor offenses against him, but he is still a menace to society. It might have been different if he were a member of your crew. But while he may be your patient, he is my prisoner."
Doc wasn't sure how he felt about that. True, he didn't really need to intervene on his behalf, but it still felt wrong. Doc had promised to heal him, to make him better. But if the Marines wanted to turn him in…what could he do? Just because Bear liked him didn't mean he would tolerate Doc openly acting against him. And he had his crew to think of. Was he really willing to put one man over his friends? Thinking about it that way, he had little choice. Isaac was already on the road to healing. And Bear wouldn't mistreat the man.
He shook his head and opened his mouth to argue. But before he could, Maya's voice rang out from the hall. "Come get something to eat you maggots!"
Bear's face erupted into a smile. "Hear that? Haha! Let's go get some grub!" Bear wasn't even trying to hide the drool as he raced for the door. "If someone touches the ham, they'll have to answer to me!
Breakfast was a feast to everyone's eyes. Bacon, honeyed ham, sausage, and eggs of every kind for the meat lovers and fruit, pancakes, waffles, toast, jams, and jellies for the more healthy eaters.
The room was filled with the aroma of cooked food and freshly cut fruit. Alec was eating eggs, sausage, and bacon while next to him Rook was eating every pancake he could get his hands on. Bishop was eating a bowl of fruit with a slice of jam covered toast while Doc only had toast. Isaac, contrary to Rook was devouring the waffles. The two were glaring at each other while they ate.
"Pancakes rule breakfast!" Rook announced.
"Waffles kick pancake ass!" Isaac countered.
The taunting only seemed to drive the two into an eating frenzy as they each ate more to try and get more into their gullets than the other.
But even they couldn't keep up with Bear and his men. They ate as ravenously as starved wolves. As one plate was emptied, another was filled with everything in reach. Several were crying as they ate. Bear was one of them with his plate piled high with ham slices topped with a single cherry. Even Winston had a tear run down his cheek as he ate.
"I'd forgotten what a cooked meal tasted like!" He sobbed. The room resounded with the agreeing cries of the other Marines. "Doc!" He shouted. "If you don't marry this woman, I WILL!"
Doc choked on his toast. "W-What!? N-No! We-we aren't like that! I mean Maya's…Maya's…" He trailed off from the death glare said mermaid was giving him. Her fork was bent, the piece of fruit at the end falling back to her plate. The aura coming from her was dark enough to scare off a Sea King, but the soldiers were so engrossed in their meal that they didn't even notice.
"Go ahead." She said to her captain. "Keep digging that hole so I have a place to bury you."
"Ah…" Scared of his crewmate, the captain took his plate to go cower in the corner.
As he left, Bear looked up from his ham mountain. "What are you doing? Grow yourself a spine, man! A woman needs to be wooed! Flowers, chocolates, singing! Let me teach you the Bear family serenading technique!"
"Shut up before you get me killed!"
Rook looked up and shuddered. "Am I the only one who just got the image of Bear singing outside some poor woman's window?"
"Shut your trap!" Bear scolded. "I'll have you know that many a lady have fallen for my sonorous voice." He bragged.
"I've got money saying they said yes just to shut you up." Alec retorted with a smirk.
There was a chorus of 'ooooos', 'aaaahs', and laughter from Bear's men. "Oi! The next person to laugh will get to clean every weapon in the armory!"
As everyone laughed at Bear, nobody noticed Isaac approach Doc in his corner. "Hey." He said simply.
"Oh hello Isaac." Doc said pleasantly. He nodded over at the table. "A pretty motley crew, aren't they?" He laughed lightly at his small joke, but he couldn't keep his smile on. They were both silent until Doc said, "Listen…I doubt I will be able to take you with me. Captain Bear is willing to let my crew go, but since you aren't one of us I can't do much to protect you."
Isaac ground his teeth together. "Actually, that's why I wanted to talk to you." He tightened his fists together and his face contorted like he was trying to lift a great weight. "I want…to join your crew." That took Doc by surprise. Despite this being the Pirate Era, there weren't actually that many people wanting to become pirates. True, Isaac was a wanted man, but his sentence would be light. Two years at most. But if he suddenly became a pirate the amount of time he would spend in prison would increase by double. But before he could explain all this, Isaac interrupted his train of thought. "I know how to fight. I can hold my own against any kind of enemy so you don't have to worry about me pulling you down. I know you pirates use bounties like resumes, but just because mine is small doesn't mean I'm weak."
Doc just smiled at him. "Isaac…your strength isn't something that concerns me. Nor your fighting skills. We do often get into fights with Marines, bounty hunters, and even other pirates. But my crew…we try to fight as little as possible. I'm a doctor before I am a pirate. Where we go, you won't find glory or treasure. We sail the sea looking for people who need our help." He looked Isaac in the eye, looking for any sort of emotion. "Are you okay working with this kind of crew? I already have one problem child. I don't need another. If you hurt people unnecessarily, I will leave you behind for the authorities to catch. Is that clear?"
Isaac did something that looked out of place from his usual demeanor. Yet it looked natural on him. He smiled. A big grin. "I like money and women and booze. Fighting is just something I use to get those things." He said. "But if helping people will bring me the same, I'm willing to give it a try."
Doc smiled back. "Then welcome to the Good Heart Pirates."
All of a sudden, the room erupted with people cheering, "Welcome to the Good Heart Pirates!"
They looked around and found the whole room watching them. Alec was laughing while Maya rolled her eyes. "Great. Another mouth to feed." She muttered. Rook was staring at his new crewmate with a hint of dislike as Bishop gave him a silent thumbs up. Bear was cheering and laughing, as if he had seen this coming the entire time.
Isaac started blushing at all the attention. He tried to hide it by grinning as large as he could and shouting at them, "The names 'Knuckles' Isaac! At your god damned service!"
The crew were ready to raise anchor with their new crewmate in tow. Bear and Winston, as well as many of the crew were watching them prepare. The hole in their deck had been repaired so that it didn't even look like it happened. Among the number of the crew, Doc noticed that some of them had bandages and were leaning against their fellows for support. They must have been from the Sick Bay. The ones he had cured.
"Remember, if you ever need help just give us a call!" Doc shouted.
Winston bowed to him. "Of course, sir. We've already taken the liberty of recording your Transponder Snail number. I also left a note with our own if you ever require our assistance."
"Hah!" Bear laughed. "Look at us! Marines and pirates trading numbers like school girls. But I'll be damned if you haven't earned it." He waved at them. "Try not to get yourselves killed out there."
Doc waved back as Rook raised the anchor and Isaac and Alec unfurled the sails. Bishop steered the ship so that they started pulling away from the Marine vessel. Looking back, they saw all attending members of the Marine crew saluting to them. Even those who were supposed to be working had stopped to pay their respects.
"Man that has to break so many rules." Rook noted. "Who ever heard of Marines saluting pirates?" He shook his head in confusion but at the same time he was smiling.
"They are good people." Doc said cheerily. "To them, rank and occupation matter little."
Bear watched them go with a warm feeling in his heart. But while he was watching his friends go, a Marine, the small one that had relayed the message to the Good Heart pirates that morning, ran up to him sweating.
"Sir! Marine vessel coming up on the port side."
Bear's brow furrowed. "More Marines? There shouldn't be any other ships in this sector." Marching to the other side of the ship, he looked out as a smaller ship sailed up and weighed anchor next to them. In no time flat, the other crew was boarding their ship. And at their head was a man with shaved red hair that was mostly hidden beneath a standard regulation Marine cap. He wore the same white and blues that every Marine wore. His build was heavy muscled like a fist fighters, but at his side was a katana. He walked with an ever so slight limp that was almost indistinguishable to the eye. But Bear knew what to look for because he had met this man before.
"Ha! Here for another inspection are you? And here I thought it was common courtesy to call before coming." He acted like he was upset, but that didn't stop the smile from leaking onto his face.
"Surprise inspection." The man stated. His voice sounded young despite his muscled features. There was inexperience in that voice but at the same time a thirst for battle. He couldn't be any older than his mid-twenties. "Heard that a lot of your men got injured in a pirate attack. Headquarters sent me to confirm since you haven't been answering your Transponder Snail."
Bear waved him off. "Been too busy. I had to make medicine all day yesterday otherwise my men wouldn't have survived the night."
The man scanned the assembled crew. And what he saw didn't give him any confidence. Many of them were either injured or being supported so that they could stand. "Letting your crew get overrun by pirates like this…some people might think you've lost your touch."
Now that made Bear angry. "Listen here you little shit. I was Captain before you could swing your sword! If you're threatening to take me away from my men we're going to have a problem."
The inspector ignored him as he made his way to the starboard side. Where he saw a pirate ship sailing away from them. The visor of his cap darkened his eyes. "Captain Captain Bear, why are you not giving chase to those pirates? In fact, they seem to be sailing away from you. Like they were just here."
"Who them? They won't pose any problems. In fact if it wasn't for them half my crew would be dead by now." He said with a grin. When the inspector turned to him, he saw the anger in his eyes. "Aww, don't get all bent out of shape. Once you get as experienced as me, you'll learn that not all pirates are bad pirates." He opened his arms and laughed. "Come on, bring it in and forget about them! For old time's sake!" He motioned him forward for a hug as the inspector started walking towards him. "Come on. Give us a hug. Hug, hug, ham-hug!"
He was smiling until he felt a sharp pain in his chest. His eyes widened and he staggered as he slowly looked down to see a katana protruding from his chest. The blade was black as night, like the Warlord Mihawk's. But this one had something sinister about it, like it wanted to take the life of everything it cut. He hadn't even seen it being drawn.
As blood started seeping around the blade, Bear slowly looked up, sweat pouring from the effort. He saw his men all stepping back in surprise. He saw the inspector's empty sheath. Then he finally looked into the face of his attacker. Blood started dripping from the corner of his mouth.
"What do you think you are doing…Rorick Anderson?"
That came out longer than I thought it would! But hey, long chapters are good chapters.
So what do you all think of this new plot twist? Let me know what you think and I'll see you next time!
