The Man who would be King
The Magna Carta sailed across the endless sea at a quick pace. Not far behind them, a small fleet of Marines were in pursuit. Five Marine Galleons had happened to come across the small ship and immediately began chase.
"Fire!" Captain Taggerd shouted as dozens of cannons fired in unison. The cannonballs whistled through the air as they struck the waters near the ship.
"Whoa, these guys sure are persistent. Ain't they?" Kain quipped as he stood at the aft of the ship, watching the cannonballs in a carefree manner.
"Well we do have bounties on our heads. I can see why they're so determined." Jesse added. "Eh, Captain?"
Victor was standing on the second floor of the upper deck, staring at the Marine ships with his arms crossed.
"As much as I would like to not be chased everywhere we go. But I'll be damned if we get caught."
"That's what I like to hear!" Kain slammed a fist in his palm.
Jesse spun his revolvers as he prepared for battle.
"Cassidy, can you create cover for us while we fight them off?" Victor asked as she joined them, wearing a white robe and drying her hair with a towel.
"This had to happen right after I got a bath." She complained as she looked at the large amount of ships. "Sure, just give me a minute to get some clothes on." She said as she turned and went back downstairs.
"Ok, you heard the lady. Keep up the defense, Kain." Victor said just as another volley of cannonballs were fired.
"Aye Captain!" Kain instantly multiplied into a small army.
"Hyaku Interception!" The dozens of men launched eachother into the air and collided with the cannonballs, which exploded on contact.
Jesse jumped into the air and deflected a cannonball, sending it right back at the ships.
"Gustav!" He shouted, sending a piercing blast that roared towards its target.
Marines ran for their lives as the cannonball struck the deck, setting it on fire when it exploded as the shockwave crashed into its keel, destroying its entire bow in an explosion of wood and metal.
A lone cannonball sailed through the air on its course towards Victor. The man casually raised his right hand and caught the projectile.
"I don't why they keep chasing us no matter how many we sink. Is it because we're labeled as 'Pirates'? Is it glory? Or maybe it's just stupidity?" Victor spun the metal ball on his finger like a basketball.
"Whatever their reasons. It'll take more than just a few ships to do the job." And he threw with the force of a Major League pitcher as it plowed straight through a Marine Vessel and exited through the back, quickly sinking into the waters.
"Keep firing!" The Captain shouted, trying to keep his troops rallied to continue to fight.
More cannons fired as the cannonballs splashed near the ship, causing it to shake violently.
"Phew, that was too close for comfort." Kain said as he fought to keep his balance.
"Are you ready yet, Cassidy!" Jesse shouted as he knocked a cannonball away.
"Almost finished!" Came a shout.
"Well hurry up then!" Jesse shouted back.
Several cannonballs screamed towards the Magna Carta on a collision course.
Victor pulled back a fist as the orbs became closer.
"Vacuum Cannon!"
The cannonballs scattered like specks of dust from the wind blast.
"If this is all they can do. I'm not really impressed." Victor groaned in a bored fashion.
Cassidy finally walked out and stood between Kain and Jesse. Her hair now dry and she clothed herself in a simple peach and cherry colored dress.
"It's about damn time. Were you doing your nails or something?" Jesse exclaimed.
"That's for later. A girl has to have some quality time to herself you know."
"Fine whatever. Can you take care of this?" Jesse asked.
"I'm on it. Try not to be so impatient." Cassidy said as she aimed her hands towards the Marines.
XXXXX
The water before the ships surged and swelled, causing the ships to rock.
"What's going on?" The men were asking in confusion.
The water rose high into the air as mammoth creatures towered over them, making their galleon-sized vessels look like bath toys.
"Sea Kings!" Everyone shouted in fear.
"Fire! Don't let them attack the ships!"
The Marines started to fire like crazy, but the cannonballs just passed through them. This only caused them to become more afraid as they poured more ammo at the giants.
"Sea Kings. Nice touch." Kain commented.
"Thank you." Cassidy smiled at the flattery.
"So how long until that illusion fades?" Victor asked as he leaped down beside his crew.
"As long as I can see them and can concentrate." Cassidy answered.
"That's good to know. That should allow us to get some distance. Jesse…" Victor said.
"Already on it, Captain." The man said as he switched the lever that brought out the cycle.
"Hang on, everybody!" Jesse called as he placed his foot on the pedals.
The Magna Carta's paddle wheel became exposed from the rear.
Jesse's feet became a blur as the paddles also blurred and the ship took off at breakneck speed, quickly disappearing into the horizon.
XXXXX
Elsewhere another ship was drifting along the sea. It was of similar size and shape to the Magna Carta with its simple design, cute little bust of a ram's head, orange trees growing on the upper deck, and its main sail endorsing a jolly roger with a straw hat.
"Oi! Sanji! I'm hungry!" Luffy whined as he leaned back and stared towards the kitchen. His fishing pole hadn't even twitched for hours as he sat on the railing. His boredom was only making him hungrier.
"Get your own damn food. I'm busy." Sanji replied as kitchen utensils could be heard. Minutes later, he came twirling through the door, balancing a round tray with a large grin on his face.
"Nami-san! Robin-chwan!" The cook cried in infatuation as he made his way down the stairs and reached the young women.
Robin was busy reading a history book in her chair, resting her chin in her delicate hand. A slight smile graced her lips as she immersed herself in literature.
Nami sat across from her, her charts covering most of the table as she busily worked her graphs with a pencil compass and a ruler.
Sanji spun up to their table and displayed his creation in two small bowls.
"Mademoiselles, I offer you both a parfait with crème de lait and a cocktail of mangoes, peaches, and strwabeeries. The perfect treat on a warm summer day such as this." He spoke in seductive, gentlemanly fashion.
Robin casually took the dessert and placed a spoonful in her mouth, not even taking her eyes from the book.
"It's quite tasty, Cook-san." She said in her usual manner.
"And for you my dear." Sanji offered the other towards Nami, but the woman barely acknowledged his presence as she sketched more lines.
"Maybe later." She said, too involved to stop her work.
"Very well, Nami-san. I will return it to the refrigerator for when you are ready, my dear." He turned to go back up the stars, when he noticed the parfait was missing.
"What the…" He could then see Luffy was eating something.
"Luffy! How dare you take the fair Nami-san's parfait!" He shouted as he walked up to the captain.
"Idnowhaturtalkingabout." Luffy mumbled as he tried to hide the bowl in his mouth, which was stretched out.
"Oh yeah, then how do you explain this?" The top of Luffy's head was slammed by Sanji's heel as glass could be hard breaking.
"Ahhhhh!" Luffy cried in pain as he spat out broken shards as Sanji muttered some obscenities about his captain as he walked away.
Zoro was snoring loudly in the Crow's Nest, completely oblivious to the outside world.
Usopp and Chopper completed the crew at the bow of the ship. The young man was working on another one of his gadgets that involved his most recent addition to his repertoire, dials.
"Hey Chopper. Did I ever tell you the time when me and my crew of 5000 men faced off against the Mummy King and his legion of the undead?" Usopp asked.
"You mean you actually saw a mummy!" Chopper exclaimed in shock.
Usopp loved the attention as he puffed his chest out and rubbed underneath his nose in arrogance.
"He was strong all right, but he was no match for Captaaaaaain Usopp!" He shouted in self-praise.
"Amazing!" Chopper cried in wonder as stars flashed in his eyes as Usopp laughed loudly.
Zoro finally cracked an eye open as he sat up, yawning loudly.
"Oi, I see something." He said, pointing towards the starboard side.
"Eh?" Nami stood up and walked over to the railing and looked across the water.
"We arrived earlier than I thought." She said as she looked down at the Log Pose on her wrist, which was pointing at the island.
"Well it has been a while since Long Ring Long Land. Maybe we should stop here for supplies. Who knows how long it will take until we reach the next one. What do you think, Luffy?"
The young man was already in swimming trunks as he jumped around with excitement.
Nami just let out an exasperated sigh.
"Hey Zoro, can you steer us towards that island?" She asked.
"Hey I found it. Why do I have to do it?" Zoro complained, trying to go back to sleep.
Nami just growled at the man's troublesome attitude.
"I'll do it for you Nami-san!" Sanji shouted as he jerked the helm, the sudden change in direction caused Luffy to lose his balance on the railing as he flapped his arms wildly.
"WhoaaaaahhHH!" He cried out as he fell down into the water.
"Luffy went overboard!" Usopp shouted, being the only one to see it happen.
"Ahhh! Luffy fell in the water!" Chopper cried out as he ran and dove after his captain.
Moments later, the two were flat on their backs, gasping for air with their tongues hanging out.
"ARE YOU TWO IDIOTS!" Nami shouted in vile anger at the semi-conscious males.
"I'm sowwy, Nami." Chopper apologized, having forgotten that he can't swim.
Robin couldn't help but smile at the carefree attitude of the crew she had joined.
Nami just groaned as she went to the table and rolled up her maps. As she did, her anger began to subside. Being around the Captain's shenanigans so many times has caused her to become far too used to them. She let out a sigh as she looked back towards the island.
"Maybe a little break wouldn't hurt either."
XXXXX
"Parakeet Isle. It doesn't look too bad." Victor said as he read a very large sign that overlooked a very large portion of the beach.
"Good, Battle Cove wasn't the friendliest place to be." Jesse said as he adjusted his glasses.
"Well while we're here. Lets have a little fun, guys." Kain said, already in a pair of blue trunks and a camouflage towel draped over his shoulder.
"I'm about to hit the beach. Who's with me?" He asked, placing a pair of shades over his eyes.
"I thought you couldn't swim?" Jesse pointed out.
"I can't, but when has that ever stopped me?" Kain replied.
"Well if you drown, don't bother asking me for help." Jesse said as he turned away.
"Aw, come on. You need to relax from time-to-time. You're too stiff, dude." Kain said as he swung his arm over the man's shoulders.
"I'm still working on him with that, but I think this Marine manner of his is engrained into his body." Victor laughed.
"Haha, very funny. I can relax if I want to." Jesse said in his defense.
"Of course you can." Kain said mockingly as he let go and ran up to the bow.
"Well, I'm gonna have a little R & R. Catch you guys later." Kain jumped off, landing in the white sandy beach and taking off.
"Where is he running off to?" Cassidy asked as she came from the living quarters. Her garb was a simple white tank top that exposed her midriff and cutoff jeans that caressed her thighs.
"That doesn't look very much like you're going to get a suntan." Victor said.
"Not right now. Outside of my home and the Shimmering Isle, I've never been anywhere else. So I thought a little exploring might be in order." She explained.
"That sounds good. I need to ask around to see how long it takes for the Log Pose to lock onto the next island. Want to come?" Victor offered Jesse.
"Thanks, but I'll pass. I'll do some inventory to see if we need to stock anything or if Maggie needs any repairs."
"Well she did take a bad hit from those flying sardines so we could look around for some materials while we're out." Victor said.
"Thanks, Victor. That'll help."
"Ok, we'll see you later." Victor said as he and Cassidy left him alone.
"Now where should I begin?" Jesse said as he pulled out a pad and paper.
XXXXX
"Sugei!" Luffy said as he stared at the beach as he sat cross-legged on top of the Going Merry's head.
"Lets go check it out guys. Hurry up!" Luffy shouted.
Everyone was ready for going ashore as Zoro cast the anchor in the water.
"Hurry, hurry, hurry. Lets go!" Luffy shouted as he jumped off the bust and landed ankle deep in the ocean.
"Right behind you, Luffy!" Usopp shouted as he and Chopper jumped after him.
"Those morons, we already had the ramp out and they don't even bother to use it." Nami said as she and Robin walked down the ramp, easily by-passing the water.
"Well they are just enjoying themselves. So where should we go?" Robin asked.
Nami took a moment to think about it.
"Well we can see do a little shopping if you're up for it?" She suggested.
"Hmhmhmhm, well you are very good at getting a bargain. Shall we go?"
"Lets." Nami and Robin continued down the beach, leaving only Sanji and Zoro to remain.
"So I guess that leaves just you guarding the ship." Sanji stated.
"And who put you in charge, shitty cook?" Zoro retorted.
""What was that, Moss-head?" Both men were in eachother's face, their auras blazing as they were ready to fight.
"Back off, before I plant my foot somewhere you don't want it."
"Go ahead, I've been itching for a fight."
Both growled in anger before they broke from their standoff and separated.
"This is more trouble than its worth." Zoro said as he jumped off in the same direction that Luffy had went.
"Stupid baka." Sanji said before he calmed down.
"Well, if we're going to stock up on food, I'd better start looking around to see what kind of delicacies this island has to offer before Luffy eats it all." He said, lighting up his cigarette as he headed off on his own.
XXXXX
Inside the town, Nami and Robin were enjoying themselves in a classy clothing store named the Glamour Lounge.
"So, what do you think?" Nami asked as she exited the changing room, wearing a silver sequin gown that flowed with her every movement.
Robin just casually smiled as she sat before the woman.
"It's looks good on you. Are you thinking of buying it?" She inquired.
"I think I will." Nami smiled back.
XXXXX
Cassidy smelled some sweet flowers at a shop as Victor looked at some brochures about the island.
"So this place is like one big resort. What do you think?" Victor mused as he read them.
"I agree. Even though I love to sing, I spent most of my time on the Shimmering Isle doing just that. So a little break from it all is just what I need." Cassidy added.
"Glad you feel that way. Lets keep looking around. I did promise Jesse that we would look for any usable supplies for the Magna Carta."
"Sure." Cassidy agreed as they continued down the street.
"What? You can't be serious! That is just too high. I'll give you 1,000 berries for it." Came a woman's voice.
The two stopped in front of a clothing store as the conversation piqued their interest.
"Madam, that is far too low. The manager would kill me." Stammered a man's voice.
"That's my offer. Take it or leave it." The woman haggled.
"Madam, please." The man continued.
"Someone really wants a deal, don't they?" Cassidy said.
"They sure do." Victor concurred before they continued on their way.
XXXXX
Sanji casually walked through the town, searching for what he had set out to find.
He surveyed the area as he took a drag of his cigarette. There were many well established hotels and restaurants, but none with the skills that he possessed.
"This must be a very popular place. Nothing here is less than four stars." He commented as he pulled out his cigarette and blew out a puff of smoke.
Then his eyes set on two long haired women as they were walking on the other side of the street.
"Hello, Mademoiselles!" The man's eyes turned into hearts as he twirled into their path. He stopped before them and gave an elegant bow.
"Ah, to see two songbirds such as you brings such a melody to my heart." He grabbed the taller redhead's hand and placed a kiss upon it. "Would you ladies do me the pleasure of your company for the evening?"
The woman's hand clenched into a fist as she jerked it away from him.
"I'M NOT A WOMAN YOU MORON!" A man's voice shouted.
Sanji had no time to react before an uppercut sent him flying to the sky, disappearing in a twinkle of light.
XXXXX
"Wow, Victor. I really wasn't expecting you to hit the guy." Cassidy said as she stared at the sky where the poor man vanished.
"Hey, it was his fault for thinking I was a woman." Victor said as he chewed on his piece of straw angrily. "Not to mention that he kissed my hand."
"Well I'm sure that he got the message, if he's still on the island that is." Cassidy said as they returned to walking. "Just try not to lash out over every little misunderstanding."
"Hey, that's Jesse, not me." Victor pointed out.
"Well it appears that you have an issue that you're sensitive with. Have you ever thought about cutting your hair? That would help most of the problem."
"But I like my hair long." He said.
This just made the woman laugh. "Then I guess you'll keep getting mistaken for a woman. You know, you do make a rather pretty girl."
"Ah come on. Not you too." He whined.
Cassidy couldn't help but giggle at the man as they continued their stroll.
XXXXX
"Yahoo!" Luffy shouted as he jumped from the Going Merry in a large colorful innertube, making a big splash.
Chopper was busy swimming in his own tube, enjoying the water as it cooled his fur.
Usopp was being lazy as he just floated along, half submerged as his goggles covered his eyes like shades.
"You know, I could get used to this, but it's only a fleeting moment for us warriors of the sea." He thought out loud as he stared up towards the sky, watching what few clouds there were just drifting along.
XXXXX
Nearby, Kain was combing the beach, looking for a nice patch for himself. As this was a well established island, it was rather crowded.
"Hmmm, where should I sit?" He said to himself as he looked around. Finally, his eyes fell on a nice spot.
"Alright, time to get a little sun." He said as he threw his towel on the sand.
"I just need one more thing." He said as he grabbed an umbrella and lawn chair. Identical versions appeared next to the towel and he laid down, dropping his shades over his eyes.
"There, that's better." He said smugly as he enjoyed the peace and quiet.
As he relaxed, he could see others taking a cool dip near their ship, but one of them was some sort of creature in an innertube. He lifted his shades to get a better look.
"A Tanuki?" He said, but didn't pry any further as he put his shades back on and closed his eyes.
"Strange pet they have there."
XXXXX
Jesse sat down after several hours of inventory and maintenance, having finally decided to take a break.
He brought out his list and went over it. "Our food stocks are starting to get a little low, with a new crewmember, we'll have to get a water pump to maintain a steady water supply. Not to mention a water filter and purifier. Some maintenance repairs need to be done for the paddlewheel, some boards need to be replaced, and the sails are falling apart."
He sighed as he leaned back in his chair as he closed his eyes.
"I wonder if we even have enough money for all of this?" He thought as he tried to figure it all out in his head.
"Oi, is this a fishing boat? I'm trying to find a place to fish. Know a good place?" Said an unfamiliar voice.
Jesse's eyes opened up as he set them on a man wearing a simple white shirt, a black band around his arm, and strange green hair. Another noticeable thing was the three swords strapped to his waist.
Jesse took off his glasses, maintaining his composure as he took his glasses off and cleaned them.
"Sorry, but this isn't a fishing boat. We're just docking for a while to get some repairs and supplies."
As Jesse was talking, he used his Haki to get a better idea of the man before him.
"This guy is pretty good. He emits a powerful and violent aura. Kinda reminds me of a certain Captain I know."
Jesse returned his glasses to his face. "So if you wouldn't mind. I suggest that you look elsewhere."
The swordsman's expression never changed. "Sorry, I guess I'll be leaving." The man said as he turned and started to walk off the ramp.
Zoro reached the bottom as he turned his head towards the ship.
"Interesting guy. He was ready to fight the moment I was on the ship. Maybe there could be more to this island than I thought." He grinned before heading off.
XXXXX
The rest of the day was rather uneventful for the two groups.
"Man that was fun." Luffy said as he was now in his normal attire of a vest and shorts.
"You said it, Luffy." Usopp agreed as Chopper walked between them with a carefree smile on his face.
Suddenly a loud growling could be heard.
"I'm hungry." Luffy groaned as he frowned.
"You're always hungry Luffy." The sniper pointed out, which made Chopper laugh.
Luffy laughed as well as they continued deeper into the city. Not long after, they saw a large crowd of people had gathered around a wall.
"What's happening, Usopp?" Chopper asked.
"Hmmm, I'm not sure. I can't see over the crowd. Can you give me a boost?"
Usopp now was sitting on top of Chopper's massive shoulders, using his goggles to focus in on the attraction.
"What do you see? What do you see?" Luffy asked as he hopped to see, but it wasn't doing any good.
"Hold on. Give me a sec." Usopp said as he continued to adjust his goggles with his fingers.
"It looks like a contest of some sort." He read as he got a better look.
PARAKEET ISLE
ANNUAL EATING CONTEST
ENJOY OUR FINEST FOODS
FOR AS LONG AS YOU CAN EAT
"FOOD! Let me see!" Luffy clambered onto Chopper and shoved Usopp off, who crashed onto the ground.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT, LUFFY!" Usopp barked at the man as a large bump was growing on his cheek, who wasn't even listening as he shielded his eyes from the sun.
"ALRIGHT FOOD!" Luffy pulled back his arms and stretched them across the entire crowd.
"What's going on, guys?" Said Nami as she, Robin, and Sanji approached them from another street.
"There's a contest that's right up the Captain's alley." Usopp thumbed towards the man as his arms retracted, carrying a piece of paper as he jumped down and showed it to Nami.
"Look, food." Luffy pointed with a giant grin on his face, which received a punch to the face.
"ARE YOU STUPID! Is that all you have on your mind is food!" Nami's teeth like razors.
Luffy lay sprawled on the ground with a swollen lower lip as the girl picked it up and looked at it.
GRAND PRIZE
B 100,000,000
"Luffy! We're entering the tournament!" She pointed her finger forward like a general.
"Too fast!" Usopp shouted as he slapped the air with the back of his hand.
Robin looked at the paper a bit closer.
"It says that the contest is tomorrow. So we have time some time until we have to enter." She explained.
"By the way. Where's Zoro?" Luffy asked, sitting up, having recovered from his injury.
"Probably got lost trying to find the bathroom." Sanji stated as he lit his cigarette.
Zoro walked through the street, not ready having a specific destination in mind and by sheer coincidence, he ran into the group.
"Oi, what are you guys doing?"
"Hey Zoro! Wanna join me in an eating battle?" Luffy asked as he bounded up to the man.
"A battle eh? Sounds good to me." Zoro was getting his fighting spirit raised as his grip tightened on his three katanas.
"Trust me, Zoro. It's not what you think." Usopp informed as he waved his hand in a 'don't do it' manner.
"Eh?" Was all Zoro said in response, but knowing that it was Luffy, he got the message.
XXXXX
Kain was quite pleased as he walked through the town with a smile on his face.
"Ah, there is nothing quite like relaxing on the beach." He said to himself as he surveyed the town.
"This place looks nice. If I were still in charge, the things I would do." He laughed as he checked out the hotels and restaurants.
"I haven't seen the others in a while, so I guess I'll go and look for them."
He continued on his way and something caught his eye, in which he walked towards to get a closer look.
"Hmmm, this could be interesting.
XXXXX
"Hey Victor. This looks like fun." Kain said as he handed the paper to the man as he rested on the Crow's Nest of the Magna Carta.
Victor grabbed it and looked it over. "An eating contest? You want me to do this?" Victor asked with some surprise.
"If you want, I'm definitely going to do it." Kain laughed.
"Go ahead. Knock yourself out." Victor handed the paper back.
"Hey guys. How about it? Want to join me?" Kain ask the other two.
"Thanks, but I have to watch my figure." Cassidy stated, sunning herself on the bow of the ship.
"Sorry, even though I was a Marine, I can only eat as much as a normal person. I don't think I can keep up with that glutton contest." Jesse answered as he inspected his revolvers, meticulously checking for any damages from their previous battles.
"Aw, you guys are no fun." Kain whined as he jumped off the mast.
"So do you think you can win?" Jesse asked.
Kain grinned as he answered by having several clones appear around him.
"What do you think?" They said in unison.
XXXXX
Fireworks exploded into the bright sky of the next morning for the big event that the town has been buzzing about for days. Thousands had already been filling into the stadium to get a good view as children walked around with balloons and noisemakers, laughing and enjoying the celebration.
The center of the stadium consisted of several very long tables that were built for the hundreds of contestants that registered for the eating contest.
"I don't know why, but I feel… excited." Cassidy exclaimed as she looked around at all of the people.
"It must be different for you as you aren't normally the spectator, but the feelings can be the same for a lot of people. Even if they aren't participating." Victor explained.
"Very true." The woman smiled.
"Does it make you feel envious for the limelight?" Jesse asked.
"A little, but I can always sing whenever I want. I feel most at home when I am surrounded by music." She explained.
"Ah, I see." Jesse said, adjusting his glasses.
"So when is this contest supposed to start?" Nami asked as she and her group sat down.
"From the looks of it, it must be soon." Robin answered.
"At least we got good seats." Usopp stated.
"Come on Luffy!" Chopper shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Calm down, 'emergency food supply'. He's not even out there." Sanji said.
The little reindeer blushed a little, not used to being around so many people and his excitement got to him.
Zoro simply leaned back in his seat, looking quite bored as he closed his eyes.
"Men dux sei. If only it were a drinking contest." He said in an irritated fashion.
Jesse overheard the conversation of the group that were sitting next to them.
"Quite a rowdy bunch we have here." He said as he glanced over.
"As long as they aren't bothering us, just leave them alone." Victor said as he relaxed with his hands behind his head and propped his right foot on his left knee.
XXXXX
A loud volley of fireworks erupted into the air to signal the event was about to start.
"Welcome all, to the Parakeet Isle Annual Eating Contest! Where only those with the strongest intestinal fortitude will make it to become Champion and the winner of ONE HUNDRED MILLION BERRIES!" Shouted a man over the loudspeaker.
The stadium roared with excitement in response to the man.
"Let these brave souls hear your voices as they enter the battlefield!" He shouted as a large group entered from one side as the crowd continued to scream and holler at the contestants.
The group waved and smiled, many being quite large and fat as this was the only time that it was socially acceptable to eat vast quantities of food in a very messy fashion.
As the group of men and women sat down, an equal amount of waiters and waitresses quickly followed them with large dishes of food and placed it before the participants.
"Now let the challenge, begin!"
XXXXX
A/N
Well it doesn't hurt for the gang to take a break every once in a while. Of course, it never works out the way they want it to, does it?