Neo One Piece
By Nezumimaru
The End of the Beginning, Part 1
Rogue Town, birth place of the first Pirate King, final end of both Pirate Kings. It is the East Blue's gateway to the Grandline, everyone who seeks to enter the treacherous sea comes here to find all they need to survive, and then some. From its large markets with many stores to its fine dining and monuments, Rogue Town attracts tourists just as much as it attracts sailors and other sea-faring adventurers. Visitors and townsfolk should be extra careful about the law here, though, as there is also a rather large garrison of Marines stationed here, as many pirates need to stop here on the way to the Grandline. More so since….
"You can stop with the exposition Jin. We know all this." Zugai said, as he and the other members of the Battle Master Pirates stood in the docks of Rogue Town. There was a lot of hustle and bustle, so much so that no one even seemed to notice the large bone ship in the harbor.
"Just trying to set the mood." Jin huffed, stretching his arm behind his head. Blitz shrugged, heading off in a random direction.
"See you guys in a few hours!" He called back, giving a short wave to his crew. He didn't even step off the dock, when a purple collar flew at him from behind and latched onto his neck, a chain attached to the collar yanking Blitz back violently to the feet of the new crew doctor, Faith.
"Hold your horses." Faith said calmly, wrapping up the slack in the chain, "We should all know where everyone else is doing, that way we don't forget anything before we leave." Excluding Blitz's gasping for air, everyone nodded in agreement. Gonzo spoke first.
"I can go resupply our food storage." He said, then slapped Jin's shoulder, so hard it nearly knocked Jin over, "Jin can come with me, then I can show him some navigation stuff we'll need for the Grandline. Trust me, I've sailed there before."
"I'll come with." Chris said with a bright grin. "You guys will be needing help carrying the supplies." At this time, Blitz collected himself, brushing off some dust on his arm.
"Fine, then Faith and Zugai can go get some medical equipment. As for me, I need to do some solo shopping to buy some materials for making new ammo for my guns. Need to keep my special mixtures a secret, you know." Blitz was shaken out of his musings by Zugai, who pointed at the bag of Belli at Blitz's waist.
"Just don't go overboard. We don't have enough money for too much personal spending." Blitz waved him off and bolted before Faith could collar him again. Sighing in exasperation, Faith took Zugai by the wrist and pulled him in the direction of the markets to find a medical shop. Chris snickered at the pathetic look of despair on Zugai's face, jogging behind Jin and Gonzo as the three of them headed down a path that smelled heavily of fish, in search of the food. Unseen by the Battle Master pirates, a small form floated above them, watching them. It was transparent, almost invisible in the sunlight, though if anyone could see it, they could see the form tilt its head in curiosity before floating away to a forgotten alley in the city.
Elsewhere, inside the Marine base in Rogue Town, a man sat in a dimly lit room, looking over a pile of bounty posters on a desk with his small arms, illuminated by a desk lamp. The top most posters were those of the latest to be distributed; The Battle Master Pirates. According to reports, they have created quite the splash, considering they haven't been around for even a full month yet. They certainly are a crew to look out for…
Suddenly, the door to the room opened, and a Marine stepped in, saluting the smaller man at the desk.
"Sir, a pirate ship, identified as the Howling Moon, has been spotted in the harbor, and the pirates seem to have left it unguarded. They seem to have split up as well. Do we have orders to detain them?" The Marine asked. The smaller man at the desk did not take his eyes off the posters, thinking about the best approach for a situation like this.
"Not yet. Keep a close eye on them." The man said in a high, nasally voice. "If we try and apprehend them now, a fight will surely break out, and any collateral damage should be kept to a minimal. We will attempt to corner the captain first, then try to convince him to order his crew to surrender. If not, then we will have to use force." The man hopped down from the chair and walked out of the room passed the Marine, the man's head barely going past the Marine's waist.
"We shall wait until the right moment, then strike."
Blitz walked down a fairly empty street deep within Rogue Town, the décor getting seeder and seeder by the block. The materials he needed weren't those that legit shopkeepers would—or could—provide. Hopefully there was a black market nearby where he could….
Suddenly, Blitz was knocked out of his thoughts when something ran into him. He himself wasn't knocked over the something, or rather, someone was and landed flat on his back.
"Whoops. Sorry about that kid." Blitz said, reaching a hand down to help the young boy, who looked to be around 12 years of age. The boy grabbed Blitz's hand and let himself be pulled up, dusting himself off as he got to his feet. Blitz got a better look at the kid in front of him. The clothes he was wearing seem to be a tad too big for him—both due to being made for someone a few years older and from his rather skinny frame—which consisted of mostly a black robe with a white lotus on the back and a belt. On the belt was a small tanto knife, though with the lack of fraying on the sheath and strap it was apparent it was rarely used. The boy also seemed rather pale, even more so when contrasted with his long black hair. Finishing getting the dust off, the boy looked up at Blitz with his blue eye and gave him a big smile.
"It's ok, mister. I wasn't looking where I was going." The boy reaching his hand out in a welcoming fashion. "I'm Kiyoshi, by the way."
"Blitz." Was the answer, as Blitz took Kiyoshi's hand and shook it. Blitz then continued on his way, on towards his destination within the black markets. Behind him, he could hear faint footsteps on the ground, though he thought that it was just that Kiyoshi kid going the other direction. After a minute of walk, the footsteps didn't get any quieter, confusing Blitz some. Turning around, Blitz saw that Kiyoshi, rather than walk away from him after their brief meeting, was in fact following him!
"Beat it kid. I said I was sorry." Blitz told Kiyoshi very bluntly, before resuming his walk. Kiyoshi did not go away, though, and continued to follow Blitz.
"You're the captain of that ship that came into the harbor." Kiyoshi said, more of a statement than a question. "The one all white and looks like it was made from ivory. You're pirates, aren't you? Did you come here to stock up for the Grandline?" Blitz sighed. He was starting to get annoyed by this kid, but decided to play along.
"Yes, I am the captain of that ship, yes I am a pirate, and yes I am going to the Grandline." Glancing back at Kiyoshi, Blitz said, "Why, are you going to turn me in? Playing Bounty Hunter, right?" Kiyoshi shook his head.
"I'm not going to turn you in." he said. Blitz shrugged, and turned back to the street in front of him, almost missing what Kiyoshi had said next. "I want you to take me with."
"What." Blitz stopped dead in his tracks, Kiyoshi almost slamming into his back from the abrupt stop. Blitz then twirled on his heels to face Kiyoshi, bending over slightly to look the young boy right in the eyes. "You want me to take you with." Kiyoshi nodded. "To the Grandline." Another nod. "Just you." Yet another nod. "Give me one good reason."
"I can pay you." Kiyoshi said, holding up a large bag of money seemingly pulled from nowhere. Blitz glanced greedily at the bag for a moment, but soon composed himself to walk away.
"Not going to happen, kid. I'm not taking you on my crew." Stowing his money bag away, Kiyoshi jogged after Blitz, saying, "I don't have to join your crew, per se, I just need passage to the Grandline. The civilian transports won't let me on without a parent or legal guardian present, and you can just drop me off at the first port town and…"
"No means no kid." Blitz interrupted, stopping again and placing a hand on Kiyoshi's shoulder. "The Grandline is too dangerous for a kid like you. I don't know your reasons for wanting to go, but until you're older, you better stay put. Now beat it." Blitz walked off, leaving Kiyoshi standing in the street, unsure of what to do next.
In another part of Rogue Town, Faith and Zugai were busy trying to find a store that would sell them some medical equipment and supplies, with little luck thus far.
"Damn, with a town of this size, you'd think there'd be a more than a few medical shops." Grumbled Zugai. While he wasn't adverse to Faith's company or helping with shopping, he honestly would rather stay back on the Howling Moon and work in his workshop on some of the various small projects he has been working on, like experimenting with some bones for a fiber to make rope with. Besides, Zugai was uncomfortable with the idea that there wasn't anyone left behind to guard his ship.
"Well now. Wot we got 'ere, eh?" Zugai ears perked up, the voice all too familiar to him. He quickly spun around, hand reaching for Honehakaisha in case of trouble. Sure enough, the voice came from none other than Card Shark, who stood not far from where Zugai and Faith were, with the bulky Dojang standing next to him. Card Shark had a plastic shopping bag slung over his shoulder, while Dojang carried a large pack on his back.
"You guys!" Zugai shouted, digging his heels into the ground. "You two better not cause any trouble or I'll…."
"Zugai, cut it out!" Shouted Faith, trapping Zugai in one of her dog collars and pulling him down into a sitting position. As Zugai let out a whimper of pain, Faith faced the two mercenaries with a warm smile. "Sorry about that. I take it you gentlemen know each other." Card Shark blinked in confusion, seemingly as if Faith was speaking another language. The stoic Dojang leaned let out a heavy sigh.
"She meant us, Sir Card Shark." He said to his partner.
"Ohh, right!" Card Shark said, rubbing his head in embarresment, "Th' whole 'gentlemen' thing kinda threw me off a tad." Looking back at Faith he said, "Yeah, we know ol' Zuggy, back from th' town o' Upman. We, ah, 'ad a cat brawl 'bout a week or so ago. But really, it was all just a big misunderstandin'…."
"We were hired to destroy noble ship maker's town." Dojang said bluntly. Both Faith's and Card Shark's jaw dropped, shock that Dojang would just come out and say that, and so casually! "Sir Hibiware, I beseech thou." Dojang clasped his hand together and bowed low before Zugai, his wide straw hat miraculously not fall off. "Canst thou find in thy heart to forgive us for our wrong doings?" Dojang, not moving from his bowing position, elbowed Card Shark in the ribs, prompting him to follow suit.
"Yeah uh, we sorry, feen." Card Shark said as he bowed as well, though a bit more reluctantly. Zugai looked at the pair bowing in front of him, then glanced over to Faith. Faith could do nothing more than shrug her shoulder, leading Zugai to a sigh.
"Well, considering that Pelgo lied to you guys and was planning kill you guys as well, I supposed you two are forgiven." Zugai said. No sooner had he finished talk that Card Shark was back up right with a huge grin on his face.
"Well! Now that we're down wit that, we can go on our way!" Card Shark said, turning quickly to leave, only to be caught in Dojang's massive hand.
"We thank ye very much for thy kindness, Sir Hibiware." Dojang said, "Now if there is anything Sir Card Shark or myself can do for either you or your fere, we shall be welcome to comply."
"Well, I don't know about that…" Faith said, waving her hands in front of her, only to be interrupted by Zugai.
"Do you guys know where we can get some medical supplies?" he asked.
"Yes, I know of one such place." Dojang said, pointing down a side path from the main street. "Just down yonder path. Come I shall show you." Zugai and Faith, though hesitant, followed Dojang down the side road, Card Shark taking up the rear.
"I gotta admit, boyo," Card Shark said, wrapping an arm around Zugai's shoulder in a show of camaraderie, "A Med Shop ain't me first choice of destination with a new mot."
"A what?" Zugai asked, cocking his visible eyebrow. If there was one thing he was never going to understand, it was Card Shark's strange words. Where exactly did they originate from?
"You know, yer mot, yer lack, yer wan." Card Shark leaned close, his face mere inches away from Zugai's, a smarmy grin on his face. "Yer girlfriend, you eejit!"
"MY WHAT!"
"HIS WHAT!"
Off in the other direction, close to the fish markets, the group of Chris, Jin and Gonzo were trying to decide on their next course of action: follow Jin's idea and gather navigational equipment first, or get food supplies for Gonzo.
"If we go get the navigational equipment first, we don't have to spend too much time carrying around dead fish and smelling like them all day." Jin argued, his arms crossed in front of his chest.
"We should get the fish first so we can have a chance of getting the good stuff before it's all sold out!" Gonzo argued back, hands on his hips. "And what's wrong with smelling like a fish?" The two glared at each other, neither backing down an inch. Chris, watching the two, realized at that moment the downside of a 'never-give-up' attitude. At this rate, they won't be able to finish their shopping until New Year's!
'Could this possibly get any worse?' Chris thought, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"HEY THERE CUTIE! Where have you been all my life?" Startled, the three pirates quickly turned towards the new, feminine voice. Standing there was a rather short—even shorter than Chris!—skinny girl with lightly tanned skin and short high light red hair. She was wearing skin tight black shorts, a dark red sleeveless shirt and red geta sandals with as eye-patch-like monocle on her left eye. On her hips were two small pouches marked with TNT, which Chris and the other hoped were simply a logo or brand. The young girl was quite pretty, which was heightened by the love struck look in her eyes. Forgetting what they were talking about, Jin and Gonzo swiftly spruced themselves up and presented themselves to her.
"Hello miss, my name is…" Jin and Gonzo said simultaneously, both trying to be charming as possible. However, once they realized that they both had the same idea, they began to glare at each other once again.
"Dude back off, I saw her first." Jin said through gritted teeth.
"As if! Besides, she was obviously talking to me!" Gonzo shot back, puffing out his chest.
"Oh, like she'd think you were cute, fish-breath."
"What'd you say!" So busy insulting and trying one-up the other, Jin and Gonzo didn't see that the girl had walk right past them and up to Chris until she heard her speak again.
"Hi! My name's Alia Hanabi. What's your name, cutie?" Behind her, Jin and Gonzo's jaws fell and broke the pavement in shock. In front of her, Chris was trying to keep a straight face but was beginning to sweat profusely, and very uncomfortable.
"She just walked right past us." Jin whimpered.
"Why's she talking to Chris!" Gonzo asked, mouth still opened in shock. Suddenly, a light turned on in Jin's head, which he reached up and turned off.
"Because she thinks Chris is a dude…" Jin thought aloud. The two looked at each other and, by some strange coincidence, began to grin evilly as they thought of the same plan. A very evil plan.
"Uhh, m-my name's Chris." Said the shaken knife-wielder, trying to keep her composure in front of not only the misguided girl in front of her, but to her crew mates and the people passing by them. This may be an awkward situation, but damn it if she was going to let her disguise fall.
"Chris, huh? That's such a cool name!" Alia said, inching ever closer, oblivious to Chris's discomfort. "Say, if you're not too busy, think I could steal you away from your buddy for awhile? Get something to eat, maybe? I know of a good restaurant nearby." Alia batted her eyelashes cutely, causing Chris to blush even further. Hell, if she was blushing any more, her blushes would be causing bruises on her face!
"I-I'm sorry, miss, uh, Alia," Chris managed to stammer out, trying to inch away from the invading body. "But my friends and I are very busy getting food and supplies for a long trip and we…"
"Nonsense, Chris!" Gonzo said boldly, grinning widely as she looked at him in shock. "Jin and I can handle thing from here, we have everything under control!"
"Yeah, we sure do!" Jin joined in, also getting a look of despair for the first mate. "We don't want to keep you from a pleasant outing with such a lovely young woman! At least you won't have to smell like fish all day."
"There is nothing wrong with smelling like a fish!" Gonzo shouted back at Jin, grabbing the navigator by the ear and twisting. Chris sweat-dropped at the two, both from their antics, and the fact that they had just doomed her.
"See, they're just fine without you, Chrissy-poo." Alia said sweetly, taking Chris by the arm and dragging her off down the street. "Now come on, we don't want to miss the best tables before the rush!"
"C-Chrissy-poo!" Chris shouted indignantly. If she wasn't before, she was curtained now: This was going to be Hell. As they watch the pair leave, Gonzo and Jin could barely hold in their laughter.
"CHRISSY-POO! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" the two finally burst, gaining some strange looks from pedestrians nearby. "Oh, Chris is going to hate us for this!" Jin wheezed in-between hoots of laughter.
"Yeah, but the look on her face was totally worth it." Gonzo replied, wiping a tear of mirth from the corner of his eye. Calming himself down with a few deep breaths, he said, "Now for that fish smell comment, we're getting the food first."
"Fine by me." Jin muttered in defeat, and the two continued on their way to the fish markets.
End Chapter
AN—Sorry for the tardiness, I got a lot going on here in college. But anywho, this marks the first part of the last arc in the East Blue. Soon, the plot will really get rolling!
Also, Kiyoshi is the character of Redcap55, and yes we will be seeing more of him soon. Alia Hanabi is the character of Kisdota-The Freak Gamer. If you are confused on why she's attracted to Chris, it as Jin said, Alia thinks Chris is a guy. A very good looking guy. Heehee, I'm evil CX.