Hello everyone. Shall we get on with the story then?


Maya was went chasing after them as fast as she could. Unfortunately, that wasn't very fast. She could speed by on her bubble, but the average Human could run faster than her. She would never catch up. Even as she watched, they were already dots in the distance. But it wasn't like her to just give up and accept things.

"Rook! Bishop! Alec! Isaac!" She shouted. The initial shock was fading now. And her anger was flaring. She never veered, never took her eyes off the direction they disappeared into as she repeated their names angrily into the air. The people around her didn't even so much as look at her, scared as they were of the monster that attacked their town.

It wasn't until Bishop stepped out from behind a building did she stop. "Maya. Enough." He warned flatly.

The others came out from other nooks and crannies. Rook and Alec were trailing behind her, Rook quiet and solemn while Alec wheezed, not yet recovered from all the labor Rook had put him through. Isaac literally jumped from the top of a building to join them.

Alec was catching his breath, resting his hands on his knees to brace himself. "Why…the hell…were you up there?" He asked between gasps.

Isaac responded like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It was the fastest way to get here. Dumbass."

He bristled at that, but before they could devolve into an argument, as was their wont, Maya snapped them back to attention. "Shut up! We don't have time. That…thing just took Doc." She explained the whole thing to them, as short as it was.

"A rabbit. Just swooped in. And left." Alec asked in disbelief. "What kind of lame kid stories have you been reading to come up with that?"

"It's true!" She defended. "I don't know why, but all the townspeople were scared out of their minds. Look at them!" Even as they stood there, people were still scattering and running away. "The thing is long gone but they are still freaked. The police aren't even here to help!"

"Hmph. A rather rude thing to say."

A man wearing a small, golden circlet with a green gem encrusted in it appeared. His hair was white and he had the beginning signs of age, a few streaks of grey hair and wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. He wore no cape nor heavy garments. He wore what could only be considered a green jogging suit. If it wasn't for the crown, he could have been taken as an eccentric. He was stern, but not homely. And flanking him on either side were six knights, each endowed with a silver-like armor that glimmered even in the pale light of the moon that was creeping over the horizon. One of these knights stood out amongst the rest. He wore a metal band around his head, stylized to resemble the wind. There were also wings imprinted on his armor. He was handsome. He features were lean and confident, his startling blue eyes pierced through everyone he saw. His blond hair was feathered and wavy and even as fear ran rampant around him, he was smiling as if he already knew that all would be well.

"It's the King! King Lepus has come to save us!" Someone shouted from the panicked masses. The people who had previously been scared for their lives were suddenly shouting and reaching out towards the King and his knights, begging for protection.

King Lepus raised a hand to his subjects and they all quieted down. The crew watched silently. They had never been in the presence of a king before. It was taking both Rook and Isaac to hold her back from marching over to him and demand he go find Doc.

"Calm yourselves, my people. There is nothing to fear. Our scouts have reported that the monster has already reentered the forest to its lair. You are safe." He told them resolutely.

But after such a scare, people aren't so easily calmed down. One woman holding a small child shouted, "But it came here! It attacked our homes! What's going to stop it from coming back?"

The King shook his head. "Worry not! It took us by surprise, but it has played its hand. We will be ready for it. Should it leave the forest again, you ask how we will stop it? How will we protect you?" He flourished and all eyes were drawn to the knights at his side. "The Royal Knights! These men and women have pledged their lives and legs to the protection of this kingdom's people. These six knights, the fastest in our lands, will personally be patrolling the towns and keeping you all safe. Believe in them! The monster may have devilish speed, but our knights are faster than any living being on this island, no than in all of the Grand Line! Let them be the wind that speeds you forward!" The assembled crowd broke out in roaring cheers and whistles. King Lepus smiled and nodded. He basked in it for a moment before turning to his knights. "You have your orders. Go protect our people!" Five of the knights nodded and then they were gone. Snapping their heads in every direction, the crew saw those same people already almost out of view. Even Bishop was impressed by the sheer speed of these people.

While they were distracted, King Lepus and the remaining emblemized knight approached them. "It is my understanding that it was your Captain that was kidnapped by the creature." The King studied them with a slight gaze of disapproval. "Pirates. Despicable creatures who disturb law and order wherever they go." He wanted to say more, but shook his head. "I have bigger fish to fry, as the saying goes. And as I know, you have yet to break any laws in my country. So while I despise your kind, I cannot deny you the protection I offer every person who enters my kingdom." He gestured to the knight next to him. "This is Brisk, Captain the Knights and, as such, the fastest human being on this island. As a gesture of good faith, along with my personal apology that this happened while you were in my realm, he will personally enter the forest to find your Captain."

There were more than a few gasps of shock and mutterings.

"The forest?"

"But it is illegal to go there."

"We've never sent a search party in before."

"Does this mean they're going to kill the monster?"

Lepus turned to the people and calmed them. "I know it is rather unorthodox, but we cannot allow current circumstances to continue. It was my very ancestors that outlawed the entering of the forest, something that I enforced drastically when the monster made its den there. However, if we wish to finally be rid of this beast, we must take action. Yes, my knights will be protecting us, but we must not remain on the defensive. No runner waits for their opponent to catch up before crossing the finish line. We must track it while the trail is still fresh. We will track this beast and rid it from our lands for good!"

There was another raucous cheer from the rallied people as Brisk posed and waved for them all. While he was showboating, Bishop caught his brother's eye and the two nodded. The wings in his armor seemed to glow in the light of the moon and lanterns as he got down into a running posture and then practically lifted off the ground by the sheer force of his legs. If the other knights were fast, they were nothing compared to him. He generated a gust of wind that ruffled hair and pulled at clothes as he took off towards the forest.

The people cheered and Lepus watched proudly as he exited the field of view and entered the forest, where they were all sure he would return with the beast slain. King Lepus smiled at Maya and the crew. "Now please, enjoy the festivities, get some rest. Come race day, I am sure your Captain will be found." He stalked off, many of his subjects swarming him with smiles and cheering.

The four of them watched him go with various degrees of disbelief. Isaac popped his knuckles. "So we're going into that forest, right?"

Alec checked his scimitars. "Yup."

"And we're gonna get our Captain back, right?"

The pinwheel on Rook's sword chimed in the breeze. "Most definitely."

"Bitchin'."

Maya's hair flared in the wind. "Glad we all agree. But before we go, Rook."

"Yeah?"

"…Where is Bishop?"

The smith grinned. "Oh don't worry about him. He's just…doing his thing."


The foliage of the forest would normally deter normal people from going too deep. But Brisk had enough speed and momentum that he mowed through everything that got in his way. His armor was shaped in a way to make it aerodynamic. As he ran through the woods, the wind split in his path and created a current around him. Few plants or insects even touched his armor as the wind kept them from marring the beautiful shine. He stopped his pursuit as he spotted a large footprint embedded in some mud. It was a rabbit's. He grinned. "I've waited so long to hunt you down. Thank you for taking that pirate, it gave me an excuse to finally enter this place to get you." He stamped his foot in the center of the print and sprinted forward. "You won't escape me this time!"

But as he pursued his quarry, he failed to look behind him. Then again, when one hunts as single-mindedly as Brisk was, they rarely bother checking their rear. If he did, he would have noticed, just for an instant, a head emerging from his shadow.

Bishop wasn't used to moving at such high speeds while hiding. So he needed to look around just long enough to get his bearings before sinking back into his hiding spot. There was more to this than meets the eye. It didn't really matter to him what the circumstances were, but Brisk was going to find Doc, Bishop intended on being there to save his Captain.


See you all next time!