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Oregano and the Secrets of Sycamore Isle! Part Five

By: peanutbutterlung (Whale)

[[Previously on Oregano - Recap]]

Oregano and crew have found themselves traveling to Sycamore Isle after encountering the marine duo of Commodore Nightbright and his assistant Lieutenant Slurry out at sea. Upon arriving in the port city of Ushmel on Sycamore Isle, Bo split off from Oregano, Polen and Tompkins in hopes of settling his earlier fight with Nightbright where he was embarrassed. Meanwhile Oregano and his pets explored around the city on their own. The residents of Ushmel were all either sick or nowhere to be found. Many have offered their bodies as test experiments to the shady research facility known as Skrullton Labs that has taken residence on their island in order to receive money. Skrullton Labs are also the company responsible for the drugs that were to be used to sabotage Bo in his fight.

After looking through the city Oregano comes upon the body of a fallen man out in the street. His name is Daveed and he is weak from the tests that he volunteered for in order to get money to help his family trapped in poverty. Daveed explained the situation of the island to Oregano about how his family all speculate that his sister Ameera has joined a rebel group organized to fight Skrullton Labs called the Shedyed. Oregano volunteers to try and find Ameera and along the way he encounters two security guards from Skrullton Labs and with the help of his new friend Nyree and giant moa bird and his pets he is able to defeat the two in battle.

After the battle a woman in an all-black outfit approaches him, the Shedyed are said to wear all black and this of course prompts Oregano to question the woman on the matter. Meanwhile Bo was off being tricked by a disturbing old man named Satchamo Jones who claimed to know the whereabouts of where Nightbright was on the island, but in reality he was simply using Bo as a form of entertainment. Bo soon figured this out and retaliated… That is where we last left off in the story.

[[End of Recap – Now On With the Story!]]

At the Scene with Oregano and the Mysterious Woman

Oregano's question about the Shedyed had caused this new woman who had appeared on the scene to go deftly silent in the matter of a second.

The woman was wearing an all-black 'ninja like' cloth suit. She had a black hood placed over her head, and covered her face with a darkly colored scarf so only her intense and captivating eyes were seen. She was carrying a black bag over her shoulder, and on her hips were a bound whip and a cylindrical metal baton strapped to a utility belt of sorts.

Oregano, who was still on the ground bleeding from his shoulder wound, and aching like nobody's business was wondering why this lady wasn't responding to his question. He wondered if she figured he was just some lame-o-tron or something, as he bled all over the ground. This thought hurt him deeply for Oregano knew just how vital a first impression could be.

"You're the first person I've seen wearing a dark hood, you've gotta be…" Oregano began to comment, hoping to get a response but he was quickly cut off.

"Sorry, I don't know anything about that… nor do I know anyone by that name…" The woman finally spoke up, interrupting Oregano's speech. Her voice was filled with waves of discomfort as she replied in an abrupt and choppy manner.

"As a simple citizen of Ushmel however, I would like to thank you for what you've done here by defeating Venny Kestridge and Michelle Flamel." The woman continued as she walked over closer to where Oregano was lying down at.

Her piercing eyes were studying the scene at hand as she drew nearer towards the fallen Oregano. The sight before her was peculiar to say the least, but what got to her the most was the presence of a moa inside the city. These birds were native to Sycamore Isle, but often avoided human contact whenever possible due to the birds typically having a rather timid nature and distrust towards humans.

Then looking over towards Polen in his 'cool' shades and baseball cap, along with Tompkins who by now had decided to fall over on the ground in order to imitate the wounded Oregano, she wondered what this uncanny assortment of oddballs really were. What she wondered most of all however, was what Oregano had just asked her about.

"Awwwww what!? You're telling me you don't know anything about them? I thought you would be able to help us for sure!" Oregano finally whined a delayed response as the lady approached him. Her claims of not knowing of Ameera or the Shedyed were causing Oregano much distress for he had gotten his hopes so high upon spotting her.

"Unfortunately no…" Was the woman's simple and blunt reply to his comment. She then reached inside a pocket in the bag she was carrying and pulled out a roll of bandages and a container of ointment.

"Here let me help bandage you up." The woman spoke as she knelt down towards Oregano on the ground.

"Ah thanks, I would really appreciate that!" Oregano replied with a smile. "I gotta get through all this and get back to searching - And the sooner the better cause Daveed is counting on me after all!"

The woman upon hearing this comment realized she had to drop the charade and get down to business.

"'Triple Six' Oregano! What do you have to do with my brother?!" the woman shouted.

Oregano, Polen, Tompkins and Nyree all looked up at the woman in shock due to her sudden outburst, each of their eyebrows rising towards the sky in unison. Their eyebrows were rising so high from surprise that it wasn't long before the brows made it into orbit. Not only did she pretty much admit to being Ameera just then, but she also revealed that she knew who Oregano was!

Now Back with the Altercation between Bo and Satchamo

"Heads up fool!" Bo roared as he quickly unleashed a massive jab towards Satchamo.

As Bo's fist blitzed the likes of Satchamo Jones, a deafening blast of wind surrounded the boxer's fist and could be heard over the entire island. It was clear Bo wasn't messing around anymore. Ever since being humiliated by Nightbright earlier that day, something inside him was driving him harder than ever.

Satchamo reacted just before contact was made and raised his arms up in front of him, cowering about as he began to emit from his body a thick protective wooden shell.

This shell was no match for Bo however, because he simply plowed through the wooden shield like a bulldozer, and landed the 'Sunday Punch' on Satchamo's wrinkly left cheek.

The result of this was Satchamo flying backwards at an incredible speed. He didn't stop soaring until he finally connected with a tree a good 30 meters behind him. Satchamo let out a blood curdling scream as he made impact with the tree and fell to the ground with a splat.

Blood was pouring out of his mouth and his left cheek was sunken in and purple from the sheer force of Bo's mighty punch.

"Didn't I hear you talking bug shit earlier about taking me out? Sheesh you ain't nothin' but a little bitch" Bo spat as he slowly approached the scene where he had sent Satchamo flying to.

"Weak shit Average Joes like you can't go toe to toe with me, I'm a damn professional you dig? See I'm looking for real strength, something you sure as hell ain't got." Bo jeered at the unsightly Satchamo that was on the ground before him in a pitiful bloody mess.

"Average Joes like you... shit don't even get me started. I can't even tell you how many big talking fools think they can dance in the ring." Bo's anger was like a scorching wind that hits you, and when it does it knocks the breath right out of ya. Throughout his career, especially in his rookie years he had to deal with fans and skeptics alike that wanted to try taking the mighty Bo Stockston down.

Bo shook off the memories of old before he got even more worked up and looked down at his fist that felt a little different than usual. What he saw were a couple wooden shards dangling off of his fingers and knuckles. They certainly hadn't penetrated his thick iron-like skin, it was more like they had adhered to his powerful fist after such a terrifying impact. He slowly plucked the large fragments off and began to eye down Satchamo.

"Let this be a lesson to you…" Bo continued until he saw Satchamo surprisingly rise up, lean backwards and sling his arms forward.

"Hernnnnnnn!" Satchamo cried out as dozens of long sharp wooden spears were sent rushing through the air from his arms towards Bo.

Bo let out a smirk as he proceeded to tighten his muscles before impact was made by the sharp wooden spikes against his body. "Shit, you must be trying to give me an infection or something with all these damn splinters." Bo jeered as the spears neared towards him.

The boxer's rock solid body provided a natural defense to these primitive like weapons that were being used in an incredibly desperate like fashion.

Each of the spears simply bounced off of Bo's tough skin and landed on the ground before his feet with a thud.

"How's that for interesting jackass?" Bo muttered. He was happy to crush the dreams of the man who had wasted so much of his time.

"He...Herern… How could?" Satchamo whispered. He was flabbergasted at the display before him.

It was one thing to hear rumors of Bo Stockston's strength and pass it off as that of just another high level fighter, but when seen up close, it was as if you were in a boxing ring in the pits of hell with a man of devilish strength and demeanor as your opponent. Satchamo realized too late just what a mistake he had made in challenging the great Bo Stockston.

"Compared to that fool Nightbright, looks like you got a piece of shit devil fruit, if that's even what's going on here. I'm not even sure what to believe anymore." Bo spoke towards Satchamo who was now seated back on the ground and propped up loosely on the tree behind him.

"Hernnn… the Toge-Toge no mi has served me well… up until now that is. Something interesting you will learn as you journey through the world looking for worthy opponents is that for fruit users, it all depends on the individual's use and experience with their fruit. Fruits of any kind can be used in various ways." Satchamo muttered. "As for Nightbright however… hernenerneree… His fruit is one of the most interesting of them all … and one of the most dangerous fruits I've ever heard of. Herenee… You better be careful with him Mr. Stockston."

Bo glared at the defeated man in front of him with eyes full of disgust. "Where is Skrullton Labs? Tell me the truth this time." Bo asked with anger rumbling in his voice. After being told that Nightbright's fruit was dangerous and that he should be careful around him, these words began fanning the flames of hatred within him, making them burn hotter than ever. How dare this pitiful sack of a man currently on the ground at his feet tell him how he should behave or what he should do. Bo was about to snap until he saw Satchamo finally motion a weak response with his hand.

Satchamo was smiling a weak smile as he raised his hand and pointed to the northern side of the island. "You're as interesting as ever Mr. Stockston…"

Bo looked towards where Satchamo was pointing and then turned back to him. "It took until now for you to speak clearly and not need to clear that damn throat of yours? Maybe you should quit lying so much, the truth seems to come out easier." Bo stated with an annoyed tone upon hearing Satchamo speak plainly for the very first time all day. He had calmed down rapidly now and his aggression was off of Satchamo and his attention was instead where he wanted it to be – On Nightbright.

Satchamo shook his head slowly and finally passed out and fell over onto his side.

Bo took a deep breath and exhaled forcefully. This little detour was finally over for him, Skrullton labs was what he had his sights on now, and as far as he was concerned, Nightbright better damn well be there and be ready for an ass-whoopin'!

Meanwhile in an Open Corridor Inside of Skrullton Labs

"Dr. Jotter! A marine vessel has just docked at our pier." A painfully slow and dopey voice called out into the open corridor. High ceilings did little help in this situation as they simply echoed the cringe worthy shout far beyond their already intolerable levels.

"Drat!" Was the sudden response to this racket by a man who had been peering down into a large window overlooking what appeared to be a lab room on a floor underneath him.

This man was Dr. Jotter and he looked to be a man in his mid-thirties. He was adorned in a simple lab-coat that was colored a faint yellowish tan. He sported brown khaki slacks underneath this coat and wore black dress shoes and a belt to match. His face was rather weasel -like and slim in appearance. With no apparent bone structure in his cheeks or jawline that could be seen with the naked eye. This man had an incredibly skinny head, and was often bullied growing up because of it. A rather rectangular nose protruded ever so slightly from his narrow face however, and on its bridge rested a pair of tinted gray spectacles. As for hair Dr. Jotter sported only a widow's peak. A rather unfortunate way of balding but hey, everyone is different right?

Turning his attention now away from the goings on of the floor beneath him, his stare met with a rather large oaf of a man that was looking at him with a bewildered expression.

The large man appeared to be around 7 foot and was very thick and burly. He wore an olive green handy man- suit. He had a rough head of curly hair and an unkempt beard to match. He looked to be a man you'd have to hold by the hand in all facets of life based on the ditzy face he seemed to always wear.

"Now then Ronald, what have I told you about shouting in the corridor? Or really just inside period for that matter…" Dr. Jotter murmured, annoyed and irritated at the insubordination before him.

"Sorry Dr. Jotter…" Was the beginning of Ronald's innocent and bleak reply on the matter, but he had no time to finish because Dr. Jotter promptly cut him off.

"No matter, it's about time that lazy marine buffoon got here." Dr. Jotter crossed his arms and began tapping his fingers in anticipation against his torso as he proceeded to speak. "Just go make yourself useful and sweep the floors somewhere."

"Dawww right away Dr. Jotter!" Was Ronald's reply as he then exited the corridor..

"Imbecile… I really must speak with President Yarboro about his employing of such pathetic idiots here." Dr. Jotter mumbled to himself as he watched Ronald leave the scene.

"Sheesh you ain't kidding Jotter." A new voice called out into the corridor. The owner of this voice had obviously been eavesdropping on the conversation that had just taken place.

"Dr. Russel, didn't your mother teach you it's impolite to eavesdrop?" Dr. Jotter stated firmly. He was obviously the type of guy you didn't want to flex with since every little thing seemed to set him off.

"Hey, hey now, sheesh I was simply passing through." Dr. Russel responded with a hint of satisfaction resonating in his voice after noticing how he had gotten under Jotter's skin.

Dr. Russel slowly approached with a slight grin spread across his face. Dr. Russel was a man of average build. He wore a similar get up to Dr. Jotter's, except that instead of wearing simple khaki slacks like his colleague, Dr. Jotter sported a pair of teal colored pants with orange-pink palm tree designs printed all over them.

Dr. Russel appeared to be a man in his late thirties, he had a slight tan complexion and noticeably aging wrinkles defined his cheeks and forehead. Most noticeable of all his features however was his light purple poofed up hair that extended from the base of his head a good foot in every direction. This hair-do was complemented splendidly with a dashing mustache resting with a slight curl above his upper lip as well.

"You know if it weren't for your research here you'd be in the in the same boat as that groveling handyman. To think that an intellect like yours would coincide with such a ridiculous persona… it's just preposterous to think about." Dr. Jotter mumbled wishing his colleague would leave him be.

Much to Dr. Jotter's dismay however, Dr. Russel simply huffed at his comments and proceeded to lean up against the wall behind him. "So Nightbright is coming up huh? Sheesh bout' time… Just about put us in jeopardy." Dr. Russel spoke. "Still can't believe that lethargic man fell for our ploy, must be too tired to pay attention. If the marines were to really find out what we are doing here we'd be in shit… I mean sheesh could you imagine?!"

Dr. Jotter clenched his eyes tightly. It really was a chore for him to speak with a man looking as ridiculous as Dr. Russel. Even seeing him every day never seemed to dull the annoyance of his colleagues presence. "Just a couple more visits and it will be off to the Grandline for Skrullton labs...We just can't afford to…" Dr. Jotter began to speak as he simultaneously flipped on a security camera hooked up to a den den mushi that was recording outside at the docks. What he saw on the camera however halted his speech entirely.

"Sheesh, not like you to stop mid-sentence like that Jotter. What's gotten into you?" Dr. Russel commented as he rose up off the wall he was leaning on and headed over to see the screen the now sweating Dr. Jotter was gazing into.

"He didn't come alone this time." They both mumbled after seeing Nightbright's marine underling Slurry by his side.

"We're not just dealing with a sleepy-headed marine... sheesh this could go to shit quick if we aren't careful." Dr. Russel moaned.

"Of course we will be careful! Like I don't know what is at stake here! Don't be so ignorant. This new marine he just had to bring with him… She can't find out what's going on here! She absolutely can't!" Dr. Jotter shouted. The stress of the matter was obviously getting to him, making him act in a brash and irritated manner.

Now Presently at the Skrullton Lab Docks

"Excuse me young lady allow me to carry that suitcase for you." A Skrullton henchman murmured to Slurry as he reached upward towards the now docked marine ship to receive the case she held in her possession.

Slurry blushed upon seeing the man offer his assistance but quickly gave a shake of her head. "Thanks but there will be no need for that." And with that she lept off the ship and landed on the Skrullton docking bay below her with grace.

The Skrullton Docks were a series of long steel piers decorated with large boxes and containers scattered at every end. Henchmen were all the while in a hurried panic, hustling around trying to clean or rearrange anything and everything that they could to make sure that nothing was out of order. Many of the henchmen had now been alerted of the fact that the usual incompetent surveyor Nightbright was being accompanied by an assistant. Murmurs and whispers filled the scene at the docks between groups of henchmen relaying messages to one another from the higher ups as they moved in great disarray along the docks.

"Nightbright san! Are you going to get off the ship?" Slurry shouted to her slumbering superior officer who was now happily napping on his actual ship with his many pillows and sheets galore. This was heaven to Nightbright compared to the cramped and uncomfortable rowboat he was on before.

"Aye… Slurry I'm just going to snooze a bit longer… I'll be grumpy for the rest of the day if I…" Nightbright somewhat responded to Slurry but somehow managed to fall asleep mid-sentence. After his brief altercation with Bo Stockston, the fact that he was forced to exert effort before his fifth nap of the day was likely taking its toll on the slumbering marine.

Slurry blushed in embarrassment for Nightbright's sake and her own after all the henchmen around the docks saw just how unprofessional Nightbright could be without his proper or in most cases improper amounts of sleep.

"Tsch!" Slurry spat at her current predicament. As it was now all responsibility had fallen on her shoulders to conduct the entire survey.

"Alright please escort me to the factory!" Slurry spoke out with a resolve that carried her spirit towards a level of determination. In her brief case she carried with her all the documents she would need. She was ready to finally be able to complete a mission without getting sidetracked by Nightbright's sleep schedule. The encounter with Oregano earlier that day was still fresh on her mind and she was ready to prove herself.

"Right this way ma'am." Was the reply of a large man who had suddenly appeared at the end of the dock Slurry had docked the ship. He had a very solid frame and was rather rectangular in appearance. His silhouette might be easily mistaken for a mattress standing up on one end. For his hair he sported a slicked wild olive-green mane. Around his jawline was a rather thick chinstrap beard to boot. He had very pronounced lips and under his large black eyes were prominently large cheek bones.

"I'm Blake Bishop, the head security officer here at Skrullton Labs, my apologies for not being able to greet you at your ship as you arrived, our usual staff is a little shorthanded at the moment and I needed to check in on things. I hope you understand." The large man spoke as Slurry walked up and approached him.

"Not to worry, I understand and am quite used to unexpected occurrences… I'm Lieutenant Slurry by the way. Now shall we proceed?" Slurry responded to the man.

"Certainly right this way Lieutenant … Oh and pardon if I forgot to mention this before, welcome to Skrullton Labs."

**A/N: Hey readers – Like always I hope you enjoy this chapter and hope to see some of your comments!**