GyoJin Pride
Chapter 53
Meeting
The Docks, Sabaody Archipelago- The brothers dropped their outraged burden at the feet of Captain Smoker, "This tub-o'-lard is Rumbarrel. He's all yours, and I'm glad of it!" Oni walked over to a nearby mooring and sank wearily to the ground, "He's heavy as sin, stronger than his smell and bullet-proof, you better hog-tie 'im." Tashigi cut a length of rope from a nearby coil used for holding cargo, "You alright?" Arlong walked over and sat next to his brother, "He's just resting, we've been fighting these fools since dawn." He wasn't about to say anything about being worn out, not to a human, anyway. Smoker took out his cigar and pointed toward the smoke billowing across the sky, "You do that?" "No," Oni said, "We don't burn things down, we break 'em down." "Where's the rest of your team?" Smoker asked, "You didn't come alone." Arlong gave him an ugly look, "What do you care, human?" Oni sighed and gave him a pat on the shoulder, "We split up to cover more ground. Fatty here," He pointed at the now bound noble, "Ordered his men to execute all of the slaves, so we needed to cover more ground fast." "Captain," Tashigi said urgently, pointing toward the sea, "We got company." Three battle cruisers were gliding quickly toward the docks. "#! Can't a guy get a moment's peace?"
The Siren's Call, Stone Town, Stone Island- Togorogiri lifted Angel in his boney hands, "Isn't she beautiful!" Xelos grinned, revealing rows of sharp teeth, "Yep. She must take after her mom." Everyone laughed as Katarina's mother, Helen, took the baby, "She does have her mother's eyes." Angel's green eyes glittered like emeralds, "All the boys better watch out, she's gonna' be a looker!" "MOM!" Katarina shook her head, "She was just born and you're planning for her first date?!" "It's always good to plan ahead."
The Fleet- Ace stretched out lazily on a piece of planking, the only thing keeping him from a watery doom. Several ships were totally engulfed, and the flames would likely spread to a few more. He sat up to admire his handiwork. Most, hopefully all, of the crew were treading water. Despite Ace's pyromaniac tendencies, he had no desire to cause anyone to burn alive. "Need a hand, chu?" Ace turned to the Gyojin, who had suddenly appeared beside his make-shift raft. "Naw, I'm fine. But . . . If you could just push this thing toward the Going Merry, I'd be grateful." Chuu took hold of the far edge of the planking and gently pushed it toward the prate ship, "If I were a human who'd eaten a Devil's Fruit, seems like I'd live as far from water as possible, chu." Chuu shivered at the thought, life in a desert, maybe, devoid of the ocean's warm, comforting embrace. "Yeah, that would be the smart thing to do, but nobody ever said we pirates had to be smart." He smiled, "I hear there are land pirates, bandits, highwaymen . . . But land can never match the sea." he laughed, "Look who I'm talking to! You know that a lot better than I do!" "There's an old Gyojin saying, Life without the sea is death. I guess some humans are tied to the sea as strongly as we are, chu." Chuu looked over to see Ace laying flat on the planking, snoring. He shrugged and paddled faster toward the Going Merry.
The Docks, Sabaody Archipelago- "Hey, what's going on?" One of the marines asked as large shapes began pulling themselves out of the sea and onto the docks. "Reinforcements." Arlong said matter-of-factly. Dozens of Gyojin emerged from the water and began heading toward the group. Several marines fell back, frightened by the sight of so many powerful Gyojin. "Belay that, you idiots!" Smoker roared, "They're our allies, remember!" "Arlong-Sama!" One burly Gyojin burst from the pack and headed toward the brothers, "Kurobi?!" Arlong embraced his former crewman, "I should have known they couldn't keep you from battle!" A horrible screeching sound came from the sea, and all eyes turned to see the lead battleship lifted from the water and scuttled like a toy boat, "What in the world . . . ?" "Reinforcements." Kurobi smiled grimly as the Sea King's massive, horned head broke the surface of the water.
To be continued...
