Strife and Struggle
"Hey, give that back!"
"Too late, it's mine."
"You already ate your portion! You can't just steal others' food; we're all hungry."
"Shut it; I deserve more than weaklings like you."
"Both of you, shut it!" Johannes roared, snatching their shoulders and jerking with such ferocity that the piece of meat in question sailed overboard into the lapping waves below. They both jumped at his sudden approach and stared at the Infantry Commander with stunned alarm, sinking in his massive presence. "You sound like children! All of us deserve more, but we have to live with what we have for now."
Three weeks had passed since the escape from Miko Kusanagi and the Marine base. Energy and morale were at an all-time low while, conversely, the collective levels of stress had never been higher. The weather thus far had been abnormally calm by Grand Line standards, a fortune they could only hope lasted, but the number of internal squabbles had been increasing dramatically since late in the first week of their journey when Ray made a startling discovery during one of his routine checks of the ship's supplies: they were depleting their available food supplies at an alarming rate, and if it kept up they'd be completely out of food only four weeks into a nine week journey.
Upon making the find, Ray mentally slapped himself for not doing the checks earlier, but things had been quite hectic on board with their rapid departure, all of the new people made official crew members, and not to mention Leon had been still recovering, which made him more of a hindrance than were he fully healthy. Though Alexander's claim that there were enough foodstuffs to last the entirety of their chosen voyage may have initially been true, at the time, each of the three prodigies and four skilled strategists in on the decision overlooked, or were unaware of, one key detail in their haste: in order for that prediction to hold, a strict rations plan would have to be instituted. By the time any of the four realized the oversight - which was quickly confirmed by Ray -, a significant dent had already been put in their stores, forcing a far stricter rationing policy to be enacted. One that spread their available ingredients thin and pushed a number of hardships on the unaware crew.
With tensions rapidly heating up, so too did tempers. Even Johannes and his former White Knights, who - more used to such straining conditions than their compatriots - initially called for patience and calm, as their bellies grew emptier, their frustrations simultaneously boiled over. As a group they'd basically been assigned the role of overseers and were tasked with quelling any petty squabbles that may be sparked before they had the opportunity to erupt into full-fledged fires.
Under the conditions, Bo had become even more of a recluse, and stayed mostly within his own quarters, having not even eaten in the past three days in order to at least incrementally ease the pressure on the crew. Mage, who had been withheld or without food for weeks at a time, similarly fasted for days at a time, quickly reverting to the visually near death state each spell he'd been in when Leon initially released him from a cell on this very ship only a few months ago. It was hard to tell any difference in Shaad, lazing around doing very little if anything, but he had foregone every meal since the discovery was made, driving his body on the replenished energy stores he held. But, that left little energy available for any strenuous activity and greatly reduced the benefits of his constant lounging as well as making his regular movements sluggish and draining. Ray sacrificed where he could, but he played too integral a part in the ship's and crew's functioning to be too low on energy at any time, same for Kayden and the White Knights. The rest of the crew, meanwhile, begrudgingly went along with the forced cuts, though with growing murmurs of discontent while Alexander was vocal about his displeasure behind closed doors and adamantly refused to lower himself any further whenever the idea was brought up.
"Why do we even have to go through this?" one of the crew, a gruff and portly middle aged man with an unkempt mane of dirty brown hair, complained to those around him as they ate their measly rations by the ship's bow. "We should just turn the ship around and head for the nearest island." The man's words earned him a few nods of agreement, but they let up on the issue when, Kray, one of the more unstable members of the White Knights approached, head covered by a loose rag and scarred chest exposed to the sunlight.
He leaned in close and flashed the group a gap toothed grin. "Hold your tongue or loose your hands. Empty words spawn full threats." Kray then dropped a sizable plate between them and walked off with a wide smile.
Digging into the extra food like wild animals, the group continued to murmur amongst themselves when one came up with the brilliant idea, "He's right. We should go ahead and do it. Everyone will be happy; our stock in the crew will skyrocket."
"What?" one of the others dissented. "You want to listen to 'Krazy' Kray? That's crazy."
"Kray is almost as strong as Johannes. With him on our side, we can definitely do it."
"Plus, none of the captain's little inner circle will even know. Alexander and the Captain are hardly seen, and Ray's too busy. We just need to convince Kayden to gradually turn the ship around, and we'll be at the closest island by the time they even realize what happened."
"We'll be the heroes of the crew."
"Fine, I guess you're right."
"So, when do we do it?"
"Now is the perfect time. Shift change just happened and everyone's too preoccupied with their own thing or their food to pay us any mind. And, Kayden went to the wheel just a little while ago to avoid a counter-wind."
Just as the group got up to move, all action on the deck seemed to freeze for a moment as all eyes converged to a single point.
"What's he doing out here? It's the first anyone's seen of him in two days."
"Beats me."
"Shh, it looks like he's about to say something."
Silence spread as the crew gathered in the middle of the deck, everyone's attentions squarely focused on what Bo looked ready to say, his eyes demanding undivided attention and his mouth stretched into a borderline scowl. "I am the captain of this ship," he began slowly, the seriousness of his tone perking up each person's ears as the surprising bass resonated across the ship without need of any amplification. "You all willingly agreed to serve under me despite my perilous warnings. Now, because of a little inconvenience, some of you have the gall to plot what essentially boils down to a mutiny and attempt to usurp my explicit directives." Bo paused to let his words sink in, his expression morphing from a scowl to one of sardonic enjoyment, the wry grin flashing to those below. "I'll let you all in on a secret. Nothing happens on this ship that I'm not aware of. Therefore, I invite anyone who has issue with my captaincy to step forth."
There was an extended pause as the gravity of Bo's words smothered the crew, each person especially stunned as they'd all had their share of doubts at least once over the past two and a half tumultuous weeks and feared the implied threat behind Bo's tone and demeanor. But, no one stepped forward, every person nervously looking around, internally hoping for someone else to take the blame and save them from mass extermination.
Bo let a satisfied glimmer grace his features, showing in a threatening smirk that flashed his canines for effect as the portly man from before stepped forward, flanked by his motley contingent of cronies. "You're nothing but a selfish, egotistical liar and madman," the man declared to a mix of stunned silence and spread out claps of agreement. Bo couldn't hide the expression of dark amusement that settled on his face at being so brazenly challenged. "You're not fit to be captain; you only care about your own gain at the crew's expense. We need somebody who's for us!" The man stuck out his chest proudly as he finished his tirade of biting criticisms to numerous vocal supporters, emboldened by his bold showing.
Bo released the upper railing, relaxing his posture and allowing the disturbance to settle before speaking in a less harsh tone. "I think I'm quite a bit more than a 'selfish, egotistical liar and madman'," he snidely commented. The almost joking manner with which he said it and the cocksure grin he wore unsettled and unnerved the multitude of unsure crew members looking to him. Both those who had voiced their displeasure with, and objections to, Bo's leadership as well as those who remained on the fence backed away, making ample room for the imposing captain, as he slowly and deliberately strode down the short stairway leading from his quarters to the deck.
Once on the same level as the majority of his crew, Bo scanned over each of their faces in turn, expressing marginal amusement at their expressions. He then locked eyes with the portly man responsible for the outburst. "Tell me, how do you think not eating for three days benefits me? What about a half starved crew? Infighting? Insurrection? Huh? You're the one with all the answers, right?" Bo bullied the older man accusingly, backing him into a corner both literally and figuratively. "Please, enlighten me, oh wise one."
Johannes jumped between Bo and the crewman, hand raised calling for peace. "The crew is just on edge. Their stress is speaking for them."
"That's some well-timed stress to simultaneously affect so many, I must say," Bo disputed. "Oddly specific, too. If it wasn't some idiot spouting it, I might agree with you, but there are numerous people on board eating significantly less than any of them, yourself included, and yet none of those people seem to be having such problems."
"That's enough, Captain," Johannes raised his voice. "You've made your point; this is not the way to handle this situation."
Bo then turned his eyes to the crew's Infantry Commander, lips morphing into a twisted grin. "Are you also questioning my leadership, Mr. Johan?"
Johannes' expression shifted to one of mild anger but he looked to back away from his comments, if only slightly, though he stood his ground in the face of Bo's challenging glare. "Yes, he is. We've all had enough of your tyrannical rule, and it's time we took action. There's over a hundred of us and we have the backing of Johannes and Kray on our side. You and your few don't stand a chance." The main instigator of the rebellion boasted, jabbing his finger threateningly in Bo's face.
The crazed, demented laugh that bubbled past Bo's lips and burst from the depths of his belly both scared and infuriated the man and his immediate group. Johannes stood stunned at having his name thrown into the mix and Kray stayed off to the side wearing a crooked grin around the cigar stuck between his thick lips. The rest of the crew did what they could to move away from their seemingly unstable captain without drawing his attention as Bo settled his own exuberant laughter. "If you want my captaincy, I invite you to take it. I may not be the strongest person on this ship, but there's a reason I'm the captain and there's a reason they choose to follow me." Bo gestured outwardly with his arms, pulling the men's attention to the ship's edges where Kayden stood at the helm with arms crossed and looking sympathetically at the scene, Ray was stoic but worrisome from his position off to the left of their helmsman and shipwright in a separate corner while Shaad hoisted himself up in the right corner. A bandaged Leon, along with a regally poised Alexander, occupied the remaining two corners, both looking on with keen interest, Alexander accompanied by Mino at his side. Rose, meanwhile, stood straight to Bo's back wracked with both worry and a nervous tension. "I extend a challenge to any willing to take it. An all-out fight between yours and mine would do irreparable damage, but to any who wish to be captain, fight me. . . one - on - one. You win you're captain; lose, and I kill you. Any takers? Johannes? Kray? Charli?"
Leon leaned forward on his sword, a sadistic look of enjoyment to his features as he fully hoped for Bo to let loose and go wild. Alexander and Shaad wondered what Bo had planned but resigned themselves to watching the events unfold. And, Ray silently implored Bo to control himself while the rest of the crew were all in similar states of surprise. Kray maintained his wry smirk, removing the cigar from his mouth to say something but returning it with only a wide smile as if thinking better of speaking at the moment. Johannes remained completely silent, taking a couple of steps backward and averting his gaze from Bo.
Nonstop murmurs permeated the air of the ship as Bo glared furiously into Charli's eyes, actually ignoring the finger in his face aside from a quick glance, attempting to coax the portly man into making a choice, preferably a stupid one. But, Johannes grabbed the finger and swiftly wrenched it down, silently urgng him to stand down. Bo took the opportunity and stood up erect, scanning the faces of the remaining crew with a mad leer. "Will no one try me? I thought you disapproved of my captaincy. Now's your chance; beat your problems with your own two fists."
Bo's continued provocation incited increased levels of tension and unease in the crew, but as the thick air settled among them, a call from the crow's nest immediately cut through the budding tension. "Uh guys," Kaleb's voice was oddly slow and hesitant as he spoke, removing the spyglass from his eye at the same time. "I think we should hold off fighting over the captaincy for a moment."
"Wh-y?" one of the crew questioned, his voice petering out as he turned in the direction Kaleb was looking. His jaw dropped and sweat immediately formed on his brow as, just over the horizon, he was barely able to make out the hauntingly familiar figurehead of a snarling bulldog rising into view and quickly becoming clearer.
Looking for a way out, much of the crew looked forward to assess their path, but their hearts immediately sank as they beheld a terrifying sight. Through their internal strife and the distraction provided by Hammer and his men suddenly appearing, a giant maelstrom had gone unnoticed as they now approached the threatening storm at top speed.
"Marines!"
"They're gaining fast. What are we gonna do?"
"We have to fight."
"No; don't you recognize that ship? We can't fight him."
"Then what do you suggest?"
The crew was in mass panic. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, so to speak, they threw out half-assed solutions one after another amongst the fearful cries that filled the air, frantically attempting to come up with a solution to the bleak predicament even as Hammer's ship quickly cut the distance between the two parties.
Still off in a corner, Mino leaned in to Alexander and proposed the one thing she could think of. "That's suicidal;" Alexander yelled out, drawing the attention of Bo and a few of the other more composed crew members. "A ship this size can't possibly manage a maneuver that risky!"
"Unless you have something better, it's going to have to. It's all we have at this point." Bo alerted Alexander.
Alexander swallowed a bit as he composed himself for what they were about to try. He sucked in a deep breath and began booming orders in an urgent, authoritative tone, immediately halting the hysteria and gaining compliance. "All hands to your stations! Pick up your jaws and move your asses; we don't have a second to lose! Mino, go to the helm, you'll be relaying my orders to Kayden. Grab Ray and Johannes on your way; we'll need their strength." Mino took a step back and gave an obedient bow before departing while the rest of the crew rushed to and fro to get in position.
Without wasting time explaining his plan, Alexander called out the next step when everyone was ready. "Half sail! Pull the ship slight left!"
The designated crewmen worked to rapidly reign in the top sails, and Mino repeated the necessary commands, nodding her head when Kayden lined the ship up with their new heading. Johannes, though, looked questioningly to the Assistant Navigator. "What are you planning? We're heading closer to the maelstrom."
"That is the plan. We're going to ride it to the other side," she responded shortly.
"Well," Shaad turned around calmly, as if he'd just finished watching a sunset. "I think I'll be heading inside." But, before he moved past the wheel, he stopped by Mino and whispered, "I would offer to stay with you, but. . . I'll leave the aquatic activities to my little water princess. I'm not nearly as graceful in the fluid arts."
Mino scowled in response to Shaad's smirk, but ignored him as he proceeded below deck. "Line the ship up with the waves; follow the wind and take it slow."
"Drop all sails! Get down and hold on to something!" Alexander's voice rang like a siren, alerting the crew to act quickly.
In the meantime, Bo looked past Alexander and at the Marine ship closing in on them. It was almost in firing range, and he still hadn't gleaned what Alexander and Mino were up to. "Rose, go inside. Tie down your supplies and find Shaad. Take Kaleb with you," Bo called to the young doctor behind him, advising her to be ready for whatever was coming next. "Leon, come with me; we'll take care of the back."
The ship picked up tremendous speed as Kayden carefully guided it into the powerful current of the gigantic maelstrom. But, the sudden increase was too much for even the stone powerhouse, and the wheel jerked from his grip, pulling them deeper into the overpowering force. The ship raced across the waters with the speed of a rocket, the maelstrom welcoming them with a fierce roar, growing louder as they approached the dark, abyssal core. Kayden wrenched against the overwhelming force with all his might, but was barely able to budge the wheel. Johannes and Ray soon joined the effort, each grabbing on to a spoke or two and turning against the rushing current in sync with one another. Slowly, but surely, they began making headway. It was a race against time as they simultaneously grew nearer the center and their doom as well as closer to escaping the fierce storm and the pursuing marines altogether. The wooden wheel could not bear the opposing forces, first squealing, then creaking and splintering before ultimately snapping off the steering mechanism completely.
"Ray!" Bo's voice called from behind the four at the helm almost just as the wheel snapped. Ray promptly turned around, catching Bo's wapometal staff and turning to jam it into the steering mechanism in one fluid motion.
Kayden, Johannes, and Ray leaned on the strong, sturdy, and flexible metal staff, pushing the stuck steering controls in the opposite direction, and though they had some success in the desperate venture, the few precious seconds they lost in regaining their lost leverage proved fatal as the ship nonetheless careened unrestrained towards the dark, swirling center of the howling maelstrom, swallowing them whole with unrelenting ferocity.
