Did I ever mention how absolutely insane these pirates can be? What kind of people attack those who could easily beat them into the ground? The Black Glove Pirates, that's who!
Lyn's mouth hung open with amazement.
Alexander's mouth hung open with amazement.
Cain's mouth hung open with amazement.
Raven's mouth was hidden and still closed.
Damien remained resolutely silent, still merely staring down at her. Of course, her fist would have done more damage punching a block of cement, but the attack itself was not the important part. After he had completely beaten her the day before, Cassandra knew that the only way to maintain her dignity was to show that she was not afraid of him. So she waited, her gloved fist pressed against his abdomen.
"Yer still a lyin' 'arlot," he grumbled, turning his attention away from her.
She reached up and snagged one of his dreadlocks, pulling his head closer her own. After a short whispered sentence or two, he gave a look of confusion. "Th' fuck you talkin' 'bout?"
More whispers.
"There ain' no fuckin' way I'm doin' tha'."
A short pause, then even more whispers.
Damien's look of confusion was being replaced by one of incredulity. "Jus' oo th' fuck d'ya think I am? I ain' no ass-kissin' peacekeeper an' I defnily ain' gonna 'elp ya like tha'."
Nodding in satisfaction, she stood up properly and began walking away. The three more expressive passengers sagged, obviously having anticipated neither the abrupt attack nor the equally abrupt resolution. "What was that?" Lyn cried. "What just happened?"
"A little argument between the two of us," Cassandra explained, hand on the railing as she descended the stairs. "Don't worry about it."
"Don't worry about it?" Cain asked, shocked. "He beat the blazes out of you yesterday, nearly blew the Howling Knave in half, and you just say not to worry about it?"
"Damien!" Cassandra called, turning around. "Will you attack Alexander, Lyn, or Cain the same way you attacked me?"
"Prob'ly no'," came the short reply.
The pirate captain extended her free hand to the poop deck as if her argument could not be more obvious. "See?"
"Will you attack Captain Cassandra like that again?" Cain boomed.
"Prob'ly."
The bandit's scarred mouth opened and closed as he tried to find something to say. "See?" he managed at last.
"Don't worry about it," Cassandra said dismissively. "He's not going to kill me. Believe me, if he actually came at me with the intent to kill, he would have done a lot worse."
"But who would win?" Lyn chirped inquisitively, entirely over her shock and uncaring about the brutal fight the day before.
Cassandra frowned at this. "He would. Eventually."
Lyn was completely unsatisfied with this answer. "How about a spar between the two of you?"
"Don' feel like it."
"Since when do you not want to fight?" Lyn asked in surprise.
Alexander sighed loudly. "There have been plenty of times when Damien doesn't want to fight. It's just that usually those times are when he perceives the threat as being unworthy of his time. This isn't always good because there's still a gap between what I can handle and what he doesn't want to handle."
"Yeah, yeah," Lyn dismissed, waving his words aside. "But I wanted to see a fight! We've all been fighting except for you two!"
"Cassandra and I will spar," Raven proposed.
The pirate captain gave a sputtering cough. "Wait, what?"
"She's injured and just endured what must have been a traumatic experience," Cain protested. "She's in no shape to fight."
"She can figh'." Everyone turned to the navigator, wondering what he was talking about. "Don' bullshit us, Cap'n, ya done enough o' tha' already. Ya be'er fuckin' fight."
Cassandra shared a long look with Damien, before slowly nodding her consent. She watched as Raven sped to the highest yard, perching there like a bird of prey. Sighing to herself, she began to climb the rigging to meet the waiting doctor, only to be stopped as five large fingers gripped the rope above her. "Why are you doing this?" the bandit asked quietly. "Why are you listening to him? You are his captain, his superior. Is it because he beat you last night? Because he's stronger than you?"
She looked at him sadly, appreciating his concern for her. "Because he's right."
He slowly moved his hand away as she jerkily continued up the rigging. Soon, she was standing in the crow's nest and staring her opponent in the eye. "You didn't propose this fight to test my abilities and physical status. Even if you did, you certainly wouldn't want to fight up here. You want to talk me about something."
"I do. Ran Irz." Raven leapt off the yard and turned around in midair, zipping back towards Cassandra. "While my arguments until now have been motivated by behavioral traits, last night was solid evidence that Damien has no place on this crew."
Cassandra's hands flew up, blocking Raven's slow attack and even more slowly lashing out in retaliation. "Manus Lavernae. You know that I'm probably the only Captain who could both endure him and not outfight him."
Raven alighted on the flag pole jutting out from the crow's nest, safely out of Cassandra's reach. "He is a danger. He will kill you. I would kill him myself, but you have told me not to. Therefore, I request that he be removed from the crew at once. If you would like to divulge your reasoning behind keeping such a threat aboard your ship, vocalize them. And do not speak of rights to be at sea or last defenses to be left behind. Such things are not valid for him."
"Damien's dream is to become the top fighter in the world," Cassandra stated.
"It is also slaughtering the Fleet Admiral of the Marines. Do not use dreams as an excuse."
Cassandra gritted her teeth. "He has the potential of being that fighter. He grows exponentially during each battle. He's already beginning to reach you."
"He has much to learn before he reaches me," Raven droned, twisting about and sending large crescents of energy from her feet. "Fra Furtun."
"But when you first met him, he wasn't able to counter your attacks," Cassandra said, dodging the blades of air. "I want to see him turn from a raw, unpolished rock to a shining gem."
Raven ceased her attack and sped to the opposite end of the yard, farther out of her captain's reach. "Blood diamonds are never worth the sacrifice made for their production."
"Since fucking when have you cared about sacrifices?"
"When the people I follow are the sacrifices. Have you forgotten what you have done to improve yourself."
"Don't talk to me about sacrifices for improvement," Cassandra hissed. "Not a night goes by that I'm not haunted by the innocents I've killed in order to complete my missions."
"And you are willing to sacrifice Alexander to see Damien grow?" Raven persisted. "Are you willing to sacrifice Lyn?"
"Alexander has known Damien almost his entire life," she hissed, firing off a couple shots for good measure. "Lyn is special. She can get along with him fine. Both of them are safe from his anger."
"This is not about their safety from anger. It is about how their lost lives would affect you."
"This is about faith!" The echoes of her shout hung in the air. She paused and looked down, meeting the eyes of the four people staring up at them. "You will not be the deadliest fighter in the crew forever, Raven. Sooner or later, Damien will surpass you. It might be tomorrow, it might be ten years from now, but it is inevitable. Assuming he doesn't get his dumb ass killed, which if your job. When that time comes, even then will you deny his value to the crew?"
Raven remained silent. Cassandra could hear the sounds of Reichmann Island ringing at the very edge of her hearing, indicating their proximity to the landmass. She drummed her fingers against the rim of the crow's nest as she waited for her doctor's response, knowing that it would mean the difference between a coherent crew and a broken one. Finally, the black-clad woman spoke. "If he kills you, I will kill him. If he kills one of the others, I will consider it your responsibility as captain to kill him. Non-permanent bodily injury, I will forgive. This is the last I have to say on the matter."
She kicked off the spar several times in a fraction of a second and sped towards the island, nearly vanishing from Cassandra's sight. Exhaling deeply, the captain holstered her weapons and grabbed a length of rope, using it to slide back down to the main deck. Before any of her crew could speak, she held up her hand for silence. "Alexander already knows of the plan, but I'll repeat it for the rest of you. Alexander, Cain, Damien, you three will be getting supplies. Alexander and Cain already have their lists of what we need, but feel free to contribute in any way you see fit. Although you are leaving, we would appreciate any extra provisions you recommend. Lyn is going to be staying here with me. Alexander has a Baby Den-Den Mushi to communicate with me if necessary. Damien, you're going to be carrying one too."
"Ah?" came the surprised grunt. "Th' fuck would I wan' one o' those for?"
"In the highly likely event that you wander off somewhere," Cassandra stated as she walked to the forecastle deck. "Now, we're coming up on the port now. The fact that the talking should be left to me goes without saying."
"But you just said it!" Lyn pointed out. Cassandra waited for a moment. "Oh… Okay!"
The captain nodded and mounted the figurehead. This was the first time she was actually on the wooden statue while the ship was moving and it was an exhilarating feeling. She felt like she was hurtling across the waves by her own power. Her eyes narrowed as she saw where the ship was headed and called back, "Port at ten o'clock, Damien. Adjust accordingly."
The ship slowly glided towards the expansive pier. Cassandra took the opportunity to look over the island, checking to make sure it hadn't changed since she had visited it last. Most of it looked like any other regular island: small towns, large cities, wide fields. However, at the very center of the island, a large plateau of land protruded from the mostly flat countryside. On it, the enormous city that was R. Capital lay, its massive clock tower sticking out of the center like a sundial.
But what held her attention the most was the port village before them, R. Cetes. While it looked like any other village, it was connected to R. Capital by an underground trolley system, something few of the other cities had. R. Cetes also had unregulated markets and shady establishments. Most important of all, it was the only place where the Reichmanns were gracious enough to let pirates dock. The Reichmanns were a powerful family who knew that pirates often carried illegal goods, which sold for more than legal goods, which meant more money for them.
"Should I lower the flag?" Alexander asked quietly, sidling up beside her.
"Don't worry," Cassandra murmured. "Let me be clear. We're coming up on R. Cetes and this is the only place where you can identify yourself as a Black Glove Pirate. In fact, I'd rather you not identify yourself as such at all. You are simply Alexander, Cain, Lyn, and the other one."
Lyn gave a small grin. "You can't stay mad at him forever, Captain! You always knew that he was a little cuckoo!"
"I would keelhaul him if he weren't one hundred percent right," Cassandra said. "But anyway! Furl the sails, ready the anchor, prepare to dock."
"You heard Captain!" Lyn shouted. "Alexander, start furling the sails, I'll be up there in a minute. Cain, get ready to throw the anchor overboard."
Alexander gave a firm salute and began climbing up the rigging to the main mast as best he could, Lyn swiftly scampering up after him. Cassandra turned back towards the nearing port, intent on resuming her musings, but her thoughts were interrupted before they began. "I know before you said that if I ever questioned Damien's presence, you'd blow my head off, but now I think I have firm reason to voice my own concerns."
Cain froze as the sound of a pistol cocking reached his ears. The voice that followed was somehow even more frightening. "Cain, no offense, but our mutual agreement aside, you have no say in our affairs. You have your way of doing things, and we have ours. We may look and act like life's a big barrel of fun and games, but some of us are cold-blooded killers, rotten to the core. But that's not really the problem, is it. This is about Damien. Well, to see his place in the Black Glove Pirates would involve looking at the dynamics of the entire crew.
"I don't know how, but the crew is quite cleanly divided into two sections. On one side are Lyn, Alexander, and myself. This side is the 'live life to the fullest by sailing the high seas' side. Their job is to keep the crew humane and alive, out of bad trouble and to remind us that life is to be lived. On the other, Damien, Raven, and myself. Their job is to keep the first side from being overwhelmed by the corruption that as infested the world. They deal with the dark part of matters, do things that the first side wouldn't even dream about.
"Damien is a madman, but he's not dangerous to the first side. He's a product of the world we now live in and it's his job to destroy the second side. When I told a lie, not a small one, but a really big one, that's his area of expertise: obliterating potentially harmful threats. He doesn't realize it, though. If you asked him, he would be genuinely confused. But just as Lyn works tirelessly to maintain that white side, Damien works to erase the dark.
"Cain, let's face it, you're on the first side. There's just a moral thing that you won't be able to see past. On a good night, Damien drinks his own weight in liquor, then slaughters scores of men without skipping a beat. Raven's sole purpose until she met me was to kill. That's one hell of a thing to grow up knowing.
"You may notice that I'm on both sides. I'd be disappointed if you didn't. I'm the captain of the ship, keeping the balance between the two. I am responsible for the deaths of countless innocent lives. Do I regret my actions? No. Would I do them again given the same situations? Yes. But am I plagued by their faces in my dreams? Also yes. This is a sign that I am in both categories. Damien and Raven are in the second side, but not for the benefit of others. I do what I do to protect Lyn and Alexander. We are all necessary to the survival of the others.
"That is why Damien is on the crew. By fate or fortune or divine will matters not. He is here, he has a function, and he is staying until he decides to leave of his own free will.
"Anything I say that doesn't sit well with you, Raven?"
Cain blinked at this. After such a tirade, the abrupt transition seemed out of place. He was almost completely unprepared for the doctor's voice to issue forth from then snail on Cassandra's shoulder. "Your reasoning is sound, Cassandra. I was not seeing the larger picture."
"I am not a woman without logic behind her actions," Cassandra muttered to the Baby Den-Den Mushi. "I am prone to fits of hysteria, but aside from those, I think things through. Damien isn't just here because I want him to be here. Damien is here because he wants to be here. Did you see how quickly Alexander and Lyn forgave him for attacking me?"
"That reaction was after they saw that you were both unafraid of him and suffered no lasting injuries," the tiny snail droned, somehow speaking without moving its mouth.
"Yeah, speaking of which," Cain interrupted. "How the hell were you able to move like that after breaking half of the bones in your body?"
"Nothing can keep a pirate down for long," Cassandra said dismissively. "Back to what I was saying, what do you think the effects of the crew would be if I were to banish Damien and he actually left? Lyn would be distraught, and Alexander would be a problem. Raven, you know not to underestimate him. He is using but a fraction of the potential of his Devil Fruit. Even with the materials he can transmute into, think of what he could do were he not blessed by a moral compass. If he were angry enough, he could be a killing machine nearly equal to us."
"That time will not come," the snail deadpanned. "Alexander is a truly peaceful pirate, through and through. He has used his Devil Fruit to incapacitate men attacking him, but never in a way that would prove to be fatal."
Cassandra nodded at this. "Isn't that the truth. Raven, be silent for a while. I'll give you instructions when I'm finished with these formalities." Glancing down to make sure the snail had gone back to sleep, she checked their progression and called back to Damien, "Ease up, now. Do you see the docks on our starboard side?"
"'Old 'ard." The Howling Knave smoothly floated by the docks, halting only when Cain threw the anchor overboard. Cassandra glanced down at the dockmaster running across the piers up to them, holding his enormous hat as his head bobbed up and down. He was a short fellow with an overly large moustache, but the sniper knew despite his diminutive stature, he was a formidable fighter and a true no-nonsense man. She grinned pleasantly down at him as he approached, praying he didn't recognize her from her previous visits to R. Cetes.
"Hello, hello, hello!" he squeaked, halting before the bow and staring up at her. "State your name and rank, miss!"
"I'm Cassandra, Captain of the Black Glove Pirates," she informed him.
"Good day to you, Cassandra!" the dockmaster shouted cordially. "Very well then. In case you are not aware, you are currently attempting to dock at R. Cetes under a pirate flag, which incurs a special docking price to keep us quiet, doncha know."
"I'm willing to pay," she responded. "How much?"
"1,125,000 Beli," he stated immediately. "In addition, each person aboard must pay 500,000 Beli to acquire a visa to visit the island. Non-compliance with these agreements will result in a confiscation of your vessel and the detainment of those aboard."
"I'll pay," she assured him. "And I would like specification on the visas, if its not too much trouble."
The dockmaster looked up at her with a twinkle in his eye. "Oho! Been here before, have you miss? Very well then. What specifications will you be requesting?"
"Cassandra, right to bear firearms, right to bear blades, right to hidden weapons, right to parley, access to restricted items, access to restricted areas," she began to list. "Lyn, right to bear swords, right to practice religion. Damien, supernatural powers, mental instability. Alexander, right to practice music, right to practice religion, Devil Fruit User, access to restricted items. Cain, right to wear protective armor, right to conceal identity, right to bear blades, access to restricted items, access to restricted areas. All, access to all places ordinarily accessible only to citizens of Reichmann Island, freedom of speech. Howling Knave, ship, right to fly pirate colors, right to deny inspection without a search warrant."
An amused smile could be seen dancing across his lips. "Looks like you have been here before. Very well then. That'll amount to a total of 3,875,250 Beli. I assume you have the money now?"
Cassandra reached into her pocket and pulled out a thick wad of bills. Swiftly counting out the required amount, she tied the bills together with a thin cloth cord and tossed them down to the dockmaster. "I already have a map of the city, so that will be all."
"Very well then," he repeated, bowing deeply. He began writing furiously on the clipboard he held in his left hand. After a short while, he folded the paper up and fed it to the snail attached to his back. He waited patiently until the official-looking Den-Den Mushi spat up the six documents, which all bore the official seal of Reichmann Island. Prying them from its mouth, he held the papers up towards the sky. Cassandra raised an eyebrow. Surely, she wasn't expected to be able to retrieve those documents from her high vantage point. Either ignoring or unknowing of this fact, the dockmaster waited, his hand sticking up in the air.
After a lengthy pause, Cain reached down and plucked the bundle of papers from the short man's grasp, handing them to Cassandra. The dockmaster gave one last bow before sprinting off to another ship approaching port. The pirate captain flicked through the papers, scanning them carefully to make sure they bore what she had requested.
"I guess I can count myself lucky that I picked your ship to join," the massive bandit rumbled. "There's no way I would have known to carry so much money or to obey such protocols."
Cassandra gave a non-committal murmur, examining Damien's passport to check if there were any loopholes she could exploit should he decide to murder an innocent bystander.
"What about Raven?" Cain continued. "Doesn't she need a visa?"
"No," was all she said. Flicking through the passports, she gave him his and hopped off the figurehead, making sure the rest of the crew hadn't scampered off already. Luckily, Alexander was keeping Damien and Lyn occupied by holding a ball behind his back and asking them to guess what material it was composed of. Chuckling softly to herself, the pirate captain strolled to the poop deck, interrupting the game.
"Here are the papers you'll need to travel around the island. Alexander, I gave you access to most items in the shops, though you'll need to be specific. If the need arises, both you and Damien can use your abilities without fear of persecution. Within reason, of course. Cain's going with you and he's free to leave whenever he wants, but I'd like him to at least stick around for the entirety of the shopping run."
Damien grabbed his, brow scrunching into a determined glare as he read the document. Alexander was scanning his as well, his dark eyes flicking back and forth. "Right to practice music? Access to restricted items?"
"That's part of how the Reichmanns are so wealthy," Cassandra explained. "Those who unknowingly break the rules are forced to pay a fine. In your case, I gave you leeway to use your trumpet, whether to alert me or simply to defend yourself. And access to restricted items will probably not be necessary, but I wanted to be sure. Raven is supposed to be gathering the illegal supplies, but if either of you three want something…"
"Ahoy there! Captain of the Howling Knave!"
Cassandra frowned in confusion and looked overboard, wondering what the commotion was. A band of five policemen were standing patiently on the docks, staring straight up at her. Leaning on the railing, she asked, "And what business do you have with me? If you know the name of my ship, then you know that I specifically requested the right to deny search without a warrant."
"And we have one," the leader called, holding up a lengthy piece of paper.
The pirate captain's eyes narrowed as she picked out certain words that filled her with simmering anger. She vaulted over the starboard rail, landing lightly before the small squadron. Snatching the warrant out of his hand, she gave an irritated hiss beneath her breath as she read the specifics. "I might be transporting illegal materials last seen on Winter Isle? I didn't steal anything!"
"I'm sure, I'm sure. However, we must still search your ship. Please command your crew to stand down and allow us to board."
She clenched her fist angrily, thrusting the warrant back to its owner. "Cain! Alexander! Damien! Do your stuff! Lyn, come to me!"
Cain easily stepped off the ship, carrying the Devil Fruit user in one large hand. After setting him down, the pair began ambling along the pier, obviously not waiting for Damien. Lyn swung across from a length of rope, easily landing beside her captain. "Wassup? What's going on?"
"Customary search," Cassandra half-lied. "Happens to every ship docking here. Doubly so for pirates. Damien, I said now!"
"All righ', all right'," grumbled the navigator. "Don' getcher pan'ies inna bunch, Cap'n."
He leapt off of the poop deck, crashing down onto the dock behind the squadron of soldiers. Upon catching sight of them, his eyes narrowed to a dangerous glare as he asked, "Marines?"
"Reichmann Island Police Force," the leader said haughtily. "We have no connection to those people."
Nodding slowly, Damien strode proudly after his two companions, who were obviously walking slowly so he could catch up. Most curiously, the pair fell into step behind him as he thundered into R. Cetes. Cassandra felt the most appropriate reaction would be to raise an eyebrow, then dismiss the oddity entirely. She turned back to the Howling Knave, her lip curling slightly as she watched the islanders scuttle about her ship.
"What are they looking for?" Lyn inquired.
Cassandra glanced at the first mate. "Nothing they're going to find."
Sorry it took so long, but I had to plan out how this arc would go.
