Chapter 15 – An Island in the Sky

The ships moved in, like a pack of sharks. Or bears, considering the flags and figurehead. The sails had been painted with hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs. Some of the hearts were black and some of the spades were red, and Volta couldn't tell if it had been down intentionally or in ignorance.

"Bears and cards?" he wondered aloud. "Having two motifs is a bit much."

Zoro shrugged. "I wouldn't know. Never been on a pirate crew before."

And hopefully, you never will.

"How can you guys be so calm?!" Borodo cried. "We're outnumbered! Hideously so!"

Slasher placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. We've faced worse odds before. Besides, those ships don't look like anything I can't slash up."

"You can slash ships in half?" Zoro asked.

Slasher shook his head. "I'm not that strong. But I can keep cutting up the masts and rigging until they can't sail anymore."

"That so?" Zoro challenged. His swords were at his side, two of them a few inches out of their scabbards. "I bet I could destroy more ships then you can."

"There's only eight. You take four, I take four?"

"Fine. But the winner is the one to take down the leader."

"I want in on this too," Volta said. "If we make it a three-way competition, eight ships between up, there won't be a tie."

"Don't forget me!" Drogon growled.

"But then we each get two ships," Slasher countered. "That's not a competition anymore, just fair distribution."

"I mean, you just suggested we divide them up evenly with me. Do you want a competition or not?"

"HEY!"

The four hunters turned to Akisu, who pointed to the ground.

Huh, that shadow wasn't there before. Volta felt another of those big sweat drops form.

They all turned one-eighty, just in time to see the Trump Pirate's flagship come to a stop right before them. A woman reclined in the top of the bear figurehead, which was much larger than Volta had perceived it to be from afar. She was naked but thankfully facing away from them. Despite the dirty coloring of the bounty posters, her blonde locks were unmistakable. Honey Queen, worth seven million and eight hundred thousand berries.

"Hey, Trump sibling!"

Honey turned, arms crossed and skin very glossy. A trickle of water ran down the side of the bear's face, around the black bulb that was his eye, to create the illusion of crying.

"I think there's a pool in that figurehead," Volta said.

Slasher tisked. "Damnit, now I'm jealous."

"Oh? Why hello there." Even her voice was liquid-like, sultry and low. "What brings you to this stretch of the blue?"

"We're looking for a stolen ship!" Slasher shouted up. "Have you seen it?"

Honey tilted her head, lost in thought. "Hmmm…can't say that I have."

"She's lying," Slasher stated bluntly.

"HEY, BEE BITCH!" Buki screamed. "WE KNOW YOU'RE LYING! TELL US WHERE OUR SHIP IS AND MAYBE WE WON'T KICK YOUR ASS OUT OF THAT POOL!"

"My, you're a feisty one," Honey purred. Volta did not like the look in her eyes.

Neither did Buki. "Are you…are you checking me out?"

Honey giggled. Or gurgled, Volta couldn't tell. "Don't worry sweetie, it's not for my benefit."

Before Buki could ask what that was supposed to mean, a crème-colored cannonball shot soundlessly over Honey's head. It unfolded into the fattest man Volta had ever seen, even compared to the likes of Pogo and Albedya. A wife-beater with the letter J on it stretched tightly over his stomach, still failing to cover it all, and what Volta had taken as the cannonball's surface was a fluffy coat. Most disturbing of all was the cap he wore, which looked like he'd skinned the head of a pig and turned it into a hat.

"Zoro, poster me."

He stared at the man's chubby face, and despite the grainy photo, his fear was confirmed. That was all too literal pig skin, ears, snout and all.

"You're disgusting," Volta snarled.

"Oioioioioik!" Boo Jack laughed. "Call me whatever you like, but I won't care one bit! I've heard it all before! I have a riddle for you all!"

"I'm not one for wordplay," Drogon sneered.

"This one is so easy, even morons like you can figure it out! Who will become the greatest pirate in the world, the King of the Pirates?"

"Come on now, Jackie," Honey moaned. "That one's too easy."

"No one," Volta stated. "Not if I can help it."

"Wrooong! The answer is our boss, the mighty Bear King!"

"That's not a riddle," Kibatto shouted. "that's just an opinion! And aren't you guys in hiding?! How are we supposed to know the answer if you're trying to keep people from knowing you're still active?!"

Boo Jack blinked. "Uh…er…I didn't think of that."

Zoro scoffed. "I knew it. These guys are nothing special."

"YOU DARE MOCK THE TRUMP PIRATES?!" Boo roared.

"It looks like we need to show our strength," Honey intoned. She snapped her fingers, and a roar went up amongst the gathered ships, now crowded with hundreds of card-themed pirates.

They swarmed Borodo's vessel, throwing down ropes and descending them to the lower-sitting deck. They only got a few steps forward before five swords swept over them like a tide of steel, skewering and slashing a dozen mooks and sending them into the drink.

Zoro cracked his neck, bisecting a pirate's sword in the process. Then he went ham. Always a pretty sight to behold, in Volta's opinion, though he was too busy stabbing to pay much attention.

It was honestly even easier to take down these guys then it had been the pirates in the resort bar, though admittingly those guys had had some beef on them. These guys were beanpoles, for the most part, some of which looked like they were barely out of high school. Not that Volta believed high school existed in this world.

Come to think of it, how did education work here? He had yet to see a school while walking the streets of nearly a half-dozen towns, and children were playing in those same streets often in the mornings and afternoons. Were they all just gonna go into trades? Those required a lot of studying as well. Maybe they all had dreams of being pirates, and the local governments had yielded to their collective desires. Maybe children just spontaneously woke up with knowledge of mathematics and literature in their heads. If a guy could fight a giant chicken monster and sell its corpse for enough money to buy a magical tree, anything was possible.

But then again, this world wasn't too insane, at least this part of it anyway. Transportation systems, regional economies, daily life that bordered on the mundane once you get acclimated to the ecology of your island. He'd seen mothers hanging laundry and farmers tending vast chicken farms. He'd seen those things on Earth too. Lots of pubs and revelry in the back corners, soul-sucking office jobs, bureaucratic police forces, bureaucracies policing police forces, giant public staircases and tiny public restrooms, stupid mistakes leading to stupid situations.

Stupid mistakes leading to ruined lives. He wondered where the Copastas were, and what they were up to. He hoped the Marines had a good protection program, and that the Organization was too busy with their evil Pirate King-making/world domination plan to go hunting for them. What was Walkaway doing right now? He really should have arrested him for killing that Marine, though other than that he'd turned out to be a pretty decent guy overall. Maybe they'd run into each other again.

And where the hell was that bastard Luffy? He honestly was getting sick of thinking about him, but he had to be somewhere in the East. He wouldn't leave his hometown until the story got rolling, and it hadn't been Beer Town or Goa or any of the other places they'd visited so far. Maybe he had been on Cozia. It was almost a small continent, lots of towns on it. But that was mainstream as far as story significance went. In stories, the 'hero' always rose out of some backwater slum in the middle of nowhere. Definitely not any of the places they'd been so far.

Well, he still had the better part of a year and three quarters to find him. He'd have to be patient, building his skills and strengths in the meantime.

…wow, these pirates were such bad fighters he wasn't even thinking of them. How long had his body been on autopilot?

Where even was he? Apparently not on Borodo's ship anymore.

"YOU MANIAC!"

Volta blinked, roused from his thoughts by Honey's screech of…naked terror? Pun aside, that's what it sounded like. He looked around him, trying to find where she was.

He immediately wished he hadn't. Greeting his eyes was a scene right out of the bloodiest war movies and nastiest CSI episodes, a gorefest that covered the ship from bow to stern. Body parts were everywhere, arms and legs and chests carpeting the ship and hanging over the railings. The deck was so slick with blood it felt almost icy. Volta himself was rather soaked as well, though his sword was remarkably clean. Zoro had beaten proper sword care into him every day and night of their training.

Speaking of Zoro, he looked a little horrified himself, and he had two pirates shish-kabobbed at the moment. Slasher was drawing a circle around his face with two of his fingers. Was that this world's version of crossing oneself?

…was that a pile of severed heads?

He'd done all of this. Without thinking about it. He had so much strength now, far more then any person could hope to have on Earth. And he had forgotten that. It was a rotten feeling, like a worm wiggling in his guts. It made him feel like he was back in that damn tunnel, that monster leaving him to writhe in pain. He wanted to take down pirates, kill the worst of them if he could, but not like this.

"Well," Volta whispered in a very, very small voice. "No more autopilot for me."

"KILL HIM!" Honey screeched. "KILL HIM BOO, BEFORE HE MURDERS US ALL!"

Boo obliged, transforming into ball mode and tearing through the blood-soaked ship to get to the hunter.

As the air filled with dust and splinters, Volta sheathed his sword. He forced the massacre out of his mind as best he could and prepared to deliver the mother of all kicks. This guy clearly had a Devil Fruit, Ball-Ball something or other, and if he got sent flying into the ocean, he wouldn't be a threat anymore.

What was one more body at this point anyway?

Boo rolled with abandon, shattering the masts and obliterating what was left of his comrades into a fine red mist. Wait, hadn't he been cream-colored before? Now he was two colors, cream, and FUCKING SPIKES DODGE DODGE DODGE!

The kick became a vault, and the bottom third of his coat disappeared in a shower of black ribbons. Splinters pieced his back, provoking a pained grunt. The bastard turned on a dime, somehow keeping track of Volta as he jumped around the sinking ship.

Never one to miss an opportunity, Volta jumped to another ship nearby, mostly cleaned out by Slasher but still intact. Boo tore through that one as well.

"STOP JACKIE! HE'S TRYING TO GET YOU TO DESTROY THE FLEET!"

Boo stopped in his tracks, spikes receding into his coat. He looked way too happy for a man covered in the blood of his comrades. "Oioioioioik, you bastard! You almost tricked me!"

"I did trick you," Volta said. The site of his autopilot atrocity had sunk beneath the waves, leaving nothing but a big red stain upon the surface. And a few floating heads. Scheiße, he hoped Akisu hadn't seen all that.

Seven ships left, and four of them had been dismasted with extreme prejudice. Zoro and Drogon's work, from the look of the slashed and splintered stumps respectively. Their crews were either dead or unconscious, mostly the latter. Volta saw at least a hundred pirates in the water, belly-down or hiding beneath the hulls.

"BOMBS!" Honey shrieked. She was out of the pool, toweled and standing on the bear's nose. "BOMB THEM TO DEATH JACKIE! DESTROY THEM ALL BUT THE GIRL!"

"As you command!" the pig-headed pirate shouted. He jumped into the air, far higher than a man of his stature should have been capable of. He began to spin.

"Everyone down!" Slasher roared. He jumped over the side just as the bombs began to fly.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Had he been hiding them in his coat? Did they add to his mass when he became a rolling spiked ball of death? Volta wasn't sure and had no time to ponder. The explosions were numerous, powerful, and precise, none falling upon the flagship and its remaining two escorts. He ran as fast as he could across what was left of the deck, but a bomb fell too close. He stopped, skidded, jumped.

BOOM!

No good. The blast sent him over, into the water. He had no fears of drowning, but he didn't want anyone to realize he had no Fruit himself. He came up for air and was almost immediately attacked by a flailing pirate. Volta broke his arm and flung him back onto the ship he'd been thrown from, which promptly exploded in a shower of shredded wood. He dove back under just before the splinters tore through his face.

The icy depths reminded him of his dream, and a chill passed through his body, one that had nothing to do with the cold ocean water. Had his dream been a premonition? A message of things to come?

No black shapes that he could see, but plenty of other horrors. The ship Boo had sunk, still covered in a red cloud. Sinking bodies, some mangled beyond recognition. A muted explosion from above tore through another hull, keel snapping clean, the two pieces slipping under the waves to join its bleeding brother.

So quiet, under here. So terribly eerie. All at once, a feeling of claustrophobia wormed its way into his mind, and he swam upwards, desperate for the sun and the sky.

He breached the surface just in time to get a bomb to the face. It bounced off his forehead and fell into the water, its fuse drenched and useless. Volta wasn't sure he'd had a luckier break so far.

"RETREAT! GET US OUT OF HERE!"

The cries from the figurehead were answered, the flagship turning about and heading back to Clockwork. Fires had broken out amongst the crippled escorts, creating a haze of smoke and fire that made even fifty feet out blurry to Volta's eyes.

Had everyone made it out okay? He looked around, trying to spot a flash of green or dark blue. He found Zoro struggling to stay on top of a piece of flotsam. Slasher pulled himself onto a burning wreck, Drogon right behind him.

"HELP!"

Volta turned, just in time to see Akisu jump off the rickety plank he had been standing on. He began swimming closer to the ruins of Borodo's precious frigate, a casualty of Boo Jack's bombs.

"MY MUSIC BOX!"

Volta didn't question it. His heart was still pounding, and he willed his tattoos to life, sending a tendril toward a glint in the water. It wrapped around it and pulled it out. While he was at it, he made another tendril and pulled Akisu from the water as well, depositing them both on a more stable platform.

He swam over and hoisted himself up. "Is it waterlogged?"

Akisu shook his head. "It's waterproof! I modified the gears to make it more resistant."

Volta nodded. "Cool that you could do that without disrupting the music."

"Wasn't easy," the boy said with a smile. Volta sighed with relief; it doesn't look like he had seen anything after all.

"Mister, why are you covered in blood?"

Verdammt. Did the water not wash it all off?

"I hit my head."

Akisu stared at him. "Just because I'm a kid doesn't mean I'm stupid."

He wasn't wrong. Between him and Hiyoko, kids in this world had proven themselves to be pretty savvy.

"I once saw a man's eyes pop out of his head."

…never mind savvy, they were frightening.

"Where's Borodo?"

"Over here!"

The older Thief Brother lay on a half-sunk pirate ship, his coat and hair ruffled but otherwise untouched by the conflict.

His expression told a different story.

Volta tensed. "What happened?"

"They got her."

"WHAT!"

Slasher jumped to his feet, face white but quickly darkening. "HOW?! WHY?!"

"The bomb knocked me back. By the time I had reoriented myself, that bastard Boo had jumped onto what was left of my ship and scooped her up. Blonde guy too."

Now Slasher turned really colorful, eyes murderous. "He took them both?! AND YOU LET HIM?!"

"Hey, it wasn't his fault," Zoro interjected. Drogon reached for Slasher's arm, but the hunter was already in motion, leaping across the water to Borodo's side. He didn't even try to defend himself from the punch that knocked him back into the water.

"YOU BASTARD!"

"Slasher, stop!" Volta jumped to his side, trying to restrain him. "He was just standing there! It wasn't like they were under his protection!"

Drogon took Slasher's other arm. "I'm as fuckin pissed as you are, but Volta's right. And besides, ya think Buki and Kibatto are gonna roll over for those clowns? Nah, those two'll fuck 'em up for us, you know that."

The color drained from Slasher's face, eyes clearing of hate and clouding over with frustration. He fell to his knees, sword falling from his hand. Which he then clenched into a fist and hit the floor with. It punched through.

"FUCK! FUCK THOSE BASTARDS!"

It was a frightening burst of emotion, one Volta would not have said Slasher was capable of. How wrong he had been, and ignorant. Slasher was the leader. The team, his friends, were his responsibility.

He got to his feet, sword back in his now slightly bloodied hand. He put it back into its scabbard. "Clockwork Island. There's where they're based, that's where we're going."

Volta surveyed the area. Destruction and devastation greeted him, but apart from the masts a few ships still looked seaworthy. The flagship and its two remaining escorts were already blips on the horizon. Damn, those ships were fast.

"Here's the plan," Slasher thundered. "We're going to fix up one of these wrecks, sail our way to Clockwork, and trump those Trumps. Completely and utterly. We get our teammates, we get our bounties, we get out damn ship back, hell, might as well snatch that clock while we're at it."

"Hey, I want to steal the clock!" Borodo had pulled himself from the water with Akisu's help, rubbing a reddened cheek.

"Help us get our friends back, and it's yours." Slasher held out his hand. "I'm sorry Borodo. That was very unbecoming of me."

The thief smiled, shaking the hand. "Apology accepted. I'll help you beat the Trump Pirates in any way I can."

Slasher gave him a cool stare. "I'm sure you will. Now, let's fix those masts."

"Damn it."

"Yer shittin' me!"

Slasher shrugged. "Hindsight is twenty-twenty."

"No need to fix anything," Borodo declared. "I just said I'd help in any way that I can, and I already have a solution."

.~===)==============={%}

The solution turned out to be quite effective, not even needing a whole ship to work. A parachute from his backpack, connected to the biggest piece of debris they could find, made for a good sail and raft. Borodo proved himself a masterful navigator, using the parachute's handles in conjunction with the wind to get them out of the battle zone without hitting any of the other flotsam.

Soon the wrecks were behind them, the most stable of them crowded with hundreds of stranded pirates. It looked like one of them was dialing a snail transponder. Volta was impressed it had survived the battle.

"The only ships on the sea that do rescue operations are the Marines," Slasher explained. "So those punks are damned if they call and damned if they don't, but there's not much of a contest between getting arrested and starving to death."

"That lot will dehydrate before they starve," Zoro said. "I hope there's a Marine patrol within three days of here."

Drogon shrugged. "Not our problem. We need to focus on Buki and Kibatto. Why'd the Trump brats want them anyway?"

"I'm not sure about the blonde," Borodo answered. "But Buki? The Bear King has been hungering for a bride lately."

Drogon burst into laughter, which quickly died under the cold gaze of his leader. "How do you know this Borodo?"

"Advertisements," Borodo replied. "This region has its newspaper that circulates around the crafting islands. He has an add out for woman interested in a man who's big, hairy, and…"

He glanced at Akisu, who seemed preoccupied with his music box.

"…loaded."

Zoro's face started matching his hair. "Fuck that."

Slasher drew in a deep breath. "Volta, can I borrow your hat?"

SHUMP!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!"

"Holy shit," Drogon breathed. "I can still hear him."

Volta shook his head. "First of all, I second Zoro. Secondly, that doesn't make sense. The Trumps are trying to stay hidden, right? Engaging in night raids with fast attack ships, disappearing from the larger pirate community. Most of the East has forgotten them, right? Zoro, how long have they been out of action?"

"Before my time as a hunter. Way before, around seven years or so."

Borodo frowned. "Akisu and I don't travel much beyond the borders of Crebe, but if I had to guess, the Marines still know they're out there. They probably even know where out there, as we do, but they can't do anything about it."

"Why not? That ball guy was annoying, but in a straight fight on land, I wouldn't lose to him."

"Bear King is stronger I'd reckon, but that's not what I'm referring to. It's hard to explain. You'll see soon enough."

Aksiu turned the key on the side, and a gentle melody began to play. It wasn't very sophisticated, but it soothed Volta's rattled nerves.

"What's with the box?" Zoro asked.

"It's the only thing he's got of his hometown," Borodo said. He turned his head, expression somber. "Do you guys know what the logo on my backpack is for?"

"I was wondering about that," Slasher said. "A key, the letter T, and a 1 on a red background. That would be the True Doors Company, right?"

Borodo nodded. "Right on the money. It was a good business, doing good work. We'd get orders to make replacement keys for households that had lost theirs. We'd make the keys, get into hot air balloons, and fly over islands, dropping them right on top of the customers' roofs."

"…wow, what an effective business plan," Slasher deadpanned. "Truly ahead of its time."

"Damn right it was," Borodo agreed, voice trembling with emotion. "But the Government shut it down, said that if pirates got the blueprints to our balloons it could lead to catastrophe. Pirates dropping bombs on civilians, raining gunfire on Marine ships, you get the picture. Forced us to burn everything to the ground. I still wear the band and backpack, in remembrance."

Slasher nodded in sympathy. "That sucks."

"It did. So, I took to thievery. I was already pretty good at it, thanks to all the embezzling I did while I worked there."

"WHAT!?"

"Then, only a few weeks into my new life as a criminal, I saw a basket floating on the water. It was Akisu, just an infant, with only a blanket and the music box to his name. Which was written on the box, thankfully."

"Damn," Zoro said. "You raised him."

"That's right," Akisu said, as the music came to an end. "Big bro Borodo may not be my big bro by blood, but he's the best brother I could ask for! I'm gonna be just as cool as he is when I grow up!"

Borodo blushed. "Thanks, Akisu. That…that really means a lot to me."

"Hmm." Slasher shook his head. "I wish I could say the same about my brother. We were twins, him and I, but he was out first by five minutes. We used to do everything together, but…he's not really the same anymore."

"The Order," Zoro intoned.

"The Order?!" Drogon cried. "You told me he joined the World Economic Journal!"

Slasher facepalmed. "Is that what I said? I was gonna tell you and the rest the truth eventually."

"Wait, you didn't tell them?" Zoro questioned. "I'm not a part of your team, but you told me."

"Talk later," Slasher ordered. "I see Clockwork up ahead."

"You're changing the subject man!" Drogon growled.

"He's not wrong," Borodo said. "See the small whirlpool to the side?"

They did. It was about the same size as the duck-headed paddleboat they had used for the past week.

"There are a bunch of those all over the waters surrounding Clockwork. Look, there's the island!"

Volta blinked. That was Clockwork? It was hard to make out, but the island didn't look very big. He rubbed his eyes again.

Wait. Wait. The island was still far, just on the horizon, but Volta could see a thin dark strand, rising high above the clouds. What the hell was it? A trick of the light?

They grew closer, and as they did so, Volta felt every preconception he'd had about this world slip away. Beer Town, Tamago, Goa. Three strange islands with strange layouts, but nothing too strange. An island where the buildings had a vague beer bottle-like shape? Sure. Three perfectly round sand banks with giant yellow rock formations built on them? Could be constructed, like the late Palm Islands of Dubai. Goa was only strange because of what Dareda had done to it.

Compared to what he was seeing now, those places were as mundane as a trio of American coffee shops.

The base of the island was a small, spike-covered mountain, the right side opening into a tunnel where ships were likely docked. The mountain had a swirl-like shape to it, ridged with a spiral staircase.

But that wasn't what blew Volta's mind. The stairs went past the peak and onwards up an enormous tower, a drill-shaped rock formation thousands of feet tall. Volta counted over thirty levels to it, and that was before the sun started getting into his eyes.

A dark mass lay high above, half hidden by the clouds. But it's size and shape left no doubt in Volta's mind. Against all the laws of physics, millions of tons of land sat on the tip of an impossibly thin column. One whose base was hollow.

"An island in the sky," he whispered. "It's… it's impossible."

"I've certainly heard rumors," Borodo breathed. "But it's far more impressive in person. This is what I was talking about. Not much the Marines can do when you're all the way up there."

Slasher gave a long whistle. "I'll say. And we have to get all the way up there ourselves?"

"Aw shit," Drogon moaned. "My boots are worn out as is. They'll fuckin disintegrate on this thing."

"Is there an elevator?" Volta asked. "That would be the best way for us to get to the top without issue."

"There is," Borodo confirmed. "That's how the Trump Pirates were able to conquer the island in the first place. Those stairs lining the tower are filled to the brim with traps, on top the sheer number of them, but if you break through the elevator's guards and seize control of it, the city above will fall. I have no clue how they got the island up there, but it was apparently to keep pirates from attacking in the first place."

"But then they realized what a pain in the ass it would be to use those stairs for transporting goods, or just getting down," Slasher concluded. "So, they made the elevator. Which allowed pirates to circumvent all the elaborate defenses they made specifically to keep them out."

"A catch twenty-two if I've ever heard it," Volta sighed. "Keep the baddies out and cut yourself off from the world, or open yourself up and let the baddies in. A real lack of foresight for people capable of lifting an island into the air. Seriously, how the bloody hell did they do this?"

"We'll be asking them soon enough," Drogon said. He got up and started stretching. "Don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to start cracking some heads."

Volta nodded, unsheathing part of his blade. "So am I."

Zoro gave his friend a concerned look. "Don't lose your head this time."

Volta stiffened, face flushed. "…right."

.~===)==============={%}

How exactly did the past generations of Clockwork get their island into the sky? Some say through underwater excavation, creating spring mechanisms that could propel upward and send the great land mass into the heavens. Others say they didn't build anything, that the island used to be the tip of a vast mountain that was worn away into its present form.

In truth, not even the current generation of Clockwork knows for sure. The island's ascension, if it happened at all, was centuries in the past, no records revealing a hint to the method of madness employed.

Fortunately, maintaining the island's state was very well documented. A great key, the kind you'd find on the side of a toy car, ran from the very tip of the island proper to the very bottom of the rocky seafloor. Roughly six thousand, seven hundred and twenty-three feet of pure iron, eternally greased by the natural secretions of the rock column that surrounded it. The only major requirement from its citizens was a monthly dumping of thousands of gallons of potent anti-rust liquid, the making of which was recorded in the ancient writings.

The Bear King had versed himself well on all the complex inner workings of the island after taking it, and the next required dumping was in two weeks. Such things were always on his mind and had been for seven years now, but one wouldn't know that from his appearance.

Volta had once considered Dick the Whale to be the largest person he had ever seen, but the Bear dwarfed him considerably, standing at a bit shorter than eighteen feet. A hairy beast of a man, his crown was the skinned head of a bear, not too dissimilar from the wretched pig hat of his lieutenant. A black, gold-lined coat stretched up and around his neck, into an elaborate spade-shaped collar, red scarf tucked within. His forehead too was marked with a spade, this one turned downward toward his cruel face. His arms, only skinny in comparison to the rest of him, had great tuffs of fur at the shoulders and wrists, also courtesy of the bear he had killed. A green dress shirt and maroon pants covered the rest of him, the outfit completed with a bright orange sash.

The two scientists facing the Bear didn't notice any of these details, only focusing on his face as they gave their plea. A face now twisted into an angry grimace.

"What?! What do you mean cancel the project?!"

"You've sat on that throne for seven years now," the female scientist said. "And in that time, the ships and weapons you've had us build have caused bloodshed across the Crebe Region."

The Bear scowled. "That's what weapons are for, you doddering git! If they don't shed blood, then they aren't doing what they were made to do!"

"But this new weapon will be worse!" the scientist cried. "It's a weapon of mass destruction, a horror this sea can't withstand. We've made you enough already, so please-"

BANG!

The shot whizzed right by her feet, bouncing off the bullet-proof glass that made up the throne room's floor. Beneath, the head of the great key turned, nearly as wide as the room itself.

"You two seem to have forgotten yourselves," the Bear growled. "The island's key is under my control." A cruel, crazed smile broke out on his face. "If you push me too far, I may break it, and send us all crashing back to the sea below!"

The scientists hugged each other, trembling with fear at the thought. Bear's other two lieutenants matched their captain's smile, looking just as insane as he did.

"Even if you don't want to make my weapons," the Bear continued. "There's nothing you can do to stop me. Just keep quiet and do what I say. Show them out."

Two guards were at their side in an instant, grabbing them by the arms and leading them away.

"I can walk without help!" the male scientist exclaimed, but he didn't shake them off. No act of resistance was too small in the Bear's beady eyes.

He grinned, but this time without madness. "The King Cannon is almost complete. Once it is, control of the East will be mine, and soon after, the throne of the Pirate King! This island will have its reward for helping me, I promise you that."

Just as the scientists left down one elevator, another took Boo and Queen up. Honey had adorned herself with a thin yellow corset and a long fur coat, half white, half purple, and covered with pink spots. One leg had been wrapped in a fishnet stocking, while the other had a long pink sock stretched all the way to the thigh. Boo Jack looked the same, two people hanging over his shoulders.

"Welcome back Honey Queen-chan!" a lieutenant cried. He was the shortest of the four, legs permanently bent from the weight of his big fluffy pack, but he skipped his way down the stairs of the throne dais without any problems at all.

"Oh? Oh! It's a pretty young lady! Did you kidnap her?"

Said pretty young lady looked up, and the ugly little man screamed and scuttled away. "She's a monster, she's a monster! Behold the rage in her eyes!"

"Stop it Skunk One," Honey hissed. "This woman isn't for you to look at. She's the Bear King's bride-to-be, his sou-ve-niiir."

Buki smiled viciously, and Skunk One screamed again. "Souvenir, huh? I'll pass on that and the bride thing, but if you want a bullet lodged in your brain, I can give you that."

"Ooh, a feisty one!" the Bear chittered. He jumped off his throne and down the dais with an astonishing amount of grace. He picked Buki up, large hands crossing fingers around her.

He stared at her, but not in a pervy manner, eyes never leaving her own. She glared back, wondering if she could make that saying about looks killing a reality.

He giggled, cheeks flushing red. "Yup, you're definitely my type!" He set her down, and a bouquet of roses appeared in his hands. "P-p-please marry me! You're the m-most beautiful g-girl I've e-ever seen!"

Buki sweatdropped. For a giant tyrant, it was a surprisingly sweet proposal. Definitely something she could take advantage of. An evil plan began to hatch within her.

"Oh, I dunno…you're certainly very handsome."

The Bear's face glowed. "Thank you! Not even my mother has ever said that to me!"

"And I bet you're very strong."

"Hell yeah I am!" Dumbbells appeared, and he lifted them without effort. How was he doing that?

The final lieutenant frowned. "Captain, I don't trust this woman."

"Stuff it, Joker," the Bear growled. "It's not like you have any experience with women, not when you refuse to take off your costume."

"It defines who I am," Joker intoned. "Nobody cared about me until I put on the foundation."

"Come to think of it," Buki cooed, lips turned into a small pout. "What I really like about you is your kindness and generosity."

The Bear giggled again. "Aw shucks, nobody's ever told me that either."

"Because it's not true."

"SHUT UP JOKER!"

Buki tapped her chip, deep in thought. "Oh!" She snapped her fingers. "I know! How about you give all the islanders a break from working on the…what did you call it again?"

"The King Cannon," Boo answered gleefully. "When it's gone, it'll be capable of destroying whole towns in a single shot!"

"Done!" The Bear snapped his own fingers, a dozen men rushing to his side. "Tell all the scientists they have the rest of the day off. The Cannon is almost done anyway; they can finish it tomorrow."

"Yes, sir!"

Buki smiled as they rushed off, quietly breathing a sigh of relief. She had no doubt the rest of her friends would catch up to her soon, but if Boo spoke true, that thing sounded like trouble. Best to take it out of the picture quickly.

"Now, as for your strength…how good are you at throwing things?"

"Very good!" the Bear exclaimed. "Why, if I wanted to, I could throw Joker here straight off the island!"

"WHAT?!"

Buki's smile widened. "Is that so?"

.~===)==============={%}

The group disembarked, careful not to let a patrolling ship see them. There only seemed to be the one, but with defenses like this, who needed a blockade?

The tower seemed truly endless when standing near its base. Even stranger, it became clear that the different rock plates were asymmetrical to each other, though they touch together enough for a central shaft to be present within.

"The only way up is the elevator," Borodo said. "The stairs mean death for anyone who doesn't know how to deactivate the traps."

"Anyone?" Zoro asked.

Volta stiffened again, this time for very different reasons. He knew that tone of voice. He's heard it when Zoro had challenged a bear to a fight, and when he'd jumped into action against a giant chicken without knowing what it could do.

"Yeah. Anyone at all?"

And now Drogon had that exact same tone.

ah, to hell with it.

"Are you absolutely sure it's death for everyone who tries to climb?"

Borodo's jaw hit the beach. "You guys can't be serious!"

"Volta," Zoro said with a grin. "I propose a bet. Who can get to the top the quickest?"

"You guys are gonna die!" Akisu cried. "Don't try it! The elevator is safer!"

"We may not have a choice," Slasher said. "Fighting our way through the guards to the elevator would be easier, but they could just raise it up to the island before we have a chance to get on it. At that point, we'd have to backtrack to the stairs, but without the element of surprise."

Borodo tisked. "That's right. They probably have the elevator set up there already, only brought down for raids and such."

Drogon smiled. "Well, that settles it! I bet that the last guy to get all the way up has to pay for everyone's drinks at the Clockwork pub."

"You guys don't even know if there is a pub!"

"You know what," Slasher said. "I'm down for that. A four-way race then."

Drogon laughed. "Hell yeah! But the first one up gets a prize! Like, say…the Diamond Clock?"

"ARE YOU GUYS SERIOUS?!"

"We can't steal their property," Volta countered. "The prize is eternal bragging rights."

"That's fuckin lame."

"Guys, do you hear something?"

They all paused, ears cocked. Sure enough, a faint scream could be heard on the wind, steadily getting louder. Volta looked skyward, just in time to see a tiny dot near the tower. It grew larger by the second.

"Looks like someone fell off," Zoro said. "He's a goner."

Volta started doing jumping jacks, hoping to get his blood pumping in time. The dot now looked like a person, though a very strange one.

With enough adrenaline pumping, the tattoos flared to life, Volta directing them into a swirl-like shape similar to the mountain they stood near. The person hit the ink with a splash, sliding down it like a kid at a waterpark, before slipping off and hitting the beach with a thud.

Strange was an understatement. The man had pure white skin, even paler than Volta's, and a red half star painted on the left side of his face. A blue tear drop had been painted under his right eye, and around his neck sat a giant collar of yellow feathers. His outfit, from his hoop earrings to his gaudy vest and boots, was all purple and black, save the torn red cape plastered to his back and the yellow tuffs on his forearms. Most interesting to Volta was the rapier strapped to his side, its hilt a polished gold.

Zoro yanked out his wanted posters. "Well what do you know, it's Pin Joker, one of the Trump Siblings. Worth nine million and nine hundred thousand berries."

Joker blinked, then jumped to his feet. "I'M ALIVE! DAMN YOU BEAR KING, DAMN YOU TO HELL! WHEN I GET UP THERE, I'LL MAKE YOU PAY! MY FEATHERS WILL BLOT OUT THE MOON!"

Volta frowned. "It's the sun, not the moon."

He whirled, face etched in fury. "I KNOW THAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Wait, who are you guys?"

"ONI GIRI!"

The attack was fast, but to everyone's amazement, Joker dodged it, jumping high and twisting through the air to land several feet away from them.

"Ah, I see. You're the comrades of that wretched woman the King is smitten to."

"Is Buki alright?" Slasher growled.

"Alright?! That witch has bewitched my captain! She made him throw me from the island!"

Slasher sweatdropped, as did Drogon. "Yup, that's Buki alright. But it's exactly the kind of thing I'd want her to do. The more chaos she causes up there, the less we have to do to bring you guys down."

"You wish to overthrow us?! Don't make me laugh! The Trump Pirates are invincible! The day we lose is the day wigs fly!"

"It's pigs."

"SHUT UP! NEEDLE NEEDLE STING!"

His arms became blurs, and dozens of bright yellow flashes shot toward the party. Slasher and Zoro met the attack with a pair of their own.

"DRAGON TWISTER!"

"CEASER SALAD SWEEP!"

The sword swings created a buffer of wind, blowing away the feathers. A few went right back to Joker, but he dodged them easily.

"Ah!"

Borodo fell to his knees, one of the feathers stuck in his neck. He pulled it out, before collapsing to the ground.

"BIG BRO!" Akisu wailed. "He's dead!"

Joker laughed. "I'm flattered you think me so cruel, but he's just paralyzed! My feathers are coated in a special liquid called Devil Gas! He won't be able to move for hours!"

Zoro grimaced. "Damnit, now getting up the stairs is gonna be even harder!"

"Why would a liquid be called a gas?" Slasher questioned. "Are all you Trump pirates linguistically challenged?"

"SHUT UP!" His arms blurred once more, but Volta leaped forward, sword at the ready. Joker was forced to cancel the attack, and he blocked with his own sword. Volta hadn't even seen him pull it out.

The pale man chuckled. "What a lovely blade you've got there. Is it named? I might just replace my own, once I've pulled it from your lifelong fingers."

The other pale man smiled. "It's lifeless fingers, idiot."

"SHUT UUUUP!"

A duel began, and Volta was reminded of Zoro's fight with Albedu, the unfortunate younger brother to Beer Town's underworld ruler. Like him, Joker was fast and agile, relying on piercing attacks and quick parries. Volta was quickly forced on the defensive, using his scabbard to help deflect against the ruthless strikes.

Zoro sheathed his blades, content to watch the fight play out. "How far have you come, Volta? How much further do you have to go?"

"Have you been training him?" Slasher asked.

The swordsman nodded. "He's a fast learner, with a few months of experience under his belt. I've been training my whole life with the blade, so he's not as good as me. But he gets better every day."

Volta didn't hear the praise, absorbed completely into the duel. Three dozen exchanges. Five dozen. Seven. Joker's grin never left his face, as he pressed further and further, forcing Volta across the beach. His arm was a snake, writhing and twisting, the sword a sharp fang that was always striking.

A cut to the side, shallow but stinging. Had Joker coated his blade with Devil Gas too? He'd find out in just a few seconds.

Joker pulled three feathers from his collar with his free hand, flicking them at Volta's eyes. He jerked his neck, feeling one of them slice his cheek.

"Shit," Zoro growled. He pulled out Wado, ready to leap in the moment his friend fell.

But he didn't fall. Instead, he grinned. "You really are an idiot. You seriously only doused the feather's tips?"

"I wear this around my neck you fool!" Joker screeched.

Volta considered this. Then his smile widened. "That's true!" He parried another thrust with his scabbard and thrusted in turn. Joker dodged…right into a precise kick to the neck. He gagged, face turning blue, collar smashed up under his chin.

"Don't worry, I didn't break anything," Volta said. "But I'm pretty sure I just forced a few of those feathers closer to your neck then you prefer."

Joker coughed more violently, tears pouring out of his eyes. He tried to restart his offensive, but his movements were slow.

"I guess pigs are flying somewhere today!" Volta laughed. "FÜNFTER BLITZ, QUERSCHLAG!"

"GAAAAAAH!"

The strikes crisscrossed, one slashing his chest while the other sliced through his face. Volta twirled his blade, sheathing it as Joker fell to the ground, his own sliced in two.

Slasher clapped. "Well done."

"Damnit! My face!"

"Sorry," Volta apologized. "Wasn't trying to aim there. My technique was off."

Joker screamed, jumping to his feet. Blood sprayed across the sand, as well as drenched half his face, but the half that wasn't looked downright apoplectic. "THIS ISN'T OVER!"

CONK

'Yes, it is."

Joker collapsed, eyes rolling back into his skull. Slash wiped the butt of his sword's hilt, even though no blood had stained it. A bump formed on the pirate's pale head.

"That's one down," Zoro said. He bent over the fallen Trump sibling, tearing off his cape and pant legs. Within minutes, Joker was held tightly by his own clothing, which also helped to stop the bleeding from his chest. A section of his shirt was wrapped around his head. Lastly, he tore off the feathered collar, tossing it into the ocean.

"We should probably take him with us," Slasher suggested. "If we leave him here alone, he'll eventually free himself."

"Not if he wants to bleed out," Zoro grunted. "Damn Volta, this is deep."

"Cutting someone into unconsciousness is difficult," Volta replied. "Since I'm the one who wounded him, I'll carry him up."

"Can someone carry me?" Borodo called out from the ground. "I can't feel my…anything, actually."

Zoro walked over to him. "Have you wet yourself?"

"No."

Zoro picked him up. "You better not on the way up, or it's over the side you go."

"If you do that, I'll bite you to death," Akisu growled.

"No Akisu," Borodo chastised. "That's a perfectly valid thing to do to someone who's pissing on you."

The young boy blinked. "Oh, okay. Whatever you say, big bro!"

"The hell have you been teaching this kid?!" Zoro exclaimed.

"Less talk, more movement!" Slasher ordered. "If we're getting up to Clockwork any time today, we need to get moving."

"But how can we race up the stairs with a buncha people on our backs?!" Drogon whined.

Slasher sighed, kneading the bridge of his nose. "I really don't care about the race anymore, but you're right. Carrying people while trying to avoid traps will be impossible."

Zoro shrugged. "I have no complaint. Just makes the challenge all the greater."

"Actually," Volta interjected. "We might be able to use the elevator after all."

Slasher frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Gather around everyone. Er, everyone who can. I have a plan…"

.~===)==============={%}

Denny was, by all accounts, a bit of a loser. Even by the standards of his brethren, those great hordes of pirate fodder, he had little strength to speak off. He had never won an arm-wrestling contest with his fellow mooks, nor given the honor of serving on the front lines during battle. But despite this lack of physical might, Denny was an officer, in charge of both guarding the elevator and managing patrols throughout the island's sea zone.

How had a weakling, in a world where strength determined so much, gained a position of relative power? The reason is that Denny had two things going for him. His smarts, a rare thing among pirates of his standing, and his loyalty, commendable for its sheer bottomlessness. The truth of the latter quality could be traced to his upbringing, under the brutality of a man more concerned with drinking then raising his child. With no mother to nurture him and a father who failed to protect him, Denny fell out of the bottom of society and into the realm of the criminal. He got his start running drugs for a cartel based in the Sloven Archipelago. He worked his way up to bookkeeper, where he discovered embezzlement within the gang.

Unfortunately, they soon knew that he knew, and the traitors planned to cut his throat in a back alley before he could snitch on them to the boss. But just before they could do the deed, one of them bumped into Pin Joker, who had been rejected by a woman he had asked out just minutes beforehand. Already in a foul mood, the pirate reacted with excessive violence to the slight, murdering the gang member and his two companions.

Denny, grateful and terrified in equal measure, fell to his knees before the strangely dressed man, offering his eternal servitude for saving his life. Never one to pass up on recruitment, Joker brought him into the ranks of the Trump Pirates.

Eight years he had served the Siblings, throughout all seven of the occupation and one before. He knew his chances of rising higher in the card-themed echelons were slim, but that was alright. He liked the Siblings, and as far as he knew, they seemed to like him as well. And so, he guarded, and patrolled, and kept vigilant for trouble.

He saw trouble coming in the form of a group of trespassers, running around the base of the mountain toward the tunnel. Had they slipped past the ship currently encircling the island? Damnit, he knew he should have sent out two.

"Stay sharp men. Guns at the ready."

A dozen pirates aimed their muskets at the group. Denny could see that some were armed, and if they attacked, a hail of gunfire would cut them down. He'd done this plenty of times before, so he…

Wait a minute. Some were carrying people. And one of those bodies looked a lot like…

Horror laced through Denny, as he recognized the teardrop under Pin Joker's right eye. "Stand down, stand down!"

The soldiers lowered their guns, and Denny rushed forward, toward the trespassers. They were a dirty and battered lot, their clothing torn in places, especially the unusually pale one with the tattoos. The one carrying his boss.

"We need help!" the pale castaway cried. "We found him like this near the base of the stairs!"

Denny took one look at Joker and immediately understood what had happened. While doing patrols close to the island, he had occasionally spotted the swordsman training himself on the stairwell, weaving his way through the spikes and slicing through the boulders. He must have made a mistake, a mistimed jump or swing, and been knocked all the way down to the beach.

"Follow me."

The trespassers ran after the pirate, into the tunnel. Despite outer appearances, it was well-lit within, dozens of ships moored to an intricate docking system that extended deep into the mountain. Near the center, a bronze shaft rose up through the ceiling, right in front of the vast iron key that turned endlessly throughout the island. Embedded on the side facing the tunnel opening were two giant golden doors, engraved with images of gears and cogs, worked together to form an abstract clock. It was a beautiful piece of artwork, but not one Denny noticed in the least. "You, and you! We have an emergency, get the elevator down right now!"

His men complied, running to the control panel affixed to the shaft's left side. A snail transponder dozed in the middle of it, and they quickly woke it up and dialed the station above. After confirmation, they pulled the lever, and a groan from the shaft echoed throughout the cavern, ancient mechanisms within bringing the car down at incredible speeds.

Two more pirates placed Joker on a stretcher, a medic looking over his wounds. Denny collapsed before the trespassers. "Thank you, thank you so much! If you hadn't been there, I hate to think what would have happened to him."

The one with the blue shirt shook his head. "It was the least we could do. After everything we've been through, how could we not turn away from a wounded man?"

Denny frowned. "What do you mean?"

"We're castaways," the one with orange hair said sadly. "My friends and I were sailing through this region to get to my grandmother's funeral. But there was a storm, and our ship was struck by lightning."

Denny winced. "Not lightning,"

"Yes," he sniffled. "Lightning. It burned and sank our ship, and we were forced to ride out the waves on a piece of driftwood. We washed up here, with only our clothes and our weapons to our name. The cake's gone, our suits are gone, we even lost…we even…sniff…my dear pet scorpion."

The pirate felt himself begin to tear up. "Not your pet scorpion."

The orange-haired castaway broke into tears, sobbing into the blue-shirted one's chest. The pale one shook his head sadly, while the one with the three swords stared forward, stoic. Or perhaps traumatized. The little kid looked dazed, like he couldn't believe this was happening to him.

"You poor souls!" Denny cried. "Don't worry, you'll all be able to rest soon. I'm sorry about your grandmother's funeral, but there are plenty of inns in the city above that will take you in after hearing of your plight."

The elevator descended, hitting the ground with a heavy thud.

DING!

The doors opened, and a dozen more men rushed out, fetching the stretcher and pulling it in.

"Let them in as well!" Denny commanded. "These guys saved Pin Joker's life!"

The guards grunted an affirmative, and the grateful-looking group slipped in. The doors slid shut, and the great lever was thrown again, taking the car all the way up to the island above.

Denny sighed in relief, while also shivering at the catastrophe that could have been visited upon them. The idea of Joker dying, of the Trump Pirates suffering such a terrible loss, nearly drove him to tears again.

"Thank you, castaways," he whispered. "I wish you luck in all your future endeavors."

.~===)==============={%}

The elevator doors opened, and Joker was rushed away to be treated. None of the pirates congratulated the group for their 'rescue,' nor did they invite them to the castle as a reward. But that was fine by Volta. They'd be finding their way there one way or another.

"Well, we did it," Zoro whispered. "That's the first step accomplished. Now we need to get to the castle."

"I didn't see our ship anywhere in that cavern," Slasher whispered back. "They must have brought it up here somehow. We'll have to keep looking."

"Buki and Kibatto come first," Drogon growled.

"Didn't mean to say that they aren't," Slasher hissed. "We'll rescue them first, beat the shit out of the rest of the Trumps, call in the Marines and make our way out. Sound like a plan?"

The rest nodded, except for Borodo.

"If I remember correctly, they're at the castle," Volta said. "Anyone know where that is?"

"It's on top of the mountain," Borodo said. "It used to be the main research station for Clockwork until Bear King refashioned it into his abode. The great key that keeps this island from falling is located there too."

The group exited the building, and beheld, for the first time, the true island of Clockwork. They all winced in pain, ears popping rapidly as the full brunt of the air pressure change hit them. Volta was pretty sure it should have happened in the elevator, and that the speed of the change would have killed them all on Earth.

But such grim thoughts fell away in the face of Clockwork's beauty. The elevator had taken them halfway up the green mountain that made up the majority of the island, and most of the town lay below them. No, not a town. There were thousands of houses, a bone fide city, and it only covered a small portion of the mountain itself. Beyond the buildings towered great rock formations, ironically a great natural defense against attacks by sea. And beyond all that, almost out of sight, Volta could see a massive iron gear, rusted and ancient, turning clockwise around the entire landmass. Was that a part of the key too? Or did it serve some other purpose?

The city itself gleamed in the sun, unlike anything Volta had seen before. Its buildings curved and swirled, leaned and bent, their roofs either tapering off into chimneys or rounding into tiled domes. And the colors! For a second Volta was reminded of Goa, and before that the nightmarish beauty of his own Varnished world, but there was a warmth to these colors. Like the citizens had painted each and every one of their buildings in their favorite, while still being conscientious of how all the colors would look right next to each other. Nothing was badly matched or garish, or out of synch with the flow of the city itself.

Dozens of gears and pulleys connected them, but never across roads or other public places. And along those lines, clothing flapped in the breeze, or little baskets slid from one house to another, an easy way for neighbors to give each other things without stepping out of their homes.

Volta felt that he could stare at the city forever, drinking in its masterful artistry. But he had a mission, so he turned his gaze upward, toward the castle. Dozens of pink-roofed windmills turned, likely collecting energy for the island's vast internal machinery. Trump Castle was the most bizarre building of all, thirteen crooked crowns of brick and gold stacked onto each other, each one painted with the four suits. At the very top, a small glass dome, and on top of that, a tiny, nearly microscopic flash of red.

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" Slasher roared.

Drogon squinted. "Yup, that's the ship alright. Pretty impressive if you ask me."

Slasher fell to the ground. "My baby…"

"Hey, look!" Akisu pointed up to the dome, at a little spark on its side. "That's the Diamond Clock!"

"That's right!" Borodo exclaimed from Zoro's shoulder. "The most valuable clock in the world is without our grasp!"

"You can't grasp anything right now," Zoro groused.

"Actually, some feeling is returning to me. I might be able to walk soon."

GRRRRRRRRLLLL

The group jumped, swords flashing.

"The hell was that?" Zoro exclaimed.

"No idea," Slasher said. "Everyone stay alert. There could be wild, man-eating goats on this mountain."

"Man eating-whatnow?!" Drogon cried.

"Oh yeah, I probably should have mentioned those," Borodo laughed.

"WHAAT?!"

GRRRRRROOOOOWWWLLLL

Zoro frowned. "Wait a minute…that's no goat. That's just my stomach."

"WHAAAAT?!"

"Actually," Drogon began sheepishly. "I'm kinda hungry too. Why don't we get a bite to eat before we try taking on the Trumps?"

Volta nodded. "I second that motion. We've been eating nothing but salted crackers for a week now."

Slasher sighed but nodded in concession. "Yeah, we could all use some food. But we need to hurry. Every minute we spend here is a minute longer Buki and Kibatto are in terrible danger."

.~===)==============={%}

"Aaaaand…right there, perfect!"

The two grunts grunted as they set down the gilded pot, filled to the brim with blue roses. Just one of many that now lined the Bear King's throne room.

But that was just the tip of the iceberg. Hundreds of balloons covered the ceiling, with dozens more tied to the metal pipes that ran along the walls. Tables had been set up for the great buffet the Castle's chefs were working their hardest to finish, and the throne dais had been wreathed with white lilies. The glass floor now bore the weight of dozens of wooden benches, impeccably cushioned by the Castle staff. They were usually used for feasting, but had been repurposed for what was fast becoming the most elaborate wedding ceremony Clockwork had ever seen.

Buki couldn't help but feel a bit guilty, especially after the Castle tailory had pumped out a jewel-encrusted wedding dress in just under an hour. But seeing how ragged the castle guards were after all this preparation was worth it.

"My beautiful bride to be!"

Her content smile turned into a scowl. Whether it was worth the attention of a man who wore the skinned head of a bear was another matter. She really hoped Slasher and the others weren't getting sidetracked in the city below.

Speaking of that damn bear skin, the King was still wearing it, only this time over an overly elaborate tuxedo, its buttons shaped like hearts and diamonds cufflinks like clubs and spades. His belt had a big bear-shaped buckle on it, something Buki only knew due to how stretched the tux's jacket was over the King's generous belly. It was clear which outfit the tailors had given more attention to, and by the King's own orders no less. Another sweet gesture from an otherwise tyrannical ruler. Maybe she'd feel a little bad about arresting him when all was said and done.

"My lovely bride! I must say, asking for a full wedding ceremony in under three hours is quite the request, but as you can see, I'm making your dream a reality! Just say the word, and I'll gladly work these men to death for us!"

Or, maybe not.

"Congratulations my King!" Skunk One exclaimed. He too had thrown on a tux, though his strange fluffy backpack and aviator cap and goggles remained firmly in place. The ugly little man had a habit of spinning in circles when happy, and Buki considered asking the Bear to punt him out the same window he'd broken throwing the swordsman.

"It's about time we had another female in the crew," Honey cooed. She too had dressed for the occasion, the pale-yellow gown complimenting her hair. "I've always wanted a sister."

"Ya know, I've been wondering about that," Kibatto said from his cage on the ceiling. "Are you punks actually blood siblings?"

"We are," the Bear explained. "I'm the oldest, at twenty-four."

Buki's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "That young?!"

"I know!" Bear giggled. "I'm still in the spring of my youth! Honey here is a year younger, and Skunk One is a year younger than her, Joker is a year younger than him, and Boo Jack is the youngest at twenty."

Buki stared at Skunk One. At his massive nose and tombstone teeth, and his naturally neon pink lips. "I'm so sorry."

Skunk shrugged. "We can't all be as handsome as my big brother."

Have I gone insane? Or has the world I live in?

"Speaking of family, where's Joker?" the Bear groused. "I've thrown him out of windows plenty of times, and he's usually back before noon."

Buki checked a nearby clock. She's been kidnapped, dressed up, proposed too, and made wedding planner of her own sham wedding before noon?

"Fuck my life," she groaned.

"That's the spirit!" the Bear laughed. "Because your new life after marriage will be so much sweeter!"

Kibatto's laughter echoed from above. Buki flipped him off, storming off the dais and toward the elevator. It was about time she got her damn dress on.

As she passed the buffet table, she noticed a pirate collapse from exhaustion. He was quickly thrown only a pile of similarly overworked minion, one that was growing with each passing minute.

She smiled again. As much as she despised the idea of getting married, real or not, her plan was working. Trump Castle was softening, and soon (preferably within the next two hours before the ceremony) her team would smash it flat.

.~===)==============={%}

The grandmother's funeral story worked wonders on the owners of one of the city's pubs. Soon they had all the food they could eat, though the owners had drawn the line at extra beers. Zoro was not happy, but he knew better then to complain. Volta gave the bar a thousand berries before they walked out, for whatever that was worth.

The streets bustled, especially in the center, but there were no vendors or hagglers. It wasn't that kind of town. Shops made their wares known through their windows, entire storefronts consisting of glass so that all manner of trinkets could be seen within. Kids gawked at them before continuing on with their games, usually involving a ball or a stick.

"Seems kind of dangerous," Volta wondered aloud. "To have so much breakable glass in the same place children play."

"Not at all," Akisu said. He jumped into one of the games, grabbing the ball and throwing it against the nearest window. It bounced off, sailing right back at him. He kicked it, and it bounced even harder, but no damage was done.

"Hah!" one of the townsfolk laughed. "Kid's trying to break the window!" A smattering of laughter filled the air.

Zoro frowned. "What's so funny?"

"This glass is much stronger than it looks," Akisu explained. "Clockwork makes some of the strongest glass in the East. I can tell just by looking at it."

"Akisu's got the gift when it comes to machines," Borodo explained. The Devil Gas had proven less effective then Joker had claimed, and the former key deliverer could stand on his feet, albeit with support from Zoro. "The kid doesn't even need practice, he just seems to know."

Akisu shrugged. "I'm not that good. But thanks, big bro!"

Volta chuckled. Maybe his theory that kids grew up knowing stuff wasn't so far off.

With their bellies sated, they made their way up the paths toward the mountaintop, admiring the buildings as they went. Volta wasn't sure how practical a lot of it was, but he had been proven wrong about the glass, and these people clearly knew what they were doing when it came to inventions.

Even the residential areas had storefront equivalents. One vine-covered house had dozens of intricate tea pots on display, gold-smelted skeletons with colorful pottery filling in the gaps.

"Damn," Drogon whistled. "This is a fun place to be! We should come here again under better circumstances."

"I'm afraid you strangers know little. Better circumstances will never come again."

Volta tensed, peering inside the house. A couple was sipping tea on a mezzanine overlooking the first floor, which seemed to be part abode, part teapot store. A table full of half-finished teapots sat off to the side, dusty and clearly unused.

"I know what you're referring too," Slasher said, letting himself inside. "I saw some patrols of their men while we were walking the streets."

"Hmph," the man scoffed. "Business looks like it's going about as usual, but all you need to do is unplug your nose, and the stench of fear will pervade you."

"This island has been under their rule for seven years now," the woman stated bitterly. "It used to be an island of dreams, but now it's just another weapons factory, producing tools for killing."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Slasher replied. "But you don't need to fear any longer. We've come to put an end to the Trump Sibling's control."

"Yeah!" Borodo exclaimed, so excited he pushed off from Zoro, energy restored. "These hunters have come to take down all the pirates! They're the best hunters in the East!"

"For the record, we make no such claims," Slasher clarified. "But what we can do, we will."

"It's not going to work," the man moaned. "Many have tried before, but they all perished. And even if we did succeed, Bear King has threatened to destroy the key holding this island in the sky! We'll all perish if we rebel!"

"If he does that, he kills himself as well," Volta said. "Does he and his crew have the power to fly?"

"You don't understand," the scientist continued. "He doesn't care if he dies or not. He's mad, him and his entire family!"

Volta looked to Zoro. "Is that true? Is the Bear King mad?"

Zoro shrugged. "No idea. Don't have a history of him on hand. But if I ruled an island in the sky for many years, I'd probably go mad from power."

"You'd be above reproach," Slasher said. "Literally. After a while, you may see yourself as a god."

Zoro chuckled. "I don't believe in God."

"Whether he believes himself a god or not, it makes no difference," the pessimistic scientist continued. "If he truly wishes to, he can bring this island back down to the sea. In pieces."

It was a frightening prospect, one that made Volta conscious of how thin the ground they stood upon really was.

"Also, there's no way to approach their castle by land anyway. The grasslands surrounding it are mined, the windmills maintained by dozens of pirates. Their stranglehold is complete."

"Goshdarn you're depressing!" Drogon groused. "Enough is enough! Come on guys, we don't need their pessimism!"

"We're right behind you," Slasher replied, more then a little sarcastically. "Anyway, I noticed that you have a picture of the Diamond Clock on your wall."

"WHAT?!"

Drogon rushed back inside, jumped right onto the mezzanine's railing, and leaped over the couple's tea table. The woman shrieked, her swirly pink hair whipping around her.

"I knew I got all the gems right! Woo-hoo, who's the gem master?"

"What are you doing?!" the man squawked.

"He's a gem lover," Slasher explained. "Though he wouldn't admit it until now."

"We made the Diamond Clock," the woman said, her composure regained. "It was in celebration of the birth of our son. But it's just another memory of bad times now. If you truly want it, you can have it."

Volta winced. A son…one he didn't see in this house. And he doubted he was just out playing with the other children, from the sound of his parents' voices.

He took off his hat. "I'm sorry for your loss."

The woman nodded. "Thank you."

And with that, Volta turned on his heels, hat back on his head. "Let's go."

Zoro grunted, right behind him. The others followed suit, Drogon jumping down and helping Borodo through the door.

"Please don't do this!" the woman called out. "It will be the death of you all!"

"Sometimes, death must be faced for one's goals," Volta stated. "Come on Akisu, let's get going."

"You got it!"

The woman gasped, too softly to be heard by anyone but her husband. She ran down the stairs and out the door, watching as the group headed upward, toward Trump Castle.

"Did you hear what that man called that boy?"

The man sighed. "Akisu is a common name in Crebe. There's no reason to-"

His next words died in his throat, as he caught sight of something on the ground. It was a little music box, made of polished brown wood and inlaid with golden symbols. A little picture of a baby marked its top.

The man picked it up. "Dear…it…it couldn't be…"

"It is," the woman whispered, tears springing to her eyes. That boy…that boy was our son!"


Author's Note

For those not familiar with the movie this arc is based on (Clockwork Island Adventure), here are the designs of the characters that appear there. (If you're on Fanfiction Net, type in Inkbolt Spacebattles on google and scroll through the threadmarks for Chapter 15)

Yeomanaxel, the Verified Yeo