Chapter 26
Last Stop
"Another price increase? Don't you think it's getting a bit too expensive?" Nami talked to the News Coo.
*Coo...*
The Strawhats had been out on the ocean for awhile now, fully intent on heading to the Grand Line. Nami had set the course and everyone followed her instructions, as she was now their permanent navigator. Everyone had a chance to finally taste Sanji's cooking, which delicious. Zoro and Luffy found their spots. Zoro could often be found napping against the mast, and Luffy declared the figure head as his seat. Usopp apparently had brought an alchemy setup from home. Though Maxwell was frequently told it wasn't alchemy. Usopp worked on new ammo for his slingshot with that set. Maxwell himself, was busy either restudying his magic or training with his new staff.
"Raise the price again and I won't be buying your papers anymore," she had bought the newspaper anyway.
Usopp was close by working on his arsenal, "What're you getting all riled up about? It's just a newspaper."
Nami shrugged, "Daily expenses all add up, don't you know?"
"I thought you were done with saving up money?"
"Don't be stupid," she pointed the paper roll. "From now on, I'm going to be saving up money for no one but me alone. There's no way I'm going to be a penniless pirate!"
Usopp waves her off, no longer concerned, "Ok, ok. I'm in the middle of developing my secret Tabasco Star, so keep away! An enemy who gets this in their eye will be rendered completely help—"
"KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF!" Luffy had been knocked over into Usopp's workspace and was splattered with tabasco.
"GYA~!" "Oh come on! Can't I just have at least one?"
"Absolutely not!" Sanji stood guard in front of some tangerine trees they had taken with them. Luffy had been trying to pick and orange. "These are Nami's beloved orange trees! I won't allow anyone to lay even a single finger on them!" Sanji then looks, lovesick, over to Nami, "Nami! Rest assured, my defence powered by love is infallible!"
"Thanks al lot Sanji!" she just opens the newspaper.
Luffy smiles and turns away, "Oh well, I'm in a good mood so I'll drop it then."
"What a tool...," Zoro mutters. "GYA~!" Usopp still has tabasco in his eye.
"We're finally on our way to the Grand Line!" Luffy cheers.
"Feeling good, Captain?" Maxwell walks up. He had just finished his exercises with with staff. Or magic spear, as Luffy likes to call it, much to Maxwell's disapproval.
"Hell yeah!" Luffy then turns to Nami, "Hey Nami! How long until we get to the Grand Line?"
A piece of paper falls out of her newspaper and everyone takes a look at it.
...
...
...
"AAAAAHHHHHH!"
It's a wanted poster for Luffy.
WANTED
Dead or Alive
"STRAWHAT" MONKEY D. LUFFY
B 30,000,000
Luffy actually looks happy, "Shishishishi! Looks like we're wanted men now! It says 30 million beli!" He keeps laughing.
Nami facepalms, "Once again, you splendidly fail to understand the gravity of your situation... Don't you realize this means your life is at risk? With a bounty, I'm sure the Navy, as well as other strong bounty hunters, will come after you."
Usopp also looks excited pointing at the picture, "Look! My picture's here for the whole world to see! I must be famous!"
Sanji just looks away, "As if. That's just the back of your head."
"Don't be jealous now! Once we become more infamous we might all get one!"
Nami sees something else stick out of her newspaper.
"Huh?" She takes it out and sees another poster, "AH! Usopp that might be closer than you think! Maxwell come take a look at this!"
"What, what?" He looks down at the paper, "...I can't read this. What's it say?"
WANTED
Dead or Alive
"MAGISTER" MAXWELL P. D. TREVELYAN
B 4,000,000
"Okay, now that's just being petty."
"Woah, Max. You're bounty's so low!" Luffy looks at the poster. "...And why do you have two letters in your name?"
"Nobility, remember?" Maxwell recites his whole name, "Maxwell Phillium Daylen Trevelyan of House Trevelyan."
"Wait, you're nobility!?" demands Sanji.
"Mmm... disinherited, and I don't think anyone would recognize my status here... Probably that cheesy marine, back at Cocoyasi, getting back at me from when I froze him." Maxwell looks closer at the poster as if trying to decipher it, "Curious why they chose 'magister' as my epithet though," Maxwell had some history with that word.
Anyways, the picture is a straight forward face shot of him back when they watched the marines leave Cocoyasi. His image showed himself with an eyebrow raised, and Winter circle array cutting into the frame, but it left enough room for his face to be shown.
Luffy slings an arm around Luffy, "Awesome! Now we're both wanted!" "So jealous...," mutters Usopp.
Nami looks away from the boys, "...With this we can't afford to just loiter around in the East Blue any longer."
Luffy, for once, actually listens, "Alright, men! Let's head straight for the Grand Line!"
"Aye-aye!" The three men call out.
Zoro grabs everyone's attention, "Hey, I see and island up ahead."
"You do...?" Nami looks at where he's pointing and recognizes it.
Everyone could see an island not to far away. Clearly it was inhabited, and Nami speaks up, "That island, is proof that we're close to the Grand Line! On that island, is the famous town call Loguetown. It's also known as 'The Town of the Beginning and the End.' It's the birthplace of the Pirate King Roger, as well as his execution spot."
Luffy looks at the island, "So that's the town that the King of the Pirates died..."
"Shall we go?"
"Whoa! What a big town!" Luffy pumps his fists.
People were everywhere in Loguetown. Second story buildings lined the place, with spires and bridges in the background. Shops were open, kids were playing, some venues even had outdoor service with a buildings propped overtop.
"So the Pirate Age all began from here, eh?" Everyone takes in the sight.
"Okay then! I'm going to see the execution stand!" says Luffy.
"Seems like I can get some good ingredients and food here," declares Sanji.
Usopp also wants to shop, "I'm going to go look for some equipment to buy."
Zoro strokes his chin, "I do have something I want to buy, but—"
"I'll happily lend you some money! At 300% interest that is," Nami looks at the swordsman.
"Easy there Nami," Maxwell chided. "I'm going to see if I can sell the rest of my gold. Then I plan to buy some writing supplies. Quills, parchment, and all that."
"Don't you mean pens and paper?" asks Nami.
"That too."
"See if you can grab any navigation supplies while your at it," suggests Nami. "You should be able to find all of that there."
"Sure thing. See you all back at the Merry!" So did they all separate and explore the town, each going after their own desires. Zoro for swords, Nami for clothes, Sanji for food, Usopp for bargains, and Luffy for the Execution stand. Maxwell had two places in mind.
At first he looked for a pawn shop. He doubted he could get a proper exchange rate for his money, but Maxwell figured he could at least get his money's weight in gold. His Great Aunt did teach him how to haggle. Suffice it to say, he made it out with a pretty beli.
He then stopped at a cartography shop. There he saw all manner of maps and supplies. No quills or parchment, but he bought plenty of paper, pens, drawing compasses, and two leather bound journals. One was for recording his finding on magic. The other, Maxwell figured he could start a log book. The crew needed someone to document their journey after all.
When the shopkeep asked if they were heading to the Grand Line, Maxwell had affirmed his suspicions. The man presented him with a special compass called a Log Pose. It was a small glass globe with a hanging compass needle inside, so it could move freely.
"Is such a thing really necessary?" Maxwell asked the shopkeeper.
"Oh yes! You see all the islands on the Grand Line all have a certain magnetic field that blocks out the natural poles regular compasses point too. This thing, is the only device that can lead you safely form island to island."
"Hmm...," Maxwell scratches his beard. "Sounds important,,. But for how much?"
"B 50,000."
"Grk!" Maxwell looks at the salesman, "Are you trying to rob me after everything I just bought? 5,000!"
"40,000." "10,000!" "35." "15." "30,000 and I'll throw in a sextant and chronometer." "Make it 25, and you got a deal."
The men shook hands on it, and the shopkeep wraps everything into a package.
"Have a nice day!"
Maxwell steps out of the shop and starts heading back the way he came. "I'm surprised I got everything I wanted," Maxwell looks down at the device on his wrist, "And I think Nami will be very happy to see this."
"Is that so?"
Maxwell spins around, he was in a dark alley. He was expecting thugs, but not this.
An Arcane Horror stood in the middle of the alley. Floating as spirits usually do.
Maxwell immediately drops his package and fires arcane bolts with his staff. The demon stands it's ground, either dodging or batting the spells away.
"Hey now," it swats another bolt away, "No need for that."
"How in Andraste's name are you even here!?" Maxwell fires an Energy Barrage.
The Horror ducks and weaves as the bolts come flying at it. "Well we're all exactly normal here, are we?"
Now that Maxwell notices there is something different about the demon. It still had the toga and grandiose sash over a long kilt covering it's legs. It even had the bellowing sleeve and elegant bracers. What it was missing though, were the cape like epaulets, the pointed hat with it's helmet like crown. Oh, and it was immaterial, pitch black, and didn't look like a mummified corpse.
"...What are you? I saw you in the Fade, so don't think I'll trust everything you say."
"Aw, Really? ...And this form had such a fascinating appearance too." The spirit suddenly shift into more of a wisp wraith, but still black in appearance, "Is this better?"
"What are you? Why are you following me?"
It floats like it was lounging on a hammock, "Well I'm a spirit obviously. As to why I'm following you, isn't it obvious?"
"...Possession!"
"What? Wait, nonono—" Maxwell starts attacking again, "—I only want—to—say—WILL YOU CALM DOWN FOR A SECOND!?"
Maxwell stops his attack but doesn't lower his staff.
"THANK YOU! Now... I don't need to possess you. Unless you haven't noticed, I'm already in the physical world!" the spirit points out.
"Then why seek me out!?" Maxwell demands. He knew demons would either try trick or assault mages when encountered.
"...Do you know how rare it is to see one of you in the Fade?" the spirit stresses it's point. "No spirit has ever seen any mortal in the Fade in over eight millennia! Of course a spirit would be curious!"
"800 years...? And no one, in this world, has been able to cast magic?"
It thinks for a moment, "...Well, none that can consciously enter the Fade," the spirit amends. "Point is, you're a rarity! And a lot of spirits might clamber for your attention!" The spirit then hangs it's head, "It can be some lonely...!"
It springs up though, and points at Maxwell, "But you...!" The spirit head begins to glow but fades away just as slowly, "You, I will be watching."
"...Why...?" Maxwell shifts his position, ready to attack but more lax.
"I'm... one of the more powerful spirits in the Fade. Well, for these parts—you're really from a different world—ack, back on track—You see I watch for certain individuals with a particular talent in this world... Me and some like minded friends enjoy watching their lives and their skills in action. You, particularly for me, are a distraction... One that I'll happily observe! Oh, and I think I'll change back into that last form. Man is it badass!" The spirit changes back into the form of a mock Arcane Horror.
"The Grand Line... Great place really. You'll find a spirit for every island. Not like YOUR classical spirits though, most of those are gone. You won't find many spirits outside of their islands. ...But do be careful, they reflect the island's nature and it's history. And you'll never know what they'll act upon..."
The Horror smiles as it disappears, "Safe journey..." leaving Maxwell alone in the alley.
"...Creepy..." Maxwell picks up his package, "Definitely something to watch out for... Especially if what it said was true," and walks off planing to head back to the Merry.
The mage emerges into what seems to be the town square. Nami, Zoro, Usopp and Sanji, the later two holding a weird giant fish, are all there too. So they meet up.
"...Everyone done their shopping?" Maxwell asks.
"Yep," replies Zoro. He looks around, "Anyone see Luffy?"
"He said he wanted to check out the execution stand," said Nami.
"Isn't the execution stand here in the town square?" Sanji points out
The crew all turns to look at the execution platform. Luffy is on top, but he's locked in the stocks.
"WHY THE HELL IS HE ON THE EXECUTION STAND!?"