breath20k

That's right. Crystal Star #5 coming up.

LiamTheYoshi

The Mario Bros don't know TEC yet, but they will meet him eventually.

mariobroultimate

I changed Mario and Vivian's relationship because per Vivian's backstory, she never got to know her parents well. We'll get to know more about Grodus's backstory soon.

Nataly Guardado

I'm absolutely sure the probability of the world being saved is 100%.

Chapter 34: The Key to Pirates

It's 8:05 AM on July 25, 2004. Just earlier, the Mario Bros and Vivian woke up to begin Day 3 of their journey to get the seven Crystal Stars.

For today, Mario wore his red cap, but had on a hazel-colored shirt and shoes along with tan-colored gloves and red overalls. Luigi's outfit was similar, but his cap and overalls were green. Both Bros essentially resembled their appearances from the NES version of Super Mario Bros.

While the three walked downstairs to the lobby for breakfast, they kept asking themselves the same questions, "What will be down at Keelhaul Key?" "How will we get to the island?"

They would soon discover the answers, for sure.

For breakfast, Mario had peaches and cream oatmeal with a couple bacon strips, Luigi had an omelet with red bell peppers and Colby Jack cheese, and Vivian had a ham steak with two sunny-side-up eggs.

"So, Professor Frankly mentioned somebody at the dock who knows about Keelhaul Key, right?" Luigi asked.

"He did. I just hope he doesn't trick us and take us somewhere else. Like, what if this person is working for the X-Nauts?" Mario said.

"That's true. But there's always a-"

Luigi stopped himself, barely hearing someone singing a sea shanty on the other side of the sports bar.

"Who's singing down there?" Mario wondered. He led Luigi and Vivian toward a purple-haired person wearing a red coat with white cufflinks, green pants, black boots, and a red pirate's hat with a white feather stuck in it. On the table he sat at was a ruby skull gem.

"Excuse me?" Mario said, immediately getting the person's attention.

"Hey! What do you want, ah?"

"Uh... We just heard you singing and wanted to know what you were singing about."

"Who are you, sir?" Vivian asked.

"Me? I am called Flavio, the richest trader in Rogueport," Flavio introduced himself. "Monetary wealth gives me freedom, yes, and freedom gives me wealth of spirit! And yet...why is it that a man whose life is unchained must always long for yet more, ah? What is missing from my life? This tears at my very insides! I must know! What do I lack?"

"Well, I've met a few wealthy people, and they sounded excited at how much they have in their savings," Mario answered. "But in the case of you, you sound like you need... Uh... What's that word?"

Luigi figured out what Mario meant and whispered in his ear.

"Oh! That's it. Thrills," Mario said. "You need them, apparently."

"Hmm... I suppose one does need some thrills every now and then... There is nothing like the feeling of being alone on a mountain, shivering to death..." Suddenly, Flavio realized he said the wrong thing. "AH! NO! FOOLISH FLAVIO! Not chills, you silly man! What I need are thrills!"

Mario silently snickered at Flavio ranting to himself.

"Wait! Hold the horses!" Flavio exclaimed, having thought of something else. "That is it!"

"What is 'it'?" Luigi asked.

"Now that I am thinking of it, I once heard of the treasure of Cortez, the pirate king... Yes! This is the answer! Oh, such happiness for me! A hunt for pirate treasure! Why, that just shrieks of rrrromance and thrills and emotion and even money!"

Kinda reminds me of that Spanish explorer back then, Mario thought to himself, referring to Hernán Cortés, which he learned in his high school history class.

"Are you talking about this island called Keelhaul Key?" Vivian questioned. "That's a place where you could find pirate treasure."

"Well, then. Lemme tell you about the tale," Flavio began. "Rumor has it that the pirate king, Cortez, hid his hoard of pirate booty there. For years, treasure hunters and ruffians have gone there in search of the loot... But not a single one of them has ever returned! Oh, the horror makes my back tingle! People here whisper that the ghost of Cortez attacks all who seek his treasure... Eek! It is because of those very rumors that people no longer go to Keelhaul Key."

Flavio looked at the skull gem for a brief moment.

"But that will not stop Flavio! That treasure is there, yes! And I am going to prove it, for I am Flavio! Trader extraordinaire, millionaire, sailor of the seven seas!"

"Wow. You really are thrilled to go to the island," Mario remarked. "Speaking of which, we're looking for treasure in this town too."

"Why talk such craziness?" Flavio asked. "There isn't anything like that in this dull armpit of a town. You cannot be believing each stupid rumor about treasure some street urchin spews out. No way, José!"

"That's not true! This isn't craziness! I swear!" Mario protested.

"Exactly!" Vivian agreed. "How about this: Mario wants to show you something special."

Mario took out the Magical Map and gave it to Flavio.

"So, this is a treasure map you gave me?" Flavio asked.

"It is," Mario replied. "Do you believe us now?"

Flavio studied the map closely, noticing Keelhaul Key on the bottom center.

"You are having a joke on me. This map leads straight to Keelhaul Key!" Flavio yelled. "You uncultured swine! You mean to steal my treasure out from under me, you awful, awful man!"

"Flavio, lower your voice," Luigi pointed out. "People are looking at you."

Flavio looked to see most of the customers staring at him.

"What are you looking at, you hockey pucks? Something wrong with me?"

"Just don't worry about those guys," Mario said, prompting Flavio to turn to him. "Let's talk more about the treasure."

"We're looking for the Crystal Stars, which we found four so far," Luigi explained. "And one of them might be at the island."

"Hmm... Now that you said that..." Flavio thought out loud. "A star-shaped stone was said to be in Cortez's hoard... Perhaps I could sell it for a staggering amount of cash? Yes, that would be... ...Ah! Stop such thoughts, Flavio! What you need is romance, thrills, and emotion. I cannot ignore what this business before me suggests... This must be fate at work! Flavio shall go with you to Keelhaul Key! Of course, the Crystal Star is yours! Yes! But the rest of the treasure is mine!"

"But we don't have a ship," Mario said. "It's been gone for three days already."

"Huh? You must repeat that. Flavio's ears are plugged. You have no ship?"

"Dude, our ship's literally at the other end of the ocean, and even if we-"

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Flavio interrupted Mario by laughing heartily.

I wasn't done yet! Mario said to himself, frowning at Flavio.

"You unfortunate, foolish man! Do you not know who I am? I will have a ship ready in no time! And it will be massive! And glorious!"

"I figured you'd say that," Luigi said while Mario took back the Magical Map.

"Splendid, splendid, splendid! Let us begin preparations immediately, shall we?" Flavio suggested. "I will volunteer myself as our intrepid leader! Yes! And you, Mario..." Flavio pointed at Mario. "...you will be captain!"

"Uh, I'll pass," Mario butted in. "Luigi deserves being the captain. I'll be his first mate."

"Thank you, bro," Luigi thanked Mario with a smile.

"Then it shall be!" Flavio exclaimed. "Ah! Danger and adventure tickle my nostrils! Come to the harbor right away!"

Flavio immediately left the Inn with Mario and Co. following him. Upon arriving at the Rogueport Harbor, they approached a large pirate ship with Flavio's face on the main sail.

"Thanks for not making us waste 19 hours just to get our ship to the harbor," Mario thanked Flavio. "I tried to tell you that at the bar."

"Well, feast your eyes on this outrageously fantastic ship! She is a fine vessel, no?" Flavio asked, showcasing the ship's exterior. "I call it the SS Flavion. The queen of the countless ships in my personal fleet! The raw majesty of her hull! The pomp and circumstance! None can compare to her."

Flavio led the Mario Bros and Vivian aboard the SS Flavion. Standing on the deck were three Toads and a purple Bob-omb wearing an eyepatch with a yellow and white head bandana.

"Ah! Behold the elegant curve of her prow! She cuts to the very soul! Don't you agree? But she is not just a beauty... She is a savage beast on the water, tops among sailboats! But above all, I tell you, this proud ship can-" Flavio stopped himself, having realized something. "Wait a minute."

"Are you okay, Flavio?" Vivian questioned.

"A problem just sprung up," Flavio said. "Sadly, we...have no navigator. He ran off, the dog. The navigator, of course, is the highest-ranked helmsman. They steer ships, you know. Now, here is the real problem. The waters around Keelhaul Key are deathly dangerous. We need an absurdly skilled helmsman for our navigator. It really is a pickle if you think about it."

"Oy, Flavio!" the Bob-omb spoke up with a pirate accent. "Heard you talkin' there, sir! If you don't mind me sayin'... I might 'ave a solution..."

"Do not tease me, Pa-Patch! You can solve our problem? Then spit it out, already!" Flavio ordered Pa-Patch.

"Well, sir, I've 'eard talk of a famed... No! A legendary sailor livin' in Rogueport. Yeah, I think he's called Admiral Bobbery... A salty sea dog, by all accounts..." Pa-Patch explained. "But...he's said to 'ave the Helmsman's Touch, sir: he can make any ship bow to his will. Thing is, there ain't a soul wot's seen him on the seas of late..."

"Bassa-boom! Problem solved! Let us scout out this Bobbery fellow and get him on board!" Flavio turned to Mario, Luigi, and Vivian. "As is customary, my captain will handle all negotiations. That...would be you, Luigi. Does that sound fair to everyone?"

"Yeah." "Sure," Mario and Vivian answered.

"Fair enough," Luigi added in.

"Then it is decided. You must find this Bobbery and bring him here. Our fortune sails with you! Rest assured, we'll be waiting here until then. We're not leaving without you."

"Thank you, Flavio," Mario thanked Flavio. With that, Luigi disembarked the SS Flavion with Mario and Vivian following him.

"Where would Admiral Bobbery be?" Mario wondered. "Could he be on the far end of Rogueport?"

The group started to the east and stopped at a stack of crates next to a building. They climbed the crates onto the roof and hopped over a gap to the next building in front. There was a chimney to their right.

"In case there's anybody down there, don't just jump down," Mario instructed Luigi and Vivian. "We're gonna straddle down slowly, okay?"

Mario climbed into the chimney and slowly slid downward. Luigi and Vivian followed suit.

By the time everyone reached the bottom, they noticed a dark brown Bob-omb with a bushy white mustache and a white and blue captain's cap sitting alone at a wood table. A ship's wheel served as his wind-up key.

That must be him, Mario thought. He approached the Bob-omb. "Excuse me, sir?"

The Bob-omb turned to the Mario Bros and Vivian. "What do you blokes want?"

"Do you know where Admiral Bobbery is?" Mario asked.

The Bob-omb thought it over. "Never heard of that gent. Take your search elsewhere." He unlocked the door leading out of his residence. "Now, away with you!"

"Yes, sir. Thanks for your time," Mario responded. As the three headed back to the SS Flavion, he started to believe the Bob-omb was Admiral Bobbery.

"Could that have been Admiral Bobbery?" Mario questioned. "He looked like an admiral to me."

"Maybe. Maybe not," Luigi answered. "Let's tell Flavio first."