Chapter Six
Snails and Swine are Fine, but Baths are Better
(No Warnings)
"What are you wrapping your hands for? You didn't for the raid." Mays eyed Renna curiously from where he laid atop the helm, head dangling off the edge upside down.
"I always should," she remarked as she finished fastening one wrap and moved on to the next. "But I didn't have much time before the raid. Wrapping protects my carpals and metacarpals from potentially breaking upon impact. If I do not have time to do so, I can simply fight relying more heavily on my legs and sturdier joints."
"Uh-huh..."
It was something Renna had learned from an early age—how to properly fight so she didn't irreplaceably damage her own body in the process. She fastened the end of her second wrap, then curled and flexed her fingers experimentally, punching her fist into her palm. It felt good and supportive, neither too tight nor too loose. She stood and began jumping quickly back and forth, giving her arms several experimental swings. It wasn't a complete warm-up as she would prefer, but she doubted she would have to go full out, so she could treat it as if the spar was a warm-up itself.
"Alright boys, I'm ready."
"Hell yeah!" Mays rolled backwards from the helm and landed in a squat over Beck, who sat leaning against the helm on the deck.
"Any rules?" Beck asked.
"Anything goes. Win by pin or submission?" They nodded their agreement.
"Can we do one on one?" Renna nodded and got into her ready position.
Beck pulled a coin from his pocket and flipped into the air calling, "Heads!" Instead of catching it though, he let it fall to the deck. Mays punched the air triumphantly and squared up with her first, while Beck retrieved his coin and retreated to the upper deck.
On the upper deck, nearly the whole crew was gathered to watch them, including Captain Kid and Killer. Overall, the crew seemed to agree it would be entertaining to watch no matter the outcome. A few had their biases for bets they had placed, though. Renna didn't care if they gambled or not, this was simply another way to keep herself sharp. Placing herself against a variety of opponents ensured she never got foolishly comfortable in her abilities, always looking for and strengthening her weaknesses.
"Kick her ass!" Rascal cheered.
"Wipe the floor with 'im, doc!" Mikio yelled in an attempt to drown out Rascal.
Bolt seemingly maintained an air of strict professionalism as he handled the bets, but Renna had her doubts. With the way he and Mikio were like two peas in a pod, she had a feeling whomever Mikio rooted for would also have his full (indifferent) support.
Beck raised his arm, "Ready… Fight!"
Mays closed in quickly, testing her reactions with some test swings. Renna moved with him, evading and blocking his punches, but keeping him close, despite his longer reach.
She noticed he was slow to put up his guard after his right swing. Mays threw a right hook and she kicked him in the ribs, then swung her leg higher to kick him in the head. His arm barely caught her second kick, but he stumbled from the power behind it.
Renna swung at him, right— left— and moved as if to hit him with her right again, then dropped and swept his legs from under him. She was on top of him the instant he hit the deck, wrapping her legs around his shoulder and head until he was completely immobilized.
"One— Two— Three— Four— Five! Match goes to the doc!" Beck announced. The crew wasn't one to hold back their enthusiasm, (or their disappointment; Rascal wailed dramatically and flung his torso across the railing in lament.)
Renna released Mays and helped him up. He rubbed his neck and shoulders and groaned heavily.
"Fuck, you're a quick little thing, aren't ya."
"Yes, I am." She smirked.
Beck and Mays clasped hands as they passed, and Beck took Mays' place across from Renna. He tensed up; he planned to attack before she had her guard up. Unfortunately for him, it was always up.
He dove for her feet before anyone could call the start of the match, intending to immobilize her legs. Renna kicked him on his way down, taking care to kick him in the shoulder rather than his face. She didn't want to fix a broken nose today.
Beck managed to roll away and sprung up before Renna could pin him to the deck. She advanced on him mercilessly, striking quickly and forcing him to retreat. He was going to attempt to kick her—an excellent idea considering how much height he had on her, though ultimately futile.
Renna turned with him and caught his leg, then using his own momentum against him, threw him across the deck into the wall beneath the crew. He sat there stunned for a moment too long, then shook his head in defeat. Renna offered a hand to Beck. He accepted it and she helped him rise. She subtly checked his eyes and watched his gait as she helped him, looking for signs of a concussion. He seemed to do alright and didn't notice her watching him more intently than usual.
"I think you both would stand a better chance if you utilized your usual form of fighting." Mays gave her a hopeful look from the stairs.
"You mean…"
"I said no rules." Renna spread her arms open. Mays grinned broadly, pointy teeth on full display. He looked to the upper deck, and not a second later, a bat flew over the railing and straight to his hand. Another display of Kid's abilities. The nails jutting from the bat shone dully in the sunlight. Now, this would be a challenge.
Mays approached her slowly and she moved with him, careful to not let him get too close. He already had a further reach than she did, and now that he carried that bat, it added another meter to his reach. He was waiting to see what she, the hand-to-hand combatant, would do now. But it wasn't her first time going up against someone with a melee weapon. She could handle this just fine.
She faked jumping in—Mays eagerly leapt forward to meet her. Renna crouched down and kicked the bat just below where the nails ended. Mays managed to keep a hold of his weapon but ridding him of his weapon was not Renna's intention. With the bat out of her way, she took a hold of his wrist and dragged him around as if he were an inexperienced dancer. Once she led him over her outstretched leg to set him off balance—a second time the other way—a slight twist with a nudge in the back of the knee to start the momentum—and then with a final pull, she threw him onto the deck.
Mays gasped; his harsh landing having knocked the wind out of him. The crew whooped and hollered raucously. Renna helped him up and held on to him while they waited for his breathe to return to him.
Someone—Killer, her haki whispered—approached the pair, the heels of his boots clicking lightly against the deck, and stopped a short distance away. She looked him up and down; from his posture, his intent…
"You want a go?" He nodded. She glanced over to Beck, to make sure he didn't want another round, but he waved her off, content to let Killer spar with her. "Alright. Do you want to go hand to hand, or do you want to use those fancy blades of yours?"
"I don't need to use my Punishers for you."
"Punishers?" Renna raised an eyebrow at him. That was quite a name for such lethal weapons. She wondered the meanings the name could hold, but Killer seemed content to remain ominously silent. The crew hurried to place bets on the new lineup before they began.
Renna shifted her attention fully to Killer, increasing the intensity of her haki. The world around her melted into the background, yet every note increased in clarity. Every word and breath, every muscle twitch, the twist of the wind in the sails, the thrum of the sea on the hull, the creak of the planks beneath them, she felt it all deep within her. Renna let out a long deep breath as she considered the man before her. Killer moved very differently from the twins. From what she had seen, his fighting style was much more akin to hers: quick acrobatics with bursts of power in the attacks. She wanted to be on full alert when he struck.
Nigh simultaneously, they started circling each other. Slowly and meticulously, they sized each other up. Killer had absolutely no intention of making the first move. He wanted her to attack first. And she was okay with that. She almost preferred it.
Renna broke the circling and leapt at Killer. He sprung backward; part of him was stunned yet impressed with how quickly she struck. Renna closed the small bit of distance he created and began her barrage of kicks and strikes.
Killer might have been long and lanky, but he did not lack strength or power. She had gone toe to toe with some powerful opponents, but Killer was right there with the best of them. Each attack was extremely calculated and precise. He read her well too, nearly slipped under her guard twice too with his speed alone. And then Killer surprised her by changing his mind midmotion and caught her fist, just as he had days before.
Killer held her hand fast and stepped in for a cross. Renna deflected the worst of the blow with her free hand and while he was close, snapped her leg up and kicked him in the head.
Metal rang as her foot connected with his helmet and jaw. Once again, he was surprised, but he never let his emotions get the better of him. She planted her foot against his chest and shoved him back to create some space for herself to work with.
Despite his disorientation, he kept a hand on her fist. Renna wrapped her free arm around his back, grabbing his shirt in a tight fist. She instinctually stepped in and lifted her hips, so his body was flush against her back—then in one fluid motion threw him over her shoulder onto the deck.
Renna wrapped her legs around Killer's arm and across his chest and locked her feet together, effectively trapping his arm between her legs, and dropped on her back to the ground, putting pressure on his elbow. He grunted but gave no other outward indication of discomfort at the painful lock.
"One—"
Killer tried to roll over one way, then the other, but couldn't get any leverage against her. Renna sat up a little and rocked right back down, keeping her hold on his arm tight.
"Two—"
The crew yelled earnestly, rooting for Killer. Captain Kid's voice rang out the loudest, yelling advice and encouragement for his first mate. What would they do if she beat him?
"Three—"
In that split second of distraction, Killer managed to get a footing and got above her, pressing her legs into her chest, struggling to free his arm. She used one leg to catch his neck and push him away, then locked her feet together again and bent backward, increasing the amount of pressure on his elbow. Killer strained against her, fighting his pain and discomfort in order to save his pride.
A beat. Two beats.
"I see the island!" Killer tapped her leg in submission right as someone called out. Renna released her grip on Killer, and they rolled away from each other.
"Wait! Who won?" Killer ignored the question and started giving orders to prep the ship to anchor. The whole crew grumbled and complained loudly at the anti-climactic ending, but they quickly dispersed to prepare to make land.
Renna watched Killer carefully. Killer didn't massage his elbow, but she noticed how he held it slightly bent. She might have pulled too hard since he refused to submit. She could tell it throbbed and stung, but she doubted it wasn't anything a couple of days of babying it wouldn't fix. Finished checking him, she let her haki subside to her normal levels once again.
Renna walked up to Killer and gave him a short bow. "Thank you for the spar. It was a pleasure." She turned to Mays and Beck in turn and bowed to them as well. They smiled and saluted her in return. Renna slipped quietly below deck to gather her belongings. She felt very grimy after tussling with the men on the deck, but she figured she could wait until she was in the city to clean up.
She counted her money once again for good measure—she certainly did not trust the pirates with her money, especially not Mays and Beck—and repacked it in her bag. She removed her hand wraps and put them away, then put her boots on and laced them up tight, determined not to lose another pair of shoes. After one final glance, Renna left the infirmary. (She couldn't say she was sorry to say goodbye to the dingy room.)
Above deck, Renna sought Killer out again. She smiled at the sea birds that sang overhead. It was always her favorite part of a journey, seeing the birds again, it was such a beautiful promise of land nearby.
"Oi, Doc, Salkhad's with the World Government, ain't it?" Tsuneo called to her from the railing. He was examining the shoreline with his spyglass. "I don't see any marine ships in that main harbor. Or flags."
Renna hummed. "There are two bases within a few days' sail of here. They never felt the need to build another base on the island. I wouldn't know why there aren't any ships in port… Unless the raid we pulled against the base was enough to pull in extra support from the surrounding areas." Tsuneo nodded.
Renna sensed Killer before she saw him and called out to him. He waited for her, and she approached him on the upper deck. She offered him a folded piece of paper, which he accepted and read.
"A list of medicines and ointments you need to restock on," She explained. "I took the liberty of cleaning and organizing your… infirmary. Some of these you are low in stock on, some just need to be replaced entirely. I realize you likely keep stock, I just wanted to make doubly sure nothing slipped your notice. Not the kind of thing you want to be surprised about at sea."
Killer read it carefully, then nodded and tucked the note into his pocket.
"Killer-san!" Tsuneo called for the first mate and Renna stepped back, letting them get to their duties. The crew worked together flawlessly to bring the ship into a small harbor just east of the main port. She understood their reasoning for not staying in the main port, though she couldn't say she was looking forward to the long walk ahead of her. When they were close enough to the shore, Renna approached the railing.
"See you around." Renna turned; Heat nodded her direction, hands full of rope as he furled the sail.
"Perhaps." She leapt from the deck to the shore. Renna highly doubted she would see the Kid Pirates again. The Grandline was a big place, dangerous for anyone, if not more so for rookie pirates. If they could stand up to the challenges the Grandline and its occupants threw at them, then perhaps she would see them again. Just, perhaps.
Renna lazily cursed the sun beating heavily on her back. It had been a very long, very dusty walk from the Victoria Punk into Akari, Salkhad's capital. Even on the outskirts of the city, people and animals of every shape and size crowded the streets. She had heard a rumor once that the city was home to approximately sixty million people. Of course, the official census only put that number at forty-five million, but the government just didn't care about some people. They might claim otherwise, however, their actions spoke far louder to Renna.
The locals were busy decorating the streets and buildings. Vibrant fabrics were strung between buildings, wind chimes made from crystal or glass hung everywhere, catching the sunlight, and casting beautiful lights all around. On nearly every other street corner, she found groups of people singing and dancing in the Salk fashion, loudly and joyously with drums and flutes and stringed instruments. She even saw someone playing music on teacups filled with varying levels of water. If Renna remembered correctly, the famous week-long festival began at dawn overmorrow, but that clearly did not stop anyone from getting into the festive spirit early.
Of course, the festivities brought in extra visitors. More people meant more sweaty, sticky bodies, which also meant more people needed lodging and a bath. Renna desperately wanted to find somewhere to stay and clean up before all the nice inns were full, however, she could not do that until she had rid herself of most of her money. It was dangerous and simply stupid to walk around with so many Beris on her person. To safely get rid of it, she would need to stop at a bank, but even before that, a rout station.
She asked the women at the stall on the corner for directions—two lefts and a right at the fountain—and found it tucked between an apothecary and a postal office.
The moment Renna stepped inside, she could tell this was one of the better-maintained rout stations she had ever visited. The smell of damp soil hit her as soon as she stepped in the door. Wooden blinds and gauzy curtains diffused the harsh sunlight, taking the temperature down several degrees from outside. Large terrariums lined the walls where Den Den Mushi in every size and color lazed about, munching on leaves, or sleeping in piles. Plants hung from the ceiling and covered nearly every available surface in the shop. Even the floor was covered in a dense layer of foliage. The only surface not covered in plants was a spot on the main desk just large enough for the shopkeeper's record book. The shopkeeper herself even had a pile of leaves on her head, though Renna couldn't tell if it was intentional or not.
"What service might I provide for ya today?" The lady spoke with a slow drawl and pressed her heart-shaped sunglasses back up her nose.
"One call out."
"That will be seven-hundred Beri. Calls longer than fifteen minutes are an additional two-hundred Beri every five minutes."
Handing her the initial payment, Renna followed her to a wall lined with curtains and yet more hanging plants. The lady showed her into a small booth behind a curtain. Inside the booth were a stool and a table with a pink and peach Den Den Mushi perched atop it, lazily munching on a leaf.
"Break time's over, Ferdinand!" The lady cooed to the transponder snail before departing. Ferdinand chewed its leaf a little faster.
Renna settled on the stool and dug her notebook out of her bag, flipping through the well-worn pages until she found the number she was looking for. She dialed the number and stared intently at the Den Den Mushi as it made its connection.
Purururu… Purururu… Purururu… Purururu… Gacha—
A stiff, tired voice picked up the line. "Fukuda Vestiga's office."
Renna straightened up in her chair. "I am making an installment to casefile 9X-473. Requesting current transfer number."
"Please hold." The Den Den Mushi's eyes went unfocused, transmitting sounds of papers rustling and pens scratching. The sound of something heavy dropping. The transponder snail perked up again.
"Transfer number is as follows: 745–35–212–9358," Renna repeated the number back to him as she scratched the numbers down. "Amount to expect?"
"Fourteen million Beri."
"You may call for confirmation of your payment in twenty-four hours."
"I will."
Gacha—
Now to drop by the bank. Out in the lobby, the shopkeeper was feeding another transponder snail a carrot she held between her teeth.
"Who's a good snail? Take the carrot!" The snail decided her strawberry-shaped earrings looked tastier and started gnawing on them instead.
A young boy burst into the room; their sunglasses and green dreadlocks matched the shopkeepers perfectly, and they seemed to share the same sense of style. Related, no doubt, though Renna wasn't about to make any assumptions how.
"I told ya, don't feed them outta your mouth! It's unprofessional!" He attempted to steal the snail away, but the shopkeeper slapped his hands away.
"It builds friendliness and better bonds; you don't want an unfriendly snail—"
The boy planted his fists on his hips. "They need to be professional and know when it's workin' time or recreational time—"
"I train the snails to know that difference, Nez," she snapped, "and right now—"
"Apologies for the interruption. May I ask for directions to the nearest World Bank," Renna leapt in before it would get too awkward. She did not want to bear witness to their entire argument regarding snail training.
The shopkeeper straightened up, Den Den Mushi now hanging from her earring as it chewed determinedly on her earring.
"First, go past the pig fountain, turn at the shiny shop, then–"
"She'll never get there with those directions." Nez sighed. "I'm goin' that way. I can show ya the way."
"No, y'ain't," the lady scowled. "Not with those folk that've been sniffing around the Stone Gardens as of late."
"You're being wunky, I'm—"
"Begging t' be abducted, or killed, or—"
"I'll be careful, Zō, always am," he promised. "I'll take the long way home too, just t' be sure. And if things start looking dicey, I'll go to the temple."
Zō narrowed her eyes at him, a thousand variations of concern crossing her face, then nodded with a heavy sigh. "If y'ain't home before sundown I will feed ya t' Big Ben."
"Heh, he's too picky. He'd never eat me!"
A playful look crossed Zō's face, though Renna heard the strained notes of concern behind the smile. "We won't know 'til we try."
"Come on, lady." Nez grabbed a green bag from under the desk and rushed to the door. "See ya later!"
"Bye, Nez."
Nez led her out of the shop into a bustling market district. He walked with a peculiar wobbly bounce, nigh dancing through the throngs of people crowding the streets. He moved quickly but kept glancing over his shoulder to make sure he hadn't lost Renna.
"Like an excited puppy," she muttered to herself when she saw him nearly bump into a carriage then excitedly greet the oxen pulling it. She could practically see a little puppy dog tail waggling excitedly back and forth as he waved to the driver.
The crowded buildings soon opened into a large plaza, currently in the process of being decorated for the festivities. Renna frowned and looked around. Where had that kid run off to? She scanned the crowd for his distinct green locks, but she could not spot him. Renna was hesitant to use her haki over a larger range in such a crowded place; the intensity of emotions from such a large group of people could be very overwhelming for her. Something else caught her eye though: a fountain in the center of the square with a tall central spout. She walked closer to inspect it, keeping an eye out for Nez as she walked. As she got closer, she realized what the statue was, and huffed lightly through her nose in amusement.
So, this was the pig fountain. The central spout was a grey and white stone, with pigs carved into its surface. The pigs were all running and frolicking in a tight vortex, flinging silks and food until they reached a cornucopia at the top of the fountain where the water sprung out.
Goosebumps shot across Renna's skin, a strong wave of malintent crossed her attention. She lowered herself, ready to fight or run, and slowly turned, looking and listening for the perpetrator. They were somewhere to the left, in the thickest part of the crowd.
"There ya are! You sure're good at wandering off, lady." Nez appeared next to her. "So, ya found the pig fountain."
"Indeed." Renna reached out, but the malicious presence had already faded. She took a breath to relax but kept her guard up. "Apologies. I'll do better to keep up this time."
"S 'okay. My favorite is that one. Named her Suzy." He pointed out a pig close to the bottom of the fountain. One pig sat on Suzy's face and another on her back while she bit the leg of the pig in front of her. Renna nodded slowly. The boy pounded his fist to the center of his chest and bowed to Suzy and marched off once again.
Ten minutes later, Nez proudly presented the bank complete with a triumphant "Ta-da!", as if he were the one who built it with his own two hands. But it seems he was right. With the directions his sister attempted to give her, she probably would have gotten lost.
"Thank you for your time. You saved me much of my own." Renna passed him a couple of beris. "Mind your sister now. There's some dastardly folk about." She still could not shake the feeling the person with the malicious intent was gone, even though she could no longer sense them.
He rolled his eyes but nodded. "She worries a lot, but I know there's some nasty blokes, 'specially this time o' year."
"Vigilance pays off. Before you go," Renna stopped him. "I need somewhere to stay tonight. Preferably somewhere out of the way, but where I can still sleep soundly."
Nez sucked both his lips and furrowed his brow as he thought.
"You can try the Honeyed Urn. Southside, right next t' Winsom Square Gardens."
"Safe roads." Renna watched until he disappeared. As soon as he was out of sight, she headed inside.