Vivienne Tara, Kimagure Joka, and Swiss hit the town.
They went bar hopping around the different taverns on the Main Street and drank well into the early hours of the morning.
Vivienne Tara wore jeans and a crop top that slightly exposed her belly. Her brown hair wasn't tied in a ponytail tonight.
To Swiss, she looked like a skater girl. All night he called her the skater girl queen.
Kimagure Joka was relegated to purse holding duty.
The sight of his poker face as he stood on the dance floor holding Vivienne Tara's purse gave Swiss quite the laugh.
It was not until an hour before sunrise did the trio decide to pack it in.
They had decided to walk the side streets back to the Alexandria because 'why not'.
Perhaps this decision was fate.
Vivienne Tara was giggling as she held her arms out like she was an airplane and attempted to walk in a straight line.
Just as she was about to trip and fall, Swiss caught her.
"You should be careful, Tara-chan."
"Shut up! I'm not even drink!"
"Not even drink? Trololol."
It was at this moment that they heard a scream.
"Ahhhhh!"
The trio snapped their necks in the direction of the noise.
"That didn't sound good.." Swiss said.
"!"
Before Kimagure Joka and Swiss could react, Vivienne Tara took off in a full sprint.
"Tara-chan!"
"Hurry! We have to help!"
Swiss and Kimagure Joka glanced at each other before shrugging their shoulders and running after her.
Vivienne Tara turned into an ally and froze, covering her mouth in abhorred shock.
"What is it?" Swiss shouted from a distance.
When he and Kimagure Joka caught up to her and peered down the ally, they were met with a gruesome sight.
Down that ally, they saw a well-dressed figure mutilating a body with a knife.
"It's Richard Roe!" Vivienne Tara screamed.
Richard Roe turned his head, alerted by the sudden intrusion.
He was a funny-looking man with a small head and round, alien-looking eyes.
"Damn, he ugly!" Swiss hollered.
Kimagure Joka sprung into action. He dashed at Richard Roe with his small throwing knife.
"Huh? I guess we're throwing down!"
Upon saying this, Swiss sprung into action also. Charging at Richard Roe alongside Kimagure Joka.
"TROLOLOLOL!"
Swiss sloppily swung his cutlass at Richard Roe.
Richard Roe effortlessly dodged Swiss' drunken efforts. But he was too preoccupied with Swiss…
With cat-like quickness, Kimagure Joka slashed at Richard Roe with his small knife and managed to slice his cheek.
"!"
Richard Roe acrobatically jumped back and distanced himself from the duo.
He felt his face and inspected the blood on his hands, before turning around and sprinting.
"Nani? He's running away!"
Richard Roe was quick and nimble. He scaled the walls of the ally and jumped on the rooftops.
Before Kimagure Joka or Swiss could even bother following, Richard Roe had gotten away with his impressive parkour skills.
"Holy fuck! Look at the agility on that guy!" said Swiss with a tone of respect.
"…"
Kimagure Joka looked down at the knife in his hands. The blood of Richard Roe dripped to the ground.
"Oh my gosh! Are you guys okay?!" Vivienne Tara cried as she drunkenly activated her womanly nurturing mode.
"We're fine, but wtf was that all about?"
The trio then all looked at the dead body in the ally.
It was the mutilated body of a young woman. The expression on her face was one of horror. The way it contorted, you could tell the victim was in a lot of pain as she died.
"Damn, that's some nasty shit right there," Swiss said.
"I think I'm going to be sick!" Vivienne Tara added as she held down a gag reflex.
Kimagure Joka didn't say anything. He was deep in thought.
"Welp," Swiss yawned, "Let's report this to the authorities and head back. I'm beat."
"How can you be so casual!" Vivienne Tara was too grossed out to punch Swiss.
"…"
The trio told the authorities about what happened and returned to the Alexandria.
The next morning, another poster was plastered all over Jam Land.
And the news spread like wildfire; Richard Roe had struck again.
Swiss company were all sitting outside Gorgeous George's wagon.
Swiss had just finished telling the gang about what happened last night.
"That's crazy! So he just ran?" Raito's cheeks were slightly flushed.
It was early in the morning and Raito had already finished a bottle of sake.
Needless to say, he was not yet immune to the peer pressure of Swiss, poor bastard..
"Uh-huh! Joka was a madman. He charged at the guy without even thinking!"
"…"
Kimagure Joka was sitting with the gang this morning. He had taken to permanently wearing the black 'x' and 'o' on his cheeks now.
"And his appearance was unlike anything in the posters?" Jinzo asked.
"Yep! The guy looked legit, too. It wasn't like he had some kind of shitty mask on or anything." Swiss replied.
"Then the rumors must be true. It's a different Richard Roe each time." Jinzo said before calmly sipping on his tea.
"This is all interesting and all, but when are we finally going to leave this shit hole?"
Grit had been over Jam Land for a while now. He was eager to hit the road.
"How can you be so uncultured? We have to stay for the Royal Jam, duh!" Swiss chastised his companions lack of enthusiasm.
"Oh, I thought this was all about you getting with that girl," Jinzo remarked.
"I'm still working on that! But either way, I say we stay for the Royal Jam and then get the fuck out of here, agreed?"
Nobody had any objections to what Swiss outlined.
Well.. Grit did. But seeing how he was outnumbered, he decided to hold his tongue and endure it.
The mood in the troupes camp was tense in the week leading up to the Royal Jam.
Everyone had taken to practicing in secret for fear of Kimagure Joka copying their tricks.
They could only imagine the dejection Furio felt after witnessing Kimagure Joka so casually copy his act.
As such, the once connected unit of Hugh Antonio's troupe was missing its mojo.
It no longer felt like a family that had climbed its way from nothing all the way up to an invite to the Royal Jam.
Now, they were more like a collection of individuals, each out for their own gain.
Hugh Antonio was sitting at a table in the troupe's camp, pondering the shift in morale.
'Just bear with it' Hugh Antonio thought, 'Until after the Royal Jam'.
He took off his round spectacles and massaged the bridge of his nose.
"Tomorrow night is the one, my dear Tara. The night I finally unveil my trick."
Vivienne Tara spurred in her chair, "You're finally showing the world your trick?!"
"That's right, my magnum opus. The trick that everyone will remember me by; The Revived Man."
"Why did it take until now for you to want to show it?" Vivienne Tara asked.
"I didn't want to unveil my masterpiece until the opportune moment. What better moment than on the Main Stage at the Royal Jam? I'll get a standing ovation from James Shelby himself and my name will be immortalized forever. Ho!"
Vivienne Tara chuckled innocently, "Hehe, I'm sure you will, master."
At the docks of Jam Land, a clean-shaved businessman with defined cheekbones lit a cigarette with his gold Zippo lighter.
He wore a black newsboy cap which complimented his black suit and overcoat.
The white shirt he wore underneath was made from the finest silk. The chain from his gold pocket watch dangled from his vest and glistened in the sunlight.
He took a puff of his cigarette and peered out at the ocean.
Then came the fleet of ships he was waiting for.
"Mr. Shelby, sir. They're here."
"Mmm."
James Shelby threw his cigarette on the ground and stomped it out with his polished business shoes.
Behind him was a gang of men wearing the same outfit. The black newsboy cap was a trademark of the Shelby clan since ancient times.
A large armada of ships sailed into port, with one massive ship easily the same size as Big Mam's at its head.
Flapping in the wind on these ships was the world government flag.
Off the ship and walking down the dock toward James Shelby was a peculiar entourage.
Riding on top of human slaves wearing collars like dogs were two individuals wearing space-men outfits.
Accompanying them were bodyguards in black suits wearing sunglasses. They had stern neutral expressions on their faces.
It was Saint Lauren and Saint Lazlo; celestial dragons in town for the Royal Jam.
"Welcome to Jam Land. It is an honor to host you both this year, Saint Lauren, Saint Lazlo." James Shelby greeted his VIPs.
Saint Lazlo was an ugly-looking dweeb with buck teeth. He skipped past the greetings and asked,
"Where is that damned Admiral? He should be here to escort us."
"Admiral Strife arrived last week. He's sleeping at the palace. But I assure you, nobody is safer in Jam Land than those who walk with me. Come, I'm sure you are tired from your long journey."
"I want to go shopping!" Saint Lauren asserted. She was a chubby girl with blond hair that had two big curls.
"That can be arranged." James Shelby placated the celestial dragon.
"Let's go shopping later my love." Saint Lazlo reasoned.
Saint Lauren pouted, "Hmph!"
James Shelby checked the time on his pocket watch. Even celestial dragons had to work around his busy schedule.
"Come." He said, leading the way.
As he briskly passed by his men, he whispered something, and his men had to hold themselves back from laughing.
"Disgusting cunts."
They made their way to the Shelby estate.
A palace high on a hill overlooking Jam Land.