The day after the mess on Gecko Island, the Marines of Navy Base 77 were called to form up in the outer yard. Conomi Town had seen Puding's less than noble return, cradled in the arms of his soldiers as he was carted up to the base for medical attention. Even though it was just a punch, he had been knocked out all night, and he called his men at attention to hear what had happened at about 7:42 the next morning. They could tell from the flush on his face as he addressed them that morning that he knew exactly what had happened.
And though his Marines lied to his face, telling him how he fought bravely, their lies for their commander's prowess were more hollow than ever before. They had seen the true scale of their commodore's powers, and it had been a kid in a straw hat that had taken him out in one punch. Yet at the least, his Marines were able to tell Commodore Puding one thing: "Sir! It was a boy in a straw hat that did you in, sir! Or, rather, beat you senseless. Sorry, sir," said Puding's executive officer blandly. He barely even looked Puding in the eye.
"Come with me, Captain!" he said, and stormed out of the yard, letting his men assume their leave at their own will as he made his way to his office. He didn't say a word the whole way there, but once they had finished the long trek from the yard to the top floor, he opened the door for the captain, slammed it shut, and grabbed a pad and pen from his desk drawer. "You're a good artist, aren't you Arrancar? You saw Straw Hat! Draw a picture of him!"
As he grabbed the Den Den Mushi mainline to Marineford Navy Headquarters, he relived the humiliation of that day. He had Buggy the Clown in his grasp! With the full force of his men behind him! And that runt, who had raised flag in his port, had ruined everything. "Where could these pirates even be now?" he grumbled as he waited for the line to ring.
Captain Arrancar looked up hesitantly from his drawing. "Well, sir . . . actually . . ."
"Out with it," Puding said, hoping he wouldn't have to rage at Arrancar for interrupting his call should HQ pick up now.
"Buggy the Clown and his crew have been captured . . . by Captain Smoker," he said, and went back to his sketch.
Puding gritted his teeth. The White Fang again. All glory, no sharing, he whined as the other line picked up.
"Yes, who am I speaking with? Put Captain Brannew on the line!" he blared, not waiting for a response. The line was patched through since Puding pulled rank on Brannew, and within seconds, he heard the line switch over.
"Commodore Puding. How are you today?" Brannew said rather casually from the other line, though not disrespectfully.
"Captain! I have a new bounty for you," Puding said.
"Oh, really? The East Blue has been busy lately," Brannew said with a chuckle from the other line. "What've you got for me?"
"I don't know his name, but he's called Straw Hat," Puding said confidently, snapping his fingers at Arrancar impatiently as Arrancar hurried his sketching. "I'll send over a sketch now."
Brannew groaned. "You don't even have a picture? I'll add the press packet," he moaned, and Puding resisted the urge to reprimand the captain as he slapped a stack of papers on his desk. Paperwork is how you rise in the ranks, boy, not pirate hunting, he thought bitterly, feeling terrible about himself in an uncharacteristic moment of clarity.
Arrancar finally finished the sketch and handed it to Puding, who fed it into his Den Den Mushi who possessed the long range scans sending. He spat it back out, and far away, near the Red Line on the Grand Line, in Marineford Navy Headquarters, Captain Brannew received the sketch, studying the jolly face of the boy in the straw hat waving back at him. "O-kay. Got it." What did this guy do, jaywalk? Brannew wondered, but he simply asked, "What are you placing on this Straw Hat?"
"25 million!" Puding said confidently as he glared at the sketch his XO had made that would tomorrow be sent out on the front page to the world newspaper. Puding waved his hand at Arrancar and said to him, "Dismissed."
Puding, you madman, what are you thinking? Brannew thought, sighing into the microphone as he said, "Got it, Commodore Puding. Anything else?"
"No," and with that, Puding hung up, thoroughly annoyed with his subordinates, even those in the Grand Line. So what I failed? So what it's so high? He deserves it! He's got monstrous strength. What punch knocks a man out for over 16 hours?!
The next day, indeed, the delivery birds departed around the world, giving the news of the new breakout bounty in the East Blue, as well as the capture of Buggy the Clown. Yet it was now framed as if Buggy had a replacement; suddenly, some rookie had jumped the ranks and risen to the top. Strangest of all was his friendly nature on the sketch of him. Included were calls for someone to send a snapshot photograph to the Navy's bounty office.
The Navy Bases around the East Blue and around certain bases in the other seas were alerted of the appearance of Straw Hat. For some, it had to be a fluke; there was no way this kid was going to be any sort of bigshot worthy of taking over the top dog spot of Buggy the Clown. Some predicted that Buggy was really worth more; others took this at face value; and some wondered simply about why there was a bounty cap in only the East Blue.
The news came as mostly happy news to Navy Base 45. It had come under very new structuring under the recently minted Captain Ripper. He had reformed the justice system on the island and cut taxes by 100% for a year to make up for the heavy taxation enacted by Captain Morgan, including the officers bonuses to the community as relief packages. Shells Town had not seen such a bright day in quite some time.
Ripper smiled as he was forced to place Luffy's bounty on the main bulletin board in the entry to the base. He listened to his men gossip behind him. "Wow! He's really made a name for himself!" "Yeah, that's probably not such a good thing . . ." "Yeah, poor kid's not ready for a 25 million beri bounty." "Oh, hush up, you layabouts! You can't still be salty he knocked you out." "Yeah, you have to admit, he's strong . . ." "He'll be fine! Just get out of the East Blue so we don't have to chase you, Straw Hat!" and at that comment, the front office erupted in a cheer.
The Marines dispersed, though Ripper stared at the bounty poster still. His scar on his chest ached, but he'd already trained himself not to itch at it. He noticed someone still remained, clutching his broom and staring up at the poster with the widest smile. "It's good to see him again, even in this medium, isn't it, Coby?" he asked kindly.
"It sure is, sir," Coby replied. "Sorry, I'll get back to work."
Ripper held his hand up and shook his head. "No, Coby. Enjoy this moment." He pivoted to look out the window over Shells Town, but he looked out at the sea beyond it. "Soon, a vice admiral will be coming here to take Axe-Hand to Impel Down. I'd like you to meet him, Coby. And don't forget - you can't be a cabin boy forever."
Captain Ripper walked off to begin his duties for the day, and stay and beam up at the bounty poster Coby did. You did it, Luffy! I wonder how you and Usopp are. I wonder if Sanji joined you after all! I wonder who else you've met along the way . . . And I will meet you again on the Grand Line!
"Shocking news, sir!" Merry burst into Victor's office, panting. "I already left the groceries in the kitchen but I had to return to you with the news I picked up from the post!" he said as he strode over to Victor. He unfurled a newspaper and placed it in front of Victor, pointing at it. Victor laughed.
"Calm yourself, Merry, what's the fuss?" he laughed, taking his reading glasses off. He studied the pictures instead, of the bounty belong to "Straw Hat." Not Luffy, Victor noted. "He declared he would be King of the Pirates. So? What's a 25 million beri bounty in the long run?"
Merry had to chuckle at Victor's nonchalance. "Oh my . . . I thought that newspaper about that restaurant incident was bad enough, but a full on bounty. And it says he's replaced the highest in the East Blue - Buggy the Clown!"
Victor looked up at Merry, contemplating those words. "Does it, now?" He placed his reading glasses back on and lifted the newspaper up to read the article. "Have you told Kaya?"
"Well, yes, sir, she was with me in town," Merry said as he found a seat near the desk. He leaned forward, clasping his hands together to keep them from shaking. His voice wavered as he said, "She was ecstatic and calm like you, though. She's up in her room, writing a letter to Usopp.
Victor smiled, not taking his eyes from the article, but he stopped reading it, thinking of his brave young daughter. Yet he looked at Merry and smiled calmly, saying, "My friend, what's got you so flustered? Usopp will be fine with him, and from the sound of this article, he and Luffy have made some new friends. What's wrong?"
"I mean, of course I'm worried, sir, but that's not it!" Merry said as he started to laugh. "It's just amazing! My little Going Merry - a pirate ship under a great pirate captain!" At that, Victor laughed as well, and their laughter trailed out the window. Kaya could hear it from the roof; she'd climbed out of her room when she couldn't think of the words to say to Usopp yet, and instead went to daydream about the stories he used to tell her.
Daddy, where do pirates go? Kaya had asked her father one day after Usopp told her a story about a pirate crew who found a great sea squid with one blind eye that had guided them back to safety and killed Sea Kings in the Calm Belt to protect them.
Well, I'm not quite sure what you mean. But they go to the Grand Line. If they're here in the East Blue, they make a stop before their journey to the Grand Line. The town of beginning and end, Loguetown . . .
In the middle of the day on the Going Merry, the course had been plotted straight back to Cocoyashi from Gecko Town, and they now neared the Conomi Isle. Conomi Town was just visible there on the horizon in front of them as two delivery birds arrived at the Going Merry. Nami received them both, complaining to the delivery birds, "This doesn't make sense. I should only receive one paper."
Usopp walked up from the cabin, excited. "No, it's okay! I started a subscription, too. It was cool when I saw you get that one paper delivered, so I wanted to get the paper, too." He took one from Nami's hands.
Suddenly, a third newsbird arrived, cawing at Nami to pay up. She groaned, having already deposited a couple coins in each of the first two birds' pouches. They took off, and Nami whined yet some more. "What on earth? We've got our papers."
"That'll be mine," Zoro said as he walked up and took the paper, paying for his by himself. He was already reading the front page and walking off as Usopp was climbing up to the crow's nest to read his.
Nami looked between them and kept her cool, chuckling. "Well, we don't need three subscriptions on the same ship! We only need one. It's just lost money after that, after all." She knew it was silly to worry about six coins instead of two, but that was a lesson Genzo had taught her. If you manage your pennies, the beris take care of themselves.
"Aw, but I like getting the paper!" Usopp whined as he made his way to the crow's nest. Nami noticed Luffy and Yosaku playing cards; Johnny had the helm, and Zoro walked past him on the helm deck, still reading the paper.
"I hear you, Nami, but this paper's got bigger news than that," Zoro said, giving her a side eye as he leaned against the railing. Nami unfurled her paper and the front page stared back at her. Her eyes widened as she rapid fire read the article, wondering what had happened. I thought that Captain Smoker let us go!
But it wasn't Smoker who had sanctioned it; it was that strange commodore. Of the town right in front of us, Nami connected immediately. Her heart sank as she made the connections she could, but she ran to the helm, saying, "Turn us aside! We need to turn course now before the Navy sees us!"
Usopp screamed from the crow's nest, and everyone looked up at him. "Luffy!" he screamed as he stood and leaned as far out over the side of the crow's nest as he could. "You gotta see this!"
Nami took the helm from Johnny's hands and spun it hard to port. Zoro held on tight at the sharp turn as Luffy came running up to him. "What is it?" Johnny asked for the paper from Nami as she manned the helm; Yosaku came up to read over Zoro's other shoulder.
The cabin door opened. "What happened? Why'd we turn course?" Sanji asked as he emerged, in his cooking apron. He found them on the helm deck as Usopp hopped down from the ladder up to the crow's nest. Usopp flapped the newspaper out in front of Sanji, brandishing it before them both so he could reread it as well.
"25 million?!" Johnny exclaimed.
Sanji started to laugh. "Well, now we can just turn Luffy in if we find ourselves in another cash hunt," he said.
"So this commodore who's got it out for you mans that base?" Zoro said. "How are we gonna get to her village, then?"
"Well, we'll just go around the long way, then," Yosaku said confidently, shrugging.
"The Merry is too big to make it through the sandbars joining the islands," Nami said. "There are these sandbars just below the surface. Besides, 77 isn't the only Navy Base on the Conomi Isle. There are others along the route there."
Sanji suddenly grew irate, realizing the odds of them reaching Cocoyashi Village had just become more precarious. "Oh, great, Luffy! Why'd you have to sock that Navy guy?! This really complicates things."
"But what about the dinghy, Nami?" Luffy suggested. "We could sail around and avoid the Navy, or just fight them off again."
"I thought about that, too, but . . . if we're spotted at all, Cocoyashi'll be targeted," Usopp said as loudly as he could, nervous to say so. "Buggy was particularly elusive. We are not."
"Yeah, but Buggy's captured and I'm not! The paper even said I'm the new Buggy!" Luffy said defensively, pointing at the paper in Usopp's hands.
"There must be some way to make this right!" Yosaku thought, somewhat annoyed as he had developed a crush on Nojiko just before leaving and had been excited to see her again. Yet he wasn't actively mad at Luffy; his sentiments about this sudden bounty gain were unexpectedly voiced by Zoro at his other side.
"At the end of the day, we're following the King of the Pirates," Zoro said. "This makes things more difficult, but that's probably what we all need, isn't it? Now, I'm not saying I'm against a fight with the Navy." He grinned. "I'm itching for a bounty myself now that our captain's acquired one, personally." He placed a hand on the hilts of his sword. "But I appreciate that you all can observe the danger we're in now. My advice to some?" He side eyed Sanji. "Trust in your captain a little more."
Sanji bristled, almost ready to fire back if his true worry wasn't about getting Nami back to Cocoyashi to deliver the treasure - and see her family again. "Alright, newbie," he said, feigning as much positivity as he could, thought it was little. "So what are we doing here, Luffy?"
"Guys, stop," Nami said, confused why things suddenly felt so tense. She waved her hands after evening out the helm. They were now bound in the almost exact opposite direction so at least a touch of wind still pulled their sails. "Look . . . that last goodbye was sweet. Maybe I don't need to go back and see them again just to do it all over, one more time. Did any of you guys go back?" she asked mostly to Luffy, Usopp, and Sanji.
"But what about the treasure your sister needs?" Luffy objected. "Like Zoro said, I'm not against a fight. Are you, Sanji?"
"Nope," Sanji said.
"There!" Luffy said. "It'll be my first territory as a pirate captain! I'll declare it!"
"Well . . . to tell the truth, there's a logical way we could approach this," Johnny suddenly interrupted, crossing his arms and itching his chin. "I'm hesitant to suggest it, but if we go there, I'm not sure how Yosaku and I can acquire a new ship. Not very easily, at least. And yes, we can't ignore the danger of luring the Navy there. Especially if you're going to lay your flag down there, Luffy," Johnny said with a laugh. "But I like where your heart's at.
"There's a ship building village called Cozia, Nami. Are you familiar with it?" Johnny asked the navigator.
"Maybe, I'm sure we could find it on a map," she said.
"Good. We head there. There's no Navy presence for days out there, so we should be fine. Yosaku and I can acquire a ship with some of this gold we got from Buggy, and then we'll load up whatever you want to give Nojiko," Johnny finished. He took his sunglasses off to polish them.
"We'll be glad to. We'll give them whatever message you want. Nojiko, Genzo, Dr. Nako," Yosaku said. He smiled.
Nami considered it, tearing up, but she nodded. "Okay! Let's go to Cozia. I'm a pirate under the biggest threat in the East Blue now - so I think it's time I start acting like it." She noticed that Zoro gave a small nod, more so to himself than to her, she thought; but still a sign of respect.
"If that's okay with you, Captain," Nami added, looking back at Luffy.
Luffy smiled and placed his hands on his hips, laughing as he leaned back. "Of course! I've got the best crew in the world!"
They were bound for Cozia now, and though Nami kept a brave face despite most of the crew still checking in on her that this was alright. She maintained it was, yet as they went to bed, Nami alone in the women's quarters, she sobbed into her pillow to stifle her crying. She had been excited to see everyone again and deliver them the loot; but she dreaded having to the goodbyes for who knows how long. It felt like the long goodbye to me already. Maybe it did to them, too?
By the end of the next day, they reached Cozia, and indeed it was a quaint village despite it's quite illustrious shipwright stretch of buildings along the east wharf. Yet the news of Straw Hat's bounty must have reached here, because much of the town gave them dirty glares as they disembarked and began walking through town. Their first destination was a good restaurant to enjoy a final local meal together with all seven of them.
Even their server recognized Luffy and seemed intimidated by them all there, also recognizing Zoro. As she took their orders, and he gave his, she said, "A-aren't you the Pirate Hunter?"
Zoro stopped talking and looked up at her with a cocked eyebrow. "Yes?"
She just nodded and shook her head. "Could you repeat your order, sir?"
After she walked off to deliver their order, Sanji leaned in close. "These folks aren't very friendly to pirates, I take it," he said as he fished out three cigarettes for himself, Yosaku, and Johnny. He offered a fourth to Zoro hesitantly.
Zoro held a hand up, but nodded reluctantly. "Maybe after a drink or two."
"Well, we gotta restock here, so what? Are they just still gonna call the Navy on us?" Luffy asked.
"They might not like you, but they keep their noses down," Yosaku explained. "Just don't stick around too long. The way we heard it, they let a group of pirates base here for years. And once they were ready to depart for the Grand Line, they pillaged the town to near razing."
"That's terrible," Luffy said as the server brought their drinks out to them; three beers for Zoro alone. "Hey, miss! You know we're never gonna do that to you, right?"
Her eyes were wide, confused, and she just nodded her head vigorously, nearly spilling the rest of the drinks on her tray, setting everyone else's ale and water down quickly so she could scurry off to her other tables. Luffy frowned, sad, but he sipped on his water and thought instead of how this was only the beginning once he reached the Grand Line. That made him smile and feel as drunk as Zoro as he watched his newest crewmate drain his cups.
After their meal, they spent some time chatting on their way to the dockyard where plenty of small vessels were already lined up for sale. One struck Yosaku instantly; it was about the same as their last vessel that the Arlong Pirates had sunk, yet it was slightly larger and made of sturdier wood. The master of the dock came begrudgingly out to do business with them, upcharging them. All the same, Nami was happy to part with whatever amount that would suit them for their travels ahead.
"I can't believe this is so long," Nami told them as the other Straw Hats hauled over chests of the gold to their new vessel.
"I said be off within the next hour!" the shipwright said as he meticulously counted the beris in his hands, but he still walked off after his paltry reprimanding to his office.
"Do you think that guy would want to be our carpenter?" Luffy wondered as he set a chest of gold in the bounty hunters' boat.
"I don't think we're getting a new crewmate here, Luffy," Usopp said, sitting on a chest nearby.
"Let's not forgo our farewell any longer," Yosaku finally declared, clapping his hands and extending his arms to Nami to give her a great hug. "It's been a real adventure. You all stay safe on the Grand Line."
Nami hugged Yosaku back, then moved to hug Johnny. "I appreciate all your help. I'm so sorry I got you so hurt."
"In the past! We're all the stronger for it," Johnny said as he moved to shake Usopp's hand. "Keep climbing. Seems like you'll be a very influential man, if your plans go well."
Usopp stood, taking Johnny's hand. "You all stay safe! I expect to meet you again one day, yeah?"
"Guarantee it," Yosaku said as he hugged Usopp. Other farewells were made; Yosaku clasped Zoro's forearm and told him, "I hope one day to reach some skill that you consider worthy, Three Sword."
Zoro nodded, wanting to share some form of praise, as he did not view either of the other swordsmen as weak; but instead, he smirked and told him, "Push yourselves harder. That's all there is to it."
"Of course," Johnny agreed. And finally, the swordsmen turned to Luffy after giving their farewell to Sanji, joking that they'd never taste cooking better. "And you! Take care. The day might come where we have to hunt your head, if you decide to become some pirate warlord."
"I'm gonna be King of the Pirates! Whatever you guys decide to do is up to you," Luffy said, but he hugged them both at the same time. "Take care getting back to Cocoyashi! Give them our best! And tell that Gen-Guy I'm keeping my promise."
They were glad to deliver such a message, and the Straw Hats left from their new vessel as they disembarked from Cozia. They stood at the stern, trusting the boat to carve itself out from the town's shore by itself. They waved to the Straw Hats, and as the distance grew between them, it took them more and more to hold their tears in. Usopp and Nami, too, shed tears to see their comrades off, though all were quietly grateful to share a moment of separation; they would grow in their own ways from now on, and one day meet again. Whatever you guys decide to do is up to you, the two swordsmen heard in their heads, and that solidified their drive.
"Our aim has been raised, hasn't it, Brother?" Yosaku asked, almost dreadfully as he stared off at their friends growing distant.
"I'd say so," Johnny said, squeezing the bridge of his nose. "I feel like this is all wrong . . . it's too fast."
"Think about how fast our time together flew," Yosaku replied, now making his way to the helm to steer them forward. "Besides, it wasn't some farewell. Our roads'll cross again! I know it."
In total, Nami had given over 78 million beris from the haul they'd received from Buggy; they'd be fine with what they had left, and she wanted to insure Nojiko had no worries while she was away. Yet in addition to that amount had been a substantial bit tucked away extra for the swordsmen. 50 million! No more, and no less for Nojiko, y'hear me? Nami had sternly told the bounty hunters. They had taken it as guarding for her sister's money; yet when they bothered to deliver the beris, they would be in for a welcome surprise.
In Navy Base E5, the Clown Pirates were well and locked up, occupying much of the base's brig. In time, they'd be transported to some prison in the East Blue. But Buggy the Clown was under harder protection; he stayed in Seastone cuffs the entire time, though Smoker wished they had a cell made of the stuff for him. Nevertheless, he wouldn't be E5's problem for very long; already, the vice admiral was on his way to the East Blue to take Captain Morgan away. In addition, he could take Buggy the Clown to Impel Down. That was a relief.
Smoker was barely settled in by the time he returned to his office for a smoke. He'd run out of cigars on their expedition to Gecko Island; and now, as he was about to light one up as a reward for the fight, there was a knock on the door. They didn't even wait for an answer to enter; and Smoker gnawed on the cigar as Tashigi said, "Captain, sorry to disrupt you. I have some disturbing news."
"What is it?" he growled. Things had been tense between them since the fight on the beach, even now.
"It's a new bounty set out for the East Blue, sir," Tashigi said, entering and placing the bounty on Smoker's desk. He turned and picked it up, raising an eyebrow at it. He exhaled emphatically.
"Seems I've made a mistake," Smoker grumbled, and struck his match against his boot, then sitting as he lit his cigar. Before he swung the match out, he lit "Straw Hat"'s bounty up, holding it in the air as it flitted away into ash.
"I'm sorry, sir," Tashigi said, hands clasped behind her back.
"Don't be sorry!" he barked. "This is nothing. In truth, I hoped for something like this to happen. I want to know more about this Monkey D. Luffy. The question is, are you going to be strong enough to stand against his crew should the time come? What if it's Roronoa?"
Something in Tashigi snapped. More often than not in her life, she had defected to authority, glad to bend the knee to them and accept admonishment. Yet this time felt too far. I didn't even have clearance to try my hardest! "You didn't give me a chance, sir! I'm sorry for my insubordination, but you know it's true."
Smoker puffed on his cigar pensively, propping his leg up on his desk. "You know why I didn't?" Tashigi merely shook her head after a moment of thought. "Because I couldn't bear to see my executive officer be killed. The fact of the matter is, I see great potential in you. What I don't see are results."
"Well, you're very hurtful about that," Tashigi threw back.
"Hurtful?" Smoker blared, throwing his leg back down to the floor as he leaned forward on his desk. "You don't know the first thing about hurtful. I'm trying to inspire you to be the greatest you can be. Don't you realize that's what 'Straw Hat' is doing? For Roronoa?!" He chewed on his cigar. "Trust in me better, like your words seem to suggest you do. And grow stronger, because if you can't, you don't belong in a place where I risk watching you lose your life." He leaned back in his chair. "We're Marines, and while we might not all subscribe to this mantra, we're supposed to minimize war, not exacerbate it. That means a great many things."
"I'm sorry, sir, I just -," Tashigi began.
Smoker waved his hands, furrowing his brow. "No, I don't want to hear it. Off with you, Sergeant. I appreciate the delivery of your news." He spun in his seat to stare out the window facing out over Loguetown. He waited until he heard Tashigi's bootsteps and the door shut behind her before he relaxed and pulled the cigar from his mouth, finally exhaling.
The Town of Beginning and End, Smoker thought. There was part bitterness in it, as well as incredible anticipation to soon receive Straw Hat. Perhaps he would listen to Smoker's warning still and fall into strange obscurity, an anomaly on the radar of piracy. No, we both know that won't happen. He had the same smile as Roger, Smoker thought, recalling the execution of the pirate king he had been witness to as a child in the square of Loguetown. His eyes drifted to Roger's Scaffold, erected as a symbol against piracy; yet Smoker had always thought the name had stood in praise of Roger. It had certainly worked that way on Smoker.
ATB
Thank you all for coming along on our journey through Arc 4: Clownery & Thievery. This has been my favorite arc to write out thus far and I hope it's been some fun to read.
Sorry for not following the schedule that promptly. At the least, I'm trying to pump chapters out on the day I pledged them for if I can't make it during the time frame I said I would, yet I do like the afternoon-evening-morning structure of it. At this point, though, I'm not totally sure the schedule is doing anything for anyone but me!
As always, feedback is encouraged on that front as well as on the story's. I hope this is something some can find to enjoy briefly if they so desire as well as something long running to enjoy for anyone who may have followed from Chapter 1. Not saying there are those of you like that, but if that's the case - sincerely, thank you.
See you all on Monday for Arc 5: The Town of Beginning and End.
Until next time
ATB
