The audience sat in silence as Vermilion belted the last few notes of an old song he claimed to have overheard.
"Judging by your choice in music," Weiss said as she blankly stared at the cheerful butler. "We're going to watch something about seamen."
This earned a chuckle from Qrow, Yang, Nora, and Mercury. ''Of course, there will be lots of seamen all over the place.'' Vermilion said fully aware of his double entendre. The group's snickering became louder.
"It's good to see Qrow getting along with his peers for once." Glynda remarked.
Oscar felt a wave of nausea come over him at the mention of sailors. He could feel Ozpin's repulsion at all matters involving the seven seas. "What did sailors do to you?" he whispered to himself
Whatever it is that disgusted Ozpin seemed to affect his counterpart. "I swore if I ever saw the sea again it be too soon." The work was hard, and the days were long for what amounted to less than peanuts, then there were the pirates
"Really?" Emerald said as she turned to Mercury. "What are you, ten?"
"We're about to watch a raid." Cobalt said as he removed the hat Vermilion put on his head.
"Oh, pirates then?'' Weiss asked. Ozcar let out an audible swear under his breath.
Vermilion placed the hat back on to Cobalt's head. "Of course, our boisterous band of buccaneers are going to ravage the most precious booty."
Weiss gave Yang a side glance, daring her to laugh. Yang was about to snicker, but the former heiress' intense look dissuaded her.
''God damn it,''
A peg leg wobbled as it took a step, its owner limped as he dragged his body across the ship's deck; still not well accustomed to his condition despite how long he's had it. His sea legs may have also had hand in it. The man, who wore a thick coat covered in barnacles and an old tricorne hat resembling horns, limped towards another man who was also covered in barnacles and had a strangely shaped head. It resembled that of a hammerhead shark.
Yang gasped. "What the hell?'' she wanted to say more but what could she say? She saw a man with a fish for a head.
The look of anticipation on Ruby's face disappeared and disappointment took its place. ''I thought we were going to see pirates.'' she said. "Not whatever these guys are."
''Just wait for it," Vermilion said barely containing his excitement. "It's going to be pretty wicked." Cobalt cleared his throat.
The eight crab like legs on his back kicked and thrust, as if the creature was trying to skitter away. ''Five men still alive, the rest have moved on.'' the shark man, his first mate reported revealing a mouth full of several rows of sharp teeth. The captain walked towards the five who were being held captive and lined up by his crew of marine hybrids.
Ruby could barely contain her amazement. "Monster pirates, that's-"
"Freaking awesome!" Nora exclaimed, taking the words right out of her mouth.
Each sailor had a different reaction to his presence. One remained stoic, not willing to be intimidated by their presence. Another hung his head not wanting to make any eye contact. The last trembled and whimpered as the captain came closer to him.
The captain turned to face the terrified sailor; a giant crab pincer being revealed in the place of his left arm. He crouched down in front of the sailor revealing a nose less face with a beard made of tentacles.
Weiss was slack jawed. "Woah, that's quite a face." Tbe man was some kind of strange creature, the kind her mother would have looked up in her private petting zoo.
"There are tentacles on his face." Oscar said in disbelief as he stroked his chin
"He looks so cool."
"There are tentacles on his face." Oscar repeated.
"Is it weird that I'm craving Octopus all of a sudden?" Blake asked Yang in a hushed voice.
''Yes.'' her partner quickly replied. ''Very weird.''
"There are tentacles on his face."
A small flame lit up from below, highlighting even more of his feature less visage. Using his tentacles, he lit an ornate pipe and took a puff from it. ''Do you fear death?'' he asked in a nasally voice before putting out a flame with the siphon on his left check.
''Great, I've always wondered how I'd look like as a fish.'' Ozcar sarcastically said.
"Well, that's not fair," Nora said as she folded her arms and pouted. "I haven't gotten one yet."
"Your time will come, eventually."
The sailor screwed his eyes shut, not wanting to see more of the creature before him. He nodded in response to his question. ''Do you fear the dark abyss?'' Ozpin asked once more receiving a nod from the sailor. ''All your deeds laid bare. All your sins punished-'' he snorted letting out a cloud of smoke. ''I can offer you escape.''
"How chilling." Tyrian said.
''Escape?'' asked Blake.''Escape from what?'' was it code for killing them, helping their souls escape their bodies?
''Death.'' was all Cobalt needed to say. ''His job is to ferry the souls of all who perish at sea to the afterlife.''
"Like some sort of fish Grimm reaper?'' Blake asked.
''Don't listen to him!'' Another sailor shouted before realising his mistake. Ozpin turned to face the man, his head making a sloshing noise along the way. He scanned the man noticing a crucifix in his quaking hands. In a rage, he clamped his pincer on the man's throat before examining his face.
'' Do you not fear death?'' he softly asked, his voice full of curiosity and concealing the fury behind his actions. He took a breath from his pipe, not breaking eye contact with the man.
''I'll take my chances, sir.'' The defiant sailor courageously replied.
James Ironwood sighed while shaking his head. He genuinely respected the man's courage, in fact he would go as far as to applaud it, but that didn't change the fact it was a foolish thing to say to someone who held your life their hand. Or in this case, pincer.
''Yeah, he shouldn't let that nasty octopus push him around.''
While everyone agreed with Nora's, Blake noticed something else. ''That guy looks a bit too clean to be a sailor."
Smoke left the old pirate's mouth. Ozpin immediately released the man before turning to one of his men, "To the depths" he ordered. The sailor's throat was slit before his body was thrown overboard, Ozpin's pirates howled and laughed in delight while his fellow sailors turned their heads away in horror.
"He didn't even hesitate." Weiss muttered to herself. This whole situation felt excruciating to watch, maybe it had to do with the threats she received from the White Fang along macabre videos of them with SDC employees.
"Jeez Oz." Qrow whistled. "Talk about cruel."
Port nodded. "I'll say. Killing a defenceless man is far too barbaric."
"It's quite strange that the versions of Professor Ozpin we've seen have been depicted as being of odious character." Oobleck noted.
"I wonder what that says about him?" Cinder asked, she brought her hand to her mouth in faux surprise. "Perhaps it says more about your personality."
''Cold Blood!'' another sailor cried.
''Life is cruel.'' Ozpin calmly replied as he snuffed out the flame and emptied his pipe. His neck made a cracking noise as he turned his head to face the sailor who spoke up. ''Why should the afterlife be any different? I offer you a choice. Join my crew and postpone the judgement. One hundred years before the mast.'' Ozpin said as he returned to the first sailor. ''Will ye serve?''
''I-I-I will serve.''
"So, he intimidates people into joining his group? How crude." Salem noted.
''That sounds too convenient.'' The fact that the only known was having your throat cut open and being given to sea, the y
"A deal with him and you get to live another hundred years, there has to be some strings." call him crazy but to him it sounded too good to be true, also it was hard to trust a pirate.
''Immortality. That is their curse"
"That sounds actually beneficial."
"Is it?" Vermilion asked. "Your lives may be transient, but is that not what gives them meaning? Being immortal turns any extraordinarily experience mundane till it is mind numbing. Or so I've been told."
Blake could have sworn she saw the man in red make eye contact with Ozcar as he added that last line. It occurred to her that she hadn't taken the time to consider the impact his cycle of reincarnation may have had on him.
''You know, that doesn't sound so bad.'' ''Sailing the seas, free from responsibility and you can go wherever you want.''
''You didn't mention the terrible hygiene, awful smells, and infections all round.''
''If that doesn't sway you maybe this will.''
"You slowly become part of the ship as time goes and eventually you just stay there. Forever, undying."
''Pleasure.'' as Ozpin walked away from the sailor, he noticed something that made him double take. He walked towards the fifth hostage, Neptune Vasilias. ''You are neither dead or dying. What is your purpose here?''
"Hey, look it's Weiss' old friend." Yang teased.
''He is not my boyfriend."
"No one said he was." Ruby teased.
Neptune seemed to wince for a moment before quickly replying. ''Roman Torchwick sent me to settle his debt.'' He whispered under his breath, earning gasps from the pirates around him.
''Oh.''
Weiss was disappointed. ''He's working with that criminal?'' she said.
"Maybe Roman is a good guy."
"Nora, he's a pirate." Ren stated.
Cinder let out an irritated groan at the mention of the thief's name. Even in death and a void between them she couldn't get away from that cockroach.
"Who is Roman Torchwick?" asked Tyrian. All eyes were on him, even members of Salem's faction were left gobsmacked by his question.
"How do you not know Roman? You two were on the same side."
Tyrian shrugged. "I've heard the name tossed around, and i have found myself saying his name, but I have no idea who that is."
Salem sighed. Tyrian was a useful and cunning follower, and he was a very valuable member of her cabal, but she was aware of how ignorant he was of most man's ongoings.
''What is your purpose here?'' Ozpin asked once more, this time more serious.
''Roman Torchwick... sent me to settle his debt.''
Ozpin briefly chuckled at the reply. ''Ha. Did he now? I'm sorely tempted to accept that offer.''
''Where the hell is he anyway?''
"If he's cowardly enough to let someone pay his debt, as far away from them as possible." said Weiss.
From a distance an old ship with black sail bobbed up and down in place. Roman spots Ozpin with his telescope, the Cephalopod Captain slowly turning to face his direction. When he lowered it, Ozpin was already on his ship; Roman's crew gasped in shock as they backed away. Some tried to reach for their cutlasses and flintlock pistols. Before they could aim the guns or swing their swords, they were stopped. Ozpin's crew had teleported to the ship along with him seizing them.
''Not far enough.'' Qrow mused.
Cinder groaned once more, this time even louder than before. He couldn't even avoid paying of his debts right.
"Nah he just wanted to be caught." Mercury added.
Ozcar had to restrain himself from shaking his head in disappointment. Clearly this was someone who had no experience in dodging debts. "If he didn't want to be found he should have changed his name and faked his death. Worked for me in my past lives."
''You must of lived a wild life.'' Oscar said
''Oh'' Roman says as he backs away. Realising that once again he had been captured. He had lost count of how many times he'd been in that situation that day alone, but at least it was an improvement to nearly being eaten by cannibals.
''Someone is in trouble.'' Yang said in a sing song voice.
''You have a debt to pay.'' Ozpin says as he walks towards Roman, the blackened hull of what once was the Wicked Wench creaking under his steps. ''You've been Captain of the Black Pearl for thirteen years. That was our agreement.''
''Technically, I was Captain for two years, then I was viciously mutinied upon.'' Roman tried to argue.
''What happened for the remaining eleven years?''
''Being marooned on a tiny desert island for years, before escaping with his own guile and quick thinking.'' Vermilion said, delivering each word with a terrible pirate accent. ''He used sea turtles.''
''Sea turtles?''
''Aye, two of them. Tied them together with rope made from his own back hair he did.''
''Really.'' Nora asked with a glimmer in her eye. The others gagged at the image of Roman's overgrown back hair being braided into bright orange rope, then him using said rope to tie up two resisting reptiles.
"Why did you plant that image in my head." Jaune shivered at the knowledge that he will probably never forget it.
''Nah, he just bartered a ride with rum traders.''
''How has he lived this long?'' Pyrrha asked.
"Mostly through luck and sometimes through cunning and wit."
''Then you were a poor captain, but a captain none the less.'' Ozpin countered. ''Have you not introduced yourself all these years as 'Captain Roman Torchwick?''' Ozpin's crew burst out laughing.
''Yeah, I gave you payment." Roman said as he motioned at Ozpin's ship The Flying Dutchman. ''One soul to serve on your ship is already over there."
"One soul is not equal to another." Ozpin retorts.
Cinder scoffed; she did not need an octopus man to know that.
"Aha!" Roman confidently exclaimed with a smile on his face. ''So, we've established my proposal is sound in principle, now we're just haggling over price.''
Ozpin was left genuine surprise and replied after a moment of silence. ''Price?'' He muttered, awestruck.
''Just how many souls, do you think, my soul is worth?''
Cinder's groaned, that was just like Roman. Trying to haggle in situations that were far beyond his control.
''He's far too relaxed.'' Ruby expected him to be a bit more concerned, they were talking about the fate of his immortal soul. ''You think he has a plan?''
''Probably, or he might just have a good poker face.'' Qrow said, he just couldn't get a good read of the man.
A smug look formed on the Old Hob's face as he looked around the ship. ''One hundred souls. Three days.''
"There is no way that guy is worth a hundred souls."
''You're a darling, mate.'' Roman said certain that he had found a way out of his contract. ''Send me back the boy, I'll get started right off.'' As he walks away, he is stopped by the Hammer-head shark pirate.
''I keep the boy, a good, faith payment. That leaves you only ninety-nine to go. Ha-ha, ha-ha.''
"Look at that, he's already making good leeway." Tyrian joked.
"But why a hundred souls?" Pyrrha said. The number seemed arbitrary.
"Just to mess with him."
"Have you not met Neptune?" Roman said unaffected by the loss of his ace, ''He's noble, heroic, a terrific soprano. Worth at least four, maybe three and a half.'' He returned to the lord of the locker and stared him dead in the eye, he knew which buttons to push to get his desired reaction. ''And did I happen to mention… he's in love. With a girl. Due to be married. Betrothed. Dividing him from her and her from him would only be half as cruel as actually allowing them to be joined in holy matrimony. Aye?''
He threw his line and now all that was left was for the fish to bite.
Ozcar found it amusing. A version of himself burdened by yet another marriage. At least this time it wasn't his.
The Ruler of the ocean depths was affected by the pirate lord's words, however this only lasted briefly as his features hardened. ''I keep the boy. Ninety-nine souls-ah.'' He then decided to turn the tables. ''But I wonder, Sparrow… can you live with this? Can you condemn an innocent man – a friend – to a lifetime of servitude in your name while you roam free?''
Roman seemed to ponder this for a second. Was this right choice? If he did this, he'd lose one of the few people who he was friends with. The son of one of his old crew mates no less. Would he be able to live with himself if he did?
"Hes having second thoughts." Ren noted. ''Guess he wasn't that bad after all.''
''Goes to show you should never let first impression affect how you view someone.'' Glynda said. ''We should take the time to understand one another, who knows? You might be surprised by-''
''Yep. I'm good with it.''
''That son of a bitch.'' Glynda said, her original sentence falling apart. "Forget what I said.''
''Shall we seal it in blood, I mean, uh, ink?'' Ozpin grabbed Roman's left hand with his tentacled one and 'shook on it'.
''Three days-ah.'' Ozpin repeated his Crew echoing his words as they all disappear.
Roman looked at his left palm which was drenched in a gummy transparent ooze. The slime dripped off his hand and the black spot on it began to fade away. ''Uh, Mr. Xiong?'' Roman weakly called to his first mate.
''Aye.''
''I feel sullied and unusual.''
