OZWIN
It was almost like Luffy had stepped into a completely different world, a charming fantasy full of armor wrapped men and women walking around the city. They had their weapons on full display that were polished to the extreme with sharp edges that could cut someone just by looking at it for too long. Even the building had a dashing glimmer about them that twinkled under the sun. The steep roofs were either bright red or dark gray with red wood lining the corners that gave them an aesthetically homey feel. Everywhere you looked was just another sight to behold and bask in. Even the regular citizens had a kind looking exterior despite almost all of them having well-built bodies that could put Marine soldiers to shame.
Luffy was shell-shocked and remained rooted against the cobblestone streets. He took in a deep breath and grinned wildly that made him resemble an innocent child. "So this is Armwell?" He threw his arms up and laughed, stretching out his muscles and breathing in deeply. He could smell fresh cut metal and smoking meat from some of the taverns around them. "This place is huge!"
Artemyra bit down on her lips to hold in her laughter but smiled anyway. She had never seen such an excited and care-free person before and could expect this kind of reaction from a child. Somehow though, his view of her city really did please her. The knightess never thought she would be so happy to see such a bright smile from a stranger before, and truthfully...she kind of envied the experience.
"I'm surprised. This place is pretty luxurious and homey." Coby turned to the buildings around them and tilted his head curiously to the side. He ran his hand across the rough surface and just stared at the strange material mixed in with the cement. "What's this sparkle?"
"It's a rare metal that's only found on the four islands. We use it a lot to create weapons and armor, especially in the buildings to strengthen and fortify the structure for long times to come," Artmeyra explained and gestured for them to follow her. "Yeah, Armwell is quite grand in size but it's actually the smallest island compared to the other three." She pointed out and saw the curiosity only grow in the outsiders' eyes.
"Really? What do those places look like?" Luffy asked.
"I don't know." Artemyra shrugged her shoulders. "It's just common knowledge, I guess."
Luffy stopped walking and just stared at the silver lady, a bit baffled at what she said. "You have never seen the other islands?"
Artemyra paused mid-stride and looked back at him. "I...have never known anything but Armwell. I was born here and...this is my home. I never went beyond our borders." She didn't have a stern voice, instead, it sounded a bit too wistful and gentle. Her sea-green eyes looked distant, almost sad, and her smile didn't stretch far enough for it to actually feel genuine.
Luffy felt his face beginning to contort with disappointment. He didn't like the way she said that and could easily make out the sadness deep within her voice, somewhat buried but not completely hidden from sight. "Hmm...isn't that kinda boring though? There's so much out there!" His heart thumped with excitement, the memories returning to him of all the places he had been. The people he had met. The forests he got lost in, and the oceans he almost drowned in. He never regretted a single thing though. Everywhere he went was a new adventure that he couldn't wait to begin.
Artemyra blinked before fixing her smile to make it appear more real. "Oh, I'm sure. It's just...not my world," she said somberly, much to Luffy's growing aggravation. The size of his frown was almost comical. "Anyways, would you follow me for a bit? I need to make sure you've been checked in properly. Afterwards, you can do what you want."
"Checked in? What does that mean?" Coby asked curiously.
"It's just a regulation we do here. We check-in everyone who isn't a citizen of Armwell, even Marines and World Government officials. It's a way we can keep track of everyone and make sure there are no uninvited guests with ill will towards us."
"Oh, I understand. It's just a matter for security. Is that why there so many armed knights walking around?" he looked at all the silver-plated citizens who looked like the last people you would want to mess with.
Artemyra nodded. "That's right, and normally, people would take the front entrance to get checked in and not the side one." Her smile morphed into a deviantly playful smirk that the two outsiders shied away from out of embarrassment. "People can get into some serious trouble If they don't check-in, and let me say this as a friendly warning...Armwell is very capable of taking care of itself."
"Sorry..." the two stuttered out
"Don't worry about it. It's a good thing you were found by me and not one of those guys." Artemyra chuckled lightly and resumed their walk towards the check-in building that was at the front docks.
Coby felt like a fish out of water when he walked into the check-in building with Artemyra and Luffy. The place was packed out with Marine soldiers that ranged from high rank to low. Their warships were docked outside the windows and there were multiple booths that all had lines that reached far across the room. There were even Armwell knights stationed at every corner as an extra security measure. Beastly looking men that would be able to snap his scrawny body into two if he messed with them.
"Wow. This place really is organized" Coby said.
Artemyra crossed her arms and stepped away from the traffic so she couldn't be swallowed up by the crowd. "As soon as you step into Armwell's territory, it means you have to follow our rules. Misbehave then things can get ugly quickly."
Luffy felt his face fall and his stomach growl. He took one hard look at the massive lines in front of him and slumped down. "Hey, Arty? Can't we just skip this part and go eat already. I'm starving." he pleaded weakly, withering up like he hasn't eaten in days.
"I'm sorry, Luffy. This place is built around strong traditions and rules. Without them...then we would fall. I have to check you in." She gestured for them to stand against the wall and not step into the line, which was strange. "Don't worry though it will only take a minute."
Coby blinked. "But the lines are huge. Shouldn't we get in?"
Artemyra shook her head and held her hands up. "There's no need. I'll take care of it." The knightess walked away from the confused outsiders and went up to one of the booths that had a massive line in front of it. She stood off to the side and tapped her knuckle against the glass to grab the operator's attention.
The operator squinted his eyes to see who it was before giving the Marine soldier in front of him a sign that he'll be right with him. He pulled up the glass window and peeked out to see Artemyra smiling politely at him, in which he returned just as kindly. "Ah, Lady Artemyra. Something I can do for you?"
She nodded her head and held up two fingers. "Can I have two entry sheets with some pencils?
The booth operator didn't even hesitate. "Of course." he reached behind him and pulled out two sheets and pencils. "And I assume you'll be giving it your own stamp, right?"
"Correct. I'll give them back to you in a couple of minutes." Artemyra bowed her head slightly and turned back to the boys.
As she walked back to them, Luffy noticed something odd happening within the room, a sort of tension that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He glanced around and saw that Artemyra was being given deep and intense stares from the knights in the building. Her own people. It wasn't like they were glaring at her, instead, Luffy believed that they weren't actually looking at her. They were looking at something else on her, and what made it even more strange...is that Artemyra was aware of the attention she was being given. She hardened her eyes and gave them stern looks before they all turned away and went back to their duty.
"What's all this about?" Luffy muttered to himself.
"Did you say something, Luffy-san?" Coby asked but Luffy didn't speak up anymore.
Artemyra stopped in front of them and handed them both an entry sheet. It had basic information on it. Name, birth date, birthplace, and reason on why they're visiting Armwell. It was simple and would literally only take a minute to fill out. The entry sheets were mainly just to keep a record of them. The knights of the island were the ones who monitored them. Which is why there were so many just wandering around.
"Here. All you have to do is fill out a couple of things and I'll give you the stamp of approval," she said
"Can you really do that?" Coby looked puzzled since it was so easy for her to get these sheets. The booth operator didn't even question her, much less bat an eyelash.
"Do you wanna wait in line?"
"No, we're good." The boys shook their heads and immediately went to start filling out the appropriate information.
Luffy was still wary of the knights in the room and so was Artemyra. They glanced around briefly and only saw a couple of pairs of eyes staring her down. Nothing came of it though and she focused her attention back on them.
"You have quite a bit of leeway." Coby pointed out.
"People tend to hold me in high regard. They have no reason to doubt my judgment." Artemyra tilted her head and shrugged her shoulders like it was a common occurrence for her.
"Why is that?"
"For a plethora of reasons," she said. "One being...my father is the one who governs over all of Armwell. He's the lord of this island."
Coby gasped sharply but choked on the rich smell of ocean and pine in the air. "You have a high status?"
Artemyra smiled, but like before, it didn't stretch far enough for it to feel real. She sucked in a deep breath and tried to ignore the eyes that were burning her alive. "In more ways than one..."
"How long do you guys plan on staying anyways?" Artemyra asked, strolling beside Coby while they roamed the cobblestone streets through town, taking up the magnificent sights as Luffy walked ahead of them in search of a place to eat.
Coby shrugged. "I guess it's until we find some supplies and restock. We ran out of food the day before so I guess we were just lucky to wander into Armwell's territory." His face flushed red when he thought back to how concerned he was when he first saw Artemyra. The world painted the knights in such a bad image that he never expected them to be such gentle people. "I'm glad to hear that your people are peaceful."
Artemyra smiled kindly at the compliment and patted him roughly on the back, using a bit too much strength. She looked ahead and listened soundlessly to Luffy singing in a high pitched song she had never heard before. It sounded like he was singing about food. "Coby, excuse me for asking but...are you really traveling with him? You two seem like quite the pair," she asked since she couldn't help but notice how opposite they appeared. She wouldn't be surprised either if they had nothing in common too.
"I know how it looks but I really owe a lot to Luffy-san. He saved me from a pirate named Alvida," he smiled fondly.
"Alvida..." Artemyra reflected on the name for a bit because she swore she heard it before. It finally occurred to her though. "Ah, I think I've seen her wanted poster. 'Iron-mace Alvida', right?" She remembered hearing it float through the news sometimes.
"That's right. If It weren't for him, then I never would've had the courage to leave."
"Does that mean you're a pirate too?"
Coby was quick to correct her. "What? Oh, no. That's not it." Once again, he felt his face turned bright red. "Actually, my dreams clash with Luffy-san. He wants to be the Pirate King while I want to be a Marine."
"Oh, I see now. That is quite a dream." Artemyra giggled.
Coby scratched the back of his head and looked away to avoid any kind of judgmental eyes that she might be giving him. He felt like he really didn't have the confidence to be a Marine so it felt like a far-off dream. "You probably think it's silly since I don't look the type."
Artemyra suddenly reached her hand out and halted Coby by grabbing his shoulder. He curiously turned around and saw that she wasn't smiling nor did it look like she was judging him. He was a bit taken back by this. "Never, and I mean this, never put your head down, diminish, or limit yourself. Prove your worth first and gain confidence before worrying about what everyone else thinks. Let that be a lesson to you If you truly wish to strive for greatness." She lifted her hand, wrapped with glittering silver, and poked his forehead. It made his eyes focused all on her determined ones that looked so noble and honest to him. Even her voice was rich sounding.
Coby held his forehead and could still feel the traces of cold metal on his skin. His heart swelled with pride and he quickly pulled up a stiff upper lip and puff out his chest. "Y-Yes, ma'am!" he said with as much confidence as he could muster.
Luffy continued to sing happily to himself while glancing around at all the shops in search of a tavern. His smile fell soon fell when he stopped in front of a building and looked up at the sign that instantly caught his eyes like a shining beacon. Luffy was speechless and utterly enchanted at what was in front of him. It was every man's dream and desire, beckoning for him to come in.
Artemyra noticed his odd behavior and stopped. "Luffy? Is something the matter?"
"A...A.." He sputtered out. Artemyra and Coby cocked their heads to the side when Luffy suddenly snapped at them with his eyes sparkling like gems, much like when he first stepped foot into Armwell. "Armor! This is an armor shop, right?" the hellraiser screeched so loud that it made their ears ring.
"What?" The knight was confused at first before recognizing where they were. She spotted full plates of gold lion armor on display at the window and the large 'open' sign on the door. "You mean an armorer? We got a lot of them in the city but Ozwin's place had always been the best. He specializes in both armor and weapons." She can speak highly of the man since it's where she got her own armor fitted when it was passed down to her from her mother.
"Can I go in? Can I try some armor on?" Luffy said this as if his life depended on it.
Artemyra thought he was hungry but that seemed to be the last thing on his mind right now. He was just too excited that she felt obligated to say yes. "How about this. If you're able to properly pronounce my name then I'll ask Ozwin to let you wear some of the armor he has on display at the window. Weapon and all." She thought it was a pretty good deal until she saw his face drop, sinking so far into himself that you would've thought she had asked him to do something horrible.
That wasn't the case though.
She just asked him to pronounce her name correctly.
Luffy's face scrunched up so bad that it looked like he had just eaten a lemon. His brain was running a thousand miles per-second to try and remember her name. On top of that, try and pronounce it so he could indulge himself in Armwell armor. "Art...Arrr...Myra..."
"You're very close." Artemyra tried her best to not sound disappointed since it's only been an hour since she introduced herself. She questioned how he could've forgotten it so easily though.
A couple of minutes went by while Luffy struggled, repeating the same thing over and over again like a broken record. He had never struggled this hard in his life to remember a name before. Artemyra was patient but even that was running thin despite it not showing on her face. She knew he didn't mean any harm by it but she would be lying if she said it wasn't hurtful.
There was soon a breakthrough with Luffy's discovery. "Art...arr...temyra?"
"Right there!" A childish grin broke out on the knight's face and she cheered loudly, getting a bit too enthusiastic for her liking. Artemyra's face burned up and she cleared her throat and collected herself. It didn't help that Luffy let out this full belly laugh when he saw her turn away from the discomfort. It was the first time he saw her break her noble persona like that and couldn't help but laugh.
"Ain't that a bit to difficult to say?" Luffy wheezed like a dying animal while wiping the tears from his eyes. "I'm just gonna call you Myra." His lips stretched wide and he offered her the biggest and friendliest grin she had ever seen.
Artemyra was shocked at first. "Luffy..." Only her dad had ever called her by that nickname, but hearing it said through another person's mouth made the ends of her lips twitch and turn up. "That doesn't sound so bad." She nodded her head and turned back to Ozwin's place. "A promise is a promise though. Come on."
The lady guided the way inside and pushed open the door that sounded the soft chime of a bell above their heads. The place smelled of freshly cut metal and ash that probably came from the back room where the pieces and blades would be warped and manipulated with the heat from a forge. The inside was also well organized with swords, axes, and hammers on one end while the other had armor of various themes on display. Just like the armor, the swords were all appealing to the eyes too.
After hearing the ring of the front door's bell, a relatively tall looking man stepped out from the back room wearing a messy black apron smudged with oil. Ozwin was rather rough and looked like he had seen a few too many winters. His skin as darkly tanned and weathered like leather, coarse hands, and natural white hair that he had slicked back to keep away from his steely silver eyes. What was most notable about him though was the horrendous bags under his eyes that showed obvious signs of insomnia. His smile was exceedingly gentle though, the kindest they had witnessed all day.
"My lady, as usual, it's wonderful to see you in good health." His voice was as smooth as silk, like polished armor. He promptly bowed his head when Artemyra smiled at him.
"As you, Ozwin. How has your day been?" she asked.
His face scrunched up a little and he seemed puzzled. "Strange, you know. People have been stockpiling weapons for the last few weeks, it seems. Business is booming though so I can't complain." He shrugged but shared the same concerned expression Artemyra did when she heard that
"Is that so..." Her smile diminished a little. "Well, we live in the golden age of piracy. We can't be too careful."
"I understand that." He turned his attention to the two boys behind her. Coby was looking around curiously but Luffy was entranced in the glory that was armor. "Outsiders, it seems," he picked up right away.
"That's right," Artemyra nodded. "They only recently docked here for a place to stay and restock. Sorry to bother you about this request but I made a promise for one of them to try on some of your work. If it's not to much trouble."
"Oh, it's never is if you ask it, my lady." Ozwin waved her off and smiled, gesturing his arm out to the rows of armor to his right. "What can I do for you, son?" he asked Luffy.
Luffy could no longer hold in his excitement. His destiny was so close, an arms reach away. He needed to try on some armor, and not just any kind. The best they had on the island. "What's the coolest looking armor that you have?" he demanded desperately.
Ozwin momently was taken back by Luffy and looked to Artemyra for conformation. She nodded her head and even gave him a thumbs up, so he couldn't refuse the offer. "I...I understand your request. Give me a couple of minutes to put something together."
Ozwin pulled out the Lion armor from the window and used the leather straps inside to buckle the plates down and keep them from going anywhere. The armor was red and black with the molding of a lion's face on the breastplate. He had also adorned him with a heavy broad sword (Unsharpened to be on the safe side) and a shield that had the knights crest etched into it. Luffy was grinning like a clown who was proud of his own jokes and he seemed to be the only one having the time of his life. Coby though on the other hand looked as if the metal plates had swallowed him whole. Nothing would fit on his scrawny body and he even struggled to keep upright with his legs shaking like wet noodles.
"It's...it's a bit hard to move around." He didn't dare move cause he knew it would be all over. "Is this normal?" He never tried armor on before so it was a first-time experience but he didn't expect it to be this heavy.
"I never had problems when I wore full-fledged armor," Artemyra said.
Ozwin continued to adjust the straps on Coby's armor so it would feel sturdier. "Child, to bear armor, one must have a decent amount of muscle to support it."
"Oh, so that's what I'm lacking..." he muttered and accidentally turned around. He lost his balance instantly and began to fall over. He would've hit the floor too if Artemyra wasn't swift enough and caught him just in the nick of time. "Th-thank you, Artemyra-san."
"Why don't you sit down."
"That sounds like a good idea."
Luffy continued to strut around the store, completely happy with his armor and lost in his own fantasy world. In his mind, he was probably off to fight a mighty dragon. Coby decided to take a breather and sit down on the floor and look around the store at the weapons and armor that were all exquisitely crafted.
Ozwin waltzed over to Artemyra while washing the polishing oil off his hands. "So how has your father been doing? I haven't seen him in a while." He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.
"He's...been very busy with eternal and outside affairs. I haven't seen him this stressed in a while." She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.
The craftsmen noticed that odd shift in her eyes and immediately knew what it was about. "Ah, I can understand where he's coming from. After all, the time will soon be upon us. We don't have many years left to prepare." his voice was solemn and filled with dread, his eyes growing heavy from his insomnia sparking up again.
"That's right..." Artemyra said dishearteningly, holding her hand tightly before looking down at her gauntlet. Her lips turned down and she reached to pull the silver glove off. Her hands were rather small and dainty looking but that was only at a first glance. The skin on her palm and fingers were heavily scarred and callus and it was obvious that they had seen better days. It showed her training and her strength though. "It's almost time." She clenched her jaw and sharpened her eyes.
Ozwin felt his mouth go dry when the determination bubbled up in the knightess. "Does your dad still go to the cliffside to meet you?" He cleared his throat and quickly change the subject.
"He does. That old habit of his never dies." She turned her head towards the window that overlooked the town. It had a clear view of the cliff she was at earlier this morning. "I often believe he goes up there half hoping to see my mother. Wishing to be reunited with her."
"I wouldn't be surprised. Losing the love of your life is something you don't get over." Ozwin's words carried the same pain that could match Armstrong's. He too lost his wife a couple of years back, shortly after they lost Lady Hira. "All you can do is bury it for the time being until those longing feelings return. I believe he wants to be with his wife once more...but there is no way he would abandon you. You can be sure of that." He offered her a smile and nudged her side with his elbow.
Artemyra closed her eyes briefly before looking up at him. "It's not me who's afraid of being abandoned, Ozwin..."
Their conversation was soon interrupted when Luffy's growling stomach echoed through the whole store and caused everyone to stop and stare at him. They saw the look of realization press against his face.
"Ah, that's right. I forgot I was hungry."
Artemyra's mouth dropped. "Did you seriously just remember that?"
Luffy reached for the straps inside his armor but began to struggle when he realized he couldn't get it off. "Myra...I can't get out!" he grumbled.
Artemyra then let out her biggest sigh yet today and went over to help him out while Ozwin stood back, looking intrigued at the people inside his shop. "I have never seen such a strange outsider before."