And now for something completely different, if I may use the phrase. Kind of a shorter chapter, too. Sorry about that.
Bounty Seven
Chapter Eight Rainbow Chameleon, Part 1
It was now night, and the passengers of the ferry were all snug in their beds. The small boat had weighed anchor, allowing the crew time to sleep as well. It seemed all activity on the ferry had halted for the moment. At least, that's how it seemed.
The door to the crew's mess hall opened, and one sailor exited, stumbling a little as he did so. The nearly-empty bottle he was holding may have had something to do with this.
After taking a swig from the bottle, the sailor moved, swaying, to the railing, where he looked down at the darkened ocean.
While drinking alone and at night was a very depressing concept, this was the only time for this sailor to do so. This was the case for every sailor, in fact, as drinking alcohol was prohibited during their lunch hour. And being caught drinking on a work night was an equally unpleasant prospect, which was why most of the crew didn't dare try it. Their job might have been medicre, but none of them wanted to risk losing it.
Lifting the neck of the bottle to his mouth once more, the sailor drank again, this time emptying the bottle. Then, with a uncaring shrug, he dropped it over the railing and into the ocean.
The sailor grimaced at the after-taste. The only good booze they stocked was what they served to the passengers.
A yawn escaped his mouth. He really should have been getting to bed, but the thought of waking up to more unreasonable demands and condescension from those fatcats wasn't particularly appealing. He supposed he'd just stand here for a while.
That was when he heard a thump from directly behind him.
The sailor turned around, slightly sluggishly. Shadows had formed across most of the deck, but he could see there was definitely someone standing there.
"Hello?" he called, trying not to slur his words, in case this was a passenger, or, god forbid, one of his superiors.
The figure didn't answer. If his mind hadn't been dulled by the alcohol he'd just ingested, then a warning light would have gone off in the sailor's mind.
As it was, he called again. "Is there something you need? Why are you just standing there?"
After another moment without a response from whoever this was, the sailor began to think that maybe there was something wrong here.
Naturally, this was when the figure stepped out of the shadows, and that inkling became a certainty. The sailor's eyes might have refused to believe what they were seeing, but his mind could see plainly that the sight before it's eyes was wrong. And, given that it was the one in charge, it quickly sent one simply command to the rest of itself; get away.
Unfortunately for the sailor however, the slightly addled state the booze had put him in caused him to stand motionless for a moment, like a deer caught in a car's headlights, to use an inappropriate metaphor.
Not that this would have mattered either way, for in a moment the figure was on him. One hand clapped down over the sailor's mouth, preventing him from uttering whatever cry for help he had had in mind. With it's other, it pushed him in the chest, sending his upper body leaning out over the railing.
Naturally, the sailor began to struggle, but the figure punched him in the chest, hard, knocking the wind and fight out of him.
Then, the figure flicked it's wrist, and there came the noise of a particularly sharp blade making it's presence known. Hearing this, the sailor let out a muffled cry, no doubt a plea directed at the figure's sense of mercy.
...which, unfortunately, was apparently out at the moment. Or perhaps it had never been there in the first place. Either way, the blade the figure was holding whistled through the air, cut through the man's uniform, pierced his flesh, and finally slipped past his ribcage, impaling the poor man in the heart. Naturally, he died instantly.
The figure let go of the knife, leaving it stuck in the sailor's corpse. Momentum and gravity promptly took over, and it fell into the water with a quiet splash.
After taking a moment to view it's handiwork - or lack thereof - the figure adjusted it's uniform and walked back to the stairs. It was late, and he had to be well rested to attend to the needs of the passengers in the morning.
Asakura leaned back, feeling the wind rustle past her face and sweep back her long hair. She was sitting on the ferry's one mast, high above the deck below. She had come up here to think, and while even most shinobi would find it an odd place to mull over one's thoughts, Asakura took to heights as well as an actual bird did.
And ever since she was a child, Asakura had loved the wind; both the feeling of it and the spirit of it. It was a primal force, free and uncontrollable.
So very much unlike herself.
Asakura looked down at the open scroll in her hand. The previous night, she had sent a message back to her home village, informing them of her decision to travel with Siegfried for the time being. This letter had apparently arrived just as they had been about to send one her one of their own, which she was now holding in her hands. It duly informed her that her decision was respected, but also reminded her not to shirk her duties. As well, it contained updates on several bounty heads within her area. Useful information for any shinobi, but at the moment her mind was on other matters.
In truth, she had not told the village everything about Siegfried. She had been truthful about his status as a 'bounty hunter', but nothing more. While she had not been directly questioned regarding him, she still felt as though she had lied to her village, something she had never done before.
"...no. That is not the case, is it? Which makes this all the more serious. Why? I had nothing to gain from it, and surely the village would wish to know about the existence of such a person. And yet, I said nothing. Could he have effected my mind somehow, without me noticing? ...no, he was being honest when he agreed not to. I can trust him to keep his word."
She sighed. Figuring out how Siegfried might have been able to effect her actions would have to wait until she could figure out why she had agreed to travel with him in the first place. And for the moment, no answer was forthcoming in that regard. The bounty hunter himself had not been a very large help in deducing this answer, either. Asakura thought back to the conversation the two of them had had the night before.
"So, Asakura," Siegfried began, looking over at Asakura, who was standing motionlessly against the wall, "you're aware that you have your own room, yes? Unless of course, there was something you wanted from me? Which I hope is more answers, since I really prefer to date first."
If Asakura appreciated this example of Siegfried's humor more than the others, she didn't show it. Walking over to the small table, she dragged the chair in front of the bed and sat down opposite him.
"We have discussed the terms of my travelling with you," she began bluntly, "but if I am to accompany, I must ask: how do you plan to do this? You must have a plan to accomplish a feat of this magnitude, especially with only the two of us. Unless," she added mirthlessly, "you happen to have an army hiding somewhere."
Siegfried shook his head gravely, apparently taking the half-joke somewhat seriously. "No, of course not. An army would be far more of a detriment than it would be an aid. Tell me, how do you think most people view the Revolutionaries, or Whitebeard's massive crew?"
"As Criminals." Asakura replied immediately.
"Yes, exactly." Siegfried said, nodding. "The reason for that lies in their numbers. Any army that doesn't belong to the World Government will invariably be viewed with distrust, and fear. After all, if they have enough forces to destroy or conquer an entire island, then who's to say they wouldn't do just that? I'm sure that's the reason you shinobi have hid yourselves off from the world, isn't it?"
Asakura nodded slowly. "It is a very foolish way to think, but that is sadly the truth."
Siegfried shrugged. "That's just how people think. Other groups can't hold a candle to them when it comes to good publicity. However..."
The bounty hunter smirked. "Much like the World Government, I also know how people think. And I know that there's nothing quite so endearing as the direct opposite of a vast army."
"Which is?" Asakura prompted. She was doing a lot of that lately, she reflected.
Siegfried smiled back, apparently thinking the same thing. "Oh, a small group of people, at least six, but not much more than ten. Formed by a lone bounty hunter, they would come from many different walks of life, no two of them the same. Each would be skilled enough in their combat styles to defeat pirate crews single-handedly, and even truly fearsome foes would be no match for them, so long as they used teamwork."
He then shrugged. "Simply put, a rag-tag band of misfits."
"You are a misfit?" Asakura said doubtfully.
Siegfried chuckled. "Well, the definition is quite broad. My point is, is there anything more inherently wholesome than a tightly-knit group of eccentric individuals? For example, look at the Shichibukai. They all used to be pirates, and they rarely actually interact with each-other. And yet, the World Government has no problem marketing them as one of the symbols of their protection. Naturally, it will be a bit harder for us, owing to a lack of resources, but it's definitely doable."
"Allow me to see if I understand you correctly." Asakura said after a short pause. "You mean to recruit several more members, and form a group of bounty hunters. When this group is complete, we will then begin to fight and apprehend pirates and other criminals to slowly build a good reputation, and earn trust among the people of the world. We will then use that trust as a weapon, in order to reveal the World Government for what it really is."
A moment after she had finished, Siegfried's smile widened, and, raising his hands, he clapped. "Exactly. Quite right, Asakura. I'm very glad that I have someone as astute as you around."
Asakura did not seem visibly flattered. "You seem to have thought about this often."
"Indeed." Siegfried smiled ironically. "At the academy, the other students specialized in fighting, or in strategy. I trained at understanding how other people think. A useful skill, and certainly appropriate, given what I am."
"I see." Asakura nodded, speaking more to herself than to Siegfried. "It is indeed a good plan. However, while these people are common in your opinion, they are often outsiders for a reason. They may not join you as readily as I."
Siegfried shrugged. "I've already recruited you, so I'm well ahead of schedule. But I doubt I'll be lucky enough to meet another person like you onboard this vessel, so for now, let's relax and enjoy the rest of the voyage. If that's all right with you, that is."
Try as she might, Asakura could not find an objection to this. "Very well."
Rising, she walked to the door, before pausing and turning back to her new comrade. "Good night, Siegfried."
He smiled back at her. "And good night to you, Asakura."
"It seems I will have to interact with several others soon." the shinobi thought to herself. She nodded to herself, looking somewhat reluctant. "Very well. As long as they are not like Siegfried.
...well," she smiled ruefully, "that is impossible, isn't it? The fates would never allow more than one of him."
With that out of the way momentarily, the shinobi took a closer look at the notice. Quickly, she skimmed through the list of bounty heads that were in her vicinity - none of whom she could actually go after, lacking any abilities for travelling across water. The notices the village sent out were somewhat impersonal, but given the number of shinobi and how widespread they were, it was certainly justified.
The last name, however, leapt out at the shinobi. Her eyes narrowed as she read it. She tood up from the mast. Siegfried would have to be informed; he, and everyone else on this ship were in grave danger.
At that moment, Siegfried was walking down the hallway below decks. While the ferry lacked a dedicated gym, that would be no excuse for falling behind in his training. Simply doing laps around the innards of the boat might not have been the most sophisticated training, but it kept his body active, and that was good enough for him.
Just as he was about to round the corner, someone else did, and they ran right into the bounty hunter, who stumbled but didn't fall over.
"Sorry," the man (for the person evidently was one) immediately grunted, brushing past Siegfried and continuing down the hallway.
Pausing a moment to glare at his retreating back, Siegfried turned the corner himself, and-
The bounty hunter stopped, looking at the sight before him. Swivelling, he looked back around the corner, but the man was nowhere to be found.
Siegfried turned back to the man who was now before him, fumbling somewhat desperately in his pockets for the key to his room.
The bounty hunter cupped his chin, beginning to think. "I only saw his face for a moment, of course. Hardly conclusive evidence. And it's hardly impossible for two men to share some physical characteristics."
His eyes flicked to the man again. "On the other hand, two men looking completely identical? Quite the opposite."
Siegfried continued walking. He could have gone after that person, but given the ability they might possess, charing in blindly would be a mistake, and possible a fatal one. Besides, he had no idea what this person was up to, or even if it was anything malevolent. Granted, it probably was, but that was still no reason to be stupid.
He'd find Asakura, and see what she had to say about this. The bounty reflected as he walked that he'd been wrong; there was another remarkable person on this ship.
"Well, the Grand Line does excel at proving people's expectations wrong. Oh well. At least I won't be bored with someone like this around."
As he neared the stairs leading up to the deck, there suddenly came a woman's scream. This preceded the sound of a group of people, all talking loudly and wildly.
Siegfried was about to climb up and discover what was going on when he was met by a sailor coming down the stairs.
"Excuse me." Siegfried said, drawing his attention. "Is something happening up on deck?"
The sailor turned to him, looking shocked and bewildered. He practically saluted when he saw the bounty hunter. "Ah, Mister Siegfried. Well, um, ah...t-there's been a murder, sir."
A moment passed, and then Siegfried nodded. "I see. Of who?"
"W-well," the sailor began unsteadily, "one of our own sailors, sir. W-we discovered the body when the anchor was pulled up. I-it was hanging off of it."
"I see." Siegfried nodded again. "Well, you had better go tell the captain, shouldn't you?"
The sailor nodded, looking supremely grateful for the dismissal, and ran off.
"So, it's a who-done-it, hm?" Siegfried thought to himself. "I never liked mystery novels. A serial murderer, though, is right up my alley. Now, let's take a look at that-"
"Siegfried."
The bounty hunter turned around to find Asakura standing just behind him. "Ah, Asakura. I take it you've heard the news?"
The female shinobi nodded. "Yes. There has been a murder."
Siegfried nodded back. "I suppose I should apologize for saying the rest of the trip would be boring. I may have jinxed it."
His tone turned serious. "So, what's your opinion on this? Did you see anyone suspicious?"
The shinobi shook her head. "No. Obviously, no killer would do his deed in the middle of the day, and last night nearly everyone on this boat was asleep."
Siegfried frowned. "Yes, that's true. Of course, given our surroundings, the list of suspects is quite small."
Asakura nodded. "Especially given that I believe I know the identity of the culprit."
Siegfried smiled. "Ah, I thought you might." He leaned forward. "And who might that be?"
Wham.
Even as his body, never seeing the blow coming, began to crumple, Siegfried's eyes looked down to see the fist that had struck him hard in the gut. His vision began to fade, but his eyes still glanced back up at Asakura's mask, which began to shift and change before them.
"...you..."
"Oh, gee, give the guy a cigar."
To be continued...
Next time, on Bounty Seven...
Siegfried: I hope you don't think that you're going to get away with this.
???: I have an appointment with a cute little birdie...
???: Why are you wearing a mask, anyway?
Rainbow Chameleon, Part 2
Siegfried: Aren't you the one who's really hiding?
The Dude of Doom - He generally does consider mass murderers to be criminals, yeah. No offense meant, of course. Glad you've liked it so far, I'll do my best to keep it up.
OPFan - Well, I'll take that as a sign I'm doing my job right.
Shinobi-dono: Well, that might be a case of bad implementation on my part, but I've been trying to avert the reaction the types of characters you're referring to usually get. If you'll notice, of the three named characters that have met Siegfried so far, their initial reactions have ranged from caution and slight fear (Asakura), irritation and anger (Erik) and sheer disbelief at his arrogance (The Hanged Man). Granted, in Asakura's case, she learned more about him, but he can still be very off-putting to people when he first meets them, simply because he acts so perfectly.
At least, that's what I was going for.
And you're correct; the shinobis in this story are intended slightly as a homage to Naruto. Honestly, I first created them because any world full of pirates must logically also have ninjas somewhere. Don't worry, though, I'll be doing my best to avoid what I like to call 'The Kishimoto Effect'; namely, the act of creating interesting characters with interesting powers...and then either refusing to let them do anything of worth, or killing them off after one fight. In other words, the exact antithesis of One Piece.
On an unrelated note, this is perhaps the longest reply I've ever done for a review.
Well, until next time...see ya.