The cresting ocean was cut against an open sky. The scent of salt, crisp in the air, bit at Ichigo's nose. But it was faint- the result of years at sea. Beneath him, the wooden ship rocked idly against the waves. He leaned against the wooden railing, his arms folded beneath him. The wind blowing at his white linen sleeves.
The blues had started their march into the black of night. He doubted they would reach Port Royal before sundown. He scanned the deck of the ship- a large, weathered vessel, staffed mostly by men. It had seen better days, days he vaguely remembered. There had been a time when no one dared cross paths with the ship. That was because of the Great Cannon. It sat at the bow of the ship, unmistakable against the rest of the deck.
The Great Cannon was a marvel of its time. Its size was greater than had been seen, its artistry only matched by its effectiveness in battle. No other ships stood a chance against it. Yet, it was also a work of art- elegant, revolutionary. It single-handedly changed the very Caribbean seas. It had been a golden age.
But over time, the Cannon was changed. Decorations of every kind were added to its once sleek iron exterior. Its shell coated in layers of filigree, ornaments, cloth, and trinkets from around the globe. Each addition more haphazard than the next, building upon layer after layer until its original surface could no longer be seen. Its weight, now several times what it once was, dragged the bow of the ship further towards the waterline. Even the gentlest of breezes would send water onto the deck. As far as accuracy, the Great Cannon would be lucky to hit a small island. If they were right next to it.
In the years since, the seas had become dangerous and ravaged by criminals.
But the Great Cannon was nice to look at, sometimes. If one ignored the gaudy decorations and thought of memories from better days. This was difficult, as the majority of people and items had to stay toward the stern of the ship as counterweights.
"Oh, my! It's getting dark," Captain Orihime said as she skipped over to Ichigo.
He shrugged. "Yeah."
Behind Orihime, he could see one of the crewman leering at Orihime. Again. He glared at them half-heartedly until the man went back to adjusting the ship's rigging. Women deserved better than that, Ichigo thought.
Darkness descended overhead. Ichigo stood at the railing, looking out into the abyss as he often did. He was vaguely aware Orihime was still next to him and trying to cuddle his arm.
Something dark moved across the water. It was almost as if-
He bolted upright. "Pirates!"
Everyone around him stirred. A crewman scoffed. "There's no pirates around here, sir-"
"Pirates!" a voice bellowed from the crow's nest.
But it was too late. Before even a single pistol could be reached, a harpoon and rope hit one of the masts. A small figure swung down in a wide arc. They gracefully landed in the middle of the deck, obscured by a large captain's hat accented with a white ostrich feather. Sword drawn.
They were followed by a dozen other pirates. The pirate ship was suddenly upon them, and with it an arsenal of guns and cannons. All of them aimed at their ship.
The small figure stepped forward into the dim lantern light. "Stay where you are! We are commandeering your valuables. If you do as we say, you will be unharmed." She was short, exceedingly petite, dressed in a purple bodice against black skirts and boots. A tilt of her head revealed a familiar face, with raven black hair cropped to her shoulders.
"Rukia?" Ichigo blinked.
She paused. "Ah, Ichigo! I didn't realize you were here."
"K-Kuchiki-san!" Orihime called.
"What the hell?! You're a pirate!"
"Ah. Yes, that's right." Rukia said, lowering the saber. Then, she noticed Orihime's state of distress. "I apologize, but we are robbing your ship. It's nothing personal."
Orihime started to sniffle and cry. She tried to burrow further into Ichigo's shoulder. He winced reflexively.
"Like hell it is! You did this on purpose," Ichigo said with a glare.
Her ship was visible dimly against the moonlight. A large, simplistic rabbit-like figurehead stared hauntingly from the shadows. A similar and poorly drawn image could be seen on the sails far above.
Rukia smirked. "Oh? You think I was watching for your ship? That I cared enough to seek you out over hundreds of miles of open sea, after all these years?"
He smirked, their eyes locking. "Yeah."
Her smirk widened. Whether it was from his unspoken challenge- or the fact that her crew were now taking away large chests of riches- Ichigo wasn't sure, nor did he care.
"So. You were thinking about me, huh?" he asked.
She scoffed, sheathing her sword in its scabbard and folding her arms in front of her."Fool! Do not flatter yourself. It was mere coincidence."
Her crew was efficient. Already, anything of remote value had been stripped, pried, or cut away from the ship. The Great Cannon was left untouched.
"What happened to Co-Captain Abarai?" Orihime asked.
"I sent him away. He serves with a Colonel named Sanders, aiding in the poultry trade," Rukia said.
"We're all set, Captain!" Hanatarou waved from the edge of the deck. "It's nice to see you, Ichigo-san, Orihime-san," he smiled.
"That was fast," Ichigo said.
Rukia's gaze captured Ichigo in a way he hadn't experienced in years. Something flickered across her face, more sober than before. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the deck below them lurched sickeningly.
"What?" Rukia gaped, all of them grabbing at railings or rigging to steady themselves. The deck lurched again, the ship tilting towards the bow.
"It's unbalanced!" Ichigo shouted. The Great Cannon was tipping forward, even on the deck. "You took everything from the stern!"
The ship was tilting now, sending them- and anything left that wasn't nailed down- sliding towards the front of the ship.
"Abandon ship!" a crewman yelled.
It was a race towards Rukia's ship, everyone skipping over the gap between decks. Crashing and crunching was left in their wake as wood splintered and bent. Water rushed over the bow, creeping rapidly across the deck.
From Rukia's ship, they watched transfixed. The Great Cannon was surrounded by the water, then was lowered into it. The ship tipping further, further, further still; until the last remains of the stern was also pulled into the black depths.
"Ah," Rukia muttered.
"Great. What now?" Ichigo asked. Orihime was blubbering next to him.
"I suppose you'll have to stay here," Rukia said idly, turning to smirk towards him. "How unfortunate."
He smirked. "Yeah. I guess you're stuck with me."
"I don't tolerate idle hands aboard my ship. You will need to prove yourself useful," she said, appraising him with faint amusement, a hand a her hip.
"We still need a co-captain," Hanatarou said helpfully.
"No problem," Ichigo nodded.
"B-But!" Orihime sniffed. "What will I do? I've- I've been a captain for so long-"
Rukia pondered, looking over her shoulder. "There is another ship that could use your services," she said.
Nodding to Hanatarou, he sped over to the other side of the ship. There, he lifted a special lantern with a shutter light, which he flickered in a particular pattern. Another blink of distant light answered it across the water. Within moments another ship arrived in the darkness- smaller than Rukia's mighty vessel, yet formidable in its own right. It's sails featured a blue cross against white cloth.
"You needed something, Kuchiki-san?" Ishida asked from the deck of his own ship.
"Please take Inoue as part of your crew, Ishida," Rukia said.
He bowed. "Of course."
Orihime first looked at Ichigo, torn- but then saw Ishida in the subtle beams of moonlight and the flicker of candle; how he looked in his impeccably trimmed uniform and elegant saber which hung at his side. "Y-Yes!" She smiled, skipping over to the deck's edge.
They helped her over to the other ship, where Ishida asked what her areas of interest were. She had trouble remembering, at first- she'd given them all up when she first set sail with Ichigo. But then, she remembered her studies in medical uses for molds, and the idea of burning things to use steam as a form of power. Amongst other strange ideas.
Ishida, and his pursuit of knowledge, would be there to support her.
Ichigo stood next to Rukia as the other ship faded away, cloaked by the dark seas, with only the stars above them. Ichigo wasn't sure how life on the new ship would compare. But even there, next to her, a strange serenity descended. A feeling he hadn't experienced in many years.
And his last meal had been the hard-as-rocks biscuits with corn mash and cocoa beans. A sort meal he would never, ever have to suffer through again.
It was clear many interesting adventures lay ahead on this new- yet so familiar- ship.
"I guess you're stuck with me, huh?" He smirked.
Rukia was smiling at him, softly. "Fool."
Happy April 1st, everyone! ;)