Ink's Notes:

GUESS WHAT TIME IT IS

Krazyfanfiction1: Who knows? I doubt it but WHO KNOWS

Fairy of the Friz: Ahahahaha, thank you~

Wicken25: Paulie is amazing and I don't care what anyone else says

Allykrau: I haven't been playing it what are you talking about STOP ACCUSING ME

Ddash: KEH KEH KEH

peppymint: ssshhh, no one has to know

The Keeper of Worlds: ROPE-FU

AND NOW, LET US BEGIN

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Vivi had just secured their lodgings for the evening when Karin had entered the lobby with what she'd initially thought was Marco in his phoenix form sitting on her shoulder. Before she could greet the bird, Karin lifted a hand to forestall her, then said that it wasn't him and handed her a note. Vivi blinked, skimmed the note, and gathered the others before reading it out loud when she was sure no one was paying attention to their group.

"Hi guys," she began, making sure she had their attention, "I'm sending this note with one of Marco's phoenix clones, so it won't be able to talk or anything like that." Vivi realized that this was why Karin had stopped her from greeting the bird, but didn't voice this realization out loud. "As far as why I'm sending it, there's been an important development. While looking for a boat, we ran into a shipwright named Paulie who we've discovered is from the Grand Line – more specifically, from an island called Water 7."

"Water 7?" Suigetsu perked up at the name.

"It's a city that's got water incorporated into its very being," Tashigi filled Suigetsu in, reciting the facts from memory. "Waterways serve as streets, and a lot of the tech there is powered by water, too. They're also famous on the Grand Line for their shipwrights."

"Water 7, huh…" Suigetsu adopted a contemplative look, and Vivi had a pretty good idea of what he was thinking. She cleared her throat to draw everyone's attention back to herself before she continued reading.

"As such, he will be traveling with us, as well as providing us with a ship that we can use to get to the Land of Water, and then back to Konoha once we've found the last person from the Grand Line. He needs the day to make sure the ship's all ready and load his things onto it, so our plans will stay the same – we'll leave first thing in the morning to head to the Land of Water. Marco's phoenix clone can show you the way to the docks and the ship that we'll be using, so if you want to leave your things there in advance, feel free to do so. Marco—who will be in his human form—and I are helping Paulie with the ship; Bepo is playing with Aisa on the docks; and Perona and Jugo are out for a walk to take in the sights and perhaps get a souvenir or two. We'll see you guys soon! –Sakura."

Vivi checked the letter for anything else, but couldn't find anything of note, so she folded and pocketed it before looking to the others who were assembled. "Would anyone like to go to the docks to see the ship?" she asked.

Suigetsu's hand immediately shot up, and Tashigi slowly raised her hand as well. The two began glaring at one another, and Vivi spared a glance at Karin when she heard the woman emit a groan. Karin was cradling her head in her hands, and it took her a moment, but she slowly noticed Vivi staring at her and offered a weak smile. "He and I used to be like that," she explained, "Always arguing over every little thing…"

Vivi nodded, thinking back to some of the arguments that had happened between Zoro and Sanji when she was traveling with the Straw Hat Pirates. "I used to see arguments like that all the time when I was on the Going Merry," she told Karin, "So I'm pretty used to this sort of thing."

Karin could only sweatdrop at the implication, then turned to the clone of Marco that was still sitting on her shoulder. "Well, if they're the only ones who want to go see the ship, you'd better show them the way."

The bird saluted in response. "Yoi!"

"This is the ship we're going to be using!?" Suigetsu exclaimed, largely out of shock, as he and Tashigi stared up at the ship in front of them.

"Most Marine ships are bigger than this," Tashigi idly noted, "But it is a very impressive vessel…"

The ship itself was a sloop-style ship, sails furled up and tied, with a figurehead that resembled – as Suigetsu found amusing and Tashigi found insulting – Marco's phoenix form. The figurehead was painted with reds and oranges, and the ship itself was painted to match with darker reds and browns.

Marco's phoenix clone fluttered off of Tashigi's head – where it had perched while leading them – and soared up to the crow's nest, where Marco, in human form, was surveying the horizons. It landed on the crow's nest, and Marco pet its head before it vanished in a swirl of blue fire. He turned to the two arrivals below, waving down to them and whistling loudly.

At the sound, Sakura emerged from one of the rooms on the ship and moved to the ship's railing. "Suigetsu! Tashigi!" she greeted with a wave. "You wanna come on board?"

The two said sure, why not, and Suigetsu walked up the side of the ship as Tashigi simply jumped from the dock to the deck. Sakura smiled at them and offered a tour – Tashigi accepted, but Suigetsu declined, so the two girls began walking around the ship while a blond haired man walked over from somewhere at the back of the ship and looked Suigetsu up and down.

"…You're Suigetsu, then?" he asked, adjusting the cigar in his mouth.

"That's me. How d'you…"

"Sakura told me what everyone looks like so I'd know if I have to kick anyone off the ship or not," he explained, running his hand along his hair. "Name's Paulie, I'm a shipwright from Water 7."

Suigetsu lit up at the name. "Tashigi told me about that place. Is everything there really operated with water?"

Paulie nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

Suigetsu slapped the side of his head, and it burst apart into water before reforming after a few seconds. Paulie stared at him with a look that screamed disbelief, before he muttered something that sounded like Freaking Logia types.

"How much do you think I'd be able to do in a place like that?" Suigetsu grinned a shark-like grin.

Paulie's mouth tilted upwards into an amused smirk. "Depends. How good are you with ships?"

The two of them began chatting back and forth, and Marco smirked from the crow's nest, amused at how they were getting along. He picked up something with his haki, and looked up as Perona and Jugo returned to the ship, each of them carrying a bag. Perona floated up onto the deck, then set down her bag and summoned a few of her hollows, which floated down and grabbed Jugo by the shoulders, picking him up and lifting him onto the deck as well.

"That's a new trick," Marco called down, before hopping out of the crow's nest and landing on the deck near them.

"Horohorohorohoro~!" Perona laughed as the hollows dispersed. "I've been practicing it~ If I can get it to a point where it doesn't take a lot of focus, then I can render people immobile and hit them with whatever I'd like~"

Jugo nodded. "I'm happy to be of use, and Perona's promised to help me get stronger as well."

Marco nodded, then glanced at the bags that the two had. "So, what did you get, yoi?" He blinked in confusion when both snatched their bags and turned away simultaneously, before smiling in amusement. "Right, I won't ask then. Got everything you need?"

Jugo nodded. "Why?"

"Paulie says the ship will be ready and operational by tomorrow morning, yoi," Marco smiled. "We'll set sail for the Land of Water once everyone's awake and on board."

And thus ends this chapter! The journey begins next chapter~ See you then!

-Ink