It was a sizzling hot day, the sun burning down upon the waves. Upon the Big Top, Buggy sat in his chair, sweating, when the shadow of his new cabin boy approached.

"Your rum, cap'n."

Buggy accepted the bottle with a smile, "Thank you, lad," and began gulping down the contents.

He was interrupted by a call from up in the lookout tower, "Cap'n! Ship right ahead of us!"

Buggy, a trace of concern in his voice, asked, "Marines?"

"No, sir! I spot a black flag!"

Now that changes things, Buggy thought. He turned to face his chief of staff, "Cabaji!"

"Captain?"

Buggy bellowed, "Begin a boarding action!"

Cabaji saluted, "Yes, sir!", then began to assemble the most abled-bodied crewmen on deck, Harroll being among their number.

"You go along with them, Kiso," Buggy spoke to Kiso, "time to see you in action."

Kiso, eager to please, nodded, "Yes, sir."

…

"Charge!"

Cabaji led the crew in storming the enemy ship. Being on the frontline, he wasted no time slicing up any pirate unfortunate enough to cross his path.

"Kiso! Kiso!"

Kiso, on the outskirts of the fighting, turned to Harroll, standing next to an open hatch on the ship that would lead below-deck, waving at him.

"Down below, lad! Follow me and we'll find their booty!"

Kiso followed Harroll down the hatch's ladder. It was dark, only dimly lit with a few candles.

"Where be the loot?", he asked the crewman.

"Right here, lad, right here…", Harroll gestured for Kiso to come close while he was holding up a bag.

Kiso was right in front of Harroll when the crewman unsheated his cutlass with a snarl, "Die, you little demon!" and made a move to strike the boy on the head.

Kiso caught Harroll's arm by the wrist, the blade inches away from his hair, he cried out in dismay, "What are you doing?!"

Harroll, now struggling to regain control of his arm, had a murderous glare in his eyes, "Thought you had us all fooled didn't ye. Not me, though, I'm wise to your game."

Suddenly, a shot when out from behind Harroll. Kiso watched, stunned, as the life went out of Harroll's eyes, his corpse collapsing to the floor.

There, holding the smoking pistol, stood a disheveled, bearded man (a member of the enemy crew who hid below deck to avoid the fighting) with a trace of fear and anxiety in his eyes, "Die, you bilge rats!"

The man moved to reload his pistol when Kiso lunged at him, grabbing him by the neck reflexively. The man sputtered out a breath for a second before his neck snapped in a sickening crunch.

Kiso gasped and gazed in horror at the corpse, his mind flashing back to an earlier time…

All across the island, the houses were burning, the denizens lying dead in front of their destroyed homes.

It was the first time the Arlong Pirates had brought Kiso along on a raid. The first time he saw first-hand what they did to people who were short on the 'protection' bill.

The island did have a Marine squad stationed there. But, with their small numbers and ill-funded weapons, it was child's play for the pirates to take them captive.

Now, Kuroobi, the crew's first mate (and Kiso's 'sensei' in the art of Fishman Karate) was using the Marines (bound by the wrists and their mouths gagged) as target dummies.

With his student as his audience, Kuroobi went up to each Marine and snapped their neck. Kiso cringed at the sight of every snap-crunch!-but did not dare avert his eyes for he knew he would face Sensei's wrath if he did so.

When he was down to only one Marine, Kuroobi turned and gestured for Kiso to approach. This human, he said, was to be the boy's to finish.

Kiso wavered, he had never taken a life before. But, months prior, he had learned a hard-and very painful-lesson not to disobey Sensei's instructions.

The Marine before him was young, early twenties at most. He pleaded at him with his eyes, filled to the brim with fear.

Kiso reluctantly took hold of the right side of the man's neck and grabbed a bit of his hair with the other hand. The man screeched in pain, which was covered by the gags.

With one motion, the man's neck was snapped. Kiso let go of the body, causing it to fall onto the sand.

Kiso stared down at the man, haunted by his lifeless eyes, and looked up to see Kuroobi smiling at him approvingly…

Kiso was snapped out of his flashback by a cry of victory on deck, "We've taken the ship!"

…

The crew were gathered on deck to honor one of their fallen, who was laid upon the edge and wrapped up in a sheet.

The captain, looking solemn, stood out in front. Next to him was his two officers.

"Alas, poor…", Buggy paused, his face showing slight embarrassment, before turning to Cabaji, whispering, "What was his name?"

Cabaji blinked before answering, "Harroll, captain."

"Yes, Harroll,", and Buggy returned to his eulogy, "few finer a crewman that has sailed on my ship, we now bequeath to the worthiest grave for any true man of the seas."

Harroll's body was then dumped off the side into the water for a burial at sea. With that business done, the crew then began their customary funeral process-namely drinking the enemy's recovered rum supply.

…

It was night, the moon light shown across the sea. Most of the residents of the Big Top, including the captain, were sound asleep.

The exceptions were Kiso and the First Mate who was waiting for him on deck, with his back turned to him.

"You wished to see me, sir?"

"Yes," Mohji turned to face the boy, "Shame about poor Harroll, is it not?"

"Aye, sir."

"Y'know, the night he came aboard, he spoke to me of you."

Kiso had a bad feeling in this stomach. Where was this heading, he wondered.

"Or, more specifically, of the crew you hail from."

Kiso looked up at him, concern beginning in his eyes, "Sir?"

The concern was met by a cold glare in Mohji's own, "Do not think me a fool, Fish Boy. Do you expect me to believe that the only one on deck that recognized you as one of Arlong's winding up dead when alone with you is merely a coincidence."

"Listen, sir, please- ", Kiso was cut off by Mohji snarling, "No, you shall listen. You're speaking to the First Mate, remember that always."

Kiso paused, his head down in fear as Mohji continued, "I cannot prove that you slew Harroll, but know that, from here on out, I will be watching you."

With this, Kiso nodded and silently made way for his quarters, the Lion Tamer glaring daggers at his back all the while.