This is probably one of my favorite chapters while I was writing it. While no action takes place plenty of hilarity ensues as Mikoto has just woken up from his sleep, Marx reveals his true perverseness, and the Marines just keep getting weirder!

"Please everyone report to the main feasting hall," said the announcements. "The feast in honor of the exploration crew's captain is about to commence. Everyone hurry down to the main feasting hall."

"Crap…leave it to Mikoto to go for a walk one hour before the feast in his honor and get lost," said Ridley. "We are leaving quite an impression."

"Calm down, Ridley," said Zesiro. He looked around the room. "Mikoto is Mikoto. He'll show up sooner or later."

"The sad thing is you are probably right," said Ridley. "But still we need someone to explain to them why he's gone missing…the idea of a captain getting lost in a building is a bit of disconcerting when he's going to be sailing the seas."

"Don't worry about it," smiled Sage, "I've got it all covered."

"That worries me," said Ridley.

"What! It could help if you gave me a vote of confidence!" shouted Sage.

"I would, but I am still trying to get back some of that half a million belies you spent for no reason on stupid stuff," shouted Ridley.

"How long are you going to hold that over my head," said Sage.

"As long as it takes for us to make half a million belies!" replied Ridley.

"Stop fighting," said Gumm as he walked by in the opposite direction, "It is impolite to fight at a celebration."

"…Thanks for telling us that," said Sage kind of freaked out. She leaned over and whispered in Zesiro ears, "Isn't that kind of obvious?"

"He's a freak," replied Zesiro not even attempting to hide his voice. Gumm ignored his comments or rather he didn't even seem to hear them. "Hey, Gumm, where are you going? The feast is this way."

"I'm taking the long way," said Gumm. He pushed his glasses back over his eyes using his pinky. He continued on his predetermined path.

Zesiro glanced at the nearby sign over the door. It was written in clear plain letters 'Main Feasting Hall'. "It's going to be a long walk for him."

(-In Prisoner's Cell Block-)

"Crap!" said Mikoto glancing around. "I think I lost my way. Let's see I took two lefts then a right, went up some stairs…and then trying to find my way back to the place I took seven lefts, three rights, and up some more stairs, wait! I'm only on the second floor…going up two stairs should put me on the third floor, shouldn't it?

"There's a map on the desk over there," said one of prisoners from behind the bars.

Mikoto ran over to the desk and pulled out a map of the base. He looked it over. He ran over to the prisoner that said it. "Thanks, my name is Mikoto!" Mikoto stuck his hand through the prison bars.

"Hiro-Shu," said the prisoner. His large hand took hold of Mikoto's hand. "Why are you down here?"

"I got lost," said Mikoto. "That's quite a grip you've got. Why are you behind bars?"

"I got framed for stealing," said Hiro-Shu. "Why did you join the marines?"

"I didn't join the marines!" shouted Mikoto. "I am a pirate!"

"Are you sure you should be saying that here?" said Hiro-Shu, "This is a Marine base."

"Yeah…I probably shouldn't have said that…" said Mikoto. "Uh…do you mind not telling anyone about this?"

"Don't worry about it," said Hiro-Shu, "Your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks," said Mikoto. "You've got framed for stealing? I thought you had to be super powerful to get locked up."

"I am a vessel," said Hiro-Shu. "I am the vessel of 'Igoku the Iron Golem'. When someone becomes a famed treasure hunter and also possess a very powerful spirit they are numerous people who want them out of the picture."

"A treasure hunter?" said Mikoto, "too bad you are behind bars. We could use someone with your expertise while we are out on the seas."

"What makes you think I'd join you?" said Hiro-Shu, "I've been sailing on my own for as long as I can remember drifting from island to island and you think I'd join your pirate crew?"

"Well, weren't you captured while you were sailing all by yourself?" asked Mikoto. A cackling laughter came from inside the cell from behind Hiro-Shu.

"He got you good," said the lanky prisoner. "You are stupid!" He continued to laugh in his high pitched laugh. He walked over to Mikoto. He stuck his hand out, but it didn't exit the cell.

Mikoto smiled and reached his hand in to shake the prisoner's hand. After a couple of good shakes the prisoner's grip tightened. "I've tricked you! Now I'll just pull you in and take you as a hostage. My freedom for your life, the Marines will easily accept such a trade! I, '24 million belie' Kabe, will be free once more!" He tried to pull Mikoto closer to the bars, but Mikoto remained in place.

Mikoto yanked his hand in his direction trying to free himself from the prisoner's grip. He pulled and took another step back. The prisoner's body was actually being nearly pulled through the prison cell's bars. His face twisted against the bar. Mikoto kept pulling his attention completely on his hand, rather then on the prisoner. The prisoner's grip loosen up and Mikoto stumbled backwards. The prisoner fell backwards right on top of his butt.

"Your lucky I'm not out there!" shouted the prisoner, Kabe. "Cause if I were I'd kick your butt using my unique boxing style! I don't have a 24 million belie bounty for just having a pretty face! I am the strongest, the best, the funniest, the most world renowned pirate in all of the world!"

"I thought good pirates had a bounty of 300 million or higher," said Mikoto. "Why is yours so low? And how did you get captured?"

"He's just a liar," said Valerie as she walked into the prison cell. Many of male prisoners started swooning and giving her cat calls or wolf whistles. Inappropriate chattering soon followed.

Kabe slicked back what little hair he had left and went up to the bars. "Hey, sweet little lady, what do you say you come in here and serve your better man?" His hands on the bars. A tick formed on both Hiro-Shu's and Valerie's forehead.

Valerie jabbed her high-heel's heel into the prisoner's hand and against the bar. Kabe screamed in pain falling to the floor clutching his hand and crying. "You witch!" Hiro-Shu's oversized foot slammed into the gut of the man on the ground. He stood on top of him ignoring his efforts to get up.

"Hey, Mikoto, you remember me, don't you?" said Valerie with a sweet smile.

"Yeah," said Mikoto, "you are that one girl that Marx said he wanted to see naked."

"Thanks for reminding me," said Valerie, "the feast is about to start. Go wait outside this room and we can walk there together."

"Thanks, uh…Valerie!" shouted Mikoto, "by the way can we keep the fact that I got lost just between us?"

"No problem," said Valerie. Mikoto flashed another happy smile and charged out the door.

Valerie turned her attention to Hiro-Shu. "I'm surprised I'd meet you here. Since the day you saved me and my men from those pirates in the town, I've been looking for you. Little did I imagine that I'd see you again in prison."

"Not my ideal reunion spot either," said Hiro-Shu, "why did you come down here?"

"Because of you," said Valerie, "Kin told me he couldn't put off your execution date another a month and that you were going to get executed soon. Ooops, sorry I didn't mean to scare you."

"I'm not scared," said Hiro-Shu, "I've been in worse situations."

"Yeah, and you are going to get out of this one just like all of the other ones," said Valerie. "Orso."

The small teddy bear appeared from the bag. He turned back around and started digging around in the bag. He soon reemerged carrying a small silver key. "Here you go, big man," he said cheerfully. "Any friend of Valerie's is a friend of mine!"

"Nice to know," said Hiro-Shu, "I suppose I'm supposed to make a break with this little key."

"That's right," said Valerie, "there's a huge feast tonight, there's going to be a lot of drinking…make your escape after we all go to bed. The sake is going to knock so many people out and disorientate the guards that do manage to stay up."

"Lucky me," said Hiro-Shu, "how I am supposed to get a ship and escape?"

"You could steal the ship from the exploration crew that is staying here," said Valerie. "I'm sure the Marines would approve of giving them a ship."

"I wonder if the captain would let me join him," said Hiro-Shu, "He seems like a swell guy and we hit it off well." Kabe started to complain again, but Hiro-Shu simply twisted his heavy iron foot causing a quick scream and that made him shut up.

Valerie laughed. "Sure, you guys probably would. Remember now I don't want you to die and I would like to see you again some day. There are some things I want to ask you, but now isn't the time or the place." She got up and left the room.

Hiro-Shu's attention went back to the halfway unconscious man under his foot. "Now be a good little brat and apologize for what you said to Valerie." His left fist became encased in a heavy iron gauntlet.

(-In the main feasting hall-)

The party had already began, many of the marines were already scattered eating to their heart's delight of the food. Only problem was the captain of the exploration crew hadn't shown up yet.

Sage scowled at Marx. The perv! Refusing to accept Ridley as the captain's right hand man during the party and insisted that she sat with him, Kin, and Mikoto. Normally that wouldn't have upset her that much, but Mikoto was nowhere to be seen and Kin seemed to ignore Marx's beyond numerous 'advances' on her. She guessed Zesiro probably hated Gumm the same amount right now. Pulling him away and engaging him a talk about politics, puzzles, and 'what is up'. (Namely the ceiling, the sky, and the clouds.)

Marx smiled devastatingly at Sage. "Hey, so, since your boyfriend had recently flown the coop, what do you say me and you get together later on tonight and have nice little chat?" Marx moved his chair over closer to Sage.

"Thanks, but I am only seventeen and you are in your mid-twenties or somewhere around there," said Sage trying not to upset the entire marine base. "It would be indecent."

"As long as your boyfriend doesn't care, who else would?" said Marx. His hand went straight for Sage's chest and more specifically her breasts. Sage swatted his hands away quickly.

"I care," said Sage. "I don't want to date you, you are such a pervert!…And Mikoto is not my boyfriend."

"Great," said Marx not caring about her pervert comment, "So no one will mind if I…do what I want to do."

"I take that back," said Sage. "Mikoto is my boyfriend! Mikoto's my boyfriend!"

Kin seemed to reenter the conversation at that point. "Hey, here comes your boyfriend." Kin said with a wicked and somewhat cruel smile sensing she was lying.

Mikoto was escorted to the seat by Valerie, who upon realizing the table was full shrugged it off and walked over to the same table as Gumm. Kin raised his eyebrow at Valerie. She didn't say anything to him, despite the last time he talked to her it was about him trying to save a prisoner's life who she knew. "Oh, well, back to the table and the hopefully hilarious development," thought Kin.

Marx had his eye trained on Sage. Waiting for some reason or some way to prove that Sage was lying and give him an opening for his next move.

"Um…hate to come and go," started Mikoto, "but I've got to go get some grub. I haven't eaten in days." Mikoto started to get up, but Sage's sturdy hand stopped him.

"Don't worry about it honey, I'll go get you your food," said Sage, "and how about some punch and you favorite food, some seafood?" Mikoto smiled and nodded. Sage nodded and hurriedly walked away towards the buffet table and away from Marx.

Marx dumped his full plate of food straight onto the floor. He put it down onto his table and looked at it with a fake astonished look on his face. "Darn it! It looks like my food is all gone, too! I guess I'll just have to go get some more!" He started to get up, but he slipped on his own pile wet, gross, trash pile of food. He stood up with both of his hand raised. "ANYBODY WHO LAUGHS GETS SOME FREE PUNCH!" His iron boxing gloves slid onto his hands. The back of his pants were soiled with the green, brown, and yellow of his food. He sat back down in his chair.

"I'm having that chair burned when you leave," said Kin. "I don't want my subordinates to sit in your food."

"Next time, I'll keep it on the table," said Marx.

Sage sighed. She had filled Mikoto's plate up with as much seafood as humanly possible. She got his punch, spilled it several times, cleaned it up, and gotten more as much as she could without attracting any real attention. Now it was time to go back and face the music. At least Mikoto was here now…someone to sit between her and…the pervert!

Sage returned to the table balancing the food and set the plate down on the table. Marx sat with his arms crossed expecting more to make him believe. Sage swallowed her spit (along with most of her pride) and resigned herself to most embarrassing two seconds of her life. She kissed Mikoto. Marx, while shocked, still seemed to want more. Mikoto was stunned by what had happened and seemed to have forgotten about the large amount of food on his plate and stared bewildered at Sage. Kin excused himself from the table. He had urgent business to attend to and laughing in front of his guests wasn't a good idea either.

Kin stepped out, his face red from his overwhelming urge to laugh. the blaring music from inside would certainly block his laughs. He let himself laugh. If that wasn't everybody's ideal way to spend the afternoon with mountains of food, good people, and even a comedy it should be! He walked into his office. He needed a few minutes to regain his composure. He saw a piece of paper laying next to his mailbox. Must've been urgent to send it to him this late! He picked it up and opened the folder. The new bounties! Always a good way to ruin the day! See what scumbags are ruling the seas nowadays. He flipped through the first couple of them and stopped when he saw a familiar face.

'Shark Bite' Zesiro Wanted –Dead or Alive- 20 Million Belies. 'Kid Coyote' Mikoto Wanted –Dead or Alive- 25 million belies! He had been tricked! That's it! The best way to end the day…beating the crap out of some no-good, lying, traitorous pirate scum!

Valerie and Hiro-Shu are old friends! Marx is a pervert! Sage and Mikoto kissed! Mikoto's first Bounty Poster and it came at the worst time possible! Please stay tuned as more action (and hilarity) is bound to come at us during the next chapter! P.S. I am sorry for the torturing of Sage during this chapter.