The first thing I noticed when I woke up was that it was dark out, and not just under my hat. Night had fallen while I was napping, something I would have chuckled at if the lights in my face hadn't kept trying to blind me.

Lights.

Narrowing my eyes behind the bandana, I took the group in with a glance. Seven men, a Marine sergeant in charge off to my left and two men from the front of the group. Not a coward, then. Meant his men were probably stiff, too.

My gaze swept everything I could, informing me that Reza had flown off, I was on a fairly small island, judging by the way the wind was funneling through some of the valleys, there was a small village about a five-minute walk from the docks that my raft had parked next to and, most importantly, my overcoat was lying on the sand.

Turning my head to look at the sergeant, I pushed my hat up on my head. "Douse the lights, wouldja?"

The instant I said that, the group took a collective step back and I realized instantly that I had once more forgotten about the bandana on my eyes. Sighing, I slowly got to my feet, flipping the coiled bandoleers I had set on my chest open and strapping them to my upper arms as my hat fell back and hung from the strap around my neck; stepping forward, I bent down and wrapped my hand around my overcoat.

There was a series of clicks and the sergeant spoke, slight unease in his voice. "You have to come with us for questioning, sir."

Calmly straightening up, I shoved one arm into the sleeve it went with and nodded. "Of course."

He seemed taken off-guard and didn't manage to speak again until I had inserted my other arm into its sleeve and had stuck my shotgun into its sheath on my back, on top of my rifle and under my coat, the twin stocks causing my overcoat to adopt a pair of weird shoulders. "We'll be escorting you back now..."

"One moment, please." Reaching back, I wrapped my hand around the handle of Yamakaze and slung the ax behind my back with the leather strap coming from the bottom of it's shaft, attaching the other end to a small hook at the other end of the shaft. Straightening up, I smirked at the group and saluted. "Ready when you are, sergeant."

He swallowed as he eyed Yamakaze, then nodded and turned away, walking a few steps before looking back to make sure I was following. When he saw that I was, he nodded once and continued forward, the rest of the group falling in around me and keeping their hands on their weapons, just in case I tried anything. I didn't feel any offense at the maneuver, as I had heard the rumors even in my leisurely journey through the East Blue. Rumors of full-on pirate wars, massive battles between pirate groups, destruction of whole fleets and even a piece of an island, all apparently by one crew.

It didn't take a genius to realize that, not only did one have to watch out for this particular crew, but every other pirate crew that had been hiding out from the big shots were now going to be getting bolder and bolder than ever. It made sense that an island as small as this would be wary of strangers that came from the sea at night under mysterious circumstances.

It was a beautiful night for a stroll and I smiled as I parked my hat back on top of my head, enjoying the last of the evening breeze as I followed my escort toward the village, listening to the nocturnal creatures as they began to come out from their homes and start singing. As we entered the outskirts of town, I heard silverware and platters clattering; from the tone of the noise, I deduced that they were wooden. Not a very prosperous town, then; turning my head to look in the window of one house, however, I saw the family smiling and laughing, chatting happily about whatever they had done that day.

Poor, maybe, but at least they were content.

Turning back forward to face the sergeant, I smiled softly. "What is this town's wage-earner? Crops? Resupply point for the Navy?"

He turned to look quizzically, then shrugged when he saw I was just curious. "We grow crops for ourselves, yes, and there's a small warehouse for the Navy over on the other side of the island; mostly, though, we're fishermen."

Raising an eyebrow, I scanned through what I knew of that area of the East Blue. "Uh, giant lobster?"

He slowed his step and fell in beside me as he stared at me openmouthed, the repositioning from escort to conversationalist probably not even noticed by him. "Why, yeah, it is. How'd you know?"

Smirking, I shrugged. "I read a book about the East Blue; it said that giant lobster were found mostly around small islands in the southern part of the sea." Looking up at the stars, I smiled softly. "And judging by the grand display above us, we're in that section of the world."

His brows furrowed together and his tone turned inquisitive; he wanted to try his hand at fishing for something other than sea-faring creatures. "Ah, so you're a navigator?"

I lowered my gaze as my smile turned amused. "If you want to know, no, I'm not a pirate."

"Nobody said you were." The sergeant looked distinctly nervous, despite his unvoiced claim to not be fishing for information. "I was just curious..."

"About my knowledge of the star patterns?" I shrugged. "My knowledge of the sky comes from my... Well, you could say I inherited it from my mother." I spoke the last with a trace of bitterness as ugly memories floated to the surface, then I shook my head and smiled. "Anyway, no, to answer that question in the back of your heads, I am not a pirate. Just a simple explorer of the world."

"Then why do you have so many weapons?"

My response was as dry as my expression. "If I, who live with my head in the clouds eighty-seven to ninety-one percent of the time, have heard about this vicious new pirate crew having crushed Arlong, Krieg and Buggy the Clown, then I'm pretty sure you have, too. You think a guy who travels alone except for the creatures of the sky and ocean can afford to travel unarmed?"

He sighed, finally relaxing completely after apparently making up his mind about me. "Your choice of weaponry just doesn't quite fit mere self-defense, that's all."

"You shoulda seen the panda-shark school I ran into last night." I chuckled. "I know I didn't see them until they leaped at me."

"How many were there?"

"Seven or eight."

He turned to look at me wide-eyed. "And you escaped?! You must have used every weapon to kill of eight of them."

I smirked. "Actually, I only used my ax; when I finally managed to kill two of them, the rest started eating them and I took the opportunity to split."

The sergeant shook his head. "The predators around here have grown vicious the past three years; it's rare for a fishing trip to go without at least sighting them."

I shook my head as well, then belatedly remembered my manners and extended my hand. "Ah! My apologies, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm called Finch, journeyer, sometime fighter and occasional showman."

He smiled and shook my hand; a firm, friendly grip. "And I'm Sergeant Laban McLarson, chief of the Night Patrol on Kikiro Island."

Smiling as we approached a large brick building with the word 'NAVY' emblazoned over the door and a large officer-type standing in the doorway, I nodded. "A pleasure."

Neither of us spoke as we approached the officer, who, as his sleeve so clearly stated, was a commander, McLarson stepped in front of me and saluted smartly. "Sir! The unknown person has been escorted here as ordered-"

"Why isn't he shackled and why are your weapons not pointed at him?!" The commander's voice was brisk as he snapped at the men, all of whom winced. "All pirates are to be treated in that manner-"

I raised a hand, interrupting him. "If I may, sir?"

He eyed me, then nodded, causing me to label him in my head as hard and brusque, but at least fair. "You may."

"Well, I think that they might have been too intimidated at first by my weaponry, sir." Unbuttoning my overcoat, I pulled it open carefully, so as not to give anyone the idea I was reaching for anything; the commander blinked in surprise, but otherwise kept his face hard as I closed my coat again. "Then I guess my lack of resistance probably gave them the belief that I am not a threat." Shrugging, I smiled knowingly up at him. "Technically, I suppose, I could be a threat to somebody, but that would be only if they became my enemies."

"It doesn't matter." The commander's face was stern, as was his voice. "Orders are orders; with so many pirates running about-"

"Oh, come now, Father. This man doesn't have the evil look of true pirates."

The woman who stepped into view would have been beautiful if something about her hadn't set off warning bells in my head. Her slim, voluptuous body was covered in Navy white and blue, her uniform setting off her form like it was made for the job. Her hair, the same blond as the commander's, was hanging loose around her shoulders, while her emerald green eyes, which she also shared with the commander, gazed out in a sultry fashion that sent every other male around me into a state of dizziness.

I smiled softly at her, both to hide the discomfort in me and because I figured out the source of that discomfort: her eyes held a calculating look that was out of place in this small town, even for one as beautiful as she. "Evil is such a harsh word from a lovely young woman such as you, my lady." Turning my gaze back to the commander, both to annoy her a little with my ignoring of her and to ensure he didn't kill me for taking the verbal liberty with his daughter, I bowed my head slightly. "Your daughter, I presume, sir?"

He nodded stiffly and affectionately pulled her to his side. "Yes, and she's not open for suitors like yourself."

She batted playfully at his chest, smiling coyly at me. "Oh, Father, don't be like that! You know it's rude-"

"He's right." At my words, everyone turned to look at me with either surprise or relief that I wasn't going to start chasing her. At least not instantly. "Strange men loaded down with weapons make for suspicious beaus." My voice was soft as I turned my gaze to hers, reading what I could from her eyes as I spoke. "A good father is always careful who he allows to court his daughter, especially one such as yourself."

Her father relaxed slightly, but I saw her tense ever so slightly; she couldn't find my eyes beneath the low brim of my hat, yet she knew I was staring straight at her.

That made up my mind about her then and there; there was something innately suspicious about her. Whether she liked simply toying with men or was having an affair, I couldn't be certain. She might have merely been plotting a way off the island, or she might be interested in her father's position. Any way I looked at it, though, one fact stood out; her gaze had the coldness of an osprey lurking just beneath the beautiful surface, while the corners of her eyes spoke of a cunning befitting any snake. Not only that, but the tightening meant she had a plot in the works that might be endangered by my arrival.

It was something I took note of and hid in the back of my mind, ready for further thought if I was ever bored or if I stayed longer than a day.

"I'm glad you understand, sir." Turning his attention back to McLarson, he nodded sternly. "Your failure to follow proper procedure is still under review, Sergeant, but, pending questioning of the prisoner, I doubt that you have cause to worry."

Smiling brightly, I bowed toward the commander before he had a chance to respond. "Sir, I am grateful for that and will gladly answer whatever question you pose me with the utmost honesty. This man has proven himself the sensible sort; I would have been most saddened to learn that he was being punished for being hospitable."

The commander smiled back at me and gestured for me to follow him as he turned to reenter the headquarters, his daughter slipping out from under his arm as he did so. "It is not the Navy's place to be hospitable, but friendly faces are a pleasant change nowadays."

Smiling as I followed him, I kept my eyes on the woman as the other Marines moved away and I moved into the building. Still, I almost missed it when she spoke silently.

"It would be wise if you left this island tonight; this instant, in fact."

Turning away, she was gone before I might have responded if I had wanted to. Frowning thoughtfully, I pondered the meaning behind her words, then shrugged. She might have plans darker than I had first imagined, but I also had skills beyond anything she might have imagined in her wildest dreams. Best to let plotting tigresses lie and deal with them when they finally made their move.

I followed the commander through the reception room and into a narrow hall, then up to the second floor and into his office down another hall, the lone window in the office overlooking the town below. As the man gestured for me to sit down on a simple wooden chair and himself sat behind his desk in an identical chair, his hand touching the lamp on the edge of the desk and illuminating the darkened room I smiled quietly to myself as I felt a slight difference in air currents around me. There was a hidden entrance to the room.

"What is your name and reason for coming to Kikiro Island?"

I sighed and leaned back in my seat, feeling the three weapons on my back digging into my skin. "I am Argyle Finch and I am just passing through."

"What do you do for a living?"

"Right now?" I smiled softly. "Nothing at all. I just drift around, taking a little charity, living off the land and waves the rest of the time."

"What was your previous employment, if I may ask?"

I steeled myself inwardly; I would rather have not told him, but I had promised to be honest. "Warrior of Gorgon."

He stared at me in shock, then leaped to his feet and made for the snail on his desk before the barrel of my rifle appeared beneath his nose. Sighing extravagantly, I looked him in the eye.

"Since you obviously know of us, you also know that, if I was here to fight, no number of fighters could stop me." As he slowly backed away from the snail, I lowered the rifle and looked out the window at the town below, peaceful and quiet. "I am not here to fight; truth be told, I'd rather never fight another war again."

"Why are you here, then?" His voice was hoarse; he'd clearly heard some of the nastier tales.

"Like I said, I'm passing through." Smiling thinly, I turned my gaze back to him. "As I told you earlier, I was once a Warrior of Gorgon; now, though, I just wander the seas, enjoying the sunshine on my face and watching the birds fly above me." That and there sort of wasn't any more Sea Devil war, but I didn't feel like telling him that.

He shook his head in disbelief, but sat down in his chair nevertheless; I replaced my rifle in its original position, exuding as much calmness as I could. "Be that as it may, I must ask that you leave as soon as possible."

I chuckled. "Actually, I only planned to ask for a meal or two here and a bed to sleep on for the night before I left tomorrow morning; I dislike starting my travels from land at night."

He sighed and finally relaxed again, although a slight tension still kept his shoulders tight. "Well, I suppose that, barring any trouble, I can allow that."

"Sergeant McLarson said this place supports itself by fishing." Leaning back in my seat as I shifted the conversation to less tense subjects, I continued curiously, "How's the season going so far? I believe it's about midway through, yes?"

He nodded in surprise. "Yes, although how you know that is a little beyond me."

Shrugging, I smiled softly. "I do a lot of reading." Cocking my head to the side, I raised an eyebrow. "I understand the predators are being troublesome around here. What have you been doing to try and control them?"

A wry smile provided most of the answer. "Not much we can do. The Navy presence is forced to constantly patrol for pirate activity, so the fishing industry here has to fend for itself. They've proven surprisingly resourceful given what little we can provide, but we're up to an average of a death a month."

My eyes widened behind my bandana. "I don't imagine this place has that many inhabitants to begin with."

"We don't." His expression, behind what I decided was probably a habitual hardness, was bleak as he stood up and turned to regard the town below. "If matters continue as they have, I will have to request that the World Government either send some form of disaster aid or else evacuate the island."

My eyebrows shot up and I felt my mouth fall slightly; things hadn't struck me as that bad. An idea coiled up in my mind and I hesitantly put it forth. "Sir, if you'd like, I know something of predator control. If you're willing..."

He turned to me and shook his head, his eyes stern. "I'm sorry, but I still can't bring myself to trust one like you to remain peaceful for very long. We'll handle this matter one way or another ourselves. Thank you for the offer, though."

I smiled regretfully and nodded my understanding. "I know exactly what you mean; that's part of the reason I've spent most of my recent days on a raft in the middle of the sea." Standing up, I bowed respectfully to him. "Well, I will be leaving early tomorrow. If you could direct me to the nearest restaurant or other form of eating establishment, I would appreciate it greatly."

He nodded soberly and raised his voice. "Amie!"

There was no response and he frowned, then I felt a chill go down my spine as he tried again.

"Amie! Amie, could you come here, please?"

I folded my arms across my chest, using the movement as a cover for my right hand wrapping around Ras'cal, one of my twin six-shooters; as the commander moved toward the door, I looked out at the bay beyond the village. A pair of large ships floated next to the far smaller Navy ships, the moon illuminating the Jolly Roger flying from the top. The flag was fashioned so that the skull-and-crossbones design also bore a set of long fangs emerging from the upper set of teeth and extending downward, combining with a set of triangular ears and a pair of clawed paws at the upper ends of the crossbones to form a stylized sabertooth design.

Then the commander opened the door and leaped back, his face contorted in shock. "What in the-"

With twin gunshots, the commander died from severe head trauma and the beginning of what was to become a very troublesome reputation for me emerged.