Chapter 7

Ann and the Sea

After a lengthy journey of traveling by foot, the two martial artists finally reached the harbor town with the ferry that would take them to their destination: the infamous Onigami Island, where Gotz is said to spend his time training.

While Mitchel enjoyed himself at the local ice cream parlor, Karen looked long and hard at the open sea, with thoughts of anger and sorrow swirling in her head.

"Just one boat ride and we're there… Gotz, your ass is mine…" Karen uttered aloud solemly.

"It's a nice view from here, huh? Such a beautiful ocean out there…" a voice next to Karen said.

The wealthy American turned to her right to see a young red-haired girl with a tidy ponytail and earnest brown eyes. She wore a blue sleeveless bubble vest over a school uniform quite similar to Lumina's, but instead wore a pair of casual blue sneakers. She also carried around a beige backpack behind her. Most notable of all is the black camera pack slung to her side.

"I guess so." Karen answered. "But who are you?"

The mysterious girl let out a yelp before turning to see the speaker.

"Ah, s-sorry… I didn't know someone else was here!" the girl admitted while rubbing her head. "A-anyway, I'm Ann Hibiki, and I'm a reporter for my local School Newspaper at Taiyo High School! It's nice to meet you!" the schoolgirl greeted.

"Right… and I'm Karen Masters, a foreigner. The pleasure's mine." Karen greeted back.

The women proceeded to shake hands after their initial meeting.

"Interesting uniform you got there! Looks like one I've seen earlier… from this other girl named Lumina." Karen said uneasily.

Ann blinked.

"Lumina Kasugano? You mean you met her earlier? That girl's a legend at our school! Everyone's been going on about how she's among the best fighters in my school district, and I was hoping to get an interview on the girl, but according to rumor, she suddenly left on a journey of self discovery! That's certainly an excuse to skip out on class, but this Lumina girl sounds like a girl on a mission!" she exclaimed.

"Oh… she's that well known, huh?" Karen responded. "Must be an interesting school if they get fired up over one of their brawlers."

"Oh, yeah! Taiyo's an exciting place, actually! We got some of the most athletic brawlers around, like my old pal May Wakaba! She's a friend of Lumina's, too, you know! Oh, and then there are the true elites like Jamie Ichimonji and Alex Kagami! Alex is the strong and silent type with ninja-like moves, while Jamie is the gutsy guy that explodes with anger and doesn't take crap from anybody! They're practically the coolest guys around!" Ann explained.

Karen's eyes widened with ample curiosity.

"Wow… wish I grew up at this "Taiyo High" place. Maybe I could've learned a few more things about fighting instead of those repetitive warm-ups Shishou made me go through." she thought to herself.

"Sounds like you got yourself some top contenders, then! But then… what does the rest of the school district, think? Wouldn't the Super Attendant be all over you or something?" Karen asked in concern.

Ann giggled gleefully. "Oh, we're okay! The entire district's caught up in the brawling thing, actually! Taiyo's not even the worst! No, that honor goes to this Delinquent all boy's school called Gedo! But yeah, all schools have their run of formidable fighters, and our reputation far and wide has earned our district nickname, "The Battle District"! It's hectic, but it's a real hoot, and gives me plenty of photo ops!"

"Sweet! Sounds like my kind of schooling!" Karen grinned. "It's strange of you, though. With all the action going on at your local place, what brought a scoop-seeker like you so far from home?"

"Well, actually---"

"Yo! Karen!" Mitchel cried as he ran out towards the harbor with cones of towering ice cream scoops in hand.

"Mitch! Nice!" Karen cried with a thumbs up.

"Nice, indeed! I haven't had this ice cream ever!" Mitchel cheered. "Well, here's your choice!"

"Sweet! Scoop after scoop of Rum ice cream with a little bit of Pistachio wedged in between! You gotta love it!" Karen grinned as she received her cone.

"Yup, and I got a few choice favorites of my own, like Strawberry Cheesecake, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and even some Raspberry Sherbert! I'm going to chow down like it's 2999!" Mitchel proclaimed.

"What, that's not how much you paid?" Karen asked.

"Nah, a little over that, actually. About $32.00, but it's still a great deal in my opinion." Mitchel explained. "But I got a little carried away and bought an extra stack."

The ice cream enthusiast then looked to Karen's side and noticed Ann standing there.

"Looks like you're in luck, young lady! You get a free ice cream cone!" he said after handing it with a jolly a expression.

"Gee! Thanks!" Ann cheered. "It even has a few of my own favorite flavors!"

"So, as I was saying earlier… what brings you around port side, Ann?" Karen asked after taking a few licks of her cool treat.

"Oh, that! Well, actually… I heard of an opportunity for a really big scoop that's going on around the area! Something should really rock the Martial Arts world and get me some cred with the national news!" Ann exclaimed.

Karen gulped.

"Could she be talking about our quest to fight Gotz on Go island? Well, I am the U.S. Champ, and Mitch is the "World Warrior" Champ, but the girl doesn't seem to recognize us." Karen thought.

She then took a look at Mitchel and Ann being chummy together.

"Maybe the big fuss is really about Mitch! Or maybe she's just really ecstatic about that free ice cream." Karen thought.

"Say, your clothes look awfully familiar…" Mitchel said eyeing Ann with curiosity.

"It's my school uniform, actually! Maybe you came across a few of my fellow students? But hey, you look pretty familiar yourself, man! Of course, maybe it's just the look you're sporting. I mean, a white karate gi is quite common among Martial artists." Ann replied.

"Yeah… maybe it's just the ice cream." Karen concluded.

Suddenly, the sound of a foghorn echoed throughout the port. Coming into sight from the sea was a small white ferry with a small figure at the front.

"Looks like our ship has finally come in." Karen said.

Mitchel nodded.

"And about time, too. I guess this means we're nearing the end of our journey…" he said solemnly.

"Sweet! I'm coming along, too!" Ann exclaimed.

The two sparring partners turned to see their red-haired acquaintance.

"What?!" the both exclaimed in unison.

Eventually, the boat reached the port and anchored itself. The sailor revealed himself to be a green, amphibious creature with a plate on its head, much to the surprise of the three patrons.

"Good morrow, me hearties! I be Cap'n Michelangelo T. Kappa, but you can simply call me Cap'n Mikey!" the green sailor announced.

"Er… Nice to meet you, "Cap'n"! I'm' Karen Masters." The rich young lady greeted with a handshake. "The guy beside me is my buddy, Mitchel, and the tagalong with us is Ann. I'll be paying for myself and Mitch. The girl's on her own."

Cap'n Mikey nodded.

"Hm… so ye say. Alright, landlubber! You may pay me in greens… either in the form of cash, or in vittles. I be partial to cucumber, for the record." He proposed.

"Alright, cash it is!" Karen cheered as she whipped out her wallet.

"That'll be $.9.95, each. Tax free, you know!" Cap'n Mikey added.

The wealthy lass then took out a twenty dollar bill and handed it to the hearty green guy.

"You… got change, right?" Karen said while raising an eyebrow.

The green sailor reached the plate atop his head and took out a dime.

"Here you are, 10 whole cents." Cap'n Mikey said while he handed over the tiny coin.

With the business transaction done, the dynamic duo in red and white quickly board the vessel. The hearty sea man then turned towards Ann.

"So… you got yourselves some cash, me hearty?" Cap'n Mikey asked.

"Er… well, actually, I do have the money, but since you insist on healthy food, I happen to have some on me!" Ann grinned.

She then took off her backpack and unzipped it to remove a small white bread sandwich.

"Will a whole cucumber sandwich with special white sauce cover it?" Ann asked while waving the sandwich before the sailor, who eyed it with great interest.

"You've got yourselves a dear, girl!" Cap'n Mikey exclaimed in jubilation as he accepted the sandwich and stepped aside.

The gleeful school journalist then stepped into the ferry and got alongside her fellow female acquaintance.

"Are you sure? I mean… you could get hungry later on." Karen warned.

"Hey! I still got plenty of ice cream left thanks to your friend's generosity, and your money, it seems." Ann noted after pointing her cone that still held 3 scoops left. "Besides, Mom made me a ton of those Cucumber sandwiches. She knows it's a favorite of mine, so she packed plenty to make sure I would be all set before I get back home!"

Karen smirked.

"Heh, it seems you're just as well-stocked in green like I am! Of course, it's a different kind a green, but you're resourceful, kid! And I kinda like it!" Karen said.

"You gotta be if you want to make it as an ace journalist!" Ann replied happily.

"Alright, me hearties! We're ready to set sail!" Cap'n Mikey cried. "Where to, milady?"

"To Onigami island!" Karen shouted.

"Onigami Island?!" Cap'n Mikey cried with a startled voice. "You landlubbers certainly got courage, I'll tell ya that! And I love it!"

The good captain then reeled back the anchor to free the ship from its bounds and allow it to sail freely once more.

"Alright, then! We're settin' sail to Onigami Island, the infamous ground of Ogres!" Cap'n Mikey shouted as he took the wheel and begun steering.

And so, the eager passengers finally depart as their vessel heads off towards destiny…