NOTICE! I do not own anything in this fanfiction, save for two characters, one of which is introduced in this chapter.
"We're all clear, Captain!" shouted the Lookout, a Koopa known as a Hammer Bro.
"Well, Mud," said Midna, "Are we ready to launch this raft?"
"My pleasure, Captain," Mud said, smiling, then turned to the crew and shouted, "All hands to stations! Smartly now!"
The crew members rushed to their working posts. Hogarth walked up the stairs out of the doctor's office and looked around, curious as to what was going to happen. Several crewmates raced up the shrouds to the masts and grabbed the robes. "Loose all sails!" shouted Mud, and the crew members pulled the ropes, opening the sails. Hogarth watched in awe as the ship started to move a bit, though, to someone his size, it wouldn't have seemed like a bit. "Heave up the braces!" shouted Mud, "Brace up!" Then the sails started to billow. Now, the sails on the Rocket-Port are made to catch the fuel for the rockets, the fuel being sunlight. That's what was happening now, and a large man with metal jaws, named Wapol, was sitting in the boiler room, gripping something that looked like the brake on a train, and watching three almost empty bars...
"South by southwest, Turnbuckle," ordered Midna, "heading 2-1-0-0."
"Aye, Captain," said Mr. Turnbuckle (a tall African-English man, and the helmsman), turning the wheel, "2-1-0-0."
The ship turned, and Midna said, "Full speed, Mud."
Author's note: I'm not sure, but I think those pipes on a ship that you speak into are called "echo tubes".
Mud commanded into an echo tube leading down to the boiler room, "Take her away!"
Down in the boiler room, Wapol pushed the stick he was holding, and the three bars started to fill!
"Hold onto something, Chopper," Midna warned, and levitated into the air.
Chopper looked at the imp. "Why?" he asked. He soon found out, because once the three bars in the control room filled, the rockets activated and the ship started to move quickly, causing Chopper to lose his balance and fall on his back. Ouch!
The ship was launched, and Hogarth watched the mainland from the shrouds. It seemed to shrink as they sailed farther and farther away from it. There were seagulls flocking around the ship, screeching and searching for something to eat. Hogarth looked in front of him and his eyes met an amazing sight; the enormous Humpback Whales were swimming next to the ship, and some even jumped out of the water!
Chopper, who was on the side of the ship opposite to Hogarth, was also impressed by the sight. His eyes sparkled! "Wow...! SUGOI!" He took his knapsack off and dug around in it, then pulled out a camera. He poked his head between the railing and brought the camera around through another space between the rails. "Smile!" he called to a whale, putting the camera up to his eye.
Midna saw what Chopper was doing and got a little nervous. "Uh, Chopper, better get out of the way before--"
Too late. The whale sneezed, covering poor Chopper in snot! Midna snickered a bit.
"Ah, what a wonderful day for sailing, Captain!"
Midna turned to the source of the voice. Oh. Jumba again. Midna wasn't too fond of her doctor. He was always trying to butter her up. Following him was his other assistant, GIR.
"And look!" Jumba called to the captain, "You look wonderful this morning! Like a black pearl; dark but lovely!"
"Save your load of crud," Midna replied sharply, "for those floozies back at seaport."
Jumba seemed a little disappointed. "What's a floozy?" GIR asked. Instead of answering, Jumba said, "Oh, come, Captain. I speak only the truth."
Midna looked over at the shrouds where Hogarth was. A sly grin appeared. "Hey, uh, isn't that YOUR new assistant goofing off in those shrouds?"
"Yes, it-- Oh." Jumba knew what Midna was suggesting now. He clasped his chubby hands together. "A momentary abberation, Captain. Soon to be addressed." He turned to the shrouds. "Hogarth!"
Hogarth turned to the doctor.
"I have two new companions I'd like you to meet," Jumba said.
Hogarth looked around, hopeful.
"Say hello to Mr. Mop and Miss Bucket," the alien laughed, tossing Hogarth the mop and bucket.
Hogarth got the message, and he didn't like it. "Yip-pee..."
Understandably, Hogarth wasn't too happy about swabbing the deck. He muttered as he worked, "I'll give you a Mr. Mop right up your--" Just then, he got pushed aside by a very large, grey hand. The owner of the hand was a large, grey person wearing nothing but a large pair of black shorts. He was bald, and when he turned around, Hogarth saw that this giant was missing some teeth. He also seemed to be a hunchback. This was El Gigante.
El Gigante growled and continued walking. Hogarth was, needless to say, very frightened by the giant, but he continued working. Then he noticed a strange-looking group whispering to each other. The group consisted of Wapol, Hammer Bro, a large Koopa with a spiked shell (Bowser), and a small Koopa that basically looked like a smaller version of Bowser (Koopa Kid). Hogarth watched the group and stopped working. Wapol noticed Hogarth watching them and signaled them to shut up. They all turned around and stared at Hogarth, who only stared back.
"What are YOU looking at, kid?" Bowser snarled, crossing his scaly arms.
"Yeah," Koopa Kid said, mimicking Bowser, "what are YOU looking at?"
Hogarth rolled his eyes. Koopa Kid was obviously immature.
"Hey!"
Hogarth looked up at the source of the voice. A large, light purple, reptilian character with six legs, a long, snake-like body, and three, pink-tipped fronds on the back of his head, came crawling down the shrouds. His name was Randall Boggs.
"You're the new doctor's assistant, right?" Randall said, "That means you mind your own business, got it?"
Hogarth smirked. "Why, you got something to hide, lizard lips?"
Randall glared at the boy, picked him up by the collar, and pulled him close, hissing, "Well, I guess you're stupid AND hard of hearing."
Hogarth gagged a bit. "Yeah, well, too bad my nose works just fine!"
Now Randall was really ticked! "You little BRAT!" he barked, pinning Hogarth to the mast. The other crew members gathered around, excited by this supposed brawl! Some cheered for Randall, others rooted for Hogarth, trying to encourage the boy to escape the reptile's grasp. "Any last words, kid?" Randall growled, taking out a knife and holding it up to Hogarth's neck.
Suddenly, a plump, dark purple hand grabbed the fronds on Randall's head. It was Jumba! Of course, GIR was right behind him. The doctor was looking at a grasshopper molt in the other hand. "You know, Randall," Jumba said, "when you pull off a grasshopper's antenna, it can still work for a few minutes." Randall gave the doctor a confused look. "Let's see what happens," Jumba continued, "if I pull ... THESE OFF!" And he tugged the reptilian monster's fronds, forcing Randall to let go of Hogarth. Jumba let go of Randall's fronds, and the monster rubbed them in pain.
"What's all this, then?"
It was Mud. He marched down to the scene and glared at everyone. "You know the rules. There'll be no brawling on this ship. Any further offenders will be confined to the brig for the remainder of the voyage." He then leaned in close to Randall's face. "Am I clear, Mr. Boggs?"
Randall scowled at the First Officer, but then he noticed Jumba glaring at HIM. The reptile hesitated, then muttered, "Crystal." Mud then left, with Randall glaring after him.
"Well done, Officer!" Jumba said as everyone else but Hogarth and GIR walked away, "A tight ship is fine for all, sir!" He then picked up the mop that Hogarth dropped and glared at the boy. "Hogarth! I gave you a job."
"Hey," Hogarth protested, "I was doing it until that lizard thing--"
"Nevermind that!" Jumba shouted, then said a little more quietly (though still sternly), "Now, I want this deck swabbed clean, and may He have mercy on you if I come back and it's not done!" He then turned to his robot. "GIR, keep an eye on him, and let me know if there are any more distractions." He then started to storm away.
GIR's eyes then glowed red. "Yes, sir!" he said in a more serious voice. When Jumba was gone, however, the robot's eyes then turned green again, and he said, "I'm gonna go get nachos!" before skampering off to the kitchen.
Hogarth arched his eyebrow as the robot ran off. What a weird robot!