------------AUTHOR'S NOTES------------
Hello everyone! It's been five years since I have updated. I did say that I would update when I got 100 reviews, I clearly am behind the times a little. I hope this is an enjoyable chapter for you. I'm so sorry it took so long, and I hope my old fans are still around! New fans welcome too! =]
------------REVIEWERS------------
theladyknight: I'm glad you and I see eye-to-eye. I can't believe how long I've been away from fanfiction, but senior year was so crazy then I went to college and didn't have any time to write! I hope you find my story and come back!
KoumiLoccness: Thanks! I post their ages at the beginning of the chapter, mostly so I have a reference when I write lol. Mimi and Izzy are both 20 though. I hope all of my jumping around hasn't confused you. Sometimes, I confuse myself.
Anon: Well it wasn't soon, but here it is!
Calare: Oh yeah, Roberto is a jerk. Ken will have his day soon. Thanks for the verification!
Wishinstahhz: Thanks! I got them! I'm just a bit behind!
Jillianna: Thanks! ^_^ Glad you like it!
Ravn MTM: Sorry to keep you waiting!
Ari: Of course more romance will happen, I just want to get some background and thicken the plot first!
Kari: Thanks!
Sweet-sorato: Nice pen name =] It's been a long time, I'm afraid. We shall have to see how rules can bend…
Inconnu: Yes, the girls will get along even better soon…or will they? Mwhahahah….I mean…Things may change as quickly as the tide…
Arwen1293: My apologies. Thanks though!
LoVeSMiSTReSS89: Thanks! I'll have to look for your fics!
Xio: Thanks! I'm so sorry it took so long!
Dreamrose10: I continued!
AnimePinkCess: I updated! I updated! I'm sorry it took so long!
------------STUFFS------------
Avenger - most feared ship that ever set sail with the most gruesome pirates ever to sail the seven seas. Arg. Yamato's father left it to him when he was a young lad.
Joel - 62 years old, Sora's "Papa", Avenger's Cook for as long as it's been in business—6 years.
Sora - 21 years old, Newest Slave Girl on the Avenger.
Mimi - 20 years old, Avenger's slave girl for 5 years.
Yolei - 19 years old, Avenger's slave girl for 4 years.
Kari - Tai's little sister, 18 years old, passenger on the Avenger for 5.5 years.
Yamato - 21 years old, Captain of the Avenger.
Taichi - 21 years old, First Mate of the Avenger, Yamato's best friend, been on the Avenger as long as the captain.
Izzy - 20 years old, most skilled Navigator, Navigator of the Avenger for 4 years.
Joe - 22 years old, most skilled doctor, Doctor of the Avenger for 3.5 years.
T.K. - 18 years old, Yamato's younger brother, cabin boy been on the Avenger as long as the captain has.
Davis - 18 years old, cabin boy, been with the Avenger as long as the captain.
Ken - 18 years old, cabin boy, been with the Avenger as long as the captain.
Cody - 16 years old, cabin boy, Junior Navigator, been with the Avenger as long as Izzy.
------------RECAP------------
Fifty-three of the Avenger's crew along with Tai, Davis, Joe, and Ken are all fighting two or three men at a time. Lucky for them, they are the best fighters to sail the seven seas. Not just anyone was a pirate on Yamato's ship.
"My sister died years ago!"
After the initial shock and 'oh shit' look left Roberto's face he claimed, "Heartbreak no doubt!"
"Wow, I thought that would call you off. Get off me you fool!"
It's just one big bloody mess. Men from Southwort were laid low. Jaseem was taking on five or six at a time. He was a tall, strong, black man from the Middle East. A Moor. (A/N: I think. Correct me if I'm wrong. I'm thinking of the one guy from Robin Hood Prince of Thieves) He was a wonderful asset to the Avenger and her crew. He saved Davis and Ken a few times from joining the already rotting carcasses strewn about the port town's ground. The fighting became more intense as 37 highly trained crewmen of the Avenger joined in with their Captain at the head.
------------STORY------------
The men left standing after the blood brawl were breathing heavy. Ninety-five of the Avenger's crew had come to fight. Each man had two or three men to fight at a time. Even with these odds, only six of Yamato's crew had perished in the battle. Bodies lay strewn around the town circle.
"He's gone."
Sure enough, as they looked around, Roberto was nowhere to be found. Yamato looked around to see who had been killed and who had stayed behind. T.K., Cody, Avery, and two other crew members had remained on board it seemed. He noticed the six men that were slain had been recent crew additions. He made a mental note to have Tai check the slave count when they returned to the ship.
"Tai, I'm sorry. I know you want to find him, but we can't stay."
"Matt, we have to. Or you'll have to find a new first mate. I'm not leaving until I know my sister doesn't have to worry anymore."
"Tai," Yamato looked at his best friend. There was a fire of determination in his brown eyes that had never been seen before. Yamato thought of T.K. then said, "We will help you look."
"Thanks Matt, I-"
A blood curdling scream ripped through the air. It was coming from the docks.
"Kari!"
"Head to the ship, men!"
Yamato, Tai, Davis, Ken, Joe, Jaseem, and eighty-eight other crew members ran over bodies of Southwort's citizens and to the Avenger. When they got there, they found Roberto on deck holding Kari. T.K. was strung up by his neck, slowly choking to death.
"Nobody comes aboard or she dies!" Roberto shouted.
"Of course. What do you want?" Yamato asked calmly, though cold fury was coursing through his veins.
"I want wha' I always done. I also tink I should take sum interes'…" Mimi, Yolei, and Sora appeared with a sword to their throats next to Roberto. "Maybe I should take yer slaves too, just 'cause I can. Oh, and I wan' de lives of de men dat took Kari fro' me."
"Tai, let me kill him please."
"Davis no! You could hit Kari."
Yamato had not looked away from where T.K. hung, struggling to free himself.
"What do you want with her?!" bellowed Tai.
"Wha' do you cur? You can 'fford new tramps. I'm sehprise' yeh only got four. DROP IT!"
Tai whipped around and saw a crew member taking out a gun. He looked at Tai then dropped his gun.
"Ken, do you remember the ahorcadura de Espana?"whispered Yamato, not taking his eyes off his dangling brother.
Ken nodded then snuck into the shadows of the ship. Yamato turned his attention to Roberto.
"Roberto! I shall give you one chance to get your filthy scum off my ship, alive. If you do not take this chance, we will throw your carcasses overboard."
"Yeh, well I doubt tha'! You couldn' kill me two times 'efore! Yeh can't now!"
Ken was seen climbing over the railing on the sea side of the ship. 'He didn't really come with an armada…there are only ten men here. If I can get to T.K. unnoticed, I can-NO!' As Ken was looking around, he saw the few crew members that remained onboard was murdered on the deck. He stopped, unable to move. 'Where's Cody? He isn't there. What am I doing? T.K. needs me!' His legs seemed like jelly as he slowly moved towards T.K. who was slowly revolving in midair. He was starting to turn blue.
"You realize you're talking to the Captain of the Avenger? You think he gives empty threats?"Davis snarled.
"Oi you!" Roberto shouted.
Ken was discovered. He had to act fast. He stood up straight and said, "I?"
Roberto was dumbfounded. It was the time Ken needed. He whipped out his pistol, shot at T.K., and turned to face the oncoming chargers. T.K. hit the deck as the rope around his neck snapped. Ken had shot the rope, and T.K. was freed!
"NO! Ya'll get 'em!"
Seven men rushed at Ken. Two suddenly collapsed without an explanation. The five men faltered and looked around. Ken lunged with his sword and flayed two more men before the other three knew what happened. Roberto was shouting desperately; spit flying out of his mouth over Kari, demanding the three men attack Ken and the three men holding the slave girls to retreat to the other edge of the ship.
Yamato's voice drifted over the edge of the ship, "I told you Roberto, one chance. I listened to your request, and I find it quite rude that you ignored mine. I have the honor to keep my word. I did not board my ship, but you did not leave it. Now you shall watch your men die."
"Ha! Stay off it or dey all die!"
"I have no intention of boarding my vessel until your men's bodies are thrown from the side."
"Yer bluffin'!"
"My brother never bluffs." T.K. was walking towards Roberto, daggers in his eyes. "He also doesn't like when men try to steal his property."
"I can't belive ya'll made 'er a slave!"
"She is no slave. She is a passenger on this ship, sister of the First Mate."
"Wha'?!?"
"I'd like nothing more to kill you, but I would never deny Tai that right."
"Yer Cap'ain said no uns gonna board!"
"No one will board until your men are dead. You won't harm Kari."
"There's seven o' us and two o' you! What makes you think-"
"There's three of us!" Cody came climbing out of a hidden door. He had a knife in his hands, covered in blood. It was Cody who felled the two attackers.
"Yeh so wha'? I'll just kill dem girls."
"I don't think so, tubby."
Roberto rounded on the girls. "Which one o' yous sed dat?"
"I did."
"You die firs'. Hear that Yamato? Yer red-head dies first!"
Yamato stiffened, "I paid a lot for her. If she or the others die, your quick and painless death goes overboard."
The men holding Mimi and Yolei were the two outside the clothes shop. Sora was glaring at Roberto with such ferocity, he was forced to take a step back. Roberto turned to his three men not holding prisoners to give orders only to find Ken standing over their bodies, wiping his sword on their smocks. Furious, he rounded on Ken. With Roberto and his men distracted, Sora elbowed her captor in the gut, reached for the sword at her neck, pulled it from his grasp, flipped the point behind her and dug the blade into his chest. As she pulled the blade from his body, she swung at the other two, slashing gouges in their backs. Cody was there to help her and he stabbed the short man in his thigh and ran his sword through the skinny one. Roberto, blinded by rage, charged at Sora and Cody.
"Now!" Cody shouted.
Yamato and Tai were already aboard when Roberto felt T.K.'s blade at his throat. Kari was sobbing as blood was dripping down her neck. In his rage, Roberto's blade and pierced her skin. Joe and Davis were right behind Yamato.
Tai strode over to Roberto and easily sliced off his sword arm. His arm and sword crashed to the deck as Kari screamed. Roberto collapsed, swearing at Tai as he held his bloody stump of an arm. He looked down and saw his elbow lying a few feet from him, and his forearm still clutching his sword a few feet in another direction. T.K. grabbed Kari and helped her to the side. Joe saw to her at once. Yamato was staring at the crew members murdered on his deck. He noticed some oarsmen had come to fight, but they were not trained as well as his crew in combat. He walked over to the door and down the corridor. To his surprise, he saw most of the oarsmen sitting in a giant circle.
"How many went up?"
"Six."
"I am sorry, but they are dead."
Yamato turned back and walked up to the deck. He walked straight to the crying lump that was Roberto. Ken, Cody, and Davis were throwing bodies overboard. The ten men of Roberto were tossed unceremoniously over board onto the dock. The three crew members and six oarsmen were tossed into the sea.
"Yamato, his men snuck up the ship and shot your crew before they had a chance. Their heads never came above the deck. I just barely hid in time."
"Thank you Cody. You have done well. Where's Izzy?"
"I haven't been able to find him, sir."
"We'll find him, don't worry."
Yamato walked back over to Roberto. I'd like nothing more than to run you through, but I know someone who will enjoy killing you more than I. I'd rather not waste that."
Tai walked over, breathing heavily, and he drew back his sword. He slashed down at Roberto, but barely sliced the skin. Yamato, Cody, Ken, Yolei, Mimi, and Sora watched Tai slice the man a hundred times. His blood flooded the deck from one-hundred fresh cuts and from his stumpy arm.
"One cut for each member of the Avenger. You and your men killed nine crew and six slaves. You will lose a finger for each crew member and a toe for each slave."
Roberto was crying, but Tai showed no mercy. Such a vengeance was alight in his eyes that Yamato dared not interfere. Once nine fingers and six toes had been removed one at a time, Tai told him to pick each finger and toe up. Roberto did so.
"Throw them on top of your men."
With what strength Roberto had left, he chucked his limbs overboard.
"Do the same with your arm."
Roberto did so, still crying.
"I'm going to keep slicing you until you can't stand the pain and decide to die to save yourself," whispered Tai.
As he raised his sword, Kari shouted, "Tai! Please just kill him. I can't stand to watch this!"
Tai seemed to snap out of a reverie. He raised his sword and pierced Roberto through the heart. Roberto stopped crying and collapsed to the deck. Never would anyone threaten or harm Kari again.