The crew sat together in the "GokaiCaptain's" main living room on his ship. The ship itself was fairly small, in the shape of a linear rocket. The room was rather spartan, with one couch on the left side and a three chairs to the right. There were large windows on the walls, and two doors on both ends. One lead to the cockpit, and the other lead to the hallway where their rooms were. They were all bunking together - Marvelous, Ahim, and Gai in one room and the other three in the next.
From left to right, Don, Luka, Gai, and Joe sat on the couch. Marvelous was sitting on a chair isolated from everyone else (as some things NEVER change), with two notable exceptions: Ahim was on Marvelous' lap, her right cheek against Marvelous' left shoulder. And on Ahim's lap was Navi, whose nervous quivering Ahim couldn't help but notice. "Fear not, Navi-san," assured Ahim as she stroked Navi's head. "Marvelous would never lead us into a dangerous situation we could not handle." Navi snuggled into Ahim's chest, and Ahim followed suit with Marvelous.
"Aww...how cute!" giggled Luka. "Marvelous is will make a wonderful stay-at home husband!" Besides Joe and their captain, the crew was busy poking fun at Marvleous' disposition. "Navi is like their child!"smiled Gai. "And if Navi is the pet," Don wondered aloud "Ahim will make sure Marvelous is good to the both of them. Pretty soon, Navi will call Marvelous 'feeder'!" Even Ahim couldn't help but hold her laughter in.
Just as the laughter was about to hit its' peak and continue, Joe gave the reality check. "Now is NOT the time for childish gossip and chit-chat." Everyone stopped at looked down in shame, knowing that the severity of the situation proved Joe correct. "Stay on your toes, everyone" Marvelous stated. "If what he said was true - about former Zangyack fanctions joining together and planning to re-establish the Empire - we have a war on our hands." The silence was deafening. "If not - we can't go up against someone this smart or deadly."
As if on cue, the "GokaiCaptain" entered the room from the cockpit. "We'll get to the Zangyack Home World soon," he stated, "but we won't be able to arrive immediately on the planet. With the current technology and plans we have, we must take extra precaution to avoid security." Everyone simply looked at him. "Oh! My deeping apologies." he bowed. With that, he powered down his suit. "It was rude of me to stay that way in front of guests. My name is Drake."
One look at him, and the Gokaigers could tell that he was, at one point in his life, truly a fierce Kaizoku. He had long, spiky, jet black hair. He wore an eyepatch over his right eye, and there was a noticeable scar running diagonally from right to left on across said eye. He had a dark, round, piercing left eye with deep, thick eyebrows. His wore a tattered red and black coat, black boats, blue jeans, and a white button up with flared collars. He had been through some battles, alright. But there were some things that puzzled them. Although they could tell he was older than the rest of them, he could have easily past as one of their older brothers - maybe older by five years, or twenty-five years. His demeanor was also surprising. He may not have been as prim or proper as Ahim, but he was not a "rough" personality. He smiled and spoke simply, with no animosity aimed towards anyone. And this was what interested Marvelous the most.
Drake was holding a tablet in his hand. "I thought you all would need some proof, so I brought it here." He handed Marvelous the tablet. It was a touchscreen. "Are you all hungry? I have stacked up food, but if I were to make you all food, I would need some help." he smiled. Doc and Gai stood up. "Well, we are the cooks of our crew," said Don. "Could we help you, Captain-san?" bowed Gai. Drake seemed genuinely delighted at the volunteers. "Thank you, Don. Thank you, Gai." Everyone was taken aback at his knowledge of everyone's names. He simply laughed at everyone's surprised faces. "You six are responsible for the death of Warz Gill and his father. At one point," he said looking at Marvelous, "YOU had an unlimited bounty on your head. That kind of news spreads quick." He looked back at Don and Gai. "Follow me. The kitchen is down the hall." "Hai!" bowed the two assistants. Both Gokaigers looked at Marvelous, and the three exchanged nods. They would make SURE that the food was safe to eat, and Marvelous and the others would check the touchscreen to verify all he said about the Zangyack factions.
The three walked down the hall. As soon as they were out of sight, Marvelous tossed the tablet to Luka and Joe, who immediately started going through all the information stored in it. But Marvelous' attention was not at the pressing matters at hand. There was something about that man that seemed vaguely familiar. It wasn't the name; he had never known a Drake. The clothes or mannerisms did not register either; he had known nicer and rougher individuals. There was something about the man that made Marvelous feel uneasy, as if something was connecting the two in ways they did not imagine...
Eleanor Ruth Black and her son Alexander finished her good nights to Joe, and the three went to their quarters. Well, Joe did, anyway. Whereas Joe had a room upstairs, Eleanor and her son willingly strolled into the office, where Eleanor simply sat out on the couch to the doors' left. "You brush your teeth?" Yes, mommy." As Alexander opened up his mother's jacket, she reached behind the couch and pulled out a blanket. Alexander put himself close to his mother's chest, and buttoned up the jacket, while Eleanor covered herself and her son with the blanket.
The two looked out the window. "You see that sky, Alexander? Before you came along, I used to fly around in that sky..." The boy's eyes expanded at the sky, and he looked back at his mother with awe. "Really? Kaizoku can do that?" She laughed warmly at his sense of wonder. "Of course!" she smiled. "When Kaizoku want something, nothing stands in their way!" He looked back out the window, and his mother spoke softly in his ear. "One day, when the Zangyack are no more, and you've grown up, and your father has returned, the three of us will set out to space." He jolted around, with eyes full of awe and innocent adventure. "And we'll find treasure, explore the depths of the universe, and be our own masters," she explained. "No one else will live like we will, Alexander..." She stretched out on the couch. Her son snuggled and tightened his grip. "Good night, Mommy..." "Good night, Alexander... I love you so much..."
Marvelous, Ahim, and Navi waited as Joe and Luka finished going through the tablet. Both looked up at the couple and their mechanical bird. "Well?" asked Marvelous. Joe and Luka simply looked at each other, and with heavy hearts looked back at the captain. "Marvelous-san" said Joe, "it's true. All true. The general's names, the soldiers, the technology and weapons, the codes used to crack the plans... former Zangyack leaders and factions are joining together to terrorize the universe again." So there goes our treasure hunt...at least for now, Marvelous thought. Luka chimed in at this point, "Marvelous, what will we do? "This Drake guy is on our side, but we don't have our Mobirates or the Galleon." Marvelous looked back at the kitchen. "Let's see what he has to say. With his skills, he will be useful to us."
Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, Don, Gai, and Drake were busy. Drake decided that chicken, broccoli, and carrots were the ideal choice. It was a hearty, yet healthy meal, one that would provide the right fuel for what was ahead. And while the main focus was on the food that was to be served, some insights and trust was built. "I know what you're doing, you two. And I understand." said Drake, as he started to steam the vegetables. Don and Gai simply looked at him. "You two want to make sure that I am trustworthy, and will not contaminate your food. That's smart." The two stood, simply amazed at his sharp observations. "Umm... Drake-san!" stammer Doc. "We are...umm" "We are just in awe of who you are. I mean, the power, the skill, the intelligence..." continued Gai. "Well, I'm flattered!" laughed Drake. "And let's not forget," finished Gai with proper posing and enthusiasm, "never before in the history of Super Sentai, has there been a mysterious, all-powerful SEVENTH MEMBER!"
While Don had been worried as to what Drake would make of Gai, Drake simply grinned, and leaned against the wall. "I've read about a bit about the Super Sentai of planet Earth. Gai-san, what drew you to them?" Both Don and Gai were left stunned at the question. Never before had anyone QUESTIONED Gai's love for the Super Sentai. Gai tried to answer that it was the heroism, their action... the vast choices and variety of members and teams...but Gai simply stammered. He could not give an answer to Drake's simply question. "Don't worry if you can't answer, Gai." assured Drake. "Many have trouble explaining the simplest parts of themselves." Gai straightened his back. "I... lived in an average part of my town. My parents were loving yet average. I was an only child, and lonely. I was physically unremarkable, and shy..." Don's eyes widened. Gai had never revealed this deep part of himself. And GokaiSilver continued. "But the Super Sentai...they were spectacular. Flair, power, and justice were the rules. And, most of all..." Gai looked down. "The protected the average like me because they believed in my humanity."
There was a silence in the kitchen. Gai looked down, as if in shame. He had never unveiled himself in such an honest way. Don looked on in surprise. It was Drake who finally broke the silence. "So the great and all-powerful did great and powerful things...for you. They were above you, the unremarkable...yet they valued you above themselves, as if to say 'you are more remarkable than us'. The dreams and fantasies of childhood were one and the same as the ideals and values of manhood and maturity." Don and Gai looked up at Drake. He simply gave Gai a warm, heartfelt smile. Gai grinned, and the tears swelled up in his eyes. Drake got the containers out the cupboard. As he walked to the stove and chicken, he gave Gai a pat on his shoulders.
Gai and Don started putting the food in the containers. "Gee, Drake-san," said Don, "you sure are smart. With those words, YOU could be the Gokaigers' mechanic." Drake simply smiled. "I actually have experimented with electronics..." he laughed. "Really? How? ask a naïve Don. Drake looked a Gai and Don with a smile. "Like this!" he grinned. Drake lifted up his eyepatch, to show a mechanical eye with a red light. "AAAHHHHHHH!" Gai and Don flew to the wall in shock. "Sorry!" smirked Drake. "I've had this for a while." His face turned sullen for a moment. "All those years ago..." He remembered the woman in the red, tattered jacket. The baby bump. His name would have translated to Protector Conqueror King... Gai and Don seemed worried at the GokaiCaptain's sudden change in demeanor. He looked back at the two concerned Kaizoku, and smiled. "Let's get the tables and chairs!" Whiled the trio retrieved the table, chairs, plates and utensils in the kitchen, Drake's explanation of how he constructed the mechanical eye on himself simply shocked Don, strictly on his technological genius.
The three set up the table in the main room. The anxiety and tension from Joe, Luka, and Marvelous faded instantaneously as the food came out. While Ahim, Navi, Gai, and Don conducted themselves with proper manners, Luka, Joe, and especially Marvelous gobbled up plates of food (Joe and Luka had two; Marvelous ate five plates and still had more room to spare)."Drake-san, thank for the delicious food!"Luka smiled. Drake smiled back. "No problem, Luka-san! Don't forget to thank Gai and Don!" said Drake. "Eh...whatever." Luka shrugged. "It's okay to admit that you think their openness about their dorkiness is cool, Luka," Drake grinned. Luka squinted her eyes with some fake disdain at Drake, who could only chuckle. His authenticity cracked Luka, and she finally smiled...shaking her head, of course. "How did you get this information?" she asked. His demeanor turned serious. "I had an idea from visiting certain planets. I hacked their systems, examined their plans...and connected the dots." Luka was stunned. "How did you hack a huge system such as theirs?" "Simple," Drake replied casually. "Find out where signal activity was the greatest in between hold-out planets, then on my computer, differentiate the signals and crack them." Luka - even Don - wouldn't know how to accomplish such a feat.
"Drake-san" inquired a cautious yet sincere Joe, "how did you learn to fight? Your fighting style is so brutal, yet so...refined." Drake answered blankly and directly. "Years of experience, and lots of blood, sweat, and tears." He wiped his mouth. "I was not always the man who is right in front of you. I was reckless, brash, and cocky...I'd drink enough to kill seven horses. I'd pick fights for no reason. Snorted coke, smoked five packs a day, shot heroine. I slept with more woman then there are stars in the sky, and turned princesses into alley rats, and made alley rats feel like princesses. The only treasure in MY mind, was releasing my energy, and I didn't care who got hurt in the process, so long as I did what I wanted." The crew looked up in concern and tense. "That's...a long time ago..." He picked up his water. "What made you change? I can't sense any animosity or wrongdoing in your demeanor." asked Ahim. There was no condescension in her voice. Drake looked into her eyes. Her innocence and her caring easily shone through. He was going to answer with honesty: Some women can tame man's inner animal. But her eyes got to him. She had her understanding, and her sincerity... It was so... familiar... "Things," was all Drake could get out.
"Hmph." Marvelous scoffed. "You sound like you were a real scumbag. If you were a REAL Kaizoku, why was dirt always what you got? Surely you would have wanted more." Drake looked at Marvelous. While Marvelous may have staggered back a bit out of fear, he grew confused when Drake's face showed only remorse and regret. "I didn't know what I wanted. I may have been able to break out of high security prisons, I may have - or had - a photographic memory that could retain the amount of information equivalent to that of a mega-computer; I did not, however, learn what it was that I truly wanted, until it was too far out of my grasp." The crew held a combination of disdain and empathy. He truly did awful things in his past; at the same time, the burdens he carried seemed too much for anyone to bear.
"What was it that you wanted?" asked Navi. Drake looked at the mechanical bird with a knowing, yet hurt smile. "The hearts of the ones I loved." Marvelous couldn't help but ask. "What do you do if you can't get what you what?" "Drake gave GokaiRed a pleading looking. "You give it all for it for what you truly want. Your eye, your heartbreak...your life..." Drake finally decided it was time to confess. He stood up and looked Marvelous dead in his eye. Marvelous and the crew grew tense, unsure as-to what GokaiCaptain would do... or if they could handle it.
However, nothing was to prepare Captain Marvelous-or his crew, and especially Ahim- for what Drake was about to say.
"It was what I wanted. We Kaizoku always get what we want...Alexander."