Disclaimer: One Piece is the property of Eiichiro Oda. Many of the character's in this story of property of me. Do not use this story or its characters without my permission. Thank you.
Captain Mars awoke to a rather unsettling sight. The Marines were gathered around Araly like a pack of hungry wolves. Bard was still sleeping a distance away, and it seemed that he wouldn't be waking up very soon. Mars assessed the situation and approached it as casually as possible, by picking up and throwing one of the devious Marines into the water and moving protectively in front of Araly.
"What the hell are you men doing!?" he shouted at the men. A few of them drew back a step, but one took a step forward to retaliate.
"Be silent, you pansy! All you've done is hassle us during this trip, and it's this girl's fault that we're stranded like this! Now you're defending her!?" The infuriated Marine lifted up his gun from his side and pressed it on the Captain's head.
"I've had enough," the Marine lowed at the captain with finger on the trigger. "It's time for a change in command, 'Captain'" There was a loud cracking sound as if lightning had struck nearby. Before he could retaliate any further, his eyes rolled backwards and he fell to the ground with a thud.
Bard was standing over him with a clenched fist and a tired, seething scowl on his face. He raised the fist up to his eye and rubbed it wearily. He turned to the frightened group of Marines with an ice-cold gaze and mumbled
"Who woke me up?"
The Marines recoiled backwards instinctively. Any Marine can tell you the terrors of waking up a superior officer and the punishments associated with it. Those that could move pointed at the unconscious misfortunate that Bard had already punished. Despite that fact, however, Bard still decided that waking him up was a crime of unacceptable wrath. Bard bent down, picked the up the inanimate lump of soldier and heaved him full force into the water. By strange coincidence, Bard had chucked him almost dead center into a school of ferocious, shark-like spotted fish.
The sudden shock and splash woke the Marine up just in time to live out his final moments of moderate physical health. Those moments, to the other Marines, were very loud and terror filled. This, in turn, awoke Araly, who had assumed that pirates were attacking based on the dream she had been stirred from. She screamed loud enough for the patrolling Navy ship nearby to hear her.
"Now that we're all calmed down," Mars said commandingly, after he and Bard had beaten all the panic out of the remaining Marines, "would someone like to enlighten me as to why you were attempting to jump the young girl?"
One of the Marines motioned to speak, but was cut off by the Captain.
"I TRAINED YOU WHELPS BETTER THAN THAT! HOW could such a thought even pass through your minds!? Did you think you could get away with it!? HUH!?!?"
Araly just sat, looking slightly confused and verily angered by what she had heard. Bard was standing close to her, in an attempt to look protective, with his arms crossed and staring menacingly at the cowering pile.
"Wait," Araly began wearily, "they tried to do what?"
Mars turned around, still glaring at the Marines at an angle, and answered her.
"I woke up just in time to defend your honor against these undisciplined beats. You should be so lucky to be in my care."
Araly looked stunned. Was this true? Why would those guys try that? Are they really that evil, or…no. There has to be a different explanation. If Captain Mars is telling the truth, then they wouldn't try to kill him for just that purpose. "Bard, do you know what-"
Bard had learned at an early age that people can have completely boring conversations that could go on just long enough for him to take a nap and go unnoticed. To that effect, he had developed a sort of triggered narcolepsy that kicks in whenever he doesn't move or talk for several minutes. He was peacefully snoring with his arms crossed and standing straight up. Araly facefaulted, rebounded and smashed him in the gut.
Bard got over the pain in time to counter Araly's glare with a wincing, shaking stare of his own.
"What was that for?"
"Did those guys really try to take advantage of me?" Araly yelled as she waved her finger accusingly at the group of Marines. Bard looked over at the poor guys and grinned innocently, as if he hadn't thrown the leader of the attempted coup straight to his death several minutes beforehand. Then he looked back at Araly and gave her an intelligent shoulder shrug. He plopped over in pain from getting hit especially hard in the same spot as before and whined.
Araly walked over beside Captain Mars and crossed her arms to look menacing to the Marines. Her attempt was interrupted after she spotted an incoming vessel from the distance. Even if it was just barely within eyeshot, she could still make out the Marine symbol on the main sail.
Captain Mars noticed Araly's shift in attention, but his eyes weren't quite as good as hers. He peered in the same direction that Araly was looking, but could only see the outline of a ship in the distance. His first instinct was to wait for a signal to tell him if the ship was friendly or hostile. Araly ran towards the coast and waved her arms to try and catch the ships attention. This worried the Captain, mainly because it could be a pirate ship and she could be giving them the whereabouts of a half-dead bundle of Marines.
Mars rushed towards Araly and pulled her to the ground, to which Araly screamed as she thought she was under attack. Bard was stirred awake from his nap just in time to hear her scream. He focused himself and caught a glimpse of someone holding Araly down through his sleepy eyes. He rushed over to the scene and threw the attacker straight up into the air, catching Araly just before her head hit the ground.
"You okay, Araly?" Bard's eyes, at least for a moment, were completely focused on hers. Araly was momentarily breathless, but smacked Bard hard across the face as soon as she regained her composure. She shoved Bard off and tried to spot Captain Mars, who then came crashing abruptly down on Bard's head.
"Don't misunderstand, boy," Mars said while upside-down and still pushing Bard's head into the ground, "I was trying to prevent catastrophe, not cause it." Bards was confused, but nobody knew since his face was embedded in dirt and rock. He shot himself up into a sitting position, which threw Mars to his feet.
"Really? I thought you were a Marine trying to take advantage of Araly again."
"Rest assured," Mars answered back, "I have no ill intentions against either of you. I, however, cannot quell all rebellions that pass my way."
"OH SHUT UP, DAMMIT!" A staggered and furious voice sounded from behind them. Apparently, the Marine that Bard threw survived the shark attack intact. He crawled out of the water and staggered onto dry land. Most of his body seemed to be barely hanging on.
"We weren't trying to do anything but kill her! It's all her fault that we're in this dammed situation!" The battered Marine scuttled closer to Araly, who backed away behind Bard, still sitting.
"And you, newbie," the Marine said gruffly while addressing Bard, "If not for you no one would have to be killing anyone today!" With that, the Marine hastily picked up a gun on the ground and aimed at Bard's head. Then a cannon was fired.
The rescue ship had arrived just in time to stop the Marine from killing an innocent and made Mars look like a fool to himself.
"Captain Mars", one of the soldiers announced over the Den Den Loudspeaker, "do you need any further assistance?"
"No," yelled Captain Mars in response, "We've got the situation under control for now."
Mars stood up, arms crossed, and turned to grin at Araly and Bard, both of which were now standing and rather shocked that the Marine hadn't been blown to bits and pieces by the cannon fire. He wasn't conscious at all, but not dead either.
"So," Mars said finally, "are you two ready to set sail?"
Araly looked more surprised than Bard, mainly because Bard ignored the number in Mars' question and was grinning madly.
"Oh, yeah!" Bard said, never breaking his stance. Araly just stared at him and glared for a while, but eventually she went back to peace. Bard and Araly walked in tandem up the gangplank and onto the ship. Both of them were given temporary uniforms in the form of Marine-issue caps.
Have I just been drafted into the Marines!? Thought the ever-maddened Araly. When the ship started moving again she lost her balance and clung to Bard with all her strength. She looked up at him in an attempt to catch his glance, but he never looked at her. He just kept on smiling, and just seemed happy to be leaving.
Finally! Bard thought with a seemingly ever-present grin, not even blinking at the setting sun in the distance. My adventure will really start now!
