Author: Yo! 'Tis the third chapter! This is definitely where things start to get a lot more serious! Hope you enjoy it!
"Alright, I'll be heading home for the night!"
"Remember! You're here nine o'clock sharp tomorrow morning!"
"I know! I know!"
Pushing through the doorframe of the restaurant, Alyona stepped out into the fresh air of the night for the second time that evening. She let out a sigh as she thought of the day ahead of her tomorrow, knowing she'd be working full days for the foreseeable future. Much as people loved her cooking and returned to the restaurant, they were also well aware just how terrible a boss the manager was. Hiring someone new would take a while, unless people got desperate.
She sighed, thinking of her own situation. She was pretty desperate when she arrived in West Blue – fresh off the boat, having arrived from East Blue, she found herself lost in a sea unfamiliar to her. But here she was, until she saved up her money, at least. But before she could think of her future, Alyona decided that now was the time for sleep. Letting out a yawn, the pudgy woman sighed as she began to walk home in her all-black outfit, at the very least grateful for just how cool the air was.
She thought of the night she'd spent and the odd stranger at the bar - Baldric. It wasn't unusual for her to have a chat with some of the friendlier patrons of the bar and restaurant, provided she wasn't busy, but there was a strange air about him. After all, how many would be willing to openly mock and disrespect the Marines right to the face of the Marine Captain? As she thought to herself earlier, it would be a long while before anyone like him showed up again. It was almost sad - he seemed like an interesting guy, yet he was probably just passing through.
As she walked she looked up towards the stars, ignoring the rain and smiling as she saw how they illuminated the night sky. No matter where you were in the world, the stars were always there for you – always shining down. But as she stared, she began to notice that one of the lights was moving across the sky. At first she thought it to be a falling star, but as she squinted her eyes Alyona realized that it was anything but.
The wooden cane clacked as it tapped against the cobbled street, accompanied by the steady footsteps of an old woman who possessed the vitality of someone thirty years younger. Despite the cane, the old woman did not appear feeble, but instead strode forth with confidence in her step.
The older woman clutched a bag filled with food – namely, her dinner for the night. She walked with purpose, possessing no intention of getting sidetracked. However, as she walked, a second pair of footsteps began to accompany hers. Normally, the elderly woman was not one to immediately suspect that it was anything other than a civilian. But whether you called it the intuition of an experienced woman or her keen senses, it didn't take long for her to realize that the footsteps were following her.
As she came to a stop, so did whoever was following her – confirming her suspicions. She breathed in before letting out a sigh, looking to the skies for a brief moment before turning. The silver-haired woman stared back towards a cloaked young man with dark hair and a smile a mile wide, but whether it was a smile to be trusted or not was another matter entire. The old woman's eyes narrowed.
"It's impolite to be following people around, you know…" she spoke, turning fully now to face him. The young man's expression didn't change as he shrugged his shoulders, raising his palms upwards.
"What can I say? I'm not exactly a polite guy. But if it's any consolation, it's hardly without reason," he responded, crossing his arms.
"No one's without reason, kid. But whatever you're looking for, I'm not interested," she remarked, brushing him off. But before the old woman could turn away, the young man took a single step forwards and spoke.
"That's a bit rich, coming from a wanted criminal," he called after her, causing the old woman to stop in her tracks, she turned, staring back at him as he continued to smile. She frowned.
"That was a long time ago".
"You know as well as I do that the Marines don't forget, 'One-Stroke' Sasaki," he told her, drawing out from his cloak a single sheet of paper. Upon the page was an image of a dark-haired woman in her thirties with a cold look, drawing a blade from its scabbard. The old woman's frown deepened as she looked upon the portrait, but she said nothing.
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE
'One-Stroke' Sasaki Sakura
The only information missing from the Bounty Poster was the price – which had apparently been burnt off a long time ago, if the creases of the page and the small tears were any indication of how old the document was.
The cloaked figure dangled the paper in his hand, chuckling to himself before he folded the paper and returned it to the inside of his cloak. He watched Sakura's expression closely, who in turn gave him a look that probably could have skewered him were it possible to literally stare daggers at someone.
"I'd heard rumors on the seas that you were beginning to move again, but no one really knew if it was definitely true. I'm glad I got to you first. After all, if someone else got to you first…" he trailed off.
"What of it? I haven't got time to entertain children like you," the old woman spoke up, her cane clacking down against the cobblestones to emphasize her point. He raised his hands defensively.
"Hey, hey. I'm not trying to start a fight here. Actually, I want to help you!" he retorted, earning a raised brow from the elderly woman.
"Help?"
"Of course!" he remarked, beaming. "I don't know what it is, but it's clear you're looking for something! But you've been out of the game a long time, and the world is a very different place now… In the world of Pirates, I have the connections you need to find what you're looking for".
"Hmph," the old woman frowned, her cane tapping against the ground again. "Even if you could help me, I'm not an old fool. There's no reason a punk kid like you'd help out someone like me unless you wanted something in return. What's your price?".
"Simple!" he exclaimed with a smile. "Join my crew as a Navigator! You've sailed around these seas before, right? If anyone can navigate the Grand Line, it's-".
For reasons Sakura couldn't immediately understand, the young man fell silent. His eyes stared up above the old woman's head, dumbstruck as his jaw began to drop. Turning around, she suddenly realized why.
Flying through the air was some kind of large spark, like a flame that moved on its own. It passed through the sky like a comet, burning through the atmosphere as it descended. As the two quickly realized, it was dropping down upon the Marine Base.
The flame crashed into the building suddenly, letting out a sudden boom that echoed across the island. The flames jumped, swirling about as smoke now rose from the Marine Base. It didn't take long for either of the two to realize what had happened, but it was the elderly woman who reacted first by suddenly taking off, dashing down the street at speeds above and beyond what one might expect of an elderly woman.
"H-Hey, wait a minute!" Baldric called out, beginning to run after the old woman with a hand outstretched. "We're not done here!".
"I've got no time to waste on you, brat! If the island's getting attacked, then it's not safe here!" she retorted before picking up her pace, outrunning the younger man. Baldric found himself slowing to a stop, watching as the elderly woman ran out of sight. He paused as he stood there, finding himself incredibly confused.
What did 'One-Stroke Sasaki' have to fear? What could the West Blue's breed of pirates possibly do to her? His brow furrowed as Baldric found himself lost in his own thoughts. She certainly hadn't lost her touch, if she was capable of outrunning him. Which meant…
He stopped at that moment and smirked. Reaching under his cloak he gripped the handle of a broadsword and began to draw it out. He looked back towards the bay, where there was likely to be a Pirate ship. Everything was coming together, he realized. He let out a chuckle.
This pirate attack might have been the best thing that had happened all night.
"Water! We need water!"
Marines dashed back and forth through the corridors carrying buckets of water, splashing it atop the fires in an attempt to put them out. Others fumbled for gas masks as they tried to avoid inhaling the smoke from the fires.
Captain Tristan swore loudly, keeping an arm raised over his face as he stared at the destruction. The blast had blown open the left wing of the Marine base. Debris fell down as the structure of the wing became no longer stable. Now, even as Marines rushed to put out the fires, the smoke and debris completely shut off a whole section of the Marine Base.
"The hell is with this attack…?" the Captain spoke to himself, his brows furrowing. "What the hell has that kind of firepower in this Blue?"
"Sir!" the Lieutenant called out. Turning on the spot, the Captain looked towards the Lieutenant, whose normally stony expression was now fraught with concern as sweat dripped from his brow.
"What is it?" the Captain responded, raising a brow. Yet at the same time, he didn't really need to ask. It was just that right now, a part of him was simply hoping the news would not be as dire as the Lieutenant would tell him.
"There have been reports of Pirates arriving on the island. Already numerous houses, hotels and other shelters have been broken into. People have been abducted," the Lieutenant spoke, swallowing a lump in his throat. The Captain sighed, shaking his head before he turned back to the smoky hallway. He'd already lost half of his active force thanks to the Fishman sending them all to the infirmary. With the sudden surprise attack, as well as the hostages, the Marines were in a terrible position.
"It can never be too easy, huh?" the Captain remarked with a growl. His hands tightened into fists. Nothing was looking good for them or the people of Orsus Island. Not at this rate. He turned, looking back to the Lieutenant. "Get me snipers on the rooftop! I want to have eyes on these Pirates! If we can take them out quickly, we might not have to worry about the Hostages! I also want a team of men assembled straight away to accompany me into the town!".
The Lieutenant looked at him, pausing for a moment. It wasn't a brilliant plan, but in this situation, it was the best they had. With a nod, the bespectacled man quickly ran off, heading back down the corridors. Casting one last glance back towards the smoky corridor, the Marine Captain narrowed his eyes. Even in this terrible time, at least he could rest with some peace knowing that the Fishman was likely either burnt to a crisp, suffocating or crushed following that strike. Turning back, the Captain walked down the other corridor, ready to head out at a moment's notice. He was a Marine, after all.
It was his job to mete out Justice or die trying.
Letting out a cough, the Fishman groaned as he pushed himself up from the ground, his eyes still shut as the ground beneath him felt soft and muddy. He wasn't sure what had happened. One minute there had been a bright light and the next it was like the world turned dark for a moment. Now he was out here in the rain, his face and rags covered in dirt.
He grit his teeth, pushing himself up fours – or at least, what would have been all fours were his arms not bound behind his back. A pain shot through his body, but even so he ignored it. He'd faced worse pain before in his life and suffered. Something like this wasn't going to keep him down. He raised a webbed hand and rubbed his face, removing the mud from his eyes. But as he opened them, he could see red mixed in on his hand. Blood was dripping from a wound on his forehead, and not without good reason.
With a groan he pushed himself onto his knees, his back straightening up as he looked towards the sky. Tilting his head, he could see a steep hill that had been scorched, as well as smoke billowing out of a hole in the side of the partially destroyed Marine Base. Had this been fate? He wasn't sure, and normally he didn't care for such things, but this was his chance. With another strain he pushed himself up onto his feet-
-Before crashing right back down to his knees again. He let out a gasp, clutching his stomach. It was worse than he thought, he realized – his whole body ached with pain. He should have known it wouldn't have been that easy. Still, the Fishman was determined not to let this defeat him. Crawling around, he brought himself to a tree nearby and pressed himself against it, using it to steady his balance as he raised himself up. Ahead, through the trees, he could see the town and the open seas. As rain washed the blood and dirt down his face, he found himself steadily limping forwards.
Fishmen may have been known for their toughness, but even then it seemed insane to keep going. But despite the pain and the exhaustion, an indomitable drive within him told him to keep moving forwards. Even though his bones ached and his legs shook, he refused to slow down. Even with his arms bound behind him with Seastone cuffs, he refused to stop.
The bastards would pay. Every single one of them.
Author: Quite a bit of exposition in this one! Looks like Madoka's grandmother is a lot more important than she appears, huh? Not to mention, our Fishman friends seems remarkably driven towards whatever goal he has in mind. And of course, yet more light is shed on what kind of person Baldric is...
I hope you liked the chapter. Be sure to review and let me know what you think!