Christmas on the Rione

Endrino stood on the Rione's lion figure-head, the sea breeze ruffling his thick hair as the ship sailed through the waves.
They were 5 days into their grand line journey, and compared to their arrival, everything had gone smoothly. So far they had only encountered a few storms and Katashi had navigated through them with ease. They had been stopped at an island for the last two days to let their log pose adjust to its magnetic field, and they had left that morning. There was no turning back now, they were on this route for good.
It was almost Christmas and whilst they had been on the island everyone had got Eric a present in secret.
Endrino smirked, remembering the conversation about Santa that he had with Eric.

"Hey, hey, captain?!" Eric had ran over to Endrino all excited.
Endrino looked at the boy "What is it this time?" Thanks to Eric and his Christmas fever they had had to buy decorations for the ship, and now the Rione looked rather much like a traveling Santa's grotto.
"Will Santa find me on the ship?" Eric looked up at Endrino with wide expectant eyes.
Endrino sighed. "Probably not." He grumbled.
Eric's cheery face dropped and he almost started to cry. "Why not?" He asked with a slight sniffle.
Endrino frowned, realising that he should of just lied. "Well…. Ugh….. there's no chimney on this ship is there?"
Eric tilted his head, "Santa needs a chimney to give people presents?"
"Exactly!" Endrino said, cheerfully, then his vocal tone became darker "anyway you're on a pirate ship now, so Santa probably thinks your bad even though you haven't done anything."
Eric started to cry, "So," He sniffled, "I won't get any presents?"
Endrino chuckled and ruffled the boys short dark hair, "Of course you will, Santa isn't the only one who can give out presents you know."
Eric's expression brightened a little " So who will give me presents then da… I mean captain?"
Endrino smiled cheekily, "Well that would ruin the surprise if I told you that now wouldn't it?"
Eric smiled just like Endrino, "hehe, I like surprises!" he giggled before running off to boast to Isamu about how he was going to get presents even though Santa doesn't like pirates.

Endrino sighed, the breeze catching and tugging on his coat. He didn't really get much about Santa seems as his dad and the crew had never bothered to lie about him.
His father hadn't been the sort of pirate that enjoyed crushing other people's dreams, so he didn't want to give his children fake ones.
Eric's parents however, had obviously told Eric about Santa, and Endrino didn't want to, or feel like, stomping all over the boys childhood just yet.

Today, was Christmas eve, and it had taken the crew every cleaver trick in the book to get Eric to go to sleep.
The crew were enjoying themselves drinking booze and cheering at Cozmo as he danced amongst the barrels.
The sharpshooter had 5 tinsel garlands around his neck, and was singing various Christmas songs in certainly not the best singing voice. He bounced of the barrels like a pin-ball and he danced and span about. Then he picked up his bazooka and shot several fireworks into the night sky making the others cheer.
Endrino smiled, at least the others were enjoying themselves. As for him Christmas was more of a daunting thing. And the sight of his brother sitting on the snarling muzzle of the Rione's figure-head told him his brother was feeling the same way.
Endrino wandered down and sat back-to-back with his red-haired half-brother.
Sangrie had inherited their fathers red hair. Endrino his build and temperament. And both of them sported his emerald eyes.
Sangrie huffed. "How can they be so cheerful."
Endrino sighed, "Why do you have to be so grumpy all the time?"
The two teens sat in silence for a while before Sangrie spoke up again.
"I miss him, besides you and Yuudai there's no-one I like in the crew anymore"
Endrino frowned, he knew full well that his brother didn't make it easy for anyone to like him, it was only because he and Yuudai knew what Sangrie was really like that they ignored his usual act. "If you want them to be more friendly maybe to should make the first step yourself?"
Sangrie thought this over. " I don't know… I just can't do it."
Endrino sighed, and stood up. "Well I'm going to join the others before they drink all the good stuff, you coming?"
Sangrie sat still, "No, I think I'll go to bed in a minute."
Endrino huffed, "Suit yourself," before walking off to join the others.

The crew partied on until the early hours of Christmas day. Cozmo danced the whole time, releasing fireworks at random. And Katashi moaned about how nice it would be at a time like this to have some "lovely female dancers".
One by one as 3am approached they all disappeared to their hammocks. Only to be woken a few hours later by an over excited Eric.
"Isamu! Isamu! Wake ups! Its Christmas!" The young boy yelled in the ear of the first mate.
Isamu groaned and held his head much like the others who had been woken up by the boy.
Eric giggled, satisfied that he had done his job and then ran off to wake up Endrino. He burst into the captains room, only to stop in the doorway, he'd never been in here before.
Unlike the rest of the crew, who slept in hammocks, Endrino had a comparatively luxurious double bed. Surprisingly he kept his room very tidy, there was a desk in the corner near a port-hole, and various wanted posters pinned up around it.
It was one of these wanted posters that had caught Eric's attention, and the boy wandered up to it.
Thanks to the help of Isamu, Kotex and Yuudai, Eric was now getting pretty good at reading. He looked up at the poster of a thick-built man wearing the red traditional pirate had that was on the bed-post of Endrino's bed. He had a goatee type beard and the same bright emerald green eyes as Endrino and Sangrie. "M-mar-Marko…. Ts-tsu-tsuba-Tsubasa" Eric mumbled. Unaware that Endrino was actually awake and watching him was vague annoyance.
Eric then looked at the poster's at either side which were Endrino's and Sangrie's, they must be pretty old he decided as both of them were boys in these pictures. Then he noticed something interesting, their last names were exactly the same as the red haired mans. "So this is Captains papa" he mumbled
"You got that damn right." grumbled Endrino sleepily, making Eric jump.
"D-captain!" Eric shouted, cursing himself for almost calling Endrino dad again. "I came to wake you up, its Christmas!"
Endrino smirked, "I kind of knew that already, but thanks anyway."
Eric smiled, Endrino was the only person who had acknowledged him with anything more than a grumble this morning, little did he know that was because they had had hangovers.
"Can I open my presents now?!" Eric asked excitedly, jumping up and down on the bed.
Endrino considered this for a moment. "Not yet, after breakfast."
"Awwwww." Came the expected disappointed reply from Eric.
Endrino looked at him, "seriously you don't expect me to carry them all for you on an empty stomach do you?"
Eric giggled, "Ok then!" he agreed, giving in far more easily than Endrino had been expecting him to. Then he scampered off, determined to get Osamu up as soon as possible so that the young chef could make breakfast.

Before you know it Eric was sat on the deck in the sunshine (this is the grand line so just because its Christmas, doesn't mean its winter!) Surrounded by presents.
He launched himself at the biggest one, which was from Isamu, and broke through the wrapping paper in seconds. It was a scooter. Eric held it up with pride, before setting it down and breaking into the nearest present.
This one was from Cozmo, a catapult, of which Eric experimentally fired hitting the sharpshooter straight in the forehead.
Cozmo fell over wailing over-dramatically about how it hurt so much he would die.
Endrino chuckled, "hey Cozmo looks like you've got a rival for the sharpshooting job".
"Oi, Oi! That's just beginners luck!" protested the sharpshooter, who was now sat up apparently recovered from his terrible wound.
Takeshi had got Eric a fishing rod, so that he could catch some fish rather than just stare at them in the water. The Shipwright had also made Eric an aquarium so that he could keep some of the fish he caught, this would be kept in the dining hall.
Yuudai had got Eric a pair of binoculars, and Eric 'made' Katashi fly up really high to see how good they were. Apparently they were, 'very, very, very good'.
Osamu had made Eric some sweets, but he told the boy to save them for later just before Eric stuffed the whole lot in his mouth.
Sangrie hadn't got Eric anything, but Endrino who had been expecting this had got Eric two presents, one from him and one from both of the half-brothers. The first was a toy sword, and Endrino promised Eric that if he got good enough with it he would buy the boy a real one too. The second was several packets of modelling clay.
Kotex had got Eric a plushie lion, which Eric promptly named Captain.
And Katashi got Eric a spud gun. Luckily for the crew when Eric tried this out had didn't manage to hit anyone.

So the crew spent the whole day messing around with Eric presents.
Isamu spent a while teaching Eric how to hold and swing the toy sword properly.
Cozmo tried to show Eric how to aim and shoot the spud gun and catapult but seemed to end up getting shot at most of the time.
Kotex showed Eric how to ride the scooter, he was the smallest in the crew besides the boy so he found it easiest to do.
Osamu whipped up a magnificent Christmas feast and by the time they had all finished everyone was too stuffed to even move.
At the end of the day Eric collapsed murmuring something about this being "the best day ever" and Isamu carried the exhausted boy to his hammock.

Lots of Christmassy fun! Whoohoo! I wrote this one mainly about Eric as Christmas is all about the kids, don't you think? Hope you enjoyed this!
As normal please review, I love hearing other people's opinions on this story.
Merry Christmas to you all!