Here's another chapter!
I'm hoping to post another chapter to make up for a couple of the months I didn't post. Things have been a little hectic. Among those hectic thing is that I adopted a puppy. She is amazing but, as puppies are, she is handful. So I'm be adding the Character Spotlight in a couple of days when I have some free time.
6/25/23
Log 13: Backstabber Valker VS Ice Harvester Tudor
While some of the bounty hunters were able to relax by the ice machine in the northern peak (impeding Yuuna's ability to destroy said machine), another group of hunters helped the mechanic run daily maintenance on the other machine.
One bounty hunter took off her coat, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Whenever I stand next to this thing, I feel like I'm on a summer island."
Her coworker laughed. "These machines are working hard to freeze our cove. It's no wonder it generates so much heat, makes them temperamental buggers. We had to do maintenance yesterday too."
She shrugged. "The price we pay to capture pirates."
A puff of steam escaped from the machine with a hiss.
"Of crap, that doesn't look good."
"What do we do?!"
"I-I-I-It's ok-k-kay," said a man, dressed in many, many, many, layers. Every inch of him was covered in thick snow pants and insulated jackets. Only his nose stuck out from between his fluffy hat and large scarf, red from the bitingly cold air. He rubbered his wool mittens against the outer layers as he approached, teeth chattering. "I-I g-g-got t-t-t-this."
He opened a panel and steam burst into his face.
"Gurge!"
"It's warm." Gurge was in bliss from the warm air hitting his face but it quickly faded as the water on his face cooled. He rubbed his mittens against his jacket faster to generate heat. "C-c-c-cold!"
"It's always cold, Mr. Gurge. Here's your wrench." The hunter offered but when Gurge grabbed it, static electricity went right into the hunter, knocking them down.
"You have to stop generating electricity. You're a walking hazard." A hunter mentioned but Gurge is curled up in a ball, ignoring her.
"I-I-I-I hate the c-c-cold, this pl-pl-place is t-t-terrible. M-M-My m-m-machines are the o-o-only g-g-good th-th-thing in this m-m-miserable p-p-place." Gurge lamented and then sobered up. "I will protect my babies with my life."
"…"
"… Did y'all here that?"
Drowned out by the thrumming of the machine was distance and muffled screaming coming from the wall where the machine was slotted. It quickly got louder and caught the attention of the bounty hunters. The scream was coming from below but quickly past by and continued upward. The yelling stopped abruptly.
The hunters waited
It was silent.
The coatless hunter turned to towards the others, "That the hell was that abo-"
*BAM*
The mountain shuddered as a mysterious force smashed into it. The hunters could hear rock and ice crumbling and their comrades screaming in the lookout above their heads. Seconds later, Mary came sliding down the ice spire. "Weeeeee!"
Mary planted her hammer on the ground. Her feet lifted off the ice and she swung around the handle, coming to rest on the hammer's head. She grinned. "I finally made it inside!" she cheered, "And look, I found a machine thingy! Hey is this one of those ice machines?"
"Who the hell are you?!" A bounty hunters shouted and all of them took aim.
"Oh, I'm Mary." she greeted.
Gurge rose to his feet, rubbing his mittens against his jacket as he walked up to Mary, dwarfing the petite mink with size alone.
Mary was unperturbed.
"Wh-wh-why are y-y-you h-here?"
"I have to break the machine"
A frantic and murderous glint appeared in Gurge's eye. Mary dodged out of the way as he brought his fist down, shouting. "I w-w-won't let you!"
-VP-
Tension on the Marina was dangerously high. Valker stood at the top of the stairs, carefully watching Tudor as he walked across the deck. Tudor's attention was more interested in looking down at Sib where he was tied up a the mast.
"All that talk and you got yourself caught." Tudor remarked.
Sib huffed in annoyance, "Rub it in later. Untie me."
"Maybe after you learn some humility or your butt freezes to the deck, whichever comes first." Tudor said and eyed Valker with a cold and calculating look. "I have a pirate to kill."
Tudor leapt at him. He raised his saw blade above his head to strike down and Valker raised his haki covered arms, catching the blade between his palms. Both grunted as they contested their strength against one another.
The bounty hunter pushed harder and Valker elbows started to bend and Hebi lashed out, biting into Tudor's cheek. Hebi was thrown across the ship by Tudor but Valker punched Tudor in the jaw which sent him falling down to the main deck.
Locking his knees on either side of the hunter's ribs, Valker repeatedly punched Tudor in the face but the man quickly recovered and one strong punch sent Valker crashing into the cabin, the wood splintering and collapsing.
Valker emerged from the hole just as Tudor stood up. They reengaged, Tudor focused on Valker's skin that was not covered in haki, attempting to get a cut into him but Valker evaded his attacks even as his body began to shut down from exertion and poison. Tudor's next punch brought Valker down to his knee.
Even though he was down, Valker surged forward, hooking his arm under Tudor's leg and driving his shoulder into Tudor's gut to push him over. Rolling through the tackle, Valker rose to his feet to gather momentum coming down on Tudor with his elbow but the hunter dodged.
"Hey Tudor!" a bounty hunter called. Seven hunters lifted a huge ice chunk and threw it to Tudor which he easily caught with one hand and threw at Valker.
Valker activated his haki and shattered it. A chunk of the ice went flying at Sib who screamed. Twisting on the balls of his feet, Valker maneuvered himself between the ice and Sib before pulverizing the ice into dust.
"What the hell, Tudor!? That almost hit me!" Sib shouted.
Tudor ignored Sib in favor of studying his opponent's defensive position in front of the teen and grinned. He held out his hand and his hunters tossed another piece of ice to him. With his new ammo, Tudor chucked it directly at Sib and Valker. Sib screamed as Valker stood his ground and pulverized the next piece but Tudor already had another one ready to throw.
Valker let out a war cry as he pulverized ice chunk, after ice chunk, creating a cloud of refracting ice crystals as Sib screamed, begging for Tudor to stop. Valker was unable to stop every piece thrown, ice the size of boulder smashed into him and final brought him to his knees. Tudor took his opportunity, swing down with his saw and lodging it in Valker's shoulder who grunted as his flesh was cut.
"It's over." Tudor stated, confidently.
"It is." Valker agreed. He grasped Tudor knee, holding him in place, as Valker drew his gun. Tudor didn't have a chance to react as Valker pointed the haki coated muzzle into his face, "My will is stalwart against relentless opposition. Let my will destroy all in its path."
He fired.
The haki bullet was the size of Valker's fist but it sent Tudor flying off the Marina and into the crowd of bounty hunters.
The hunters gathered around their commander and found him unconscious. Mutters of unease rippled through the group as they looked to the ice cloud covering the pirate ship.
Valker emerged from the cloud, hands slamming against the railings and he gazed down at the bounty hunters.
"If you believe you can take my head, step forward! But be warned." Valker's eyes narrowed to an intensity that would make a sea king quiver, "Let there be no ill will when I take yours."
A shiver of fear was felt by the entire army of bounty hunters.
"Hey Tudor. What do we do?"
"Should we get the boss?"
"Tell us what to do!"
"Should we retreat?
Tudor rasped.
At this moment, the bounty hunter's ability to communicate was limited but he uttered what needed to be done. "Don't retreat. Don't wake Boss, she'll destroy us all. We can take care of the pirate."
Unfortunately between Tudor's consciousness fading, his smashed nose and dislocated jaw, his command came out as such, "…. Retreat….Do… wake Boss….she'll destroy…..pirate."
The bounty hunters gathered themselves and the injured, and retreated back into the distance snow storm. If the hunters weren't so frantic to leave and stayed long enough to see the mist of ice settle on the Marina, they would have seen that Valker's arms were straining to hold him up. His legs were unable to support any of his weight and only remain upright because Hebi was wrapped around his waist with his head and tailed curled around the railing. When the bounty hunters were gone, Valker collapsed. Hebi eased Valker to the ground, turning him to let his back rest against the railing and coiled in his lap.
Sib gawked at the pirate. "I… can't believe that worked."
"Tudor is a leader who the other bounty hunters rallied around. They lost their moral the moment the moment he was defeated. Which is a good thing, we'll be vulnerable for the time being." Valker huffed.
"You can't move," Sib realized. "You can't even fight and yet you turned an entire army of bounty hunters with a bluff?!"
"Yes."
"What if the bluff didn't work?" Sib asked.
"Then I would be either dead or captured."
Valker took a deep breath and weakly brushed his fingers against Hebi who was freezing to the touch. "Get in my coat."
Hebi happily obliged and sluggishly slithered into the inside part of Valker's coat.
"…. What's wrong with it?"
"He's a reptile," said Valker. "The sudden harsh cold is sending him into hibernation. If his temperature drops too quickly, he will die."
Sib slumped back. "At least if we wait long enough both my captors will die and then I'll die from exposure."
"I told you. As long as you are a prisoner upon this ship, you will not be harmed."
"Liar. Damn, this SUCKS! Yesterday was perfect! Why did Crackerjack have to jump ship?! Everything went to hell." Sib complained, hitting the back of his head against the mast in frustration.
"Crackerjack Agni was your real target." Valker guessed. "He was the one you approached, displayed your talents and convinced him you were worth enough to be a navigator."
Sib thought for a moment before speaking, "My family is merchants on the Grandline. I've spent my entire life on my family's ship..."
.
.
.
At the age of twelve years old, Sib could read the clouds and sea as well as any experienced navigator. His knowledge of the stars was even more extensive. Sib spent time every night watching the stars, searching for constellations and planets. Often his father would join him, telling Sib stories for each of the constellations while his mother sewed not too far away. Sib loved sailing on the Spirited Rumrow but troubled brewed in the sea.
Sib's grandfather and his crew recently visited them, bringing business for his father. Though not biological related, Sib was fond of his extended family, especially his Uncle who always had a gift for Sib from the place he traveled.
One day, Sib was attempting to complete the puzzle box Uncle had given him on deck while his father talked with a marine captain. It happened quite often with this marine captain when they passed through the waters he patrolled. His father would always be red faced from frustration after talking with the captain. The captain was an outsider and his presence was unwelcome on the ship by Sib and all the other crewmembers.
Finally, the captain was satisfied and sailed away.
Sib's father waddled over to where his mother was sewing. "Damn that bloody nark."
"What did Captain Elliot want this time?" Sib's mother asked, not bothering to look up from her work.
"Said it was a bloody 'routine inspection.' A load of sea dung. He's trying to confiscate my wares that slimy, no good…" His father gave Sib a thoughtful look. "Sib. Never trust a marine."
"Why not?" Sib asked. "Don't marines protect us?"
"Honey," Sib's mother injected with a tone of warning.
"This is necessary," he said to his wife. "Sib's going to be a merchant one day. A Grandline one. He needs to know what kind of world is out there. Now listen here. The World Government says they stand for justice but they only care about control. They don't really care for the little folk like us. You can only rely on family."
Sib nodded.
"Pirates!" The lookout called.
Their enemy laid in wait for them off the coast of a small island. Cannonballs crashed into the Spirited Rumrow and Sib's mother was on her feet in an instant.
"Get below deck." She ordered Sib, but the pirates were upon them. The grunts swung in on ropes, dropping explosives onto the deck.
Sib did as he was commanded, dodging around the crewmembers fighting, through plumes of smoke, desperately trying to find his parents or the hatch but ran into a solid mass.
Pedaling back, Sib stared up in fear at the large imposing pirate. He held a large explosive barrel on his shoulder as he leered down at the child. His sharp gaze and blindingly white smile froze Sib in place. "What do we got here? A kid?"
"Captain Crackerjack!" Another pirate announced as he approached. "The barrels are in place."
"Excellent!" Captain Crackerjack peered down at Sib with a grin. He walked to the railing, lighting the fuse of the barrel as he went. "You remind me of my own son. That kid loved to swim. Could hardly keep him out of the water." As Crackerjack let the barrel roll towards Sib, he added. "Hope you're a swimmer like him."
White light flashed across Sib's vision. When he regained control of his senses, he was in the sea, sputtering up water. He floundered until he found a piece of blacken wood as a lifeline. it was only then, was he able to see what had become of his home. The Spirited Rumrow burned. Orange flames ate the sail and engulfed the hull. He couldn't see anyone but the pirates stood on the deck of their ship, laughing gleefully at the destruction. His eyes met the captain's briefly as his ship veered away from the carnage and he committed both Captain Crackerjack's face and his jolly roger to memory.
The waves from the wake of the pirate ship pushed Sib away from the wreckage and a strong current carried him further away. Sib held onto the wood, screaming for his parents but no one ever replied.
He drifted in the ocean for several days until Captain Elliot and his crew found him. Soaking wet and miserable, Sib clung to the captain's jacket and begging for him to save his parents. Elliot brought Sib back to the base.
"You can stay as long as it takes to find your family," Elliot told him.
So Sib stayed at the base. He spent his first week watching the horizon for when Elliot's ship would return from patrol so that he could ask for an update on the search as soon as he returned. Each time he was met with disappointment. There was no sign of his family.
Feeling antsy, Sib would wander around the base. One time he stumbled across a squad going through routine training and they offered for him to join.
"You call that a punch?" The lieutenant laughed and offered to teach him the basics of self-defense.
Moving forward, Sib participated in other trainings. All of the marines were impressed by his in depth knowledge of navigation. Elliot would joke he was better than his crew when it came to reading the waves.
As welcoming as the marines were Sib still longed for his family. His inquiry were slowly irritating Elliot but Sib thought that he could predict where their ship would have ended up based on ocean currents but he needed the coordinates where the marines found him.
"Why can't I know?" Sib asked.
"Because we recovered you during a sensitive operation." Elliot explained. "I can't give you the coordinates."
"But I know I can help you find my family!" Sib said. "Please."
Elliot placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him, "These things take time. We're searching for them."
Sib bowed his head. "…."
"Trust in the Navy. For now why don't you join the petty officer's training?"
Sib gave him a look, "Knot tying?"
"Every capable sailor should know," was the weak argument Elliot offered and walked off.
Smiling mischievously, Sib went the other way and snuck into the captain's office. He made his way over to the files but before he could have a chance to look he heard someone approaching. Panicking, he squeezed under the cabinet and held his breath. Captain Elliot entered with the lieutenant. Sib watched their feet move about the office.
"How's the boy?" Elliot asked as he took a seat.
"Adjusting. He's making friends with some of the cadets." The lieutenant reported. "He done well in the trainings he's participated in… when he's not at the shore."
Elliot gave a frustrated sigh. "He asks me at least ten times a day. It's bothersome."
"Any word on the Tempests?"
"Who cares?"
"But sir."
"That pirate Crackerjack isn't known for leaving ships floating after he plunders them. There's no point in searching for his family when their bodies are on the bottom of the ocean." Sib covered his mouth when his breath hitched, Elliot continued none the wiser, "Besides the boy's navigational talents can be better used to serve the Navy. I can't let an opportunity pass up like this."
"I suppose…"
Sib stopped following their conversation as he struggled to keep quiet as tears flowed from his eyes. It was as his father told him. He couldn't trust the Navy. They wanted to use him for their own benefit.
That night, Sib stole a boat and left the marine base. If the Navy wasn't going to help him, then he would find his family on his own. When he first set out, little did he know how true his father's words would be.
As soon as he made port, Sib solicited his talents as a navigator to passing crews. Most passed him over because of his age but one crew took interest in him. Sib had barely gotten on the ship when he realized he was in danger. He was tied up and thrown in the hold. He foolishly got on a pirate ship and the captain intended on selling him.
Sib sat in the hold, berating himself for getting tricked. Several days of sailing passed. The weather got cold. Sib shivered, having nothing to protect him. The ship jolted to a stop and Sib could hear fighting up above.
The side of the hull suddenly burst into pieces as a lumbering figure entered, dragging the pirate captain by the scruff of the neck. She was the boss of the bounty hunters who trapped the pirates in ice.
"I'm trying to get to my family." Sib explained. "Can you help me?"
The leader scoffed and said no.
At least she was upfront.
When he demanded to know why, she told him, "In life, you have to look out for only yourself. No one cares about your problems but you."
Sib wanted to leave but he knew he wasn't strong enough nor did he have the money to travel. Boss offered him a place amongst her group until he was strong enough to leave. But just like the marines and pirates, Sib couldn't trust them.
The Boss was only interested in how she could use him. Good navigators were hard to come by, especially navigators who could make repeated successful trips through the weather zone just beyond Twin Cape Town. The bounty hunters won't let him leave. His savings were often stolen. He knew it was members of the group but he had no evidence and they would make the excuse he misplaced it.
He wasn't strong enough to travel the Grandline alone so he stayed with the bounty hunters. His father wasn't completely right. It wasn't just the Navy you couldn't trust….
You can't trust anyone.
.
.
.
"I'd given up on finding my family but then Crackerjack Agni showed up, Crackerjack's son!" Sib gritted his teeth. "His father took away my parents, its only right for him to lose his only son."
"Taking revenge on Agni for his father's crimes isn't just," said Valker.
Sib scoffed. "That's rich, a pirate lecturing me about justice? Please. Crackerjack committed a crime against my family. It's only fair he suffers the same."
"Pursuing revenge is a foolish endeavor." Valker insisted. "Follow this path and you will lose everything you care about." Sib looked away in defiance, intending on ignoring the pirate until he said, "But if you're interested in finding your family, that's a different matter."
"What… do you mean?" Sib asked.
"We can make a deal." Valker said. "Be my navigator until we find your family."
"… You're joking, right? They're probably dead anyways." Sib grumbled.
"You survived."
"Even if that were true, why should I trust you? You'll use me like everyone else!"
Valker nodded. "I have nothing to offer but my word."
"That means nothing to me."
"It's all I have," Valker said. "I never go back on my promises. You don't have to give me a decision now but I do ask you give it some thought."
-VP-
Deep within the snowy mountain base, several injured bounty hunters approached a large slumbering mass of fur. They poked and whispered to each other, trying to get the other to take the lead and wake her up.
"You do it!"
"No you,"
"Someone's gotta do it,"
"So it might as well be you."
"I claim seniority."
"Then show the rookie how it's done!"
"I'll die!"
"Yeah, well so will I!"
A low growl came from the fur, causing the bounty hunters to freeze in fear. They gaped as the fur rose up and menacingly glared down at them.
"TOO LOUD!" She roared and slammed her fist into them, sending them flying through the cave's roof. They broke through the surface and crashed. The rookie hunter screamed in horror as the a nearby mountain crumbled. She emerged from the snow like a giant bear, "YOU RUINED MY SLEEP!"
The bounty hunters wailed and hugged each other. "Tudor told us to!"
The Boss paused. "Tudor?"
"Yeah! A pirate ship came early! Even though it's a small crew, they're wreaking havoc on the island! We need you, Boss!"
The Boss turned towards the direction of the cove. Though the ship was out of sight, smoke was billowing up into the clouds. "Let's make this quick."
To Be Continued