Author's Note: We are four more chapters away from the 100th chapter. Time to get this chapter started.
Disclaimer: I only own the Capricorn Pirates.
Ch. 96: "Living in the Enviromental Wasteland."
Right as the Capricorns got their weapons out, a mob of angry townspeople approached them.
"What do you want?" Yuki-Rin asked the mob.
"We don't need you fancy-schamancy city slickers here. Go home!" The leader of the mob answered. The Capricorns looked to the mob, and then back to themselves. Then, the Capricorns realized that they were cleaner, more well-fed, and dressed in newer clothes while the mob looked worse than the Capricorns.
"Look, just because we're wealthy does not mean you can attack us. Please break up your mob, or we will have to attack you," Wolfgang explained. A member of the mob raised his gun, prompting Wolfgang to raise his own gun. "I mean it. Do not try any funny stuff on us."
The mob backed up.
"Okay, okay! We'll leave you alone during your stay here, but we can't guarentee it," The leader of the mob said before the mob broke up. The Capricorns breathed a collective sigh of relief.
"Should we go back to the ship? I know we're not getting sick yet, but I can't trust this town," Kartik suggested.
"Kartik, I don't think it's time for us to go back to the Hyperion. We don't know what's going on here, and we have to get to the bottom of this," Matsu explained.
"If you say so," Kartik said. "But, if we're going to stay on the island, we have to stick together. Now, where are we going?"
"I thought we were going to follow Yuki-Rin," Heathcliffe pointed out.
"Yeah! Let's follow Yuki-Rin!" Kazuma said in agreement. The Capricorns all looked to Yuki-Rin, who sighed.
"Alright. I guess you're following me," Yuki-Rin said before she began walking.
"Where is she taking us?" Heathcliffe asked Kazuma.
"I have no clue, Heathcliffe," Kazuma answered as a rusted sign that said "Trading post" landed at Yuki-Rin's feet.
"Yeah… This island is going downhill," Yuki-Rin commented.
"No duh, Yuki-Rin. This island is so crappy, we're getting sick from this island when we're within a fifteen-mile radius of the island," Daisuke explained.
"Well, what can we do?" Yuki-Rin asked her crew.
"I don't think we can do anything, really. What's done is done," Blaise explained.
"Well, what the hell are we supposed to do?! Get sick and possibly have breathing issues for the rest of our lives?!" Daisuke asked everyone.
"How about we find a bathhouse and wash up? Then, we'll play by ear on what everyone wants to do about this island," Yuki-Rin suggested.
"Do you think we could wash our clothes, too? I think they got filthy just because we walked through this island," Aki asked.
"I guess we should. Afterward, we can wash them when we return to the ship," Yuki-Rin explained.
"Yuki-Rin, why did you agree to the idea of washing EVERYONE'S clothes?" Hana asked. Currently, Yuki-Rin and Hana were in the lobby of the bathhouse washing the other Capricorns' clothes while they washed up.
"Look, Hana, we've already stated that the damage to this island is done. Even though we're in the middle of an adventure, we still care about our appearances, now do we?" Yuki-Rin explained as she wrung the excess water from Enlai's shirt and hung it up on a clothesline. "And, besides, we can't go back to the Hyperion yet, since everyone's in the bathhouse."
Hana sighed.
"You do have a point," Hana said. "Then again, I honestly think the crew deserves better. We're a wealthy pirate crew, not a ragtag bunch of poor travellers."
Kazuma entered the room, only wearing his boxers.
"That was a half-hour I will never get back," Kazuma stated.
"What happened in there?" Yuki-Rin asked Kazuma as she handed him his clothes.
"We had to bathe in cold, filthy water, Yuki-Rin. Everyone's complaining about it, so I decided to end my bath early," Kazuma explained as he put his clothes on. "I'm gonna go for a walk. Who wants to come with me?"
"I will," Yuki-Rin said.
"Where are you two going?" Hana asked the couple.
"Somewhere. We'll probably need supplies if we want to get out of here healthy," Kazuma explained.
"Alright. Just be back soon," Hana said. Kazuma and Yuki-Rin left the bathhouse.
"Where are we going?" Yuki-Rin asked Kazuma, who pulled out a sack.
"We probably need to trade some stuff in order to get medicine. That's what I heard from the matron running the bathhouse, and it's not my idea," Kazuma explained as he opened the sack, revealing some apples, some dried meat, and some old clothing. "Like what you see?"
Yuki-Rin sighed.
"Don't tell me you stole all of that from the Hyperion. You're not Daisuke," Yuki-Rin flatly explained.
"Hey! Yuki-Rin, I resent that remark!"
Daisuke ran up to the two teens.
"Hey, Daisuke. What's up?" Kazuma asked the green-haired thief.
"Oh, nothing much. The bath water was freezing, so I dried off, put my clothes back on, and snuck out," Daisuke explained.
"Daisuke… Where are your pants?" Yuki-Rin asked. Daisuke looked down, and he saw that he was only wearing his T-shirt and his boxers. Daisuke blushed.
"What the hell?! I know people are afraid of speaking in public only in their underwear, but I never thought this would happen to me!" Daisuke cried before he ran back to the bathhouse. Yuki-Rin and Kazuma sweatdropped.
"Told you you weren't Daisuke," Yuki-Rin pointed out as she held back her laughter. Daisuke ran up to them a few moments later, trying to put his jeans on with one hand while he tried to put his boots on with his other hand.
"Yuki-Rin, Kazuma, I –" Daisuke said before he lost his balance and fell. "Damn it!"
Yuki-Rin began laughing really hard.
"Shut up, Yuki-Rin! I could've broken my leg!" Daisuke yelled as he got up and put his pants on. Yuki-Rin stopped laughing as Daisuke tied the laces of his boots.
"Sorry about that, Daisuke. We all make careless, yet hilarious, mistakes at least once in our lives," Kazuma explained. Daisuke sighed as he brushed himself off.
"Good. Now, let's go exploring! I'll lead the way!" Daisuke said. Yuki-Rin turned to Kazuma.
"I don't think I trust Daisuke with leading the way," Yuki-Rin whispered. Kazuma kissed her.
"Oh, shut up and play along," Kazuma said playfully.
Ending Note: Review if you want to see the rest of the island.