Ship's Log 21: Sea Train and Water 7
We came across the seatrain tracks today. We followed a warrior frog to Shift Station and met Kokoro, her granddaughter Chimney, and Gonbe, the cat-rabbit… thing. They gave us a reference to a shipwright named Iceberg in Water 7. Kokoro warned us against government agents, so I donned my red outfit before we could even see the city. I rode a fish through the water logged streets of this city years ago. There's a shop I remember going to that I would like to visit again. I still have my share of the kidnapper's money and there's something I want to try to appraise.
Usopp spent a lot of time hugging the mast. I'm worried about him. We both know, but neither of us have said anything. I'm worried he's in denial. I keep hoping we're wrong, so maybe we both are. We docked Merry in a cape outside of town and the mast broke as Zoro folded the sails. I stood there biting my lip. I don't know much about ship mending, but I know she's falling apart. Usopp went with Nami and Luffy to exchange the treasure for berries and then to have Merry evaluated for repairs.
Karmen makes a pit stop at her workstation. She loads up on every type of poison she has, complete with antidotes, a bottle of ink, and ten quill pens. She hangs a dial charm bracelet full of super Plucharon around her wrist. Stepping outside, she climbs down the rope ladder and leaves the ship. "Hey. Where are you going?" Sanji calls.
"There's something I wanted to look at. I won't be long." Without further explanation, she walks into the rental shop. She rents a single seater yakuza bull and makes her first stop a mask shop. She recognizes the pins and rings of several people in town. It would be best to blend in until they depart for Aqua Laguna. With the mask on, she can roam the streets freely without anyone recognizing her. She keeps the hood on but drops the veil into her bag.
The others were going to the shopping district, but what she wants is far away from tourist attractions. Turning from the giant fountain in the center of the city, she makes her way to the back allies and run down, water-logged shops.
Eventually she finds a black market appraisal shop. "I was hoping you could tell me how much something is worth," she says, fishing out the gold signet ring and placing it on the table in front of the man.
He inspects the insignia and breaks out into a cold sweat. "This… This is real. Where did you get something like this?"
"It's mine of course." She lifts her chin slightly to look down on him. "If you lie to me I can have you killed, so let's skip all the middleman markdowns and the boot licking, shall we?"
"Are you crazy? I can't buy something like this!" He pushes the ring towards her.
She pushes it back gently. "I never said I was selling it. How. Much. Is. It. Worth?"
The man shakily picks up the ring again. "The purity of the gold alone is worth 100 million berries, but with this insignia… this ring could get you 500 million, easy."
Karmen rubs her thumb across the lips of her mask. "Interesting." She takes the ring back from him. She digs into her bag and places the matching gold seal with it. "And this?"
The man pales so much she's worried he's going to faint. "I don't want any trouble, miss."
"Just do your job and nothing will come of it."
He picks up the seal and turns it carefully in his hand. "This could get you 700 million alone. Together, and with the right authentication, you could more." He sets it carefully on the table with shaking hands. "Is there anything else I can do for you, Miss Gallowcomb?"
"If you wish for me to leave here with both these items, tell me what you've heard of the Gallowcomb activities, including their interactions with any warlords, government, and ruling powers." She sits quietly as he speaks, toying with the seal and spinning the ring around her finger. He finishes in a cold sweat. She keeps her cold exterior, but feels sorry for the man. She wanted information, not to give him a heart attack. "You've been very helpful," she says when he finishes. "If you wish to keep your life, keep this visit to yourself." Getting up, she turns to the door.
"Wait." She turns back to look at the man. "Why would you come here, if you really are a Gallowcomb?"
She laughs softly. "To take a phrase from my uncle, I came here to kill time. Why you specifically, well, I knew one of Doflamingo's sources wouldn't dare lie to a Gallowcomb. I wouldn't mention this visit to him, either." She stops in the doorway. "By the way, if I were looking to aerosolize something, where would I go?"
Karmen returns to the ship to find Zoro standing alone on the deck. "Hey," she calls. "I thought you'd be asleep." She slings her shopping over her shoulders and lifts the mask off her face before climbing back into the ship. She rambles on about the city for a minute before she notices that the first mate isn't really listening. She sets down her bag. "Zoro?"
The treasure was worth 300 million berries, which would be plenty to repair and improve any ship. Mr. Iceberg sent a man off to appraise ours. He said the words I'd been dreading. Merry is dead in the water with a broken keel. Usopp was badly attacked by bounty hunters called The Franky Family and 200 million berries were stolen. I'm so furious I can hardly hold my pen to write. To add bloodroot to the tea, Robin has disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
I took a triple shot of scorpion venom when I heard. This turned out to be a bad idea. I threw it all up. I told myself I wouldn't cry out of helplessness anymore, but today our dear friend has received a death sentence. I climbed into the shaky crow's nest and bawled. I wanted to believe they'd be able to do something. Anything.
I'm worried about how Usopp will take it. He didn't come back with Sanji, Chopper, and Nami. She said he was ashamed of himself and left before they could bring him to the ship. With both Usopp and Robin gone I can't focus on Merry. I keep thinking back to the thought's I've been having the past few days. I wonder if Robin was having them too. She's not a bad person. She's just in a bad situation. I'm sure of it. As much as I hate to admit it, Zoro was right. Robin is just like me.
Karmen hears the words and her blood runs cold with fury. Usopp had gone to redeem his pride by fighting a house full of bounty hunters in an attempt to get back the stolen money. The men had carried him back bloodied and broken. And their place is just up the coast. Setting the super Plucharon dial in her teeth, she swings out of the crow's nest, grabs fresh rope, and limps to the bulwark to dive into the ocean. Zoro catches her mid-jump. "What are you going to do?"
Her eyes are cold and merciless as she meets his gaze, rage barely contained. "I'm going to kill them all."
"Look, I understand how you feel, but we already took care of them. Their house isn't even standing anymore. Were you listening to that part?" He forces her back onto the deck. She limps to the mast for support and looks into where Chopper is treating her unconscious friend.
"That's not good enough. They've caused him so much suffering, and he doesn't even know about Merry yet. Not for sure. Don't you get it? He went through all that because he believes Merry can be saved and he wanted to prove himself to us. His bond with Merry goes far beyond anything we could ever hope to achieve. He just wants to save the ship Kaya gave us. He still doesn't know!"
"Which is why it would be better for him if you stayed here to support him when he does."
Karmen grits her teeth and puts a hand on the tin plates holding the fractured mast together. "Usopp loves Merry more than any of us. He spent so many hours putting her back together. He's not going to accept that she's… that she's…" Karmen rests her head against the plate and sobs softly.
Zoro grips her shoulder supportively. "I know."
"I won't be satisfied until that man feels as much suffering as he's caused. You said his name was Franky, right?"
"Don't worry. We'll get him." Karmen removes a bottle from her wrist and pulls away from Zoro's grip. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to concentrate sunblade. I'm going to make him hurt so badly he'll beg for death." Zoro lets her go, sighing.
"She'll calm down after she's worked a while," Sanji says.
"I'm not so sure about that," he says. "Usopp's her family. She knows what he's going through better than any of us. She's suffering just as much as he is."
Inside the anchor room, Karmen sits on the floor and touches the warped wood where the Plucharon spilled weeks ago. "I'm sorry Merry. I'm sorry Usopp." She sets the chosen extract to reduce before going to sit by her friend's side.
Luffy has no tact. That's been known for a long time. Today, however, takes the cake. He flippantly declared his decision to get a new ship without explaining the situation to Usopp, which set him off. So when he was told, he was too worked up to listen. Even I could do nothing to calm him down. I considered deadbolting him until he came to his senses, but he would only resent me for it later.
His words riled up the captain. Heated words that turned my stomach were exchanged. Usopp declared he was leaving the crew. I was so shocked that I just sat on the cot while he walked out. He declared a duel against Luffy. They decided to fight for Merry at night. Zoro tried to say something to me, but I went back to my poisons.
Usopp put up a decent fight, but lost the duel, of course. Luffy left him Merry. The Captain apologized as he walked past me. We packed all of our things, even the trees, and spent the night in a hotel. And I-… I need some time alone.
Karmen dons her veil and goes outside, carrying the supplies she's just bought. She chooses to walk instead of renting a bull. Most of the shops are closed now anyway. The city is different in the dark. There are lights that line the streets and social clubs and bars that draw the stragglers, but the waterways are quiet. She wonders about Robin, thinking, "If she is trying to distance herself from the crew, it has to be for a good reason. She wouldn't disappear like this without a good reason." Perhaps the incident with Aokiji spooked her more than she let on.
She thinks about Merry and Usopp, which makes her lower her head and walk faster. Her mind keeps coming back to one thought. "I'm going to make him pay." Even though Karmen has never done any kind of recon operation before she has her heart set on one now. But first…
Karmen steps out onto the cape and hears the familiar muttering. She hefts her bag a little higher on her shoulder and walks up to the ladder. She looks up at the railing sadly. "Usopp."
The muttering stops and her bandaged friend peers over the bulwark. "Oh, Karmen. I thought you'd come back."
"Usopp."
"I know the rest of the crew is loyal to Luffy, but you and I are thick as thieves."
"Usopp."
"It was only a matter of time before you came back. We'll be the New Usopp Pirates."
"Usopp!" Usopp finally stops talking long enough to register the pained tone of her voice. "I… It wasn't safe for me to work in the hotel."
His face falls as he understands what she's saying, looking down at her bag. "Oh. I haven't touched your workstation, so feel free to come aboard." He turns away and does not look at her as she climbs up. Somewhere in the distance, a pinpoint of red flares and fades, but does not extinguish.
"He didn't hurt you too bad, did he? You put up a great fight. We were all impressed."
"But you're staying with them."
"Usopp," she sighs. "You were both right, but you were both wrong at the same time. Luffy should have been more sensitive about Merry, but what's going on in your head? Is that really how you think we see you?"
"Not you, but the others…"
"Usopp." She drops her veil and hood and hugs his back. "I can understand how you feel, but you're wrong." He holds her wrist. She holds him tighter. "Why did you have to challenge Luffy? Are you really not coming back?"
"I can't." He holds her arms around him a moment longer then let's go. She releases him as well.
"If things were different, I'd go with you in a heartbeat. But there's someone… There's a lot about me that you don't know. For now just know that I have a promise to keep. I have to keep traveling the Grand Line. I can't stop here, no matter how painful it is to say goodbye."
Usopp hangs his head. "I know."
"My letters to father won't be the same, and fishing is going to be boring."
"I'm going to miss you too."
Her lip trembles slightly. "If you promise to take care of yourself, I'll make us some tea."
He looks over his shoulder tearfully. "I'd like that."
Usopp makes a fire in the stove, since neither of them trusts Karmen to do it. Sanji hadn't left any food in the fridge, so she broke out a few rice crackers she'd kept in her bag for a snack.
They sit on the deck, drinking tea and talking about their adventures together and Syrup Village. He reaches into his bag and pulls out a small bottle, offering it to her. "I guess neither of us needs this anymore, huh?"
"The bloodroot antidote," Karmen breathes. She closes his hand around the bottle. "Keep it. Who knows what you'll run into. And if it just sits there uselessly in your bag, you have something to remember me by."
He smiles down at his fist and returns the bottle, pulling out a rubber band in its place. "In that case, have one of my favorite weapons."
Karmen laughs. "The infamous and deadly Usopp's Rubber Band of Doom." She slips it around her wrist. "I'll keep it even if it breaks. In fact I'll sew it into my outfit when that happens so I'll always have it close by. Maybe in the neckline, so it'll be close to my heart."
"If you keep saying things like that, Kaya's going to have competition." They both laugh.
"Will you go back, or will you keep going?"
Usopp looks up at the sails. "I'm not sure. I think I'll go back eventually, but not right away. I want to be able to stand in front of her as a brave warrior of the sea."
Karmen stands with a smile and kisses the top of Usopp's bandana. "You're halfway there already." She removes her gas mask from her bag and pulls it over her forehead. "I'd better get to work. I've got some things I need to take care of."
She spends two hours in her workstation, counting the minutes to sunrise. Before long, she had several palm sized round aerosol canisters loaded with tubes of toxins and antidotes of doses ranging from delayed to instant death. She uses the last of her leather to make a belt and lines it with the gas bombs and puts it on over her dress. She steps out onto the deck and lays a hand and forehead on the mast in a farewell to Merry. "I guess you're going now, aren't you?"
Karmen looks at Usopp, trying her best not to cry. "Take good care of her, however long she has left. For Kaya."
He nods with a similar expression. "For Kaya."
"I'll write you, so keep a few coins handy. I left some paper and a quill or two below deck."
"I'll send you whatever poison I come across," he promises back. "Oh. And tell Chopper, thanks for the medicine." They exchange one last hug and Karmen leaves Merry and the cape behind.
As Sanji watches her depart, he feels she's even less substantial than ever. With her veil back on and her embroidered Neptunians fluttering in the wind behind her she looks ethereal and shadowy. He doesn't like the tension in her white knuckles or her purposeful stride, but his eyes wander for a moment and when they return, she's gone.