Chapter 4: 10 Words or Less

"Explain that to me again."

The Marine gulped at the dry, no-nonsense tone on the other end of the Transponder Snail. "W-well, this is Blue Sea Naval Cruiser serial number 541852, calling for at-sea repair near Dusk Island-"

"I heard that," came the terse reply, the crimson eyes of the snail boring into the sailor. "I want you to explain again why the commanding officer of that vessel isn't providing this distress call. Be very clear."

"Ah," the Marine smartly said. "That. Well… Lt. Twigo was on the trail of an up-and-coming pirate. He was seen heading into this area-"

"Skip ahead. The man you arrested."

"Right, ma'am! My mistake! About… he was blond, not very tall, I'd say pretty fit – n-not that I was looking like that! I mean, he lifted my buddy over his head and chucked him at me, so I'd say he's-"

"I didn't ask for your preferences! What happened after he was taken into custody!?" The man flinched back as the snail expressed his superior's loss of composure. The snail then took several breaths, before addressing the man again. "...Sorry. That was uncalled for. I'm sure you are shaken up by this attack."

"U-uh, yeah," the Marine admitted hesitantly. "We… East Blue doesn't even have a lot of dangerous pirate crews, but… it was just two people! With a chain for an arm and an ax! Cut up the lieutenant, then dropped the mast on him! I mean, you expect a large fleet like Don Krieg to wreck your ship, but-!" Swallowing before he inadvertently cover the disgusted snail with more stray spittle, he said a little calmer, "We were unprepared. We weren't as armed as we should have been. And with many of the crew hurt, the ship damaged, and the lieutenant out of commission, we are in no shape to chase after them."

The Transponder stayed quiet for a minute, digesting all of the information given. "Just two people, destroying a Blue Sea Cruiser? Sailor!"

The Marine snapped to attention. "M-ma'am!"

"Which direction did you see them heading in?"

"T-towards the Organ Islands! Due north of Dusk Island!"

"And is anybody on board in danger of dying from their injuries?"

"N-no! Lots of bruising and, in the lieutenant's case, a number of broken bones and missing teeth. At this time, everyone is stable."

"Good," the snail's features softened up for the first time since the report started. It was only a moment before the neutral expression returned. "We'll call the Loguetown Base, and let them know to send someone for you."

"L-loguetown?" the Marine said before he could catch himself. "Isn't that a ten-day sail to Dusk?"

"Unfortunately, it's the only one with the largest shipyard right now. Shell Town experienced some… turbulent events, and they're in no shape to keep you all. Just sit tight, help is on the way." On the other side of the snail, the Marine officer hung up and sighed. "How did a routine inspection turn into such a busy day? First, Shell Town reports corruption and sabotage, now this?"

"Um, Sis?" an unsure voice came through the closed door of the Marine's private quarters. "Is everything alright?"

Straightening up and masking her exhaustion, the Marine opened the door and looked back into familiar crimson eyes. She smiled faintly, the mere presence of this person doing wonders for her weary mind. "I'm fine. That was a distress call from a Cruiser. Change of plans, collecting Morgan can wait."

"Really?" the young Marine wondered out loud. "What's the emergency?"

"Probably nothing," she said, going over what was reported. "Probably a small seas ship too embarrassed to admit they partied too much and are paying a price for poor life choices. But we didn't join to question if somebody needed help."

The teen girl nodded, as her CO walked down the hallway and she easily kept up with her long strides. "Of course. Are we going to check them out?"

"No, we're… going to go above and beyond today. Call HQ. Tell them to send someone else to Shell Town. It's unnecessary to inspect them now. We're changing course for the Organ Islands."

"That was so amazing!" Silk cheered as she jumped around the small vessel. "We went 'whomp!' on them! You swung that chain arm thing like 'whoosh, whoosh!' and those idiots went 'aaah!' and the stupid-stache was just yelling 'stop them, stop them!' and then you brought down the mast, and-!"

Hook laughed as he sat on the railing, watching the over-excited teen. "Yep! That's the life of an awesome adventurer like yours truly! So, should we head back?"

"...Eh?" Silk's bounciness faded into confusion as she turned to Hook. "Back?"

"Well, I wouldn't want to take you away and all," Hook pointed out, scratching at his ear. "After all, since you haven't given me an answer and all…"

Silk blinked before facepalming. "God! I did it out of order… Rgh, I mean, I came to save you, so isn't that enough!?"

"Well, it'd be weird to recruit you, and I still know nothing about you." Despite sounding lax in tone, Hook leaned forward eagerly. "So… what's your Dream?"

"I…" She trailed off, fiddling with her ponytail and looking away. Finally, blushing slightly, Silk looked back up at Hook. "H-have you heard of the legendary island of the Amazons? Sailors who've traveled to Port Cisco talk about an entire island full of women - overwhelming power, unrivaled beauty, and not a single man has actually seen it or lived if they have!" She paused to breathe, yet her nerves seemed to vanish as she got more excited. "They say there's a woman - a Pirate Empress - strong and beautiful enough that no one would dare set foot on that island! And I-"

Her voice faltered for a moment, as she gazed out to the ever-expansive sea. "I… haven't said it in so long. Is it even possible… can I reach such a goal?" She looked back at Hook; while he was leaning forward, his smile was patient and welcoming. His whole demeanor was a far cry from the loud boy that had jumped onto her barstools-

Like lightning, the idea struck Silk's mind. Recalling that energy, she pulled out Dorado and raised it skyward. "No! I will hesitate no longer! I will travel the world! I will become a symbol that nobody will dismiss! I will become the strongest woman in the world! That is the Dream I will make real! Even if I have to go through you, nothing will stop me!"

As if in reverence of her declaration, the waves and wind almost seemed silent. Hook was quiet as well for a minute… before he burst out laughing! "Clakakakaka! That's a pretty big Dream! But don't worry about going through me!" Hook gave out a thumbs-up and a winning smile. "I can't call myself James Hook if I didn't help my friends reach their goals too! Welcome aboard, First Mate Silk!"

The girl blinked at that. "Huh? First Mate?"

"Well, I figure everyone who joins us should have a title. Sounds cool, right?" Hook scratched his chin in thought. "Or, would you prefer 'Barmaid Silk?' 'Silk the Pie Poisoner?'"

"I'll end you, ass!" Silk swung at Hook's head with the flat of her ax. Hook dodged it while laughing. "Grrr, can we change the subject, or something!? Like, uh… your powers! What exactly can you even do?"

"Didn't I say before? The Clank-Clank Fruit made me a Comboman. What's not to understand?"

"That doesn't explain how!" Silk huffed. "Like, for starters, how are you bulletproof? Or, how come that hammer didn't cave your head in?"

"Oh, that," Hook said. "That was my Iron Shell."

"Iron… Shell?"

"Yep. Iron Shell." Hook tapped his head, a clanging (or Clanking, maybe?) sound ringing out. "I spent years absorbing lots of metals, and store them in my muscles and bones… or something like that."

"Store them in your… that's crazy! How does that work!?"

"Easy. I grab something and yell 'Consume!' and I consume it."

"But it can't all just go into your body? What else is there?"

Hook gave Silk a funny look. "'What else is there?' That's it! I have metal, I use metal. Idiots go down. The end."

"That's not how you explain a Devil Fruit! Here's how!" Silk snapped to attention as if she had joined the Navy. "My name is Silk! I have the Gol-Gol Fruit! I can control any gold in my hands! I learned the name from a passing merchant! His name was Oda! He was 5'4"! Messy hair, blue eyes! And he has a wife named Addy, and two kids-"

"Most of that isn't even about your powers!" Hook complained. "Can't you sum it up in ten words or less, ya airhead?"

Silk's temple pulsed at the barb. "Okay then," she said with an edge in her voice. "My powers give Dorado more oomph. Here is a demonstration!"

"See, that was ten oh shit!" Hook then spent the rest of the afternoon running around the small boat from a very motivated Silk. Despite the circumstances, there was more laughter than screams of pain, and both of them wore matching grins as the violent game of tag went on into the evening.

As the sun climbed up to early morning, Silk got up from sleeping in the aft with a stretch and a yawn. Still seeing nothing but water all around them, a thought occurred to her. "Hook?"

"Hm?"

"Where are we going?"

Hook rolled his eyes, regarding her with an 'are-you-an-idiot' look. "To the Grand Line, duh. That's where all the bigwigs hang out! If we want to make our dreams come true, that's the place to do it!"

"Well, I know that!" Silk snapped. "I meant do you know if that's where we're heading!"

"I just said that's where we're going!"

"Do you know if we're sailing towards the Grand Line or away!?"

"I-" Hook paused, mouth open as the thought took root. After a minute, he looked away sheepishly. "I think it's… north?"

Silk snorted, smiling in victory. "Gorururu! You don't know where we're going, huh?"

Hook pouted as he crossed his arms. "Alright, miss know-it-all, which was is the Grand Line?"

Silk's laughter died a merciless death, as she too looked out over the water. "Well, I know it's far away…" Looking anywhere but Hook's smug face, she looked at the black box hanging from his belt. "Hey, that's a compass? Why not use that to navigate?"

"Eh, it won't do us any better." Hook unclipped the compass from his pants, opening it for Silk to look at it. The wooden trinket was designed so that the whole face of the rose moved, a red arrow supposed to point north. Supposed is the keyword; instead, it spun endlessly in a circle like it was a loose gear in a watch. "See? It's broken."

"Seriously? What's the point of a broken compass?" Silk whined.

"I don't use it," Hook shook his head, as he smiled at it fondly. "It was a gift. My mother gave it to me." Silk sat back and looked as Hook's face softened, cradling the compass as if it were a child. "She told me my father gave it to her as a gift. It was… it is her good luck charm. Even if it's broken," Hook looked up and smiled dazzlingly at his new friend, "it'll still take us where we need to go! I'm sure of it."

"Well, it's a nice sentiment," Silk huffed, "but we need someone to point us in the right direction, not luck." She gestured out to the ocean around. "I mean, we're not getting anywhere! Look out there – water, water, bird, water, three guys drowning, water, and more water! There's nothing important…" The girl paused as her words caught up with her. At the same time, both Hook and Silk cried, "Three guys drowning!?"

Looking starboard, they indeed found three men doggy-paddling in the middle of the ocean. "Ahoy! Help us! Do something!" A quick row over later, the fishing vessel was host to three new guests, drenched and panting from the exercise. "Thank God you were here! We've been treading water for who knows how long!"

Silk crossed her arms, scrutinizing the group. "What were you doing out here anyway?"

"Well, what happened was..." The lead men trailed off before all three jumped up in unison, one sword sandwiched between two daggers, all pointed at their rescuers. "Like hell we'd tell you! Thanks for your help, but we'll be taking this ship in the name of the great Captain Buggy!"

There was a slight pause in the hold-up as Hook and Silk traded knowing looks. Together, they both raised a fist and… "Rock, Paper, Scissors!"

"R-Rock Paper Scissors!?" The men looked insulted and annoyed to be ignored as Hook and Silk played the game. "Take this seriously, you stupid-"

"Ha!" Silk held up a closed fist. "Rock beats scissors! I can handle it."

"Huh?" Hook blinked in bafflement. "I thought the loser would fight them…"

"What? That makes no sense! Clearly, whacking these guys is a prize!"

The bald one, who had been silent this whole time, finally spoke up, red-faced. "Will you stop ignoring us! Come at us both, if it makes you feel better!"

Hook and Silk blinked at that, as neither of them had thought of that. Silk just shrugged. "You start on one side; I take the other. Meet in the middle?" The young man nodded, with a smirk, before lashing out without looking. His fist collided with the bald one's cheek, crumpling him instantly.

The bowl-cut and his friend barely had time to react before Silk slammed the hilt of her ax on Bowl-cut's head, felling him swiftly. The sword wielder looked at his friends…which was how he was unprepared for Hook touching the blade and absorbing it instantly. "Wha-" As he looked at his empty hands, Silk nailed him in the nose with her blade's hilt, knocking him flat.

"Ah~ it sure is a nice day!" Hook cheered, foot on the bow as he looked out over the horizon.

"Yep!" Silk added, sprawled out on her back as she napped in the sun. "That breeze sure is nice!" She glanced at the back of the ship. "Thanks for rowing, by the way!"

"I-it's no problem, sir and miss!" Bowl-cut said as his friends, Baldy and Carrot Top, rowed the ship forward. All three of them looked well and truly battered from their failed ship jacking. "We're happy to be of service to our saviors!"

"Yeah!" Carrot Top piped up. "Happy to help!"

Baldy looked over to his comrades in confusion. "What? I thought we was rowing 'cause we don't want them to kill us?"

Bowl-cut bopped Baldy in his large head, with a sneer. "Quiet, mutton head, or I'll kill you for 'em!"

"Hey, guys," Silk cut in casually, not noticing how they tensed when she focused on them. "You never answered my question. Why were you swimming before?"

"It was that woman!" Bowl-cut yelled.

"The dirty, rotten fink!" Carrot Top howled. "To be tricked by some broad!"

"Yeah, and what a broad!" Baldy smirked. "With a figure like hers, I'd be swimming again! Nyuk nyuk nyuk!"

"A woman… with figures?" Hook questioned. "So, she's good at numbers?"

As Bowl-cut took time to 'murderize' Baldy, Carrot Top explained further. "What my pal means is some redheaded she-devil tricked us outta our boat. Pretended she was all frail, and offered us gold to rescue her."

Bowl-cut paused mid-beating to add in, "And we was tricked! That chest was empty, the dame wasn't starving, and the next thing we knew, we were stuck in a storm that capsized us! And that little so-and-so goes sailing off with our boat saying 'just as I forecast,' or sumthin' like that!"

"We was victims of circumstance! We were smack dab in the middle of a dust-up, and she was right on the edge of it! It was like she knew exactly where the storm was gonna be!"

"You chowderhead!" Bowl-cut shook Baldy around by the collar of his shirt. "Not this again! Nobody can predict weather like that! It was just luck, I tells ya! L-U-K-E! Luck!"

"Forget the girl!" Carrot Top cut in. "Whadda we do when we get back to the boss!? We lost all the loot we pulled all morning!"

All three men shivered after that comment, their previous (and humorous) animosity forgotten. "Yeah, you got a point, dummy." Bowl-cut rubbed his chin, trying to hide how he'd broken out in a cold sweat. "Cap'n's gonna stuff us in a cannon and fire us out to sea if we show up empty-handed…"

"Captain, huh?" Silk hummed, her voice scaring three goofballs as she reminded them there were others watching them. "You mentioned a Buggy before, right? Hook, what should we-"

"That's it!" Hook jumped up, rocking the boat slightly. "Silk! That redhead knows figures! Which means she knew that that storm was coming and used it against these idiots!"

"Hey!" Baldy stood, dusting his hands, before placing his hands on his hips and glaring at Hook. "And just who are you calling idiots?"

Hook gave him a flat look. "You, stupid."

Baldy held his stance for a moment, before stepping back bashfully. "Just checking. Wanna make sure I knew who you meant."

"Don't be embarrassed!" Baldy's cohorts dopeslapped him in retaliation.

"We need a navigator, right?" Hook grinned. "Well, let's invite her!"

"Well, it's better than floating endlessly in East Blue," Silk rationalized. "But we don't even know where she ended up…"

"Ooh!" Baldy piped up again, heedless of his crewmates' incredulous stares. "She might be going to Orange Town! That's where we's came from! It's where the captain is!"

Bowl-cut grabbed him by the shoulder to get the blabbermouth's attention. "What's the matter with you? You a stool pigeon?"

"Of course not! I'm just a bloodhound for cute dames."

"Oh, a bloodhound, eh?"

"Soitainly!"

"Here, lemme test yer nose!" Bowl-cut then grabbed the heavy set stooge by his nose and squeezed. The poor man howled, as weird cracking noises like bones breaking came from the point of attack.

"Huh," Silk blinked. "I didn't know noses had bones…"

"Clakakaka!" Hook clapped in excitement. "I've gotta good feeling about this! We need to get there now!"

"It'll take 30 minutes to get to shore," Carrot Top griped. "We can only row so fast!"

Hook studied the three pirates, before looking at his newest (and only) recruit. "Silk!"

"Read ya loud and clear!" Silk nodded before kicking the three out of the rowing seat. "Move it, jerks! I'll take over!"

Even as he righted himself, Bowl-cut laughed at Silk's claim as she took the oars. "Heh heh heh! Hey, guys! Blondie here's gonna row! Oh, that's rich! One person can't row faster than three! Any nincompoop can tell you- YIPE!" Bowlcut's sentence gave way to a yelp of surprise as Silk's superior strength carved through the water and set the boat flying forward to its destination. All three stooges screamed and hung on to the bottom of the vessel for dear life, while Hook stood at the bow, laughing his head off as the wind whipped around him.

A/N: Truly, I had fun writing this chapter! It's filled with a bundle of references, some for humor and some for foreshadowing! Can you find them all?