Chapter 23
A/N: Hmm. I'm not fully happy with this one. But whatever right? Rereading the same paragraphs over and over isn't going to trigger some profound change.
Marine Headquarters, The Grand Line
Aokiji yawned as he lay sprawled across the sofa in his office. One hand rose to pull the sleep mask away from his eyes and the Admiral blinked blearily at the light. A thumb and forefinger worked in tandem to rub free the last bits of the nap from his face while a slow breath was sucked in through his nose. "Sorry, I drifted.." A long finger hooked in his ear for a moment before flicking away a loose piece of wax. "..what were we talking about?"
"Kuzan please!" Rear Admiral Aquino begged in exasperation from the other side of the Den-Den-Mushi. "We've been colleagues for almost two decades now. Hell we're even both from the same island-chain in South Blue! Just level with me for a second! Do I have a rogue asset in my waters?"
Aokiji's brow rose just a pinch. "A rogue asset? Who?"
"The bounty hunter!" The lower flag officer struggled not to scream. "I've got a report on my desk about a rivals corpse he left behind in Sorbet. The wounds littering that body are as close a perfect match they can be for the shigan. No normal gun could leave holes so clean. This makes if four of the rokushiki we're sure he has. Four! I can only do three! On top of that there's a memo attachment here saying five and six are listed as 'probable' which I'm interpreting as a pretty much 100% guarantee that he has them!"
"Hoh?" Aokiji drawled with a scratch to his head. "All six huh? That's kinda scary. You thinking he might be Cipher Pol?"
An indignant sputtering came from the snail. "That's what I'm asking you! Someone unknown popping up with one of the 'six powers' would be a curiosity. Two would be worth investigating. Having all six however is impossible. So please sir. I'll ask again. What am I dealing with here? Is this some type of pilot program from the higher ups to lower crime in the Blue's? Because if that's the case then I can tell you it's working."
The Admiral sat up to his waist and planted both shoes onto the tile floor. One hand idly rubbed at the back of his neck as he minorly squinted in thought over the situation. "Officially speaking.." he began. "I'm not supposed to discuss anything that Cipher Pol may or may not be up to. You know how it is."
"Yes sir but-"
"That having been stated," Aokiji continued. "I'll at least run the question up to Sengoku for you. It is his home ocean too after all. If there is such a program it's not wholly unbelievable that South Blue is the place it would premier. I'll call you back in a few days with his answer. Though something tells me it's gonna be the first he's ever heard of it. You mentioned you've been making overtures to recruit this 'Sparrow' fellow right? If he was a marine you could always just order him to tell you where he picked up the skills. It could be quite the story."
"I've been trying sir," the Rear Admiral confirmed with a hefty sigh. "Originally one of my Captains offered him a position of Master Chief. When that was turned down I routed paperwork to go two ranks higher for Ensign. My thought process being that perhaps he wouldn't join unless he was offered a white coat. However that deal was rejected just as quickly. Cheeky bastard even sent an apology note." The sound of shuffling paper briefly overtakes the Den-Den-Mushi. "...so while I recognize the generosity of this offer please inform the Rear Admiral that I must respectfully decline. I am simply not looking for a position in the Marines at this time, especially not in a role where I would be subordinate to ones less capable than myself. Sincerely, Jack Parker."
Aokiji's chin rested in his palm as he listened to the excerpt with indifference. With no real feelings one way or another about this situation he was just barely invested in. "...thought you said his name was Sparrow?"
The snail huffed as Aquino tossed the paper aside. "Just another thing on the list to ask him I guess. Kuzan, I hate to continue holding you up, I'm just not sure what my next move is supposed to be. It can't be denied that this kid's doing good work...hell for gunning down Montauban I want to shake his damn hand. But if it turns out that he really isn't Cipher Pol or maybe some retired Vice-Admirals protege or something...if he really is unaffiliated...the idea of someone at that level running free in my ocean makes me uncomfortable."
Aokiji sighed as he scratched at his frizzy hair again. "I understand your concern." The ice-man stood to his full height and tapped at a crick near his collarbone. "In the meantime I'll authorize you going up to Lieutenant in your offer, see if that changes his tune. Only Giants and Logia's get better deals than that. If he declines again then back off and just stick to observation." the Admiral ordered. "At least until Sengoku can make a decision."
Kivuruk Island, Same Time
Some things in life don't need to be stated.
Items that are such common knowledge that you'd get looked at funny if you uttered them aloud. 'Grass is green', 'the Sun is bright', 'birds can fly'. Well...most of them can, but that's not the point. The point is that if you told someone 'birds can fly' they might just stare at you as if asking "Yes..? And..?"
I bring this up because there is something that needs a bit of renewed emphasis despite the fact that everyone already knows it. Something that shouldn't have to be stated and yet I must say it all the same.
The ocean is big.
I've experienced a lot of personal success just running around and attacking any black flag I happen to come across. Kiwi's incredible mobility provides me a significant advantage in finding potential targets. My friendship with Mori offers me another one. Those reports he passes along have made me more than twice as effective as I would have been on my own. But beyond those two? It's all just luck. And I'll admit I've been luckier than most. There may be hundreds of islands in South Blue -a few dozen of which are large enough to be called Kingdoms- but there are millions of square miles consisting of nothing but endless ocean in every direction.
'Oaken Fist' Kowalik is always on the move. And thanks to his Devil Fruit outfitting his ship with four large paddle wheels he moves quickly. He shows up, gets paid his demanded tribute, and then vanishes within a few hours. Now while I have found specific pirates I was searching for just by flying around that massive expanse of vacant Blue, when it comes to tracking down this seas silver medalist for 'most wanted', I'd like to have something a bit better planned.
To that avail I've asked Mori to dig through a few old papers and put together a certain list for me.
"Scuttlers Cove, one hit." The Master Chief rattled off over the snail phone. "Winterbrook, three hits."
My pencil flowed along the lines of the notebook. "Winter...three.." I repeated back, scribbling the information down on as I spoke it.
"Jongvale, one hit." Mori continued. "Grasmere Town, two hits."
"Grasmere huh?" I muttered lightly under my breath. "I was just there the other day. Guess that would have been too convenient for him to have already been there wouldn't it?"
The den-den-mushi rolls its eyes in Master Chief's place. "Port Uchana in Truira Kingdom, one hit. Girogona, six hits."
I stopped writing to whistle. "Six you say?" I doodled a fat asterisk next to the name. "Gonna make that one high priority then."
"Finally we have Cherrytown with two hits and Port Rochdale with five hits."
"Rochdale...five.." I finish writing and take a moment to look over the page. A record of every location that the 'Oaken Fist' has run his racketeering scheme in. Complete with the number of times he's returned there over his active years.
Normally when a pirate conducts a raid there's a certain chain of events that have to take place before I get the heads up. First, the pirate ship in question needs to be sighted by the islanders about to be attacked. If the island has a Marine branch then they will be notified. If not, a distress call to the branch of a neighboring island is placed. Somewhere along the line while the Marines are organizing a response, it will be the job of some lower person to write up a report of the sighting. Then another person will transmit that report to other Marine branches in the ocean. Following that there's yet another delay before Mori himself actually sees the report at which point he can call me and I can start a multi-hour long flight towards the target.
As you can imagine, this is not always the quickest process. There have been occasions where I've arrived and the pirates have already been gone for quite some time. Usually though Kiwi's speed is enough to catch up to the bastards regardless of how much of a head start they may have. That's just how slow a traditional sailing vessel is compared to my partner.
Against 'Oaken Fist' Kowalik this method will not work. Those blasted paddle wheels make the Molderhulk probably the fastest ship of its size in any of the four Blue's. Unless I happened to be close by already, or just absurdly lucky, Kowalik would be long looong gone before I ever get there.
As such, for this hunt to be successful I must cut out as much of the middle men as possible. I need someone on the island being raided to have a phone straight to me. It's a poor plan to give out my snail number everywhere though. Not only would the calls become unending but if I'm too busy elsewhere to respond when a distress call comes in then that person is less likely to phone me again.
So I must pick my targets and play the waiting game. I'll travel to the islands Kowalik has been to the most and procure a volunteer. I'll even provide a free Den-Den-Mushi if they're lacking one. While psychic gastropods may not be the most expensive thing in the average One Piece marketplace, they're not exactly the cheapest either. The common citizen generally doesn't buy one if they can't justify the cost.
"Ha! You know I'm actually rather glad you're doing this Jack. Putting together a little network of your own and all." the Master Chief suddenly speaks up. "Pretty soon I may not be able to help you as much as I have been."
I pause as I'm slipping the folded list into my breast pocket. "Your superiors aren't changing their mind about our partnership are they?" I ask with a mild twinge of worry. "This isn't punishment for me refusing their latest deal is it?"
"No no, nothing of the sort." Mori reassured. "It's just my time ashore is running close to dry. Warrant Officer Curren, myself, and a few others here at the 4-6-8 have all been informed we'll be reporting to The White Star in two weeks. She's a new frigate fresh from the shipyards. Gonna be part of some new campaign the higher ups have put together. I'll still be able to call you if I learn something but..well..." the marine trails off as his point is made.
"...best not to count on it." I finish aloud. Marine ships out on mission don't typically get informed of pirate sightings unless they're in the vicinity and can actually do something about them. Meaning Mori's effectiveness as my informant is about to be crippled. "How long until you're back on land?"
I can almost feel the heavy shrug on the other side. "Hard to say. Could be as little as four months or so. Could also very easily be double that if not longer. That's just..part of the life we signed up for." Mori takes a moment to sigh before his voice turns more chipper. "Y'know Jack. If you just accepted the offer of joining us over here then you wouldn't need to rely-" The marine stops as the sound of a door opening carries over through the phone. "Ah right. Sorry Jack. Seems we'll have to continue this later. Hope that list works out. Good luck. KA-LICK!"
The snails eyes droop down as the call ends and I gently set the little guy aside. With the laziest of movements it bends down to nibble at the cabbage I've set out and begins munching down on the leaf with the slowest -yet somehow loudest- open mouthed chews you'd ever see from an animal.
"Eat up little guy." I smiled warmly. "Soon as your done we've got work to do."
Naturally there were going to be false alarms. While I did mention to my chosen volunteers that it was Kowalik specifically I was hoping to catch, I didn't expressly tell them not to call if anyone else with a black flag should happen to show up. It's to be expected really. When one sets up a snare its not only the animal you're hunting for that can wander in.
~Sing a song, it won't be long, before we're casting off.~
~Cross the gold and silver seas, a salty spray puts us at ease,~
~Day and night, to our delight, the voyage never ends.~
"Let's hear it again for Arturo and our lovely quartermaster Elsie!" the Captain roared with a drink raised high. "The second and third members of our crew to earn a bounty!"
"ROOOAA!" The rest of the tavern thundered in agreement.
~Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Binks' brew.~
~Pirates, we eternally are challenging the sea.~
~With the waves to rest our heads, ship beneath us as our beds,~
~Hoisted high upon the mast, our jolly roger flies.~
"Come now lad, it's a party! No time to be scowling!" The crews navigator laughed towards the tied up marine in the corner. "Here!" the pirate announced as he raised his stein. "I bet all you need's is a drink!" he jeered before dumping the alcohol over the Petty Officer's head.
~Somewhere in the endless sky, stormy winds are blowing by,~
~Waves are dancing, evening comes, it's time to sound the drums.~
~But steady men, and never fear, tomorrow's skies are always clear.~
~So pound your feet and clap your hands 'til sunny days return.~
"Please stop," the waitress quivered with a tear in her eye, her dainty fingers desperately trying to pry off the dirt covered palms resting on the hips of her dress. "Let me go! Let go!"
"Aww lass...yer gonna break me heart." The pirate playfully laughed as he pulled her towards his lap. "All I wants is a little kiss. Just one wee little kiss for ol' smithy."
~Yo hohoho, yo hohoho Yo hohoho, yo hohoho~
~Yo hohoho, yo hohoho Yo hohoho, yo hohoho~
The stranger whistled as he stepped through the bars double doors. "Quite the celebration you've got going on in here. Mind if I get a round?"
"Come on in lad! Grab yourself a chair!" the Captain cheered. "Everyone's drinking free tonight!"
~Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Binks' brew.~
~Wave goodbye, but don't you cry, our memories remain.~
~Our days are but a passing dream, everlasting though they seem.~
~Beneath the moon we'll meet again, the wind's our lullaby.~
The newcomer in brown planted himself down next to the head of the Blackbriar Pirates and began scanning the room. "So what's the occasion? Must be something good to pay for a party this size."
"Pay?" the Captain questioned with a joyous laugh. "Sonny we're pirates! Paying isn't required if you catch my meaning. Let me teach you a phrase! A lesson that we all live by," The man stood up and raised his bottle again. "Take what you can!"
"GIVE NOTHING BACK!" the crowd answered.
~Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Binks' brew.~
~Sing a song, and play along for all the oceans wide.~
~After all is said and done, you'll end up a skeleton,~
~So spread your tale from dawn 'til dusk upon these foamy seas.~
The pirate settled back into his seat and gave the stranger a curious glance. "By the way sonny, have we met before? Something about the way you dress strikes me as familiar. It's ringing a bell in my brain but I can't quite put my finger on why."
"I don't believe so." I took a swig from a newly opened bottle and sighed with refreshment. "Give it a second maybe. You'll figure it out."
~Yo hohoho, yo hohoho Yo hohoho, yo hohoho~
~Yo hohoho, yo hohoho Yo hohoho, yo hohoho~
In the span of a blink I shatter the bottle against the mans forehead and snake my arm into a chokehold. "By the way, you guys are all totally under arrest."
The leader of the Blackbriar Pirates eyes go wide as he begins flailing in place. "..Spar..row..." he manages to squeak in realization before his face starts to purple.
~Yo hohoho, yo hohoho Yo hohoho, yo hohoho~
~Yo hohoho, yo hohoho Yo hohoho, yo hohoho~
"Y'know.." I spoke as my hold tightened, eyes darting between the people now noticing their commanders distress. "I'm getting real tired of people thinking that's my name."
And of course I found time to handle other matters. A day for training where I, among other [Skill] gains, finally maxed out [Rankyaku] and [Tekkai] to Lv. 50. There was a day where I worked with Barker on things he was stuck on. And I even found a day devoted just for that little side quest I had picked up in Gombei's office.
Benimería Archipelago, South Blue
"Hmn," I grunted, flipping the paper around so it better matched what I was looking at. "..that seems..prooobably right...don't know what other opening in the hillside this picture could be referring to.."
There's a piece of me that doesn't really understand why someone would ever make a treasure map. I mean, if I was going to hide something whose value was so high that it should warrant having a map being made to find it...I rather doubt I'd ever forget where I'd stashed it in the first place. Therefore, since I'm not ever forgetting where it is, and I wouldn't want anyone else to find it themselves, a treasure map really doesn't serve any purpose.
Unless of course you do want someone else to find it. Perhaps a friend, a relative/descendant, or maybe just as a challenge for some young bold adventurer looking to prove themselves. I still don't think a treasure map would be the best way to go about doing that but at least it's closer to making sense. The question remains though. Why would a pirate take the time to set that up? Of all the adjectives that come to mind when I think of the typical freebooter 'charitable' isn't exactly at the forefront of that list.
Maybe I should just chalk it up to a 'cultural thing' and move on. Traditions aren't always based in reason after all. Gabrian Gomago could very well have had this map made for no other reason than 'that's what pirates are supposed to do'.
The path curves inward and I bid the sun farewell as I move deeper into the cave. There's a faint hue of purple mixed among the walls and I -like most people when encountering something shiny in the wild- give it an appreciative look-over for a few seconds before moving on. A faint trickling of water softly reverberates throughout the cavern and I idly notice a few drops sliding off the stalactites overhead. 'It is stalactites right? The ones on the ground are stalagmites? I could honestly never keep it straight which is which.'
Some species of pale white crab skitters away as the road forward splits into left and right. I bring the map closer to my face, studying it intently beneath the light of my lantern for a moment before choosing left and continuing onward with a satisfied nod. Truth be told whatever riches lay at the end of this side quest doesn't really matter to me. Oh, I'll turn all the gold and jewels and whatnot into cash don't you worry, but at this point getting more money in the [Inventory] is just a tertiary bonus.
My main motivation for this little day trip is twofold. One, to finally fulfill that early life ambition of any child who grew up watching 'The Goonies' and dreamed of finding their very own 'Treasure of One-Eyed Willy'. 'On a side note I'm actually kind of disappointed there's no childish booby traps or puzzles so far. Would really have made the whole adventure feel more complete.' And two, arguably the more important goal, to see if the rumor is true and their really is another Meito hidden here.
The walls begin to narrow forcing me to do a sort of awkward side-shuffle to keep traversing. 'Though even if the new blade is technically a higher rank than Kugizume I don't really foresee myself using it. From what I can recall from the manga seriesthe majority of Meito seem to be variants of katana's which frankly aren't really my style. Besides, I've grown rather attached to the arming sword strapped alongmy back.'
The passageway opens up again and suddenly I'm standing on a cliff edge overlooking a fairly sizable underground lake. A couple boulders protruding from the water seems to suggest that it isn't too deep yet at the same time the scales of a green & pink fish swimming about reflects off my lantern telling me that there has to be a connecting exit somewhere down there.
With a featherlight [Geppo] to slow my fall I descend down to the waters edge and begin looking around. 'I don't have to go diving for the treasure do I? I mean I will I have to, I just try to avoid-'
Oh.
There it is.
Sitting comfortably wedged in a little bend in the alcoves east facing wall is nine large chests stacked in a rough pyramid. Each one just under three feet long and perhaps half that in height.
Well that was easy.
Good job team. We did it.
Making my way over to the stack of goodies my eyes zero in on the colorful hilt of an object resting across the third trunk in the middle layer.
"Hello there gorgeous," I mutter to myself with a slightly rapacious smile. While the sheath it rested in was remarkably plain the hilt of the sword itself was an eye-catching shade of ceremonial violet. A unique crossguard shaped in the likeness of a birds foot separated the steel from the handle and with a satisfied sense of 'mission accomplished' I clasped the weapon in my grip. "Are you the one I'm looking for?"
"!"
Almost. Almost I fumble the blade in shock as the..whatever that was..flickers over my sixth sense. A nebulous ephemeral sensation so brief that I'm already doubting whether it was real or not. "Did you just-"
"!"
The feeling whispers across my psyche a second time and I peer curiously at the item. "Hohoh! Well that's certainly different isn't it?" I remark with a laugh. "[Observe]."
Yatagarasu (Meito)
One of the 50 Ryō Wazamono Grade Swords scattered throughout the world, Yatagarasu is a near masterwork of quality and craftsmanship. It was set aside by its last wielder Gabrian Gomago six years ago when the pirate captain got too fed up with the 'odd-feelings' emanating from the weapon always distracting him during battle. As a Meito, Yatagarasu is far sharper and stronger than normal blades, only being matched or outclassed by other equal-ranked or higher-ranking Meito.
Note: Like many of its cousin legendary blades, Yatagarasu possesses a limited form of sentience.
Alert! You've encountered a named blade! +1 LUK!
LUK (76) → (77)
I read over the paragraph a second time and nod appreciatively. "So you're one of those blades with a 'spirit' or whatever then? That's kinda nifty. You're not gonna be a problem child like Sandai Kitetsu was with Zoro are you?"
"?"
An amused hum rang in my throat. "Right. I guess you wouldn't know what that means. To be honest though it doesn't really matter much. A katana on my belt would mostly just get in the way so I'm gonna be keeping you in the [Inventory] for the most part."
"?"
"Don't worry. Everything indicates that time doesn't move in there so you won't notice a thing."
"!? !?"
I open up the invisible window and toss the weapon inside. "Oh don't be such a baby."
Lastly, all this time waiting for a call about the 'Oaken Fist' reminded me to get started on another problem I had yet to address on this ocean. The reference to wood in both their titles meaning I couldn't think long about the first without eventually having my mind drift towards the second.
Timber Bay.
Such an odd name for a place such as this. Perhaps at one time, centuries ago maybe, the moniker may have made some sense. Maybe it was an island covered in green with massive trees who's canopies were tall enough to tickle the clouds. I can see the image in my head. A rich thriving community of shipwrights and woodcutters living together and crafting works of art out of the humongous groves.
Then again maybe the name's just a punchline to some long-running joke I'm not privy to. Because the festering putrid cesspit of an island that Kiwi and I are fast approaching is nothing like those peaceful images.
Timber Bay.
A massive tumor in need of excision. I'd call it a pirate stronghold but that would be excluding all the other types of scum that congregate there. The island's like a black hole for men on the run. If someone is fleeing from a minor bounty being placed on their head then at some point or another Timber Bay is gonna suck them up. Sure, there's places in the world like Mock Town that have noticeable populations of wanted men, but not all of them can brag that that number exists as a double-digit percentage.
My eyes narrow as the location on the horizon begins to take shape. A medium-sized isle protected on all sides by a jagged vicious-looking ring of dark colored rock. Aesthetically it almost reminds me of a massive caldera sitting in the middle of the ocean. And since it is the One Piece world who knows? Maybe there is a supervolcano sitting underneath it all.
At the moment though that line of supposition is immaterial. There's another sight -this one rather unexpected- that takes precedence. Five standard Marine cruisers are anchored in a loose semicircle around the sole entrance/exit. Plumes of light smoke are wafting off the 1st and 4th in the lineup showing that whatever fire there was has only recently been extinguished. Flying Kiwi lower I can spot the wrecked and shattered remains of defensive battlements dotted along the rock wall and at the tunnel entrance itself I count not only one or two but three separate portcullises barring the way in.
Looks like we've got ourselves a good ol' fashioned blockade boys. Glad to see I'm not the only one working hard these days.
'Now then, what's the best way to go about-'
Alert! Your [Den-Den-Mushi] is ringing!
'Gah! Sonuva- I swear if this is someone calling about Kowalik when I just got here then I'm gonna be seriously annoyed..' I extract the familiar blue snail from my [Inventory] and lift the receiver. "Go for Jack. What you got for me?"
A somewhat playful chuckle comes from the other side. "Is that you I see circling above my blockade bounty hunter?"
It takes me a second to place the voice. "Lieutenant Yuriko?"
Well well don't we have an interesting opportunity here? It had actually slipped my mind that she'd gotten my number off me in the aftermath of our original meeting. Apparently this little hodgepodge of a fleet here is a band of failures who've been told to go seek out redemption. Four Lieutenants and one Commander who've all got black marks of varying size in their service records.
I can't speak to the circumstances of the other four officers but as it turns out Marine high command was pretty disappointed when Yuriko lost her previous ship -alongside most of her men- in the conflict with Mira-jane. Personally I thought there'd be a bit more understanding considering a giant ensorcelled octopus was to blame for those casualties but..evidently not.
Now she and her newest colleagues have been tasked with bringing this island to heel as a way of getting back in the Marines good graces. A trickier prospect than it seems at first glance. While I have no doubt those portcullises blocking the way would crumble if struck with enough artillery fire, sailing through that tunnel is a death trap. It's small, narrow, and has a hundred shore-based cannons pointing at it from the other side. This is without even considering the three pirate vessels who were locked in the bay when the gates slammed shut. All of whom have flags I recognize. Captains Lannery Storm, Beckett 'Augustus' Brass, and the old rapscallion himself Ramirez DePietro.
None of them really qualify as a heavy hitter but they're not low enough to be titled pushovers. Put all their bounties together -combined with those of their first mates and other incidental members- and you'll get a number somewhere around...80 million probably. Maybe 85.
What this all means in total is that trying to starve the island out is the Marines only viable play. A plan which at the absolute minimum is going to take several weeks. Which brings us back to the opportunity I mentioned. Originally I wasn't planning on clearing out this whole rats nest in one or two days. I thought I might just pop in, grab some of the worst I could see, and call it a 'good start'.
Now though? With five empty brigs parked out front and just aching to be filled with prisoners? Well..who am I to not do my part and help thin out the herd behind those walls? Hell, I'll even do it for free. As I mentioned earlier it's not like I'm strapped for cash. Killed or captured is all the billion Beri [Quest] cares about and that's really the main goal I'm here to work on today.
At Yuriko's request though I've promised to hold off until its past sunset. A cloaked man snatching people off the street and then flying away is...well I'm not gonna say inconspicuous if done at night..but it's at least a tad less noticeable than if done during the day.
Timber Bay, Nighttime
Slipping back into the alleyway I take a moment to pull off the hood and get my thoughts in order. 'Good fuckin' lord... it's like most of them don't even care there's a blockade...And hear I thought Halnola was a shithole...'
Everyone is filthy. Everything is disgusting. There's not a man I've yet to see who's skin wasn't caked in grime or wearing clothes that not even the shiftiest thrift store would pass off as anything other than rags. Nine out of ten of those walking around are doing so with a bottle in their grip and the only reason it's not 100% is because I saw a group of 'working girls' who were sober. Granted their make-up was overdone, their tits were millimeters from spilling from their dresses, and just looking at them made me want to check myself for a venereal disease. But credit where credit is due they were sober.
Flintlocks are discharging wildly in the street as eight men have a free-for-all bottle shooting contest. There's an individual being throttled into the mud by a larger man who's screaming something about a goat. That sleeping guy in the corner over there I'm pretty sure is actually just dead and I just witnessed an irate woman chasing a man with a pig in his arms who's sprinting like the devil himself were on his heels. All in all I'd say the only the only thing missing from this scene is- 'Scratch that thought. I can hear it now. A three man band playing something that is suspiciously similar to 'Two Hornpipes'.'
Alright. I'm calling it. If I'm being forced to carry the moniker of Jack Sparrow then I'm labeling this island as the worlds fucking 'Tortuga'.
I peer around the corner and cast [Observe] on two Lv. 6's having a drunken street brawl. One's a deck hand who was mistakenly left behind by the crew who brought him here eight months ago and the other is a petty thief wanted for 24,000 back on his home island.
'Chump change. Maybe I'll grab him on my way out.'
My head turns next to a Lv. 7 who's...literally...taking a piss on some poor sod that has been locked in the stockades. [Observe] says… one of four brothers blah blah blah...public drunkenness and assault with a dagger in Yinada Kingdom. Bounty: 88,000.
'A bit better. But not a number I want to settle for.'
Hoh lookie there, its the man with the pig again. He's running freaking circles around that lady. [Observe] tell me his story...born in Cherrytown...dear old dad lost all the family money...yada yada- wait whaaaat? Eww. That's just gross. They'll put a bounty on your head over that shit? Yeah I mean it's disgusting but I wouldn't think..yeah you know what never mind. If I was a local government I'd pay 60,000 to get that off my street too.
'Screw it. Time's a wastin'. I'll just take all three.'
My cloak whips behind me as [Soru] launches me from the alleyway as a blurred image. One uppercut into the stomach has the man from Yinada KO'd and over my shoulder in the blink of an eye. In a manner of seconds Mr. Pig and the thief are piled up along with him and before anyone really has a chance to properly react I've disappeared from the scene with another ten-kick burst.
Reappearing in the alley I look back over my shoulder to gauge what kind of reaction that garnered and..well.. the biggest response seems to be the woman is happy to have the pig back. All the rest..either didn't notice or honestly just don't care. Even the one guy I'm sure saw me has already shrugged it off and gone back to drinking.
With three bodies on my shoulder it takes a few extra [Geppo]'s but it's not long until I've all but disappeared into the night sky. From there it's a short journey before I'm soaring over the ships anchored in the bay and then passing over the jagged ring wall soon after that.
Touchdown on Yuriko's ship is mostly gentle but the way I dump the trio of disheveled men at the lieutenants feet is a bit less so. At least that's what the pained groans that accompanied it seem to indicate. "Here's your first three. All Wanted, though only by their local islands and almost definitely for 'Alive Only'. Don't go shipping them off to Impel Down because of a paperwork error."
Yuriko meanwhile is staring at the group with an incredulous look etched over her face. "Jack.." she begins.
I interrupt. "Sorry in advance if carting them all to the correct places is going to be a pain but I don't want to be responsible for-"
"Jack!" Yuriko asserts again. "It's been.." she stops to check her watch. "..seven minutes. You literally left my ship six minutes and forty-seven seconds ago. How did you already find three?"
That's a fair question. And one that I don't have a good answer for. I'm certainly not going to mention [Observe] and I don't feel like spinning some far fetched tale of memorizing every wanted poster in South Blue. So I go for the only move I can think of right this second. Flashing a grin, turning away, and [Geppo]-ing back towards the isle for my next load.
A standard marine brig can hold nearly 200 men after all.
Gonna be a busy night.
A/N 2: On the one hand I didn't want to split Timber Bay into two chapters...on the other though this seems like a good place to stop. So...meh ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.