It Should Be Obvious:
The next day, Dive was full of nervous energy, bouncing all over the place. Secret keeping was not her strong suit. But dropping the bombshells I learned last night on everyone right now would distract them from the raid. God dammit! I want to tell everyone! Ohh this is torture!
The crew meanwhile took a leisure day out, exploring shops, haggling with vendors, and sampling the town's tropical fare. Several pirates bought new swimsuits and flip flops. Dive liked to make jewelry, getting excited at the large selection of shell style beads and whatnot the tropical island had to offer. She may have gone overboard with her purchases. Oops...
The majority of the crew partook in the special herbs available, using their portion of loot money to stockpile it for later. All the fresh fruit was super sweet and juicy, the crew pigging out on chicken and pineapple kebobs from a nearby stall. The sugarcane rum Hofuna was known for tasted divine.
Jam put the finishing touches on the deep freezer with Kid directly after breakfast, powering it on and telling Killer he could begin stocking it in two hours. The man gathered up all the cooks and practically dragged them off to market, demanding Bubblegum come with to help budget everything. He ordered Compo to fish up all he could and begin prepping the meat for storage. Kid was busy laughing it up with Heat and Wire, someone coming up with the idea to magnetize giant metal letters spelling out KILLERS MEAT over the large freezer door.
The professor and Dive enlisted the help of Alt and Jaguar to go check out that coconut grove. Alt knew exactly how to spot a good coconut, telling them to check if the fruit felt heavy for its size, if they could hear sloshing sounds, meaning it had juice, and to look for three dark spots in the formation of a bowling ball. God I want some nice Piña Colada's. This week has been stressful as hell.
Jam was going ask Killer to make everyone coconut shrimp, seeing how Compo had already caught plenty. Ooh delicious coconut shrimp! That fuzzy asshole better honor his offer.
"Hey Dive, you could put these in your shirt and actually have something," Jaguar teased, holding two coconuts up to her chest and laughing loudly.
The small woman growled before launching herself up at her taller companion, biting him hard on the arm. He screamed, "Take a joke you crazy bitch!" while trying to pull her off.
Jam snickered loudly, while Alt covered his face with his hands. "He can't leave her alone for shit. Why he keeps antagonizing her is beyond me," the tall slender man muttered.
"He likes her. I've noticed Jag prefers to aggravate Dive so that she'll hit or bite him. I think he enjoys the attention," the small woman whispered.
Alt froze, contemplating the professor's words. True to the scientist conclusions, Jaguar looked awfully pleased with himself as Dive chomped down on his arm, hissing out threats. "Fuck me sideways and call me crazy, you're right," he muttered, astonished he never thought about it before.
"Of course I am. It's obvious. But don't tell those two, this is way more entertaining," she giggled, getting back to gathering up the fruit. I'll be teasing pigtails later.
Alt raised an eyebrow at her words. How can she spot that idiot's interest in Dive and not the Captain's interest in her? This is bananas...
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At a quarter till two Moai, Compo, Whitney, Disc J, and Forte were left to watch the ship with Emma as the senior guard. The rest of everybody was busy sharpening tools, packing up supplies and weapons in anticipation for tonight's battle. A mini transponder snail was given to Quincy, Heat, and Killer to communicate back with the ship, where Forte would be manning the phone, and to each other.
From his place atop of the Punk's skull styled bow, the Captain constructed a large flying metal disc, allowing his subordinates to stand atop it with himself. Killer said it would balls to the walls hilarious if they just dropped in; hence Kid went with the sneaky route. The group of twenty five landed on the roof of the base silently. With a few quick slices, a large hole was made allowing the group to slip in undetected.
Funny was an understatement. The assholes were supposed to be able to get ready for battle in under a minute. That's why they were called minute men and not for the reason Kid liked to joke about. Imagine only lasting a minute in bed. That'd be embarrassing as hell.
Fighting a bunch of losers in semi-dressed states was a sight to behold. They were beyond shocked to be ambushed at such a late hour. "To your battle stations. We're under attack!" the commander shouted. How did they get in so fast?!
The small fries went down easily. Killer, Hip, Hop, Boogie, Mosh, Papas, Clash, Bubblegum, and Wire were slicing though their ranks like butter. Heat surrounded his foes in a thunderous blaze, only charred remains left in his wake. Jaguar, Snare, and Gig were punching through the throngs of soldiers, bodies flying in every direction. Dive was kicking people and ripping off arms with the strength of her jaw. House was infusing her magic into her ninjato; bodies slashed with the sword shriveling into husks. Reck and Alt fired wildly, competing as to who could attain more headshots.
As usual the captain of the ship constructed his metal arms and went to work bashing skulls in. Just pulling in the metal nearby had shaken the building and took out several enemies. "Jeeze can't even identify who is supposed to be the head honcho with all this trash!" Kid roared sadistically, having thrown the commander straight into the wall, a spatter of blood leading down to his lifeless body.
"We don't need to know that; no one here is going to tell us anything. Just plow through these assholes!" Wire shouted above all the noise.
"I don't see why we can't take our time playing with them," Clash whined, bloodthirsty as always.
Killer shook his head, his long hair swaying from side to side. "We don't want them figuring out what we're up to. These mangy dogs can't know we're looking for their secret underground tunnels, otherwise they'll destroy whatever they have before we can get our hands on it."
Jam surveyed the chaos with absolute exuberance. They're wrecking the place faster than I could solo. Die you stupid brain dead wastes of space. Looking at her captain, she was mesmerized by his battle prowess. He looked completely at home amid the chaos. "Your reputation for being an uncouth barbarian and attacking things for no reason is actually going to come in handy. No one will suspect we're up to anything," she said, punching a marine right in the throat, killing the unfortunate man instantly.
Kid frowned, "I always have a reason for fighting someone."
Vaulting to another opponent and slamming a boot on his head to smash his skull, the woman clarified what she meant, "Yes but that's not what they see. The reports they make about you state implicitly how violent the crew is. If they're going to assume you're too stupid and too violent to be up to anything, take it, run with it, and paint the town red with their blood in retaliation."
He bit his lip, pondering her words.
The surprise of coming from the top of the building instead of the front doors threw the soldiers for a loop. Half of the base's inhabitants had been sent upwards to fight the pirates while the other half went down to protect their assets in the tunnels. Unfortunately it wasn't long before the pirates annihilated their opponents, bodies littering the floor.
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Afterwards, the crew had decisions to make. Heading down to the basement level lead to opposing paths. "We can fan out and contact a different group via Den-Den Mushi. The tunnel going due north is the one that most likely leads to whatever secret they're hiding in the jungle," Wire informed everyone.
"Then my team will go that way. Killer you guys head in the other direction. Call Heat if you find anything useful," instructed Kid.
His orders given, the battle hungry man spied his scientist talking animatedly with Reck. He pouted, till a devious idea came to mind. Kid's large metal hand scoped Jam up, depositing her across his other shoulder, like a sack of potatoes. His team of twelve shared barely suppressed smiles at the Professor's predicament.
"Put me down!" she yelped, hating being lifted up suddenly. Why do tall people just pick me up like that? I'm an adult!
"Why? You hate heights," he jeered, wrapping his good arm under her rump for 'support.'
Dark brown eyes turned to slits, as the woman got ready to punch the asshole. "No," she hissed, trying to wiggle free, glad she had her collar fully up to hide the pink dusting her cheeks. "But I see no reason why I need to be carried."
Kid's mouth split open into a wide grin. "I got an idea. I 'kidnapped' a scientist and they better move or you're dead." Her ass is right at eye level. If I 'accidently' turn my head, I can bury my face in it. My thick coat is in the way, but I can still feel those juicy melons. I'm a fucking genius! "This way you can direct me where to go. You may not know the exact layout of this base but marines are as unoriginal as they come. I bet this secret base follows a similar layout as any of the ones you've pilfered before."
"While that is true, I can direct you from the ground and I am not a fan of the connotations such a position affords me," she said, shifting lightly to give her the leverage to attack him soon. His coat smells clean. Who would have guessed? It's made of a comfortable material; it's probably very expensive.
"In English smarty pants." Hmm no pants, he thought having ran his hand up her leg. That's twice I've known her to be wearing a skirt or a dress-She's girly...
"You look like a damn Neanderthal that abducted a woman to take back to your cave. Put me down!" she screeched, pulling her leg back to kick him in the chest.
Anticipating her move, the brute grabbed her ankle and held it flush against himself. Although Kid couldn't see her face, he could tell by her voice and the slight rise in her tone, she was embarrassed. You like humiliating me, maybe I'll return the favor.
His subordinates couldn't believe his audacity. Well they could. Their boss always found a way to get what he wanted, no matter how farfetched a goal it was. Heat was embarrassed on the professor's behalf, sharing a grimace with House. Oh boss. Put that poor woman down.
"You said you'd follow me into battle, well that means following orders. If I say you're a pretend hostage, then that's what you'll do. Understand?"
Jam huffed, but relented to his demands. Stupid oaf using logic to defend his vile punishment. He knows how demeaning this is...
When Kid realized Jam was pouting, he decided to further illustrate his position. With a gloating tone, he teased, "We're destroying this base like you wanted. My crew gathered up a good bit of the shit you wanted. And you were so gun-ho at leaning about my powers. From your vantage point, you'll be able to witness firsthand my greatness. Think you outta say Thank-you captain," he mimicked her high pitched voice, chuckling darkly.
"Fine, thank-you captain jackass," she bit out, mad she didn't land that kick. The professor's moves were deadly, but with someone of his stature and strength, she needed the proper momentum to get in a good hit. Otherwise the ruffian could block it. Moreover, injuring him when there were enemies to contend with was just plain stupid. Kid smirked, recognizing that her jabs meant Jam was fuming at her loss.
Ripping some large metal doors off their hinges, the pirates were greeted with an ambush of guns pointed directly at them. The tall redhead grinned maliciously, "You dumbasses never learn, do ya?" With a shout of attract, all of their weapons were confiscated and firing back at them, causing mass panic.
"Ah he's got a hostage!" one of the soldiers shouted, much to Kid's amusement.
"You said they'd assume the worse of me and that I would use that to me advantage. Don't get all pissy when I take your advice," he whispered rudely, bouncing her when he jumped towards an enemy.
Jam snorted, "This is all just an excuse to pay me back for making a fool of you the other day. I'm facing the wrong direction and missing half the action anyway! " And if I didn't know any better, I'd firmly believe you were trying to feel me up. Pfft, as if you could handle all this.
A beam of energy shot out directly at the Professor, but was deflected by a large hand Kid assembled out of the metal he gathered. "You can see plenty. Don't be so bitchy woman."
"Why are you firing at the boss when he has a hostage?!" Boogie shouted in confusion, shaking his fists. Are they crazy?! Who shoots at their people to get to an enemy?
One of the soldiers, most likely a highly decorated one by the coat her wore, shouted, "We can't afford to let a pirate get their hands on a naval scientist. If we can't save them, then its better we end them before they go blabbing military secrets!" The hoard of marines encircled the fearsome pirate getting ready to aim at the small scientist.
They'd really kill one of their own... The pale demon of a man saw red, the tornado of metal he collected spinning, basically blending his foes to shreds, blood and mutilated corpses flying everywhere. His subordinates dashed out his way, knowing how angry their leader had become. Kid was breathing heavy, his nostrils flaring as surveyed the room for any survivors, finding only a few of the most powerful combatants left alive.
Jam smiled, knowing how many crystals she'd make by the end of this. Doesn't matter if they're in pieces; I was going to melt them down anyway. The crew was hiding behind their captain, knowing to stay out of his way. Cheekily the professor waved to House, miming shooting herself in the head to make fun of her own predicament. The magic user giggled in response.
Watching the captain fight was fascinating, even if she could only what was happening behind him; she studied the way the metal scraps swirled around the redhead, forming a slight eclipse. Each piece was carefully controlled and when he wanted, he was able to direct different metallic objects into whatever direction he desired. This brute has very precise control. It's astounding. I'll have to ask how he manages to leave the crew's metal weapons and many metallic accessories alone when he attracts everything else. Hmm, his hair fell flatter against his head when he exerted more force. Does he spike it up with magnetism? So that means even his hair is magnetic! The implications! Reaching up she lightly stroked his head, marveling at its softness, despite it sticking straight up.
Kid turned his head sideways, burying himself into her side. Stop that," he muttered with a light snarl, the tips of ears flushing.
"You said I could study your powers. Now get your face out of my behind," she retracted her hand, frowning.
"It's not my fault your ass is huge. Like what the hell woman? Is this where all those treats you eat go?" the barbarian taunted her, marveling at how comfy the professor's rump was. I could take a nap on this ass.
The woman smacked the back of his head roughly, ruining his fantasy. "It's genetic. It's how my people are built. Screw off," she hissed, muttering profanities and threats. I don't eat that many snacks! This fucking twat-waffle eats way more!
The soldiers rushed ahead, intent on putting a stop to the pirates by taking advantage of the supernova's distracted state. Kid glowered as they approached. If he wanted to talk in the middle of a fight, how dare they interrupt him. With a snarl, the leader of the Kid Pirates rained down metal hell on all who dare came close.
Even the two large signatures didn't put up much of a fight against his crew. He took down the stronger one and Heat took care of the other one. It was a mild workout, but nothing serious. Hell, he didn't even have to put tiny down. His other subordinates made quick work of the stragglers and soon there was no one left to fight.
Ever since Whitebeard's death, the military had been less organized. There were even rumors Aokiji left after being denied the Fleet Admiral position when Sengoku retired.
Kid scoffed. This place should be better guarded if their hiding a secret. They probably never anticipated us hitting up the base first. Probably thought we'd get weakened by whatever they have in the jungle and then exploit the situation. Pathetic.
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Killer and his team make quick work of the few guards they came across. Not many soldiers. This route must lead to something of lesser importance. Slicing through a small platoon of about twenty-five, the pirate crew arrived at the end of the tunnel. It was a jail full of about one hundred or so prisoners. There were several desks nearby. The massacre soldier approached the largest one, grabbing the paperwork left behind. Skimming the intelligence, he was aghast.
Killer immediately called Heat's transponder snail and reported finding several prisoners down the path he took. Killer went on to rely that the marines had used civilians as slaves, including woman and small children. "Kid the marines are using these guys to mine. They're hiding a diamond mine!"
The fearsome captain's eyes lit up, fascinated by the turn of events. "A diamond mine? That's why those son-of-a-bitches keep the people afraid- so they can loot the land! A pirate's greed is one thing but the systemic raping of the people is a level of villainy only the scum in charge can achieve."
Jam, overhearing the conversation, sighed happily. "No secret base. Foo. That means no scientists. I guess you can put me down." Finally. The crew is giving me weird looks and it's creeping me out. Hip looks like she's contemplating my murder...I wonder if she's attracted to this idiot? That would explain why she's never addressed me directly before. She probably sees any new woman as competition. But that absolute moron has to know Kid's doing this to spite me for forcing out an apology. Ugh, unnecessary drama!
Black lips curled into a predatory grin, "Naw. There may be more cocksuckers up ahead. You stay put till we clear this place out."
Jam scrunched her face up, sick of her situation. "We both know you're doing this to embarrass me. You've made your damn point," she glowered. His arm is snaked underneath my ass. I know with my size it's really the only way to carry me, but this bastard is relishing my displeasure far too much and my ass is off limits!
But Kid was too busy doing a mental victory dance to let her little growl bother him. In fact, it was cute how she was trying to weasel her way out of his grip. True she could transform and slip away, but the cameras could see her right now since she was much higher up than usual, and letting the marines know about her powers was a stupid mistake in her eyes. Transforming was reserved for emergency situations. Being irritated hardly counted.
"As the captain I'll determine when I've made my point. Besides why would I waste you on these losers? You conserve your energy and when we're done, you and Killa can go info scour. There might be something useful you two can nerd out over."
"Whatever," she grit out.
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The tunnel was long and winding, taking a full hour and a half to reach the mine. The crew ran into small pockets of marines every so often. They were quickly disposed of. Upon reaching the end, the pirates realized they were outside, facing the side of a large mountain. There was evidence of a mine shaft but some idiot had used dynamite to cave in the entrance. Sneering at their stupidity, it took only seconds for Kid to use his metal limbs to dig past the rubble, exposing the opening. "There are pickaxes nearby. Let's get to work people!"
The crew cheered, eager to dig for untold riches. While Kid was distracted by the flurry of activity, Jam slipped from his grasp. "Get back on your perch before I lose something so tiny!" he shouted, knowing how much it was pissing the woman off.
Jam lips pursed, aggravated that the redhead enjoyed calling her tiny. He hasn't stopped smirking this entire time. "I'm going to go back to the base and search through their files. I'll grab Killer on the way. Have fun playing in the dirt Kiddo!" She darted away giggling madly, fleeing down the tunnel to her captain's chagrin.
Bubblegum snorted at her actions, drawing his boss's ire towards himself. Smiling hesitantly, the spiky haired man grabbed a pick, disappearing into the mine shaft with a wave.
"Get back to work!" Kid's deep baritone barked.
"Aye Boss!"
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Killer freed the prisoners, knowing how the idea of slaves triggered several of their members. That's why Kid left all but his top commanders on the ship at Sabaody. That auction house was vile. Kid may have cracked a joke at buying someone, but that was just how he disguised his disgust at a situation they could do nothing about. They had heard how after the trouble Straw Hat caused that specific action house got shut down, but there were others. With the way the World Nobles threw money at slavers, the plethora of auction houses were like a hydra; cut off a head and two more popped up in their place.
Most of the captives were the pirates who survived the jungle, but there were a few villagers who grew nosy, and several members of the supposed cannibal tribe that lived in the jungle. Everyone was far too skinny to be useful, covered in dirt, wearing tatters of once dignified outfits, and reeking heavily of stale air, body odor, and human excrement.
A very skinny tall man with gaunt grey eyes approached them cautiously. "My name is Taiyokoko and I lead this tribe. We have lived on the island for generations but three years ago the marines discovered our mine and Commander Kirin arrested us, accusing us of hiding valuables from the military. We argued that it was our land and we only mined as necessary, but he forced everyone to perform slave labor. We must flee before he comes back," the lanky man pleaded.
"We've already dealt with him," said Wire calmly.
"Yeah his head's pinned to the wall on the first floor if you want to spit at it," Dive smirked, hacking up a loogie for emphasis.
"Or kick it," offered Mosh.
"Stab it!" Papas shouted, drawing in more to cheer alongside him.
The older man gulped, but swiftly quelled his panic. "You must be fearsome warriors to have dealt with such a powerful foe," he said in awe.
"We're pirates," UK deadpanned.
The chief steeled his nerves, realizing any smidge of fear would lead to disaster. "And so are some of the other prisoners we have labored alongside of. Prisoners who have bleed, starved, and died with us. We fear not your reputation pirate."
Killer snorted. "You say that, but how do you know we won't kill you dead as you stand?" he asked flexing his arms, making his blades glint dangerously.
"A pirate takes what he likes. If you wanted my head, you'd have already taken it," the wise man stated calmly.
Several members began chuckling, sinister smiles gracing their features. "So you get it? Good. We won't be on the island long. A week, perhaps a little more. During that time the crew will be mining. After that, we don't give a flying fuck," Wire explained.
"Honestly I never want to set foot in one again. Not after being a slave," a young man said, determined to look the pirates in the eye.
Several heads nodded in agreement. An elderly woman toddled over, reaching for Quincy's hands, "May the gods bless you," she wept, tears leaking from her eyes. The poor doctor didn't know what to do, standing there awkwardly, with the woman gripping at her long flannel's sleeves, till she pulled away.
"We're not knights in shining armor, just pirates who hate the World Government. Your pretty words mean nothing. Beat it," Killer spat.
The grey headed man bowed his head. "Be that as it may, thank you, truly."
The tall blonde grunted, poignantly ignoring the man's gratitude. The freed people nervously eyed their reluctant saviors, but followed their leader and headed towards the exit, elated at their good fortune.
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Jam found Killer part way down the tunnel and pulled him and Clash aside to gather up any relevant info they may find in the upper levels. The others continued onward to go help with the mining. Killer had already informed Forte and the other pirates on guard duty to come over and help mine as the ship would be fine with no marines afoot. He commanded Moai to stay behind and begin prepping for a banquet to celebrate their treasure haul.
While the majority of the crew was focused on digging, the trio cased the joint for intel. They discovered that the traps in the jungle were very complicated. The government had used a holographic projector to spit out various scary images, ranging from large animals, monsters, zombies, mutated creatures, and ghosts. Jam had to explain what a projector was, but Killer was quick to catch on. Fuck these bastards scaring people shitless and robbing them blind.
The trees and bushes all held traps of varying degrees. "Looks like we'll have to disable al this shit before we go exploring," Killer sighed, vexed by the extra work.
The little woman nodded, "I still need to harvest various plants and I heard Jaguar go on about wanting to hunt with some of the guys."
"We need to fill the freezer before we leave," the second in command said sharply, pounding one fist into the palm of the other.
Jam snickered, Kid having told her how adamant Killer was about this freezer. "It would be prudent to take advantage of such a well stocked island. I want to get my hands on this holographic tech. It's a Vegapunk creation and I'm sure I could learn loads."
"Thought you hated the man?" Clash spoke up, straightening the notes Killer dictated to her.
The professor's countenance darkened, "I do, but he is a genius. I've got no qualms about pilfering from the ass. Plus how mad would it make the Government to know pirates are using their tech against them?" the scientist smiled maliciously.
Sighing, Killer stood up, "Well we're done here, I'm going to head back to the ship and assist Moai with cooking. Clash hand me your notes and then follow the professor. Jam, go disable all the traps in the jungle you can get to before noon. Afterwards return to the ship for reporting in and lunch."
The small scientist smiled, grabbing Clash's hand to pull her along. Those hologram makers are mine!
Killer was flummoxed, scratching at the back of his head. I'll be a monkey's uncle, Bubblegum was right; she's perfectly fine with orders so long as you're not rude.
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Clash had noticed several things about the little runt while disabling the traps. First, Jam was incredibly quick, able to dodge anything thrown her way. Secondly, tiny could use her powers to defend others, as her arms liquefied into jelly and created a shield around the two when a dozen poisoned arrows shot out from nowhere. The arrows became stuck in her purple arms and then fell harmlessly to the ground. She must be immune to toxins, probably from making so many herself. Third, the woman was meticulous as hell, having memorized the locations of the traps from the intel they recovered. There were a total of twenty three and they made quick work of over eighteen of them before noon stuck. Fourth, she had no issue following directions. Just as Killer instructed, Jam dutifully began the trek back to the Punk at exactly noon, eyes shining brightly, holding her prize of two holographic projectors.
Clash was not a fan of these deceptive tricks the marines were using. Cowards! The fourth trap the two came across had been enhanced by one of the holo-thingy's. "Fuck what the hell is that?" the tall woman shrieked, brandishing her sword, only for it to go through the 'enemy.'
Jam giggled, crouching down and moving aside shrubs to find her target. "An illusion. The machine should be around here somewhere. They have three of them total. Each one puts out sounds, images, even smells."
"How does Vegapunk do that? Fuck those ghosts feel cold," said Clash of a group of three that passed by, wailing loudly.
"He's incredibly talented. A World Government pawn but talented nonetheless. This machine had a knob for temperature control. The images rotate on a pre-timed order; you may get ghosts and burst of cold air or zombies and the smell of rotten flesh. It's how the images feel so real. I'll figure out how the bastard did it when I take the damn things apart."
"You sound excited," Clash mused. The Boss also gets tickled pink for machines and shit.
"Duh. Look I know Kid probably wouldn't want to beat someone by using trickery such as this but knowing how the shitty fuckheads operate is advantageous. And it could have other applications," the smaller of the two explained, disabling the machine.
Clash nodded, thinking over the professor's words. She's not crazy all the time; something has to set her off. Outside of that, she's alright. I mean we would have ran into the jungle, eager to defeat whatever was in here, if she didn't warn us it was probably a trap. Sure we would have made it out alive but a lot of us would have sustained painful injuries. I'm not a fan of tricky fighters, but perhaps having one will prevent us from falling victim to the kinds of BS those types pull.
The two fell into a comfortable silence, making light work of the nasty surprises hiding in the jungle before heading back to the ship.
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Kid had to come across a windfall of cash to be able to have a base and more than one ship. That base of his had several ships and several unnamed pirates. He expanded. Man's got some cash flow. Cha-ching. His bounty didn't increase too much over time skip; I think he just never happened upon any difficult fights except for the one with the RedHairs and the minor squabble where he robbed Big Mom. I think he focused on making a hideout and perhaps his awakening. I also believe he mellowed out a bit; having a name for himself meant people were less likely to antagonize him, ergo less causalities.
When Queen drops Kid and Killer into the water to drown, his hair lays flat when he gets knocked out as Big Mom crashes the scene. A few minutes later it's spiked right back up. It's not a product; it's his powers!
If you do purchase a deep freezer, wait at least two hours until you begin stocking it up. I have my eye on this new one I want so badly, but damn it's expensive. I share my love of kitchen gadgets with Killer. Hehehe. Also that is how you identify a good coconut. Nothing is better than fresh coconut for a German chocolate cake!
I was lurking on X and tumblr...artists are up in arms over the use of AI in images production. Those same artists who didn't bat an eye over AI taking work away from writers.
I have a frenemy of sorts, we've known each other for ages, we share tons of mutuals. He draws. Incredibly well. So he has been begging me to write a story starring a charter I am not fond of. I will not write this fic. A: I have limited free time and B: writing brings me joy; this character makes me wanna hurl.
So a different buddy had paid for a one week subscription of an AI image generator and everyone was dying at how bad/generic the pictures were. Eyes were wonky, extra limbs and fingers, weird stances, horrible expressions...it was outta there. Frenemy looked uncomfortable when the generator did produce a decent image; sometimes it did work and we all concluded that soon it would be capable of doing art alongside of a human editor.
Now that AI is churning out images, frenemy was upset at how it would affect artists; although he didn't see the problem when it was affecting writers-I swear some people's heads are just empty storage spaces... Afterwards, the hypocrite rubbed in my face how he used AI to make a one shot. It was basic as fuck, but hey if it he enjoyed it, whatever. But I did argue that AI put writers out of business and stole its skills from those same writers in the same manner it was combing across the internet for images and drawing styles to steal from.
Art it art. Why should a drawing of a character receive payment but the writing of a story with the same character should not? I heard the defense 'well it's my interpretation of the character in my art style' but somehow a fanfic is not? Bullshit! All art deserves praise and payment. We need less starving artists. Now this is free; most fanfiction authors write for free. That is their choice. That is my choice. However if they want to charge, that is also their choice. So if someone wants to request a particular story with specific characters, then they should expect to pay that author in the same way they'd pay a person to draw something particular. If we are using One Piece as he example, neither my frenemy nor myself own it. We are both simply fans. Why should his drawings get monetary compensation but not my writings?
Since he really wanted that fic, I was willing to make a trade: A 2.5K story with his chosen barf worthy character for a drawing of a scene I wanted with Kid and Killer. No he wanted money, but thought I should do the writing as a friend, as 'it's not that hard to write.' Yeah, shit got heated.