I own Nothing
This is just a quick wrap-up to the Post Enis Lobby arc. Mainly focusing on Ezio.
As always please Review.
Back at Water 7
Garp and Aokiji were lost for words, as were all those who had experienced the Straw Hats' miraculous air escape. Even the Admiral could barely believe what he had witnessed. Garp, however, was on the figurehead of his ship laughing. The Thousand Sunny was well out of sight and range. Garp could order his men to follow them, but without a proper heading, they could easily become lost or thrown off course by the Grand Line.
"Ah, that's my grandson, always doing reckless things," Garp laughed. "He never does anything half-assed,"
"Garp sir, should you be admitting that in front of an admiral?" Coby asked worriedly.
"Ah, it's fine, Aokiji is chill," Garp said. Coby deadpanned at the pun. "Still, it seems we were taken for quite the ride this time,"
"Wake me if anything else interesting happens," Aokiji said and lowered his mask once more before drifting off to sleep. With the Admiral once more dozing on deck, Garp jumped down from the figurehead and walked over to the railing, looking down at Ezio. The assassin was still standing there, looking off into the horizon to where the Thousand Sunny had gone.
Garp had to wonder what Luffy did to earn this kind of send-off from the Mentor of the Brotherhood. He stared at Ezio for a moment and decided not to dwell on it. He turned away to face his men.
"Alright, let's go. Set course for Marine HQ," Garp ordered.
"SIR!" all the marines saluted and quickly got to work.
"Luffy, you'd better take care of yourself out there," Garp said to himself as he looked back over in the direction the Straw Hats had fled.
On the island, the crowd was dispersing. Now that the Marines had gone and the Straw Hats were gone, everyone was getting back to their normal lives. Paulie headed off with some of the other Galley-la workers to get some well-earned food and drink. Iceberg agreed to give them the day off as they had been working non-stop on the Straw Hats' ship for the last several days.
The Franky Family headed back to the Franky House but were at a loss on what to do next. They were happy for Franky for leaving and following his dream, but that came with the realization that they didn't have anything to do as they only did what Franky told them to. Thankfully, Iceberg came by and offered them all jobs at the Galley-La, taking pity on them and feeling responsible for those Franky had left behind. The Franky Family immediately agreed and started to call Iceberg their new brother. However, Iceberg shut that down immediately.
The giants in town were also offered jobs as their large size and strength meant they could act as supports and carry heavy loads. While they were a little sad that Usopp had chosen to continue his journey with the Straw Hats rather than go to Elbaf, the giants were happy that he did promise to visit and would bring the rest of the crew along. Both giants were content to wait for that day as they lived longer than 300 years. Until then, they accepted Iceberg's offer to join the Galley-La
Ezio remained standing on the cape for a good portion of the afternoon. Even though hours had passed, he stayed, looking out into the horizon, long after everyone had dispersed and gone back to their normal routines.
It wasn't until it was close to three in the afternoon that Ezio turned away and started making his way back to Dock One. On the way back, he spotted some government officials hiding in an alleyway, dressed as regular civilians. Ezio eyed them suspiciously before continuing on his way. Once he got to the residence, he opened the door to be greeted by an empty room. The Straw Hats' possessions were gone, the beds they had been sleeping in were stripped of their bed linens, and the only one that had sheets left was Ezio's bunk.
Ezio glanced at the large sack of salt and the bag he'd gotten from Enis Lobby. Walking over to the bag, as he hadn't opened it since waking up in the Straw Hats' care, he untied the string and opened it to reveal it contained almost a dozen different Devil Fruits. Ezio smiled. Who knew there had been so many fruit users in the Buster Call fleet? It wasn't what he was sent to steal, but he was not going to complain. Closing the bag back up, he moved to the table and sat down on a chair, pulling off his hood and letting out a sigh.
It was too quiet; he'd become accustomed to the Straw Hats and their rowdy nature. Sitting alone in the residence without anyone else just felt lonely. After a few minutes, Ezio stood up and went to the fridge. He was a bit hungry, and while he didn't expect to find much, he was certain the crew would have left some bread or cheese that he could snack on. However, in the fridge sat three containers: one labelled Lunch, the second Dinner, and the third Breakfast. Ezio grinned and grabbed the container labelled Lunch. It appeared Sanji had left him some food.
He grabbed a fork and headed out, not liking the lonely atmosphere. Taking his container, he made his way to Iceberg's office, knocked on the door, and waited for Iceberg to let him in.
"Enter," Iceberg's voice came through the door. Ezio pushed the door open.
"Ciao, Iceberg," Ezio greeted with a smile.
"What are you doing here?" Iceberg asked, genuinely surprised to see Ezio.
"Lunch," Ezio grinned and made his way over to a sofa, plopping down on it.
"And you couldn't eat that in the residence because…,"
"It was too quiet and a bit lonely for my tastes," Ezio shrugged as he started to eat.
"So, you are bothering me?"
"Si, want to share?"
Iceberg frowned. "Ezio, I am very busy and have a lot of work to catch up on,"
"I bet you do. I am dreading the amount of paperwork that I have waiting for me at home," Ezio agreed.
"Then you understand why I need to make a start on this," Iceberg said.
"You sound just like my friend. He's always telling me to let him focus on his paperwork too," Ezio commented and continued to eat, making loud slurping sounds and chewing loudly. "Says he never gets anything done while I'm around. He also throws knives at me as well,"
"I can't imagine why," Iceberg said sarcastically, his eye twitching a bit.
Ezio spent the rest of the day in Iceberg's office. Once he'd finished eating, he started exploring the space, asking Iceberg about personal effects, ships, and the mayor's ongoing projects. Iceberg's attempts to sift through applications for a new personal assistant were disrupted by Ezio's unsolicited input, focusing more on the applicants' looks than their actual skills or experience.
Despite multiple requests to leave, Ezio persisted. Boredom eventually led the Assassin to decide he wanted a nap. Iceberg, inwardly relieved at the prospect of Ezio leaving, was dismayed as the Assassin chose the sofa for his repose. With a hood adjusted to block out the light, Ezio succumbed to sleep.
The day wore on, marked by Ezio's uninterrupted slumber. Iceberg, stealing occasional glances, could only discern the slow, rhythmic breathing and the rise and fall of Ezio's chest as signs of life. Work continued, punctuated by calls and the occasional visit from a few shipwrights, each visitor was surprised by the unexpected presence of Ezio but swiftly departing to attend to their duties.
As the clock neared 9 pm, Iceberg decided it was time to call it a day. Ezio, undisturbed by the passage of time, hadn't moved for hours. Iceberg contemplated waking the hooded man but was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Enter," Iceberg said automatically, his curiosity piqued about the unexpected visitors at the late hour.
Two casually dressed men marked a shift in the evening's course. The door closed, and one of them locked it. Iceberg's eyes narrowed, but before he could inquire who they were or what they wanted, one of them crossed the room and a pistol was aimed at Iceberg's head.
"The World Government thanks you for your services," the man said. The mayor's eyes went wide, and the sound of a gun went off.
Iceberg froze, his breath hitched as he stared at the man in front of him. It took a second to realize that he was not feeling any pain; instead, the man in front of him staggered back before collapsing to the ground as his chest was bleeding out. His partner stared in shock as both Iceberg and the surviving government agent turned their heads. To see Ezio lying on the couch, with his right arm raised and smoke coming out of the bracer.
The surviving government agent turned quickly and fumbled with the lock as Ezio stood up and walked towards him. The agent got the door open, and he fled as if his life depended on it. Ezio took a moment to look back at Iceberg, assessing the mayor for injury before he ran after the agent.
Ezio fooled the agent into the hall, and he noticed the agent was already making his way down the stairs. Ezio leaped off the balcony, and jumped down, hidden blade out and ready. The moment he landed on the agent, he plunged the hidden blade into his back.
The agent died instantly.
Ezio stood up and sheathed his hidden blade with a flick of the wrist before walking back upstairs. He got back to Iceberg's office and found the mayor sitting behind his desk, taking deep breaths.
"Do not worry; your would-be assailants are dead," Ezio said as he entered the room.
Iceberg looked up at him. "You weren't asleep, were you?" he stated.
"No," Ezio confirmed.
"How did you know?"
"I saw them earlier on my way back to the residence. I also spotted them a few times during my exploration of the city with the Straw Hats," Ezio explained. "And more than once, I saw them scouting your mansion,"
"Why didn't they attack earlier?" Iceberg asked.
"I suspect they were waiting for the Straw Hats to leave. They must've known about Enis Lobby and didn't want to draw the attention of the priests who destroyed it. And since you were building their ship, they decided to wait to get them off the island and leave you vulnerable,"
"This is why you were hanging around all day; you knew they would strike today,"
"I did not know it would be today, but I thought I would make sure," Ezio explained. He then bent down and looked over the body on the floor. "Would you like me to remove the remains?"
"No, leave it. I'll have the local police force take it away; this way, there is a record of the attack, and I can report it to the world government and warn them from trying again,"
"As you wish," Ezio agreed. "You know I am leaving tomorrow myself, correct?"
"I do,"
"Hmm…if you like, I can assign one of my assassins to your city, keep an eye out for things like this," Ezio offered and stood up.
"Thank you, but no. I've had enough encounters with assassins for one lifetime," Iceberg answered.
"Very well, but take this," Ezio said, pulling a folded piece of paper out of his pouch and slid it across Iceberg's desk. "This is a number for a contact of mine; call it if you suspect government retribution or feel threatened. They will inform me, and I will take care of the rest,"
Iceberg stared at the paper on his desk, shocked that he had the contact number for the Mentor of the Brotherhood. He was only looking at it for a moment, and he looked up again to refuse it. However, Ezio was gone. Iceberg glanced around and ran to the door; he looked down the hall to see it empty. The only evidence the Assassin had been here was the two corpses of the government agents.
The next morning, Ezio overlooked the city as the sun rose. On the horizon, he could see a single ship approaching with white sails. Ezio smiled; he knew that ship was for him. He went back inside and gathered what little possessions he had, as well as his large sack and bag of salt. Then, he left the residence for the last time and headed down to the docks.
When Ezio arrived, the ship was just coming into the harbour. As soon as it was secured and the gangplank lowered, an older woman ran off the ship and straight into Ezio's arms, giving him a big hug.
"My son… oh, my son, you're alive," the woman said in tears, pushing his hood back to get a look at Ezio's face and running her fingers over it. "I feared… I thought… they had taken you too,"
"Mother, I am fine," Ezio assured.
"Brother," Claudia cried in relief from the deck. Ezio looked up to see his sister on deck with Altair standing next to her. He raised a hand, giving them a wave. He was unwilling to push his mother away at the moment, something which both Altair and Claudia understood.
Leonardo ran down the gangplank and came over. "Ezio, thank goodness when I heard the news and your uncle said… we thought…"
"I'm fine, Leonardo, truly. I hear you sent La Volpe out after me?"
"Si, I am sorry; I know I shouldn't meddle in your affairs but… I just couldn't believe you'd died," Leonardo claimed. "I needed to know, and Altair wouldn't listen,"
"Oh," Ezio asked and glanced up at Altair. "He does have a habit of doing that, doesn't he?"
"My son, the pirates, did they hurt you?" Maria asked.
"No, Mother, they have been nothing but accommodating," Ezio said gently. "They took great care of me, and if it were not for their kindness, I wouldn't be here. Jacob and Evie were right about them,"
"Are they here? I wish to thank them properly for what they have done," Maria stated and finally pulled out of the hug.
"Regretfully, they left yesterday," Ezio claimed.
"What about La Volpe? Where is he?" Leonardo asked, looking around and casting a glance towards the rooftops. "I thought he was looking out for you,"
"He is no longer on Water 7; I sent him on a mission," Ezio informed.
"What mission?" Altair asked from on deck.
Ezio grinned, picked up his sacks, and boarded the ship. The group moved to the captain's cabin, where Jacob and Evie were waiting. Once inside, Ezio was tackled by Claudia, Leonardo, and the Frye twins who were all relieved to see him. They knew he was alive due to the call a few days ago, but it was something different to see him in person. The only one who didn't hug him was Altair; he just stood off in the back, letting the others have their moment.
Once Ezio and everyone but Altair was seated, The conversation unfolded in the cozy captain's cabin, bathed in the warm glow of a lantern hanging from the ceiling.
Ezio explained what happened on Enis Lobby, how he'd literally bumped into Connor, discovered the boy's eagle vision, and teamed up with the Straw Hats to escape the island. Why he did do what he did and boasted about a new record? However, that earned him a scolding from his friends as it put his life in extreme danger. He then told his friends how the Straw Hats had helped him, their doctor treating him and keeping his fever down, the encounter with Luffy's grandfather while he was recovering, and finally, the time he spent with the crew exploring Water 7 to his new agreement with Luffy and the send-off he gave them.
"So, La Volpe joined the pirates to teach Connor how to use eagle vision?" Jacob summarized as he leaned back in a chair.
Ezio, sitting near the cabin's small window nodded. "Si, Captain Luffy did not wish to part with him, so this was the compromise,"
A mischievous grin played on Jacob's face.
"I bet he loved that," he teased fully aware that La Volpe preferred secrecy and shadows. The thief would find the boisterous life of pirates quite contrary to his taste.
Ezio chuckled, "Oh, he didn't, and it took some convincing to get him to agree. But he's off on the sea of adventure now," His eyes, reflected both amusement. "In fact," Ezio continued, his tone growing more contemplative, "if I didn't have the Brotherhood to run, I probably would have joined Captain Luffy myself,"
"Ezio, are you sure you're alright?" Leonardo asked, ever the concerned friend.
Ezio nodded facing his friends "Si, I am fully recovered," His eyes conveyed gratitude for their genuine concern.
"But," he added, "if you don't mind, I must speak to Altair in private… Mentor to Mentor,"
Understanding the need for a private conversation, everyone nodded and left the cabin, leaving Altair and Ezio alone. The atmosphere grew tense; Altair carried the weight of responsibility, blaming himself for Ezio's perilous situation on Enis Lobby.
"I am glad you are not dead," Altair started in a kind voice.
"Me too, my friend, me too," Ezio agreed, expressing a shared sense of gratitude for surviving the recent events.
"Ezio, I'm sor..," Altair began, attempting to voice an apology.
"Save it, I don't want to hear it," Ezio interrupted firmly, sparing Altair from the burden of self-blame.
"Ezio..," Altair hissed, feeling the weight of guilt.
"No, my friend," Ezio clarified, "I don't want to hear how what happened is your fault. You didn't know the Straw Hats would be on Enis Lobby, nor did you know it would be destroyed. None of us could have predicted that,"
Altair, acknowledging the truth in Ezio's words, confessed, "But you nearly died because of me. More innocent blood would have been on my hands… was on my hands. Your blood,"
"I am hardly innocent, Altair," Ezio replied, his tone carrying the weight of his actions and choices.
"By our creed's standards, you are," Altair pointed out, emphasizing the principles they both held dear.
Ezio regarded Altair, acknowledging the technical correctness of his argument.
"Hmm… Then by your logic, I have the right to choose an appropriate form of reparation for your offense. Both as Mentor and the offended," Ezio said thoughtfully.
Altair, understanding the gravity of the situation, nodded in agreement. "You do," he conceded. "What is it that you ask of me, Mentor?"
A sly grin curved Ezio's lips.
"Only one thing comes to mind. Let me call you Alty from now on and keep Malik off my back about the mountain of paperwork that is undoubtedly waiting for me when we return," he responded, injecting a light-hearted note into the conversation.
Altair's eye twitched at Ezio's request.
"That's two things," Altair shot back irrtably.
"Hmm...it is, isn't it? Oh well I guess you'll have to get used to being known as Mentor Alty from now on won't you," Ezio said in a light-hearted tone.
"And I suppose you will have to get used to Malik hovering over your shoulder and keeping you from leaving your desk for the foreseeable future,"
"Ah, the sacrifices we make for the brotherhood can be a heavy burden. But you understand that better than any don't you Alty,"
Altair took a deep calming breath.
"You speak words of wisdom Ezio. As you wish I will contact Malik to inform him to have your paperwork ready for you when we return," Altair said "I am sure he will be eager to greet you with it along with a backlog of training reports, supplies and other necessary that you have been putting off for since the beginning of the year,"
Altair turned and started to walk out.
"Ah, you know I was joking right...Altair," Ezio called out after Altair, however, the other Mentor ignored him and left the cabin "No, wait don't call him I'm still recovering..."Ezio cried and ran after Altair.
Port-House Island,
A portly merchant named Reginald sat at a large oak table, its polished surface reflecting the flickering candlelight. The man wore a velvet vest over a silk shirt, and his office was adorned with gaudy trinkets and displays of wealth. In front of him lay a ledger, and he was meticulously going over it. He wiped his sweating forehead with a silk handkerchief, his weight a constant source of perspiration that gave his hair a thick and slimy appearance. He was almost always out of breath when not focused on meetings.
Suddenly, a knock on the door was heard. Reginald glanced at a small clock on the desk and smiled greedily. "Enter," he called, fully aware of who it was.
A tall, robust, and well-groomed man walked in, appearing to be in his early 40s. Sharp cheekbones and a defined jawline contributed to his stern and serious look. Deep piercing blue eyes reflected keen intellect and a no-nonsense attitude.
The man was dressed in a well-tailored, dark blue overcoat with a captain's flare. Practical for sea travel, it covered his other clothes, providing warmth and protection from the harsh sea weather. A mid-length cape hung off his shoulders, adding a touch of dramatic flair to his outfit. His dark brown hair was neatly combed and pulled back into a ponytail under a matching tricorn hat, enhancing his distinguished appearance.
"Ah, Master Kenway," Reginald greeted with a sleazy smile. "Come in, come in,"
Haytham, the man known as Master Kenway, gave a small smile of his own and crossed the room. His movements were deliberate and controlled, showcasing a disciplined demeanour and one of high standing. He pulled out a chair and sat down.
"Reginald, so nice to see you again. Though I do wish it was under better circumstances," Haytham greeted with a friendly tone.
"Yes, yes, I must express my deepest apologies for the unfortunate delay in delivering the supplies you and your associates have so generously purchased. You must understand that the Grand Line is a dangerous place, and unforeseen circumstances have befallen your shipment," Reginald began.
Haytham, stoic as ever, raised an eyebrow. "Unforeseen circumstances, Mr. Reginald? I find that term to be rather vague. I would very much like us both to be transparent in this matter, especially since it involves business,"
Reginald stammered, "Oh, of course, Master Kenway. I assure you, it was nothing personal. You see, the ship carrying your supplies was attacked and chased by pirates, leading both ships into a wild storm courtesy of the Grand Line's unique weather system that no one could have predicted, and well… both ships were lost at sea. It is truly a series of unfortunate events that your cargo was lost,"
Haytham leaned forward, his piercing gaze fixed on Reginald. "Unfortunate events indeed, Mr. Reginald. What exactly do you intend to do about it? My associates and I are eagerly awaiting our purchase, and while pirates and the wild weather of the Grand Line do make things difficult, we chose your company for its experience and excellent reputation,"
Reginald smiled. "Certainly, Master Kenway. We understand your concerns. Rest assured, I have already found a solution,"
"Go on," Haytham's expression remained unreadable.
"You see, I've located another shipment of what you and your associates ordered. I can have another of our ships pick up the replacement supplies and have them delivered here in three days. Of course, we will not charge you for the replacement goods. However, as this will be diverting a normal shipment for a special pick up, we will need you to compensate for the additional days of travel time," Reginald said, "or if you like, we can waive the compensation and have your shipment here in two months when it comes in on the next run,"
"Why so long?"
"We need to organize a replacement ship and crew for the one we lost at sea. It takes time to organize," Reginald reasoned, "and of course, there are no guarantees of further unforeseen incidents,"
"How much compensation are we talking about?" Haytham asked.
"Not much, 5,000 beli, a quarter of what you paid for your original shipment," Reginald answered.
"5,000 is not a small sum, especially considering the fault lies on your end," Haytham stated.
"As I said, it was unforeseen dangers of the Grand Line,"
"Compensation is in order, indeed. However, we need to ensure that the compensation is fair and just. We would not want any misunderstanding, would we?"
"Indeed," Haytham leaned back, fingers steepled in front of him. "Mr. Reginald, I am a man of reason. I can appreciate the challenges one might face in trade. However, before I agree to anything on behalf of my associates, I must ask a few simple questions,"
"Of course, Master Kenway. I will be happy to assist in any way I can," Reginald answered, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"Excellent, how long have you been in business?" Haytham asked calmly.
"Oh, myself, a good 12 or 13 years now," Reginald answered with pride.
"And how long have you been operating your business in the Grand Line?"
"Coming on 4 years now,"
"And what sea did your business start in?"
"I believe it was the West Blue," Reginald answered, "but what does this business history have to do with your shipment?"
"I trust you keep ledgers and records of all transactions, ship inventory, and the like, yes?" Haytham asked, ignoring Reginald's confusion.
"Absolutely, I have your accounts here, if you wish to view them," Reginald said and turned the book so it was facing Haytham. However, the man didn't even glance at it; instead, he focused solely on Reginald.
"Then how is it that you and your business, which has operated in the Grand Line for half a decade, claim the dangers that are well known to all citizens of the World Government, claim to be unforeseen events?" Haytham asked in a dangerous tone.
"Um, that's…" Reginald stuttered.
"While I fully understand the wild weather patterns of the Grand Line can be unpredictable, you boast an astounding success rate for delivery… which begs the question, if your company's reputation is not as it seems,"
"Uh…well…As I said…the pirates chased the ship off course and into the storm…"
"I see…which pirate crew is responsible?" Haytham asked.
"Pardon?"
"Which pirate crew chased your ship into a storm?" Haytham repeated.
"I…Don't know; they went down with my ship so…"
"But surely your ship would have called for help, would they not? A merchant vessel being attacked by pirates is not uncommon, but any sailor worth their salt knows to report it, if not to you then to the Marines,"
"Um…well, yes…the captain would have done that…" Reginald said, getting more and more nervous "But we received no such call, so they might have reported it to the Marines,"
"Hmm…then I suppose it can't be helped. It is a simple matter to find out which pirate group is responsible. I have contacts in the Marines, and I am sure they can identify the pirates along the route your ship took," Haytham said, "shall I call them and check?"
"There…there's no need for that…after all, the pirates are dead, so…"
"Mr. Reginald, how much do you know about pirates exactly?"
"Um…well, they are criminals and…the higher the bounty, the more dangerous they are," Reginald responded, "but they—"
"My father was a pirate, did you know that?" Haytham asked. "He was once considered one of the most dangerous pirates and was a rival to both Gold Roger and Whitebeard. Both in strength, skill, and fame. Ultimately, Gold Roger became the most famous pirate of them all. He used to tell me stories of his adventures at sea when I was a boy,"
"Oh…you're the son of…um…how nice," Reginald gulped. He had no idea he was dealing with a pirate.
"It was. He also taught me a famous pirate saying. Dead men tell no tales," Haytham said and then leaned forward, standing up and leaning on the desk over Reginald. "You have just told me a tale, and if you would like to keep telling your tales, I suggest you tell me where my supplies are,"
"I…um…there…at…the bottom of the sea…I swear on my life that is the truth," Reginald pleaded as he was sweating profusely.
"I see…well then. I suppose there is no need to look at ledgers or into this matter further," Haytham said. Reginald breathed a sigh of relief as Haytham leaned back into a more neutral posture and was no longer standing over him. However, the relief was short-lived, and Haytham pulled out his pistol and shot Reginald in the head. The merchant died instantly, and his body fell onto the open ledger, blood seeping all over the book.
"A poor end to your tale," Haytham commented. He then looked around the office. "Now then, let's see if we can find the real ledger,"
Haythem's eyes flashed gold as he scanned the room. A quick scan was all it took to find a hidden safe in the bookshelf that glowed yellow. Oddly enough, Haytham's eyes were drawn to Reginald's desk of papers that had yet to be filed. He moved over to it and lifted a few papers to find a sealed envelope.
"Now, what have we here?" Haytham asked and picked up the envelope. It didn't look like anything important nor did it have a hefty weight to it, so Haytham doubted it was the ledger. Still, his sight was showing it was important, so Haytham kept it. He put it on a side table before moving over to the bookshelf, finding the hidden safe and easily opening it.
His sight told him which one was the real ledger he needed, and he opened the book. He read the documents and nodded.
"So the ship was ordered to hold just off the south of the Island…three days out," Haytham said. He committed the location to memory before putting the ledger back and closing the safe. He picked up the envelope and left the office, closing the door behind him.
Haytham swiftly walked back to the dock and headed straight for a heavily modified Sloop of War with dark red sails that had a wolf pattern emblazoned on them, that was docked. As he approached, Haytham paused and looked up at the ship, his eyes scanning it and any crew he could see on deck critically. Eventually, he settled on the name painted on the side:
The Morrigan
Haytham wasn't sure why, but every time he saw this particular ship, it always gave him pause whenever he approached. He couldn't help it nor could he explain it. Ever since the ship had returned from Dressrosa a little over 6 years ago. What the ship was doing on that particular island Haytham couldn't say, and neither could any of the crew. He had investigated, of course, but only found the name of the supposed captain of the Morrigan, a one Shay Cormac, but no one in the Templar order or the crew knew who this Shay person was.
In an ironic twist of fate, that same name also appeared in the records of the Assassins. The order had been lucky enough to stumble across a bureau, and after wiping out those inside, found some older records with Shay's name on them detailing him to be an Assassin who trained in the West Blue. Curious about the name, Haytham investigated, but it was eventually decided that Shay's name appearing in their Templar records for the 7 years leading up to discovering the name was an Assassin plot to undermine the Templars and waste resources looking for someone who just didn't exist. As no Assassin they questioned knew who Shay was either. Despite the name being found in both orders' history.
Once the investigation was complete, Haytham took command of the Morrigan as it was registered in his name. He quickly changed the ship's crew list to have Shay stricken from it and replaced it with his name. He didn't inherit Edward's skill and love for sailing, so he left all the captain's duties up to the first mate, Mr. Gist.
.
After a moment's pause, Haytham boarded the Morrigan and was approached by a tall man with an overly large hat. The man had a rugged beard and wore a similar overcoat to Haytham, though it wasn't as well-made or as fine. This coat was more rugged and grey from years of use, as it was more practical than showy. He approached Haytham with a hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Master Kenway, I trust your meeting was successful?" the man in a long coat and large hat asked.
"Indeed, Gist. Our supplies are on board the ship the Misadventure, south of the Island," Haytham stated. "Tell the men we're to set sail as soon as possible; I want this whole tedious business over and done with,"
"Of course. But if I may, what is it that you have there?" Gist asked, pointing to the envelope that Haytham was carrying.
"I am not sure; it was glowing gold while I was looking for the information," Haytham admitted. "So I took it with me,"
"Gold, sir?"
"Indeed. I'll be in quarters. Let me know when we're ready to leave," Haytham instructed and walked off towards the captain's quarters.
Inside the captain's quarters were decorated with everything a captain would need. A large map sat in the middle with a desk at the back near an open window. A few cabinets and dressers lined the wall, as did stuffed heads of hunted animals' trophies. A mannequin was also in the corner. On the other side, a single bed was there for sleeping. As Haytham made his way across the room, he put his hat on the mannequin's head.
The interior of the cabin was not decorated to his tastes as it was more of an organized mess than anything else. Yet Haytham didn't have the heart to change it. He tried a few times, but every time he did or started to pack things away, he got a weird feeling that doing so would be a betrayal. To whom or what Haytham didn't know, so he left the cabin as it was. This feeling also started up about 6 years ago.
He sat down behind the desk and looked over the envelope. It was very unassuming and didn't have anything to identify where it came from or who it was for, but given it was in the office, Haytham had to assume it was bundled with something else. Haytham blinked once, and his eyes turned yellow; he stared at the envelope, and once more, it glowed gold. Blinking again to switch his eyes back to normal, Haytham flicked his wrist, and a hidden blade came out. He slid it under the top of the envelope to open it before flicking his wrist again to put his blade away.
Inside the envelope were a bunch of papers, and Haytham pulled them out. He raised an eyebrow as he looked over them.
"Wanted posters?" he asked, confused, as the face of Monkey D. Luffy greeted him. It was the first poster on top of the pile. Curious, Haytham flipped through the posters. "Why would these be…oh?"
The door to the cabin opened, and Gist walked in. "Master Kenway, we're ready to go,"
"Good, Gist, one moment," Haytham called.
"Sir?" Gist asked and walked over to stand in front of the desk.
"What do you know about this pirate crew?" Haytham asked and handed over the wanted posters. Gist kept up to date on all pirate crews as he was a veteran sailor and spent a lot of time at sea.
Gist took the posters and flipped through them. "Ah, the Straw Hats. They're a relatively new crew that has taken to the sea in the last few months," Gist said.
"A new crew with a total bounty of over 667 million beli?" Haytham asked sceptically. "I find that hard to believe,"
"It's not unheard of; a few other pirate crews are gaining quite the name for themselves in the Grand Line at the moment," Gist claimed.
"I see. Does this crew have any noteworthy feats?"
"The Straw Hat made his debut by taking out the Arlong pirates in the East Blue not three months ago, and we have confirmation that they were also involved in exposing Crocodile's plot to take control of Alabasta and turn it into a Pirate State," Gist stated.
"We looked into that, didn't we? Weren't our hooded friends in Alabasta too?"
"They were. We have yet to confirm if they used these pirates as a cover or not, but we can confirm the government tried to give credit to one Captain Smoker for exposing Crocodile's scheme. Only he told them to shove it,"
"Really? He used those exact words?"
"Oh no, Master Kenway, that was me being polite," Gist grinned.
"I see…still, these bounties do seem unusually high," Haytham pondered.
"Ah, that's likely because of the recent Enis Lobby incident," Gist claimed and handed the posters back to Haytham. "This crew invaded Enis Lobby, took out CP9, and then supposedly survived the buster call,"
"Oh, that was them, was it? Impressive," Haytham said. He was genuinely impressed; he, of course, heard about Enis Lobby, but he hadn't had time to properly go over all the details of the incident yet.
"Why the sudden interest in this crew? You don't normally take an interest in pirates; I thought you hated them on account of your Father," Gist pointed out.
"Nonsense, Gist. I do not hate pirates. While I find most of them to be utter barbarians who can't see past the end of their nose, they provide a much-needed and, quite frankly, easy source of income for those skilled enough to take them down," Haytham claimed.
Haytham's eyes flashed gold, and he flipped through the posters again and pulled out one that had a picture of a child with golden eyes.
"See what you can find out about this boy," Haytham instructed and handed it to Gist. "I want to make sure that those eyes are his natural colour,"
"His natural colour…you don't think they are like your eyes, do you?" Gist asked, catching on to what Haytham was implying.
"It would not hurt to check, and if they are like mine, we can't leave the poor child in the hands of the uneducated masses or pirates now, can we?" Haytham claimed. "I suspect our hooded friends will be doing the same,"
"I'll make some calls and see what I can come up with," Gist agreed.
"Good, and Gist…don't lose that poster; I want to keep it," Haytham instructed.
"Sir," Gist said, and with a tilt of his hat, he left the cabin.
Haytham leaned back and looked over the posters left on the desk. He leaned back in his chair brought his two forefingers together and tapped his chin.
"Why was that boy's poster the source of the golden glow?" he wondered.