OK, readers. This is the 48th chapter of this chapter!
Now, this chapter isn't anything concise. It's 'basically' just a trade that has to happen between Flavio and the six travelers (specifically Andrew) and how Andrew had to give Flavio something in exchange for Bobbery's bottle of Chuckola Cola.
So yeah, Andrew decided to hunt for some kind of fruit in the jungle with Yoshiam's assistance that would work perfectly for Flavio, while his other friends have to stay behind and make sure Flavio doesn't drink the bottle himself, seeing that he doesn't trust him not to drink it since it's Bobbery's.
Additionally, a few other gags will be included as part of the trade deal, and a few other things will occur. How will this trade go for Andrew and his five friends? Read and find out, now!
AT THE SHANTYTOWN / CAMPSITE - ON KEELHAUL KEY:
It took no time at all for the six travelers to make it back to the campsite, where Flavio was still residing with Pa-Patch and the others.
Andrew had to take notice that George T and Four Eyes had made it back safely as they were standing in front of Flavio, wondering what was keeping Andrew and his friends. Did they not know of the fact that he and his friends went to aid Bobbery in driving off those two Embers? It was apparent that they didn't.
"Huh. Four Eyes and George T are standing right in front of Flavio," Andrew had to proclaim. "They look like they were waiting for us to return."
"No doubt," Goombella agreed. "I'm surprised that they didn't get the memo that we had to help Bobbery out. That would've 'totally' meant something, y'know?"
"Yeah..." Koops remarked. "Were they waiting for us? Golly, maybe we shouldn't have kept them waiting then..."
"My, my, I do believe that they were worried that we were struck by some type of tragedy in the jungle," Flurrie had to assume. "If their worried expressions are correction, they must've remained concerned for our safety. Well, they shan't worry any longer! We are adventurers, and we're quite adjusted to this! Therefore, they mustn't worry about our well-being while we're handling business and aiding the Admiral!"
"No kidding," Yoshiam snapped his finger. "Presto here knows what has to be done. And so do the rest of us! We're capable of holding our 'own' weight. Somebody oughta knock some sense into them and let them know that we're safe."
"Gee whiz, Andrew," Vivian frowned. "Maybe we should talk to Flavio about this, right? We also have to ask about the Chuckola Cola that Admiral Bobbery wants us to deliver to him."
"Of course," Andrew nodded. "Let's go see what this is about first."
With that, Andrew and his five friends walked over to where Flavio was, and the muscular man quickly got his attention.
"Ahem! Well, hello!" Andrew declared, getting Flavio to look at him. "We've returned safely!"
"Ah! You are still alive!" Flavio had to exclaim.
"That's right," Andrew told him. "All six of us are alive and well."
"Well, we have some fortune left! Such relief for Flavio!" Flavio had to express himself. "I thought some jungle beast was snacking on you!"
"Ah, that wouldn't be possible," Andrew said sheepishly. "We're capable of fending for ourselves."
"Yes. Well, anyhow, everyone is accounted for..." Flavio then paused and realized something; one man was still missing. "...Now, wait one moment! Am I wrong, or...are we still one man short?"
Before Andrew could say anything, George T stepped up and decided to reveal to him now that their captain was back.
"Th-Th-That's right!" George T stuttered. "B-B-Bobbery sacrificed himself to save us from the ghosts! Please! We've got to go back and help him!"
"Well, no need to worry," Andrew spoke up. "Admiral Bobbery is still alive and well too..."
"What lunacy bursts forth from your mouth?" Flavio had to make sure that he wasn't mishearing things. "The admiral lives?!"
"That's what I said," Andrew said dryly.
"What fortitude!" Flavio then issued his next order to Andrew. "Andrew! Front and center! I entrust you with the mission to save our dear admiral!"
Why do you think we were in the jungle so long? My friends and I were busy saving the admiral from those Embers... Andrew thought. And we had to come back for the Chuckola Cola that he wanted us to bring to him.
Deciding to keep that to himself, Andrew shook his head and got straight to the point with Flavio.
"Yeah... About that..." Andrew started. "Flavio, did you happen to have found a bottle of Chuckola Cola lying around? My friends and I wanted to claim it, and we want to know if you've seen it."
Flavio then felt a chill crawl down his spine. Why would they be asking him that? Were they trying to steal from some of Flavio's stash that he had found earlier when the flotsam washed ashore with them? Shaking his head, Flavio said rather hastily.
"Well... Why would I have that?" Flavio asked, trying not to sound like he was hiding something from them, with little success.
"Uh, because it happened to have washed ashore with the flotsam after the shipwreck," Andrew deadpanned as he grew suspicious of the fact that Flavio was hiding something from them. "And because it also has Admiral Bobbery's name written on the label."
"Er, yes, by the way... Flavio is merely curious..." Flavio then cautiously asked him. "What do you need it for?"
"Well you see Flavio," Andrew started to explain. "The admiral may perish soon, and he wants to drink his bottle of Chuckola Cola as his last wish. So that's why we wanted to know if you've seen it or not."
"Ah..." Flavio then figured it out. "So, what we are dealing with here is sort of a last request, am I correct?"
"That's right," Andrew nodded with a suspicious look.
"Well, Flavio has no choice," Flavio sighed as he then made the reveal. "I found it on the beach, but for this noble cause...I yield."
It was then Flavio decided to add at the end before stopping himself. "HOWEVER!"
Andrew took notice of his hesitance and realized that there was a reason why he wasn't handing the Chuckola Cola over to him.
"Hmmm?" Andrew then had to ask. "And you're not handing it over to us because...?"
"This Chuckola Cola is part of my...errr...I mean, OUR supplies, which we need to survive," Flavio had to correct himself when he let that one slip, which Andrew took notice of.
"Is that so?" Andrew raised an eyebrow as he frowned at him.
"Yes! So, I will need you to find something to eat to replace this!" Flavio declared. "On this, I do not budge!"
"You're serious right now," Andrew had to furrow his eyebrows at him.
"Hmmm, yes..." Flavio nodded slyly. "I am sure this is something on this island that would be a suitable replacement..."
To say that Andrew wasn't pleased by this would've been an understatement. He couldn't believe it. Was Flavio unwilling to part with it so it could be given to an old Admiral Bob-omb who's just inching closer to death, just for rather selfish reasons? Did he not care about the well-being of their Admiral?
Even overlooking that, and that Andrew would be willing to find a replacement, how could he trust Flavio with the Chuckola Cola? He had tried keeping it a secret from him, so who's to say that he wouldn't keep it to himself? Needless to say, Andrew remained suspicious of this whole deal.
"Oh?" Andrew squinted his eyes and leered at Flavio. "And how do we know that you WON'T drink the bottle of Chuckola Cola while I go back into the jungle to find a suitable replacement?"
"W-Well...You can trust Flavio," Flavio stuttered. "I mean, surely we can make a negotiation through as you'd put it? A simple trade, yes?"
"Hmmmm... Maybe so," Andrew then settled on an idea of his own. "But just to be safe, I'm gonna leave my partners here to keep an eye on you while I go hunting in the jungle for something."
"OMIGOSH! Wait, Andrew!" Goombella had to yell in concern as she then asked. "Surely you aren't thinking of going into the jungle all by yourself, aren'tcha?"
"Of 'course' not," Andrew shook his head. "That's why I'm taking Yoshiam with me."
"Aw yeah! Now we're talking!" Yoshiam whooped as he jumped up and done. "Presto and I will find something that'll replace that bottle of Chuckola Cola for Flavio!"
"That's right. I'll take Yoshiam with me," Andrew instructed his four other friends. "The rest of you can stay here and make sure Flavio doesn't drink Admiral Bobbery's Chuckola Cola."
"Ummm... OK, Andrew. If you say so," Koops nodded. "We'll keep our eyes on Flavio. Just like you said."
"Well. That is pretty bold thinking, my darling," Flurrie admitted. "But if you insist that it'll help that poor Bobbery fellow, then I suppose we can remain here and watch Flavio here to make sure he doesn't drink Bobbery's Chuckola Cola."
"Don'tcha worry," Goombella beamed. "We'll make sure Flavio doesn't try anything sneaky and drink that Chuckola Cola down like the weasel that he's being right now!"
Vivian didn't say anything. Truth be told, she was rather reluctant to let Andrew go into the jungle without her. She feared that something bad would happen to Andrew.
Andrew disregarded her growing silence and decided that things had been settled between him and his friends.
"All right. Looks like we're settled," Andrew allowed Yoshiam to walk by his side. "Yoshiam and I will go find something in the jungle, and you four can stay here and keep an eye on Flavio. I'll be back soon."
"No! Wait! Andrew!" Vivian grabbed his arm, which got his attention. "Please take me with you! Please!"
"Vivian, I'm sorry. But you have to stay here with the others," Andrew told her softly. "We have to make sure Flavio doesn't try anything underhanded."
"But Andrew! I don't want anything bad to happen to you! What if you get seriously hurt out there!?" Vivian was starting to panic again. "What if something kills you?! And I won't be there to help you! Please don't leave without me! I wanna keep you safe! Please take me!"
"Vivian! Please calm down," Andrew had to tell her. "Listen, I'll be OK. I'll be back to the camp safe and sound. Don't worry about me."
"But Andrew-" She started before Andrew cut her off softly.
"Shhh... Have I ever let you down before? Have I ever done anything to make you worried and upset?" Andrew asked her. "I promise that I'll come back safe and sound. You can trust me."
"You promise?" Vivian asked with a slight whimper.
"Yes, Vivian. I promise," Andrew nodded. "Besides, if anything happens, Yoshiam will be with me. Both of us should come back safe and sound."
"He's right," Yoshiam stepped in. "If anyone tries to mess with Presto, they'll have to answer to me! I'll fend 'em off if I have to!"
"I know you will, Yoshiam," Andrew nodded before he looked back at his Shadow Siren friend. "So will you please stay here with the others and wait for us to come back?"
Vivian was still frowning. Truth be told, she didn't want anything bad to happen to Andrew. Ever since he first showed her kindness, she has been growing very fond of Andrew, and despite her meekness, she felt something stronger than just a friendship between herself and Andrew. She wanted to protect him from anything that could harm him. Even from her sisters.
Still, Andrew never has let her down before, and it's unlikely that he would now. He wasn't kidding when he said that he'd come back safe and sound, and he made that promise to her. After sighing, Vivian finally gave in and said to him.
"OK, Andrew... I'll stay here..." Vivian frowned. "But please promise me that you'll come back safe and alive..."
"No need to worry. We'll be OK," Andrew assured. "And when I come back, the six of us can travel again to see the admiral."
"All right. I believe in you, Andrew," Vivian said calmly while nodding.
"Vivian's 'totally' right, Andrew," Goombella added. "Don'tcha get yourself killed out there! Both of you be careful! It wouldn't be good for us to know that you two got eaten out there!"
"Yeah... They're right," Koops sighed. "Stay safe and hurry back soon... Be careful, too..."
"I daresay, I shall be hoping and praying for you two to return sooner," Flurrie said. "Just do be careful and remain safe while exploring that rather treacherous jungle. Is that clear?"
"Yeah. We'll be careful, and we'll be back soon," Andrew told them before looking at Yoshiam. "Ready to get going, Yoshiam?"
"You bet!" Yoshiam nodded while jumping. "Let's get going!"
Andrew smiled at that as he and Yoshiam headed back into the jungle to find something that could replace the Chuckola Cola that Flavio refused to part with, even though it was 'actually' Bobbery's.
All the while Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, and Vivian remained at the camp to make sure that the yellow-skinned man didn't do something underhanded such as drinking it down himself. They could only hope that Andrew and Yoshiam would be back soon with some kind of island fruit and safely make a return to them.
As for Andrew and Yoshiam, they were a good distance away from the camp, as Yoshiam had to ask Andrew something important, that involved his choice of which partner he wanted to have accompany him in the jungle.
"Hey, Presto? I gotta ask you something," Yoshiam decided to ask the muscular man. "Any particular reason why you had me accompany you in the jungle to find a replacement for that Chuckola Cola? I mean, not that I don't like exploring the jungle with you, but I'm just curious."
"Well Yoshiam, the reason is simple," Andrew decided to explain. "You're a Yoshi. And as a Yoshi, you are capable of using your nose to sniff out some fruits that might be lurking around in the jungle, right?"
"Can I? More than anything!" Yoshiam exclaimed with a smile. "In that case, I'll be happy to sniff out some fruit that you think might work for ol' Flavio back there!"
"Excellent!" Andrew smiled at this. "Well, we better get searching. The sooner we find something, the sooner we can get back, get that Chuckola Cola and the rest of our friends, and we can drop it off to Bobbery."
"You got it, Presto," Yoshiam smirked. "Let's get cracking!"
Andrew nodded as the two of them started searching through the jungle. This was going to take quite a bit of time for them. There was no doubt about that at all...
DEEP IN THE JUNGLE ON KEELHAUL KEY:
Quite some time was spent as Andrew and Yoshiam had been exploring the jungle. To their surprise, there weren't a whole lot of enemies around to ambush them. And the ones that were present didn't last long as Andrew and Yoshiam dispatched them on the spot.
Yoshiam had been using his nose the whole time to sniff out some buried fruit that was scrapped and had fallen from the tree above. He's found some berries lying around, along with several kinds of citrus fruits. But Andrew assumed that they weren't important to someone such as Flavio, as Yoshiam decided to eat them.
Andrew, meanwhile, was looking up and started rubbing his chin as to what fruit they should go with. Truth be told, this was a little tougher than he thought.
"I'm afraid we haven't had any luck so far..." Andrew had to admit. "Now what kind of fruit would work best for Flavio? Hmmm..."
As Andrew was thinking, Yoshiam managed to sniff out two batches of fruit that he had managed to track down. He decided to get Andrew's attention before asking him the appropriate question.
"Yo! Presto! I found two types of fruits!" Yoshiam declared before asking him. "Which fruit would ol' Flavio prefer? Grapes or bananas?"
Andrew turned around to see Yoshiam holding both fruits. In his right hand was a cluster of purple grapes, and in his left hand was a hand of bananas. Andrew had to appreciate his efforts. But something told him that Flavio wouldn't accept them.
"Sorry to say this Yoshiam, but I don't think Flavio will accept grapes or bananas," Andrew shook his head. "We need to find something a little more exotic that would fit in perfectly with this location."
Yoshiam frowned at what Andrew just said to him. Fortunately, he shrugged it off and looked at both bunches. There was no way that he'd let these go to waste. Therefore, Yoshiam ate both of them.
He ate the cluster of purple grapes first, swallowing them whole before he went and consumed the hand of bananas. Needless to say, Yoshiam enjoyed both of them as he still had a rather massive appetite. As a result, he continued sniffing out anymore fruit.
Andrew kept walking as he realized that they were nearing some other palm trees nearby. Before he could look up and see what fruits were up there, Yoshiam got his attention. 'Apparently', Yoshiam had managed to locate and claim another fruit that he found.
"Presto! You'll never guess what fruit that I found this time!" Yoshiam had to beam.
"OK," Andrew had to ask. "What fruit did you find this time?"
"Ahem," it was then Yoshiam took out a rather big watermelon. "One watermelon. Fresh from the manure fields. Pretty impressive, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess so," Andrew then sighed at this. "But Flavio wouldn't accept that either."
Yoshiam just shrugged again as he launched his tongue from his mouth and wrapped it around the watermelon before dragging it into his mouth. From there, Yoshiam went ahead and swallowed it down after a few minutes of letting it sit in his mouth.
Needless to say, Yoshiam was satisfied and was eager to eat more despite the watermelon's massive size. Andrew saw this as being typical as he kept walking.
"Well, this isn't our lucky day," Andrew murmured. "We haven't found a suitable fruit yet from this island. One that would work best for the trade."
As soon as he said that, another fruit fell from a tree near him, where it landed on his head. It then ended up in his hands moments later.
"Ouch. What the...?" Andrew moaned before he saw what the fruit was exactly. "Hmm? A Keel Mango?"
"Hey, Presto! I found 8 Apples that came from this apple tree!" Yoshiam got his attention as he held all eight of them in both hands. "These won't work for Flavio either, will they?"
"No. Apples can grow anywhere," Andrew sighed. "Go ahead and eat them if you want."
"You can count on it!" Yoshiam beamed as he gulped down all eight apples in one swift movement with his tongue throwing them into his mouth.
"OK," Andrew then had to count off. "Aside from the grapes, bananas, that watermelon, and those apples you just found, we found nothing but raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and cherries."
"Yeah," Yoshiam then admitted. "They were all delicious."
"Then there was the oranges that we found. Along with the lemons, the limes, and the grapefruits," Andrew mused. "But none of them would work either."
"And boy, were they delicious too," Yoshiam patted his tummy.
"I'm afraid that we're stuck in a rut here," Andrew then showed Yoshiam the Keel Mango that was in his hands. "And I doubt that Flavio will accept this one either."
"Mmmm, hey Presto," Yoshiam then asked him. "You gonna eat that? That's not for Flavio, is it?"
"No. No. I suppose that you can eat it too," Andrew held the Keel Mango out to him.
Yoshiam grabbed it with his tongue before he consumed it whole. Andrew then looked around to see if there was any fruit that they hadn't found yet that would work.
"I mean, there's gotta be something that'll work. I mean, Flavio is 'apparently' good at knowing what fruits work best in a tropical environment such as this one. But which one haven't we checked out yet?" Andrew rubbed his chin as he observed the palm trees that were ahead of him. "Hmmmm..."
After staring off into the distance for several moments, it was then Andrew found the answer to their problems. Up ahead of them was a simple palm tree. Or rather, it was a coconut tree. Which had a bunch of Coconuts attached to it. Andrew figured that that was the best solution to their problem.
"Hey Yoshiam! Look up there!" Andrew got the little Yoshi's attention as he pointed to the coconut tree. "There's a coconut tree with some Coconuts. I'm sure one of those will work."
"You think so, Presto?" Yoshiam had to wonder. "We've been out here for quite a while, and nothing seemed to work. If we have to convince him, we can just clonk that Flavio on the head with a coconut to get him to change his mind."
"Looks like we don't have much of a choice," Andrew sighed. "OK. We'll settle with getting him a Coconut. Yoshiam, would you mind getting one of those Coconuts out of the tree for me?"
"You got it, Presto," Yoshiam saluted before he laid one single Mini-Egg.
He then threw it directly at the coconut tree. With just enough of a strong impact, the tree shook hard enough for a Coconut to fall from the tree. Yoshiam saw it falling as he raced over to it, where he then caught it by wrapping his tongue around it. Andrew then smiled as he then walked over to his Yoshi friend.
"All right. Good catch there, Yoshiam," Andrew complimented before requesting. "Now would you hand that Coconut over to me?"
"Omph Kmph!" Yoshiam spoke with his mouth open as he allowed Andrew to grab the Coconut from his tongue.
Yoshiam then pulled his tongue back into his mouth, before closing it, shaking his head, and then standing back up to face Andrew.
"Well, looks like we found something for Flavio after all," Andrew smiled as he admired the Coconut that he was holding in his hands. "Now, what do you say we head back to the camp? I'm pretty sure the others are worried sick about us."
"No kidding," Yoshiam nodded in agreement with what he suggested. "Let's head back and regroup with the others, and give ol' Flavio that Coconut in exchange for that Chuckola Cola."
"You got it," Andrew grinned at how he figured that out. "Let's go."
With that, Andrew and Yoshiam headed back toward the direction in which the camp was located. They could only hope that Flavio would accept the Coconut that they had claimed since it took them a while to find something that would work best in this environment.
And if it was necessary, they would have to clonk him on the head with the Coconut to change his mind. Either way, they will claim the Chuckola Cola from him regardless of the outcome...
MEANWHILE - AT THE SHANTYTOWN ON KEELHAUL KEY:
Back at the campsite, Goombella, Koops, Flurrie and Vivian were making sure they kept their eyes on Flavio, who stood there nervously at how they were watching him like a hawk.
Aside from that, Goombella was reading through her Tattle Log while occasionally glancing up from reading to check on Flavio who had that bottle in his hand.
Koops meanwhile, was poking a stick onto the sandy ground, while making sure Flavio didn't try anything suspicious. He was making drawings in the sand that consisted of objects such as Koopa Shells, Coins, Stars, Mushrooms, Fire-Flowers, Clouds, Yoshi Eggs, and Andrew's face.
Then there was Flurrie, who took the time to put on some fresh eyeliner while gazing in Flavio's direction every so often. She wanted him to know that she had her eyes on him and that she was making sure that her beauty remained in tip-top shape while she was doing it.
As for Vivian, she was frowning nervously as she twirled her gloved fingers, waiting anxiously for Andrew to return along with Yoshiam. She would look at Flavio every once in a while, but her mind was completely on Andrew and his safety. She still couldn't help but fret and worry about him.
It seemed typical, considering everything that Andrew had done for her. She could only pray that Andrew and Yoshiam would return safely with something for Flavio, so they could move forward with giving Bobbery his Chuckola Cola.
Fortunately, this anxiousness lasted no longer as the group overheard a voice call out to them in the distance.
"Hey guys!" That voice belonged to Andrew, which got them to look up. "We're back!"
All four of them were relieved and thrilled to see Andrew and Yoshiam making it back to the camp safely with no injuries at all. And in Andrew's hands was a Coconut that they found.
They assumed that that was the thing that they were willing to trade-off for the Chuckola Cola that they needed from Flavio. Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, and Vivian got up and ran over to him once Andrew and Yoshiam were back in the campsite.
"Omigosh! Andrew! Yoshiam! You both made it back!" Goombella admitted. "We were 'totally' wondering if something happened to you two!"
"Oh, no need to worry," Andrew said slyly. "It wasn't anything that we couldn't handle. We're safe and sound."
"Well... That's good..." Koops nodded. "Sure glad to see you two back... Safe and sound, that is..."
"Mercy me! Both of you certainly have shown us that you mustn't keep us fretting for your safe return," Flurrie admitted. "Well! We haven't let you down either! We kept our eyes on this Flavio fellow and made sure he didn't try anything underhanded, so to speak!"
"That's right, guys," Yoshiam declared. "Presto and I were able to handle it! And we came back with something to trade off for that bottle of Chuckola Cola!"
"Uh, Andrew?" Vivian got his attention shyly. "I'm... I'm glad that your back and you're not hurt... I was starting to worry..."
"Well worry no longer, Vivian," Andrew patted her gently on the shoulder. "I promised that I'd make it back safely. And I've just proven it. From here on, I don't plan on having us separate for any reason at all."
"OK, Andrew," Vivian smiled. "I'll remain by your side from here on, in case something happens to us."
"Good. Glad to hear it, Vivian," Andrew grinned with the Coconut still in his arms.
"Wowsers. That's a Coconut," Goombella blinked as she stared at the Coconut. "That's for Flavio, isn't it?"
"Yes. We're gonna make the exchange right now," Andrew then went and approached Flavio and got his attention. "Well, Flavio. We've returned."
"Yes. Yes. It would seem that I've noticed. So, what will you give me in exchange for this delectable Chuckola Cola, hmmm?" Flavio asked before making a further comment. "Make it good! I am the editor of 'Foppish Gourmet Weekly', so I know my delicacies!"
"All right. Feast your eyes on this," Andrew then showed him the Coconut. "What about this? Will this do?"
"Ah...HA! A Coconut, is it not?" Flavio then rubbed his chin. "Well, that IS island fare, but somewhat cliched..."
Andrew had to gawk his mouth wide open at this, as his left eye started twitching. He couldn't believe it. He and Yoshiam put a lot of HARD work into finding something, and a Coconut was the only thing that seemed to fit the bill perfectly.
True, a Coconut was often referred to as an island cliche, especially in movies and plays that take place on an island such as Keelhaul Key. But there was truly nothing else that would've worked in their favor that they found in the jungle.
Still, he needed that Chuckola Cola. With Yoshiam's help, he would make sure that Flavio changes his mind and accepts the Coconut anyway, for all the HARD work they put into finding it.
"Uhhh... Yoshiam?" Andrew glanced towards his Yoshi friend as he held the Coconut out towards him.
Yoshiam nodded in understanding, getting the message rather quickly as he grabbed the Coconut from him. In one swift movement, Yoshiam went ahead and clonked Flavio on the head with the Coconut, allowing the Coconut to remain on Flavio's head, right where his hat was.
"Uh, on second thought, perhaps I had set my hopes too high for a foraging non-gourmand such as you..." Flavio murmured as he shook his head and then handed him that bottle of Chuckola Cola. "Well, here you go! Take the Chuckola Cola...and give my regards to the admiral!"
"Thank you," Andrew smiled proudly, claiming the Chuckola Cola that was rightfully Bobbery's.
He even saw that written on the label was Admiral Bobbery's Chuckola Cola. It was then Flavio had to make a perfect suggestion for Andrew to tell Bobbery once he gave it to him.
"Tell him to waft the bouquet, swizzle it gently, and savor all of the fine fizziness!" Flavio instructed as he took the Coconut off of his head.
"Will do. It's been a pleasure doing business with you." Andrew remarked.
"Ah. Believe me, the pleasure was all Flavio's," Flavio murmured before asking the other crew members. "Now, may I have an ice pack filled with Ice Storms, folks? That Coconut has done a number to Flavio's head."
"All right, guys," Andrew then got the attention of his five friends. "Now that we got the Chuckola Cola, we better get going. We have to deliver this to Admiral Bobbery."
"Hey Andrew? Are you sure that it was a good idea to clonk Flavio on the head with that Coconut you found for him?" Goombella had to ask him.
"Honestly, it was the only way that would make him change his mind," Andrew had to tell her. "Besides, he wasn't willing to part with it and was trying to keep it a secret from us when we first got back to the camp. He was intending on drinking it himself."
"Good point," Goombella understood as she winked at him. "He 'totally' deserved it for selfish reasons."
"Exactly," Andrew nodded. "Now, are we all set to go see Admiral Bobbery again?"
"Totally!" Goombella beamed. "Let's get his Chuckola Cola to him before he perishes from our world!"
"Good idea, Andrew," Koops agreed. "We don't want to keep the Admiral waiting for us to give him his last request..."
"By the stars, that is a fabulous idea, Andrew my darling," Flurrie admitted. "We shan't keep the poor man waiting any longer! He shall get his bottle of Chuckola Cola just as soon as we make it back to him!"
"Aw yeah, I'm ready too, Presto!" Yoshiam was still feeling energetic even after aiding Andrew in finding that Coconut, as he jumped up and down. "Let's go see Admiral Bobbery again before he kicks the bucket on us."
"Sure," Vivian exclaimed. "I'm ready to go too, Andrew. We better get to the admiral right away!"
"Great to know, guys," Andrew smiled and gave them a thumbs up. "Let's head back!"
And with that, the six travelers made their way back into the jungle, with Bobbery's bottle of Chuckola Cola in Andrew's right hand. They were planning to make it back to the spot where they saved Bobbery from those Embers.
They could only hope that he hadn't departed from their world and that there might be a chance that he wasn't closer to death than he said he was. Of course, there was a surprise waiting for them in regards to the admiral once they handed him the Chuckola Cola.
It was gonna be a rather big one for Andrew, Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, Yoshiam, and Vivian, which also involved Bobbery. They would find out about it for themselves. That was certainly a guarantee...
END OF CHAPTER 48...
Yeah. That's it for this chapter. It is a little shorter than the previous chapters, but there wasn't a whole lot to add here aside from the fruit hunt that Andrew and Yoshiam went on in the jungle of Keelhaul Key.
Speaking of which, I 'actually' enjoyed writing out the fruit hunt that Andrew and Yoshiam went on, and how the latter was willing to eat all of the fruit that he found that would've been rejected by Flavio, as the former points out.
And I also thought that the coconut gag on Flavio's head was kinda funny, so I wanted to include that as well. It flowed out well, given how Flavio was reluctant to hand it over, and how he tried to keep the Chuckola Cola a secret from Andrew and his friends.
Lastly, I like to point out that I enjoy writing out how Vivian feels about Andrew and that she'll protect him from anything, including her sisters. But I also like adding the subtle fact that Vivian might see more than a friendship forming between herself and Andrew. I just wanted to throw it out there.
Anyway, the next chapter will involve Andrew and his five friends getting the Chuckola Cola to Bobbery, who upon drinking it, believes it's his time to depart, as all six travelers give a tearful but heartfelt farewell to the admiral, with Andrew giving a eulogy of some kind as to how he knew what it was like to be a recluse, while leaving out that he also lost a loved one that was close to him.
Additionally, they find out that Bobbery is not dead and wake him up, he declares a pledge to Andrew, and Andrew gets his sixth partner and friend who'll travel with him to get the remaining Crystal Stars.
Other stuff that'll happen include Flavio expressing how Bobbery is alive and with Andrew, Andrew tells Bobbery about the Crystal Star that he's looking for, Flavio has to travel with the travelers to the jungle where that skull rock is, and they solve a puzzle which relates to that song Flavio's been singing about the boom-bassa-boom festival, and then they can make further progress.
And some other stuff will occur too. How will things go for Andrew? Find out next time everyone!
For now, only if you like, you can leave a review and let me know what you thought of this chapter overall.
Otherwise, there's nothing else for me to say. So until next time, I do hope that you'll take care of yourselves. And on that note, thanks again for reading everyone!