Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. (Automated message saved.)

Here we go. It's been awhile. Life happens so fast with family, sports, the short summers (especially in Alaska), and just living being a provider, husband, and father. As you get older it's tough to get that time to write, but my determination has not faltered. It's painstaking at times to go back and forth to keep my mind accountable to the task I have at hand. Four novels in invested their is no way I will stop writing this story until I see it through to the conclusion. We are right in the thick of this novel. Any encouragement is greatly appreciated. But we will be halfway through the original stories of the villains. We only have Devimon, Etemon, and Myotismon left before I can move on to the next phase. What do all of you think of these origination stories? Things will really pick up pace after, but let's enjoy this brief (necessary) detour while we can.

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Last Voyage of the Bloody Scale Serpentine

The clouded sky and waves danced around each other completely out of measure like two bar brawlers having a skirmish much like what Rei had seen working with a couple mercenaries. He noticed the currents swaying him closer and closer, a large hulking glittering mass of wood and metal floating on the water.

He stood confidently in an expensive business suit and tie; a pair of sophisticated glasses garnishing his face giving him a look of greater 'intelligence'. He briskly took them off of his face scanning over an article he read in a paper clutching it in his grasp.

"Almost there," he said to himself enjoying the salty breeze and the malcontent negativity emanating from the vessel his miniature yacht had the fortune of being carried to.

Not long ago he had been casually walking in his search trying to find the next vessel for the reborn world, but every now and then just when he thought he had gotten closer his prey eluded him. It took a little while to realize that with this happening next to the ocean, surely he had been misguided. Perhaps he had been a bit too enthusiastic.

"It's no matter," he said to himself glancing down at his suitcase. Inside were more than likely some stocks or bonds or other nonsensical monetary device. It did not matter to Rei. No one could take anything away from him and he could take anything away from anyone else. What other reason could he have of having obtained such a pricey yacht owned by a millionaire? He had happened to just come across it while it was at the docks. With only a few negative souls around contemplating greed and flashiness it was just the pick me up he needed to get on his way. They didn't have much flavor to them though.

For all of their rich taste the wealthy had a-how could he put it?- Bland taste.

With that Rei smiled wondering how long it would be before the cutthroats arrived with hats and eye patches and some other silly little props that sea pirates had. Perhaps they would even try to kill him? No, he could not force them to flee in terror so easily. Not if he wanted to capture his prey. He would not be eluded this time.

He cleared his throat as the boat bumped into the sea vessel, the impact spilling the contents of the case. Wouldn't you believe it? Inside were precious minerals, some important looking financial papers, and even a couple rubies.

"Oh how wonderful!" he cried out. "I'm saved! Please!" he cried. "If anyone is there could you rescue me? I will repay you for your kindness! I'm very wealthy!"

No sooner had he said those words sinister looking men popped their heads over the side.

"You hear that men?" one of them chuckled. "This fish's incredibly wealthy!"

"Aye, I heard 'em first mate!" another cackled.

"What say you then?"

The first mates black-bearded pale bushy face contorted into a malicious grin. "Let's go fishing!"

It happened exactly as Rei had though it would. He reflected on his circumstances tied up on the floor of the ship sitting down contemplating everything. Yes, he had been bruised, but he had hurt them more than they had ever hurt him. Pirates lived by pride and overpowering their foes. If they could not overpower them they were considered weak effeminate men. What's even worse is the other pirates took advantage of such weakness and stole from them, set them up, and, eventually, when they could not take it anymore and they were cornered they were executed and tossed off the ship.

He smiled craftily knowing nary their was not a pure soul aboard the vessel that could escape him if it became necessary.

"Look at you there!" The first mate Higama said approaching him. He wore a captain's hat, a cloak, and had a strong presence even among his tapered patched clothing. "The rich man's still smiling. Guess we didn't beat him hard enough did we?" he laughed heartily.

Rei grinned back to him as he was beneath him. "I'm sorry," he said slickly, "But I thought only the captain can wear the captain's hat. Who are you to mess with the order of things? Especially of pirates."

Higama instantly took offense. He immediately brandished a saber and approached him. "What did you say? You claiming to be a pirate or something? You don't know the situation you're in! You don't know your predicament!"

Rei felt him sink deeper and deeper into his taunt. "Oh but I do. As a matter of fact, I know if the captain sees me anymore bruised than I already am he will have your head on a platter."

"Heh," Higama grunted. "You don't know the captain then. When it comes to him the only thing that you need to worry about is-"

"-Oy,"a chilling voice said instantly causing him to turn seeing an older man in dark clothing. He seemed keen and focused, but also absent minded.

He wore a dark purple cape, garments, clothes and pants nearly worn out torn near the end of the seams, but his eyes possessed a vitality rivaling even his.

"C-captain!" he said shaking his head. "We were just about to present 'im to you!"

The captain said nothing. His grizzly brown hair turning brushed captivatingly against the wind blowing out against the vessel. He took out a bottle of what looked like an expensive whiskey and downed it wiping his grizzly short scruff as well.

"Captain?" the man standing next to Higama wondered.

"Oy," he said unpleasantly. "Was it ye who carved that notch into the wheel?"

"The notch?" the man wondered. "Why yes sir," he said nodding his head. "I-"

"-Suddenly the large man grabbed his navigator by the neck with one hand.

"I told ye how many times," he said walking forward. "When it comes to this ship ye will pay for your life if you desecrate it."

"B-but I didn't", he rasped. "I only wanted to leave a marker for trajectory. I didn't mean anything by-"

"-There is no excuse," he said coldly.

"But Captain!" First mate Higama exclaimed. "That's my best mate! We'll be lost without him!"

The man ignored them all and walked forward to the edge of the boat holding him over it.

"Those that deny my laws will deny their lives," he said, the man starting to kick at him.

"No! Don't let me go!" he begged. "Not the serpents' mouth!"

"Aye that be the one," he grinned as all of his crew rushed him. "Curse ye fate navigator," he said cruelly as he dropped him, the man bellowing out being torn apart by spinning blades underneath the very ship, a trail of blood bubbling up from where he fell.

"Captain!" Higama cried. "Have you gone mad? That was our navigator! Without him we're lost!"

"You're lost," he huffed turning around, his cloak whipping with him. "I know the waters better than the sea herself. She is a fickle mistress, but I have won her heart," he snapped. "Listen up!" he shouted. "To what measure ye damage the Bloody Scale Serpentine, the more ye will be damaged yourselves! Take heed of this warning!" he shouted. "If ye argue with me any one of ye will meet the same fate!" he barked.

With that all of the crew went silent as he walked on by, stopping to see Rei Kurenada. He could not help but be impressed at not only his negativity, but his commanding nature. He was as imposing as they came.

Nicely done," Rei smirked.

Immediately the man turned towards him, Rei sensing his furious emotion.

They stared at each other, Rei narrowing his eyes as if encompassing the captain in his snare.

"You're not just some businessman who got washed up on my ship are you?"

Rei only smiled. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean. I had been minding my own business in my little ship and before I knew it I was here. Why would anyone possibly want to have anything to do with you scary pirates?" he laughed calmly.

"I don't like your eyes," he groaned walking away. "I never want to see them again. Let 'im rot in the brig till his eyes fall out," he commanded, a couple pirates drawing their swords.

Rei watched them approached him swords drawn.

"Well this is not good," he mused scratching his face. He just noticed he had loosened his arm from his confines. "This is not going as well as I suspected," he said unroping himself. "What is it that you gents call it? 'Parlay'?" He questioned, both of the men gasping.

"What business have you with the captain briggard!"

"That's for him to know and for me to find out," Rei smirked.

"We should just kill you now! He says he does not want to see you!"

"Then you will be breaking your pirate's code," Rei noticed. "I'm sure the captain would be thrilled you ended up breaking the code. He might relocate you to a better suited location, possibly attached to the bow of the ship."

They looked at him slightly fearful and Rei understood it well. This ship known as 'The Bloody Scale Serpentine' also went by another name. And this name had been given to the ship not only for it's pristine condition, but the fact that sapphire crystallized over the bow of the ship had been dyed red due to the captain's enemies being tied to the moor and crushed against the other ships or mountains. And the more blood soaked into this crystal, the more eerie and beautiful the red hue of the sapphire glowed. No one wanted to go against the captain. Not of the Bloody Scale Serpentine nor of the Ruby Sapphire Scale as the captain so 'appropriately' named it.

Both of them glanced at each other, one of them shaking his head. "You best keep your wits about you then," one of them said sheathing his blade. "After all our captain has killed men for even speaking at the wrong time."

Rei Kurenada nodded is head agreeing with them. "I'll be careful not to get killed then," he grinned cheerfully.

A good solid twenty minutes later Rei Kurenada had been thrown into a rat-infested cell, the smell of grease and gunpowder in the air.

"Don't go hiding away now," one of the pirates chortled twirling the key on his hand as he let with his cohort. They spoke briefly about pirate grub and departed.

He sat back waiting, his arms behind his back contemplating just how the sea captain would respond to his request. Upstairs men were laughing and drinking, some of them stomping their feet, Rei Kurenada knowing he could instantly annihilate them, but he held his peace.

From the opposite side the thumping of boots approached, Rei familiar with the sound the captain's boots made. The captain approached him arms cross.

"Ye swine why do ye trouble me? I told ye I never wanted to see you again. Your eyes are a snare and menacingly so."

Rei Kurenada faked a laugh and put his glasses in his pocket. "I'm not the one whose a prisoner," he chuckled. "Of course not by choice anyway. I came here to see you actually captain."

"Yer bluffin'" he growled. "What business have ye with me?"

"I'm sure you're aware of it," he said. "Very soon your crew will mutiny against you."

The captain stared at him and then started cracking up holding his hands over his stomach. "Turn against me ye say? They are so terrified of me they will even let someone they claim as a friend be torn to pieces. Why would I have anything to fear from such a rabble?"

Rei Kurenada brought himself up, grabbed the bars and glared at him smugly. "Because you actually came to see me," he said. "Pirate's code and all that nonsense aside you needed someone to talk to, but, not only that, you needed a scapegoat for the mutiny that will soon be upon you."

"A wise deduction," the captain said withdrawing a pistol from his cloak. "It's exactly as you have said. Once I blow your brains out and I plaster your carcass on the bow of the deck and smash it to bits the crew will fear me so much they will beg for parlay and to make an agreement with me."

"What makes you think they won't mutiny against you?"

"I already took care of it. I poisoned the grog and only I have the antidote to cure them. They need me to survive. I'm already way ahead of those young fools."

Rei nodded his head in agreement. "A clever strategy. But let's just see if this will play out the way you say it will."

"What makes you think I will fail?"

"The unknown makes you fearful," he said snarling at him mercilessly. "It's why you planned all this out. A man who wants everyone to fear him fears all. Underneath a guise of power he is living day by day by the whims of his fear. Such a man is unfit to be captain wouldn't you say?"

The man paused and then grinned suddenly. "Aye that be true. But even so once a serpent has you in the coils, regardless if ye fear him or not there is no escape. Whether it's the ship or a man your life will be crushed and broken. And I am the serpent wrapping my coils around ye."

Rei Kurenada could not help but enjoy this back-and-forth farce, both of their menacing eyes entertained by each other. "Well then, captain," Rei chuckled, "seeing as I am at 'your mercy' I am going to tell you exactly what is going to happen, and why despite your best efforts ultimately you will fail and come crawling back to me on your hands and knees..."

...A short while later Rei found himself floating in the water, a slight gash in his head healing from being shot point blank in the face. He crossed his arms as he regenerated contemplating about the captain. He knew that the way the currents were carrying him right now shortly he would be hitting the side of the lifeboat he had manipulated into dislodging earlier during the captain's fiery speech.

He climbed aboard and laid back in it staring at the clear blue sky. Very soon, yes, he knew that the captain would be crawling in front of him on his hands and knees. The captain had not understood that Rei had been privy to the knowledge of the grog and he himself had fixed the composition so those that said they were poisoned were not poisoned at all. All it took from him was purifying the grog manipulating it with digital data. He might as well have been asleep to perform the act, but the captain was none the wiser.

"Eventually on this way to the 'cure' the crew will realize no one was sick and they will mutiny even more than before," he grinned holding up his hand to the sky. "And then when you have been humbled captain what will you do?" he asked gripping his fist. "What will you do?"

It had been just past six pm when the flailing of arms cried out and one hand shakily tried to position itself to board Rei's vessel.

He smiled, reached out and pulled the hand of one Captain Hyoga.

"It cannot be!" he said turning white as a ghost. "I knew for sure ye were gone! No man alive could-"

"-Whoops!" Rei said letting go of his hand letting him fall in the water.

The Captain fumbled up with bubbles from the watery depths with a gasp of air. He desperately went forward to the lifeboat trying to board it, but Rei caught his hand again.

"How is it possible?" he said fearfully, "That ye be alive? I shot ye point blank to the-"

-Rei let go of his hand again the man sinking into the depths.

"Looks like my hand slipped again," he said toying with him, the bubbles again rising from below.

Captain Hyoga gasped as he emerged again throwing his hand up to the deck, but Rei caught it.

"I believe," Rei said innocently, "You are asking the wrong thing. What would you say to me in such a situation Captain? Will you let down your honor code? Or will my hand just happen to let go this time and the vessel float away?"

Captain Hyoga shut his eyes tightly and slammed his head on the lifeboat.

"Confound it all!" he groaned. "Pl-please, save me dammit!" he cried as if it cut him to the teeth just to say it.

Rei smiled back fondly. "As you wish...Captain."

Now that their position's had switched Rei finally had his prey cornered and trapped. With the captain's newfound humbleness he started to ask him a series of questions as he started to dry.

"So then Captain," Rei said sarcastically, "What is your actual name?"

"Captain Hyoga Danguro," the gentleman groaned.

"Don't you mean former captain?"

"Captain Hyoga Danguro."

"If you're a captain where's your ship?" he teased innocently.

"It's occupied."

"Mutiny then?"

"Aye that be true."

"So is that it then? You're just a washed up sea captain?"

"Aye that be true."

Rei sat down with him at his level as the man shivered from the cold.

His eyes glared ferociously the man not one to accept any comforts whether from the sun or being safe. He was like a cornered wounded beast.

Rei grinned brushing the side of his hair that got in front of his eye deliciously waiting to hear the story of how the man was humbled.

"So," he said smugly. "They declared mutiny, didn't they?"

"Aye," he said gruffly. "That they did."

"Just as I said?"

"Aye, just as ye said."

Rei leaned his hands back behind his head and smiled soaking in his own self-righteousness. The negativity emitting from the captain had more of a bitter sweetness that Rei could not help, but breathe in.

"Just smell that salty air," he quipped pretending to breathe it in.

The captain grumbled to himself and turned away. "So? Now that ye proved yer point what will ye do with me? I'm too old and weak to give you a thrashin' back. Will ye strip me of my garments and purge me of this wretched corpse?"

Rei's eyes widened a little bit wondering about him. "No and no," he said folding his hands and leaning forward. "Actually, Hyoga Danguro you're a right jolly old bastard of the kind I am looking for," he smiled. "You emit such an intimidating negative energy it's amazing how long you've been in control over your former ship."

Hyoga let out a terrible wince, all of his rage literally leaking out of his eyes as he told him of his tale, and regaled him with all of his victories, but all of those at the end turned to defeat. He seemed to drone on and on for hours in a newfound strange freedom from talking with Rei.

Rei finished listening intently to the story after his lungs had finally exhaled out all of his frustrations.

Hyoga gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "If only I had my ship back," he muttered nearly spent. "If only I-"

"-What if I were to tell you," Rei interrupted him, "That you can be the captain of a new sea in a new world?"

"Captain?" he said his ears perking up. "I'd say I'd have to make a deal with the devil himself," he said. "But I've lost my dignity. Once a captain loses his ship he's all washed up."

"Is he now?" Rei said grabbing him up by his shirt and setting him on his feet. "You see me here alive and breathing. And you know for sure you shot me. What are the odds I would be lying to you? It's the opposite of those same odds you thought before believing I for sure had been killed."

"What are ye trying to say?" the captain pondered.

"Well," he mused, "It's like this." With that he pushed Hyoga Danguro into the water, the captain floundering.

"You might say you are washed up!" he shouted. "But if you still have the gall to curse and survive then you still can be a captain! It's those that give up who meet their end in their salty graves!"

The captain floundered a bit, but a new vitality seemed to emanate from him.

"Here are your orders," Rei said. "If you wish to be a captain of an even greater position go and board your vessel. Show me the very thing you value most and offer it to me," Rei said. "Anything less I will consider treachery and will deal with you as I had before you came aboard my vessel," he warned. "You have until the dawn."

The captain's eyes met his, both of them resolved. Rei noticed him swim away, a speck of glittering red and blue on the horizon.

He marveled at the beautiful scenery and the disgraced captain fighting to reclaim it. "Be the glint," he said, "that creates the spark igniting your desire."

The night carried fast like the tide and dark gray atmosphere, clouds morphing and changing by the wind and into the expanse of the sky. Rei stood amidst everything contemplating how long it had been since Hyoga Danguro had left.

He recalled their pleasant conversation in more depth. Before he had literally pushed him off the lifeboat the captain confessed of his love for his ship and how anyone who tried to get in his way of that love had been treated harshly. The captain had lost crew, his finances, and even his standing among all the pirates of the world. Women came and went. Treasures glistened and then rusted at the bottom of the ocean. Grog and food and company kept him full, but always left him empty.

All that man ever had was his ship. Rei could not help but understand such a man wanting to prevent the only thing that stayed with him his whole journey. He wondered about it in depth realizing the skies were starting to light up, dawn soon creeping upon him.

"It's a pity," Rei said. "Will you disappoint me Hyoga Danguro? Or will you-"

-No sooner had he said that in the distance he saw a glistening jewel of red and blue burst into flames.

Rei's eyes lit up seeing in them the reflection of what looked like shards of jewels broken into pieces, smoldering smoke coughing up from the ocean. Very rarely did he get a sense of awe from anything, but this- truly this was a spectacle to behold!

He stood there admiring the sky for hours, the smoke absorbing into the clouds. Surely no man could have survived such an explosion, but, the glint in that man's eyes were not the eyes of a man that had given in.

Rei put his hand into the water manipulating the currents carrying him over.

"Let's just see how he did shall we?"

In the span of twenty minutes the float scurried along the waters until Rei himself had arrived at the scene of the wreckage. The frame of the ship had been torn to shambles. Bodies of lifeless pirates clung on the water's surface, their faces down having already given to the grave. Rei particularly recognized the lead pirate most against Hyoga.

"I guess their were no survivals after all," Rei sighed. "What a shame."

He started to make his way away from the wreckage when a pulsating negative energy vibe threw itself his direction Rei immediately recognizing it. A lone hand jumped up onto the lifeboat and pulled itself up.

There in front of him stood Hyoga in all of his former glory, but soaking wet to the bone, water dripping off of his pirate hat that somehow had stayed on him.

"Captain Hyoga?" Rei grinned.

The man took a breath and coughed up some water wiping his lips after. "Aye, that be true."

Rei listened intently as Hyoga explained everything that had happened and why he had just destroyed his ship.

"So, you took advantage of the pirate code that says once a captain has been thrown off of his ship, if he survives and returns he shall not be harmed?"

"Aye, that be true."

"And then all you requested before leaving the ship was a keepsake to remember the ship by? Did they really believe that?"

"Aye."

"How did that play out?"

"Simply put, I stayed in my captain's quarters, found a bomb I had set up just for emergencies, and then went to the top of the deck holding a metal board. They wondered what I was doing, but I told 'em that I would share with them my treasure and they took me to the wheel. I told em as I timed when the bomb would go off they can find the treasure...at the bottom of Davy Jones locker. I love this ship so much I would rather see it sink to the ocean depths than see that lot corrupt her."

"And just how did you escape?"

As soon as I said that Higama and the others went to go take hold of me, but I would not let them lay a hand on me. I counted down the moment of the bomb's explosion and a fore the morning dawn hit, I briefly saw the flash, held up the metal board, and the force knocked me clear off the ship aways. I heard the traitors writhing and screaming in the flames, most of them killed upon impact. Aside from myself they all perished."

Rei folded his arms wondering about him not entirely convinced.

"Why did you blow up your ship? You were the captain were you not? How could you separate from her that easily?"

Captain Hyoga took his hat off and put it against his heart. "Aye, ye be the devil after all," he winced gritting his teeth. "There were no survivors."

"No survivors?" Rei frowned. "Then what do you call yourself?"

"Aye, a living corpse."

"A living corpse?" Rei wondered curiously.

"Ye have to understand," he said a bit heavy-hearted, "what ye see in front of thee is the corpse of the captain who had been known as Hyoga Danguro. My heart, my soul, everything. All that made me- me went down with the ship."

"A captain always goes down with the ship huh?" he smiled.

He reached forward his hand to Hyoga, Hyoga hesitantly reaching out to grab it.

"Well done captain," he said. "This glorious display, this physical manifestation of your blackened heart and soul! This was the only thing you could offer me to please me! This is your charter on your next voyage captain!"

Hyoga snickered. "Aye, I'm hoping that be true. I gave up everything for it."

Rei took out a vial from his coat pocket and gave it to him. "So then, are you ready for your next adventure. We're shipping out."

Captain Hyoga grabbed the vial looking into it, and then with determination jabbed it into his forearm. He immediately dropped it sinking to a knee, both of his arms on the ground.

Rei sensed his negative energy transforming him into viral digital data. He smiled down at him victoriously.

"You're more than just the captain of a vessel now aren't you?"

Captain Hyoga cackled a little bit lifting up his head to the overcast sky.

"Aye, that be true!"

With that he completely changed into the viral digital particles, Rei sending him off with an approving nod of the head.

Rei smelled the lingering negative energy in the air blending with the sweet salty wind. The ship dashed to pieces behind him started to sink ever more as an onset of waves started to bury the remains of the ship.

He took a moment as the fires died out and the remnants vanished into the depths.

"The Bloody Scale Serpentine will be more than a name," he smirked. "For that is not only a name, but a title," he said, the wind blowing his hair as Rei faced into it.

"Ain't that right...Captain?"