"Did you see that," one said as the clouds dissapated. The rain continued but not as heavy as before. The crowd of speechless onlookers looked amongst themselves to understand what had just happened. The Buster Call had caused a minimal damage to the island while the vines defended it. But after the sound of another cannon fired from somewhere on the island, a few cannonballs had struck the island. Multiple buildings had been toppled and the roads had been unearthed from the impacts.
Sara looked longingly at the ships gathering in the distance. While the crowd speculated and conversed, her mind was somewhere else. She could see figures sitting amongst the sand. They were the training dummies that Celer had built for Simon to practice with. She had seen them before, many years ago. Back when Simon had just started working, he was standoff-ish. He always was quick on his feet, even with his occassional slip-up. But strength was never his strong suit. Celer made figures like these by hand for Simon to build up some upper body strength and some finesse. And all the while, Sara was there bringing them tea and coffee to help them train. Job after job, Celer was there for Simon. They were inseperable... Sara noticed that one of the figures was destroyed by a cannonball, another had fallen over, and the last was still standing with minor strapes. Tears ran down her face, she didn't wipe them tho. They were mixed feelings. On one hand, her life long friend had finally made it to the big open world. She wasn't afraid, she knew he would make it out of any situation. However, it was something she never really could have prepared for. A smile grew on her face. She grasped her hands together, and wished Simon a safe journey before bowing to the sea.
Broth wasn't too far off, she was attempting to tending to Celer. She sighed and slid her hand across Celer's face, shutting his eyes. "You never did think of yourself... always looking to others and trying to help... that's how you always were." She had tried her hardest, but deep down, she knew this is how he wanted things to go. Celer was the type of man to entrust his will to those he helped. He did this with the goal of bringing back the spirit of the true navy. One that was there to help anyone who needed it. And give them a fighting chance. Unlike one other...
"S-sir," a marine came to Commander Jelry with a nervous look on his face. "I-I-It's Akainu... he wishes to speak with you."
Jelry's blood froze at the sound of that name. He tried to hide his fear the best he could, but the sweat was pouring from every possible location. "I'll take this call in my room..." Jelry snatched the transponder snail from the marine and slowly made his way to his chamber. "T-this is Jelry-"
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" the voice erupted without hesitation. "You requested a Buster Call and stopped? This is unforgiveable! When a Buster Call is made, it only stops when there is nothing left! You disgraceful-"
"SIR! I... I have Straw Hat Luffy in my custody! Y-yea thats it... we managed to capture him thanks to the help of one of the local officers... he sacrificed himself to bring them and some other trouble makers to us! W-we stopped due to one of our ships taking sever damage due to one of their attacks, but we managed to subdue them all, SIR!"
The transponder snail was silent for a moment. The sound of boiling dense liquid could be heard on the other side, but it slowly subsided. "You have them on your ship, as we speak?" Akainu calmly asked. Jelry confirmed what he knew with certainty. He even told Akainu about the resergance of John Silver and his new crewmate. "I thought he was dead... The reports said that Whitebeard himself had... nevermind. His bounty shall be claimed nonetheless. And as for his accomplice, draft him up a bounty. The amount shouldn't be substantial, but make sure they are sent directly to Impel Down! I'll have them know of your arrival."
The call ended and the tension finally lifted. Jelry let out a sigh of relief and plopped down in his chair. "That as close... I let my tongue slip... should've taken the credit for this... but then again. That odd officer should be back in good health before long." Jelry scratched his head before looking out the window to the sight of the sinking ship with crews getting as much off of it as they could. "Not to mention, all those pirates are pesky little rats. If we aren't careful, we could end up like that."
Down below deck, Silver and Simon were being escorted to their cell. Straw Hat and his crew were locked in another cell. Simon saw them take Pepper off to the infirmory after they were taken away. This gave him a little peace of mind. But imagining what was to come was beyond what he could possibly account for. Silver didn't seem to have a care in the world. He didn't lose his toothy smile. The marines leading them poked and prodded them into the cell before locking it and setting up post. "Unlucky for you, pirates. You'll be heading straight to Impel Down! Im sure Straw Hat can tell you alllll about it!" The guards laughed as they kicked the bars. "Better enjoy the fresh air while you can!" The guards walked to their positions and made sneering remarks at the pirates.
"This is starting off great... first I almost get my entire home island Buster Call'd and now Im stuck with..." Simon leered over at Silver who was propping up his crutch next to his chains and sea-stone cuffs. It was a cheap crutch, easily broken if used as a blunt object. But with the cuffs disabling his Devil Fruit, he couldn't keep his prostetic leg formed. Simon clicked his tongue and tried to get as comfortable as he could. From Palm Shores, Impel Down was almost a week out.
Straw Hat and his crew were snickering and glancing over at Simon and Silver. "Look at em, they won't last a day in that place."
"What was that?" Simon shot back a glance at Straw Hat. The 2 locked eyes for a long time before the guards made them knock it off. "Whatever..." Simon faced the wall and let the fatigue steadily take his consciousness and drift him asleep.
Simon opened his eyes to see the vast ocean before him. He looked around and could see the boundless sea from each end of the sky. A smile grew on his face. Suddenly a voice called out, "Simon, don't go too far out! You don't wanna be swept away again, do you?"
Simon turned to the voice to see a woman with long blonde flowing hair and a flowly pink sundress. "Im not! I swear! I wanna see the whole sea! The beautiful sky! I wanna know whats out there!"
The woman smiled, "you will one day Simon, but for now. You're only a child. And children have a lot to learn before they can set out to sea! Or else-" She crept up behind the young Simon and let out a roar. "A Sea King will gobble you up whole!" The 2 burst into laughter as she lifted him up and spun him around with outstretched arms. The waves calmly making their way up and down the edge of the beach.
"Don't go filling that boy's head with such fantasies," another voice came from nowhere. "He needs to see the world for what it is. He needs to be on the straight and narrow, or else he'll end up like those good for nothing pirates!"
The woman pulled Simon in close. She rubbed his head as she turned to the source of the other voice. "And you shouldn't stop the imagination of a child. Without it, he'll never find his dream." Simon looked up to the woman's face, but the sunlight blocked out many of her features. However, he could see her smile, even brighter than the sun itself shine thru. "A man's dreams-"
A loud bang woke Simon from his sleep. He looked over at the bars, the guards slid their food under the opening for them to eat. Once Simon fully woke himself, he stood up and got his food. Silver, however, did not move. Simon picked up the other tray and brought it over to Silver, who gave a quick smirk. "Finally comin 'round I see?"
"No," Simon went back to his corner. "Just don't like wasting food... that's all." The 2 ate, the silence between them almost drawing their attention to the reality of their situation and the fate they would soon meet. Simon couldn't ignore it anymore and stopped eating half way thru. "Why did it have to be like this..." he turned to Silver with a leer on his face. "Why were you even on the island to begin with? Where was your crew, or better yet your flag?"
Silver wolfed down his food and slid the tray to the door. He wiped his massive beard and fixed his hat," never told ye, 'ave they?" The pirate's smile melted away. "That fool, Whitebeard! Took em all from me! And I plan to pay ye back in kind!" He laughed with enough vigor to convince the guards they he could've easily broken out of the sea stone cuffs he had on. Simon shot Silver a doubting look before returning to moping in his corner. Once the pirate finished his bout of laughter, he seemed to have his sights set on something just within reach. "It almost be time." The guards looked at each other and shrugged before hearing a blaring alarm that ran thru the entire ship. "What's going on?" one guard asked as he turned to pick up his baby transponder snail. "This is Speck, we're in the cellblock. What's the situation?"
The baby transponder took on a shocked appearance,"w-well, we have a strange problem. There's a mysterious tree blocking our path! We have to go around it... this will add a countless amount of days... and our fuel may not make it. I'll get in touch with the commander and see what he says."
"Roger," the guard hung up and informed his companion of the update. In that moment, both Silver and the Straw Hats were smiling with their backs turned to the guards. They picked up on this and could sense something brewing. "What's going on here? Why are you all acting strangely?" No one answered the guards questions. This had even Simon confused, as he looked around trying to piece the clues together. "That's it, you all better start talking or else! WHATS GOING ON?!" The other guard tried to calm him down, but in that instance, they were both knocked unconscious.
Simon's jaw dropped in surprise. A small brown figure landed between them. It was a raccoon dog with a pair of keys in its mouth. "W-wait, its you!"
"Of course," Straw Hat said in a mocking voice. The Straw Hats stood up as the raccoon dog unlocked the door and brought them the keys. "Don't you know, a pirate aint nothing without his crew- Redheart" They laughed mockingly at the 2 pirates still in their cage. "Now's the chance to get out of here, and-" they tossed the keys back into the now empty cell. "Looks like you don't have a way out of those cuffs. Sucks to be you!"
"H-hey!"
"Don't bother," Silver stopped Simon's outburst. "In an hour, the livin will envy the dead." He stood up using his crutch. The Straw Hats ran out the door, their foosteps disappearing shortly after. "Have ye learned nothin, Redheart?" Silver coated his crutch in haki and crushed the chains that kept them bound to the wall. Simon quickly followed suit, he used his fists to pull the chains apart.
"What about the cuffs?" Simon tugged on one of the cuffs on his wrists. "Won't these be a problem?"
"Only if ye need yer Devil Fruit." Silver bent the bars with his hands and slid thru. "But we need te leave, somethin is brewin." The stout pirate hunched thru the doorway and down the hall. Simon walked out the door but glanced down the hall. He was concerned for his father, but at this point, it would be best to escape first. "This way, Redheart!"
A mass of footsteps could be heard coming from above them, followed by several of them shouting. The 2 couldn't tell what they were saying but they didn't sound too happy. "What is that?"
"Needn't matter," Silver quickly said as he peered down the hallway before they continued toward the surface. "That be the navy men's problem." The exit drew closer and closer but an unsettling feeling did as well. Once they emerged, they quickly sunk behind some cover. The entire deck was covered in marines. A few figures in strange suits stood in the middle of the swarm. They were armed and didn't seem fazed, even tho their masked hid their faces. "That spells trouble," Silver pulled at his cuffs once more. The crutch was slowing him down tremendously. If he had his powers, he could easily make a slide down to the dock to escape. Simon peered over the edge of the boat, but the dock was still a ways away for one person to jump to. Not without being spotted that is.
The Commander finally came from his chamber. His face was stoic but his body was on edge. He came before the figures and flexed his muscles as he put his hands on his hips. "Who are you, and why are you on MY ship?! This is a marine vessel, and I-"
One figure held up their hand, signaling for the commander to save their breathe. They spoke in a soft voice, one that didn't carry well over the wind. Whatever they did say however, had the marines now shaking in their boots. Simon looked around for a quick exit, or a small boat they could steal, but once his eyes found it, he froze in place. He tapped Silver on the shoulder, who was overlooking the conversation the figure and the commander were having. "Y-you better look at this!"
Silver shrugged off Simon's hand and kept his gaze on the figure. "So... they be here... tis won't be easy." Simon pulled Silver to the point of interest, the boat that was their only escape was being taken by the Straw Hats who were slowly reeling themselves down the side of the boat. "Stop em, Redheart!"
"M-Me?! How am I supposed to stop them like them?!" Simon said flustered. The pirates were going slowly down, but they were halfway down the side by the time Simon and Silver found them. One marine that wasn't too far off caught them in the corner of his eye and alerted everyone around. "C-crap! Looks like we don't have much of a choice!" Simon leapt over the side with Silver right behind him. Bullets whizzed past them as they descended onto the tiny boat. The Straw Hats had their eyes popping out of their heads in shock as their almost perfect escape now dissolved into chaos. The rope snapped the instant the 2 new members to the departure landed, causing the ship to fall several feet before crashing into the water. The ship was still in tact, but they were still being shot at. "Give us some oars! We have to get out of here! Or we'll all die!"
"T-this is all your fault!" The Straw Hats screamed in unison as everyone, except Silver, grabbed an oar and paddled with all their might. The Ship swirved and almost tipped several times, but they did manage to get good distance from the boat.
The marines eye'd the boat as it disappeared among the large roots that littered the sea around what seemed to be the entire island. A large tree-like structure was protruding oddly out the island. It didn't seem natural, for some reason. It was huge, and its bark was an odd texture. But that was surprisingly the least of their worries. The commander told them to cease fire and prepare to send a search party to retrieve the escaped criminals. "Remember what I said, if you value your life." The figures suddenly disappeared like as if they were never there to begin with.
Commander Jelry gave a concerned glance over at the tree. He was about to give his order for what to do, but somewhere else emerged from below. Everyone turned to see who it was- Pepper. He was covered in bandages, but the look in his eyes spoke only of determination, even tho his mouth was bandaged and he couldn't speak. "So, even you want to go? I wouldn't recommend it, but with that look," Jelry thought to himself for a brief moment, then snapped his finger with the birth of a new idea. "Fine! But, only on 2 conditions. One, you need to be sworn in as an honorary member of the marines. Second, I want to go along with my strongest marines on a 'special' mission."
Pepper's eyes did not faulter, or break their contact. He nodded, before giving a solemn solute to his fellow marines. They all let out a hearty roar of cheers and celebration at their new member.