Chapter 5 : Let's go !
"Lili-Ouch" started Marion "Fucking Crab! For the love of god, training on the beach is good but the crab…." Grumbled Marion while rubbing her foot.
Lili looked at her for a few seconds, breathless. On her body, the girl was covered in sand, as if she had rolled herself in it, and her skin was colored with various bruises. From the simple blue to a purplish color, to a yellow-ish green.
"... Does that mean that I won that round?"
" Nop! But you will do ten pushups", smirked Marion with sparkling eyes.
"Oi! 'Cause you lost against a fucking crab doesn't mean that you can take it on me!", the blond crossed her arms, pouting.
" But push ups are better than arm locks aren't they? Shoup shoup, I'll do them with you after all!" laughed Marion
A whine full of despair escaped Lili while she got down on her knees to get in position. With a little sniff, she started her pushups. At least it was only ten. Good enough.
Marion started to do the same. She clearly was less bruised than her friend but she did have more cuts and scratches everywhere. Little memories from the training in the forest.
She quickly did her push up and sat on the floor.
Thankfully, the blond finished quickly after her friend. Tired by the training, she was still a lot more energetic than before when they started all this, it had been two months since then after all. A little bit strange when you knew about how she was before. Sports were never her forte, back then even considered as her kryptonite.
"I really think that we are doing good." Said Marion, looking at the sea.
Her push ups finished, Lili threw herself down on the sand, on her back like a starfish.
"Y-You think?", gasping a lot more than earlier, her words were barely understandable.
"Yes! Tomorrow we will board the boat! I heard it at the port. Finally, seriously one week late. I remember complaining about the SNCF but they weren't so bad! I think that we can pack our bags! We finally have enough money and… the training is starting to show."
The blond puffed at the mention of the SNCF, and nodded, staring at the sky.
"The costumes are ready and we've got all the needed make-up.", a sigh escaped her, a dreamy sigh. "... We're finally leaving, huh. We'll be on the sea, traveling and discovering this world…"
"Clearly! I'm so happy!" Exclaimed Marion with joy, going up.
With a little difficulty, Lili got up too, shaking her clothes and her hair to get rid of the sand itching at her skin.
"But before, I'd like to take a shower…", shaking her top, a cascade of sand escaped, making her grimace.
"True, me too! And we have to prepare for our last night on the bar after all"
"You really needed to remind me that…" muttered Lili. "Oh well, at least after this I'll be finally free from drunk Marines, it's comforting… Or not, it won't be better after that…", she scowled, puckering her nose.
Marion picked up her shoes that she had removed to train and put them on again. She started to walk in the direction of the forest, shaking her hair. A huge quantity of sand fell from it.
"Well, at least one thing is constant in this life, laughed Marion, Alcoholism!"
"I can hold my drinks now at least, I'm ready for drunkard pirates now!", her flip-flops in hand, Lili followed Marion while rubbing her skin to get rid of the sand.
"And a huge repertoire of bawdy songs ! I will clearly sing them at parties!"
Quickly, the entrance of the city popped up, as the tree started disappearing little by little.
"We can nearly blackmail the Marine with every juice news that we have!", the blond put back her flip-flops when the village was in sight.
With hurry, they got back to their room, clearly happy to clean themselves from the sand and the salt. Outside, the sun was going down. The bar opened, letting the regulars enter.
Marion paced between the tables with care, avoiding feet and customers who were already well under. At the counter, Lili was already preparing alcoholic beverages, a false smile glued to her lips as she listened to the slurred speech of the customers. Little by little, the speech was starting to sound more and more like an incomprehensible hubbub , the citizens quickly joined by the marine who ended the work.
They seated quickly, laughing with loud and greasy voices. In the middle, a Captain raised a hand, waving at Marion.
"HEY MISS ! BEER FOR ALL MY MAN ! TONIGHT THE ROUND'S ON ME !" the men shouted with joy.
And so the night went on, round on round and greasy laughs on salacious jokes.
On the back of the bar, a joyful band started to sing and clap. On the table, Marion was dancing and singing at the top of her lungs, her tray under her arm.
At the counter, the blond was watching the show with resignation while cleaning a beer glass when a marine called for her. His hand, lifted, was shaking and his cheeks were already red from the drinks. A hiccup slipped every once in a while.
"Another, ple-" he hiccuped "-ase". He gives her his glass.
"Of course!", with a smile on her lips, Lili grabbed an umpteenth glass and filled it until foam spilt over in a white noise. She set it down before the man and looked at him for a few seconds.
"If I can, Sir… Do you know which islands need to be avoided lately? I'm going to travel in a boat tomorrow, and I'd like to avoid crossing paths with any pirates… Like Alvida or Buggy, you see?"
Still in the back, Marion had started a drinking contest with other customers. And she seemed to win. Distracted by this contest, the marine didn't answer. Then, waving at Lili to join him, he drank his glass in one go.
The blond nodded and prepared a glass for herself, putting it down on the counter. She leaned a little bit, looking curiously at the Marine, and drank a bit of the booze. Liking the action, the marine nodded and stayed quiet a bit, thinking about it.
" We do have many pirates curret-hic-ly. I thin-hic-k Alvida is in the region of the archipelago of Orgao right now. She-hic was seen there like five days ago, something like that" he finished his drinks and shook his glass in front of her.
Quickly, the blond offered him another overflowing glass.
"Don Krieg-hic, I-I think he's around Gaot i-island hic-"
The sound of breaking glasses could be heard as the drinking contest ended and Marion the clear winner got back on the table to sing. The marine laughed at this sight and started to sing in heart, his new glass of beer proudly swinging in the air, the beverage splashing everywhere. At the sight, Lili's smile tensed. Only after a few minutes did the Marine stop, trying to drink from his empty glass. Noticing the void in his tankard, he waved to the young woman.
Marion, who finally got off the table, came closer to the bar with a towel and started to clean the spilled beer. With a little smile, Lili thanked her and got her attention back on the officer. She quickly prepared another glass, and cleared her throat.
"Sooo, apart from Alvida and Don Krieg?", her eyes followed the path of the glass from the counter to the Marine.
"-huc there is Buggy the cl-cl-hic-own. Yes him... He was seen recently close to the Geckos archi-hic-pelago. In the north !" He gulped down his beer in one go. "I would advise you to go to-hic- Loguetown if you want to be safe ! No-th-thiiing is safer than this city with the captain- Hic- Smoker!"
She got him another glass, which he readily accepted.
"Loguetown? I trust you then, Sir! If I remember well, the boat is stopping at Loguetown too, so I'll stop there! Thank you so much for your honest answers, sir! The last one is free as a thank you!", smiling brightly, she finished her glass "I'll leave you with your beer, Sir, work is calling me!"
The man took his new drink with a smile and got away, lurching in the direction of his crew mates.
"So…", asked Marion as she stopped cleaning, "did he tell you... Interesting news?"
A smirk on her lips, Lili nodded.
"We've got our final destination alright, around the Geckos archipelago, apparently. North. Only one island is really close from there, Mirrorball Island.", she whipped at the counter, looking distracted by her work to not attract attention.
"Wonderful", whispered Marion. "I will go back to babysit the other. I think we won't be able to sleep much after all"
The blonde nodded with a crooked smile as she did a little wave to her friend wishing her luck. Marion smiled and swiveled. She sighed and got back to work, her track filled with alcoholic beverages in every kind.
The night passed quickly, between shout and bawdy songs. The sun was finally starting to show as Lili and Marion finally ended their work, closing the bar. They only had a few hours before the departure of their boat. Just enough for them to take their bag and go to the port.
Marion sighed, cracking her neck. She put away the last chair and rubbed her eyes.
The day had been…. Long.
"Tired?" Asked the owner. Marion jumped, surprised.
"Yes a little" laughed Marion
Popping up from behind the bar, Lili came closer as she yawned.
"Dead on my feet! I think that I've never felt the night this long before! And don't even mention that Marine throwing all the beer on the counter, I hold you responsible for this Marion by the way!"
"Only to make the night more fun! It's to attract more customers!"
"If it's for the customers to throw everything away instead of drinking it, it can't be good either", she crossed her arms while looking at her, a brow up.
"They drink more… So more money in our pocket, isn't it ?" asked Marion as she turned to the owner
Lili shook her head.
"Not how it's supposed to be, darling, if a filled plate is dropped, we won't ask the customer to buy another one so that he can eat, we give another one."
"Well yes but it's not me who let the food fall…. So they must pay! And after all, they're so drunk I'm not even sure if they will notice."
Desperate, the blond shook her head again but added nothing more on the subject.
"Extorting my customers is another work. But it's not the subject girls. I think you can go, I wouldn't want you to miss the boat because you cleaned puke after all" smiled the sweet lady.
In a scowl, Lili looked at the time.
"Fuck, if we don't hurry now we'll miss the boat… Nothing forgotten Marion?"
"Nope! I have everything!" considered Marion.
Lili nodded, happy.
"Perfect, let's get our bags and we'll leave.", she turned around, facing the lady. "Thank you again for helping us this much. It's all thanks to you that we were able to survive those last three months, and that today we can leave to search for our lost memories. I think that we'll never be able to thank you enough.", the blond smiled brightly.
The owner smiled and opened her arms. Marion jumped in to give her a crushing hug.
"Lili is right, we would never have survived without you. Thanks again for everything"
"If you really want to thank me.. Come back and marry one of my grandsons !" Laughed the old lady as she cupped her cheeks. "You must go now, before I make you stay! Shoup Shoup!"
Quickly, Lili hugged the old lady, and laughing, ran to get her own bag. Marion following her.
"We'll come back with souvenirs I swear!", shouted the blond after getting her bag snuggled on her shoulder.
"Goodbye and thank you!" waved Marion as she got out. She closed her eyes when she saw the sun but smiled. Finally! The adventure was starting!
Following her, Lili left the bar too, waving at the lady with one hand while hiding her eyes with the other.
"Fucking hell, why the hell are light eyes so sensitive to light!", she opened slightly her eyes, opening them fully when she was accustomed.
"che" answered Marion as she walked.
"Dingbat", answered Lili without a thought, sticking her tongue out while walking.
Quickly, they reached the port, which was really busy and loud. Many boats were berthing in the terminal, and the sailors were going back and forth with their precious cargo. Most of the boats were for fishing or for pleasure, but some, like the one they were looking for, were transport ships. Their boat shouldn't be far away, as they looked for it some sailor wished them a good day. After some time, Lili shouted.
"Ain't it this one?", she pointed at a boat bigger than the others, with loads of people going in and out.
"I think so, yes !" Said Marion as she adjusted her bag.
They walked closer to the sailor waiting in front of the pontoon.
"Hello, greeted Marion with the tickets in her hand, it's here for Mirrorball ?"
The sailor raised his head away from his notebook and looked at them. Nodding, he grabbed a pen from his pocket.
"Names?"
"Marion and Lili" answered Marion
He nodded once again and opened his notebook, searching for their names. When he finally found them, he ticked beside it and waved at them.
"Welcome aboard, My ladies."
"Thank you!" Smiled Marion as she got on.
"Thank you!", Lili started to walk on the pontoon without waiting, adjusting her bag on her right shoulder.
They stopped an instant, looking at the island one last time. With the rising sun, the citizens were starting to open their shops and stands. Far away, they could see the Marine base. The cry of the seagull was a wall between the port and the city.
It was yet again another page turning in their story, and a new adventure starting for them.
The boat rung.
Notes : Hello everyone! Sorry about the… seven months without a chapter? We wanted to advance the story more before posting and then well, I got on a trip on an island without any WiFi or 4G then she had to work without a break and after we got on a trip with friends…. You got the drill! But here we go again! And be at ease, it will be less time between this chapter and the next one!