Chapter 5
Of Men and Beasts
Maxwell approached the okama sitting by a table on the street corner. He was dressed up like fortuneteller, with folding robes and torquoise beads hanging decoratively around him. They were just outside another plaza in Maruchi, this time featuring a statue of a soldier riding a horse. "Ah, welcome! I take it you're here for the Maruchi Scavenger Challenge?"
"That's right," Maxwell replied, still remembering his conversation with Schneider.
"If we're going to have any way to find this little cult of yours, we're going to have to talk to Tarantula."
"Who?" Both Maxwell and Saga looked at Schneider, oddly. Maxwell had just finished writing the report he had to do for Karasu, while Saga had opened one eye after having a nap.
"Well, that's not his actual name," Schneider admitted. "His real name's Lytton. He leads the Palm Readers gang here on Maruchi, but he is basically the kingpin around these islands. Nothing goes in or out of this archipelago without him knowing."
"And how do you know him?" Saga stood up, now fully awake with his scabbard in hand.
The old pirate laughed though. "Haha! I ran a few jobs for him back in the day. Actually, my last score was what made him the boss in the first place! He's a bit of a stickler for protocol, but I'm sure he can see us!"
Maxwell and Saga looked at each other. Neither of them was as comfortable with the criminal element as they should be. But, Maxwell was aware there were times when you had to make compromises. "Alright. Where can we find him?"
"Tarantula," apparently had a sea-side villa overlooking the eastern harbour, but they weren't going there. No, they were going to his legitimate company, Eight-Legged Shipping Co.
On paper, Darrian Lytton was the head of a minor trading trading fleet. Shipping foodstuffs and livestock across Paradise. He was a successful businessman, philanthropist, and even worked with a few charities here in the archipelago.
Now, while Lytton was amenable to business meetings and trading ventures as a legitimate merchant, as Tarantula, he was a lot harder to have an audience with. He had connections to almost every gang in the archipelago, and just as much dirt. Lytton even had acquaintances with the nobility, and publicly appeared as a well-meaning businessman.
However, Schneider knew of a vice that most people didn't know about Lytton. The Treasure Wars!
Lytton was a rabid gambler, broker, and even black market merchant whenever the festival came around. He would regularly buy and sell information on competitors, trials, nuisances, mechanics, memorabilia, and even the locations of Life Gem veins that the public didn't know about.
What inspired him to have this sort of business? …Well, he was never welcomed on any of the organization committees.
Maxwell had been taken aback when Schneider explained that to him. He might have understood a family grudge, or simple greed to exploit the games, but being ignored was not one of them. He held that standard of pettiness to blusterous lords, and the Orlesian nobility.
Lytton was spitting the councils by forego any rules set up for the festival. And he would sell his secrets to the highest bidder.
So, to gain an audience with him, Schneider's plan was to collect the pieces for the Maruchi Treasure Wars challenge. With a complete token, and cashing in a little favour from their old ventures, Schneider might be able to purchase whatever information Lytton had on the Children of Nightmare.
The official reached into his box and pulled out a token that looked like a finger. "Here you go. May I ask how many you've collected thus far?"
"This will be my second token," said Maxwell taking out a tablet. It appeared as a miniature mural of stained glass, featuring another hand with a psychic eye. Maxwell was beginning to think the locals took a little too much pride in their national symbols.
However, the mural was incomplete. Four slots were missing. The tablet was a base for the rest of the tokens, with five slots. Each token, when inserted, would fill in a slot the mural almost like a puzzle.
Maxwell, Saga, and Schneider had each received a square when they began the Treasure Wars. They all decided to find one station together, before they split up to cover more ground. They found one station in the market place, with a similar looking table and official. They only needed one tablet to complete the challenge. However, they unfortunately discovered that the tokens were not interchangeable. There was a locking mechanism in the tablet, and when you inserted a token you couldn't pry it out. It was way to flush with the sockets, and damaging the mural would make the tablet invalid for the competition.
Thankfully, Maxwell quickly put away the tablet, and accepted the new finger piece in his open palm. His missing hand was a good excuse for not inserting the token right away. "Thanks a lot!"
"Enjoy the games!" the okama waved as Maxwell walked away.
Maxwell turned at a corner and saw Saga leaning against a building. He was waiting for Maxwell. "You got the piece?"
"Yeah. How'd it go on your end?"
Saga smirked, pulling out another finger piece. "It happened. Probably used the same excuse you did." He had been exploring the residential district of this particular island, more specifically, the cathedral built there. They had all suspected local landmarks to be the locations of the distributors, and they had been correct.
Maxwell nodded, "So, shall we head to the docks?"
Saga twirled the puzzle piece back into his hand, "Yeah. That's where the old man said to go, anyway."
The warrior and the mage make their way through the streets, heading towards the waterline. If you looked out over the water, you could see the cobbled streets descend into the harbour. Brick and tiled roofs litter the hillside like canyons, and the masts of a hundred ships jutting like willow trees.
Maxwell took in the scenery, having never really appreciated the sights of an island. He was usually too busy running the logistics for their crew to really stop and smell the roses. Always running, always planning… It made him miss Luffy and the others even more.
"So…" Maxwell trailed beside Saga, "About last night—"
"I am not going to talk about it." Saga just kept on walking, eyes forward.
"Oh come on!" Maxwell jogged in front to get a better look at Saga, "You can't just tell a man you're planning to die and just leave it at that!"
Saga gritted his teeth, "Whatever I said while I was drunk—"
"Don't give me that bullshit!" Maxwell interrupted, scowling. "If you're even half the man who I you are, then I'll bet my bottom beli that your liver is like an iron billet! And your brain: a steel trap!" Saga was acting more and more like Zoro than the mage currently appreciated. "You were fully cognizant when we met last night, so what the hell happened!?"
"…I have some unfinished business to attend to. Your contract, now being one of them." Saga's voice was like cast iron, unyielding. "When I have all of my affairs in order, I am going to do what honour demands! And nothing you can do, or say, will change that!"
"So you're just going to give up," Maxwell stated, flatly. He hated trying to have this conversation. It reminded him, all to clearly, about how he felt when he realized he was no longer at the Temple of Sacred Ashes. It was like a constant pressure, baring down on Maxwell's shoulders. The weight of his failure. How all of his efforts had been for nothing! If he didn't have Luffy, who dragged him out of the brink his own self-pity, he wouldn't have known what he would have done.
"What about your vow with Zoro? Did you conveniently forget that too during your hangover?"
Saga grabbed him by the shirt, his taught face barely containing his sense of rage. "What business I have with Zoro is between him and me, alone, pirate! Get that through your thick head!"
"Rornoa Zoro isn't the swordsman that has business with you, Saga!"
"Huh?" "Shit…!"
Maxwell and Saga looked over to see the young marine who had been on the platform with Dreak yesterday. His hand was on his sword, and it seems like he had gathered a small posse from his fellow marines.
"…Toma," Saga reluctantly nodded his head as a greeting.
Maxwell frowned, "You know this kid?"
"I'm a lot more than just some kid, Magister!" Toma shouted at the mage. "But I should thank you! When Lieutenant-Commander Dreak told me to shadow you I thought this was going to be a waste of time! Imagine my surprise when you stepped out of the inn with 'Seventh Star,' Saga in tow." The young man glowered, his gaze firmly on Saga. "—The man who I've been looking for, and will take revenge!"
"Okay, so you do know this kid," Maxwell grimaced, seeing that look in Toma's eye. It was clear Toma had a vendetta against his hired swordsman.
"Saga of Shimosuki!" Toma drew his sword, "For the last 10 months I've been searching for you! You are a murderer and traitor to the Marines. And as your former pupil, I WILL be the one to bring you to justice! It's time to pay for your crimes, Saga! Face me!"
Pupil? Maxwell wasn't aware that the marines practiced that sort of tradition.
"…So you were a marine—?"
"Just shut up!" Saga snipped at the pirate. "Toma! …10 months isn't a lot of time, you know. Especially when you could have spent that time training. Are you sure you're up for the task?"
Toma became livid at that, "You thought I would let you rest after what you did on Asuka Island!? On my honour, I will see you in chains or in a grave! Right boys!?" The 20-odd marines he brought cheered in unison, each raising their own cutlass.
"Do you actually want to face him?" Maxwell whispered to the swordsman. He remembered teaching as an Enchanter, during his time with the Circle. It may not have been for very long, but Maxwell had certainly never wanted any ill will between him and his apprentices.
Saga's face began to grimace, contorting as if from frustration and remorse. "Not really… Neither of us are really ready for that battle…"
Maxwell frowned, eyes burrowing into Saga's expression. That same steely resolve and acknowledgment. It almost sounded something Zoro would say... So they did grow up together, having the same kind of code of honour.
Making a choice, Maxwell nodded, "Then we do what my captain would do… and run!"
Then he rabbited, running back the way they came.
"What!?" Saga jerked his head, watching as his client ran off. He looked between him and Toma, who was just as surprised to see the Magister run. And against his better judgment, his feet began to run after him!
"What—!? Coward!" Toma yelled in outrage! "AFTER THEM!" His pose roared in response, and the marines chased after them!
Maxwell and Saga ran through the streets, passing civilians and merchants as they went! Toma and the marines chased after them, swords drawn like an angry mob! People paused to look, or get out of the way but they didn't seemed to concerned. They must have thought of this as part of the Treasure Wars.
The mage looked behind, seeing the marines slowly gain on them. Maxwell thought of a way to lose them, but he just needed— "There!"
Maxwell skidded to a halt, "This way!" and redirected Saga into an alley way. Saga also had to skid, turning around to follow the mage between the buildings. The path went downward, curving as it did so, and was thankfully deserted.
Taking advantage of the slope, Maxwell slid onto his legs, letting gravity and his momentum propel him forward. As he did, the mage let his good hand drag against the cobblestone, his hand making gestures in the road.
Glyphs started appearing on the ground behind Max. Winter, Storm, and Inferno runes marking the street. "What are you doing?" Saga asked the mage, never seeing anything like this before.
"This ought to slow them down!" Maxwell bent his legs to get back up in a running position. "Come on, we still have to meet Schneider at the—"
"SAGA!" Both men twisted their heads to see the marines coming down the alleyway. They came down like an angry bulls, intending to butcher them!
However, as they ran down, Maxwell's glyphs began to activate. Ice sprang out of the cobblestone, freezing marines in their tracks! The ground exploded beneath a few others, flinging them uncontrollably into the air! "WAAAAAHHHHH!"
Toma seemed to sidestep it all, his bone-like katana in his hands ready to slice. "FOR JUSTICE!" Seeing them slow down, Toma jumped into the air. He raised his katana high, going for an overhead slash!
But it was not to be. Lightning shot out behind him, into his back, making the swordsman cry out in pain! Then like an arm, the electricity pulled him back and up the street until he was under a purple ball of plasma.
Toma landed hard though, knocking his head onto the road. It didn't knock him out, but he could do little but moan in pain.
Seeing his plan work, Maxwell patted Saga's sleeve, "Let's go!" Leaving the marines to their fate.
Saga however, stared at his former student, the Shichiseiken slightly drawn from its sheath. He thought he was going to have to clash with Toma when he came in swinging like that. But when that lightning came out from behind Toma, it made Saga hesitate.
He was torn between helping Toma up, and leaving him behind… again. Saga knew he had failed as a sensei when he allowed the Shichiseiken to consume his mind. Toma had held such promise learning the ways of the sword. He was his favourite pupil! …And all that promise and talent had been squandered by scum, like himself.
Saga shook his head. Now wasn't the time to lose himself in the past. He had a job to do.
O O O
"Alright, come on, come on." A shepherd stood amongst a flock of sheep, lightly tapping their woolly hides with his crook.
The animals were eager to exit the corral inside this ship. Fresh air, and no stable ground was appealing towards those with a four-legged disposition. The shepherd watched as the flock offloaded. All the goats and cattle had been escorted out first, but there were still some animals in the hold.
He looked curiously at the sleeping Horn Eaters that would be staying on the Marchen. They were the personal property of the owner, and this ship. Rumour had it that they could sleep and stand on any surface. But to him, they looked like armored yaks. Like: if you had taken the face of a horse, and gave it the body of an armadillo, with furs skirts. Sleeping in the hay, they kind of looked like giant pill bugs.
"Hey sheep-herd, shouldn't you be minding the flocks?"
"Gah!" the shepherd spun around, "Sir Battler! Forgive me, the Horn Eaters caught my eye."
"It's Count Battler to you, peasant." Battler grinned, both teasing and condescending the man. "I didn't build my fortune on just livestock, you know."
The shepherd gulped, trying to keep his cool in front of the mustard wearing noble. Publicly, Count Battler was an explorer, bringing back rare herbs and exotic animals for the islands to cultivate. He brought back so many discoveries that the King had even granted him his nobility status.
Privately though, the man was a scumbag. An ego-inflated smuggler and poacher, with a weird appetite for keratin. They say he literally ate animal horns for breakfast!
"In fact," Battler rubbed his chin as if thinking of something. "I have another animal you might be interested in viewing!"
"Huh?" the shepherd stiffened, not expecting an offer.
"Hehehe! Follow me!" The pot bellied noble started walking through the hold, knowing exactly where he was going. This was his ship after all.
There was a door leading out of the stable, going further into the haul. Battler led the shepherd inside, where he saw a giant cage. It had curtains over the bars, so you couldn't see inside, but you could hear it. The sound of a third breath, breathing.
"Well?" Battler raised and eyebrow. "Go on! You want to take a peak didn't you?"
The man looked between the cage and Battler, unsure of whether he should go on with this. Still, he was curious what was inside the cage. So, the shepherd slowly dragged back the curtain.
It was dark inside the cage. He couldn't quite see anything in the shadows, but there was something in there… Tall, and there wears two tiny dots that seemed to reflect light.
That was nearly all the warning he got!
"WAH!" *GGGGGGRRRRRRR!*
The shepherd fell backwards as a furred hand shot out to grab him. It scared him, he hated to admit, but the creature might as well have been a monster!
It stood like a man, covered in red fur. The monster was hairy like a gorilla, but it wore a loincloth like a savage. But the shepherd questioned his eyes, for the ape had the head of a lion. A scraggly mane was mangy, not fully mature yet. And weird knobby growths grew where the hairline was on the top of its head.
It growled, rumbling like thunder. He could see the feline fangs beneath those black lips and whiskers. But what scared him was the eyes! The had no pupils, no irises. Just blank white eyes that had no soul.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Battler laughed. "Mobambi gave you a scare, did he?"
Battler took out a handled tambourine and swatted the beast's hand, still reaching for the shepherd. "Stay in the cage you useless brat!" It seemed to retreat behind the curtain, mewling as if it was hallucinating.
"I've collected a lot of rare animals in my time. Plenty of trophies I could add to my taxidermy collection. However, I came across this beast rather unexpectedly…" Battler's tambourine jiggled as it tapped the bars. "I was searching for something. A rare reagent that I was after, but this little bastard kept getting in my way!" The shepherd could see Battler's contempt for the creature. His voice became even more shrill has he explained.
Battler then sighed, "And the worse part is, I need him now. I can't kill him. He still has something I want… BUT, I believe that ends the tour! Come on," Battler grabbed him by the shoulder, "back to work!" Battler led him back out to the ramp where the sheep were out below.
"Oh. And do keep this our little secret; yeah?" Battler patted the shepherd's shoulder, then proceeded down the ramp. "HOTDOG! HEBI! COME ON! I need you to help fill out the paperwork!"
"Dah! Again!?" "Come on… let's get this over with."
The shepherd looked back inside the hold, picturing the monster inside the ship. He felt pity for it, and might have a way to end its suffering.
"Pray for the Nightmare." And the shepherd pressed the tattoo beneath his left wrist.
O O O
"…There he is! Hey! Schneider!" Maxwell waved his hand, trying to catch the old man's attention. Saga only rolled his eyes, not really caring whether the old pirate saw them or not.
Buzz noticed them first, jumping off the crate and barking as he came racing towards them. Schneider only noticed when he realized Buzz was no longer sitting on the crate near him.
They were all in one of the more utilized sections of the harbour, full of plank terraces and rope bridges. Platforms hammered into the cliff side held piles of crates, each waiting their cue for delivery. Fruits, vegetables, liquors, utilities—It just showed what how strong of a economy this archipelago had. But the produce wasn't why they were here.
No, they were here for the really noticeable warehouse sitting above the water, Eight-Legged Shipping Co. Above the building was a giant sign board, featuring the company's name in bold print and a leg-wheel logo. The broad side of the warehouse was the office building, with four stories of windows. If you looked over, you could see the giant shutter door, where they would load and offload ships.
Workers were walking about, likely heading towards their next tasks. Some were large and burly, carrying rope or crates. Meanwhile others looked like regular men, carrying clipboards and manifestos. Hopefully, Lytton would be in today.
Maxwell greeted Buzz by patting his head and continued walking towards Schneider.
"You got the pieces?" Schneider asked, holding up his three slot filled tablet.
"We got them," Maxwell replied, handing Schneider his own token. "Had a little trouble on the way, but it wasn't anything we couldn't handle."
"Hm," Saga just grunted and tossed over his own token. He then sat against a crate while the others continued talking.
"Well, congrats then! Just goes to show how strong you two are!" Schneider started fitting in the pieces into the tablet. "…That or they were just weak as shit."
"Oi!" Saga took offence at that. He didn't train Toma just because the kid wanted to know how to wield a sword! Toma had a talent for swordplay! Both neither of them knew that.
"Ah, there we go!" Schneider held up the completed tablet, showing off the finished mosaic. Each piece had been opaque in colour, but on the tablet each had a coloured edge trailing into the palm held eye. "Now, to show this to Lytton. Follow me, boys!"
Maxwell and Saga followed after the old pirate, heading towards the warehouse. They didn't go to the visitor's entrance though. Instead they headed to the lip of the docks and towards a checkpoint booth. There, Schneider knocked on the cage seven times, in a particular pattern.
The guard in the booth looked up from his newspaper, and looked at them all with a dower expression and raised eyebrow.
"Goo-day~, sir!" Schneider smiled, speaking into the den-den mushi transceiver, "We was wondering if the Tarantula was in today?"
The guard glowered at them, but pressed a button. "…Do you have an appointment?" The transponder snail mimicked his face.
"No," Schneider quickly answered, "but I am here for business," and flashed the completed token to the guard. "Tell the Tarantula that 'Black Talon,' Schneider is here to see him. With associates."
The guard pursed his lips looking doubtful, but he pulled out a second den-den mushi. Max, Saga, Schneider, and Buzz couldn't here him inside the booth, but he was clearly talking to someone higher up. The snail said something that made the security guard pause and look at Schneider and Buzz, and if identifying their features. Maxwell smiled when the guard answered the snail with a definite "yes."
He continued listening to the snail for a bit longer, before ending the call and putting the snail away. Then the guard came out of the booth, and raised up the checkered boundary arm, "Follow me."
Schneider grinned to himself. He definitely had a spring in his step, swinging his cane around like a baton. He must have been really be excited about this meeting.
They followed the security guard around the bend, and into the warehouse itself. It was more like a giant boat shed though, then a storage unit.
A ship was weighed anchor in the port. The galleon wasn't anything special. It was a typical schooner with it's sails furled up. No extra decoration adorned it's edges. What was interesting though, was the cargo.
Livestock was being herded into holding pens by the company's crew. Sheep, goats, and cattle. Likely some herds that had been sold to a rancher somewhere on the island. But oddly enough, none of the animals had had horns. Not even rams in the sheep herd. Maxwell could see all of their horns had been sawed off. "Odd…"
*RRRRRAAAAAWWWWWRRRRR!*
Maxwell flinched back as he heard something roar in the bowels of the ship. It was terrible, guttural, that made your blood run cold. The snarl of a large cat!
The sheep herd became panicked, running around, trying to jump the fences. However, Maxwell could distinctly hear something bash against metal inside the ship.
"Hey! Keep up!" The security guard called back to Max. He, Saga, Schneider, and Buzz were already walking up some stairs, ascending to the main office. "The boss doesn't like to be kept waiting!"
Maxwell looked back to the ship and saw several people racing into the cargo hold, but he decided to ignore it for now. He followed up the stairs, joining his companions up towards the head office.
"Oh don't tell me that brat is stirring up another ruckus! I thought we had him sedated!" A man complained as he ran down the stairs, beside them. He had a long nose, wore a mustard collared jacket, and was accompanied by two other colourful characters. A lanky bull fighter, and a bulging martial artist.
"I told you those drugs wouldn't last long! Punching it would have been much more effective!" "Shut up, Hotdog!"
"Here we are," the security guard said as they reached a pair of double doors. He knocked, using a similar rhythm Schneider had used earlier. Their was a response to come in, and the guard opened the door.