West Blue Arc: The Hallows

Lieutenant Commander Draven

Like Limstella, Draven’s eyes were on the approaching ship—which bore the emblem of an angel. The Guardians? Admittedly, Draven didn’t know much about the secretive organization…so he wasn’t positive about the exact design. Was it an angel? Everything he’d known about them were from rumors he’d heard mentioned at Headquarters—so not much. The higher the rank, the more juicy information he was privy to. That was how the marines operated…and Draven wasn’t nearly at the rank he desired to be. Supposedly they were criminals who protected history? Darren Falk. Definitely a criminal. A thief who had escaped Pyrrha’s grasp after trying to steal an item from the villagers…so why was he coming back? Then again, he was jumping to a lot of conclusions…

The sun’s getting to me.

Draven sighed, the porcelain-skinned man tipping his military cap lower to shade his eyes. He wanted the job over with as quickly as possible. His lampreys were waiting for him on Pyrrha’s ship. The Hallows as a whole annoyed him—as well as the pirates that staunchly refused to surrender. Did they seriously intend to overpower two marines ships?

Hmm…well the rumors about Pharos were quite…impressive.

Motioning for the lower-ranked marines to keep their eye on the pirates for any suspicious movement, Draven picked up the receiver and spoke clearly—addressing the Captain of the unknown vessel.

“Please halt your advance. This dock is being secured by the marines for the purpose of capturing pirates. For your safety, as well as the safety of any passengers that may be onboard, I’d advise you to keep clear until the pirates are arrested. Ignoring this order, and or interfering with this marine operation will be considered an act of defiance against the World Government…”


Arlen Hakhassi

“You two realize you’re being crazy, right?” Arlen said bluntly in response to Scarlet’s question. If she was going to start thinking, it was probably better to do that before jumping onto their ship which was being guarded by the marines. Ah well. Arms folded across his chest, green eyes flickered to Cletus “You’re talking about taking an entire ship hostage. No way the marines will leave us alone after doing something like that.” Arlens picked fights with marines before, but even he’d never actually be daring to steal one of their ships. Granted, the marines were unlikely to leave them alone regardless of what they did or didn’t do. Sea –cursed hounds that they were. “But, if you’re right about them not shooting their own ships, then taking cover there is probably our best bet. I don’t think they care what happens to our boat considering how bad they already broke it—”

And Cletus was already gone following Scarlet’s orders.

Unfurling his arms, Arlen glared at one the one marines who was manning the canon on Axel’s ships. The man flinched, but didn’t shoot. Neither did the ones on Pryhha’s ship. It looked like they wouldn’t act unless the order was given—trained that they were. The annoying Lady Marine went below deck— which meant the one likely to give the order was the even more annoying Lieutenant Commander Draven..who for some reason hadn’t given any. Yet. Arlen cracked his knuckles, his eyes locked on Draven who wasn’t even looking at them. Instead the Lieutenant Commander was gazing out at the approaching ship that was neither pirate nor marine…talking again. Arlen wondered if he liked hearing his own voice. That would put him on the same level as Nerissa and Tanaka. “Drawing marines to the Charybdis requires bait. Either way, we’ve only got once chance to make this work. While they focus on me, you guys get on that Lady Marine’s ship, raise the anchor, raise the flags, find the helm, and get the ship moving. The less attention you draw to yourselves the more likely this insane thievery will succeed—,”

Boooooooooooooooom!

Arlen blinked as cannons tore through the enemy ship in front him. Perhaps he wouldn’t have to play diversion after all. All eyes that had been focused on the pirates flitted to the new ship. The time to act was now. Arlen grabbed Limstella by the arm, since she seemed a bit skittish, and moved after Scarlet before he had a chance to overthink strategy. Planning was never really his thing anyway.

Lady Warlock
shadowdude505
AllHailDago
Misuteeku


Lieutenant Commander Draven + Fodder marines

Draven’s brows furrowed as the ship he was on shuddered from the impact of the first volley of cannon fire. Ignored. Not only ignored, but fired upon. Now he had little doubt that the angel flagged ship was an enemy one. Was that the reason the Red Ribbons were so confident? Did the pirates have a trap waiting as well? It seemed likely. There was a possibility that the Red Ribbons simply caught a lucky break…but Draven wasn’t the type of man to believe in luck. Or coincidences.


“Ready the port cannons to return fire,” Draven’s cool voice erased the confusion from the sudden attack. “Shipwright units check for damages. Gunner units 3, 4, and 5 keep your rifles trained on the Red Ribbons— fire as will. Don’t let the pirates escape. Attacking units will board the Red Ribbon vessel as planned. The rest, all hands on deck and prepare for a naval confrontation. The angel-flagged ship has declared themselves allies of pirates.”

“SIR!”

Bullets rang out, indicating the start of the next assault, but Draven didn’t pay much attention to whether they hit their targets or not. His focus was on the angel flagged ship. If he was right about it belonging to that organization, it was probably worth much than a small, motley group of pirates. Dropping the receiver back to its usually place, since communication was no longer needed, the Lieutenant stalked over to the edge of the ship where he could get a clearer view of the Viridian Blue. As long as the new enemy boat was in firing range, they couldn’t be ignored.

“Port cannons loaded!”

“Then f—,”

The sudden tilt of Axel’s ship was enough to unbalance even Draven’s sea legs. It was as if the ship had been…tackled?

“What was that?”

“I…think it was a whale, Sir.” The report came from one of the petty officers. “One of our gunners spotted it. It bumped the starboard side then submerged before anyone could react.”

Since when did whales make their territory near docks? Tip of the rapier against the deck, Draven pushed himself back into a standing position.

“Damages?”


“Nothing critical. A few of our men fell overboard, a couple of cannons, a two of the chains snapped off, but otherwise the ship’s condition is fine and no lives have been lost. It might’ve just been an accident.”

Accident? A whale bumping into their docked ship was an accident? Turning swiftly, so his black jacket fluttered—as well as his scraggy silver hair— Draven licked his lips, his military hat shading the glint of his azure eyes. It seemed this hunt wouldn’t be as boring as he’d thought. Chase after the angel-flagged vessel? Or continue to pressure the Red Ribbons? That was something that ought be discussed with Captain Axel. It was his ship after all.

“Lieutenant Commander! Lieutenant Commander! Pirates have boarded Pyrhha’s ship!!!”

A fine shaped eyebrow arched. Bold, weren’t they? “Connect the transponder snails and alert Captain Pyrrha. I’ll be there m—,”

Once again Axel’s ship rocked, the chains connecting the three ships causing the impact to be spread to the other docked vessels as well.

@Azure Sky
Felix
Lady Warlock

Nerissa Orta.

Not much light was available in the cavern of the whale’s mouth. The only source of it seemed to come from the stone on the Nerissa’s forehead, which glowed bright crimson in response to her use of Aquarius’s artifact. Sitting on her heels in front of a puddle of water, which became available when the creature fed, Nerissa watched the events that were happening above the sea—one hand against the squishy, pink ground to keep her balance. She knew she had to do this carefully. A whale had no weapons other than its size.


“I wish I could communicate with them,” Nerissa sighed, her gaze fixed on the puddle so she didn’t exactly see what Ed was doing.

Stealing a marine ship wasn’t exactly a plan her moral sense approved of. But at the same time, she didn’t blame Scarlet for going with such a plan either. At least the Captain had a good sense of when to move. Elisa had turned around to help her friends. Elisa who stole the Crown of Halos from the people of the Hallows. Nerissa was now certain that the woman she’d met in the forest was a good person—that her act of thievery had been for good intentions.


“Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Whale. You were very brave. Just stay hidden in the water for now.”


“I know weapons are scary. It’ll be alright. Lady Aquarius is with us.”

Nerissa shook her head. “No, no. I can’t leave without my friends. We’re all going to the grand line together.”

Turning to face Ed, Nerissa spoke plainly. “Mr. Whale asks you not to move around too much lest you get accidentally swallowed." Tucking a blue strand behind her ear, the priestess patted the soft pink spot next to her. She smiled at the boy-ish girl. “Come here. We can watch the crew steal a marine ship together.” It still didn’t really sound right to her. It was risky. However, Nerissa wasn’t the crew’s captain. She was the chronicler. The priestess. She would watch what they do. She would record it all down. Then, once everything was over, she’d perform a cleansing prayer—to wash away the wrongs committed, to purify their souls, so that the travelers of the sea would remain in Aquarius’s favor for the years to come.

Nerissa returned her gaze to the puddle, most of her attention on Axel’s ship. Scarlet and the rest would be fine. She had faith in them. And Arlen. It was Cygnus she was worried about, as well as the so called Lieutenant Draven. Aqua eyes silently locked on the pale, silvered haired marine who, by now, had boarded the Charybdis and was giving out orders, Nerissa once again clasped her hand in prayer. “When this is all over, if everything goes well, let’s all celebrate by doing something fun together. What do you think, Ed? Do you like books?”

Admittedly, Nerissa was curious about what sort of books marines had on their ships.
CelticHero37

Jasper Pharos and Captain Scarlet Johanna Indigrid
Minutes, it only took minutes. Minutes for the entire situation to go from bad to worse to confusing to maybe good. They only needed minutes to fix the Charybdis and escape. They would not get that time. Jasper seethed with anger at the overblown Lieutenant Commander who put them in such a situation. For now he would control himself, but if they crossed paths again...

Jasper let that thought please him for a moment before shoving it aside. Canons were firing, whales were breaching, crewmates were staying behind, amongst many other chaotic things. All the while Lady Scarlet ran straight for one of the ships, intent on taking it. Jasper gave a mental sigh and ran after her, hell bent on keeping her safe.

As Scarlet was running, she wasn't really paying attention on who was following her and on who wasn't. Yes, she cared about her crew, but she also trusted them to be able to handle themselves most of the time and now would simply have to be one of those times. They needed a way off the island. That was the priority in her mind. Their ship wasn't going to cut it and that meant another ship was needed. The pieces all fit together for her.

The echoing canonfire coming from Viridian Blue, the ship who's intentions Scarlet was completely unaware of, seemed to give many of the remaining marines pause as they all looked that way. No one knew who the more significant enemy was anymore. Their pause was all that the Red Ribbon Pirates - and Captain Scarlet - would need, though. Charging off of Charybdis, Scarlet was able to shove quite a few marines aside, some of them even falling into the water which was more helpful on top of everything else. Everyone seemed transfixed by something and after knocking another marine out of the way as she boarded the marine ship, Scarlet finally noticed it too. It was hard not to feel that the ship was rocking once she stepped onto it.

"What is going on?" she remarked as she tried to attain her balance, unaware that some marines were preparing to charge.

Jasper casually booted a Marine head first into a wall as they boarded. He silently approved as Lady Scarlet likewise disposed of a Marine. He too noted the boat rocking and only two things made sense. "Either the shop is being fired upon again, or the whale I saw in the waters is ramming it. Quite odd considering they never really come into water this shallow. Poor thing must be confused."

Scarlet raised an eyebrow. "Whale!? That is odd," she agreed, quite readily.

For a moment, Scarlet considered asking if he thought they could manage this. For a moment, her undying confidence was faltering. However, that only lasted a moment before she turned to face the marines who were still on the deck of the marine ship they'd boarded. "All we really have to do is take out these marines and then we can get this ship moving, right?" Per her thoughts, they could clean out the areas below deck afterwards, once they were at least en route. Without really waiting for confirmation, though, Scarlet started charging at marines who tried firing... tried. None of them had quite realized how much shooting they'd been doing and their weapons were starting to run out.

Jasper nodded and was about to verbally agree when Lady Scarlet simply ran into the fray. Luckily the incompetents had not kept track of their shots and had run short of bullets unnoticed. Jasper grinned in a manner that made the nearest Marine eyeing him step back in fear. Maybe Jasper could let out some of his pent up aggression. He ran after Lady Scarlet, grinning all the while.

Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivruski IV
Whale Buddies
"Euch," Ed's voice echoed as she righted herself after stumbling into the whale's mouth. She wiggled her fingers in front of her face, grimacing at the slime in the gaps. The prospect of sitting in a pool of water and saliva sent a shiver down her spine. Today was not a good day to be wearing no shoes, shorts, and a tank-top.

Looking down at the giant tongue she was perched on, Ed said, "Oooh... Hey, Mr. Whale... or is he a her... Mrs. Whale, am I tasty?" As she said this, she slapped the palms of her hands down on the tongue with a splat. Ein chimed in with chattering from his hiding place in Ed's shirt, to which Ed responded, "Ein! Where did you learn to talk like that? Shame on you." Ein responded with a defeated warble. Satisfied, Ed looked back to her hands.

Thus far Ed hadn't been paying attention to what Nerissa was saying, but now she averted her attention to the girl. A mischievous grin spread across her face as an idea came to her mind. Scrambling forward, Ed threw her arms around Nerissa and exclaimed, "Buddies! Heehee!" The friendly hug was a diversion so that Ed could rub some of the gunk off on Nerissa's clothes. When Ed was satisfied, she let go. Then, in response to Nerissa's question, she said, "Well, it depends. Books can be fun, but not when you're told to read them. No sir."


Watanabe Hotaka Wasabi
Saving the Sen
Wasabi caught on quick to Scarlet's actions. He made sure the other members of the crew weren't caught in a bad spot before making his way toward the edge of the ship. Releasing Sen, his small cormorant vessel, Wasabi rode it into the water and began to maneuver away from the Charybdis. There was no way he was going to be leaving his little boat behind. As he made his way toward the vessel Scarlet was heading to, he continued to loose his boomerangs on some of the marines on deck.

shadowdude505

Arlen

“Nice cover!” Arlen called, grinning as a boomerang flew in, knocking away the rifles of several marines in front of him. Grip still around Limstella’s arm, the silver haired teen pulled the colorfully dressed woman along as he continued to weave his way towards the quarterdeck, avoiding bullets and charging swordsmen. He was getting better at it. Blocking bullets with his sword, that is. Arlen spoke conversationally to his fellow crewmember.“Not exactly what you signed up for when you joined Scarlet’s crew, huh~I’m almost inclined to believe all Outsiders are insane, but now I think our Captain’s just special. ”

Stealing a marine ship. To be honest, he was against it. But, then again, they needed a boat to get off the island and the marines had been oh so kind to theirs. Pirates were known for attacking ships anyway…though a marine ship was probably pushing it. Tugging Limstella behind him, Arlen blocked the swing of a sword with his own blade.

“Scoundrels! You’re not getting away!”

“We’ll see about that.”

Tripping the man, Arlen wrestled his opponent’s sword out of his grip, before slamming the hilt of his newly acquired weapon against back of the marine’s neck as he prepared to meet more of the World Government’s dogs. This will take a while. From the corner of his eye, he could see that Jasper had Scarlet’s back. Wasabi’s presence was made known by his boomerang. No idea where Cletus was.

“Find the wheelhouse and lock yourself in there,”Arlen addressed Limstella as he blocked another pair of swords. “Chances are there’s no one inside. That’s the area we’ll need to claim if we plan on taking the ship. I’ll cover you—,”

Arlen frowned when the marines in front of him suddenly stopped attacking…the sounds of battle giving away to hushed silence. Taking the opportunity provided, he knocked out his opponents before swiftly turning to see the cause of the shocked faces. What he saw even made him blink. The Lady Marine Captain had been captured…and not by any of them either.

“The D-Demon Bull…,”One of the marines gasped.

Arlen didn’t recognize the title. But then, it wasn’t as if he knew many Outsiders either. He could feel the silent confusion of the marines aboard Pyrrha’s ship. The anger. The fear. None of them seemed to know what to do with their leader captured—not that he blamed them. Arlen himself wasn’t sure if he ought start thanking Aquarius for the random stroke of luck. With one enemy leaders taken out, their escape off the island would be that much easier. Appraising the large man, Arlen let out a low whistle. If the ‘Demon Bull’ could take out a marine captain, he was probably strong. And the fact that he was clearly holding the Marine Lady Captain hostage was the kicker.

“Sucks to be you guys,” Arlen commented cheerily to the distraught marine next to him. The enemy of his enemy wasn’t necessarily his friend, but in their current situation, help—even if unintentional—was always appreciated. Marine sword whirling around his hand, Arlen turned away and chucked the stolen weapon, the blade slicing through the ropes that held the sail in place—unfurling white fabric with the marine symbol etched on it.

Misuteeku
Lady Warlock
CelticHero37
AllHailDago
Phayne


Draven.

Pistol pointed at Trickshot Cletus, Draven eyed the rows of dismantled cannons, an eyebrow raised. To be honest, he hadn’t expected to find any pirate remaining on their pirate ship after hearing that a majority had stormed Pyrhha’s ship. It seemed their Captain was being meticulous…which honestly surprised Draven. From what he’d seen thus far, the Red Ingrid Didn’t seem like the type.

Fortunately, he was also meticulous.

“That’s too bad,”Draven drawled, appraising the pirate. “You were almost not caught.”

Motioning for other marines to surround Cletus, the Lieutenant Commander spoke dispassionately. “Commendable effort, though. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a pirate crew quite so daring.”The Red Ribbon pirate ship had been reclaimed—though there was really no resistance. And, soon, Axel’s men would make their way to Pyrrha’s ship as well. Not to mention Captain Pyrrha herself was onboard. Catching the rest of the Red Ribbons would only be a matter tim—

“Lieutenant Commader! We’ve got bad news! You’ve got to see this!”The voice called to him from above deck.

“What now?” Frowning, Draven swiftly turned from Cletus and glided up the steps to the deck of the pirate ship, but not before leaving the order to capture the criminal shipwright and bring him to Draven should they succeed. Surely they could handle that much without his presence. It wasn’t as if he were leaving them alone Pharos. And the voice that called to him seemed rather urgent. His brows furrowed when he saw that the sails on Pyrrha’s ship was unfurled.


“There was a report from one of the chore boys on Pyrrha’s ship. Captain Atlas has been captured.”

Draven pinched the bridge of his nose. “Who? How?”

“Kane Varro. A prisoner that they were transporting to Enies Lobby who had apparently freed himself. The details about how he got to Captain Atlas are unknown, but the men on Pryhha’s ship are distraught and requesting orders.”

Well of course they were distraught. Draven had only recently been transferred to Pyrrha’s ship for the mission, but even he could see how Pyrrha’s men respected her. She treated them like family—especially the chore boys. In turn, her crew held great admiration for the young Atlas. It was a distinct difference from Captain Axel whose natural distrust and personality guise led his crew considered him an idiot.

“Sir?”


“Make sure no one shoots.” He couldn’t risk one of them accidentally shooting the Captain. Not that he thought any of them would risk Miss Atlas’s life. “Connect me to the transponder snails of one of the officers present. We’ll hear their demands.”

“Of criminals, Sir?”


“Do you want to explain to the higher ups how we lost Captain Pyrrha?”

Moving to edge of the pirate ship, Draven’s eyes narrowed at the large man who carried Captain Atlas like a rucksack. Captain Pyrhha might not like it, but Draven was a man of priorities. Catching a group of criminals wasn’t worth losing an entire crew. And losing the Captain of the ship was pretty much that. Not to mention the paper work he’d have to deal with if an Atlas were to die.

shadowdude505
Phayne

Limstella could only lose her balance, and try to steady herself, as she ended up being pulled by Arlen. She was somewhat grateful for Arlen when he ended up protecting her. It was nice to know that someone would actually care about a liability like her, but she had to get to safety before becoming more of a nuisance. "Very well." Limstelal said as she left Arlen, to distract the marines as she left to go into the wheelhouse.

Upon entering it, she entered in, and closed the door behind. "Well dying today, doesn't seem bad." Limstella joked to herself, as she sat herself down in the corner of the room. It would be rather miraculous if the team were to get out of the situation, but she didn't necessarily have faith for the crew. While waiting for something else to happen, she took out her book and scribbled some gibberish on.

(I don't know who to tag, so I'll just copy n paste tag)
Misuteeku
Lady Warlock
CelticHero37
AllHailDago
Phayne

Nerissa Orta.

Nerissa stiffened slightly—a barely noticeable tightening of her shoulders— when she felt, Ed’s arms around her, not quite used the physical contact. On her home island, she’d been treated like glass. Loved. Yet none would dare touch her in a manner that may seem even a little inappropriate. She didn’t blame them, given her role as the voice of their goddess, but it made her feel a little lonely. Even Arlen had been like that at first. In a way, he still did—treat her like glass—and she doubted that he would change easily, if at all. It had been how he was raised. Even if he became friendlier with her, started seeing her as more than the daughter of Aquarius, there would always be an invisible wall between them. This was perhaps why Nerissa felt attached to the crew of the Red Ribbons. People like Scarlet and Ed who manage to break through that wall so easily.

Buddies.

It was such a nice feeling, that the gunk on her clothes went ignored. Gradually, Nerissa’s shoulders loosened and her eyes twinkled. “Oh, well, I’m sure I can find something you’d enjoy reading…” Rummaging through her satchel, searching for a novel that might catch Ed’s interest, the priestess’s fingers brushed against a piece of paper she’d nearly forgotten she had. Pulling out the rolled up parchment, Nerissa looked at the contents thoughtfully before opening up the map Elisa gave her and showing it to Ed as well. “What about maps? Do you like reading maps? That’s the only thing a pirate really needs to read anyway.”

Not that she thought maps where the only thing Ed should read. Reading was critical to a child's growth (at least in Nerissa's mind). However, introducing children to the wonders of literacy took time. And Nerissa was a patient person.

Glancing back at the puddle, which acted as a mirror reflecting the events above the water, Nerissa saw that the fighting on the ships had come to stop. Yet there was still tension in the air. She could see the reason why as well. Carrying Captain Pyrrha like a rucksack was a large warrior. Kane. That was what the marines had called him. She didn’t think he was a bad person—despite all appearances indicating otherwise. There was no real reason for her feeling. Simply faith. Faith in the goodness of people. That, and the fact that Kane held the key to Scarlet and the others getting out of the situation safely…without anymore violence that is.

“This is their chance to act.” Nerissa murmured. “Another blessing from Aquarius. I hope Scarlet and the others see it.”

They could wait and hope that Kane included their crew in whatever he intended to demand of the marines. Or they could take the opportunity of the enemy negotiating with a third party to steal Pyrhha’s ship. One option was more idealistic, yet included the opportunity to save the Charybdis. The other was more realistic, but would make more enemies. If it were up to Nerissa, she would choose the former. It was the path of least violence and, depending on how negotiations went, much could be gained. Their captured friends. The repairing of the Charybdis—or at least the guarantee that it wouldn’t be dismantled. The priestess clasped her hands in prayer.


“Mr. Whale. Could you bring us a little closer to the marine ship. No, not that one. The other one. Yes that’s it. Depending on what happens, I’ll need your assistance once again.”

The chains that connected all three ships. They would be either broken peacefully or by force, depending on the will of the Captains. And, despite Nerissa’s tendency for the peaceful route, she was a member of the Red Ribbons. She’d do what she had to.

CelticHero37
Meanwhile...
Arlen Hakhassi

While all the lower-ranked marines were busy muttering angrily to each other, as if they had a say in the final decision, Arlen snuck his way to the where the anchor on the marine ship was—all the while keeping his ear on the transponder snail being held by one of the officers...which was put on speaker. Lieutenant Commander Draven’s voice could be heard clearly enough.

“This is Lieutenant Commander Draven speaking. If you want to negotiate, Kane Varro, let’s do this like civilized men. Put Captain Atlas down first. That’s no way to hold a lady.”

Arlen snorted. True enough. Though, a fighter with the ranking of marine captain probably wasn’t much of a ‘lady’ in the battlefield. Peeking over the ledge of the ship, Arlen got a clear few of Draven, who was standing near the edge of the Charybdis. The man’s face was an unreadable mask. For a moment, Arlen could’ve sworn that blue flinty eyes flickered in his direction. Could’ve been a trick of the light though. Didn’t matter either way. Limstella was in the wheel room. The flags were freed. He could pull up the anchor quickly enough. The only they needed now was for the chains holding the three ships together to be broken…and a strong gust of wind. Despite what he’d told Scarlet, Arlen looked to the sky.

“Come on Lady Aquarius. Give us a storm. Let lightening break the chains. Do something that makes you less useless than I think you are.”

The words were spoken quietly. If his mother could hear him, he’d be in for a serious lecture. Heck, he was almost glad Nerissa wasn’t in the vicinity to hear the last part. But then what use was a god if they didn’t help them? Sometimes that thought ran through his mind…always stopped by the voice of his mother. Or Nerissa. Faith wasn’t something Arlen had in spades and yet he was the Leviathan. Either Aquarius had nothing to do with the selection…or she’s cracked.

Of course, if Kane Varro was their friend, none of that was necessary. Recruiting a crew member depended on the Captain…or did it? Not like Arlen had ever tried piracy before. For now he’d keep quiet. The longer the marines forgot about them the easier for them to execute…whatever. Slowly, the teenager began to pull chain attached to the anchor while he continued to listen—not only on the things being said between Draven and Kane, but also on the muttering of the marines onboard the ship. Pyrrha was liked. Really well liked. And, he had a feeling that if all the talking didn’t go well, the fighting was liable to break out…again. Pyrrha’s ship would probably be stormed with those trying to save her. Arlen sighed, his stomach rumbling.

“If you can’t create weather changing miracles, Lady Aquarius, at least bless me with a bowl of ice cream. This day has been pretty terrible for me.”

Lost in a forest. Chased by civilians. Fighting. Chased by marines. More Fighting. Ship stealing. Where did lunch fit in? The temptation to just sneak bellow deck and see what food the marines had stocked on their ship was strong. But then wouldn’t hear the final verdict…and he Arlen had to admit, he was curious how marines ‘negotiated’ with their enemy. There was also the fact that he anchor was still only halfway up and moving too quickly would alert the marines to what he was doing. Not like he was leaving the island without the priestess of water anyway.

Dammit, Nerissa. Where are you?

Lady Warlock
Phayne
AllHailDago
shadowdude505

shadowdude505

Bargains and Freedoms

Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivruski IV
"What about maps?..."

"Hmmm..." stated Ed as she looked at Nerissa with an unprecedentedly inquisitive stare, [COLOR]=#b30059]"... is it an interesting map? A seecret map, maybe? Ooh! Is it a treasure map? Lemme see!"[/COLOR]

Ed snatched up the map in excitement. The strange thing was, she handled the paper with care without wrinkling or tearing it in a way that hinted the practiced expertise of a seasoned map reader. Her eyes scoured the details, as if staring at an old friend. The gears in her head were turning as she analyzed the information, calculating the quickest routes to choice points merely out of habit.

"Hmm, I see," she mumbled, "There could be a shorter route. Although... eh, more fun for me! Heehee!"

Ein the Mongoose poked his head out of Ed's shirt and glanced down at the map as if it could understand what it saw. Then it looked up and chattered at Ed, who responded in turn, "Come on, Ein. You know me better than that. Nobody's gonna get hurt. Of course, if someone else were navigating, I wouldn't recommend it then. But I've done that sorta stuff hundreds of times."

Phayne shadowdude505 QuirkyAngel Misuteeku Lady Warlock AllHailDago Felix

Limstella

Limstella was still in some corner of the ship sitting down, and rocking back in forth crouched. The sea sickness was apparent, when she left to throw up across the haul of the ship. Though a little sea sickness didn't keep her from thinking about other matters. Now that she was seen with pirates there was no way going back unfortunately, which mean't she was stuck with the crew, n captain. The other thought was about Cygnus. Granted that he was unnaturally odd, and weird it still hurt her knowing that they lost him. The feeling was strange, since she generally didn't care about anyone.

Another hurl of rainbows later she placed her arms onto the railing of the ship, and her head as well. She was debating whether, or not they were going to throw her out for being an absolutely worthless. If anything she only got them in trouble, and memorized some gibberish on the elder's book which was useless in most situations. Was she going to tell the captain what she did with Cygnus earlier? She didn't know, but she preferred to keep it quiet.

Draven's Epilogue

One leg crossed over the other, Draven sat in the Captain’s Cabin of the newly acquired pirate ship as he prepared to draft a report to the higher ups of the marine organization. Yes. Draft. Calling HQ and giving a verbal report was certainly a quicker method of finishing his task. More efficient. However, if the situation was not dire, and he was in no particular hurry, Draven preferred to write his reports. It was easier to organize his thoughts that way. More importantly, it allowed him to pick and choose what he wanted to reveal.

Pen tip tapped idly against the parchment as Draven contemplated what to write, his scraggly-haired head turning to face the open porthole that lead to the wide sea. The damaged vessel he was on, currently being towed by Captain Axel’s ship, was perhaps the one gain from their excursion in the Hallows. In Draven’s opinion, the losses incurred on that accursed island weren’t really worth the cost. The prisoner Kane Varro that they were supposed to have transported to Enies Lobby. Pyrrha’s ship. His lampreys.

Draven sighed sadly. Well, at least the worst case scenario hadn’t come to pass. It was surprising that a pirate would keep to his word, but fortuitous for Draven nonetheless. Negotiating with criminals came with a price in his line of work. Work she’d given him—a reward for years of good service. Did Draven love his job? Not at all. But he would use it as a stepping stone for his ambitions. Just as he had used her.

Left hand moved to rub the back of his neck. There was turning back. No way to undo what had already been done. The boy that Axel had captured, the one with the devil fruit powers, the one who lied about his name, he had been a temptation. A fanciful desire to reverse time and bring back a man who no longer existed, nothing more. What did it matter what one chose to call themselves? Draven was who he had become. It is his present. His future.

“Lieutenant Commander Draven?” One of the petty officer’s knocked on the door. “Captain Pyrrha’s raft has been retrieved. She is currently on deck.”

“Any injuries?”

“None.” He was glad that the pirates that got away weren’t the brutal type, though it did thicken his suspicions regarding the entire scenario. No injuries meant no battle. Neither did she speak during the entire fiasco, no orders, no self sacrificing monologue about how she’d rather die than let pirates escape. She’d simply remained quiet…which led him to the conclusion that something more was going behind the scenes. A deal struck, perhaps?

“I imagine Captain Pyrrha would be smarting over this entire event. You’d do well to let her know that her life was worth far more than any few upstart criminals that may have gotten away today. That today’s loss is far from the end. So long as she, and the crew, remain intact, there will be more villains to capture and more justice to be brought about in the seas.”

“You’ll not greet the Captain yourself, Lieutenant Commander?”

A graceful, sweeping wave indicated the blank parchment on the desk. “As you can see, I’ve still got work to finish.”

Nodding, the lower ranked marine saluted, before walking away to do his duties.

Draven wasn’t one to make excuses. Whether due to the appearance of an unknown enemy vessel, a whale, or cursed luck, the intended prey had managed to escape their clutches. He had told Pharos that nothing short of a miracle would let his mistress and his crew escape. And he’d been proven wrong. It irked him, of course, but loss was inevitable the moment their leader had been ‘captured’. Those that couldn't see that, who strove to push forward at all cost for their ideals, they were often the ones who lost everything.

Pen on paper, Draven let his elegant handwriting flow across the page. HQ would find out about Pyrha losing her ship to a group of upstart pirates eventually. The key to maintaining ones reputation in a cutthroat organization like the marines was to be the first to make the report—to paint the story in their light. Or, if that wasn’t possible, to darken the light of their enemies. Better to be in control of the rumors than to let it push you around.