Marauders in Mirstone

Lady Warlock

Lady Warlock

Anime RN

Scarlet Johanna Indigrid and Sora Z. Lachance and Kenji Kita
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Even in daylight, the city of Mirstone found itself flooded with people which was definitely not a commonality in those parts of the world. Of course, everyone knew why there were so many people prowling the docks, roaming the streets and exploring every inn and tavern that the island had to offer. Rumors had spread to every corner of the world and they were muttered in alleys when no one was listening.


"Have you seen it?"


"Of course not! Do you think I'd still be here if I had?"


No one ever named it because that would draw attention. However, everyone knew that everyone else was looking for it - the rumored map to the legendary One Piece. Gol D. Roger's wealth of kings, it was the crown jewel among all pirate treasures. As more people swarmed, more rumors spread although all seemed to point in different directions and everyone seemed to be heading somewhere different. Everyone said it was there somewhere, but no one knew who they were looking for, what they would find or who they would run into along the way. "Any news from the docks?"


"Nope. New ships are making port every day and more people means the search will only get harder. More people means more competition. Everyone's looking for it now."


"A few months ago, people would've scoffed at the first pirate to claim they sought the One Piece! Now it's not a legend anymore. Crazy, huh?"


The two men couldn't remain alone in their conversation for long. Someone walked up to them - a woman, actually. Rather plump around the edges, she looked to be nothing more than a bar maiden seeking to draw them in for a drink although the way she went about it likely wasn't to her benefit at all. "One Piece? Is that what y'all are seekin'? Why don't you come inside and tell me all about it?" The simple way that she said it would not go unheard and another walking down the street turned at the sound.


"Are you saying you've never heard of the One Piece!?" A voice shouted, coming out of nowhere as it pierced into the conversation that was likely supposed to be a private affair. "It's only the most important treasure in the whole sea! Whoever holds it gets to rule the pirates!"


"Uhm... I believe the proper phrase is be King of the Pirates."


The woman's eyes turned with an oddly intense gaze to face the man who spoke and she almost started laughing.


"No, no, no. That's not how it works. I'm going to be Queen of the Pirates."


A man with blood red hair let out a sigh as he sat on a chair while his upper body lay out on the table. "Not paying enough to risk thier lives they said psh I paid those lousy no good con artist more than enough." The man muttered to himself as he sipped some of his beer. This teenager not even in his twenties sat in the corner of a bar, and in this seat he seemed to have moved it away as much as he could so he could get further away from the crowd. Now sure this same man could have gone to any other bar that wasn't as crowded so he wouldn't feel discomfort..... Well actually he tried, turns out with all the ruckus about the one piece map it was near impossible to find a single bar that wasn't packed! So alas the man had to come here to get some decentish grub and swill. As he sat there silently planning out his next move (mainly how the hell he was suppose to get his ship out of the docks if the current crew refuses to leave the damned inn becuase they are afriad of dying) he was suddenly brought back by a familiar voice...and a very interesting delceration. "Queen of the pirates?" he whispered to himself before letting out a soft chuckle. "Oh now that's rich~"


Taking a few more gulps before finishing his beer he stood up and taking a deep breath he walked to the crowd and went to the source of the noise. Averagely this man wouldn't go into a crowd like this...but this had to be rectified! Soon he was able to fine the person he was looking for and when his eyes laid on the girl he blinked in a bit of suprise before his smile broaded quite a bit. "And here I was wondering who on earth could be so loud and feisty! Scarlet! Hahah Why am I suprised yet not at the same time to see you?" He said with a broad grin as he approached the woman doing his best not to freak out with everyone around him.


Scarlet's head whipped around fast at the sound of her name and she smiled at the sight of an old comrad. Her eyes widened and she answered, "Because you of all people to know that Spades didn't raise me to ignore a call to adventure." It was the simplest reply she could offer and though not many would understand it, he would. "Let me guess... that's why you're here too? Surely you understand that that treasure should be mine. All the jewels would make for perfect accessories." Even Scarlet knew that he wouldn't buy that. It was more of a tease than anything else although she did want him to know that despite any truce that might have come out of the scuffle in which they had found themselves on a prior encounter was no longer in play there. This was a treasure hunt, not a reunion.


Sora chuckled lightly at Scarlet's comments as he kept his cool (though slowly losing it as there seemed to be more people starring at him) "I know full well you couldn't ignore this." He hummed before turning on his heel and nodding at the bar. "Well wanna be pirate queen lets go in the bar and chat a bit, you can tell me about the jewels you wish to collect and I will tell you how I will be the second king of the pirates." Flashing another grin at her he headed into the bar aiming to go to his nice little corner where his mink and steel pole were waiting for him, and where there were less of a crowd to bother him.


Scarlet couldn't refuse his suggestion and she followed along as they navigated through the crowds of Mirstone heading towards what was likely the smallest tavern on the island. That also happened to make it the most crowded although in reality, it was also probably the emptiest by definition. Peering around, Scarlet was quick to notice the empty corner and for a moment, she wondered exactly how hard it had been for Sora to maintain the quietness of the corner despite the raging crowds within every other inch of the building. Looking around a bit more, her eyes fell upon another familiar figure and her brow furrowed in frustration as she marched straight towards a table in the middle of the crowds.


"Do you have any idea how long it took for me to get that god forsaken bleach blonde color out of my hair!?" she screeched, rage coming out of nowhere.


Kenji sat down in a bar minding his own business. He had been traveling with two other men up until this point, two other convicts. They had parted ways when they landed in Mirstone. Now after a couple drinks a brunette stood above him shouting into his ear. He flicked Nidai Kiestsu forward with his thumb and looked back at her. "Oi... I don't know who you are-" he said stopping mid sentence. He looked at the girl and smiled. "Oh, Hello there miss Scarlet," he said, taking a chug of beer. He let his blade fall back into its sheath. "What brings you to Mirstone? Still working for that other crew?" He asked.


Sora had made it to his little safe zone, however when he turned around he saw that Scarlet had failed to make it with him as she seemed to get sidetracked by another man. Letting out a simple sigh he picked up his steel pipe and placed the pearly white mink on his shoulder before he re entered the crowd and heading over to the two he heard talking... Well one talking the other making sure the entire island could hear them. When he arrived he blinked a bit and tapped his pipe on his shoulder a bit. "Geez, Am I going to meet my family next? The second familiar face in less than five minutes apart." he said as he shook his head. "Glad to see you haven't drowned yourself you drunken ass." Sora hummed before looking at Scarlet. "you two know each other in a very good way I take it~"


Scarlet's eyes widened in frustration at the mere suggestion within Sora's words and she scoffed. "Me!? Friends with him!? His friend spilled bleach in my hair!" Almost as though it emphasized her words, Scarlet wrapped a hand around some wavy brown locks and held them out, showing that her hair was not, in fact, supposed to be blonde. Turning her gaze to Kenji again after realizing that she'd made her point, Scarlet answered his question with a tone that made it seem like his question was the stupidest question he could've ever asked her. "No, I'm not still with Spades. I don't know where he headed but I'm here for the most obvious reason on the planet. The One Piece... duh!"


Kenji looked over to Sora. "Its been a while Sora," he said gving him a pat on the back. "I only wish I knew her a little bit more," he said with a laugh, and a elbow into Sora's side to put even more emphasis on his use of the word very. Kenji then turned to Scarlet and smiled. "Well that's what I'm here for too love," he said in a mocking way. "If you want it that bad I might let you become my pirate queen when I do find it," he smiled and again laughed at himself.


Sora looked at Kenji and smirked when he was elbowed in the side, taking a quick glance around he saw the area wasn't too crowded to where he would be panicking but he was still uncomfortable. With that he took a seat on the opposite side of Kenji and listened to him before snickering. "Ahh Well there a small problem with that cute little flirt~ You see from what I understand you plan to give her the queen spot once you acquire the One Piece." He said as he set the pipe so it leaned on the table while he folded his fingers under his chin. "The problem with it is... I call dibs-..."


Scarlet was completely and totally lost in laughter by this point in the conversation. Holding a hand out to each of them, she smirked. "You know, you two, I'm flattered, but neither one of you is quite my type." That in no way meant that she wasn't intrigued by the idea of having two men fighting over her, but a girl had to have her priorities and treasure was at the top of her list. "Tell you what. When I become Queen of the Pirates, then you can both fight over me. Maybe I'll choose a king."


"I call dibs on the One Piece. Should really let me finish my sentence~"


Kenji laughed. "Not in your dreams girl, I'm the only one who will become king, and when I do I may have met a thousand women like you," he laughed, "Not to say you haven't got perks of your own," he finished, looking her up and down, still teasing her. "No offence Sora, but I'll be taking the crown as Pirate king from you," he said. He waved to the bar tender. "Three more drinks, one for the lady and one for this man right here," he said.


Throughout his whole little speech, Scarlet chuckled. "You two can fight over the crown all you want. It won't matter because I'll pry it from your fingers before the title's even been yours." Gone was the playful attitude with which she had been conversing and a fire had returned to her words. "You two can sit and have your drinks. I'm gonna find that map, get to the One Piece, and prove you both dead wrong. Care to try and beat me?"


Sora grinned and looked at the two an air of seriousness around him despite the look on his face. "I won't try dear Scarlet. I may need a crew before I can leave. But the crown is calling out for my name and I fully intend to get it. Though..... A little competition sounds very interesting~" He hummed as he grabbed his pipe now resting it so it leaned on him while his mink stayed wrapped around his neck. "Well then.... I think we should make a bet on this...." He said with a smile. "How about who ever becomes the King of the Pirates gets control over the other two crews," he said with a grin.


"So by the time we end this if I do become the king of the pirates I will not only be able to brag to your face about it, but I'll also have control over you and your crew members," Kenji said. He picked up his glass. "If your in raise a glass and chug it back, that should lock in this bet good enough for me," he said.


Scarlet almost instantly started shaking her head at Kenji, not in response to the bet, but in response to sealing it with a drink. "Ain't no way I'm letting you get away with a chance to say you actually bought me a drink. That's something you have to earn. You've got yourself a bet, though. Except I'll become the Queen of the Pirates..." Saying no more and leaving her drink on the table untouched, Scarlet started forcing her way through the crowd.


"Killjoy," Kenji said with a snicker.


Sora didn't make a move for a moment as he closed his eyes and simply went into thought. Just before Scarlet left he smirked and opened his eyes as he grabbed his mug. "Risky since even I can't plan that far ahead... But I cant just back out now can I? Not that I would in the first place." With that he gulped down the entire mug rather quickly ignoring the possible heartburn and other painful side effects of drinking beer to fast. Once he was done he slammed the mug on the table. "Then with that the bet is sealed! Hahahaha! Ahhh I can't wait till you guys finally realize I'm out of your league~" He said before standing up picking up his pipe as he did so. "Well, I have a lot of work ahead of me. Later~" With this hum he gave Kenji a nonchalant wave before he walked out of the bar. 'Now for the fun part... Finding a crew that's willing to risk their life for this amazing and one of a kind adventure~' He thought as he petted Albi and headed off to a less crowded part of the town. It was time for him to get into action, he had a bet to win and he wasn't going to lose in anyone's wildest dreams!


There was one thing she recalled failing to mention to them. She didn't have a crew... well, not a considerable one, anyway and certainly not one that could tackle the Grand Line. She'd never intended to go that far when she set out on her own and she was fairly certain Jasper couldn't fill every role no matter how much he tried. She meant to find a crew, though, and prove them wrong.
 
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Gascoigne B. Malt

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?~Ruff, roouuuuuf!~?


His tail wagging happily, the tiny dog, which resembled a furry potato more than a carnivorous mammal, he jumped around a young man's hand, which laid flat on the counter. His black fingernails drumming nervously on the wood, he eventually reached for his bottle, drank up half of it in a single swig, then gently held in front of the little dog. With a happy screech, a set of paws reached to the glassen neck. The dog clumsily fought with his own height, desperately trying to drink from his master's bottle.


"Very confident..." the red-haired man muttered, before he shot up from his seat, his coat billowing up before it settled down with a slow and consistent fall. His tall frame stood darkly against the warmly lit furnishment, while his hair burned and melted into the background. A toothy grin escaped him, before he whirled around and sat on the counter, eliciting a half-hearted "Hey!" from the barkeeper. His back was curved to a degree that it looked close to snapping, while his feet were rested on the stool he had inhabited a moment before. His elbows resting on his knees, he folded his hands, letting his chin rest on the black fingertips. An expression of security roamed in his face, freely.


"Guess everybody wants to find it these days, huh?" he scoffed out, looking at the blonde guy. One eye closed, as if he was winking hard, he grinned. "Could be worse. While you guys try to win your bet and one-up each other, Bijou and I will find it. Can't be that hard. People just don't think, you know?" He put sharp emphasis on the word think and accompanied the sound by pointing his slender index finger towards his temple. "It's not just strength. You have to think."


He straightened out his back, his spine cracking loudly, though he seemed to be unbothered by it. His little dog, Bijou, presumably, finally managed to get his tongue into the bottle and immediately tipped it over, drenching himself in the liquid inside. "Malt." the red-haired young man said, a hopeful glimmer in his eyes. Readiness was carved in his face, as was ambition. "Gascoigne B. Malt. And I'LL be the king of pirates." A happy, almost childish chuckle followed, the embarassed yapping of Bijou and the flowing feathers on his coat's arm's brims accompanying his soulfoul but sparse words.


"Oh yeah..." he added, suddenly more humble. It seemed Bijou had reminded him of something. "Once I get a ship, that is... I guess." He shrugged. "Damn ships..."


It seemed he wasn't too fond of the thought of owning or being on board of a ship.
 
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Scarlet Johanna Indigrid and Jasper Pharos

Two Months Ago





It was closing in on ten months of searching the seas when Jasper made landfall at Davenwood Archipelago. Ten months searching for that scum crew. Ten months going aimlessly from island to island. Ten months avoiding the Marines and bounty hunters. Without a lead of any kind, and no Master or Mistress to serve. He had begun relapsing back to violent behavior recently.


Today however, seemed a turning point for his situation. As he made port he saw the flag of a crew, a feared crew, that any marine would kill to capture. An Emperor had made landfall on this island. Thoughts began to race through Jaspers mind. Possibilities he hadn't hoped for recently. Such a crew would travel far and wide, they might very well know about the crew. Or at least they might be in the know about a possible Master or Mistress.


However simply strolling onto the ship would be astonishingly stupid. It would be tantamount to suicide. He eyed the men and women aboard, and those immediately around the gangplank. He could simply ask to talk their Captain perhaps. Hm, that could possibly work. He may be armed, but not showing aggression they would likely not consider him a threat.


He decided, a tad unsurely, upon that course of action. He double checked that his weapons were properly restrained and didn't seem threatening. Then, after straightening his tie, he made a relaxed approach to the gangplank. He stopped a few feet from the base and spoke in a resonant yet peaceful tone, "Hello there. Would there perhaps be a chance I might speak with your Captain?"


The man who happened to have been approached by Jasper eyed the man up and down just once, his own hand resting on a sword at his hip albeit in a completely casual manner. "Cap'n Spades ain't one for casual visits. What business do ya 'ave?" The question wasn't said rudely or harshly. It simply seemed as though it was meant to be a statement of fact and that it was.


Jasper noted the man's hand resting on his sword, but did not allow himself to visibly react. Instead he kept his hands away from his weapons. Instead he gave a formal bow before speaking when he stood back up.


"My name is Jasper Pharos. I happen to be searching for a particular pirate crew. I thought perhaps, as one of the Four Emperors he might very well gave information on said crew."


"If it's information you seek, you ought to be willin' to pay for it," the man explained with a slight chuckle. "Spades don't give nothin' away for free. Wait here. I'll fetch the Cap'n." Wandering off, the man's hand left his sword and for a moment, his back was to Jasper although he quickly disappeared below deck and all the remaining eyes on the ship dwelled on the visitor with great caution.


It took a few minutes, but soon two voices could be heard making their way back up. One was the man who had spoken with Jasper earlier and another appeared to be older although the very look in his eye said that he'd seen much. His eyes were quickly drawn to the unfamiliar figure who he walked right up to and offered his hand in greeting. "Mate here says you're seeking some information. What can you offer in return?"


Jasper stood very still and wary when the crew watched him. However when the man who had to be the Captain came above deck his concentration on anyone else fell away. The man seemed to exude power, not that it was surprising coming from an Emperor. When he put out his hand to Jasper he was taken aback for a moment.


He quickly recovered and accepted the handshake.


"Well, I do not know if treasure is something I could possibly offer an Emperor. But perhaps there might be Marine Intel I may posses that you may want? Or perhaps you have some other service in mind?"


Captain Spades shrugged for a moment. "Your not much of a bargainer, are you?" He laughed it off, waving his hand dissmissively as if to tell the man not to answer that question. For a brief moment, the captain's eyes turned to the horizon although there wasn't really anything there to see. It was a fairly calm day and no one had really came or went since early morning. "Well, I haven't got all day so you might as well tell me what you're lookin' for."


"Of course, my apologies. I am in search of a crew known as the Dire Drake Pirates. They happened to attack my Mistress and comrades. My Mistress died in the attack while the rest of us retreated. They had a beast of some sort that swam along their ship in battle. I wish to seek out the crew and kill them."


Captain Spades raised an eyebrow for a moment - not at the crew's name, but at the mention of the beast that accompanied the crew. "Can't say the crew is familiar," he sighed, "although there are many deadly beasts that roam these seas though none that I can think of that would follow a ship without destroyin' it on sight. That's definitely a new one for me." He seemed legitimately puzzled by the explanation before he turned to the man who had first greeted Jasper. "You ever heard of such a thing lad?"


"Can't say I have, Cap'n."


Turning his head back to Jasper, Spades simply shook his head. "Sorry. It seems I ain't much help to ya. I guess bargaining won't come into play after all."


Jasper letout a disappointed sigh. Ten months, ten months and an Emperor and he could not turn up any information. It was seeming more likely they had gone beyond his grasp each day. Perhaps focusing on finding a new Master or Mistress first wold be more helpful. He made nearly direct eye contact with the Captain.


"Thank you anyway. Perhaps it simply is not time for me to find them yet. I will set that as a secondary goal for now. Perhaps you might have need of a servant then? Or know someone who does? I am adept with cleaning and cooking as much as combat."


Chuckling loudly for a brief moment, Captain Spades' eyes glanced down the dock, scanning the ships that remained in port. "Not me," he laughed, "although there is another who might seek some aide. In fact, she's probably getting ready to try to sail off on her own right now and I guarantee you it won't work well for her." He seemed to find that thought rather amusing. "She wouldn't accept anyone from my crew. Maybe she'll accept someone else."


Jasper seemed to straighten up even more than before, gaining a second wind with this information. A new Mistress, someone suggested by an Emperor himself. Jasper had to at least go in search of this woman, regardless of how things turn out. His eyes seemed to glow with curiosity.


"Is that so? Would you be willing to tell me where I might find her?"


Captain Spades shrugged with a chuckle. "I can tell you where she went. Can't promise she's still there. She's not very patient this one. Not the brightest either, mind you, but she's got a fire that even I find surprising. Last I heard she was planning on stealing the ship at the end of the dock. Don't think she had a plan for sailing a ship all by herself though..."


Jasper put his hand to his chin in thought. Not very bright or patient, but a fire that impresses an Emperor. Now she had really captured his interest. Someone like that might just appreciate his talents. He may not be prime navigational talent, but he could easily take the helm if such was needed.


"Alright then I will go try find her. What does she look like?"


Captain Spades smiled at that question. It was an interesting one to contemplate answering it because he knew that she would want him to answer entirely different than he fully intended on answering. "She looks like the kinda girl who don't know the first thing about the sea. Red ribbon in her hair. You'll know her. Trust me."


Jasper nodded and half bowed without breaking eye contact. Respect mixed with wariness as was appropriate. "Thank you kindly for your help. If you have no objections I'll take my leave now."


Captain Spades nodded and more than just one pair of eyes followed him to make sure he completely left the ship. Jasper let out a deep sigh as he stepped back on to the dock. His hands were shaking lightly, but not totally from fear. Partially fear yes, but another part of him wanted to attack the Captain head on and enjoy a difficult fight. A stupid part of him for sure, and his hands shook from forced suppression of that part. As he stayed his hand he began systematically searching the docks f the Red Ribboned Woman.


"Hey!" a voice yelled out, cutting through all activity on the docks. "You're not permitted up there!" Someone, they honestly looked like a simple merchant, was charging at the ship on the end of the dock.


And upon that ship, there was a woman at the helm. Looking back and smiling, long black hair billowed in front of her face for a moment, concealing the toothy white grin that her mouth displayed. "Don't you think this ship is too pretty for you?" she teased. "It looks so much better when I'm at the helm and watching you turn into the horizon." As the man ran towards the ship, the woman was cutting off the ties that held it in the port. Her head turned swiftly one way, then the other, ensuring that she was no longer tethered to the city and in that moment, red ribbon highlighted the darkness of her hair.


The cries of someone yelling about permission and theft and such drew Jaspers attention. As he looked up at the ship currently being unmoved from the dock he saw a girl with what he presumed were the red ribbons the Captain spoke of in her hair. He took at a full sprint towards the boat, and as he reached the edge of the dock he leapt over the empty space between. He tucked and rolled as he landed on the deck. Dusting himself off as he stood, he smoothed his collar and adjusted his weapons.


Looking up at the young woman he began to have some sort of instinctual tug to her he could not put his finger on. How very interesting indeed. "Pardon me, Miss. I was looking for the young woman who recently departed from Captain Spades' company. That would be you, yes?"


The woman looked at him curiously for a moment. She didn't seem afraid. If anything, she seemed intrigued. "What does Spades want?"


"Apologies, it is not him that wants something. It is actually myself. I happen to be looking for a new Mistress to serve under. I met him and he suggested you. So here I am. Perhaps you might be interested in my services?"


"A mistress?" The woman took a moment to contemplate the word, almost seeming to play with it as though it was a foreign concept. "Like..." a thought occurred to her and her entire face scrunched in disgust for a moment. "Not like a master to a slave, I hope?" She seemed very concerned about that idea. "Because if that is the case, then I will not help you."


He noted the look of concern and disgust plainly on her face. He moved to assuage those concerns immediately. "No no. Master and Mistress, at least in this case, are not equivalent to slave owners. I would serve you in I suppose a similar regard, and your orders would be what I followed above almost anything else. However it is willingly. And as we just met, the initial servitude would be a.... test of sorts. To see if you are a respectable and worthy Mistress I be glad to follow." He paused momentarily. "Although I suppose Captain Spades' commendation has colored my opinion a bit already."


Scarlet's eyes narrowed on him now. Her apprehension was gone but uncertainty seemed to remain. "So you would simply serve me and follow me? Kind of like Spades' crew follows him? I'm not going anywhere interesting you know. I imagine it will be quite boring." Sighing, she seemed to get lost in thought for a moment. "Although having a person is better than just a mirror, I suppose. What's your name?"


Jasper gave a deep bow. One lacking the wary eye contact he had given Captain Spades. "My apologies for not introducing myself. My name is Jasper Pharos. Pleased to meet you." He stood back up with a smile. "And to make it a bit easier to understand the implications of the relationship I be more like a personal butler mixed with a bodyguard. Does that make sense?"


"I've never had a butler so I can't say it does," the woman mumbled softly. "My name's Scarlet Johanna Indigrid... just Scarlet will do. We're sailing north. We're sailing north and I'm heading home. Where you from? Where you headed?" Questions just slipped out as she went along. "It's a good thing to know, you know. Spades never knew where we were going and it got him into trouble." Scarlet chuckled at that thought.


Seeming to finally remember that she was on a moving ship, Scarlet started walking towards the helm again, her boots clicking on the wooden deck with each and every step. "Welcome aboard Charybdis, Jasper. I call dibs at the helm!" It was only after that that Scarlet broke into the oddest sort of run - the only way you could really run while wearing high-heeled boots.


Jasper blinked at the high speed of her speech followed by her sudden run to the helm. After a second to register everything she said he followed her and responded promptly to each subject.


"Butlers clean, cook, keep everything in good shape. Perhaps prepare clothing or help with hair care etc More based on requests at your behest. As for the," he clenched his jaw, "name thing. I'm used to using last name, but I suppose Mistress Scarlet would be fine."


"I am from an island of which the name I can not remember. As for where I am headed... I have no particular destination. Alough if you will have me, and your destination is your home island. Then mine is as well."


Scarlet mulled over the name he'd given her and it wasn't quite something she could appreciate. Putting a finger to her lips as a symbol of her contemplation, Scarlet considered him. "Do you think we could just go with 'Miss Scarlet'? Maybe?" She didn't want to offend him or even refuse his help, but there were too many implications with the title of 'Mistress' that Scarlet could see coming up along the way and she wasn't quite interested in dealing with them. "And if it is alright with you, dinner would probably be nice."


Glancing at her compass, she knew that she could handle the ship on her own for a brief period. North wasn't hard to find, not at all.


Jasper repeated Miss Scarlet a few times under his breath to test it out. He couldn't quite get it to feel right and ram through a few more names in his head. "Perhaps Lady Scarlet might be acceptable? And would there be anything specific you would like me to make for dinner?"


Scarlet's head danced around as she contemplated his alternative. It had a very formal ring to it and that was something that she would need to get used to, but she didn't see how she could object to being called a lady. She was one and it was something she frequently took pride in. "Sounds fine to me," she agreed as another thought occurred to her.


She didn't even know if there was food on the ship that she'd stolen. Laughing at her own foolishness for a moment, she realized she really did need to answer him. "Uhm... how about whatever food you happen to find. I... uhm... I dunno if we have any..."


Jasper positivy beamed. "Lady Scarlet it is then. A pleasure to serve. I will search the galley and see what I can find for you. Should you need relieved from the helm for rest or other necessities simply let me know." With that he bowed and made haste to get dinner prepared.


Scarlet watched him go with a small smirk on her face. She liked this man and she could only imagine what Spades would say if he saw a person joining her. He'd tell her she had the makings of a captain, something Scarlet hadn't decided to claim. Spades would tell her this was a sign. And at that moment in time, she wouldn't believe it.


Present Day





Jasper eyed the varying compasses on the wooden stand warily. He wasn't the only one either. There seemed to be dozens of people at every stand, shack, and store on the island. People buying up every possible thing one might need on a long term voyage. The worder about the One Piece had spread like wildfire.


So Jasper found himself purchasing supplies and returning them to the ship periodically. He had already purchased the foodstuffs Lady Scarlet had asked for, as well as a few things he needed. Now he was purchasing a bit of last minute backup seafaring gear, or upgrades for them. Jasper selected a small brass compass and paid for it. Putting it away with his other purchases in a leather duffelbag.


He always enjoyed the feel of brass. There was a comforting sort of weight to it. Hopefully Lady Scarlet enjoyed it as well. Although she didn't seem picky about things as long as they looked nice and worked well.


"Speaking of Lady Scarlett, I wonder how her search for the map is coming along. I'm just about done, perhaps I should search for her after I drop these things off," he wondered quietly aloud. He quickly set off to return the items to the boat and search for her. Last she said she'd be by the bars.





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@Peaceswore @BlacklegSanji @Sunbather @DaughterofAthena


Keya Fenris




Keya had finally made it to Mirstone, one of the most active hubs for pirate activity. Or sea related activity in general, which unfortunately included slavery. She just had to hope she wasn't followed, nor were any of the other slavers looking for a dwarf. Honestly she didn't trust most people, yet at the same time she was compelled to do so. She knew not everyone was evil, plus she wanted friends, so she was forced to trust them to a degree. She just avoided the shiftier looking people. Or punched them in the foot, either one. Punching them in the foot was fun, really. Especially if it broke it and they couldn't chase her. All foot punching aside her current goal was finding either a pirate crew to join or a normal ship to get a job on. Of course, pirate crew sounded sooner. But she'd take either, she just wanted to be safe.


She briskly ran around the port-town, looking for and listening for anything of interest at all. Gossip about crews recruiting, any that were in town, and etc. She generally wasn't too much of a planner so this was a new thing for her. For this though, she figured she needed to make a plan. The last thing she wanted to do was choose a crew that was actually worse than being a slave. With her luck it was a very real possibility though, so she had to be extremely careful for once. Eventually she caught wind of not one, but three, very well known Captains being in a local bar. She'd have three crews to choose from and hopefully they were all still in the same spot!


She quickly ran to the bar, almost breaking the door as she ran in. She quickly hid behind the nearest object and peeked around, looking for anyone that seemed..Captainy. Then she saw an adorable dog and her attention immediately shifted. As much as she wanted to restrain her presence from immediately being known she found herself squealing with excitement and running over to the dog anyway. "Oh my gosh you're so cute! I dunno what kind of dg you are but you're adorable!" She shouted, darting around and petting the dog all over, pretty much ignoring its owner a few feet from her.
 

Narivena Veulence

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Only a few days had passed since she had arrived in Mirstone. Her escape from the previous island had been a hassle. It seemed most people did not like having their items stolen, but the crew that had brought her here had gotten their payment. Sort of. Narivena's boots clicked rythmically against the marble-ground, her eyes flickering from one person to the other. Despite the large crowds here, she wandered through it rather unbothered. Besides, the best source of information would be with the biggests crowds. She had heard of the map to the One Piece. Surely, she could get some serious money from it. Would it hurt to try?


Narivena narrowed her eyes at a group of three people speaking rather loudly to each other. A brown-haired woman and two men - both with distinct features. "..tell me about the jewels you wish to collect and I will tell you how I will be the second king of the pirates." She stopped in her steps and eyed the group carefully. Treasure and the One Piece? She pulled out a small notebook from her leather-pouch and scribbled down notes on one of the empty pages. After exploring the island, the notebook was half-full with notes of degrees, angles, heights and distances for her to make a detailed map. She was not yet done with her research, but it would not be long for her to be. On that note, she would have to get some more paper - but first - eavesdrop on whoever had information about the One Piece. Or any other treasure at all.


Narivena followed the group towards the inn, but she did not enter. She stayed outside, prying her ears to hear the conversation inside. Not that it was at all hard, one of them seemed to have no worries in having herself heard by.. Well. Everyone. "Tsk." she suppressed a smile, her tongue pressing against the back of her teeth. She leaned on the wall right next to the entrance, one foot up against it. The conversation did not really lead anywhere, apart from a discussion of who would obtain the treasure and become the King or Queen of Pirates. Rolling her eyes, she decided they would not provide much useful information for now. So.. About that paper.


Pushing herself from the wall, she made her way through the crowd, quiet and mostly unnoticed as she listened to the conversations of the various people passing by. "..not telling my wife?" "..Like venison or pork?" " I heard the One Piece is on the Grand Line, did you.."





Eventually, she had made her way to what was seemingly a miscellaneous shop with various useful items. Clutching her gold-pouch, she enterred the shop with a curious expression, eyes wandering the isles inside the shop. She walked up to the keeper with narrowed eyes. " Do you have paper for drawing maps? I need the good kind."
 
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Finch Hawthorne

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@Sunbather




"Uh, Sir," chimed in the Bartender from the Bar that Malt sat on. It was none other than Finch himself, who had arrived in Mirstone about a week prior, wearing some bandages on his arms and chest as he healed. The nasty shipwreck that had landed him in Mirstone was still haunting him physically, so in addition to his already youthful and small glow, the teenager looked to be injured. He was bartending and serving as the Bar's 'Muscle' for the past couple days in order to earn himself some money. "Malt is it? Sir, I don't know if you'll be King of the Pirates, and personally I don't care if you're the ghost of Gol. D Roger himself, but I'd appreciate it if you'd please stop sitting on the bar, or I'll be forced to ask you to leave."





Finch wasn't this often so uptight about the patrons of the bar, but Pirates were notoriously dangerous and rowdy to deal with. So he had to keep that much shorter of a leash on those who entered the bar. Ever since eating his Devil Fruit. He had a newfound sense of confidence against the kind of powerful, strong and cocky men who pushed around those who were smaller than them. And as the 5'6 boy looked up at the Patron looking over at the group discussing who was to be the New King of the Pirates, he wasn't afraid to cause a little trouble with his new ace in the hole.
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Ferra McKlinnen

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Ferra sipped idly on her drink as she watched from her corner of the pub. It was funny, she hadn't expected the town to have become so popular before the mention of the stupid map to the fabled One Piece. The thing was, Mirston had just been a wonderful place to come and avoid trouble at first, but with each day more and more pirates arrived. Some, of course, were good people, but for many, regardless of her out of line uniform and haircut, her old clothes were enough to stir trouble. It meant that lately travelling at night and keeping to the pub were her best bets, but even then there was always that one guy.


Letting her musings change as a trio began to make a ruckus of sorts, Ferra looked through the crowd as she took note of who had walked in. She recognised the woman, and the man that joined in late, though only in passing. The other man she didn't have a clue. Still, they all seemed to know each other fairly well and were making jokes of who would become the pirate king, or queen. Frankly even if it were her to find the One Piece, she only had one goal before resigning from the lofty position. Once that was finished she didn't know what else she'd have to do, but she was sure she'd figure it out eventually.


The honest truth was that she didn't care for all the trouble. Her life had been pleasant, and even the lawmen here hadn't wanted to turn her in due to the mild increase in security she'd garnered before this mess about and the map.


"Hey lady, aren't you a little prim and proper for a place like this? Or are you looking for one of us to give you a ride on rough seas, eh?"


Looking up from her glass, Ferra's eyes narrowed angrily at the pirate leaning on the end of her table. This was exactly what the hell she'd been talking about too. All this rubbish about the map was just drawing too much attention for her to actually be left to her life. Quaffing the remains of her drink, Ferra gave the pirate a glance as she stood, the man standing there with a confident and lecherous grin.


Pulling her leg up, the woman drove her right knee into the inside of the same joint the man had before driving her heel into the inside of his left leg, causing him to fall to a knee before the former Navy member grabbed the back of his head and slammed him facefirst into the table with a resounding crack. The noise was more than enough to draw the eyes of the nearest patrons, many of whom eyed her warily. For her part she simply glared back before lifting her glass from the table and heading to the bar, intent on speaking to the pirate she recognised that hadn't left yet.


Placing her glass down loudly enough to draw his attention, Ferra motioned to the bar keep for a refill before looking at the man on her left, "To think, you were days from being a new shining mark on a spotless record, Captain Kita. Hell would freeze before the Navy stopped wanting you brought in. And even now, ten million Beli. A tempting price, but they would have my head on the pike next to yours if I tried to collect." Ferra allowed herself a smirk before continuing on, "I'd ask why you're in the sleepy, formerly quiet and under the radar town of Mirstone with all the ohter pirates, making it not so sleepy or quite, but we've all heard about it so I won't bother. I take it you really think it exists, eh? The great One Piece, offering lifetimes of relaxation and no worry as you play the lofty Pirate King and lord over the others. It is a tempting offer after all. That and one could do anything with a title like that too. Anything indeed. Anyhow, my name is Ferra, former Navy. Pleasure to meet you and not worry about returning a salvo or two."


@BlacklegSanji
 
‘Jyooooooh!’ Apparently the South Bird was not amused. ‘What’s with the turning your head always southwards? Why not northwards? Are the other directions boring or what? Does it hurt if I turn your head the wrong way? Is it awkward? Irritating? Do you get headaches?’ The head of the bird was released from facing northwards. ‘Jyooooooh,’ The bird cried again. This time followed by childlike laughter and clapping. Apparently someone did see the fun in it. The head was turned again, a little further than last time, causing the South Bird to cry again. The insects in the lower cages were going wild. ‘How do you do that thing with the insects? Is it hard? Can you teach me? Do you think I could even possess the ability to do that? By the way, Does it work on all insects? Maybe even other species? Can you control individuals as well? What can you let them do? Can they choose not to?’ The crimson haired boy pushed the head again. The bird was clearly in pain, but the boy kept pushing. The bird shrieked. ‘So that’s how far you get, eh? Why not further? Why does it have to hurt? Why-’ The boys monologue was suddenly put to a halt.


A big muscled guy had gripped the boy in his scruff. He lifted the boy off the storage shelf next to the caged South Bird until the boy could barely touch the ground with his feet. ‘What the hell were you doing up there?!’ The man, who was the shop owner roared. ‘You were hurting my prize bird! I will make you pay!’ The boy made a face, unclipped his hood and jumped out of harm’s way. The owner was flabbergasted to find out that the ‘boy’ was in fact an adolescent. A mischievous face had been revealed, bright red hair and green eyes, one covered up by an eye patch, the other with a daring spark of joy. ‘I have heard of you,’ the owner managed to speak, clearly still confused. ‘You are the-’ Pffffffft- He squashed his neck and felt something sharp. A small dart was sticking out of his neck. Before he could finish his sentence he went limp and fell to the ground.


Seth giggled as he picked up his signature scarlet hood. The astonishment on the limp face of the pet store owner was priceless. He would love to hang around until the owner would awaken to make fun of the man and mock him with his memory loss, but he couldn’t allow himself that luxury. Sétanta had come to Mirstone with a mission. He just couldn’t help himself when he saw the South Bird through the pet store’s window. The birds were rare and their behavior really intriguing. One day Seth would learn how to imitate the call that aroused insects, until then... research, research, research. Focus! He almost got sidetracked by his own thoughts again. Focus. You need people to guard your back. Pirates. Adventure. New Lands. New animals. New subjects. Focus, Focus, Focus. With much effort he put the man in a somewhat natural sleeping position and went outside. The pirate ship that dropped him off at the docks told him they were recruiting almost anywhere on this godforsaken island, but Seth would have missed it if they were. He had way too much energy and too little patience to investigate where recruiters were currently recruiting. He began to climb to the roof. He had no idea where to go. Even looking down from up there he saw nothing he recognized, his sense of orientation was not that good. The wind picked up speed, a slow gust blew against his hood. Somehow Seth’s guts told him to run in a certain direction, to the south, or whatever direction that was. Seth had experienced over and over that his instinct was his best friend. So, without hesitation, he started running and climbing to get where he somehow needed to be.


Yeah... About that not getting sidetracked again… That didn’t exactly work out the way Seth wanted to. His instincts went a bit haywire today. First it let him to a bar. The place was rather boring. There were some swanky pirate wannabees, who wouldn’t survive their stay in Mirstone with their overconfident behavior.


Then Seth’s hunch led him to an older woman that tried to sell him an apple as if it was a devil fruit. It was clearly a lie, but Seth respected her mischievous creativity, so instead of selling her out he decided to prank her. He told her that he was sent from the Devil Fruit Inspection Department. Clearly she didn’t conserve her fruits in the right way. The crate should be filled with seawater at exactly 21.7 degrees. An expert could easily see that the devils fruit was spoiled because it didn’t show purple polka dots. The woman was taking notes as fast as she could. Seth could have continued for hours, but the look in the woman's eyes was changing. She was about to shout. 'You little-' Crunch! The apple tasted horrible, even for a fake Devil Fruit. The woman was going on a rant, shouting the most awful things at him. He was about to make a good one-liner and make his spectacular outro when something white caught his eyes.


Seth couldn't believe his eyes. Ermine! I love ermines! He was so enthusiastic that he couldn't say or do anything. His eyes looking madly at the white animal. If he had to say what his favorite animal was he would definitely say ermine. Or monkey! Or dolphin! Basically any animal that had too much energy and laughs. Like a menthos that just fell into the coke the pressure of the energy was building up in his body. Until it exploded. Seth sprinted over to the animal, jostling anyone in his path and almost stumbling over his own feet. The word stream was one of gibberish and fast at that. Only a few words could be understood: "You, yusvefvbczk jfkbry, Ermine! ksbrvfjs vvctsvext vxjdz Adorabru! msyrfvwetvftrtr sjbfutfvsfyt Friends!" And then he fell to the ground.





@Peaceswore
 
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Cait Merlin

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"But I have Beli!" Cait argued with one of the bar tenders at the packed bar. She slammed some bills onto the counter. "See." "We don't serve your kind here," the gruff bartender replied. The young fishwoman/human hybrid growled out of frustration and looked very close to slugging the guy in the nose. "If you don't move along, I'm going to call over a bouncer." "Fine, I don't want to drink your tap water for beer anyway," Cait snappily replied. "Fischer Island Brew is the best beer in the Blues," she added as she walked out of the bar.


Cait sat down on a bench outside the bar and rested her guitar case beside her. She opened the case, relieving her guitar and one unopened bottle of Fischer Island Brew. Cait opened the beer bottle with her shark teeth and took a couple of swigs. Looking out at the street, she saw a lot of pirates looking for the One Piece. Cait didn't really care about the legendary treasure, she just wanted to find a crew that would end up going to Fishman Island, the gateway to the New World.


Thinking about Fishman Island, her train of thought lead to her fishwoman mother. She had to be on Fishman Island. Cait began to feel a wave of sadness, so she grabbed her guitar and started to play a drinking song to keep her spirits up.




"While in the merry month of May from me home I started,


Left the girls of Tuam so sad and broken hearted,


Saluted father dear, kissed me darling mother,


Drank a pint of beer, me grief and tears to smother,


Then off to reap the corn, leave where I was born,


Cut a stout black thorn to banish ghosts and goblins;


Bought a pair of brogues rattling o'er the bogs


And fright'ning all the dogs on the rocky road to Dublin.


One, two, three four, five,


Hunt the Hare and turn her down the rocky road


all the way to Dublin, Whack follol de rah!..."

[media]
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[/media]
~~~

Cletus T. Bass


Cletus sat on a barrel by the docks, his weapons holstered but clearly visible. He didn't want the rowdy pirates thinking that he was a defenseless old man, not that he was that old. Cletus smoked a cigarette as he looked at the ships. They all looked sea worthy, though as a shipwright he'd have to crawl through them all just to be sure. As for the ship names, Cletus saw the Gray Fox and the Steel Dutchman as well as other generic pirate ship names. He also saw a ship that had a name he couldn't figure out how to pronounce it. Judging by the ship's red ribboned jolly roger, the captain was a female, a creative one.


Cletus momentarily watched a man unload supplies on the ship before turning his attention to the bustling pirate activity. They were running around like they were chickens with their head cut off. "Rookies," he thought as he exhaled cigarette smoke. Technically he was a pirate rookie too, but he did have more life smarts than the twenty-something pirates. Prancing about like a panicked turkey would only waste energy and hamper the planning of the next move.


Now for his next move. Cletus needed to find a captain that was willing to take him on as a shipwright. If he was lucky he'd end up joining the crew that would find the One Piece, though right now he just wanted to focus on becoming a pirate. With the confidence of a cowboy, Cletus walked into the town with his hands in his pockets and a trail of cigarette smoke wafting behind him. Soon his childhood dream will become a reality.




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Quintan Vediovis


Misc. Shop


@BlueUnicorn
​


Quintan was not amused by this new place. He looked around, it seemed almost identical to the island where he spent about four years of his life, not far from here. The only real difference is the amount of pirates. They're everywhere. Thieves take and loot from behind your back, smugglers deal and trade in the alleyways. It's like you can't go anywhere without being in danger. He passed a rowdy tavern, voices arguing, talking about the One Piece. He sighed, it was an island of pirates, of course they would be talking about that.


Incredibly, he didn't dislike pirates. In fact, he appreciated their lifestyle. They lived how they wanted to, and didn't care who judged or opposed them. He kind of wanted to live like that, but back to the matter at hand. He was hunting for certain tools. Quintan swiveled through the crowds filling the streets on his recently obtained rollerblades, a nice addition. It provided him with a fast and fun way to get around, and he also recently learned the swiveling trick.


A shop caught his eye. It was a shop for shipwrights, but undoubtedly, it would have tools handy for the maintenance of a ship. While not exactly what he's wanting to use it for, he entered the shop. It wasn't as full as he thought it would be, maybe four or five people in there. All pirates, go figure. His swiveling slowed to a calm roll, browsing the aisles that showcased the shop's items. Wrenches, hammers, saws; the other bulky pirates leered at him with suspicious eyes. Quintan, the red-head, was the odd man out. All the others were dressed in rags and had bulging muscles, while he was pale from staying inside a lot, and still wore the garments of his home island.


"Ooh." Quintan let out a child-like sound of interest upon setting his eyes on what he came for. Gunpowder. He picked up the bag, strolling to the checkout counter. He thanked the man after he gave him the Beli it costed and went on his way, swiveling back down the street. He set the gunpowder in his back pocket, then took it out after deciding against it. It's an easy place for a pickpocketer to snatch. He put the bag snug in one of the pockets of his leather jacket, and spotted another shop that looked interesting. He barely had any Beli left for spending, but he wanted to go see what it had. He entered, spotting a woman that was asking for paper.


'Who uses paper nowadays...' He thought to himself, choosing to not vocalize his opinion. Quin spotted a pair of goggles. He never really thought about it, but if his gadgets were as volatile as they were when he tested them, wouldn't he need goggles to withstand it? In his tests, he always used it from a safe distance, but there might be instances where he would need to use it without a care for safety. He took them, and rolled up to the front desk, right behind the woman.
 
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Stacy Beauregard


Stacy had been in Mirstone for a few days now. It may have seemed odd given how much of a pirate haven it was becoming, but the place was practically untouched by the marines so it was a safe place for her to be. That paired with the fact that even if the marines did decide to show up for whatever reason they might choose, there were plenty of people on the island more valuable than her. It was a good place for her to be without having to constantly watch over her shoulder.


Safe as it might have been, Stacy was also realizing that it really was quite a boring place as well. All the people scurrying around would’ve made her think that there was work to do but it seemed that no one was interested. Everyone was too busy freaking out over some silly treasure map that the island supposedly held. Stacy couldn’t care less about whatever that was.


After having spent most of her morning sitting on the docks watching for incoming ships to see if anyone would pay for a quick repair, she was making her way back into the crowded streets in search of something to eat for lunch and fiddling with her pocket watch as she walked. Unfortunately for her, that meant she had no idea there was a man right in front of her up until the moment she crashed into him and, in her clumsiness, sent her pocketwatch soaring into the air.


Smoke shrouded her face at the impact and she started coughing at the awful scent of the cigarette that the man must have been smoking, her hand waving the smoke away just in time to free her eyes from the fog and allow her to catch her pocket watch as it fell back down. Only then did her eyes widen at the man as she simply said, “Oh. Sorry ‘bout that.”


Walking around him, Stacy’s eyes drifted back down to her pocket watch as she resumed fiddling with the gears. It seemed that she was quite content with her simple apology and had no intentions of saying anymore.


@shadowdude505 
 
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A new town meant new possibilities, new ideas, and extra useful information. After all, knowledge is power. With that in mind a certain panda reached the outskirts of Mirstone. But not just any panda. To be more specific, it was a giant green-eyed panda, dressed in an embroidered silk robe and wearing very big sandals. It had a conical straw hat on its head and the fur on the lower half of its face looked like a beard. It also stood on two feet and carried a bamboo staff. Rather peculiar. However, using the word 'it' to refer to this specific panda was erroneous. After all, Xiao Bamboo's reasoning abilities weren't inferior in any ways to those of a human, therefore one should use the words 'he' or 'him' while reffering to Xiao. He was a panda, but he was also an individual.


While he was indeed craving for knowledge, Xiao wasn't interested in just any type of it. He was interested in anything that could have helped him polish his martial arts skills, and even if he wouldn't have been able to find it in that specific town, he knew he'd at least be able to find people that'd point him in the right direction.


As the giant panda wondered through the not-so-crowded streets, he'd pay attention to what people where doing, or discussing. He could feel people were watching him as well. Some were confused, while Others were intrigued. Some might have even recognized him as the rumored panda bounty hunter. Of course, Xiao was used to it, so he didn't care much. He had better things to do, than wasting his time to ponder over something like that. He calmly continued to walk.


@Peaceswore
 
Syrin Insinu

Mirstone. Why the hell was he here again? Any other time he would have been fine with dropping by this cesspool of a town, but with the news of a map to the One Piece everyone and their great grandmother were popping out of the woodwork to try their hand at finding the map. Snorting, Syrin took another swig from his flask from the top of the building he was sitting on. What happened to the people that were willing to brave the Grand Line just for the glory of it? To test their skills as pirates! Shaking his head to himself, he chugged the rest of his flask and dropped it on the roof next to him carelessly. This, however, did bring to light what exactly he was doing here. Something to do was necessary for him, he's been too restless simply hopping from one vessel to another in look of whatever work came his way. Besides, considering his actions and reputation that have been steadily growing over the years, no merchant or neutral vessel would hire him anymore, and he'd doubt pirates would appreciate a freelancer going from ship to ship. Not that they could threaten him to spy on others, after all, he has nothing left in this world that he cares for. Well, other than his shoes.


At the thought of his shoes, he looks at his feet and to his immense relief his shoes are, in fact, clean. A large feat of skill considering they were pure white. Sighing for what seemed to be the thousandth time he pushed himself up, grabbing his flask as he did so, and dusted himself off, the chain wrapped around his right arm clanking as he did so. Flipping his hood up and stuffing his flask in his pocket, he hopped off the roof and landed silently in a crouch. Straightening himself, he continued down the street, hands in his jeans pockets. He had two options, Syrin mused to himself, he could go and get some supplies and maybe even pick up an animal companion for his travels, what with the likelihood he'd ever accept any of these pirates as his captain.


"What's the point of believing that someone has a map to the ultimate treasure...?"


Truly, there was no logic in someone spreading word that a map to the One Piece had been found, and that the most likely place to find it was here in Mirstone. In fact, you'd have a better chance of simply finding the One Piece yourself instead of trying to find a map and then the One Piece. Either way, more likely than not, you'd have to go to the Grand Line, so you may as well enjoy the journey. Shaking his head to himself, Syrin simply decided to let it go for now. He had better things to do than consider the idiocy that seemed to have taken over the vast majority of pirates.


"Hoping that the answer will just fall into your lap. You'd think pirates of all people would have a better grasp on reality."


Stopping in front of a bar, he let himself in and went and sat upon the nearest empty bar stool. Motioning the barkeep over, he quietly asked for a refill for his flask and a bottle for his current stay. Paying as he received what he requested, he leaned against the counter and began to drink straight out of the bottle. Blinking slowly, he allowed himself to savor the taste and took a discreet glance around the bar. Seeing nothing of true interest, he brought his attention back to his drink and took another gulp. As his mind immediately drifted back to the current state of Mirstone, and by extension his soon-to-be troublesome state of living he mumbled in aggravation to himself as he seriously considered the benefits of purchasing a pet.


"Fools, the lot of them..."


 

Narivena Veulence

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"I do have some in the back.." The shopkeeper murmured as Narivena threw a few Beli on the counter for the paper. He glanced over Narivena's shoulder at the man behind her with suspicion before nodding as a 'thank you' and leaving to check the back of the shop, rubbing his arm watch with his other hand. A smirk played on Narivena's lips. She gave a quick, carefree glance around the shop, to see where the other customers were and whether they were paying attention.


Her hand reached for the chocolate snack bars next to the counter, knowing fully well there was a man behind her who would probably observe her actions. She quickly snagged three of them and gazed over her shoulder at the man behind her. "Want one..?" she offered one of the bars to the man while putting the other two in one of her pouches. Before either of them could come up with a response, the shopkeeper returned. Narivena pretended to read something interesting on the packaging before she put it back where she had snagged the other two.





" You found some, I see?" Narivena gave her most winning smile and accepted the stack of paper. "Yes, indeed. We rarely get requests like yours, so we stack it in the back." She then reached out her hand to thank the shopkeeper properly. Perhaps a tad too polite? Nah. The shopkeeper seemed surprise by the gesture and was more than willing to shake her hand. With swift movements, the armwatch was off the shopkeeper's hand. For now, he did not seem to notice. Narivena then turned to leave the shop, and intentionally walked into the man behind her, the watch safely placed in her rear pocket.





" Oops, I'm so sorry. How clumsy of me. I should really watch where I am going." she apologized with an embarassed laugh, her hands quickly tried to search his pockets to find anything worth grabbing. There was certainly something in his jacket, but it was difficult to.. AH. Her hands grabbed a small pouch with something light inside. The moment took but mere seconds, but she had gotten what she came for and more to it. She straightened the redheaded man's jacket with an apologetic smile. "Again, I'm so, so sorry!"


" See ya~" she chirped and left the shop in a calm manner, her hand gripping around both the watch and the.. Gunpowder..? she had managed to get her hands on. It would probably come in handy. She stuffed both the newly obtained items within one of her pouches and pulled out one of the stolen chocolate bars. She glanced over her shoulder into the shop one last time before making her way through the crowd, nibbling lazily on her chocolate-bar. She almost felt sorry for the victims of her pickpocketing. Almost. Perhaps she would find a bar next? It was bound to be some gossip or riches to get her hands on.




 



Quintan Vediovis


Misc. Shop -> A bar or restaurant


@BlueUnicorn
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Quintan sighed, his attention caught by the swift movement of a few chocolate bars moving from where they were placed to the woman's pocket. His eyes widened, it seems even the prettiest of women were thieves and pirates at heart. It was truly a shame, no one was spared from the life of crime. He was about to shake his head no when she offered him one, but the storekeeper returned. He was amazed at how cool she acted after just committing a crime, purloining valuable goods! Well, it wasn't very valuable, but it had a cost nonetheless.


His eyes wandered around the shop, wondering if there was anything else worthwhile to buy. Or... take. Ugh, the woman was beginning to rub off on him already. If he remained on this island any longer, he would surely turn into a pirate or criminal of some sort. He didn't want himself, a self-titled scientist, to degenerate into a shameless hood rat, even if he looked like one. As his attention was elsewhere, he felt the women run into him. Quin almost fell on the floor, but caught himself before so.


"Oh, it's quite alright..." It was weird. First, the woman knew he was right there, was she so incompetent at walking that she just bumped into him spontaneously? Maybe she was clumsy. It was kind of hard to not notice him... He was a red-head with leather on rolling around on rollerblades. Nevertheless, he was polite to the woman. "Goodbye, don't fall!" He doubted she would keep from falling after that predicament. He strolled up to the counter, showing the goggles and setting down the beli the man asked for. He thanked him and returned back onto the streets. He returned to performing his swiveling technique.


Where to now? He finished his shopping: a measly bag of gunpowder and a very useful pair of goggles. While pondering his next destination, his stomach growled in discontent. Seemed time to go to a bar or restaurant of some sort.
 
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Cletus T. Bass

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Cletus stopped walking after a young woman ran into him. Her apology didn't change the frown on his face. Cletus turned his head to look at Stacy as she walked away. His hat's bill cast a shadow over one of his eyes. "You better watch were you're going, missy. In a crowd like this you could easily be trampled," he said grumpily, in a way that could be interpreted as a threat. Cletus took a quick drag on his cigarette. "It's probably me who's going to end up trampled though," he muttered to himself as he continued on his way.


Cletus walked up to the shipwright store. After seeing the no smoking sign, he dropped his cigarette onto the ground and twisted his heel to stamp out the embers. Once inside he took a moment to aquatint himself with the store's layout. Cletus walked up to the female employee at the register and asked, "Know anyone willing to hire a shipwright?" The lady shrugged. "You could try asking these fellas," she replied, pointing to a series of wanted posters on the wall. Cletus looked at the posters and started to read the names. Jack "the Ripper", Racknar "the Barbarian", and "Raging Bull" Boris among other dangerous sounding names. "These aren't my kind of clientele," Cletus grumbled.


@DaughterofAthena
 
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Sora Z. Lachance and Sétanta Igramoel




Collab between Peaceswore and Felix

​



Sora having just gotten away from all the damn crowds by going through the alleys sadly had to go by another crowded street just to get to his planned destination. 'Okay.... This shouldn't be too hard. I just need to go to point A to point B. With all these people that won't take more than ten seconds if I just hurry up' He thought as he just stood in the alley for a while as he glared at the other side cursing the fact it was all the way over there. It wasn't until Albi bit his ear that he finally snapped out of it.


Taking a deep breath he walked out into the crowd and headed to the other side, however he only took several steps, six to be exact before he was suddenly shouted at by someone who was probably speaking another language from how fast the man spoke. When crimson hair guy stopped talking he just...face planted on the ground.


"I...I what??" Sora asked as he looked behind him to see if the guy was talking to him only to see that was very unlikely. Placing his pole on the ground he crouched down and looked at the guy. "Oi.... Did you just have a seizer? Hello?" He asked as he poked him several times with his pipe. "Oh....Fuck you don't think this guy is dead right? I mean that doesnt' happen, people don't scream at you and just....straight up die....fuck." Sora siad as he looked at Albi who just looked at Sora confused. "Okay step one to see if someone is dead..... Dump something on their head. Worked every time on me." He muttered as he looked around. "Water, water... Oh!' With that he got up and headed to a near by stand. "Jug of water." He said as he placed the needed money on the stand. With that purchase being finalized he went back to the sleeping guy and nudged him in the head once again. Still getting no response he let out a sigh. "I swear to Christ if this dude just died, I'm probably cursed or something." He muttered before opening the jug and spilling all the contents onto the guys head.


Seth was having a very vivid dream of ermines, dolphins, ermine monkeys, monkey ermines and unicorns accompanied by hyper music and pink and yellow flashes. It was a little spacy, but Seth didn't care. He rode on the unicorn towards a giant ermine. 'Do you want to be my friend?' he shouted. The giant ermine started running towards him to hug him. 10 meters apart, 5 meters, 3,2,1. Splash! Seth jumped up, gasping for air. He was soaking wet and confused. Where did the giant ermine go. He looked around. To his big disappointment he found out that he was in the real world again. A young man was standing over him. He almost could have been Seth's brother, if his hair hadn't been bloodred and a lot taller. ''Did you have to wake me up like that?!'' Seth asked, indignantly. Then he saw the white animal again. Apparently, not all of it had been a dream. ''Hi! I'm Seth. Do you want to be my nakama? Do you have a ship? With a jolly roger and all? What does it look like? How- ''


"Breathe first." Sora said with a sigh as he started to process the very sudden barrage of questions. "Okay why in the hell did you have to pass out suddenly like that? Not that it matters to ya, but I'm Sora, I just met you so why would i want to be friends with someone that I thought died for no reason, yes I have one. An-..............."


''I'm sorry, but I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to your furry friend over there. Didn't your mother teach you manners? And by the way, friends who seem to die for no reason are my favorite kind of friends. At least they don't dump you.'


A tick mark seemed to appear one the back of Sora's head after hearing Seth's response. "Have I been taught manners? Maybe you should be a bit mor-" Before he could finish his sentence however Albi slapped a paw over his mouth making another tic mark appear on the back of his head. The snow white mink starred at Seth for a decent amount of time before giving him a shake of her head and then a nod


Taking the paw off his mouth Sora looked at Albi. "What the hell is the shake and nod for? Are you saying I don't have manners? And the nod was for being friends or are you trying to get rid of some bugs on your head?" The mink looked at Sora and nodded. "Still not telling me which one, not that you can but still..." After saying this he looked around a few times before he looked back at Seth and upon doing so his entire demeanor changed quite a bit. "A-any go we. I-I mean we...sh-sh-should star-start m-moving h-huh?" Sora now started to stutter out as he remembered he was in the middle of a very crowded street one that was making him ever so nervous.


''My friend here seems to like it here..'' Seth said. ''What's the sudden change? Do you suffer from anxiety? Xenophobia? a split personality? Why do you want to go?''


"Wh-Why the hell.. Analyzing me? I mean, doesn't mat-matter. You're not gone, unalive, fuck! I mean dead! You're not dead so I'm leave, left. Leaving!" Sora exclaimed struggling to speak in his usual proper tone. With that he did a sharp turn to leave and sped walk to an alley that was pretty empty at the time, just how he liked it. As he walked Albi looked at Seth with slight curiosity about the man before she went ahead and climbed onto Sora's head to get a better view of the world around her.


''Wait for me!'' Seth shouted as he ran after Sora, hopping from one feet to the other like a delighted child. ''We weren't done talking. Did I mention that your master can be very rude? Thank you for sort of saving me from a fake death ... I guess. You wouldn't mind if I trail along for a while, do you? I doubt there is anything more interesting in this city than you, my friend''.


Sora looked over at Seth but didn't respond to him for a bit, it wasn't until they were half way through the alley did Sora finally take a breath and relax a bit. Once he did he looked at Seth with a raised brow. "Do you even breath? And why would you want to follow someone you figure is rude?" He asked before looking to the side as he placed a hand in his pocket. "Though rude one here is probably you..." he muttered only to look back at Seth. "Also do you want to follow me so you can do more analyzing and such other oddity?"


''Breathing is for the weak''. Seth replied. ''And not for some sea creatures. I wonder how they do it. Do you think I could live without?''


"No...Breathing is for the living. And sea cr-............"


"Once, again, I wasn't talking to you. You are not that interesting, especially in comparison to your pet. Analyzing is what I do. And shooting people and making poison and keeping people sharp and-''


Sora had another tick mark appear on his head in slight frustration at this man. "At least you are fucking blunt." He said with a forced smile while Albi started to laugh quietly. "Got it, got it you do a lot of shit." Sora said as he waved his hands casually before turning and walking down the alley again. "Either way, I actually do mind if you follow me, so don't."


''You're not my boss, or my mother!' Seth shouted. 'I can do whatever I want and right now I want to follow that adorable ermine on your shoulder. You just so happened to be underneath her.''


The sides of Sora's force smile twtiched a bit as he kept walking. "Then why did you bother asking? If you are going to do it anyway don't give someone the illusion of choice."


'Because, contrary to you, I do have manners,' Seth answered, impersonating an English fancy landlord. 'I ask nicely. And then do things anyways. It's how I roll.'


"Whoever taught you manners sure as hell didn't teach you the right ones."


'Glad you asked. As a matter of fact I was taught manners by the shaman of my tribe, the Igramo'El. He taught me how to...' His voiced trailed off. Something strange had caught his eye. Stranger than a man with a pet mink. His jaw dropped from surprise. He was dumbstruck.


"The thing is... I didn't' ask." Sora said as he looked at Seth while he kept walking forward paying no attention to where he was actually walking. "....A tribe? You are fucking with me ri-" Before he could finish his sentence however he ended up bumping right into something rather soft which made him stumble back. Using his pipe he made sure he didn't fall, but he was confused as to who and what he ran into. Pushing some of his hair from his face he looked up and saw something that left him almost as awestruck as Seth. ".....A panda??" He asked in surprise having never seen anything like the one before him.


Seth's day couldn't get any better. First an ermine and now a giant panda and he thought his dreams were weird. He was trying his very best not to collapse from excitement again. ''P-P ... Panda! Awesome!'' Then he ran over to the dressed up animal Sora had run into. ''Whoa there. Sorry Panda-san, my pal proved once more that he has the manners of an animal. Not that I mean anything with that of course. Why am I talking to a panda again? Can you even understand me? You dress funny. Why do you even dress yourself? How can you walk on two paws? Anyways, you're awesome!''


".................I'm serously not his pal. No, really I'm not, anything stupid he does or says is in no way related to me." Sora denied instantly as Seth began his questioning. "...You know that I have a look at you.... You're familiar, I know I've seen your face somewhere but I can't place it....."


@Azure Sky


@Felix
 
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Xiao had stumbled upon quite peculiar individuals. He watched as both of them where shocked by his existence, and what followed afterwards seemed like a comedy routine. "Ah yes, unusual people like these do indeed exist. Haven't met any in a long time" thought Xiao, though he wasn't really one to talk. After all, he was a panda gifted with reason, which wore a silk robe and knew martial arts.


One of the two bombarded him with questions and was hyper about it, while the other said that Xiao looked familiar. The panda smiled at them, and then started speaking: "Greetings, my name is Xiao Bamboo. The reason why I dress myself is the same as the reason why humans do it. Because it is a simingly logical thing to do. I am a rational being and I lived between humans for a long time, so you could say it's a habit that I developed because of my environment. As to why I am able to reason while I am a panda, I do not know". Taking a short break, Xiao looked at Sora and continued his speech: "I used to be a bounty hunter. Maybe that's why I seem familiar".


True, he was once a bounty hunter, but that didn't mean he had a grudge against all pirates and bandits. He knew for a change that some of them did it out of necessity, or simply for the thrill of adventure. By comparison, many of the marines he met where power-hungry maggots, who used their status as an excuse for breaking the law, or doing shaddy business. From the giant panda's point of view, considering that the marines where the good guys and that pirates where the bad guys was extremely simplistic thinking. One's values as an individual and actions determine their moral alignment, not their social, or political status.


Returning to reality after being lost for a little while in deep thought, Xiao watched the two people in front him and awaited their response.


@Peaceswore @Felix
 

Cait Merlin

​



Cait started to feel happier after finishing her song. She packed up her guitar and slung the case over her shoulder before she started to walk through the town. Cait periodically took sips from her Fischer Island Brew as she walked. While walking through the large crowd she was careful not to poke anyone with the dagger-like fins on her wrists. Cait was temped to see if her mother was in the crowd. Judging by the negative looks she was getting for being half fishman, a full blooded fishman would probably avoid the island.


Cait soon found herself in a less crowded part of town. While finishing off the last drops of her beer, she spotted a group of three. Two humans and a panda-man. Cait had noticed the panda first before realizing that there were two more people with him. She tossed her empty beer bottle into a trash can before walking over to the strange group.


"Top o' the morning to ya," she said in cheerful greeting. "Name's Cait Merlin, put 'er there," Cait added as she held out a hand; holding it first out to the panda, unphased by his pandaness, before holding her hand out to the other two men. "I bet I can guess what event brought you three gents together. You guys are looking for the One Piece aren't ya?"


@Peaceswore @Felix @Azure Sky
 
h0bRYtw.png



Clink.


Clink.


Clink.


Many eyes turned and some rolled as the lanky figure passed them. An ashen mane, so long it reached down to the girl's feet, dragged behind her on the floor, forcing small clouds of dust and dirt to billow around her ends. With each slow and disorientated step, metal rattled, sharp and melodic, like chimes, though their musicality was undermined by the permanent scraping of one chain's end grinding against the cobblestone. Hunched over as she was, with unkempt hair, shackles around her wrists and ankles and chained up like a prisoner or a circus animal, people scurried out of her way, unsure who exactly this person could be.


How many good people do you know are forced to wear chains, afterall?


"Seven... Denim... Six... Stitched.... Satin... Linen... Ugh... Two..."


Her mumbles grew quieter and quiter, until they were unintelligible. Her hollow stare raced across the bit of space she could observe in her current posture, and strange feet and legs scrambled in and out of her cone of sight. It confused her, the unrest, the sudden motions. Disorderly and difficult. With a wave of uneasiness washing over her, her back curved further but her head jerked up, allowing a bit of light to illuminate her pale and strangely distorted looking face. Her bronzen eyes hushed over the scenery and stopped upon finding a tall man who she recognized. Not by his name or appearance, but by trade. A servant, doubtlessly. He was different than her. He made her uncomfortable, even, but nevertheless a servant.


"Hello... Where can I find someone to... I want to work. Sl... Servant... Servant?"


Her voice wobbled between unfittingly dismissive and uncivilized, and insecure. Fearful of her words, even. Her head sunk again, glued to the ground and in sync with the lowering chains.


@AllHailDago
 
Scarlet Johanna Indigrid


Though she didn’t hear anything of the prior situation as she was waltzing through town contemplating how to go about assembling a crew, her attention was quickly consumed by something happening practically right in front of her. The voice of a gruff older man calling out, “HEY! THIEF! GET BACK HERE!” Both poorly out of shape and seemingly unwilling to chase after her too far, he made it to the exit of the shop before he had to stop, hands on his knees heaving for breath.


Scarlet’s eyes followed his gaze although whoever his target had been seemed to have either run away too fast for her to pinpoint or they seemed to have simply done an incredible job of blending in throughout the whole ordeal and whichever one it was didn’t really matter to Scarlet. Thieves made good pirates and she needed those… she needed them for her crew. There was nothing else on her mind at that point.


Walking up to the shopkeeper, Scarlet was swift in her purpose. “Do you need help, sir? I’d be willing to find your thief for you if that would be of any assistance. I’ll return what was stolen if it has value.” Her words were genuine and true. Compromise was needed because Scarlet wanted to know how to find the person and surely there was nothing that had been stolen that they couldn’t steal again later.


His eyes turned to her and he looked her up and down for a moment before sighing gruffly. “Some woman came in asking about paper for maps,” he explained. “I got it for her and she seemed nice enough. Now my watch is gone. Little bastard…”


Scarlet chuckled a bit at that comment. “I’ll get it back for you, that much should be easy.” If she could find the person… Scarlet kept that thought to herself, though. “What did she look like?”


“Pirate type… like you. Earrings, scarf, belt… orange hair.”


Before he could continue, Scarlet’s hand flung to her head, swiftly undoing the ribbon in her hair and dangling it in front of his face with fury in her eyes that he would miss something so obvious. “Does this look like a scarf to you?” Tying it then around her wrist while leaving wavy long brown hair cascading along her back, Scarlet turned to leave the man. “It’ll be like finding a needle in a haystack,” she mumbled to herself. “This ought to be fun!”


Mentioned: @BlueUnicorn


Nearby: @Bunny 
 
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Cletus T. Bass

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Cletus walked out of the shipwright store and leaned against one of the deck support beams. He pulled out a silver lighter with a sheriff star design and his initials on it. Cletus lit another cigarette and took a long drag as he began to think about what to do next. Whiling thinking, he heard a man nearby complain to a young woman about a thief described as a pirate type. Cletus wasn't surprised. With a the huge pirate crowd currently at Mirstone, an act of pirate thievery should have been expected.


Cletus happened to glance over at the man and woman. He noticed the woman's red ribbon, a ribbon that he might have saw before in jolly roger form. "Hey missy, you wouldn't happen to be the captain of the Charybdis?" he asked gruffly, pronouncing Charybdis as char-ib-dis. "She looks like a nice ship. Are ya looking for a shipwright?" he asked. "I bet she has one already...," he thought as he puffed smoke while waiting for her reply.


@DaughterofAthena
 
Pok! …….. Pok! …….. Pok! A walking cane slowly ticked against the pavement. An old man walked in the middle of the street. Other pedestrians avoided him. The man looked poor, a ragged brown cloth draped around his barren bones. He probably smelled as well. ‘Mommy, why is that man using a stick?’ a small boy asked. ‘He doesn’t need it, right mommy?’ The boy had a good perception. The man could walk just fine. The limp was faked, though only an aware person would notice, like this little boy. ‘Just move on, Tommy. Or we will miss the bard,’ his mother replied. The child cheered happily and ran along. Pok! …….. Pok! …….. Pok! The man, who was not that old either, moved on as well, moving in the same direction as the boy and his mother.


Left. Right. Right. Left again. The streets went on like a maze. The man had lost track of the mother and her child, but there were enough people who went in the right directions. The people murmured of a storyteller. A talented bard that had come to town. It was a mystery who he was or where he came from. They said that the bard had a wing for an arm, but that couldn’t be true, or could it? The man smiled, showing his deep wrinkles, he was definitely going in the right direction.


Finally, the road debouched into an small square. The square was packed with children, parents, grandparents and some casual bystanders. You would think it would make quite some noise, but it was quiet. Except for one voice: ‘… And thus ended the sixth year. Six years of silence. Six years without crying for the wrong that had been done to her. “Princess, oh Princess. Why Don’t you tell me about your sorrow?” The witch taunted. But the princess wouldn’t speak. “Princess, oh Princess. Why don’t you show me your pain?” But the princess couldn’t cry’.


The old man pushed through the mesmerized crowd to get a clear view of the storyteller. The people he pushed were clearly annoyed to be pushed out of their trance. ‘The princess started on the vest for the youngest brother. Without words and without tears she started gathering the bramble bushes. In the winter she spun and she spun until she had workable yarn. The thorns hurt her a lot, but she knew that she could not cry. Not now. Not when she was so close to saving her brothers. When the snow thawed she started knitting the body.’ The man could see the storyteller clearly now. It was a nice young lad. His soft cheeks complemented to the elegant travel cloak he was wearing. His blond hair was covered by a hood, but a keen eye could spot some grey streaks. Pullu pullu pullu! Pullu pullu pullu! ‘Shhht!’ ‘Silence!’ People whispered.


The man made his way back to the alley and took out his transponder snail. ‘Roger, This is Feitan. Did you see him? Is it him?’ The snail said. ‘Shut up, Fai!’ The old man shouted. ‘It is him. The Swan Prince is in Mirstone. You know what to do. And you better not screw up this time! Or else I will personally -’ Clank! ‘Insolent brat!’ The man shouted to the silent transponder snail. He went back to the square.


The story was still going. ‘… The handsome prince was very charming, but she couldn’t give in. She was almost done with the last vest. The prince saw her pain, even without tears or words. Then suddenly a beautiful woman appeared. The princess immediately saw that it was the old witch in disguise. She tried to warn the prince by making big gestures with her arm, but the prince didn’t notice. She tried standing in front of the prince, but he saw right through her. “Princess, oh, Princess. You have to choose. Your beloved prince or your brothers. ” The witch said. The prince was under her spell. The princess was devastated and desperate, she did not want to choose. She couldn’t lose either her brothers or her beloved husband’.


The old man couldn’t help but be sucked in by the story. The Swan Prince hadn’t earned his fame by telling lame stories after all. ‘In a moment of panic the princess shouted: “I love you! Don’t listen to that old witch!” And then she started crying, because her youngest brother would never be truly human again. Fortunately the prince snapped out of his enchantment as if he was struck by lightning. He took his mighty sword and killed the old hag. However, the princes were not rescued yet. On the last day of the 7 years, 7 swans, who were the enchanted brothers of the princess returned. The Princess put the seven vests made of brambles, woven through pain, on the swans. One by one they turned back into their old selves. Except for the youngest brother, for the sleeve of his vest was not finished. He would have to live with a swan wing for an arm for the rest of his life’.


And now, to finish the big act … ‘The brothers and their sister rejoiced, but the princess felt guilty for her younger brother. She offered him everything he wanted, but he didn’t want anything. He went on to become a great storyteller. And they all lived happily ever after. The End.’ With the last word the storyteller made a big bow, showing both his arms. Or rather, one arm and one … swan wing. This was definitely the guy, the old man thought. Time to capture The Swan Prince. The crowd was still dazed by seeing the swan wing. Their mouths open from disbelief. The man started jostling the crowd to get to the front. Just before he could reach him the audience came into action. They went wild. A standing ovation. Everybody went to the storyteller to empty their beli pouches. The old man couldn’t move through the crowd. He could still see the bard though. Just for a small moment his vision was limited by the head of a big man, probably a butcher or something. ‘Shambles!’ It was barely audible among all the applause and excited voices. When the old man could see the stage again, it was empty. The man cursed out loud. Among all the happy, excited people he let out a roar, a roar of rage. His hood fell back to reveal a hideous disfigured face. ‘Damn you to hell, Cygnus Albireo!’


Cygnus couldn’t help, but smile. He had outsmarted the old man once more. He was on the roof of the building where he had just teleported himself to. And the beli. Quite a lot of beli. He estimated that it was about 200 beli, maybe 300. If he would go into hermitage again he could live for more than a year with this money. But you are not going back. You came here in search of adventure. Adventure was something he had already found plenty of. Soon after he left his last hiding place, an island in the west blue, the disfigured old man and his son had found him. They had tried to capture him time after time, but he had outwitted them every time. It was pathetic. Almost as pathetic as having a wing for an arm. Cygnus sighed. Maybe he could find a good tailor to repair his cloak. He looked at it. A repairment was long overdue. He got up, making sure that the old man and his son wouldn’t see him, and started walking to the city center.
 
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Jasper Pharos and Harleen Van Sant


Jasper had made his way straight to the Charybdis with his supplies. Along the way he had felt unease as he passed several people who were particularly stronger than average. He kept a hand hovering near his weapons at all times in case someone was aggressive. He hoped Lady Scarlet was doing well.


While depositing the supplies he felt like he was being watched. By more than one person at first, but the feeling eased to one after a few moments. He acted as if he noticed nothing and went about his business. He disembarked while keeping an eye out for whoever it might be.


He began walking in the direction of the bars bit stopped as he heard an odd sound. The sound of... chains rattling? He cast a glance around and saw the crowd seemingly make way for a young looking girl in white. Was she a Marine? He immediately gripped his weapons tightly. Wait.. no. She had chains around her wrists. She seemed to be making a beeline for him.


He blinked as she asked... if he knew someone she could serve. Relaxing his grip on one of his weapons he pushed his glasses up. "Someone to serve? Well that is possible. What kind of services do you offer?"


Her head still focusing down Jasper's shoes, she twisted her midsection and faced him, her posture reeking of discomfort. "Service? Anything." The girl with the snowy mane spoke with a sense of fatality and determination that was almost alarming. "I can... do whatever I'm told." she began, her voice gaining a little bit of volume, "I was used as a... tailor? I think my work was... acceptable."


She finally arched up a little bit, purposely trying to stay below Jasper's eye's height. "If you have... fabrics you need to have taken care of... I could do it. Or anything else, I promise." With a subserviant sort of nod she backed off a little bit, and yanked her own head down by pulling on her chains.


Jasper rubbed his chin in thought, fully releasing his weapon in the process. This girl sent off a strong vibe of subservience that belied his concerns of violence. A tailor hm? His skills with the needle definitely left something to be desired. Thinking on Lady Scarlet's love for fashion a tailor would be a most welcome addition.


"Yes, I believe I know someone who would greatly enjoy your services. Would you follow me to her?" It was a question, not a statement. He had no desire to force her to do something she did not wish to. Regardless of her subservience.


With how still she stood, the little shudder that moved her wild mane of hair was noticable, and though her face was difficult to make out due to her stance and hair, the noises that escaped her suggested a less than ideal reaction. After one awkwardly long moment, she jerked her body around, abruptly looking up at Jasper.


"Of course, sir." she replied. Her voice had changed. It suddenly sounded as if the lights had been turned on and her mind has gone off auto-pilot. "Thank you." With short and hectic little breaths, her chest rose and fell repeatedly, as if she had just finished a race. Her tilted head not letting off of Jasper, whom she stared at with intense but friendly eyes. "How can I show my gratitude?"


The seeming transformation of the girl unsettled Jasper slightly. However after but a moment it was clear to him it was not a transformation akin to his. She seemed more aware and human-like rather than less. She seemed more... alive like this. It was actually a little nice.


"Gratitude? I have no need for such a thing. We can see if my Lady would like to employ your services. If so show your gratitude to her." With that and a smile he began to lead the way towards the bars. However after a bit of time it was apparent she was not around. Perhaps she went to the shopping district. Yes, that would make sense.


"Apologies but it seems we must make for the shopping district instead. I am sure we will find her there. She has a penchant for shopping after all." He gave a light smile. He had to figure out a way for Lady Scarlet and himself to communicate directly after this. It would prevent needless headaches such as this.


Harleen's mouth curled, her face seemingly unphazed by the absence of her potential new master. "I can look for her, if you'd like..." she offered, though did not move an inch without Jasper's answer demanding as such. It seemed the surrounding customer's did not reach her. She certainly disgregarded the scenery around her fully.


Jasper shook his head. "That should not be necessary. I am sure we will find her just fine together. If you see her feel free to say so. She has brown hair with red ribbons in it." With that he began leading.... he realized he did not know her name. As he lead her through the streets he decided to chat a bit.


"Apologies Miss but I did not catch your name. You may call me Jasper. What might I call you?"


Harleen trotted along willingly, her chains continuing to provide the subtle rattling. "Oh?", she uttered, looking unhappy. She pulled on her hair once, holding a few white hairs in it. "I'm sorry. I'm Harleen. Harleen A... van Sant. Or Harley. People... people used to call me Harley." She spoke calmly, but looked upset and gave Jasper apologetic stares.


"Then if you do not mind I will call you Miss Harley. To sate a bit of my own curiosity, what level of combat skill do you possess, Miss Harley?" He wanted to know if somehow he was right to be wary, even if it was not her intent to aggress him. He had met plenty of powerful people with such an air about them.


Harleen's nosed wiggled subtly, like an animal inspecting a strange object. "Miss Harley... I... If you wish." She seemed neither upset nor delighted about his choice, rather than indifferent. Her hands balled into fists, causing a light chiming of her chains colliding with one another. "Allakus wanted to train me... He was very nice... I can... kill people?" She seemed unsure, or maybe shocked to verbalize it. "I won a lot of fights on the resort. They liked making me fight... They said so." No pride lied in her words, though she was unsure if she had an opinion on her past deeds to begin with.


Jasper drumed his fingers across Luna's hilt. Well it seemed he would not likely have to worry about her defending herself or Lady Scarlet, which was good. Although for some reason he felt the need to keep an eye on her just in case. Maybe it was a certain kinship that made him wary of her like he was of himself. Either way, he would allow Lady Scarlet to decide things as was proper.


He glanced around through the crowds and a flash of red caught his eye. He spotted Lady Scarlet talking to an older store owner and being spoken to outside a shop. He made a beeline for her, making sure Miss Harley was able to keep stride. "There you are Lady Scarlet," he said with a small bow, "I am glad I found you."


"This young lady here was looking for someone to serve. She seems to be a battle capable tailor. I thought she might peak your interest." As he spoke he stepped to the side and made a half bowing gesture with a hand towards Miss Harley. "This is Miss Harleen A van Sant."


@DaughterofAthena @Sunbather
 
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Stacy Beauregard



Turning her head as she heard the man with the cigarette call to her while she had started walking away, Stacy simply nodded in reply. “Yeah… sure…” She didn’t really care what he had said although she had heard it. She knew well enough not to get herself trampled in a crowd of people. That would smash the gears of her pocket watch and then she’d be eternally lost. No knowledge of time and nothing to entertain her boredom… that was not her goal at the end of the day.


Meandering and weaving through the bustling crowds upon the busy streets, Stacy had to take a moment to contemplate what it was exactly she was looking for. She needed work, especially if she was going to be on the island for a while. She needed something to do - and that was important. Having someone to talk to would have certainly been a bonus prize. Surely there was someone here who had an amusing thought in their head.


Her feet carried her into a nearby bar where she lept onto a barstool, practically shoving the man who had been sitting on it aside despite the fact that he had been getting up and preparing to move already anyway. Calling to the bartender, Stacy requested, “Old Fashioned, please sir!” After receiving a brief nod from the bartender, Stacy’s gaze drifted around the bar seeking anything mildly amusing.


She heard the man talking beside her. “Fools?” she inquired curiously, raising an eyebrow at the dark haired man. “And who might you be referencing there? All of them… maybe myself included?” Legitimately curious, Stacy truly hadn’t heard about who he was referencing.


@Exanis



Scarlet Johanna Indigrid



“Well, to be a Captain kind of implies that you have a crew,” Scarlet sighed as she heard a man ask a question of her though she didn’t turn to look at him right away. Her head swiveled, looking around to see if she could spot the thief who she had promised to find. Though she didn’t see who she was looking for, her eyes did fall upon another familiar soul.


Her eyes turned finally to the person who’d approached her and asked a question of her. Scarlet couldn’t help but smile. “Though I suppose if one person counts as a crew then you could call me a captain. Charybdis is my ship and I mean to sail the Grand Line and find the One Piece… that’s why I’m here. We need the map.”


Almost perfectly in time with her finishing her statement, Jasper and his companion had arrived standing beside her and she waved her hand towards him in a slightly over dramatic fashion. “Meet my crew!” Briefly, Jasper’s words commanded her attention and her gaze drifted to Harleen for a moment, barely taking in the sight of her before she simply nodded. “Perfect!”


Eyes flickering between Jasper and Cletus, she swiftly turned her full attention to the new man. “Well, it seems my crew is growing, though it’s quite a sizable ship if you truly have seen it. I imagine we’d have room for one who could keep it afloat.” Smiling at him, she extended her hand his way. “Scarlet Johanna Indigrid’s my name; Captain Scarlet will do.” Shrugging towards Jasper, she added, “Or Lady Scarlet if you really do prefer.”


Sighing, she spun around surveying her little group of ragtag crew members. “Has anyone here ever actually been a pirate before?” she inquired curiously, seeming to doubt that anyone had been. “I sailed with one once, but I didn’t intend to become one at first. There’s a thief I’m trying to find because it would be good to have one who knows how to steal. That seems like an important pirate trait, wouldn’t you agree?” It wasn’t clear to which of them she was speaking. Anyone would really be sufficient, she thought.


@Sunbather @shadowdude505 @AllHailDago
 
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