Fandom One Piece Brave New World

[SerbianMounted]

Our story begins in the Town of the Beginning and End: Loguetown. Birthplace of the infamous pirate Gol D. Roger which also served as his execution site some 22 years ago. Seagulls cry as they tear through the clouds of a clear blue sky here in the East Blue. The smell of fresh ocean tide wafts in with the breeze, busy citizens bustle about the marketplace to procure goods, and pirates and navalmen alike scurry through the stalls of the marketplace to resupply before journeying onward to that famed stretch of ocean where dreams are told to come true: the Grand Line.

Located at just a few days of travel from the Grand Line's sole entry-point Reverse Mountain, Loguetown has served for years as the place for premiering Pirates to embark on the first leg of their adventure in search of the One Piece. The island itself is small, almost entirely covered by the township's quaintly sized two and three story stone buildings and sub one thousand permanent residents. Little did the world realize, it would be here that the next crew of Pirates that would forever change the world would meet here, and set sail on that voyage of the lifetime to find the treasure of all treasures.

A young man with round spectacles and a marine's uniform shadows a looming figure who's head reaches out of frame as part of an advancing unit of patrolling marines. His hair is lavender purple, and straight save for a single affronting cowlick that refuses to go down no matter how many idle combs he gives with his left hand. In the hands of numerous vendors they pass is a copy of Loguetown's local paper. Usually a tribunal containing the scant report of fishing habits, the odd heartwarming story of a lost animal found and advertisements for vendors trying to boost their publicity, the Loguetown Onlooker had a new headline fresh off the presses from that morning which captivated the marketplace:

"GHOST SHIP FOUND OFF THE COAST OF THE POLESTAR ISLES: NONE DARE ENTER, NONE MAY BOARD"

"Captain," Chief Petty Officer Allium inquired as the pair made their advance through the Market, his eyes affixed to the newspapers. "What do you make of this ghost ship business?"

To his left, our camera pans to show the side profile of the young man's commanding officer: a woman who appears to be in her early fifties, with tight bunned, silver streaked brown hair that peaks through a standard issues snapback cap with 'MARINE' in bold letters on the front. She picks up a stray fruit from a market stall to inspect, and turns to the boy, her title and name displayed in a card for us to introduce her properly: CAPTAIN GRIZELDA SINCLAIRE, "THE LUNAR PALADIN". A giant lucerne hammer is slung over her back, and fluttering from her shoulders is a white captain's jacket that bears the word 'JUSTICE', denoting her commanding station.

"Well I suppose...." the woman placed a finger to her chin, thinking aloud. "It's likely just a vessel that survived a deadly battle between some pirates, a bit of exploited intrigue to arouse interest in a bored local township."

Allium turned, affixing his glasses as he read over the paper once more. "But it says right here that none seem to be able to board the ship. I'm fairly concerned this could be more than a local prank. Perhaps we should send a few men to investigate, right Captain?"

"....."

"Captain?" Allium turned to find his commanding officer completely asleep as she stood, her head cocked at the side as she fell into another one of her 'narcoleptic episodes'.

"C-captain!"

~

PIKE Guppy Franz Squad141 NoviceOfRoleplay ​

 

[PIKE]

A tall and haggard man watched this scene unfold from a nearby alleyway. He wore a tattered cloak and carried a large briefcase in each gloved hand.
He scolded himself. He certainly shouldn't have spent so much time on this island, with it's probably lack of any talent. These 'pirates' hadn't even been tested by the Grand Line, and the Marine presence was unlikely to improve. Despite these reasons to leave, he simply couldn't allow himself to settle for below fair value on the loot he brought in from his self-imposed confinement.
Various pirate trinkets, gold, and obscure maps from his collection took several days to sell to the proper vendors, but for his trouble he had close to one million Berries to spend on a ship, or passage on one. It was a difficult journey just to get here, paddling from Nobig Island on a raft made of nothing but bolted driftwood, all while the salty sea spray sapped his energy. If he wanted to get any further, he would need to book passage with a navigator worth their salt. He skirted away from the Marine Captain and her lackey and moved along the alleyways to whatever counted as a proper shipyard here.
Stealth was of the utmost importance here, being a Fishman in an entirely human town, and a wanted pirate besides. He took the utmost precaution to avoid patrols, lines of sight, possibilities for any conflict. His mind was tactically trained and sharpened, there was only one problem.

Dragut was a nearly 12 foot tall blue Fishman, and his mustache jutted awkwardly in his cloak to make him look like an even stranger figure. He would need to bring strong negotiating terms to any parley to make it out of Loguetown in one piece.

 

[Guppy Franz]

"Come now folks, come now! Take a number and partake in East Blue's finest dishes! Deliciousness that befits royalty brought to you the common people at affordable prices! " a large burly olive-skinned middle-aged man dressed in white silk robes and orange turban called out atop a box near a crowded stall, his wide smile spread across his face, just barely visible beneath his thick black beard that reaches down to his chest. Atop his right shoulder sat a small girl in a bright yellow dress with a purple flower tucked behind her left ear, gently swinging her legs from the man's shoulder while holding a small sign drawn in bright colors, a smile to match the burly man.

'Nadir Feasts'​

The display caught many passersby's attention, resulting in several interested market-goers inspecting the stall only to be immediately ensnared by a near mouth-watering scent of cooking food. Surrounding the stall, the smell of meat, spices, and other rich ingredients practically memorized the crowd. The real show however was for those near the front of the stall, close enough to watch in amazement as the chefs of this small stall prepared the meals for all to see. On both the left and right side of the stalls were two young identical siblings around their mid-teens. To the left a young girl with deep black hair tied into a ponytail while wearing a grey t-shirt, tan trousers, and a black apron tied at her waist. To the right was a young boy with short black hair in a white t-shirt and baggy blue shorts. Both of these siblings worked at such impressive speeds, their skills clear for all to see as they chopped and mixed ingredients with trained talents, their sweaty faces stone-like and eyes steely as they focused on the task in front of them. Though both the siblings deserved praise for their young talent, much of the crowd's attention remained on the tall man in the center of the stall, drawing awe from many of the surrounding customers as they watched on. Within the center of the stall stood a grinning man with his long red hair tied into a ponytail, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows as his hands danced around his workspace in such fluent motions. Stirring, cutting, seasoning, flipping, all was done in such precise and fluent actions it looked as if it was as easy as breathing for the man, and for Rico, it practically was!

His bright green eyes slowly scanned his workspace as his hands danced from task to task, occasionally flicking upwards to the crowd with a bit of amusement and joy. A few scattered children amongst the crowd who had squeezed their way to the front watched on in dazzled amazement and watering mouths, both hungry and in awe from the show. Feeling his grin spread across his face, Rico plucked a spatula from the stove top in front of him, tapped the edge of the utensil against the hot metal surface, and leaned to the left to gently yet quickly flick up three an un-cracked egg from the counter, swiftly catching all three between his fingers with his other hand without looking. Once he knew he had the children's attention Rico gave a wink and began twirling the eggs in his hand with ease before flicking them into the air, twisting around and fully spinning on his heel until he faced the crowd again with his spatula held out and his eyes upwards with a focused glint in his gaze. As the first egg fell Rico slipped his tongue out through his lips in concentration before catching the first egg on his utensil with ease, his eyes never leaving the air above him as he quickly tracked the remaining two eggs. In Swift and precise movements, he caught the remaining eggs, balancing all three atop one another before hearing a wave of applause and cheers, glancing back up to see not only the children, but the older customers smiling and clapping at his little trick. He couldn't help but chuckle before hearing a sigh to his left. "Again, with the tricks. At this point, they'll be expecting me and Sharik to do the same," Luna said with a small frown as she glanced over to Rico. A small laugh came to the right of the stall as Sharik slipped a plate of food onto the counter in front of him to a waiting patron.

"Oh come on Luna, they're fun for the crowd while they wait. Besides, we could pull the same tricks off, easy," he said with a smile as he flipped a knife in his hands. The other sibling scoffed and looked at her brother.

"Last time you tried to copy Rico here you ended up with a bunch of cracked eggs on your head. Took poor Mother a whole hour to pluck those shells from your hair," she stated with a slight smirk before beginning to dice up onions atop her cutting board. Rico snickered at the memory as Rico gave a pouting huff, giving the young boy a shrug before flicking the three eggs into his hand as he looked at him.

"It was a good attempt, but it takes a while to get it right," he said with a smile before cracking all three eggs between his knuckles into a pan. "Can't tell you how many times the sisters had to comb through my hair when I first started to master this trick," he chuckled, the memory of a frustrated old Nun picking through his hair as she lectured him. The smile on his lips grew soft for a moment before he glanced over to a piece of cooked fish to his right scooped it up on his spatula and slipped it onto the plate to his right for Sharik. "Plate please," he said and was quickly answered with a swift motion of Sharik as he took the fish and began plating the meal. This cycle went on for a bit of time before the crowd finally began to thin, many customers leaving satisfied and entertained. As Rico prepared to start his next dish he paused as someone tapped his shoulder. Looking over he saw a middle-aged woman smiling softly at him, dressed in a white buttoned-up shirt with the sleeves rolled to her elbows, black trousers, and a white apron. "Ah, Lila, your back. How was the shopping?" he asked as he turned to her, wiping his hands clean with his apron.

"It was fine, plenty of fresh ingredients from this morning's shipment," she answered with a smile before beginning to tie her chestnut hair into a bun. "I can take it from here for now, you three have been at it all morning," she said, glancing between the three cooks manning the stalls.

"I'm fine Mama," Sharik said as he slipped diced vegetables into a pot.

"I'm fine as well Mother. If anything, Rico here should take a break," Luna said as she pointed a knife at Rico, making him cock an eyebrow.

"What makes you think that? I'm fine to keep going too," he stated with pursed lips, the stubborn chef side of his brain feeling slightly insulted that the rookies thought he couldn't keep up. A soft chuckle brought his attention back to Lila as she finished her hair and poked his chest.

"We don't doubt that, but I bet you didn't eat anything yet today again, have you?" she questioned, causing both the siblings to glance over to Rico with amused smirks upon seeing him get caught by their mother again. Rico gave a sheepish smile before rubbing the back of his neck. Lila sighed before patting his shoulder. "Just go and eat dear, things are slowing down, and I can still keep up with the best of them," she said before slipping into his former workspace. "Today is your last day with us anyways, so there's no need to push yourself," she finished before falling into work. Rico gave a small sigh before stepping away from the stall, heading for the large wagon that acted as the family storage space for the Nadirs. As he passed a small sack filled with apples, he plucked one of the fruits from the bunch and fell into his thoughts as he wiped it clean on his shirt. He felt a bit sad to leave the warm family today. Though it has been a short time since he met Amir and his family, they have been more than welcoming to him. But he has earned more than enough Beries to support his travels. The reminder of his goal out on the sea brought a small frown to his face as he sat on a crate near the back of the wagon. The swirling thoughts in his head continued to bother him before a shuffling sound caught his attention.

Arching a brow, Rico slowly rose to his feet and quietly made his way around the wagon where a section of boxes and barrels was. For a brief moment, he saw something slip between the crates and barrels before hearing the familiar sound of silverware scraping against a plate. Soon a knowing smirk came to his face before approaching the crates and barrels and leaning over to see a small form hiding behind the storage, only seeing the top of their head of hair and the plate of fried shrimp rice he had prepared and set out earlier. Rico knew there had been a thief stealing from the inventory lately and decided to leave out a little trap to catch them, but he honestly didn't think it'd work. With a small smile, he leaned on a barrel looking down at the caught thief, and took a bite of his apple. "So, how is it? Better than the unprepared ingredients you've been stealing right?" he asked with an amused tone as he relaxed against the barrel, making sure to come off as nonthreatening as possible.

NoviceOfRoleplay

 

[NoviceOfRoleplay]

NOOOOOOOOOAAHHH~ Daff O'Dil

​

The vast sky, blue ocean, and the waves of adventure crashing onto you were persistently awful facets of life after navigating a sea for two weeks with a raft and the same sour berries you wrongly grabbed for your adventure. Daff O'Dil reached Loguetown, praised every dry stone, and then tried to chew on the rocks.
Daff knew Loguetown was the perfect place to go to if he was going to get his ship to the Grand Line! He was wrong!

The first week he stalked the brave blue, white marines in the base. People there were respectfully stuffing themselves with papers, ink, and the same bland two meals they'd rotate: yellow-onion curry on white rice and sausage or fish stew that added red potatoes for filling. Daff would steal a bowl from lower ranks because they'd be blamed for incompetence over a 'cafeteria ghost'. He'd eaten near the transponder snails to listen for any ships heading to the Grand Line, but...no one was going. He even tried to stalk a captain who would go out of the base, but he only learned new sleeping positions from her (which proved to be useful).

The second week he tried to keep near the docks to scout out anything in general. Nothing! Not even the worst of the crop, suspected pirates/criminals weren't even talking about going to the Grand Line (Daff had guessed their lives because they were missing a lot of teeth). While he was jumping ship to ship, he snacked on rations on each ship, worse than the marines and a hair above the berries he'd trapped himself to grow to get to this deceitful town.

I wonder how that captain can hold such a big hammer. Maybe someone helps her take it off her back? Maybe it is common for rich people to come here because the marine base should make it safe for them. It could be connected to height - the taller a big human is the more money they make. Big humans can preference for height, so I wouldn't be surprised if that played a role in who to work for, who to buy stuff from, or who a rich person to mate with to breed more rich people.

Two months passed, Daff had gone through an empty bar, stalked the arms shop, and went through every building in this town - not peep about leaving to the Grand Line. He Daff had settled on a burrow underneath the Arms Shop. He'd store the remainder of his raft, some plants, and leftover food in a snug 3-foot hole. He was fine without a living room since he was out most of the day. He'd enjoyed learning about the city, like how awful their food was. Besides one place, everything tasted like it was cooked with hatred and the color grey's weird cousin.

With things feeling grim here, this week Daff started to think he'd have to take things into his own hands. I need to buy a boat. Surveillance turned into surveillance with a reward. His first target was a 12-foot-tall cloak guy who always had something to sell. Watching him for a few hours, he'd notice he had a bunch of stuff to sell to shops - while trying to be...sneaky? Daff respected his business, then swiped some gold when the guy left the jewelry shop (all it takes is a series of cartwheels through the air right as the shop door opens - then touch the product and pop out). First heist, success!

Daff wondered how much gold someone would need to buy a ship, probably like a bag full. It would be good to borrow from that cloaked guy maybe once a day. Daff was feeling good about himself, so he went to the only sanctuary of food in the city.

This stall would be busy from Morning till afternoon-ish. It was great to borrow from because the crowd kept cooks busy and in the afternoon he'd still be able to grab a bite because that's when they'd usually take longer breaks or be busy learning. Plus, until recently, their food was far better than most of the mush around the city.

When that red-haired guy came, the stall would be filled with smells that Daff had never known was possible! He hadn't gotten to eat anything of the chef's, but eating the food he could by proximity was its own seasoning.

Today, not only had Daff pulled off a perfect heist, but there was golden rice laid on a plate forgotten inside a crate. The rice would have been enough, buta peeled, crispy shrimp pranced on the rice as if they were stars meant for a play of joy and the death of sorrow. Green gems dotted the rice, red gems, jewels upon jewels of flavor hidden in every bite to reward a lucky miner. Oh, how devious these vegetables were, each playing coy with the tongue to not overpower the palette. Those vegetables wanted to trick you into thinking that the shrimp was the focus of this, but their supporting roles deserved applause for how skillful and surprising they played their part.


Daff ate, adorned with the best of the world. For a crown, a ring embedded with goldfish and a large pearl that almost matched the size of Daff's head. For accessories, A piece of golden silk worn as a toga as flattering that flattered Daff's figure. For a face, a smile that was laced with grease and bits of rice.

The face did change when Rico greeted the little king in the crates.

Daff cried, "NOOOOOOOOOAAHHH~", the dwarf fell back in shock and bobbled back up. He ate as he talked, "You weren't supposed to see me...I MADE MYSELF AS INCONSPICUOUS AS POSSIBLE!"

"...Please don't make me pay for the food, I don't have much...."The gold would cause glare to hurt Rico's eyes.

"..."

"I need a boat..."

"Uhhh...."

"Are you a good big human or a bad big human?"
Guppy Franz

 

[Squad141]

Indigo barely regarded the concerning passing-out at a stall a few feet away from him, his nose buried in the day's newspaper. How exciting, he thought, that in the span of him arriving to town there were already fresh mysteries and strange events abound. He would have gone to see if there was a search party heading towards the ship, but the seemingly impossible-to-board nature slightly deterred him. Going alone certainly wasn't a great idea, and it was already a detour for his initial plans.

It had only been months ago that he had spoken with Uncle Tok about what really happened to his parents all those years ago. Their deaths, the Nautilus helmets and their mysterious origins, and the lighthouses. After spending nearly all of his life in a single area on the East Blue, Indigo B. Bright had made a choice; he was going to finish his parents' work. He would find travel and document every lighthouse, many of which apparently existed primarily on the Grand Line, one of the most dangerous areas on the planet. Without much guidance to begin his journey, Indigo and Uncle Tok devised a plan. Indigo would travel to Loguetown, a well-known area with a clear shot to Reverse Mountain, the only entrance to the Grand Line.

Indigo closed the paper, determining that the trip would be too off-road for the moment. He had fashioned his Nautilus helmet into a satchel by flipping it upside down so the hole was easily accessible and connecting hardened fish leather on either side to act as the strap. With him were a few tools, some trinkets and memorabilia, a book or two, a mini-transponder snail to talk with Uncle Tok whenever he liked, and some survival supplies for the long trip. He knew that he'd have to get more before he left, but that led to Indigo's next issue: he couldn't find passage to the start of his journey. After failing to find a working Log Pose, he hadn't spoken to anyone willing to go to the Grand Line. Indigo had even considered a number of shady-looking characters that seemed to be pirates, but the mere mention of the Grand Line made them sweat.

Walking through most of a market street, Indigo exited into the shipyard on his fourth day in Loguetown, a little less hopeful than last time. There weren't even as many ships as there had been in the past few nights; had something happened? No, that seemed silly. He continued scanning the yard as he walked between repair crews and quiet gossipers, trying to get a read on today's crowd. Indigo began going through his satchel as he walked, searching for his Berrie stache to have on hand. Without looking however, a split-second collision knocked the young man onto the ground. Most of his research involving the Grand Line had spilled out over the feet of the unwilling roadblock Indigo had stumbled into.

"Oh, sorry, sir!"

Scrambling to gather his things, Indigo looked up and paused, realizing that he had collided with a blue Fishman with a fantastic mustache.

PIKE

 

[PIKE]

There was a reason Dragut had so carelessly bumped into the man on the street. While holding both briefcases of cash in his left hand, he focused on the stack of Berries in his right, muttering to himself the count.

"996,990. 997,000. 997,100. 997,200! Arghh! How am I almost 3 thousand Berries short! my estimates were perfect for market value and my haggling! Someone must have pilfered some cash from here when I wasn't focused."

Dragut was broken from his fixation when he had nearly tripped over someone half his size . Upon this realization he adjusted his demeanor accordingly as to not make an even greater scene. He looked the man over, noticing the strange styled bag at his side. Most of the people here dressed so drab and unremarkable they merely blended into the background, but this one had a certain flair to him.
Normally the only types he noticed were Marines and Pirates, since they were the bigger threats to his well being here in Loguetown, but this individual didn't seem affiliated with either side? He fixed his dour expression and put the concerns of finances aside for now.

"Oh no no, it was certainly my blunder sir. I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking. Say, you wouldn't happen to work in the shipyard would you? I'm looking for a place to procure passage off this island to Reverse Mountain."

Dragut picked up the paper the man was carrying, reading a similar headline to what he had heard those marines speaking of earlier. Perhaps some strange occurrence would draw some talent there soon. It may be wise to keep apprised to the news going forward, for the purposes of recruitment, but for now, he may have a perfectly good opportunity in front of him. He handed the man his newspaper.

"Interesting Bag there."

 

[Guppy Franz]

As the little thief was startled by Rico's sudden appearance, he covered his mouth with the back of his hand, holding back a chuckle in amusement as he spoke with his mouth full and claimed to be inconspicuous. 'Clearly not enough,' he thought to himself, before taking another bite of his apple and chewing with a smile as he took a quick look at the caught thief. Rico arched a brow, not expecting the thief to be wearing such fancy attire. With the crown, giant pearl on their head, and fine silk toga, one would think they were royalty. However, Rico couldn't remember the last time he saw royalty stealing food and eating behind a pile of crates and barrels. The thought slowly brought a small frown to his face as he fell into his mind, slowly filtering through the questions arising from this thief as he continued to speak, quietly listening and squinting his eyes as the shining gold briefly irritated his vision and only adding onto the questions. He failed to reply as the thief pleaded not to force him to pay, too deep in his thoughts.

Finally, as the small thief asked his question Rico visibly snapped out of his thoughts, tilting his head at the question before pursing his lips as he pondered it. Well, Rico wouldn't call himself a good human, but he did like doing good things. After a moment a long grin came to his face before he hopped onto the crates and laid down on his side, propping his head up with his free hand and munching on his fruit as he looked down at the stranger. "I'd say I'm pretty good, yeah. Well, good enough to trust at least" he chuckled before shaking his head as he swallowed. "And don't worry about paying for the food. The owners have been packed with business lately and you've not really made that big a dent in their supplies," he assured him as he recalled the many busy days behind the Nadir Feast stall. It was true, the Nadirs had even managed to purchase themselves a real home in the town with the wave of business that had come their way, so these little thefts hadn't hurt them much. "They're generous people anyway, I'm sure they'd give you extras for free if you asked," he laughed lightly before sliding his legs off the crate and sitting up, looking down at him with a grin.

"Names Rico by the way, Rico Altori," he introduced himself with a nod and took a final large bite of his apple. "What's your name? It'd feel rude if I just called you Thief," he said with a smile before looking at the crown on his head, inspecting the goldfish and pearl on his crown, pursing his lips. "Pearl, or Goldy maybe, if you don't want to tell me," He suggested with a smirk and began gently swinging his legs atop the crate, the back of his boots knocking against the wooden surface.

NoviceOfRoleplay

 

[SerbianMounted]

The Docks - Dragut and Indigo

As Dragut and Indigo began to talk, a great commotion was heard by the docks that fell on both of the men's ears. A group of dockhands crowded by a vacant port, a number of voices calamitously piling over one another as a choice few began tying knots around the dock's posts to prep for a new ship to secure. Coming into view for Dragut and Indigo was the fabled ship that Indigo had spotted on that morning's Tribune: a galleon that looked as though it was freshly made to sail. Two masts perched high, from the downwind view the two would be pirates had from Loguetown's street, the crow's nests would appear to cut through the clouds themselves. The Gaff sails were a rich cream white, the jibs folded neatly into position, and the foresail and main sail stark white and undecorated of a jolly roger, the trademark of a maiden vessel that had yet to be taken by a crew Marine or Pirate.

Most curious of all was that in spite of its lack of crew, the ship did not appear as though it was not being manned. Several large men, seven feet in height or more, gripped tight with rope lassoed onto the ship's deck beam and masts, desperately trying to pull the ship into dock. Yet the waves were calm, there was scantly even a wind to be felt in the air. Yet as they pulled the ship seemed to pull away wishing more than anything, to the observer anyhow, to be free.

Eventually though, the ship was no match an entire crowd of deckhands as it was reigned into place. The ship loomed, a large shadow casting over the docks and into the bay itself. A man wearing a white and black shaped shirt which bore the word 'COAL' on the back in bold letters, sporting a newscap, a mustache a few inched shorter than Dragut's, slapped the morning's tribune onto his open palm. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his front shirt pocket, and burned the tip with a match. "What a beast," he muttered, utterly confounded while the crew of several dozen took a break from their labor. He sat, cross legged and no taller than 4 feet on the barrel. He looked to be in his sixties, with fine wrinkles lining his face, and a bald spot well concealed.

"Well let's board her," the dockmaster outstretched his hand, gesturing for some spare men to bring out the gangways. Two were placed, side to side, and angled with spokes upright to hold feet steady as a few brave deckhands ventured forth. Yet, just as they crossed midway and hovered over the bay's waters, like magic, the deckside fences bent and fell in a wave so the gangways turned upside down. With a SPLASH members of the crowd fell into the drink, coughing and swimming to get back on dry land.

"Haunted Ship! It's a Haunted Ship I SWEAR!" shouted a disgruntled deckhand.

-

The Market - Daff and Rico

As Daff and Rico conversed, they too heard a wild commotion coming from the market, just behind them.

"I said young man, I am not interested in selling my goods to the likes of pirates," an elderly woman announced with a sharp indignation to her tone from a stand that sported some tomatoes for sale. The woman wore a floral yellow skirt with an apron atop it, and seemed to be conversing with a man no older than twenty five. His hair was done into a pointy crimson red mohawk, and under his right eye he bore a small tattoo of a 'T' that bounced a bit when his eye twitched in hesitation. He wore no shirt, yet donned on a brown leather duster that swept to his feet, where cowboy boots gently settled into the cobblestone street.

"Lady," the thug shrugged his hands out a bit when she spoke to him. "I didn't say sell me, I said give me,"

A pistol was pulled out from the man's leather holster, and pointed in her face. The vendors of the market all gasped as they turned their attention. As soon as the crowd looked on in terror, all eyes began to fall on Captain Sinclaire, the likes of which was still fast asleep standing stiff as a board. Her young ward Allium turned, in shock, as his hands began to wrap around the tall woman's arms, shaking her with a ferocity. "Captain! Captain wake up! There's a crime in progress!!!"

With the absence of the captain, the armed man clicked the hammer back into place, readying it to fire into the elderly merchant's face. The old woman was paralyzed as he began to chuckle a little absently, his eyes slightly widened. This man was certainly crazy!

"Wait!" Lila from the Nadir's scrambled from her stall, pulling up in front of the man's gun and between the old woman. "Wait, just h-hold on! If it's free food you want I can give it to you, just leave her alone."

Squad141 PIKE Guppy Franz NoviceOfRoleplay

 

[NoviceOfRoleplay]

It is good to know that the family here is doing well enough not to worry about money~ Daff O'Dil

​

Minutes turned to hours, then to seconds, then to days, then to milliseconds, then to a normal pace as the victim spoke to Daff. The dwarf was at the mercy of this individual’s choice.

This was an agreement his family made for all that they continued to steal from outside of Dresserosa. There were three stipulations before this mercy was considered: the victim would not immediately die from their items being stolen, they did not know who the perpetrator was, and the other two requirements held no water if the victim was a bad person with all evidence given to dwarf to the point of the theft.

The above was important to reiterate as this paragraph was a continuous reel in Daff’s brain until the big human said,”don’t worry about paying for the food.” Daff let his body fall forward into the rice with relief strewn in his veins.

The big human saying he was good would be enough, no need for the usual tests if Daff was already questionable at the moment.

Daff still stuffed the rice as fast as possible into his cheeks-turned squirrel pouches of food. The fried rice was replaced by cowardly grease before Daff replied with, “I appreciate not calling me Thief…I’m Daff O’Dil. Thank you for not being so mad and - “

And Daff’s head was cleared with rice inside him and his anxious thoughts calming.

“I’m happy to know you are a trusted big human. I didn’t know if someone like you would be hard to find in the big world. I was prepared for liars like if I was going to sneak on a ship with marines or disgusting pirates.”

Daff’s body blurs to Rico’s eyes after Rico’s third knock of his boot. Air replaces Daff. Daff reappears to the side of the stall facing the street. He stands right above the side of the stall that houses a crude safe box of thin metal and faded blue hues below in cove of. Daff leans over the ledge facing inward to the stall and rips open the cover of the safe box with a single hand.

“It is good to know that the family here is doing well enough not to worry about money, “ Daff said. Daff stays leaned over because he’s a bit lazy and wants to see how many berries he can grab from this awkward position.

He may have been caught by Lila if the chestnut head didn’t get her attention taken away. Daff should have paid no attention to gasps or Lila because the red-haired pirate did not strike fear into Daff’s heart.

It was only a gun, he could be quick enough and appear right in front of the pistol and strong enough to stop that bullet with all that practice with those marines before. He could do even more, he could attack him - punish a disgusting pirate right there. He could make a big commotion that brings attention to the dwarf.

He should be quiet and leave. Watching people being robbed was something he’d have to accept as a stowaway to the Grand Line. He would need to keep secrecy. He would need to hop ships and leave people when it was best for him to get to another island. He might have to be a bad person for a bit until he achieves his dream. This was logical.

Why wasn’t logic winning? His face was strained and sweat-induced. His body was locked and his body would only twitch when Daff attempted to change this fate. Daff had control of his head enough to turn to the horrible marine captain who was one of her favorite sleeping positions! He could wake her up! No, still attention-inducing. The chestnut-haired girl probably isn’t a parent! Yes, parents are warm while children can be cold. No harm in a world with one less child. Lila could stop the bullet before hitting the old woman, right? The pirate will run off with the food or money afterwards.

This logic was sound and should be enough in further arguments to guarantee movement! It was not and Daff stayed in his predicament.
Guppy Franz

 

[Squad141]

"The shipyard? Oh, no, I don't work here, sorry."

Sadly, it was a common misconception, his uncommon lighthouse-keeper garb wasn't usually seen in the more populated areas of the East Blue, and it was so close to the colors of an official uniform or even Marine outfit that he had been mistaken a few times because of it.

Wait... he didn't just say... ?

"Reverse Mountain? You wouldn't mean the entrance to the Grand Line, would you?"

The fishman seemed rather eager, and by the looks of his outfit, in a hurry to leave Loguetown. It wasn't a worry for Indigo who had only been in Loguetown for a few days, but he couldn't imagine having to wait for weeks to find someone willing to traverse to the Grand Line so eagerly. As the man mentioned his "interesting bag", Indigo reached for his hip instinctively before remembering his belongings had been strewn across the ground when they had bumped into one another. Indigo only nodded at the comment about his 'bag', but continued with the conversation as he held a number of his documents.

"There hasn't been a ship heading for the Grand Line for some time, I'm afraid. I'm trying to get there myself if you can believe it."

The commotion cut him off, as he turned to see the exact item that had just been in his head. The 'ghost ship' didn't seem nearly as ghastly as the paper had made it seem. In fact, it barely seemed damaged at all, as if the ocean itself had built it.

As if something else had been taking care of it, something we can't see...

As the boat seemingly knocked off each member of the dock's employees, Indigo glanced at some of the pages from a journal he had just picked up. Instead of stuffing back in with the rest of his belongings, he flipped through a number of the entries before landing on one he had made just a few months ago. Absentmindedly, he spoke to the stranger next to him.

"Have you ever heard of a Klabautermann before?"

PIKE

 

[PIKE]

Dragut tucked away the spare Berries he was counting after helping the man with his belongings. He quickly rose to his feet almost looming over Indigo.

"Why yes, I've been making my way through the East Blue for some time now, but the methods of passage have been... subpar. I've been in Loguetown for a day hoping to produce a more long-term solution to my travel woes. If no one will be leaving port on their own perhaps ill need to take matters into my own hands."

As Dragut commented on the man's accessory he quickly noticed the tense reaction, and a twitch of his muscles responded in kind. He tried to cover this up by promptly moving further into the shipyards to view this supposed 'ghost ship' entering port. As he watched the dockworkers attempt and fail the boarding of the ship, he knew this wasn't some sensationalism or attempt to draw tourism, but something worthy of his time. He examined the ship's make. It certainly wasn't a marine vessel, it lacked the proper coloring nor did it have any Sea Prism Stone below the waterline. At the same time, it wasn't so extravagantly built or bold enough to be a pirate vessel. He looked at how he might enter from places other than dockside, or if he simply needed a more stable way to board.
Dragut was nearly too lost in thought to respond to Indigo's quesion, before shifting focus.

"You can't spend as much time on the seas as I have without hearing strange tales. I've certainly never seen one myself, and I've always consiered them to be fanciful tales to keep morale and care of the vessel on an uptick. That being said... I've also never seen a boat kick men off of it by itself..." Dragut pondered

He walked over to the boss of the dock workers, staring down to the perturbed man.

"Sir, how much for entry to that ship?"

 

[SerbianMounted]

"Well, well...." the dockmaster leaned back and peered up at the fishman who inquired into boarding the ship. "I require no money for you or your friend there to make an attempt. The only fees I enforce here are for the docking of boats, not the boarding of them. And in any case this vessel is hardly my property, though it seems like it will be my problem for the foreseeable future. I am Cole, by the way. The dockmaster here at Loguetown." The elderly man gave a sigh as he smoked on his cigarette, peering up at the vessel as the dockhands from the bay clambered up to shore, wringing out their soaked clothing and coughing up seawater.

"Ah, a Klabautermann you say? Indeed, I'm familiar with the old seaman's tale as well as any other. And quite in fact I had the very good fortune to cross paths with a crew of Pirates some many years ago who themselves had such a spirit inhabit their ship. But I'm afraid....." he looked up at the ship as it was tied off to the dock. Even tied, it seemed to strain against the pier itself. "That this is no such instance of one. You're clever to assume a ship moving of its own volition, maintaining its appearance in spite of a lack of a crew is one possessed of a spirit such as a Klabautermann, yes. But this is no such vessel. It's able to move it's body as a human does, and seems to be rather spiteful and mischievous. Klabautermann are kind, soft creatures, that often take the appearance of a young child wearing a yellow raincoat when they do their chores about a ship. Though perhaps this one is just rather upset it's without its loving crew? Who's to say...."

The elderly man gestured to the gangway, now teetered to the side from the ship's recent flipping of it. "The sooner you can take the damn thing off my hands, the better. Honestly, I've no need for a ship infused with strange powers, Klabautermann or no."

 

[PIKE]

Promptly, Dragut bowed to the dock-master and turned to the other curiosity in the shipyard. This man seemed to neither bear allegiance to the Marines or any extant pirate faction. He removed his well-worn cloak to reveal the finer clothing underneath. He wore a well pressed off-white shirt and beige pants with complimenting auburn shoes and belt. Dragut wrapped his cloak around the two briefcases of cash to better conceal them. He addressed the man he bumped into earlier.

"I don't believe I properly introduced myself sir. Dragut of Fishman Island at your service. I believe we have a common goal in leaving this town post haste, and furthermore the quickest route to that goal has surrendered itself at our feet. I, however, am not so confident to believe I could figure this ships nature, nor could I fight my way out alone if I'm caught off guard."

Dragut put out his hand, a nuetral expression locked on his face.

"I believe myself to have discerning eyes for talent young man, and if I may be so bold I would like to propose a partnership, regarding the search and seizure of this ship for the purposes of prolonged sailing to the Grand Line. I can compensate you fairly, even handsomely should you accept. So what do you think Mr....?"

Squad141

 

[Guppy Franz]

Rico's smile slightly grew as the now-named thief, Daff O'Dil, seemed to finally relax a bit from his assurances of not taking action against his thievery. As Daff thanked him for being forgiving Rico waved a hand in dismissal and chuckled. "Forget about it, really. As long as you weren't harming anyone too much I didn't see much point in taking any severe action," he insisted with a shrug before watching the small man rise to his feet and make his way to the side of the stall. Rico arched a brow, curious of what Daff was up to, and hopped off the crate he sat on, following behind him closely. He pursed his lips in confusion as he leaned over Daff and he caught him opening the safe box and hovering his hand above the stored berries within. Rico looked down at Daff with a slightly furrowed brow before quickly closing the box, patting the top gently. "Inventory is one thing, actual money is another I'm afraid," he explained with a stern, yet soft tone before a nearby commotion pulled his attention away.

Looking up and toward the source of the noise, a frown slipped onto his face to see a spikey red-haired man pointing a pistol at one of the elderly stall owners of the market. "Great," he muttered under his breath before letting out a small sigh and patting Daff on the shoulder before walking back to the wagon behind the stall. "Keep your fingers out of the box please," he said as he walked away. As he reached the wagon and leaned over the edge to see a well-made spear wrapped in his worn coat, the fabric showing its age with its dull colors. As he reached over to retrieve both, a familiar voice made him snap his head back up to the scene to see Lila had now put herself in danger, putting herself between the pistol and the old stall owner. "Shit," he muttered under his breath as he snatched his weapon and coat from the wagon, quickly unfurling the spear from his coat and marching forward with his gaze narrowed on the armed thug. In his right hand, his grip tightened around his spear as the familiar tingle in his chest began to rise, the same feeling he always gets before heading into a fight. In his left hand, he clutched his coat tightly and could feel the weathered leather, a reminder of how far he's come and how much farther he has to go. Now here he was, taking care of the similar thugs that like to pop along his journey and cause trouble.

As Lila continued to beg for the man to lower the gun and even offered to give him free food, Rico gave a loud sigh as he approached, drawing her attention and that of the spikey red-haired man. Lila instantly looked at Rico's spear and widened her eyes as she looked back up at him, seeing a familiar gaze in his own eyes. "Rico, please don't do anything rash! The man is just desperate for food, this doesn't have to result in someone dying!" she insisted, holding out a hand to calm him down. The thug himself glared towards Rico but kept the pistol trained on Lila.

"Better listen, boy! This isn't some game, I'll shoot down anyone that gets in my way!" the thug barked, his eye twitching once again and making Rico arch a brow. Though the man's words carried much venom, he could see the hesitation in his eyes as he spoke. He was indeed desperate, but even so, pulling out a gun and threatening old women and mothers is no excuse. Another thing that caught his eye though was the 'T' under one of his eyes. Rico pursed his lips in thought, feeling like he'd seen that somewhere before. Resting his spear on his shoulders and locking eyes with the man, he gently scratched the bottom of one of his eyes matching where the letter was for the thug. "That T you have under your eye, it looks familiar. Feels like I've seen it somewhere important," he muttered as he tried to pull the memory back but gave a small shrug once he failed to do so. "Ah, whatever, it's not important right now," he said before pointing his spear towards the man with his head cocked to the right. "What is important is that you put the piece away before you end up hurting someone," he stated as his gaze flicked to the gun in the man's hands. The desperate and crazy man narrowed his gaze on Rico, the grip around the pistol tightening as his glare hardened.

"And if I don't?" he questioned in a low tone, the edge to his question almost visible. Rico pursed his lips spun his spear between his fingers and rocked a few times on the back of his heels.

"Well, that's a silly question," Rico replied before a long grin came to his face, and stopped rocking back and forth, bringing his spear to his shoulder and cocking his head the other way. "I'll have to kick your ass," he answered with his confidence radiating from both his words and body. In a flash, the gun swung away from Lila and was pointed straight at Rico, the spikey red-haired man enraged.

"Cocky upstart pri-!" his words were cut off as his eyes widened in shock to see a large and heavy coat flying in his direction, blocking his view of Rico. Before anyone in the market could breathe and the world slowed, three shots echoed through the air, tearing through the coat as the man blindly fired away. As he prepared to fire a fourth shot however the thug spotted out of the corner of his eye a blur appearing from the bottom right, hunched over and low with the tip of a spear visible. Before the thug could make any reaction, his world turned into a shaking blur as a devastating blow crashed into the bottom of his chin, not realizing that the bottom of Rico's spear had been sent upwards into his jaw. The blow had made the thug lift from the ground, a foot or two off the ground. Not planning to let up Rico twirled his spear between his fingers with finesse and slammed the blunt end of his weapon into the man's chest, bringing the thug crashing down into the earth with a loud thud. The thug, with his breath knocked from him, let go of his pistol, and let it scatter across the market floor. As Rico put his foot on his chest and the tip of his spear to his throat, his coat had finally hit the ground, and three new holes were now present in the fabric.

"Told ya," Rico muttered with a small sigh as he looked down at the thug, slight pity clear in his eyes while not realizing blood running down the side of his head from the fresh grazed wound just above his ear.


SerbianMounted
NoviceOfRoleplay

 

[SerbianMounted]

"Rico!" Lila called out in shock as the man tumbled to the ground.

The thug found himself flat on the ground with an impeccably low and dull 'thud', followed by a groan that gently rose from his gaping mouth. The wind knocked out of him, the nearby Marine Captain's popped, and he gaze then travelled over to the site of the unfolded scene. She went to place a hand around her hammer, but just as she did, a small, gentle voice piped up from behind Rico.

"Now that's enough of that, Mardu," a woman said, a thick southern accent coating her words. Travelling up from behind Rico and rounding the scene, a human girl, no older than Rico himself, cut between the two pirates that had just made a scene in the middle of the market. The young woman had caramel brown hair that was at a length tied into twin pig tails framing her neck and face. It reached down beyond a cowboy hat with a manilla stripe across the brow, a large golden star born on the front. She wore a slightly tattered navy blue peacoat, undercoat with gentle brown pants tucked into black leather cowboy boots. Gripped tightly in a brown leather gloved hand was a parasol, neatly tied and greatly out of place with the rest of her appearance as it was gentle white lace. The girl was skinny, no taller than five feet.

She grabbed the red haired thug by the shirt collar and yanked him singlehandedly to his feet. She turned to Rico, a stern, hard look on her face. "Sorry for 'im, he's an idiot. We'll be on our way now." She looked up at Mardu, gave a squint, and then a gentle look at the Marine Captain a few paces away. She let go of the hammer slung across her back, the small girl seemed to alleviate some of her tension.

Guppy Franz NoviceOfRoleplay

 

[Squad141]

The scenario was startling, to say the least. The one time that he hadn't been searching for someone to sail to the Grand Line with is of course the one time he comes across one. Old wives tales about watching boiling pots never seemed to spell him wrong nowadays, Uncle Tok had said. Still surprised by the show of well-pressed clothing and the promise of generous pay (though he would have to think on it), he clasped his smaller hand into Dragut's as firmly as one could.

"Why, thank you! It's Indigo. Bright B. Indigo, and it's wonderful to make your acquaintance."

Indigo turned to the men feverishly attempting to work with the wild ship at the docks and approached past the presumed dockmaster. Assistants and fellow sailors flew into the water as the boat rocked back and forth. If it was a Klabautermann, it would have to be an angry one, a rare occurrence among the usually friendly and fun spirits of the sea. Indigo knew that he himself wasn't exactly a part of the crew, and it would be hard to convince a spirit (if it even was that) to calm down. Pulling out one of his journals, Indigo flipped back to the page he had been looking at earlier, trying to discern a good way to respond to the ravaging ship.

After a few minutes, Indigo set down his things within his helmet-bag, and walked close to where the boat was connected to the dock. Just before reaching the rocking shores of the wooden bearings, Indigo stopped, looked up at the boat, and saluted. After a solid minute of respecting whatever forces wielded the ghost ship, he attempted to take a step towards the deck.

PIKE SerbianMounted

 

[PIKE]

"The pleasure is mutual, Indigo." Dragut responded in kind.

As Indigo took his time to inspect and predict the strange ship, Dragut leaned down to help some of the dockworkers up to the platform from the brine. When he did he placed a hand on the corner of the gangplank, and while the seawater from the befuddled workers hands slightly sapped the fishman's power, the slight sound of whirring metal could be heard. Subtly Dragut had used his powers to drive two metal bolts into the gangplank and the dock, in order to keep it in place for any of his and Indigo's boarding attempts. Hopefully no one had noticed.

"Well, mister Indigo, have you any expertise on what we may be dealing with here? I could hazard a few guesses however I'd prefer to hear what you have to bring to the table. Surely, if this phenomenon were a klabautermann it wouldn't enhabit an empty vessel? I've heard the spirits guide the sailors of their ship to the afterlife itself, rather than stay behind crewless."

Dragut took a look over the poorly decorated ship, yes there was the love of care put into this ship, but it lacked the love of customization put into it. While the colors that danced within the wood were quite beautiful, it bore almost no paint, and it didn't even have a figurehead. It was as this ship was made bynoby, for nobody, and wasn't ever driven by anyone after years at sea. It was like it simply popped into the water one day. Dragut awaited Indigo's assessment as he stepped up past him, inching closer the the deck with graceful steps untill he stood a foot off the hull.

Squad141 SerbianMounted

 

[SerbianMounted]

As Indigo and Dragut made their procession towards the ghost ship, the plank immediately strain against its bolts as the ship attempted to accomplish the same feat on the two as it had before. But the fishman's devil fruit abilities held strong against the ship's humbler mischief, and while the wood strained, the pair found themselves aboard, stepping foot onto well polished if barely used deck wood. As their feet trod upon the well polished surface, they heard an enormously loud creaking of wood erupt from beneath them. The planks of wood began to split, crack and snap and warp to form the features of.....a face? Sunken spots of wood which breached into the dark, unlit hull formed eyes, while splintered pieces of freshly cracked wood formed teethe in a large, imposing grimace, the diameter of which was a foot or so short of Dragut's height.

"beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee gooooooooooooooonnnnnneeeeeeeee!!!!!

The voice bellowed from the ship's deepest reaches and echoes all around, ambient and enormous in all ways possible. The wood continued to splinter, forming giant, jagged stakes that pointed themselves at Dragut and Indigo's chests alike. They merely threatened, however, and did not advance to try and pierce their flesh.

"who is so arrogant as to tread their filthy feet upon my body??? do you not recognize the presence of a great captain when you see him? i....will....have....your....HEADS!!!!"

The voice bellowed once more, and with it the deck shook violently. The ship was enraged, but seemed to always be on the brink of attack, never actually hurting either of the men aboard.

PIKE Squad141

 

[PIKE]

Dragut recoiled at the cracked wooden countenance that formed on the ships deck, and jumped backward a few feet before assuming a what seemed to be a combat stance. For someone of such an intimidating stature he didn't seem to have much discipline or experience in combat, atleast judging by how he held himself. Perhaps this ship wasn't worth the risk and effort.

His grim expression remained steadfast, a scowl coloring his face. His stance was at once wide and low, knees cocked at 90 degree angles and feet wide apart. His hands seemed locked next to the front of his shoulders, palms facing the body as he balled his fists. The whole form looked downright goofy. The one thing that stood in stark contrast to this was a sharp stare of a near killing intent, like that of a cornered animal or a prisoner gone mad, held just behind Dragut's oddly colored eyes. He looked briefly to Indigo to make sure he was okay. The young man would have to be able to take care of himself if he wished to travel the world's most dangerous sea. Dragut spoke to... The ship?

"Hail, sir. Forgive our intrusion to the vessel. We would never have tread upon it if we'd known it to be the resting place for a pirates spirit. If you would be so kind to sheath that splintered timber? I request a parley between us and, now knowing this vessel to bear a captain perhaps a passage out of port?"

Dancing to the tune that this... Abnormality played would only buy the two trespassers so much time. Dragut considered himself a fine talent scout, now it was time to see if this young man was up to muster, and how he would act under pressure. On a vessel at sea, Dragut's devil fruit powers couldn't be used to their full potential, as he'd be unable to rotate or bolt the ship to anything else, and their assailant seemed rather skilled in... whatever abilities were currently on display. Inquiring more on the nature of their situation may be useful, and Dragut could meander the conversation forward on that front. What was most important was how Indigo could turn the tide of this ambush.