The Bell of Justice Rings

[York]

1

---

After all of those sights he’d seen, after all of the stories he’d heard, after all that he had experienced on the South Blue seas all those months ago, it was a jarring experience for Adrian Idol to find himself right back to square one as a menial laborer. It was like he'd suddenly awoken from a very long dream, and he was back to how things were before he got entangled with the Storytellers. It was difficult to readjust, and Idol could not shake the sensation that at any moment, he would wake up again and be right back on the ship with the others again, traveling the seas and yucking it up without a care in the world.

However, Idol had to admit, following the thrill of exploding castles, fighting pirates, and traveling up mountains at ludicrous speeds, there was a quaint charm to going back and just doing some some good old fashioned work. With no fear of death or injury present to distract him from the job at hand, he was free to do put all of his effort into his next big goal of buying a boat to sail these new waters, and hopefully find some new challengers to test his wrestling skills on.

Taking a deep inhale, he approached the large crate resting on the platform and wrapped his arms around it. With a sharp exhale, Idol managed to lift it the necessary few inches needed, before backing up away from the platform and towards the open door behind him.

“Easy, easy” a voice from behind said, holding the door open. “Don’t wanna get crushed now and make a mess now, do yer?”

Carefully, Idol reversed himself through the door and into the waiting house, gently lowering the crate onto the carpeted floor alongside the numerous other crates of varying sizes he’d brought in. Once it hit the ground, Idol stepped backwards and doubled over, out of breath. “Ha ha!” The voice at the door said, clapping his hands, “that was the last of ‘em, kid. Good job!” From the door came a tall man with an arm in a sling and a large brace around his knee. He hobbled into the home and pat Idol on the shoulder with his good arm. “Yer a life saver, you know that? No idea how I’dda gotten these deliveries done before ya showed up!”

Idol stood up tall and slicked his hair back, looking up to his boss with a proud expression. “Don’t mention it, Fuchi” he said through deep breaths. “Glad to get a workout and a paycheck all in one go.”

The boss of the moving company, Manabu Fuchi, reached into his overalls pocket and handed Idol a bottled water, one which Idol gladly took with a nod as he left the house. Once outside and away from the carpeting and crates, he snapped the bottle open and emptied its contents over his face and mouth. It was like heaven personally showering on top of him after all of that work, and Idol smiled wide as the drops of water poured over his face, into his mouth, and down his overalls.

Fuchi meanwhile was not so happy. Looking behind a pair of tall crates, he spotted a pair of lanky men snoozing on a makeshift bed made of the crates they were meant to be moving. "So that's where you were hiding, you...". Reaching into his overalls, he withdrew another bottle of water and, rearing back as far as he could with his injuries, smacked both men over the head with it to wake them up.

“Aw geez, come on, Fuchi” said one of the men, falling off the crate and onto his face.

“Yeah, what gives? We were just on break is all” the other wined, rubbing his forehead.

“What gives, you bums, is that I’m sick and tired of yer goldbrickin’ and grab-assin’!” Fuchi shouted as the two got to their feet. “Yer fired! The both a ya!”

“Whoa, Fuchi, let’s talk a bit about this” the one in the green overalls said, “We just needed a break is all. It’s tiring work”

“I know it’s tiring, numbskull, that’s why yer being paid to do it!” Fuchi returned the bottled water to his overalls, and following a bit of ruffling, he withdrew a clipboard with a sheet of paper and a pen. “Or should I say ‘Were being paid to do it’, now get lost the both of you! I have to get this signed by the client, and if I see hide or hair of either of you when I get back, I’ll flatten you both and have ya sold as carpets!”

[mildofthewild]

1

---

"Hrrrm...still nothin...,"

The small town surely offers nothing in the realm of excitement, that much Sif could tell, the marine recruit snacking on a few meatballs as she walks around on her daily patrol. Her eyes glazed, her hair frazzled and pulled through the back of her hat like some sort of spiky ponytail, and to make matters worse, it was only the start of her shift. To think, even after a year of being with the marines, she was still being sent all over to backwater islands like Conomi. 

Sif pops one of the wooden sticks out of her mouth, munching nonchalantly on a meatball before sticking another one in, her mind wandering back to that battle in Lyneel kingdom. Now that...that's what she had been talking about! POW! She could remember each of those pirate bums' faces cracking against her knuckles like it was yesterday...sigh

"How'm I ever s'posed to get anywhere when I keep getting all the lame deployments!" Sif thinks to herself, popping another stick out and going for another...before realizing she was fresh out. Her face couldn't look more pitiful as she tossed the sticks aside, folding her arms and puffing her cheeks in indignation while leaning against a nearby storefront in the town center. Several residents waved to her, though they'd only receive a half-hearted salute as Sif wallows in her own boredom. 

"I don't even know why they sent me here in the first pla-" Sif was about to mutter, before sheepishly thinking back on the amount of damage she had caused at her last station...

"GUNHILDR! You're supposed to be working on shipments, and what's the first thing that gets reported to me?! One of my marines is goin' full rampage on a couple of half-pint crooks?! You know how much property damage you caused? How much we're liable for?!"

"B-but captain, you should've see-"

"Don't 'But captain' me! I've told you too many times, you dumb pig for brains, not to go full hog! What good are ye as a Marine if you destroy half the cities you get deployed in! Pack your bags, I'm movin' you to where you can't cause any trouble!"

Sif's bushy eyebrows furrow as she lowers her head, grumbling inwardly. She wasn't meant for this peaceful town schlock! She was meant to be on the front lines, kicking in heads and pounding fools into the dirt! 

"Hmph." Sif huffs, picking her head back up and surveying the town center, filled with an assortment of shops, workers and even fellow marines. She figured even this place with its history would be interesting; the former island that had been kept under the control of the Sun Pirates, led by Saw-Tooth Arlong! But instead, there weren't no fishmen, pirates or bandits; there was hardly any trouble at all, save for the occasional fight between kids. 

"Well, I'll show him! I can be gentle if I want to; just gotta keep my cool here for a few weeks, and then I'll be on a ship in no time! Then I can do some real marine work!

You hear that! I'll show you who's just a dumb hog! Fuahohohohoho!" Sif laughs, hands on her hips and practically bellowing in the middle of the street...and attracting a lot of attention, with several people giving her some confused looks. After a solid few seconds of cackling, Sif notices and turns a bright red from embarrassment, which was only further punctuated by a growl from her stomach. 

"Eeeeeeeeeeh, I hope I get another break soon. Can't be the best damn marine while starving," she says. She continues walking, passing by Manabu Fuchi's moving company as she keeps a sullen eye out for any trouble. 

[York]

2

---

As the two lanky gentlemen furiously stormed out of the house, both making sure to give a nearby crate a light kick as they passed by. Outside, they spotted their coworker whose name escaped them, shaking an empty water bottle over his head in an attempt to catch the last few drops. The man in the pink overalls pointed to him.

“It’s all his fault” he whispered to his cohort. “We were doing good business with Fuchi, then he had to come in and make us look bad.”

“Yeah!” The green overall clad fellow answers. “If it weren’t for him, we’d still be on easy street.”

“All Fuchi had to do was hire someone else!”

“It’s his fault too! They were probably working together to squeeze us out!”

“No good jerks. Who do they think they are?

The two turned to face each other and a smile crept over their faces. “Deal with Fuchi later, let’s get this guy now!” They simultaneously said, turning and swaggering in sync as they approached Idol.

Idol let out a heavy sigh, after all of that heavy lifting a drink of water could really hit he spot. His search for the last few drops of water in the bottle came to an end when he turned to the two men who were marching towards him, a look of excited anger worn over their faces. “You fellas thirsty?” Idol jokingly asked shaking his empty bottle. “I’m sure Fuchi would hook you guys up, after all that hard work you guys did for him.”

“Can it, kid!” The green man said, cracking his knuckles. “Because of you, we lost our jobs!”

“Yeah!” His pink counterpart said, cracking his knuckles too. “If you think we’re just gonna let you get away with making us look bad, you got another thing coming.”

A smile crept over Idol’s face, and his bright green eyes grew wide like a child looking at a sea of presents on Christmas morning. If that body language and tone of voice were indicative of anything, Idol’s next challenge would be closer than he thought. “Oh yeah?!” Idol asked in a tone that was for more excited and chipper then he had planned. “What are you gonna do about it?”

The angry former coworkers almost took a step back when they saw Idol’s expression, but stood firm regardless. Slowly, they walked around Idol, with the green one circling to his left while the pink one wandered to his right.

“We’re gonna show you” the green goon said, picking up a broken glass bottle off the ground.

“What happens when” the pink punk added, grabbing a broken board off of the Manabu Fuchi Moving Company cart.

“You mess with the invincible”

“Kenji!”

“Kensuke!”

“Morishima Brothers!”

Idol did not wait to see what would’ve happened when he messed with the invincible Morishima brothers, as he quickly turned to face the one called  Kensuke and charged at him. The green Kensuke, without even thinking, raised his bottle at Idol and swung, but that motion was precisely what the professional wrestler had been waiting for. Ducking the attack, Idol took to a knee and wrapped his arms around Kensuke’s wiry waist. As Idol slid behind him, he tucked his head under the green brothers arm, and in a single fluid motion, lifted him backwards and violently drove his neck and shoulders into the ground. A devastating backdrop suplex titled by the man who made it famous, the Idolplex!

But something funny happened when Idol smacked the ground an instant after Kensuke. All of the air in his body was knocked out, and a sharp pain shot up his back. He let out a groan as he rolled over to his hands and knees, trying to find his breath again. “Agh...Am I… so out of practice…” he thought to himself, scanning his mind for the last time he did any form of wrestling training to keep his body limber. For so long, he’d be so busy working to afford a place to sleep, food to eat, and the payments for a new boat. How long had he spent neglecting his training?

“Kensuke! No!” The pink brother loudly said, stomping over to Idol and raising the board high over his head. “I knew it! You and Fuchi were working together all this time to get us fired! You no good creep, I’ll crack your head open!” He said, stepping forward and swinging down at Idol with all of the weight his skinny body had to offer.

[mildofthewild]

2

---

In the midst of her reverie on self-pity and bemoaning, Sif had gone blind to her surroundings for a brief moment, but her ears picked up one thing in particular...the unmistakable sound of a rumble. 

"Hm?" She says, her ears quivering as she turns back to the moving company, just in time to see-

"S...S...S-s-

SUPLEX!" 

Sif practically squeals as she watches this smaller guy lift up the dude with the bottle, slamming him back down to earth. Her entire body seems almost set ablaze, forgetting her previous pep talk about staying cool and collected and pumping her fists in time with what was happening. Judging by her keen eye (and the fact the other two had weapons,) she made the distinction that the ratty pair had started the scuffle.

Normally, she'd rush in, eager to lay down the law along with an elbow but...it had been so long since she saw someone else put down the moves. The guy was small, but he had some moves of his own; though that wouldn't help in the case of a fatigued body. 

Sif could see the other Morishima brother stepping forward with a wooden plank, rearing back and swinging with all of his might. 

"Watch out!" Sif says, unable to hold herself back, rushing across the street. She wouldn't be able to make it in time, at least not in this form; however, her captain had made it abundantly clear that if she used her Devil Fruit one more time, she'd be dropped to a chore girl! She could practically feel tusks itching to come out, but she had to keep her composure!

"What kind of creep uses weapons anyway in a brawl?! Drop em and lay on the ground! I'm a marine, you know!" She says, trying to use her rank to her advantage (the first time she really attempted to do so, considering she couldn't use her tusks for the same principle.)

[York]

3

---

Idol still hadn’t regained his breath, and with the board coming down right for his head, his options seemed limited. Rolling was out of the question, and trying to kick the pink creep’s leg out of his leg wouldn’t have knocked the board away in time. The only thing he could do for now was raise his hands in defense. “I've gotta... I've gotta...!”

Kenji’s downward strike halted when he heard a voice tell him to watch out. What did he have to watch out for? He was in control, and about to exact revenge. He turned his gaze and saw the sight of a tall hefty woman charging towards him, at a speed one wouldn’t expect from someone her size and shape. “Ma-marine? Like hell I’ll lay down!” he said. In a panic, he threw his board in the marine’s direction and draped his unconscious brother’s shoulder over his before running down the streets away from the law woman.

“Just you wait, geek!” The scrawny scoundrel said to Idol as he turned into an alley. “We have a big brother, see? And he’s gonna rip your head off when he finds out what you did, especially to poor Kensuke!”

Idol finally pulled himself up to his knees, having to grab the cart to pull himself back upright. “Sorry for the trouble” he said, looking to the alley where the two brothers disappeared to. “I guess I’m a bit out of practice.”

He turned to get a good look at the marine who just saved him, and his eyes widened as he looked up at her. His savior did not really match the image he had in mind when he thought of the marines, of chiseled and well-groomed men and women in uniform. But he was not about to let his preconceived notions get in the way of showing gratitude when it was due.

“Th-tha-thanks for scaring them. Off, that is.” Idol stammered as he looked to the tall marine. Awkwardly, he smiled.

"Hey what’s all the hubbub?” A voice from inside the house said, as Fuchi appeared moments later with a signed clipboard in hand. “What’s going on out here?”

[mildofthewild]

Sif blew a tuft of hair out of her face, her thick eyebrows furrowing as the punk with the board deliberately ignored her order! She raised a finger, attempting to throw her rank around again, when the board flew through the air and hit her square in the face. As her head rock back and she loses her footing, the culprits escape into a nearby alleyway, leaving her alone with the, admittedly, resilient citizen. 

The board falls away as Sif lets out a small whimper, her face left sore from the impact slightly scrunched up as she doubles over and places it in her hands. Half to try and alleviate the pain, half to cover any embarrassment she felt...

After a few brief seconds, she finally stands up straight, hands on her hips and faux bravado plastered on her face once more, in spite of the clearly pained look in her eyes. She looked down at Idol, watching the well-built man come back to his senses. His look of shock brought a swell of pride as she puffed out her chest. Clearly it was a citizen impressed by her show of authority and strength, in awe of her being a Marine! "N-not a problem! Marines gotta keep the peace, you know? I'm glad you're alright, citizen!" 

She stuck out her hand to help Idol up, noting his form even more and suddenly thinking back to those maneuvers he pulled off. "Oh yeah! I saw that move you pulled off! Hell of a suplex if I ever saw one!" Her eyes were practically glimmering as she stared back at him, enamored with his prowess. More like a giddy fan rather than a keeper of the peace, it was quite easy to forget that she was with the World Government...

Fuchi's voice startled Sif out of her "fangirling," even eliciting a yelp of surprise as she turned about face, throwing out a quick salute to the manager. It was done mostly out of practice, as she had gotten many a cuff on the head or a kick in the rear for failing to salute her superiors. She just figured it was easier to salute everyone, just to be safe...

"S-Sif Gunhildr, Marine Patrol-Woman, sir! I came at the sight of seeing this citizen accosted by a pair of delinquents, sir!" After realizing she wasn't in any danger of being reprimanded, she calms down slightly, placing her hands on her hips once more. She pulled down the bill of her cap a bit as she looked after where the Morishima brothers disappeared to. 

"Any idea who those punks were, sir? I can write up a report and have a full notice on them posted," she says, taking on a more serious tone and looking back to Idol. 

[York]

4

---

“N’aw man” Fuchi said, looking to the ground and shaking his head. “That woulda been the Morishimas. I hired ‘em to do some work for me, what with my injuries an’ all.” He pointed to his knee brace and his sling. “They looked like trouble the second I saw ‘em, but I needed all the help I could get to get my deliveries done.”

He hobbled to Idol, who was blushing and rubbing the back of his head. It had been a while since someone had praised his wrestling, and he’d forgotten how good it felt. As if a warm fire were being stoked in his stomach. But he snapped back to the present when Fuchi patted him on the shoulder. “If it weren’t for Adrian here, I’d be stuck with ‘em. But because he picked up the slack of 3 people, we got the job done early, and I can go home an’ get some rest! Sorry about that, kid, you deserve better than that.”

“Aw come on, it was nothing” Idol said, rubbing his neck. “If I hadn’t been carrying them all day, I could have beaten them up and down the streets.” He squeezed his fists and checked that his extremities still worked, which was one of the first tests his father told him to perform if ever he fell on his back hard. Everything was still in working order, and so he smiled, first to Fuchi, then to the marine. Sif, her name was. Idol didn’t quite catch her last name, but he’d be sure to get her name before long.

“I don’t think I can give ya more information than that. I didn’t ask too many questions seeing as I was desperate, and I didn’t bother paying ‘em since they didn’t do much in the first place.”

“Don’t worry about them, Fuchi” Idol said, slapping himself on the chest. “If they come around again, I’ll take care of them.” Cheerfully, he pointed to Sif as he turned to face her with a smile. “And if Big Brother shows up, I’m sure we can deal with him, right?”

[mildofthewild]

"R-right! Don't worry, as long as I'm around, I'll be ready to thrash em!" Sif says, a little hesitant before standing up proudly yet again. She gives another salute to Fuchi and Idol before feeling a ring in her trousers.

Rummaging (embarrassed all the while, as she repeatedly whispers "sorry" to the two) she pulls out a transponder snail, used primarily for recieving calls rather than making them.

"Sif Gunhildr, get your butt back here on the double!"

Fuchi and Idol could practically see Sif gulp in trepidation, her body trembling slightly at having to meet with her superiors. Did she do something wrong? Did she eat her officer's lunch? GASP! Did she leave her barracks a mess again?!

"I, uh...I have to go, but I'll be back, of course! G-gotta keep a vigilant eye, and all that! Um, uh, in the meantime, uh...w-well, my fellow marines will be around! They'll be sure to help should you ask 'em! Oh, but you probably already know that, you're stand up citizens...n-not that you couldn't handle them yourselves either, I just...I...uuuuuh, alright, I gotta go, my C.O. is gonna kill me if I'm late!" And with that, Sif took off at a run, her body quivering at the thought of using her Devil Fruit to gain a burst, but she quickly decides against it. No means no! If anyone got a whiff that she used it, she'd get reported so fast...

[York]

5

---

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Idol said, raising an arm and flexing. “How about you, Fuchi? You in for a bit of a rumble?”

“Think I’ll just go home, kid” Fuchi said, stuffing the clipboard down his overalls as Idol shrugged. “I’m not in any fighting shape right.” With a free hand, Fuchi returned Sif’s salute and hobbled over to the front side of the cart.

As Sif’s pants uttered a bizarre ring, Idol couldn’t help but watch where he stood, as she whipped out her transponder snail and take orders from what he could only assume to be her superior. There was a certain comfort in seeing someone getting yelled at, but Idol wasn’t sure why he felt that. Nevertheless, it was clear that Sif had somewhere else to be, and Idol couldn’t help but feel saddened. Spending more time talking to her about wrestling sounded like a great way to spend the afternoon, but he’d just have to do without.

“Have a good one!” Idol said, waving Sif off as she ran to meet up with her C.O., whatever those initials stood for. He assumed ‘Commanding Officer’, but could be wrong. Slapping his hands together, Idol followed Fuchi to the front of the cart and grabbed hold of the sides. He pulled the cart down the streets in following Fuchi to his home, where a nice paycheck was likely waiting for him

---

Kenji kicked the door open on the house, tears and sweat running down his face from carrying his deadweight brother, Kensuke.

“B-Big brother! Kentaro!” he cried, falling to his knees inside the small house. On the far side of the room, a tall man sat in an even larger armchair, a thousand yard stare burning a hole in Kenji’s forehead as he spoke. “Listen, we’ve been scammed. You know that Manabu Fuchi? See, he owes us money! He paid off this guy to beat us up so that he wouldn't have ta pay! Lookit what he did to Kensuke.” Wildly, Kenji shook his motionless brother, urging some groans and moans to come from his body. “We’re not just gonna let him get away with that are we? No one does that to the Morishimas, right? I think you need to pay Fuchi and his little friend a visit, don’t you?”

The large Kentaro’s eyes did not move from where they stared, and the chairs lack of creaks informed his brother that he made no attempts to move either. Worried, Kenji lowered his brother to the floor and approached Kentaro, pressing an arm against his shoulder. “Hey, big guy. Are you listening to me?”

Kentaro’s eyes that once stood frozen suddenly darted across to the arm touching his shoulder, a furious expression crossed his face as he looked into Kenji’s suddenly frightened façade. The larger man raised a hand to the air, and every muscle in his arm engaged and twitched as his face got angrier and angrier. “What did I tell you about waking me up when I'm in my chair!” Kentaro shouted, bringing his open palm down hard and fast across Kenji’s overalls covered torso. The denim and fabric beneath did not do much to quell the sickening sound that came when the big brother’s hand collided with the smaller brother’s chest. A sound so loud, it could be heard in the neighboring boroughs.

SMACK

[mildofthewild]

The room had taken on a deathly quiet as the Chief Petty Officer signed paper after paper. Their eyes were trained solely on their reports, filing them into their respective bins while Sif watches, her eyes wide as she stares at nothing in particular. 

Sif was a rather big lass by typical standards, which always had the added effect of making large rooms or barracks feel that much smaller with how much room she took up. Even now, as she sits in a chair a few sizes too small, Sif has the air of being larger than life; of course, even while she technically has to look down at her Commanding Officer, she can't help but feel incredibly small. Sif didn't even try to squirm to get comfy in the chair. In fact, all she really did was do her best to try and make herself look as presentable as possible. She kept adjusting the brim of her cap, fidgeting between straight or crooked to the side. Her necktie went through several rotations of loosening and tightening, to alleviate the pressure on her throat but she also didn't want to step out of line uniform wise. As for her hair...well, there wasn't much she could do about that mane. She just hopes it's not too wild...

The C.O. finally lays her pen down with a loud CLACK, causing Sif to jump in her seat and wobble slightly as she loses balance. She takes another gulp, deciding to tighten her necktie once more before folding her hands in her lap. 

"So, Gunhildr...quite a messy...messy...messy file," The C.O. starts off, flipping through a number of complaints and reprimands. 

"...mhm," is all Sif can squeeze out, tugging slightly at her pants. 

"But, about 2 weeks here, and all's been pretty calm so far. Ain't no "Hogwildin'" sessions you've been up to?"

"N-no maam! None, I've been on the na-"

"Quiet," the C.O. says, hissing slightly, and Sif immediately claps her trap. 

"Well...so far, I've been quite impressed by the improvement. One might say that working with civilians like this has made you mellowed out." 

Oh no...nononono, don't make me stay here!


"Almost as if you're workin' to prove you're ready for the frontlines again...I called ya here just to let you know that I've been watchin' ya. You're doin' good work, you know. In fact, I'm about one more week away from recommendin' ya to be back on them seas." 

"...R-really?! Thanks a lo-I mean, uh, thank ya...thank you ma'am!"

"But,"

Her C.O. cuts Sif off before she can go into anymore profuse gratitude, waving it back and forth as she stares the young woman in the eye. "This means that you can't have any hiccups. This ain't a free pass, lassie; you give me one more good week of good behavior, and I'll write a recommendation for ya. Otherwise...

"I'm gonna recommend you get kicked out of the marines."

The words practically pierce through Sif's chest as she hears them; kicked out? Terminated?

"So, that's all I wanted to say. Keep up the good work. Or else."

Sif stumbles for a few seconds over what to say before deciding to stick with just a soft thank you as she ducks out of the office. As she walks out of the base, her mind is sent spinning in a number of directions. She'd get to be a front linesman again...or kicked out of the marines forever. Her stomach felt a queasiness to it, exacerbated only by a need for some more food. She figures she'll pick up something before heading back to her post, but she has the sudden thought of some extra for that wrestler guy. Yeah! She really needed to tell this to somebody, and maybe...well, maybe he could teach her some new moves! In secret, of course...she suspects wrestling with the locals will likely land with her on her butt and ripped of any uniform. 

[York]

6

---

“Hmm? You hear something?” Idol asked, interrupting his counting of the beri bills in his hand. He turned back to Fuchi, who was sat on a couch and receiving help from his wife to free himself of his overalls.

“Only sound I need is the sound of my bath bein’ drawn. Go on, kid, go home. It’s quittin’ time.”

“Are you gonna be okay?” Idol asked, shoving the envelope of money into his overalls pocket. “The Morishimas might come for you. And they say they have a big brother too. Are you gonna be okay?”

“Ahh, don’t worry about me.” Fuchi was now free of his pants and sat with his legs extended on the living room couch, sighing at the relief of his freedom. His quiet wife folded up the overalls and brought them to a basket full of clothes. “I’ve been moving crates around for years.” He raised his unslinged arm and flexed, demonstrating his impressive muscles. “Even as dinged as I am, I can take care of those pencil necked geeks. I’ll beat off Big Brother with their scrawny butts too if he shows his face! Now go on, get some rest. There’ll be another delivery to be made tomorrow.”

Waving to the lovely couple, Idol left Fuchi’s home and turned down the street, walking back to his motel room. In spite of the confidence Idol exuded with his words, the encounter he’d had earlier with the Morishimas really put things into perspective. Whether or not fatigue from a long day of moving crates onto and off of platforms had anything to do with it was irrelevant in Idol’s mind. Holding a bridge, being able to hit the ground in a way that spreads out the impact as far as possible, these were some of the most fundamental skills he was taught as a wrestler, and here he was slowly starting to forget them.

“Getting that boat and getting off this island is priority one. But if I neglect my workout, then how long will I last out there? A day? Two?”

Things needed to change. Right then and there, Idol decided the next course of action would have to be getting some training in, somehow someway. Maybe in the wee hours of the day, or maybe the dark hours of the night. But even Idol knew that repeatedly throwing himself on the floor of his motel room was a surefire way of getting kicked out, so he’d need to find a solid place to train before all else.

As Idol approached the motel he was staying in, his nose was hit with the smell of spiced meats and fresh bread. The market district was nearby, and the diners and restaurants were practically begging him to come over and spend some of that hard earned money he’d just received. “I can’t train on an empty stomach” he said, wiping away the drool accumulating on his lower lip. Picking up the pace, Idol jogged towards the smell of the fresh food, his stomach roaring, and begging for nourishment to help repair his sore body.

---

The large Kentaro ducked under the door and emerged into the sunlit afternoon. He shut his eyes, and held a hand over them to block out the sun’s rays. As someone who frequently worked the night shift, it always took time for his eyes to readjust to sunlight. With both of his weasely brothers out cold, it was impossible for him to figure out what it was that bothered them so much that they had to wake him up. “Hm” he uttered, rubbing his eyes. “Guess I’ll get something to eat then. If what they want is so important, they can find me in town.” Putting on a shirt that was oversized even for his massive frame, Kentaro made for the town’s square, not bothering to check on either of his brothers’ current condition.

As he strode out of sight, Kensuke stirred on the messy carpeted floor of the Morishima household. He raised his head and through his blurry vision he spotted Kentaro’s large chair, empty. A smile slowly grew on his face, as this was usually a good sign. A sign that his brother was going to bash some heads in. But that smile soon left when his blurry gaze fell upon his other brother, Kenji, laying flat on his back right next to the empty chair, a large handprint seemingly burned into his shirt and overalls. “Oh, he woke him up… I sure hope he got his message across.”

[mildofthewild]

What had become a rest stop and a pickup for Idol had become...well, had become a practice in just a little bit of stress eating. Sif had practically a platter balanced on her massive forearms, looking about longingly at the rest of the stands, wondering what she should pick up next. Sure hope that wrestler guy likes this stuff...or if I got enough. 

Of course, she could just ask him herself. She picks her head up just in time to see Idol heading for the line of restaurants, her eyes lighting up as she waves...er, almost waves. She notices right at the last minute all of the food she's balancing, and does a sort of awkward shimmy as she tries to catch his attention. She waltzes over, stooping every now and again to regain her balance before speaking. "Hey! Just the guy I wanted to see! I was gonna go back to the store, you know, keep an eye out for those creeps but...well, I got a little side tracked, hehehe..." She chuckles lightly, motioning to the smorgasbord laid out. "I got some for you too, if you want it! Look, they got some roasted meats, some noodles...not sure what this stuff is, but it's blue, so it must be good!" The woman feels a lot more calm with the taste of food on her tongue and the aroma of fresh cooking in the air, making her a little less nervous when presenting herself. 

"Sorry I ran off so suddenly before; my C.O. wanted to tell me that if I keep up the good work, I might get stationed back out on the seas again! I could be back with the frontlines, cracking pirate heads!" She says, her voice getting hard as her muscles flex slightly; unbeknownst of Idol's former life, the very thought of taking it to the rebels of the sea was getting Sif's blood pumping. However, remembering her Petty Officer's warning, she calms herself a bit. "Only if I keep myself cool, though. Otherwise...well, that's my keister out of the marines..."

[York]

7

---

Idol was practically pressing his nose against the glass of the restaurants around him. “What to get first? Steak, then soup, then bread? Or maybe bread, then soup, then steak?” The odors hitting his nose were pulling Idol in all directions. If only there were a way to have them all come to him, and spare him from the olfactory whiplash he was experiencing.

It was, however, when Idol detected a different smell that he became a bit more decisive. It was difficult to decipher at first, and he had to stop for a moment and let the power in his legs transfer to his brain to strengthen his thinking. Thankfully, he wouldn’t have to wonder long, as the clanging of plates and the familiar voice would connect all of the dots.

It was the marine from earlier, and she was carrying several plates draped over her arms as she approached. Idol stepped forward to give her a hand with the balancing act, but stepped back when he saw she was in complete control. As she readjusted herself, Idol crossed his arms and half-listened intently to what Sif had to say, half of his focus being attended to the warm, delectable looking food she was carrying with her. The meat looked juicy, the noodles looked plump and filling, and whatever that blue stuff was smelled weird but surely had a good taste if it was served alongside these powerhouses. “For me?” Idol asked, pointing to himself with wide, excited eyes as Sif offered him some food. “That’s too kind. You didn’t have to do that. I appreciate you thinking about me like this.” Carefully, he removed a plate of roast beef, and a bowl of noodles from her arms, trying his best not to cause a food related catastrophe on the streets.

“Looks like we have a lot in common” Idol said in response to her C.O.’s ultimatum. “I also want to get off this island an hit the seas again. I plan on cracking a few heads myself, if you catch my drift. Finding strong opponents and testing my wrestling skills against tough opponents. That’s what I live for. I can tell how restless someone like us can get being on this island, but it’ll only be a matter of time until we’re out there doing our thing.” He smiled to Sif, nodding assuredly. “And don’t you worry about keeping your cool. If those Morishima Brothers show their hides again, just leave them to me. You’re not getting kicked out of anywhere as long as I’m around!”

[mildofthewild]

Sif smiles brightly as Idol takes the food, sighing inwardly that she got something he would like. She took a seat on the ground, placing food carefully beside her while she, too, tucks into the feast. 

"H-hey, I'm supposed to be the one that takes care of trouble! ...that being said, I wouldn't mind letting you handle it. After all, I wanna see more of those moves of yours. Where'd ya pick those techniques up from, that was almost seamless how ya manhandled those guys!" Once again, Sif just couldn't help herself as she pried deeply into Idol's fighting knowledge, desperate to figure out where she could learn more too. 

"My pa always told me I'd have to pick up a discipline at some point; 'monsters is one thing, but how you gonna deal with someone that's slipp'ry enough to get outta yer grasp!' That's what he'd always say, and I can't help but think he's right; I gotta be able to handle myself against someone smarter than a wild pig or bear!" The irony was lost on Sif as she recounts her former memories of fighting giant animals on the Pkt. Archipelago, not completely realizing this wasn't exactly normal strength. Of course, for someone like Idol, it was probably just another pass time anyway; it was one reason she might have left her guard down.  

[York]

8

---

Idol put his food down to join Sif on the ground. Seemed like comfy enough a place for some friendly chatter. With a handful of the supplied bread, Idol wrapped the roast beef into a sandwich and took a strong bite. The crunch was pleasing to his ears just as much as the juicy meats was pleasing to his mouth.

As Sif asked her questions about how Idol learned his skills in wrestling, his chewing sped up as he tried to empty his mouth to give an answer. But his chewing stopped when she brought up fighting pigs and bears. “You fought bears?” Idol eagerly asked with a still full mouth. Realizing his faux pas, he quickly swallowed the lump of bread and meat in his mouth, almost choking in his expedience. A mouthful of noodle broth cleared everything out and allowed him to speak again. “You fought bears? That’s so cool! I’ve always wanted to try my hand wrestling one of those!”

Putting both his bowl and sandwich down, Idol withdrew a handkerchief from his overalls pocket and wiped his mouth. “But it’s not because I have a death wish” he explained, in a calmer tone. “You see, for the last 11 years of my life, I have been trained to be a professional wrestler. I was lucky enough to sit under the learning tree and listen to some of the smartest people to have ever laced up a pair of boots. If you can name a wrestling move, I’ve seen it done in person, learned how to do it from the masters, and had it done on me as practice during drills.

And one thing that many of those masters have in common is that at some point in their lives, they tested their mettle against nature’s original wrestler, the bear. Not sure where the pigs stands on that to be honest, but if you’ve fought bears before, I should be the one asking you questions.”