Steamed Off, Part II! The Anstis Pirates’ Return!

[Vio]

^{Johnathan #1 — Charlotte #1}

---

Glug… Gulp! The sounds of warm alcohol running down a man’s throat were followed by the slam of a cask upon the boards of a small jetty. There sat Anstis Johnathan, a towering and burly man of nearly five metres, upon the raised stone that connected to the lower wooden extension via a set of steps he certainly had no need of using. The grizzled veteran’s day had been nothing short of ruined by the sleazy underhanded dealings of the shipyard managers he had made arrangements with — the scrawny Cecil Rhodes and the squat walrus of a man that was Wallace Banks.

“Well,” he said aloud, standing and carefully lighting a match with his massive hands as he gazed upon what bobbed gently before him. An weathered but seaworthy craft that had carried him many miles across the waves of the North Blue. She could’ve carried him further, but her time was done. “Can’t say I’ll miss you much, but I’ll be damned if I let them get their filthy palms upon ye now. Those b@$+@^Đ’s will never know a ship’s true worth,” he uttered, the flickering flame illuminating his hand just slightly as the sun began to plunge itself beneath the horizon. “That, and I owe ye a proper send off for all you’ve done for me…”

Fwoom…! From extended arm was the burning match cast, flame hitting the soaked wooden deck of the sailboat and taking with tongues of blue and yellow. Bundles of dried straw splashed with traces of alcohol and lantern oils soon joined the flame’s cause as it ran itself rampant across the deck and into the cabin. With a brisk step forward, John pressed his boot against her stern, pausing for a moment to reminisce of a similar time — a deeper bitterness mixed itself in with the taste of booze. He swallowed it.

“Farewell, ol’ girl,” the Captain said, kicking the boat into motion. The tides would take her out, perhaps a mile at most, where she would burn just as bright as the sun before the twilight hours claimed them and the night would creep in.

^{—— MEANWHILE ——}

“Mm! Man… Beating the ever lovin’ s#¡+ out of a man really works up my appetite,” said Joey, halfway through devouring what must have been his third ‘burger’ — more of a sandwich crafted of long-life loaf and steamed whale meat, plus trimmings. His short and stocky form perched upon the edge of the table, stubby legs swinging in an irregular manner that perhaps existed solely to make people conscientious of it. A simple shirt of red and white horizontal stripes, brown cargo pants and a matching brown cardigan were his choice of garb, plus rather standard black soft clogs. His small eyes portrayed his mostly satiated smile, his wiry pink curls protruded from beneath a black skull cap, but his gaze was upon two doors on the other side of the hideout.

^{“You haven’t done anything,” Vanessa retorted:
“You’ve just been sitting there eating…!”}

^“Oo-Ee!”

Click! The door on the left was the first to open. From it stepped a Gyojin, bizarre and anguilliform in his physique, though he quickly wrapped himself in a long brown cloak in such a way that one could be forgiven for believing it was a part of him. A maw of needle sharp teeth was quickly hidden as he unwrapped linen from about his knuckles and began to message them.

“Anything juicy, Rabuka?” Joey grinned.

^{“That one’s pretty hard to break,” the Gyojin replied:
“But, Karr managed to get a few bits of information…”}

^{“Care to sh–?!”}

Click… Slam! Eyes were diverted to the other doorway, outside which now stood a slightly disturbed-looking dark-skinned man — the swordsman known as Fenn. All three of his compatriots gave him a curious look, silently speaking to him through the power of camaraderie. He steadied his breathing and allowed his stance to relax, yet remained firmly propped against the door with his back to it, folding his arms over his chest as if to feign cool confidence. But it was clear as day that something had shaken him, even if just for a moment, as the cloth around his face was pulled down.

^{“Are you alright?”}

^{“Jeez, Fenn,” Joey said:
“Where’s the fire, bro?”}

“Uh… Wh– Why do I smell…? Ugh, it’s like burnt flesh,” Vanessa retched, face screwed up in disgust — an expression mirrored by her simian company, Alan. The woman herself was of tan complexion, revealing of dress, and possessed a few aesthetic oddities; one eye green in contrast to another yellow, plus her feathery red hair that somewhat matched Alan’s own curious coat. “What’s happening in there, Fenn? Karr?!” The woman’s eyes darted between her comrade and the chef the moment he made himself present, seeking answers from both.

^{“That woman,” Fenn uttered:
“She’s absolutely horrifying…”}

^{—— A FEW MINUTES BEFOREHAND ——}

^{“Blegh…! Wh– What is this?” coughed the hostage:
“Where am I…? F*€<, why are you wearing…?”}

“Greetings,” she’d said. A woman with misty hair, face concealed behind a gas mask of sorts, Glacáin Charlotte stood observing the man tied to the chair. Behind her, at the door, Fenn had stood with cloth wrapped to cover his nose and mouth at her suggestion. It was just as well, as the last few wisps of pale orange were finally dissipating as they were pulled towards cracks in the doorway. “We need you to answer a few questions. Your time limit is approximately one hour,” she’d explained, much to the hostage’s confusion.

^{“I’m not saying anything,” he snapped:
“Nothing you can do will make me squeal!”}

^{“Well, we’ll see about that…”}

“Indeed. You see, regardless of whether you talk or not, you’re going to be answering a lot of questions — not all of which are relevant to my cohort’s situation, but I assure you that I will find them most fascinating,” Lotty spoke, pacing a slow and steady circle around the man’s chair and paying close attention to the slight elevation in his breathing rate. From a pocket she pulled a simple syringe, its contents a mostly clear liquid of partial blue tinge.

“What’s that supposed to be? Saline solution? Truth serum? None of that s#¡+’s gonna work on me, b¡+€#,” he replied with cocksurity, straightening his back in his binds and putting on a determined grin. His complexion was starting to turn rather flushed, sweat forming on neck and brow. “I’m built different,” was his unnecessary addition, answered only by Charlotte’s careful adjustment of her mask.

^{“This…? It’s your antidote,” came an answer:
“To the pathogen I’ve introduced to your body…”}

^{“Patho… What?”}

“Disease. Specifically, IGN-173 — nicknamed ‘Loimu’ — a strain of my own creation. You’re quite fortunate,” Miss Glacáin smiled, enough so that the movement of her face shifted the mask ever so slightly as she leaned in closer and put a gloved knuckle to the man’s forehead. “You’re its first victim,” she finished, pulling her hand away quite hastily. “Astounding. Quite the temperature you’ve reached. You might want to tell me everything about your most recent job, else it’ll continue to climb…”

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synopsis:—}
Johnathan bids farewell to the boat that served him on the North Blue, while Charlotte proves her interrogation methods are more than a little disturbing for Fenn!

---

Notes: Kami-Gaz

---

Anstis Johnathan | #65000b
Glacáin Charlotte | #4d5d53
Karr Kovac | #ce5a3d
Fenn [NPC] | #86608e
Rabuka [NPC] | #76abdf
Vanessa [NPC] | #00ff40
Joey [NPC] | #fb607f
Alan [NPC] | #e61919
Miscellaneous [NPC] | #eeeeee | #bbbbbb | #888888 | #555555

[Kami-Gaz]

Karr had spent most of his time preparing an array of sandwiches for people, sandwiches made using the last of his supplies no less. All done using the makeshift steamer and what equipment could be sparred by this rag tag group in their hidey hole of a safe house. Steamed Sednan Ice Whale Meat on a hearty white crust bread with seasonings, a little leafy garnish and for those who wanted it a quick hand made sauce. He was fast in his creations to, being precise with his knives in the cutting and perfect in the timing of the steaming. When he had finished there were enough for two sandwiches with some left over… which Joey seemingly helped himself too.

That was when Rabuka called the Chef in for the interrogation… which was more bad cop and really bad cop… both of them seemingly switching out roles as Karr offered the man one of his own sandwiches in exchange for some info. It as that or be carved up more by a rusty spoon he had found.

The pair emerged from their room to see Joey, Alan and Vanessa resting in the common room, he himself was about to answer Vanessa when the other door slammed open. The smell of overcooked in a rush meat. It was one he had smelled before, and it brought back memories… bad ones. The frown on his face was less for the horrid stench but more for dredging up past wounds. “You cooked him too fast, the meats going to be leathery and disgusting.” He spoke softly before moving to peer into the room Fenn had just left.

“Let me guess, Lotte subjected him to one of her Miasmas? Poor sod.” He said before gazing in and seeing the horrors, horrors that would turn a normal person’s stomach inside out in an attempt to just get away from what he was seeing. This? This was light to Karr, a man who considered himself unhuman in nature. “Did he sing?” He asked, looking back to Fenn. “We managed to get a few tid bits from our boy in the least.”

The chef looked back at Charlotte and cracked a smile, glad she was on his side and not against him… “If you want to learn how to Cook Lotte all you have to do is ask and I’ll teach you.” He joked, waving his hand to woft some smoke away.

[Vio]

^{Charlotte #2}

---

“If you want to learn to cook, all you have to do is ask,” Mister Kovac jested as Charlotte’s eyes set upon him from behind the lenses of her mask. It was an uncanny look to an outsider — like a raven perched and waiting for the spoils. Perhaps more disturbing still was what sat beside her as she, with surgical precision, retrieved samples from it. Antidote applied, the man’s form was partially blistered and flushed, clothing showing burn holes where flames had eaten through in a most uncharacteristic manner. The hostage himself was unconscious, but alive.

“Much obliged. Now,” Lotty replied, standing as she slipped something into a test tube via a pair of silver tweezers, corking it in the same motion before stowing the article in a pocket. “He was kind enough to provide useful information in exchange for the antidote,” she spoke, sliding the mask up from her face to reveal the waning curves of a maliciously fascinated content, “once he was made aware of the pathogen’s more… extreme symptoms.”

She stepped from the room, shutting the door behind her so as to suppress the scent of charring on the air, and pulled a notepad from her belongings upon which she began to jot down curious notes. It took the best part of a minute before Miss Glacáin finally peered up from her paperwork and met the eyes of everyone else present. Her stare lingered a moment upon Fenn.

^{“You seem on the verge of fainting,” she added:
“I’d strongly suggest you sit and drink some water…”}

^{“Are we just… Not going to address this?”}

“Phew! Mm! When we said we’d give ‘em a grilling, we didn’t mean literally,” joked Joey, apparently being the only one — save for Karr and Charlotte herself — who was keeping his cool. Such wordplay got a slow shake of the head from Rabuka, who had visibly taken a step back from the doctor as if to avoid some unseen threshold. “Oh, c’mon, Rab! That was a good one!”

^{“I’ll take your word for it…”}

“A– Anyway,” Fenn cleared his throat as he tentatively followed the doctor’s orders and seated himself with a glass of water in hand. “Cecil Rhodes and Wallace Royal were the names dropped in the fire,” the dark-skinned swordsman explained, chugging crystal clear contents as if trying to douse an internal inferno.

^{“Rhodes and… Wait a minute,” Vanessa exclaimed:
“Didn’t we do a job for them months back…?”}

“Royal & Rhodes Shipbuilding Company. Most likely the same people,” Fenn nodded, turning to Karr and then, cautiously, to Charlotte as she continued to scribble down details into her notebook. “To keep you two in the loop, we were hired as security detail to oversee the safety of the client during a supposed ‘risky business transaction’. There were a few external complications that we weren’t made aware of during our briefing…”

^{“The whole op went t¡+s up,” Joey interjected:
“Me and Rabuka had to hold out for days!”}

^{“It was only a few minutes…”}

“Vanessa’s quick thinking is what got us out in the end,” Fenn concluded. “That, and Alan’s habit of stealing from suspicious people,” he smiled, receiving a chirp from the strange simian. “Still, that was several months ago, and we had to bail when everything went south, so we didn’t even receive the agreed payment. It seems a strange coincidence that the company that hired us would hire more mercenaries to target us, but none of that really explains why they’d want us dead in the first place.”

^{“It doesn’t tally, either,” Rabuka grumbled:
“Karr, what was it our guy said…?”}

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synopsis:—}
As Charlotte collects data on her pathogen, Fenn explains the situation as best he can, raising the names Cecil Rhodes and Wallace Royal, but Rabuka prompts Karr to talk about their own learnings.

---

Notes: ——

---

Anstis Johnathan | #65000b
Glacáin Charlotte | #4d5d53
Karr Kovac | #ce5a3d
Fenn [NPC] | #86608e
Rabuka [NPC] | #76abdf
Vanessa [NPC] | #00ff40
Joey [NPC] | #fb607f
Alan [NPC] | #e61919
Miscellaneous [NPC] | #eeeeee | #bbbbbb | #888888 | #555555

[Kami-Gaz]

Karr took a step closer to Charlotte after she had removed her mask and patted her on the back, ignoring the silence that filled the room and the horrified looks the others gave… this cemented his idea that it was good to be on her good side and have Lotte fighting with you rather than against you. Once the silence was quashed by Lotte speaking up again the man nodded to Fenn and then pointed to a neatly wrapped plate that held his sandwiches and a glass of water. “Go and unwind mate, before Joey nabs yer sandwiches.” He said as Vanessa and Joey spoke up.

Once Fenn had sat down, he spilled the beans. What their half of the interrogation had uncovered, this was regarding a job they had been involved in in the past. One that had gone south and now that same contractor wanted to make them, and all other dirty secrets disappear. Interesting, if that was the case then they should have put more effort into taking them out because the most damage they took earlier was just a few scrapes.

“Our lad? Aye, he sang like a canary once the spoon came out!” He joked, offering a chuckle to follow his own words. That lad was going to develop a phobia over spoons now. “He sang to a similar tune to what your lad said actually.” Karr said before hooking a stool with his foot and dragging it over, as it got close enough, he sat his keister on it and rested his elbows on the same desk Charlotte was using to write up her notes.

“Wallace Royal have a deal with the marines. They build ships for the marines and that’s fine and all, until you get to the fine print. They also take jobs on from pirates and people the law frown upon. They then in a variety of ways put those said pirates in a compromising position for the boys in blue to catch them.” The chef explained, absently sharpening the same spoon he had used to carve up the lad that he had questioned. “So many people have ended up behind bars because of this it’s insane, some if not all aren’t pirates at all. Just people that cross Wallace Royal.”

The chef shook his head and looked to Fenn. “People like our soon to be captain if we don’t get involved.”

[Vio]

^{Charlotte #3}

---

“World Navy intervention is to be expected in Augusteria,” Glacáin Charlotte said, matter-of-factly, as she finalised a few notes and focused — at least for the time being — on the conversation at hand. “However, judging by the recent ordeal, it seems that ‘Royal & Rhodes’ are looking to eradicate any trace of overtly criminal dealings from their record in order to avoid breaking down their Marine connections.”

^{“We aren’t criminals,” Rabuka stated:
“Being a mercenary is a profession…”}

^“Oo-oo!”

“Indeed,” Lotty replied, presenting the briefest glimpse of a knowing smile as she turned a page of her notebook and started scribbling again. “I wasn’t suggesting you were… Rather,” she continued, flipping the book around so that her most recent work was presented to most all in the room in a landscape fashion. A simple diagram with boxes that represented various interested parties — ‘Royal & Rhodes’, ‘MARINE’, ‘Captain Anstis’, ‘Kovac & Glacáin’, ‘Fenn’s Company’, and ‘?’ — pencil ready to draw lines.

“It is my assessment that your previous dealings with Royal & Rhodes were supportive of a deeply criminal operation,” the doctor began, pencil scratching paper gently as she drew a line from ‘Royal & Rhodes’ to ‘Fenn’s Company’. “Ordinarily, it would have simply been you doing your job for a paying customer, but if that were the case, why would they have gone to you in the first place? Clearly they’re well-established with the World Navy and wouldn’t need protection in any standard business dealings with respectable parties,” she continued, connecting the ‘MARINE’ box to ‘Royal & Rhodes’ and thus completing a chain of three at the bottom of the page.

^{“So the question mark is…”}

^{“It has to be…,” Vanessa pondered:
“The party they were dealing with…”}

“Precisely,” the misty-haired madam nodded steadily, connecting lines from the ‘?’ to each of the three boxes below. “Royal & Rhodes have shadier dealings that they don’t want the Marines to learn about, because they are already in so tightly with them — the Marines cannot look the other way,” she gestured by drawing a simple arrow on the line that connected ‘MARINE’ and ‘?’, “which likely means that they cannot risk their people on the inside finding out the truth from you about the situation. It could compromise not only Royal & Rhodes as a company, but also stir up controversy within the World Navy and perhaps damage somebody’s ‘reputable career’ as a direct result.”

^{“Huh,” Joey exhaled:
“Never thought of that…”}

^{“You figured all this out from that alone…?”}

“This is purely conjecture — we don’t have complete information on the remaining parties,” Charlotte said, prompting Fenn and his comrades to look amongst each other in disbelief. Vanessa even went so far as to mouth something to Karr about Charlotte always being this analytical, but that was ignored by the scientist herself as she continued her thoughts. “Then we have myself and Karr, as well as Captain Anstis: Outsiders who would have otherwise remained out of the net if not for individual wants and needs and pure circumstance. The Captain wishes for a crew, though our last talk suggested to me that he, too, has had dealings with Royal & Rhodes,” she elaborated, casting a glance to Karr and to Alan, before drawing a line from ‘Captain Anstis’ to ‘Royal & Rhodes’, then adding a line that connected ‘Kovac & Glacáin’ to ‘Captain Anstis’ by curving it over the top of ‘?’.

“I’ll spare you further analysis,” she said, tearing the page from the notebook and laying it upon the table, considering the Captain’s previous warnings that had highlighted her specifically as a target to some unknown presence. “Suffice to say, more lines exist to connect various parties, some of which I am sure we aren’t fully aware of, though others might be. There are so many crossing lines that an inevitable clash of interests will occur and, much like competitive pathogens, the risk of none surviving when the host can no longer endure is very high. Symbiosis…”

^{“You mean to say…?”}

^{“We work with Captain Anstis,” Charlotte confirmed:
“And we stand a much greater chance of winning…”}

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synopsis:—}
As the discussion happens, Charlotte demonstrates a knack for being able to join the dots in a complex puzzle of conflicting interest, legal ambiguity, and controversy, to which she suggests they all band together under Captain Anstis in order to survive the ordeal.

---

Notes: ——

---

Anstis Johnathan | #65000b
Glacáin Charlotte | #4d5d53
Karr Kovac | #ce5a3d
Fenn [NPC] | #86608e
Rabuka [NPC] | #76abdf
Vanessa [NPC] | #00ff40
Joey [NPC] | #fb607f
Alan [NPC] | #e61919
Miscellaneous [NPC] | #eeeeee | #bbbbbb | #888888 | #555555

[Kami-Gaz]

Charlotte took charge of the situation in a fashion he had not expected of the wispy haired lass, she begun by creating a diagram and explaining all the information that the group as a whole has gathered. It was quite remarkable, and the entire time Karr watched the woman from his stool with a sly smile curing the corner of his lips as ideas formed in the cook’s head.

“So, my piece to add to this little thing.” Karr started as he stabbed the now blade edged spoon into the wooden table with a heavy thudding noise. “Alan, when we had found him had pinched a piece of paper, a letter from a suited and booted geezer.” He spoke with more lax tones, moving to stand and move around to stand beside Charlotte. With a point to the diagram his sly smile twisted somewhat.

“Said geezer got in my way trying to get Alan and ended up with a pair of holes in his hands and broken nose.” A soft chuckle escaped the man as he poked himself and Charlotte and drew a transparent line with his finger to Fenn and the gang and then to the captain’s name. when his finger left the paper and he looked up to everyone he made sure to look into their faces to read reactions.

“The captain has that paper and when he read it in front of us, he had an interesting reaction. I think he has the lynch pin on the dirty fuel that powers this whole scene.” Karr announced, standing up tall and proud, he seemed to have remembered a clue that may have slipped through Charlotte’s net. Something big was about to happen, something that could mean a big step forward in his goal... or something terrible he was just going to weather to come out the other side more broken than he was before. It was time to make that bet, at least this time he had a choice in his fate rather than just being thrust into it and losing everything.

[Vio]

^{Charlotte #4}

---

“The Captain has that paper,” Karr announced, having stepped forth to give his own welcome addition to the pathologist’s breakdown of the situation. It was true that the chef’s actions had left the man brutalised, though by no means out of commission, and his concise description would certainly suffice.

^{“True, his reaction was curious…”}

^{“Alright, alright,” Fenn waved a hand:
“We’ll see what this ‘Captain’ has to say…”}

^{“Where were you supposed to meet?”}

“I believe he intended to wait on the opposite side of town from the dockyard,” Charlotte explained, recalling the information that the goliath of a man had imparted. “Sunrise, tomorrow,” she added, confirming time, even though that hadn’t yet been asked of them. “In the event my suspicions are correct, Karr and myself do certainly think it would be of great benefit for you to accept his offer — for us it acts as a foot in the door of solving an issue we have stumbled across. Our partnership, while effective, is limited in what it can provide.” True were the words coming from her mouth, though she hadn’t been explicit about it to anyone other than Karr on their voyage to Augusteria. Each cycle of their ploy would have heralded diminishing returns, though how swiftly it would have dwindled was beyond her ability to comprehend in the short-term.

^{“Okay, wait a sec. Hypothetically,” Joey said:
“What if we were hired to kill you two?”}

“Oo?” Alan chirped — the most prevalent sound amongst the grunts and gasps from Fenn, Vanessa, and Rabuka. Fenn’s reaction said it all, the slow palming of his own face a surefire indication of just how stupid Joey was being. Rabuka rolled his eyes, while Vanessa mouthed “ignore him” to Charlotte and Karr.

“Oh, c’mon! Think about it! There’s so many possibilities, especially when you involve so many people! It could all be a jest– Wait, no, wrong word… Rose? Ruse! That’s the f*¢<er. And you’ve walked right into a trap! I mean, it isn’t, ‘course,” he added with a smile and a chuckle. Strangely enough, he was making sense, even as he dropped from his perch upon the table’s edge and walked closer to the duo. Hands on his hips, he looked up and nodded. “You trusted us pretty much from the get go! In our line of work, that can get you killed — so what if…?” he asked. She waited for Karr to give his answer.

^{“And, well,” Lotty would add:
“It’s survival of the fittest…”}

“Well, I wasn’t expecting those answers,” Fenn smirked, showing some amusement in their responses: “Anyway. We should be rested before this meeting, especially as we’ll have to leave before dawn…”

^{—— THE NEXT MORNING ——}

The break of day had yet to be made, but Glacáin Charlotte was on the move, accompanied by an ally and by potential allies as they made their way through the dark streets. Street lanterns burned dimly, casting warm patches of respite at semi-regular intervals — she certainly didn’t envy whomever so had to light them each night. At steady pace, the click of her cane upon the cobbles was almost iconic, but far were the streets of Augusteria from being silent. Though substantially quieter than the day, to say the place became utterly silent at night was a complete misconception, for no one street had been completely devoid of people for more than a few seconds. In fact, it worked in their favour, for the balance of pedestrians was enough to make tailing the group very, very difficult.

“Did he give you an actual, specific meeting point?” Vanessa asked, wearing a well-worn fur-lined parka loosely over her shoulders, whose hood currently held the snoozing Alan. The troupe had taken the opportunity to gather important belongings, likely on the off-chance that something did go awry, and that really only served to exacerbate their seemingly minimalist natures…

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synopsis:—}
The group finish their discussions with Joey testing Karr and Charlotte’s responses to a hypothetical scenario. The following morning, they set out in search of Captain Anstis.

---

Notes: ——

---

Anstis Johnathan | #65000b
Glacáin Charlotte | #4d5d53
Karr Kovac | #ce5a3d
Fenn [NPC] | #86608e
Rabuka [NPC] | #76abdf
Vanessa [NPC] | #00ff40
Joey [NPC] | #fb607f
Alan [NPC] | #e61919
Miscellaneous [NPC] | #eeeeee | #bbbbbb | #888888 | #555555

[Kami-Gaz]

Charlotte was quick to hit the nail on the head on why they were looking for a larger group to roll with. They needed security and a means of travel to keep doing what they were doing to further their own goals. It was Joey’s input that got struck the chef deep in the soul, deep enough to make him crack a large grin… though he did stop himself before the chuckle came out and set Charlotte off on another of her laugh attacks.

“The real question Joey,” Karr started as he returned to his stool and stabbed the sharpened spoon into the table with such ease that it looked like a hot knife in butter. “How come I can cut a guy up with a spoon?” He asked rhetorically, he wasn’t expecting an answer and from what he knew of Joey he knew it was going to be a dumb one.

“I didn’t trust you. That’s the short answer, you guys were and are an easy meal ticket for me and Lotte. A tight knit group of skilled individuals looking for purpose. That’s what Johnathan saw in you and we’re a pair of people that cover the most vital roles on a ship.” Karr explained as he pulled the spoon out and waved the sharp end in the glutton’s direction, light gleaming off of the edge as he did.

“Besides, I have my full trust in lotte and her creations. One false move and we’d be walking away from some corpses.” He spoke, so matter of factly that it was like snagging some chocolate from a toddler. With a smile he shrugged and leaned onto the table, letting his forearm hold all of his weight as one hand lay flat and the other started to five finger fillet using his spoon. Each stab sliced a neat line into the table as he moved from beside the thumb to between the thumb and index finger and so on. “I like you guys though, and I think you like us, otherwise we won’t be in your hideout and wasting time together.” Karr spoke before nicking his pinkie finger with the blade, but it didn’t cut him. It smarted a little due to the force that was used in the game but there was not a drop of blood.

---

By the next morning Karr had gotten a bit of shut eye, sleeping with his bag as a pillow on the floor, it wasn’t comfortable, but he had dealt with worse. He was good enough to follow the gang to the meeting point with their soon to be captain to discuss the goings on. With a yawn he moved to answer Vanessa’s question. “North side of the market at dawn.” He spoke, stretching out his arms out in a long yawn that was to help his body in waking up.

“Is it me or does Joey snore like a foghorn?” He asked, semi teasingly of the group to try and get some light-hearted banter on the go as they made their way to the meeting spot. Joey was his target because in his heart he knew Joey could take a light jibing to get the ball rolling.

[Vio]

^{Johnathan #2 — Charlotte #5}

---

“Foghorn? Man, I must be losing my touch if I was that quiet,” Joey replied with a smile — a grin that seemingly hadn’t faded from his face since the evening prior. Karr’s little demonstration had been enough to strike fear into those of weaker conviction, but to Charlotte’s eyes, it was somewhat obvious that the band of rogues had taken to it like ducks to water. Why? Well, not one of them had failed to smile, smirk, chuckle, or — in Joey’s case — outright belly laugh at the chef’s display. They weren’t easily shaken, but had confirmed their respect for the deadly duo at that moment.

“Well, he should be around here,” Fenn spoke up as they reached their destination. Sun threatening now to break the horizon, twilight’s depth was starting to wane as the broader streets of a market area showed those signs of early opportunities. Salesmen and women setting up shop in prime traffic locations to shill their wares to passersby. “If what he’s selling doesn’t stick with us, then I suppose this might be the last we see of each other,” the swordsman said.

^{“And if we do part,” Joey added:
“May we never cross paths– Oof!”}

“At least not as enemies,” Vanessa interjected, having smacked Joey round the back of the head, sending an apple he’d apparently pilfered on their passage rolling along the cobbles, where it stopped just short of a pair of tacky black boots. On the northern side, segregated from the stalls and tents that were being set up, were a sparse gathering of about two dozen men. Some stood on their lonesome, while others had formed groups, all of different shapes and sizes, even ages. The youngest Lotty estimated to be in his late teenage years, yet tall and well-built, while the oldest seemed to be in his mid forties, grizzled and gruff.

^{“What’s with the travelling circus?”}

^{“Probably other recruits,” Rabuka grunted:
“I didn’t think he’d bet it all on us…”}

“I’m relatively sure today isn’t a regular market day, either,” Fenn added, revealing some knowledge of Augusteria’s social and economical workings. “Which means he picked a time when it’s at its emptiest, where there’s less likely to be police patrols… Hm?” Fenn stopped as Charlotte did, the doctor’s odd focus drawing line of sight to where crates and barrels had been arranged in some sort of very rudimentary setup. Multiple eyes were upon them now as they stood, practically surrounded by the ragtag gathering, but it was the rising silhouette of a large man that truly captured their focus.

^{“Ee-oo~!”}

“Glad you could make it,” rumbled the rough voice of the very man that had summoned them, Captain Anstis, as he stepped forward to greet them. “And right on time, too,” he huffed, taking a swig of booze from his keg before securing it to his belt again. As he was now, he certainly looked more imposing, despite the fact his attire hadn’t changed — the sight of an appropriately large pistol at his hip and the outright unusual curved sword across his back screamed of meaning business, even if neither was drawn.

“Alright, you sorry lot! Listen up,” he bellowed, urging a silencing of hushed voices and conversation between the rest of those present. At his height, he didn’t need a stage to step upon, and simply walked in a broad circle as he spoke until he reached a larger crate, at which point he sat himself down upon it. “You all know why you’re here: Anstis Johnathan’s my name, I need a crew — a good one — willing to sail for more than just the ‘catch of the day’ or on some mercantile routes. I need sailors ready to face the world’s most dangerous waters, the reasons I hope are obvious,” John growled with clear conviction, assessing each and every soul that had dared answer the call. Some barely moved, others were antsy. “Now, I believe I’ve already secured a chef and doctor…? What say the rest of ye…?”

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synopsis:—}
Charlotte and Karr lead the others to the meeting point, where Johnathan starts to rally those present.

---

Notes: ——

---

Anstis Johnathan | #65000b
Glacáin Charlotte | #4d5d53
Karr Kovac | #ce5a3d
Fenn [NPC] | #86608e
Rabuka [NPC] | #76abdf
Vanessa [NPC] | #00ff40
Joey [NPC] | #fb607f
Alan [NPC] | #e61919
Miscellaneous [NPC] | #eeeeee | #bbbbbb | #888888 | #555555

[Kami-Gaz]

In the short time that Karr had known his business partner he had learned one skill, something he was going to need to employ for a long time to come no matter the situation. He had learned to contain his mirth into cracked grin that showed his amusement but did not voice it with a laugh, chuckle or giggle of any kind. It was what he had flashed towards Joey and Vanessa as they had their back and forth. It was something he did enjoy with any group, a sense of freedom and self that you couldn’t get with strangers.

“Good thinking Fenn, no point in holding a pirate recruitment drive when the rozzers are watching.” He spoke, stopping and leaning on the first thing that was closest to watch what seemed to be happening on the stage. The soon to be captain that would be the ticket Charlotte and Karr were banking on made mention of their skills and willingness to join. That should be a massive help in getting folks aboard.

There was a short silence as people took in those words, a silence that was slain by a single young man, not long out of his teenage years by the look of it. His dirty blonde hair a mop on his scraggily frame, but he held a rifle on his back and a pair of pistols on his hips. “Aye! I be one for joining ye!” He called stepping forward, being hopefully the first of many as Karr cracked another one of those amused grins as he stepped forward.

“Aye! Chef here!” He called before grasping Lotte’s hand and raising it for her. “And here’s the doctor. We’ll follow you as long as you promise fortune and freedom.” He called, giving the captain more to work with for his recruitment speech now that the crowd seemed to be a buzz, the small groups that had gathered whispering amongst themselves with individuals with nothing else stepping forward, other preparing to walk away from something that was clearly a too much to be true.

---

Karr: ce5a3d

Kieran: e2b470

[Vio]

^{Johnathan #3 — Charlotte #6}

---

The air buzzed with Johnathan’s words for a moment, but soon the silence cracked at the announcement of perhaps a handful of confirmations. Amongst them, the curious cook with whom the Captain had crossed paths, beside the doctor whose name and face he’d recognised for reasons that nobody else was yet aware of. He stifled a grin, keeping his eyes from staring too long at the most promising candidates and making sure to sweep in the directions of every ‘aye’ received.

^{“That’s the spirit, boy,” he said:
“What’s your name, skill set…?”}

“Call me Kieran,” the young man replied, gesturing to the pistols at his hip. “I be the best shot ‘round these waters,” he confirmed, cracking a proud but tempered smile. It was a toothy grin that the grizzled veteran recognised — the hubris of youth. Whether his proclamation was accurate or not was yet to be determined, but the youth’s swagger was reminiscent of upstarts who knew not the monsters of the seas beyond. Still, this was the North Blue, adjacent to the New World, and so to have that bravado was very much a coin flip between reckless bravado and ruthless reliability.

^{“Aye, to hell with it,” grunted another:
“Bernie! Sailed most me life! Count me in!”}

^{“Carlsson! I ain’t wastin’ my years here!”}

“Mrm,” Glacáin Charlotte grunted softly, slipping her hand from the chef’s grasp, but making sure to nod in their would-be Captain’s direction as an affirmation. “It seems your little announcement stirred the masses, Karr,” the scientist said quietly to her company, perhaps a little surprised that he could be so charismatic in moments such as these — a stark contrast to her natural inclination towards calm, calculated quiet. Nay, she should have expected it of him by now. Their meeting on Sedna had been proof enough of his simmered charm; a man no sooner pleased than crossed.

At best, this affords Karr and I what we need, the twisted quack considered. And at worst, I have test subjects. Her own eyes turned from Mister Kovac to the crowd, watching as some shook their heads and turned to take their leave without so much as a word. Others threw their lot in with the Captain’s — a mix of salty veteran sailors looking for a new lease on life and youths seeking the promise of wealth and adventure. Her gaze then turned to Fenn and company, but the swordsman himself had already started to step forward.

^{“Fenn! I’m a swordsman,” he announced:
“These three will be joining with me…”}

“Aye.”

“Yeah!”

“Mmmhm!”

“But before we do, we need to know,” Fenn continued, his presence stilling the buzz of the audience as he boldly walked forwards until he was about ten feet from where John stood. Chin high, he looked up into the veteran’s eyes with conviction and spoke. “You can promise us all the gold in the world, all the freedom the high seas can offer, but,” he said sharply, “under what conditions of your own? If you need a crew, do you have a ship? And what — for those who haven’t figured it out yet — is our ultimate goal?”

“…Yarahahahaha!” Johnathan laughed, his stern look breaking as this one man had the gall to step forth and truly question his motives. It wasn’t a laugh of bemusement at a man’s foolishness, but one of crooked joy at the fact such strong-willed individuals were willing to answer the call, especially after previous defiance. Just what had Kovac and Glacáin said or done to twist their opinions? In the end, it mattered not. “Then let me be up front, Fenn,” he said, spreading arms in a gesture of openness, “we still need a ship: A vessel was promised to me by the shipwrights of Augusteria and we, come hell or high water, will have a ship!”

His joviality eased.

“You see? I don’t take kindly to liars and deceivers — I despise the dishonest men who sail these seas and cheat and scurry their way through loopholes like rats,” Anstis growled, revealing just a fraction of his temper as he loomed over a stoic, unflinching Fenn. “When you make a deal, you honour your word, and I intend to honour mine. Why? Because rules make men dishonest, so I have but one rule and but one goal. The rule? Nobody lies aboard my ship. The goal? Well, to some it may sound like a pipe dream, and if you think so, go ahead and laugh,” the goliath grinned.

^“…”

^{“I’m going to claim what is mine,” he finished:
“I’m going to become the Pirate King…!!”}

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synopsis:—}
As people start to volunteer, Fenn questions the motives of their would be Captain, who answers honestly and proclaims his dream to become Pirate King!

---

Notes: ——

---

Anstis Johnathan | #65000b
Glacáin Charlotte | #4d5d53
Karr Kovac | #ce5a3d
Fenn [NPC] | #86608e
Rabuka [NPC] | #76abdf
Vanessa [NPC] | #00ff40
Joey [NPC] | #fb607f
Alan [NPC] | #e61919
Kieran [NPC] | #e2b470
Miscellaneous [NPC] | #eeeeee | #bbbbbb | #888888 | #555555

[Kami-Gaz]

“It seems your little announcement stirred the masses, Karr.” Lotte spoke, a hint of surprise in her voice at how Karr managed to say just the right thing. The way she pulled her hand free was barely noticeable to the chef, a soft pull that brought it down leaving his arm up in the air in solidarity. “All it takes is a nudge to start a rebellion.” He spoke softly as he let his hand fall back down to his side as more people spoke up or left, this was what he had expected to happen.

He kept his eye on the crowd, watching until Fenn raised his hand and threw his lot, and the lot of the rest of his gang in. This brought an amused grin to the face of Karr kovac, his hard work had paid off and the troupe he had actually grown quite fond of had taken his laid-out path. The question he had asked came with a tonne of merits as well, it was good food for thought.

“And that is check mate.” He spoke, mostly to himself and paying attention to the captain give his speech of an answer in reply. He knew what he was doing, almost as if he had been through this before in the past. Which could be a good or a bad sign… either way this was the perfect meal ticket for him and his business partner.

“I’m going to become the Pirate King…!!” Johnathon announced with gusto, a fantastic goal. It was a goal that could define this very crew right here and now. Were the people that followed him dreamers?

“A fine goal!” Karr replied before letting out a cheer, standing forward and pumping his fist into the air. A cheer that sparked more cheers from the likes of Kieran, Bernie and Carlson. Karr also knew what he was doing, he was earning himself a good meal ticket. “Captain Anstis! King Of The Pirates!”

[Vio]

^{Johnathan #4 — Charlotte #7}

---

^{“Captain Anstis!” Mister Kovac cheered:
“King of the Pirates…!”}

^{“Hurrah!”}

“Mm,” Charlotte exhaled, apparently not as enthused by the proclamations as everyone else was. But that was just the woman’s nature. She did not care much for these sorts of things outside of the benefits she could garner from them and, under the wing of such an ambitious and potentially powerful man, she would likely get them. Piracy was a lucrative business for the strong, such had been the age the world had lived through for the last two decades and then some, all thanks to ‘Gold’ Roger’s infamous last words. That meant she and Karr would no doubt be able to pursue their ideologies so long as they pulled their weight.

Just how many have you persuaded…? The question floated in Miss Glacáin’s mind as her eyes swept across their audience, half-heartedly seeking men who did not seem to give themselves to the cause. Johnathan’s words had seemingly guaranteed that not a single soul present would laugh at his dream which, for Lotty, was probably a good thing. Sure enough, many had stood and raised their fists to the air and put themselves to the cheer, exchanging conversations of intrigue and excitement to which she just did not care to be privy. There were a small handful, maybe four of the gathered crowd, that had already turned to leave.

^{“Hm,” she exhaled again:
“More than I thought…”}

“Pardon me for asking, Captain,” Joey spoke up, drawing eyes as he nonchalantly sauntered up to the goliath. “Name’s Joey, by the way! But what’s the plan? Augusteria’s shipyards would be guarded, right? Are we doing this all ‘covert’ and nabbing the ship from right under their noses, or are we just barging on in and taking it by force?” An odd tension fell over those not in the know, but it soon was dismissed by what followed.

“Hrm! A good question,” John replied. “The ship itself will be a blank slate. Beyond its craftsmanship there’ll be no supplies for its maiden voyage — a means of making sure a fresh ship can’t just be robbed and simply because it’s not in a shipyard’s description to do so. I’d suggest everyone chip in a little for a few days’ journey at sea — food, clothes, necessities — and bring anything along that you absolutely don’t want to leave behind. Say your farewells,” the grizzled veteran continued, though it seemed to him that very few had much more to their names than the clothes on their backs and maybe a half-stocked pantry. What man comfortable with his lifestyle would so willingly commit to piracy at the drop of a hat? Very few.

“As for the plan: We’re walking in,” Captain Anstis grinned, though his visage soon took on a soured expression as he recalled the details he had read. “They gave me a completion deadline of noon, two days from now, but I’m absolutely sure the ship is already waiting for a captain and crew — the deadline is so they could call in the aid of Marines. So, the sooner we walk in and take what is rightfully ours, the better. So! Let’s not waste any more time, aye? Go! Get what you need, prepare yourselves! One hour,” he finalised, not needing to add anything more as a portion of the crewmen split in various directions. A few remained present, packs on their shoulders or at their sides, and evident that they held little else to their names that they cared about.

^{“I’m curious,” John added, eyeing Lotty and Karr:
“How did the two of you end up meeting…?”}

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synopsis:—}
The analytical Charlotte watches as Joey questions Johnathan’s plan of action.

---

Notes: ——

---

Anstis Johnathan | #65000b
Glacáin Charlotte | #4d5d53
Karr Kovac | #ce5a3d
Fenn [NPC] | #86608e
Rabuka [NPC] | #76abdf
Vanessa [NPC] | #00ff40
Joey [NPC] | #fb607f
Alan [NPC] | #e61919
Kieran [NPC] | #e2b470
Miscellaneous [NPC] | #eeeeee | #bbbbbb | #888888 | #555555

[Kami-Gaz]

As the cheering died down the cook felt accomplished in this endeavour of helping to secure a crew for the man called Johnathon Anstis. Why did he not do it himself? It was too much work, his passion was in cooking, not controlling the despicable souls of humanity. His own disposition was not worthy to lead anyway, he didn’t trust, like or believe in himself… how could he lead people if he himself was such a terrible person?

His line of thinking was cut off completely when Joey opened up his mouth and did what he did best. Ask the completely right question in the wrong way. Just how were they going to get the ship? Something that had plagued the Chefs mind in the recesses at first, but he decided putting that out of his mind served him best.

How the captain lay out his plan was good; he knew a ship was ready and he intended to take it before the corrupt shipyard could call in the marines on him and any followers, he had gathered in a surprise attack that would leave everyone but those doing the attacking stunned. Of course, there were going to be guards but those can be taken down by a competent force… Karr just happened to know that he was part of a competent force, one that Charlotte and he had convinced to come along.

So, an hour to gather what they needed? Meeting in the market near the towns commercial district was not a bad shout… Now this entire crew could essentially raid all the stores and shops to get what they could carry in that time before a competent force could be brought down on them… That should solve his kitchen stock issue. The Chef himself was about to kick off of the wall and disappear around the shops to pilfer some of the best stock her could for the store but was stopped by a question from the captain…

“A chance meeting on Sedna. She dosed some louts with one of her tests and I fed them up for all the change in their pockets… it was their pay day.” Karr spoke quite frankly with a wave of his hand. “We struck up a partnership there and then. We decided hitching up with a crew would be our best course of action.” The sharpener said as he walked over to his captain, looking up at him.

“Me and the Missus are quite tightly bound as business partners, joined at the hip if you’d like to say.” He spoke, phrasing it in such a way to ensure that if one of them were to go, they would both leave this crew.

[Vio]

^{Johnathan #5 — Charlotte #8}

---

“A chance meeting on Sedna,” Mister Kovac explained, much to the interest of Captain Anstis, who eyed the dynamic duo with quiet curiosity and a hint of caution refined by years of experience. It was right to be cautious of individuals like these — right to be concerned of those showing resolve and reputation. Even as a veteran of the New World, he knew his skills had waned, and more and more monsters were starting to appear across not just the Grand Line, but the Four Blues as well. “Me and the missus are quite tightly bound,” Karr added, much to Johnathan’s curiosity, especially when his eyes saw the response given by the cook’s partner in crime.

“Hrm,” Charlotte vocalised calmly, side-eyeing Karr briefly before returning to look at John. “It’s true that we have a prior arrangement. The reason we chose to join you is simple enough and I see no point in hiding our intentions at this point,” she continued as the gathering crowd separated further. “You offer us an opportunity to further our goals — strength in numbers — and so we’ve agreed,” the doctor stated, tapping the ground with her cane. It didn’t take a genius to see that the goliath’s eyes had locked onto the walking stick, assessing it with a knowing scrutiny, and it took her quite a while to realise it.

Her eyes narrowed.

“Let’s hope your skills are as valuable as you say,” Johnathan murmured, loud enough for them to hear, but quiet enough to keep the conversation to a more personal range. “No doubt Royal & Rhodes have competent combatants at their shipyard — a security detail of some skill is a must — but I also wouldn’t put it past them to be all bark and no bite,” the grizzled veteran mused. His eyes scanned them again — Karr, Charlotte, Fenn and company — and settled upon the cloaked Rabuka. “I should say this, to give you peace of mind: I hold no ill will towards your kind, and neither do I believe it was ever deserved,” he nodded.

“Thanks,” Rabuka nodded back.

^{“Rab here’s a great brawler,” Joey piped up:
“Real slippery devil, but a great guy!”}

“And you, Joey? First I saw of you was sleight of hand,” John spoke, harkening back to the first time he’d seen Fenn and his ragtag arrangement — a curious game of cards turned brawl when two sides tried to cheat the other. He’d seen the woman’s sharp kicks, acrobatics, and use of a gauntlet-type crossbow. He could assume any Gyojin, like Rabuka, was at least somewhat skilled as a martial artist and at using their natural weapons, having glimpsed those razor teeth. And Fenn? The sabre at his hip said it all. But there were two here he didn’t know, both curiously unarmed.

^{“Me? Well, I’d be happy to say,” Joey smirked:
“But I prefer to keep my skills a secret~!”}

“Aye, I suppose that’s fair,” Captain Anstis affirmed, shifting his gaze to the other unknown quantity. He knew of his apparent skill set as far as a ship’s crew was concerned, but what of a fight? He cared not whether they wished to disclose this information, for sooner or later he would see it with his own eyes, but curiosity still begged him to ask the question. “And what about yourself, Karr…?”

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synopsis:—}
A curious Johnathan pries into the combat skills of some of the group before they set off!

---

Notes: ——

---

Anstis Johnathan | #65000b
Glacáin Charlotte | #4d5d53
Karr Kovac | #ce5a3d
Fenn [NPC] | #86608e
Rabuka [NPC] | #76abdf
Vanessa [NPC] | #00ff40
Joey [NPC] | #fb607f
Alan [NPC] | #e61919
Kieran [NPC] | #e2b470
Miscellaneous [NPC] | #eeeeee | #bbbbbb | #888888 | #555555