New Beginings [WW Act 1]

[Aubs]

This Babet moved nonchalantly through the groups of Marines set to peace-keep the main square of Enkai. As the new lieutenant on the island he didn’t have any mean assigned to him yet, However, because he was an officer his freedom of movement was good enough to avoid many strange looks that a lone marine wandering away from an important assignment might draw. As he walked Babet’s lavender hair and thin frame did seem slightly out of place amongst these people, but they would never have said anything considering his status. It was a shame though, because if they had they might have saved future issues, but more on that to follow. The headquarters for the marines was actually over in Minato, far on the other side of the island. However, because day was such a joyous day all across the island of Saisho Marines had been dispatched to both cities and along the main route through the jungle between them. Because of this the commander of the island would be traveling between the two cities, spending the first few hours on this side of the island and the afternoon on the other as the procession of unity and peace flowed from one place to another.

The history of the celebration was actually the history of Enko no Saisho. Many many years the island were uninhibited and had been for hundreds of years after the departure of its original homeowners. At this time a group of pioneers from the far off ocean braved a dangerous journey to find a new home away from the suppression of their former country. They had landed here and established Enkai, but before they could ever really prosper the dangerous animals of the jungle came to push them back into the water from whence they came, To stop the slaughter the people of Enkai called for assistance from a rival kingdom than the one they had deserted. When those troops arrived they happily rescued the people and began reinforcing the small port city. Once they felt secure enough to venture out into the jungle, the party of soldiers and townsfolk found themselves going further and further into the depths of the mysterious island they had been hiding on for years. Finally they reached the other side of the island, only to find a huge, already completed city of white stone awaiting them, presumably left here for hundreds of years before the island was abandoned. Before the people of Enkai could claim the land however the soldiers turned on them and claimed it for themselves. The next few generations were hard at war for both freedom from the other side and control over the island whole until a pair of star-crossed lovers brought the island together after so much bloodshed. Marines arrived not long after and were greeted happily, hoping that they would make up for the defense of the island that had turned from those soldiers so long ago. In exchange the two ports on the island would act as docking stations for World Government traders and Marines looking to go further into the Peace Route of the Grand Line. Really the islanders had no choice to except, but it had worked out for the best really.

And this parade all over the island was to signify those bonds, between Minato the white-stone city, Enkai the wooden harbor town and the Marines who protected them both from the dreaded jungle that took up so much more of the island. Nothing had come out of those woods for years, but the threat was there and they knew it. So, musing over all of this Marine Lieutenant Babet walked himself quietly into the large town hall building that the marines were using as their base here for the moment to coordinate. Nodding here and there the man slipped off towards the small room to the side of the main floor, where the commander was sitting behind a desk working over some reports, he always worked so hard. As the door opened the leader looked up, his salt and pepper beard glimmering in the light. As he spoke his slight grizzled voice sung with years of hard work. “Ah Lieutenant, come here and look at this with me, perhaps you can understand just what the headquarters is asking, you just got here from there after all.”

“Of course sir, my pleasure.”

Coming around to stand behind the true marine, Babet only stood there as the older man pointed here and there, trying to decipher what the many pages before him meant, he certainly did like to get into the details. The lavender man only held out his right hand, index finger extended from his fist as something shiny began to creep out from his skin, clear as air but deadly as steel. Without a word the small man took that finger and jabbed into his commanders ear, piercing his skull and brains, killing him instantly. His head slammed forward, breaking off the weapon from Babet’s finger and landing on the desk with a nasty sound. As he walked out calmly, Babet took out a pile of letters from his jacket, neatly sealed in a ribbon of some kind, as if taken very good care of over a long period of time, and tossed the on the desk as well. He made his way out into the city once more, waiting as the plan would unfold.

---

Aubrey looked over to this Kallie as she spoke; her voice was so bubbly that he almost felt happy just listening. She was pretty nice too, considering her need to thank him, even if she did sneak her way on the ship and he himself had tried to kick her back off until Justin talked him out of it. It was almost just as painful for him them to see her struggling with the shredded wing on her back. Before he could move to help however, the big man with orange hair got up and did it himself. This said more about him than Aubrey could have imagined, causing him only to smile. And even them Aubrey couldn’t get a moment to think as Donner sat down again and gave him a fake salute, introducing himself properly. Our hero watched was this man’s forearm warped itself through magic into what could only be described as a cannon barrel. Eyes wide the rookie sat there looking at the man as the apparent devil fruit user repeated what Aubrey had already pieced together. Those instincts had somehow been right, this man was the cause of all that damage to the Marine ship, all by his lonesome. It was not until Donner asked him about their journey that Aubrey snapped back into reality.

“We just got here from Lougetown, where we stole this vessel. Myself, Ren and two others stole the ship, which Sean, who is also on board built. Justin, who at least you have met Kallie, was a Marine in Lougetown, over in the East Blue. But, he Sean and I go way back, and they decided to follow me instead into the Line. We had to defeat the majority of Lougetown’s Marines are the way here though. What we are planning is very risky, so we needed to stop and regroup. Which I suppose brings me to the important point. We are in a serious spot, and I won’t make anyone stay around if they don’t want to follow us. That being said, Kallie you can stay here and recover feel free to look around the ship, Donner; why don’t you come with me and buy some new clothes, we both could use some. You are both welcomed to join us later today for our little victory party.”

Aubrey stood and smiled to both of them, his head was swimming with a few ideas and some stray thoughts. He tended to do this after all, take time to make decisions, and it felt as though he was going to be making one soon. Making for the door, the Captain opened it and ushered to Donner, looking also at Kallie to reassure her that she was safe here.

Now, it was his turn to get into town as well, hopefully with Donner at his side for more discussion.

---

---

[Mr. Moshypocrite McSlowbro]

In a moment far too long in coming, relief flooded the battle-worn woman; a euphoria that spread from the tops of her feathered tips down to the bottoms of her wiggling toes. An extended period of suffering tends to marginalize pain, as your body acquaints itself. Not quite the same as ignoring the injury, mind you. The absence of the paroxysms that had accompanied her every movement was like losing a terrible weight she had forgotten was burdening her. Mobility gradually returning, Kallie suddenly felt light as air itself.

She flexed, rolling her shoulders backwards and forwards slowly in order to test their functionality. They were still sore, understandably so, but the action did not debilitate her as it had previously, which she chalked up as a momentousness win in her book. "Eeeeeh.... Woo! Thankyouthankyouthanky- " Upon completing her self-inspecting, she errupted into a two-part celebration. The first being what might be described as a victory dance, save it only involved motion from the waist up, and it really only amounted to twisting back and forth merrily. The second part involved the makings of a hug, one aimed at the larger fellow who had assisted her. If the goal of said action was to convey feelings of appreciation and general goodwill, that much was achieved. But when she moved to wrap her arms around him (A difficult feat to achieve, given she would have been eye level with the man's chest even if she had successfully risen from the bed), she was swiftly reminded that her splintered wings were not the only notable damage she had received in the course of the previous day's actions. A stabbing pain flared angrily in her bruised ribs, which forced her to abandon the gesture and semi-collapse back onto the bed, gripping the afflicted area tenderly. "Right. Forgot about that. Still an improvement!"

A moment later, the man introduced himself as Donner. Wonner. Johner. Goner? Well, that was a depressing. In related news, the man in question just turned his perfectly-normal fleshy hand into a black metal cannon. A hand-cannon, if you will.

"Woah." Came her comment, observation, and general opinion on the subject. While this alone would generally lead her to the conclusion that he was some sort of government experiment, the presence of the captain Aubrey(Nickname pending), who she had already determined was at the very least cybernetic if not a fully a fully artificial being, made her believe that this man too was a robot. So very lifelike. She could not help but wonder how many else had been robots as well. The Squinty Eye guy certainly could have been. What of Fancy-Coat though? Could he be one too?

Kallie's erratic thoughts were again interrupted by another speaker. Metal Head! That's what she'd call him. Pumping her fist in victory, she really only caught the last few sentences of the man's speech.

“...are in a serious spot, and I won’t make anyone stay around if they don’t want to follow us. That being said, Kallie you can stay here and recover feel free to look around the ship, Donner; why don’t you come with me and buy some new clothes, we both could use some. You are both welcomed to join us later today for our little victory party.”

A party, huh? Well, she was never one to turn down festivities. Especially on a new island. In the Grand Line, even! There had better be cake involved. That's all she was saying. "Huh? Oh, okay. That sounds fine. I'll see you guys later then!"

[donnervark]

Donner was used to generally good natured people, which might sound odd given that he'd spent much of his time around pirates, who were automatically painted as horrible criminals with no regard for others. However, the pirates that made up One-Eye's crew were a rather jolly bunch, some had some disturbing quirks, but all in all they were good people. He felt like Kallie would have fit right in, she seemed light enough that most of the gruffer humor would roll right off, and she'd probably brighten up the parties a great deal. He coudn't help but chuckle at the thought of Dodger beating on every person who tried to hit on her. He was a salty old bastard, but a gentleman. Donner had to stow another chuckle when she tried to dance, only really twisting her torso back and forth, at least she had spirit. Then she moved towards him, in what he thought was supposed to end as a hug, only she couldn't quite pull it off and went back in place. Shame, she looked like a good hugger.

It was after that, and his introduction, that this Aubrey told his own crew's tale. He was jealous of them getting to see Loguetown, it would have been the perfect chance to hunt down Marine deployment records and find out where the good Rear Admiral had gone since his 'rehabilitation'. After his Uncle had been killed by the Marines, and he'd eaten the Hou Hou no Mi, he'd been taken to a Naval base out in the middle of nowhere. As far as he could tell, the place didn't exist in paperwork, it was a secret facility, or had been built without the World Governments knowledge. The commander of the base however, was the man who'd ordered the raid on his home. By Donner's logic, that man was to blame for his Uncle's death. Still, he shook his head before he got to distracted, just in time to hear the most interesting part of Aubrey's story.

"Now that would have been a sight to see!" He had to exclaim at Aubrey's claim that they'd fought through most of the islands Marine forces. For obvious reasons he was a better fighter on land, and city fighting was his favorite. He would have had a blast, literally. Stealing a Marine ship, fighting Marines in a Marine controlled port, then escaping over Reverse mountain successfully? He had to wonder what kind of plan they could possibly consider risky after that adventure. He was tempted to ask exactly what they were planning when Aubrey asked him to tag along so they could resupply. He scratched his head with a frown. He liked the idea of a victory party, would be a great way to unwind, and technically surviving that mess with the Marines could be counted a victory for himself as well....even if this man's crew gave him an assist.

"I'd like to. But I can't exactly pay, not with Berri anyways..." All he had was his uncle Bennon's gold rimmed sunglasses, and he wasn't going to part with those no matter how disgusting his clothes were. They were the only thing he had left of his family, and they were worth more than a limb to him. He used to have a pair of well kempt pistols for when his powers were unavailable or unfeasible, but they were lost in the storm. He stood up anyways. This guy seamed like a reasonable person, perhaps they could work out a deal of sorts. As he left he made to tip his hat to Kallie when he remembered that he didn't have one. Donner smiled with a sigh. One day he was going to find a hat that he wouldn't lose. He settled for a wave to the peppy redhead and exited with Aubrey. Once they got moving he got to thinking seriously.

"So you guys have a hell of a story already. Suppose you're looking to make it big out there on the Line?" One of the things Donner hated was that while he was very observant, able to pick out tiny details from a persons external appearance, habits, mannerisms, etc....he was near useless at speculating someone's character. When it came down to it, he came out here looking for a crew. Donner intended to find a ship at least a little like Dodger's, a good natured crew with good hearts, with a strong rebellious streak mixed in with a fiery determination to cause some trouble. So far these guys fit a few of those bills, but he didn't know anything else about them. He tried to size up Aubrey a little better now that he wasn't destracted by the angel, or the conversation.

He really didn't look like much. His build was solid, leaning towards leaner, though that might just be due to Donner's own build being larger and warping his perspective. The tattoo's were interesting, covering a good portion of his arms. But lots of pirates had ink, not all of them got them for any good reason. He almost looked a little too smooth to command the sort of obedience the others gave him. Of course he did mention that they'd known each other for a while. He growled lightly, ruffling his hair. Perhaps he was overthinking things, his mind tended to move ahead of him at times. Maybe it was best to just get clothed, and have a party...worry about the big stuff later. Yeah, that was a good plan. With that Donner decided to see how things panned out, and switched directions in the conversation.

"So I have to ask, if you guys can tear through an island's worth of Marines...you're pretty tough right?" He asked with a grin, curious about how they faired in a fight. "Honestly, I wasn't at my best back on that ship, but still, that was just one ship." He tried to be polite, while inferring his interest. He loved a good scrap, and just trying to piece together how one crew could take a whole garrison of the Navy's finest got him excited. "Gotta be one hell of a crew to pull that off, or a smart one. Either way, might have to stir up some trouble, if only to see you guys in action." Donner wouldn't actually pick a fight with the marines just to drag someone in on the battle, he was mostly trying to steer the conversation. But he couldn't help but let his interest show in his voice.

[Doc]

The waitress returned much sooner than Ren would have expected. Apparently the chef was good at what he did, because before long Ren had a a plate with what was easily the second largest crab he'd ever seen in his life staring back at him, accompanied by a frothy mug the size of his head. "That's a pretty big crab," he remarked, trying his hardest not to smile as big as he wanted to. He loved crab. "Oh yeah. This island catches some of the biggest fish in the grand line. And crab. So please enjoy." Before he could reply, the waitress bobbed off and went to another table. Shrugging, Ren returned his full attention to the crab that lay steaming before him. "Sorry about this mr. crab. But you just look good enough to eat," he joked. Grabbing for a fork, he expertly flipped the crab over onto it's back, peering carefully at it's underbelly.

Most people know that the crab has an underbelly that can easily be broken to get at it's inside, but fewer people knew that there is usually a small chink in the crab's lower belly, making opening it even easier. Finding the chink after a few moments inspection, Ren inserted his fork into the slight gap, and with a slight twist of his wrist, there was an audible crack as the crab's insides became visible. Still smiling, Ren scooped up a forkful of crab, and drew it to his mouth. He paused for a moment, seeming to notice for the first time the small dish that contained piping hot butter to the side of his plate. He'd had crab before, but he'd never used butter. He wasn't entirely sure how that would taste. Most of the time, he'd only eaten crab fresh from the water. Cooking hadn't always been a luxury. But there was no point in wasting anything, especially considering since it came to his table, he'd have to pay for it anyway, so might as well use it. Dipping once in the dish, before he could reconsider he shoved his fork into his mouth.

The first thing he experienced was the heat from the butter and the crab. The butter had seeped into the crab, and the taste seemed to melt onto his tongue. The sensation was so unfamiliar that for a moment, he was speechless. His eyes widened, and his nostrils flared out as he tightened the grip on his fork. "I'm retiring here..." he said after a moment. Licking his lips, he fell upon the crab with renewed vigor. He was so busy, he didn't notice the familiar figure that entered the bar in his frenzied feeding. Within a few minutes, he was picking at the crab's shell with his fork, trying to find anything he'd missed. Leaning back with a sigh, he patted his belly. His eyes fell on the mug the girl had set at the table with his meal, and he eyed the froth that dripped slowly over the top. Shrugging, he reached out a hand and pulled it closer, sniffing the contents with interest. At this point he figured the people in this restaurant could do no wrong, and without a second thought took a generous swig.

The taste was interesting to say the least. It was clear that it had alcohol in it, he could taste it, but it was sweet like no other drink he'd had. It was bubbly, not exactly carbonated, but something like it. He couldn't quite place the flavor, it was something he hadn't tasted before, maybe something that could only be found on this island or an area of the Grand Line. Either way, after a few sips, he couldn't even taste the alcohol, his mouth was filled with that interesting taste. He'd downed half of his mug before he realized that the froth that was a biproduct of the drink only succeeded in making him thirstier. He drained his mug and set it back down, smacking his lips. "Weird. Delicious, but weird..." he said to himself.

The friendly waitress came by at that point, holding a tray laden with the same drink. She set one down in front of him with a smile before heading to another table. He sat sipping the drink until she finished making the rounds, and hailed her on her way back to the bar. "Two things. What exactly is this? It's fantastic." "That's the house special, Mer-Water, guaranteed to have you feeling like your floating at the bottom of the ocean," she said, beaming. "Mm. Ok. And uh...how do you keep track of what got to what person? Seems like you're the only waitress." Tapping her forehead lightly, she gave him a funny smile. "Fortunately, I have a photographic memory, so whenever the bartender doesn't feel like hiring anyone extra, I can pretty much manage on my own."

While they'd been talking, Ren had been steadily sipping at the mug until it was empty. Tipping the mug back, Ren stared sadly at the froth that coated the bottom. "Another for you, right?" she said, skipping off. Over the next ten minutes, he drank 3 more, a forth in his hand as he finally stood up and made his way to the bar, to get his drinks faster. His walk was surprisingly steady, though his head was a little fuzzy. He surmised that the alcohol in each one couldn't be much, considering he'd had so many and still wasn't really drunk. Plopping down on an empty stool, he quickly became aware of the smell of smoke. Sneezing lightly, he glanced to his left and realized that he recognized the sour looking man who was smoking nearby. Shifting over a stool, he parked himself right next to his crewmate.

"Well now, would you look at that. It's...uh...Justin. Sorry, forgot your name for a second," he said, giving him a lopsided smile. Taking a deep drink from his mug, he remarked "Surprised to see you so soon. I thought you were in charge of repairs and getting things for the ship or something? Or was I misinformed?" Draining his mug, he slid it in front of him and a short time later, a full one was put in front of him. "I love this place," he said, nonchalantly throwing an arm around Week's shoulder. "I tell ya, this place is just...the best. I think when I get old, I'll come here an start a family and all that jazz. Maybe with the waitress," he said, gesturing to her with his mug, as she zipped from table to table. "Dunno, she's growing on me..."

[Weeks]

-It had not been a picture perfect start. In fact, drinking your memories and worries away seemed more fitting an end. Though he was committed, there were things on his mind right now that just wouldn't wash away like the filth that still covered him. He still had family, and friends on the island of Goa, would they be safe from retribution? Everything in his body was telling him right now that he should be worried. Hell, by tomorrow morning he was sure that wanted posters would arrive, meaning he would officially be a wanted man. Thoughts like these swirled back and forth in his mind as he pounded down his second glass of whiskey, strait, with not even a cube of ice. It was starting to work it's magic however, and his fingertips were beginning to tingle with euphoria.

-"Justin."

-He perked up instantly. He turned to meet the surprisingly friendly face of Ren Holiday.

-"Sorry, forgot your name for a second."

-Justin began to return Ren's smile, the man was tipsy, something Justin did not believe Ren was capable of. It more had to do with how the man carried himself, rather than his interactions with the navigator.

-"Surprised to see you so soon. I thought you were in charge of repairs and getting things for the ship or something? Or was I misinformed?"

-Ren drained his mug, Justin watching in ecstatic awe, perhaps he really had misjudged the swordsman after all.

-"I love this place."

-An arm was thrown around Justin's shoulder, and the sniper could only smile stupidly as Ren continued to speak, without a word in edgewise.

-"I tell ya, this place is just...the best. I think when I get old, I'll come here an start a family and all that jazz. Maybe with the waitress, Dunno, she's growing on me..."

-"Yeah I could see that." as Justin whisked his eyes over to the waitress.

-He chose to forget about the other comments Ren had made, he was getting to drunk to care at this point anyway. The most important thing was that Ren was drunk, and Justin could stand him in this state.

-"Another round?" asked the waitress, motioning to Justin's empty glass.

-"Please. But I'll just take a beer."

-"Any particular brand?"

-"Phoo...got a good amber?"

-"I think I have just the thing."

-Justin simply nodded to the waitress, instead, turning back to Ren and trying to find any words at all. He was lost for the moment, no joke at his expense, of curse he could continue to call him squints...yes, that was indeed the best course of action.

-"Listen Squinty eyed swordsman...Ralf...It's Ralf right?" asked Justin, grinning from ear to ear.

-"I know Aubrey. I know Sean. And I think I know Ponte and Marius well enough to know why they set out to sea with us. I cant say anything about the heavy guy or the adorable angel, but I need to ask you something...why?" he said, hoping he wasn't dampening his mood.

-"I mean...man to man..." he began, whispering now.

-"Why go pirate? And why us? If I know Aubs, he's got some ideal about messing with the government and all that. Some story about how he blah blah blahed in the blah blah with blah blah'n blah circumstances. You get what I'm saying? I mean, If you didn't know, we're on the Peace Route, most likely the most military guarded sea route in the world."

-"Telling secrets?" asked the waitress as she returned with Justin's beer.

-"Only about you Ma'am." Joked Justin, giving her a wink before she left to attend to other customers.

-"So...like I was saying. Why pirates bent on the destruction of a flawed system of elitist military control?"

-He took a swig of beer, putting his own arm around the swordsman as his mouth melted in what seemed to be an amber beer, with a pinch on honey and ginger. Though it stung the mouth slightly, it left a tangy aftertaste witch was sweet and bubbly. This was certainly a place Justin could settle down on as well.

-"Also, can you sleep standing up? I want to prove a point to an assh***ish deckhand."

[Aubs]

That girl, Kallie, she was something special. Whether or not that was a good thing Aubrey had not decided yet, but she was certainly something. There was nothing really left in the room of importance, so he wasn’t sure how much fun she would have, though maybe she would run into something that struck her fancy. All Aubrey knew was that he didn’t really want her to leave just yet. Smiling once more as he shut the door behind him, our hero could not help but notice that the girl did not seemed the slightest bit worried about the situation she was in. Perhaps she trusted them, after a huge battle people were usually aloof for a few days. While Aubrey had no real experience with this, he did know that he wanted to party just as much as he expected the rest of the crew wanted to, so for him at least it was true. As he listened to Donner though his attention was pulled back to the present, their stern position and state of affairs. His lips curled into a wry smile at the interest his new acquaintance seemed to put in his fighting. From what he could gather of the man, Donner had been a pirate before he ended up on that ship stranded at sea, meaning he had been with another crew. This being known, it was clear that he was far more experienced than Aubrey was as to the way of piracy, and from the emphasis he put on their success during their escape he was clearly the fighting type. They had lots of fighting types on the ship, but a Devil Fruit user was not a man to trifle with, so he would best not reveal too much just yet. Not until he knew more about Donner the man.

The two stepped onto the pier itself, stealing only a last second glance at the Flight behind them, safely harbored in a secluded dock thanks to Justin’s quick thinking. For all the problems the man created for Aubrey our hero knew he was without question the most important member of his crew. Marius and Ponte could carry their weight and a lesser crew’s baggage without a sweat, and Sean had enough talent to be building luxury ships all over the Blues. Hell even Ren had one in a million talent, being able to pilot a ship with his eyes closed, even if he was still only now lightening up to the others on the ship. But Justin was their Ace, no better yet he was their Wild Card. Smirking to himself at the thoughts of his friends the captain nearly missed the large Notice Board at the entrance to their side of the port. It had a rather colorful poster, the largest on the board, of some mission to take an old man to the “ruins” deep inside the island proper. It had a map attached and was rather colorful. Ripping it down nonchalantly Aubrey rolled it up to stick it in his back pocket and continued his discussion as if nothing had changed. Chuckling slightly at Donner’s last question the rookie looked back at the hulking man, who was walking on his left now and gave the best answer he could form.

“No, we’re just lucky. Had the Marines been expecting us for more than a day I might be at the bottom of the ocean by now. But, between Ren joining us on a whim, and Justin and Sean turning on the Marines we managed to pull it off.” Looking back towards the front, the two tried to slip between the crowd, carrying a fragmented conversation. Finally they happened upon a clothing shop settled nicely on the main drag through the city, with a few boats floating in front of it on the water-highways. Walking towards the door Aubrey slowed greatly to let Donner walk in first, clapping the man on his large, muscular back as he let him in, almost whispering to him as he gave his last reply.

“But let’s try not to fight anyone just yet, we’re all a bit tired.”

The two descended a small set of stairs and reappeared in a pleasant, wide room lined with clothing. The place was well lit, with little alcoves built here and there for private cloth fitting. A woman approached the immediately, eager for easy money, or to kick these ugly men out just as fast as possible. They were both dressed in battered khaki shorts and nothing else, dirty and deranged looking. Surely they would not have any berri. The woman herself was a bit plumb, wearing a long purple dress with long sleeves. Overall she could have been a plum, if not for her grey hair that was tied but tightly on her head. She had a few wrinkles, and was quite smile, but she looked like she had made all the clothes in the room if her fidgeting fingers did always move that fast. “Can I help you?” she asked like she was trying to be polite, but the lifting up of her nose gave a slightly different impression.

“Clothes for two.” Was all Aubrey said as he tossed a small wade of berri, rolled up in a dark band at the woman. There had been petty cash on that ship, probably for small transactions by that overly ripe nobleman they had deprived of his wares. Only looking at Donner slightly our friend nodded gently and then looked back at the plumlady, who was glaring at the two.

“This will not be easy…making you two look decent.”

---

A few hours later Aubrey was lounging on a very nice chair near one of the alcoves. Arms lifted nicely in his plush chair, the wannabe was slouched heavily in his new clothes, letting his body rest as he waited for Donner to come out at last. The Plumlady must have had a hard time convincing him to wear what she wanted, as Aubrey had heard her yell once or twice. From head to toe he had changed his older garments. He had red leather boots that wear kept well concealed under his black pants, which were tied off his a long red sash. Tucked into those pants was a high-collared, fancy, airy white, cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing his tattooed forearms and his mismanaged jewelry. His old knife and the remaining flintlock pistol from Rougetown were tied up in that long sash, whose braid went down his left side almost to the thigh. The shirt was opened a few buttons, showing off a small portion of his chest. On the floor next to the young captain was a bag containing his old shorts and his loose belongings, mission poster included. More importantly though, how the little plum had turned him into a fashionable pirate was beyond him, though hopefully everything would feel more normal after he walked around a bit.

Aubrey and Donner had kept up as much conversation as possible given the surroundings and circumstance. They were both in agreement that it would be time to head towards the meeting bar after this debacle was over. It was time to party.

I mean, what could go wrong?

---

---

[Mr. Moshypocrite McSlowbro]

It wasn't until the two men had made their departure, accompanied by numerous promises of further discourse in the near future, that the enfeebled artisan realized she had made something of an oversight. At first, the mistake did not seem particularly dire, but as time passed, the symptoms were only exaggerated. Eventually, it became so severe that action was forced upon her. Quitting from her attempt at convalescence, Kallie made a solemn declaration.

"This is flippin' boring!" The courier whined petulantly. It was her first time in the Grand Line, at an island she had never before visited, and her she was sitting in bed doing nothing. Sleep time later, fun time now.

Swiveling her legs back over the side of the bed, she slowly teetered onto the floor. Further testing proved her skeletal structure was, at least, capable of supporting her weight. Pleased by the results, she pushed herself off the mattress and half-hopped onto her feet. Admittedly, her balance was tenuous at best, but after a few steps she managed something of a passable stride. A wide grin lighting up her face, as the scarlet-haired woman made quick work of gathering up her salvaged belongings into the damp messenger-bag at the edge of the bed. The final and most precious of her belongings, the airskates, were a subject of much debate in her mind. As much as she might like to string them on, she found herself troubled by the most basic form of locomotion, and did not have confidence in her acrobatic ability at the moment. So, she simply secured them to the bag, and slung it over her shoulder. As unfortunate as it was, losing so many possessions, she found her bag to be considerably lighter. Which worked out rather well, as she was not entirely positive she could manage her usual burden in such a state. In a way, it was a good thing. And even though she had been banged up a bit, she ended up meeting some nice people, AND getting into the Grand Line so she could make her deliveries! So, from an objective viewpoint, everything was going in her favor.

Once again proving that as long as you're a good person, everything always works out, one way or another!

Hobbling out the door, she decided her first step was going to be to explore the ship. Despite the extensive amount of travel her occupation required of her, she actually had only performed a small fraction of it on sea-faring vessels. Generally, she would coast from island to island, only resorting to conventional means of commute when a location was out of her skates' effective range. And while she derived immense satisfaction from traversing the serene oceans, it did not lessen her interest in the wooden workhorses on which the rest of the planet based their economy. Now, she was certain there was something of an art to the construction and design of a ship, but she certainly had no knowledge of it. And seeing as she was the only person on the ship (That she was aware of), her only available course of action to discover more about it was to conduct her own investigation. Which meant the adventure was afoot.

-------Captain's Quarters-------

A big cooshy bed, a writing desk, and some funny hats that smelled like old-dude cologne. She did certainly appreciate whoever had carried her here, but she'd have enough of this place for now.

-------Map Room-------

Stocked with telescopes, magnetic compasses, drafting compasses, and all other manner of brass navigational instruments. Oh, and charts. Lots, and lots of elaborate, dusty charts. Someone would probably find this stuff interesting. Next!

-------The Bridge-------

Okay, technically not separate from the Map Room. But it -did- have a fancy desk and chair with windows that gave an excellent view of outside the ship. Apparently, they were docked. That certainly did explain why the ship wasn't bobbing up and down. Kallie spent a bit watching workers buzz about the port, enjoying the well-cushioned seat. She would have to remember this spot.

-------Powder Room-------

Dark, cramped, and almost entirely covered in a thin layer of grainy black dust. Just stepping into the room was enough to make her start sneezing. Further probing revealed there were barrels more of the stuff. Gunpowder, for cannons, muskets, and whatever else. From the looks of things, the room was designed to hold a great deal more than the paltry amount it currently held. Wouldn't want to light a match in here. Well, unless she could do it from a safe distance.

-------Galley-------

Her stomach had something of a role in seeking out this room. You know, she had always heard that Marines didn't eat very well, but their kitchen seemed pretty tricked out, all considering. Rummaging through the pantry yielded a few snacks, at least enough to tide her over until dinner. Some crafty sailor had attempted to hide some sweets behind some pots and pans in a drawer. Crafty, but not crafty enough!

-------Brig-------

Bars, chains, a great deal of uncomfortable smells. Do not want.

-------Captain's Quarters(Again)-------

Wait. But... She was just below deck a second ago! She went down! How was she here again? Aaargh, the ship was giving her a headache!

-------Crew Quarters-------

A series of stiff-looking crewman's bunkbeds, enough for a whole mess of marines to fit (un)comfortably. Admittedly, she may be a bit biased, since she got to nap in the officer's bed and all, but to be perfectly frank she was fairly sure these beds would be more comfortable without the mattress. There were some footlockers too, likely filled with personal belongings, which would be interesting to go through at some point. But what interested her more what the big walk-in closet, which seemed rather luxurious compared to the rest of the room's furnishings.

Looking inside revealed why the storage room was so large: It contained countless sets of Marine uniforms, of any and all sizes. Heck, it looked like it held enough sets for every sailor on the ship to wear clean clothes for a month without having to do a day of laundry. Was looking sparkling white really that important to the Navy?

Still, the situation presented her with a unique opportunity. A concern that had been tugging at her since she had first begun her venture was the state of her dress. Now, Kallie did not consider herself a particularly vain creature, but she had been raised better than to walk around in half-shredded clothing. Furthermore, as much of jerks as they had been to her in the course of recent events, their outfits were pretty cool.

The time it took from her to go from making her decision to stripping down to her skivvies was negligible at best. It took several tries to find something in her size, and even then the men's small seemed large on her diminutive frame, but there certainly were enough to pick from. A sleeveless button-up white shirt, with a striped collar that was tied up tight with a long blue ascot, well-pressed navy pants, and a pair of sharp black shoes. Her limited mobility made the lowerwear a bit more difficult to fit on, but she did eventually manage the task (After more stumbles than she might like to admit). Examining herself in the long mirror so generously provided, she snapped an approximation of a serviceman's salute, making as serious an expression as she could manage. However, the reflected image of her action seemed so out of place that the artist could not help but burst out in giddy laughter. She did not believe she would make a particularly good soldier.

Properly clothed, Kallie decided to abandon her investigation of the ship, and head on into town. Time had passed far more swiftly than she had anticipated, and the aforementioned time of meeting was drawing near. Which meant she only had a small window to carry out a small errand, before scooting on over to the bar. Metal-Head had only given her a name and vague directions, but she was sure someone would point her in the right direction if she got too turned around.


--------------------


Finding a paint shop was easier than she thought it would be. Her legs seemed to be cooperating with her more and more as the day went on, so she had been able to maintain a fairly good pace across town. The old man in charge had a big pneumatic paint shaker machine, which he said mixed it together way better than doing it by hand. However, the process of atomizing it into cans still took awhile, and given the size of her order, he quoted a fairly substantial turnaround time. But, he promised to deliver it to her ship first thing in the morning, and even went as far as to offer her a military discount! She wasn't sure why, but it was super-nice of him. His generosity went as far as to point her to her destination, which was just across the plaza, for which she thanked the man profusely, shaking his hand vehemently (As she had been taught was proper in any business dealing).

With that matter settled, she was free to join her new friends, something she greatly looked forward to. She had never gotten a proper chance to meet everyone, after all. And there wasn't much she enjoyed more than social gatherings. Except painting. And skating. And... well, you get the picture.

[donnervark]

Donner had grin at Aubrey's whispered comment. It would be a bit before he went around stirring up trouble, at least until he was up to full health. Just after they entered a small but cozy clothing shop, run by a elderly woman who did not appear at all pleased with the two pirates appearances. Her attitude changed when Don's savior tossed her a rolled up wad of berri. He was definitely going to have to figure out a way to repay Aubrey for all of this, especially since a party was on the way as well. But in a few moments Aubrey was gone and being fitted. Until the old lady came back for him, he did his best to amuse himself by counting bumps on the ceiling. When she finally did come for him, she led him to a changing room and sized him up. Which was difficult due to his build, but eventually she left and came back with a pile of clothes. Clothes he looked at with a puzzled expression. Slacks, long sleeved shirts, a turtleneck? This was going to be a problem and over the next ten minutes he and the woman would argue back and forth over the contents of this pile, to no avail.


"No! I'm not bringing you any shorts! They will make you look like a giant teenager!" The lady was adamant, and would not give in. Apparently she made a hobby of making people look refined. Donner on the other hand, didn't care. He preferred comfort over refinement any day. Of course, he couldn't really pass for refined regardless.


"Augh....you are killing me lady." He said as he rubbed his temples in frustration.


"No! You are killing yourself! Man your age should look like a gentleman!" Donner shook his head in confusion at her comment.


"What do you mean my age? I'm twenty-four!"


"Yes! Perfect age to start looking like a gentleman!" When it became apparent that he was getting nowhere with this, the pirate begrudgingly sifted through the clothes. He finally just let her work through the pile. At first she kept trying to fit him with suits, which simply wasn't going to happen. The tried to fit him into a regal looking outfit, which he wouldn't even try. Finally they settled on a surprisingly good look. White slacks, loose and comfortable, over nice white dress shoes. Tucked into the slacks was a loose, orange long-sleeved button up shirt, with a few buttons at top undone. It was definitely a new look for him, but he could definitely sport it for a little while anyways. Out of curiosity he picked up the fedora and tried it on. With a grin he decided to take it.


"Well well old woman. It seems you know more about fashion than i do. Touche my lady.....touche...." She took his comment as a compliment and unblocked the door.


"Yes much better! You look somewhat respectable now!" The big pirate ignored that and thanked the lady before heading out to meet up with Aubrey, who was sitting in one of the alcoves in the shops main area. He had to chuckle when he saw the other man. The old lady had made them both look respectable it seemed.

"Well now. Where to now sport?" Donner asked as he rolled up his sleeves and put his sunglasses in his shirts front pocket. He let Aubrey lead, seeing as Donner had no idea where to go in this town. Pier towns like this were new to him, built over the water and into the jungle. He could get used to a nice little place like this. Especially since it actually seemed quite busy regardless of it's somewhat 'backwater' appearance.

"Oh ho!" Donner exclaimed out of the blue when they were only about a block from their destination. His sharp eyes picked out cannons, some particularily nice looking ones for sale at a metal-working shop. "Thomas-Agues ten pounders!" He said with a hint of almost animal hunger in his voice as he ran a hand around the inside of the weapon. "Polished to a sheen...." He stuck his hand deep. "...bored to perfection...not a flaw that I can feel..." It had yet to be mounted, designed to be either deck mounted or cart drawn. Still, it was a marvelous piece of weaponry. Even though he could recreate it perfectly with his power, he still loved the orginals. Between the artistry when well crafted, and the effect they caused when used, he had a somewhat un-healthy love for such weapons. "If you want your ship equipped with top of the line iron, then that is the exact weapon to get. Two on the front if you can, lighter caliber, six or nine pounders, long barreled so you can start hitting your enemy before having to turn. Then some heavy guage, probably twelve pounders at highest, on the sides, snub barrels for close quarters shooting and broadsides."

He noticed something else, sitting nearby the cannons in piles. Ammo. Specifically, one shot he'd never seen before. The label identified it as a 'Screamer'. It was an odd round. Perfectly spherical like a standard shot, however it had grooves running in serpentine patterns all over it, as well as five holes spaced evenly around the shell. It was hollow, and not metal at all. It felt like clay, but he wondered what practical use it could have? He didn't want to take up any more of his guests time, but he wanted to study that round. A few more glances told him everything he needed to know. A rack of marine rapiers, as well as marine firearms told him that the owner dealt with the World Government. And a banner of the Marines hanging from the outside said that they were supporters of said organisations. So he waited till the shopkeeper wasn't looking and snagged a Screamer before taking off with Aubrey towards the bar. Once out of sight he pulled it out and spun it on a finger, only slightly showing off.

"Feels good to be a pirate huh?"

[Doc]

"Why go pirate? And why us? If I know Aubs, he's got some ideal about messing with the government and all that. Some story about how he blah blah blahed in the blah blah with blah blah'n blah circumstances. You get what I'm saying? I mean, If you didn't know, we're on the Peace Route, most likely the most military guarded sea route in the world." Stifling a belch, Ren leaned back slightly in his chair.

"Going pirate was something that I'd decided long before I became one. My father was a pirate known in the old days as Wyatt the Wicked. I don't know if you've heard of him or not, but he was a hell of a pirate. And as luck would have it, when he was pillaging a town, he fell in love with my mother, and turned over a new leaf, to be quite frank. He settled down there and married her. Gave up on pirating, but he taught me and my brothers how to fight, and told us stories about his adventures. So naturally, we all grew up wanting to be pirates."

He paused for a moment, taking a deep drought of his mug, before continuing. "The way we looked at it," he said in a matter of fact tone, "Our old man deserved something to lay by his grave. What better than to have his children be the strongest pirates to ever set sail on the blues? With that in mind...When our parents passed, we all took off in different directions. Truth be told, I haven't seen either of my brothers in awhile. I don't think they're dead. Knowing them, they've found their niche somewhere with a crew and are causing all kinds of mayhem as we speak."

Chuckling lightly, he gave Justin a playful shake as he signaled to the waitress for another round. Within a few moments he had a fresh mug in front of him. Pulling it closer, he blew some of the foam off the top before indulging himself in a large swig. "At any rate, you asked why you guys? Well to be honest, originally I didn't really care who was on this ship. When we were in Lougetown, my only goal was to use the confusion of the crowd to take the ship, it didn't matter who was on it when I took it. I was confident I could kill anyone who got in the way. But now that I'm here, and I see you guys are competent, I figured I could tag along solely because it doesn't really interfere with my goals. So long as I can become the strongest pirate to sail the blues, I don't much care about what the crew's goals are, I'll help them fulfill it to the best of my ability. If our goal was to create the perfect cheesecake, so long as it doesn't hinder me, I'll be right along side you all, baking my a** off. I guess that's just the kind of man that I am..."

He stared thoughtfully at the remainder of his drink for a moment, before downing the rest in a single movement. "That hit the spot. And as for sleeping standing up?.....I mean, I can, because I've done it before, but if I can help it, I'd rather not do it. It's very uncomfortable, and it makes my legs stiff. When I wake up my muscles are really tight from having to stay upright, and it takes awhile before I can move my legs like I'd want to. Why do you ask?"

[Weeks]

-As Justin listened intently, he grinned playfully, understanding more and more about Ren, realizing he had misjudged the man after. A young man, competing with his brothers to fill thier fathers shoes? Well, that was something worthy of praise, an nearly impossible goal to complete, mostly how Sons who loved their fathers never really found a point where they were good enough. With any luck, Ren would always feel a small empty place in his heart. Not because Justin wished the swordsman would die with any regrets, but because in the end, it would keep him humble, something that this world was surly deprived of when it came to the strong.


-Yet his interest was peaked when Ren answered his dieing question, the one that would prove him right. It only took the words "I can".

-"YES, YES! SUCK ON THAT PONTE!" he exclaimed.

-He hopped from his stool, doing a triple spin on his tip toes in triumph. He completed this move with grabbing his revolver and spinning it rapidly around his index finger, shoving it back into it's holster only the way a dumb cowboy could.

-His little dance had however attracted attention, and the waitress had even applauded, giggling as she leaned on the counter.

-"Maybe you ought to have another drink Mr. Cowboy, with any luck you'll break into a musical number and give my bar some entertainment."

-"Might just do that Ma'am." grinned Justin, Sitting back down and patting Ren's back.

-"Oh." he continued, looking to Ren.

-"And no reason, I just wanted to get to know our navigator better." he winked, gulping down the last of his ginger beer.

-"ANOTHER ROUND MADAM! LET'S DRINK UNTIL WE DON'T FEEL THINGS ANYMORE!"

-For the rest of the time they spent in that bar, Justin began telling jokes, and stories that could only bring smiles to your face. Funny enough for the Sniper, though he used drunken disorderly conduct as a fighting style, he was a lightweight. However, the thought escaped him as people around the bar swapped stories, causing the quiet little hole in the wall establishment to uproar in laughter every ten minutes or so. It was certainly worth the boat ride from Lougetown, Pirate or no. Yet as one last story came spewing from Justin's drunken lips, his eyes darted to the clock on the wall, knowing they had to meet up with the captain shortly. Best not to keep Aubrey waiting, if he hadn't changed to much, Justin knew he would hate any one on the crew being late.

-"And that's when he bought the horse a prostitute!" he nearly yelled, his punchline causing the entire bar to uproar in laughter.

-As another story from across the bar began to be told, Justin tugged on his Navigators shirt.

-"We better head out, Meador won't like us anymore if we show up late, or not at all." he whispered, taking his time to stand up from his stool, knowing full well his balance was more than a little off.

-As he stumbled out of the bar, with Ren in tow, they set back off to the docks, Justin chuckling every now and then stupidly, using his rifle as a third leg to support his own drunken weight.

[Aubs]

“Sport?”

Was all Aubrey asked at his new friend, now sharply dressed and looking quite snazzy. He didn’t really look like a pirate anymore, but perhaps that was alright after all. Our hero just smiled and shook his head, walking down the wooden deck-road until Donner all but threw him aside to get towards the cannons sitting in front of a clearly marked World Government weapons-dealer. While he might not have liked the situation all that much, Aubrey was marveled by Donner’s knowledge of these weapon-systems. It should not have been a surprise considering that he was himself a “Cannon-Man” but it certainly was a plus. Nodding here and there the wannabe listened carefully, making sure to remember what Sean would need to know for his updates. It was going to be challenging enough to get everything fixed and adjusted for pirating over a night, but even if they could squeeze two or three the task was daunting. Perhaps Donner would be able to help? Shaking his head to snap him back to reality, Aubrey had to remember that he had not decided on Donner coming with them just yet. “Come on, we’ve got a party to get to.” Clapping the bigger man on the back once more he turned to walk away. The bar he had spotted from the ship wasn’t too far yet, and the crew could use a moments rest.

When they opened the door, the smell of hot food and cold drink hit him in the face. It was poignant to be honest, but not in a bad way. The place was bright near the door, but dimmer as you went on. Even still Aubrey could clearly spot his band of misfits waiting for him in the back, at their own little alcove. Ponte was sitting on a barstool, cup in hand leaning against the long bar, bartender leaning into him. He must have snuck away from the others, but still seemed pretty sober, thought it was arguably hard to tell with him. Marius on the other hand looked, well…lit. His two swords were sitting on the floor in front of him as he lounged in a wide couch, a woman under each arm. His feet were propped on top of a low wooden table in front of him. The girls must have been holding his cups from the large mugs they carried. A few more plush looking couches, a dull green in color circled the table, and a few chairs were left at the bar. The establishment had other patrons, but for some reason they seemed to be avoiding his bunch, perhaps they were starting to stink like pirates. As Aubrey walked up, Ponte wordlessly offered a bottle of soda. His Sworn Brother knew of Aubrey’s distaste for alcohol, though they never spoke about it, so it was kind of him to offer this instead. Marius just laughed loudly, followed by a giggle from his women. “You look upset.”

“Nope, I’m just amazed we haven’t died yet.”

Sitting in a plush armchair facing the door, the captain nodded Donner towards one of the couches and tossed the poster from the billboard on the table, opened his drink and leaned back. Secretly he wondered to himself just how crazy this night would get. Before he could relax too long it hit him, and Aubrey was brought back to the moment around him. “Ponte, Marius, this is Donner Vark, I think we should let him stay a bit, he could use a drink I bet.” Smiling brightly Aubrey lifted his chin to Ponte, he in turn looked at the bartender through his slim glasses. Ushering the man with a simple wave of the hand, he confiscated the whole bottle of liquor and poured Donner a drink, sliding it down the bar a few feet. Then, without warning the sharp-dressed gunner whipped out his pistol and aimed dead center of a small red-haired marines head who had just walked up. Aubrey immediately fixed on her, eyes hard. Short, long red hair, undeniable Marine uniform. But she didn’t have the walk, the posture. Then it hit him, about the same time it must have hit Marius.

“Hey, watch it Pove. She’s with us remember!”

“Ah, that she is…” he said slipping his gun away without a care.

“Aubrey, should we get her a cup of rainbows and gumdrop?!?” Marius barked, to which his girls giggled annoyingly.

Scoffing slightly, the captain gave his own response to the banter. “The way I hear it, she killed more Marines than you did Cross. KhaKhaKhaha!”

Without thinking Aubrey rose to his feet and walked over to Kallie, placing a finger of the ascot around her neck. He almost whispered to her, “You might want to take at least that off, you’re making me nervous Ms. Kalliope.” Then raising his voice for the others he spoke again. “Thank you for coming, please join us. Oh no!”

His eyes and body turned slightly, inching around the attractive flygirl and towards the front door, where Justin and Ren were stumbling in. Turning around he moved the few feet back to his sit, yelling at the top of his lungs. “A Round for Everyone!” , he snickered and took his seat once again, knowing that this place was about to get exciting with these two here. The bartender looked almost scared at this group, especially with the bar getting rowdy from the excitement. Cheers went up and the pirates took their seats around the lounge. Quietly our friend smiled inside; for better or worse they had made it this far. It felt good to have fun again, if even for only a moment. The most amazing part of all of this? Well it was just so natural feeling; after all the bullshit that had brought the lot of them together, and the week of hell getting here, sitting down to relax with this band of misfits and unknowns made him happier than he could have ever imagined. He wished Sean could have been there too, but they would get their drink together before they left port. As for now, well nothing could stop the fun…

It was good to be a White-Wing Pirate. Even if today’s fun might not last long…

---

---

[Mr. Moshypocrite McSlowbro]

She was, admittedly, caught off guard by the sudden gun barrel greeting. But the muzzle-loaders were quickly replaced by grins and laughter, so Kallie thought nothing of the brief display of hostility. Though, a cup of rainbows and gumdrops actually did sound delicious. Is that what they sell at bars? If that is indeed the case, she understood why so many people spent so much time in places like this.

The fellow she had colloquially taken to calling Metal-Head moved in closer to her, and much to the woman's surprise, offered her criticism. On matters of fashion, no less. “You might want to take at least that off, you’re making me nervous Ms. Kalliope.”

"Wha? But-" Crestfallen, her face fell into a most piteous pout. "I liked the scarf thing..."

Now, she had been of the general opinion that the male half of the population was far less inclined to care about things like clothes. Admittedly, she was not significantly superior in that regard, given her sense of cultural trends amounting to 'Ooo, that's a pretty color', but her point remained very much valid. Though, on second thought, it would appear that the defacto leader had swapped out his tattered garb for a more dapper, gentlemanly attire. So perhaps he knew what he was talking about.

“Thank you for coming, please join us. Oh no!”

"Oh no? Oh no! Squinty-Guy! Fancy-Coat!" The matter of apparel long forgotten, Kallie's attention shifted to the two men hobbling through the front door, and she moved to greet them. "Are you guys okay? You look kinda... tip-over-able."

That last statement hung in the air, the bright-haired artist's eyes suddenly exhibiting a suspicious glint that had not been present in moments previous. A grin tugged at the edge of her lips, as she watched the pair labor to waddle past her. The temptation built up, more and more, until she could no longer contain herself.

"Boop." A quick, and gentle nudge. Somewhere between a prod and a shove, against the nearest man's shoulder. Just to see if they were as unsteady as their appearance suggested. Also, because it was funny.

“A Round for Everyone!” The subsequent uproar caused that particular woman to miss the debacle that would ensue as a result of her actions. Instead, she instinctively joined in on the revelry, adding her cheers into that of the collective bar patrons, though she was not entirely sure why.

"Woo! A round! A round of what?"

The bartender, while still displaying a fair amount of trepidation towards the hooligans that seemed to have taken to occupying his establishment, was more than happy to see what appeared to be an enforcer of the law here to help maintain the peace. However, upon closer inspection, he realized that the woman in blue looked... remarkably young, for someone in the military. When she approached the bar, he took the time to ask. "Uhh. M'am. Are you even old enough to be in a bar?"

The implication was, unfortunately, something the Nautalis girl got quite often. A fact she had always disliked. Why in the world would anyone mistake her for a kid? She knew perfectly well that she met the physical qualifications of adulthood. Looking a tad flustered, she gave a sharp-tongued response (Well, sharp for her). "Huh? Hey! I'm twenty-two, I'll have you know!"

Another moment of inspection did little to reassure the fellow of her truthfulness, especially given the hands-on-hip pose which she had adopted in order to emphasize her declaration, but in the end he decided he would rather not gain the ire of a marine. "Alright, alright. My mistake. Here."

"Oh! Thank you." The transgression was swiftly forgotten, and she took the small shot glass he offered her. It contained a transparent brown-ish liquid, of which she was entirely unfamiliar. Previous conversation seemed to indicate it to be some form of candy-juice, but an inquisitive sniff revealed it to have an aroma more like paint thinner than sugary sweets. Glancing to the side, she saw a thirsty individual down an entire glass in one go, followed by a sigh of satisfaction. Well, when in... uh. Where was she again? Oh, whatever. Without another moment's hesitation, she tossed the glass's contents back down her throat. However, she was in for a heck of a surprise.

The liquid burned on the way down, like some awful combination of sour fruit and paint thinner. Her body simply could not handle the sudden sucker-punch to the taste buds. The glass was fumbled back onto the bar, with the rest of her not far behind.

"This... this doesn't taste like gumdrops..." She managed to mumble through her clenched teeth. "It tastes like LIES."

[donnervark]

When they hit the bar Donner instantly liked it. He enjoyed places like this, and had been to many of them during his stay with Dodgers crew. It smelled strongly of alcohol and hearty food, while resounding with laughter and loud, boisterous storytelling. One of his favorite things to do was to simply move between the various groups of sailors, taking in tales from all corners of the sea. It was one of the things that proved to himself that he was made for this life, even at a young age. This bar made him feel right at home. He let Aubrey lead him back to an alcove where the rest of this band resided. Once there he realized that half the noise in the bar was coming from that spot, particularly one of the crew. He recognized the man from earlier, though the name was fuzzy, it started with a J as best he could remember, but he seemed to be enjoying himself very much, and enjoying the booze even more. He also recalled the blonde swordsman, who also seemed to be having a good time. Luckily Aubrey made introductions before pouring him a drink.

"That's the truth. Pleasure to meet you." He said as he tipped back the drink, downing it all at once. He had a real deep stomach, and seeing as the only food he'd eaten in the last couple days he'd burned off during his fight, the beverage reminded him quite quickly. But he wasn't going to just assume Aubrey and his crew were going to just pay for everything, so he settled for as much fluids as he could handle. The alcohol kicked in quick, even for his large frame he had a surprisingly low tolerance to begin with. Combine that with the lack of food intake, and it only took a few drinks before he was grinning like a fool. This night he wouldn't be up and about much. For some reason he just wanted to sit back and absorb the revelry. Perhaps it was the near death experience that caused it, but regardless he soaked up as much as possible.

He recognized the Angel the moment she walked in, even in his buzzed state he was quite observant, and the lumps on her back where her wings were somewhat gave her away. Of course the face was obvious as well, and hers was hard to forget. Aubery was right behind him, and the commotion her uniform caused quickly died, then was replaced by even more celebration as the young captain offered drinks around the house. With a grin Donner got up and headed over to the bar, taking him up on that offer. He was so focused on getting more liquid in his stomach that he completely missed whatever catastrophic affect Angel's prank caused, and instead met her at the bar.

"Shamroca if you've got any?" Donner said to the bartender after he handed Angel her shot. That alone got him smiling bigger, simply because the perky little thing did not strike him as the drinking sort. But he was distracted by his own shot, a very sweet liquor, tasting almost like candy canes, but with the after effect of liquid fire pouring down his throat. He loved it, like a double whammy, trick you into lowering your guard with the sweetness before punching you in the face with the burn. "WHOOOO!" He hooted after downing the shot, in enough time to hear Angel's remark about her drink tasting like lies, which was one of the funniest comments he'd ever heard.

"No way! You just aren't drinking the right stuff!" He thought about offering her Shamroca, but that seemed almost cruel given her apparent tastes. There were other, milder drinks, but honestly he doubted she'd take to any of them. "If we happen to meet again after tonight I'll be sure to show you the good ones!" He ordered another shot and turned around, leaning back against the bar. Aubrey's crew fell in his sights and he grinned. It seemed as though they all knew each other to some extent, save him and Kallie of course. Which was probably why he felt more comfortable over at the bar with her. They were a good bunch, and seemed like a good crew in the making.

"I AM UNMOVABLE! HAHA!" Came a shout from one table, drawing Donner's attention. A large man had his arms in the air, flexing his biceps in victory as a smaller man slithered off in shame, cradling his hand. It looked as though they'd been arm wrestling for money. "Who wants some?! Anyone step up! A hundred beri says no one can beat these arms!" Donner grinned. He needed some cash, and there was no way in hell he could resist a challenge like that. Of course he had the advantage due to his devil fruit powers, but hey....he was a pirate right?

"Sorry Angel..." Donner said as he turned around, downed his shot and turned back. "...I'd love to chat more but I've got some money to win!" He tipped his hat and rolled up his sleeves while heading towards the boisterous bar-patron. "Yo! Big man! I'll take that bet!" He didn't have any money to back it up, so on the chance that he lost, which was slim, he'd just have to clock the man and claim he was cheating. That trick always worked.

"Yeah?" The big man asked, sizing Donner up. "Well at least you look like a challenge! Put your arm on the table and lets do this! Get ready to lose!" Donner grinned. The man was larger, but nowhere near as toned. He looked like the kind of guy who relied on natural strength rather than honed muscle. He also had a beard tied into two braids tossed over either shoulder.

"Give me your best shot Bigs!" He had a dangerous gleam in his eye, partially from the alcohol, partially due to his excitement. Just being able to enjoy things like this, after the Marine ship, was a small, but incredibly important pleasure. And after ten minutes, the pile of money on his side of the table was mounting. He blew Bigs away the first round, mostly because the man hadn't expected his strength. The second round the tables turned, as he used his real muscle. Each round after that was a real test of man versus man, until the six round, where they both were straining against each other with all their might.

"Might....as...well...give...up...pipsqueak!" Bigs groaned.

"Not....on...your....life....gorilla!" Donner replied. They both broke into a half-shout, half growl before the table they were using splintered inward, causing them both to fall forward in surprise, becoming completely entangled with the winnings and shattered wood. Surprisingly, both emerged laughing.

"Damn you've got...some beef on you kid!" He gasped through deep, rumbling laughter.

"No kidding...you can actually back yourself up Bigs! Make you a deal..." Donner stood up, feeling very lightheaded from the exertion, and held out his hand. "..Split the pot, and I buy you a drink!" The big guy took his hand and stood up.

"You got yourself a deal!" With that, the night continued. Donner and the big man shared a drink, a few laughs, and parted ways. The Cannon man finally put some food in his belly, a lot of food at that, all the money he won save for a couple-hundred beri went towards a dinner that could feed four people. Once finished, he handed what was left over to the bartender.

"Gimme a bottle of something good, then put the rest towards drinks for that group." He jabbed his thumb towards the White Wing crew. The bartender winked and slid him a white bottle with a symbol he didn't recognize. He hoped it was good as he sauntered back over to Aubrey's group. He tapped the bottle onto the table and sat down.

"It's not much, but consider this a token of my appre...whoa...appreciation." The alcohol had made him dizzy for a second there, almost made him lose his balance. "To a crew crazy enough to not only board a Marine vessel, but to steal one of their prisoners! From what I hear that is the least insane thing you bastards have done in the last week, so cheers!" He poured drinks for everyone, and threw back his glass, hoping his mystery drink wasn't going to kill them all....

[Doc]

Ren stumbled into the bar, leaning heavily on Justin for support, was nearly knocked from his feet by the sheer noise that assailed their entry. Stifling a belch, Ren peered into the back, where the motley crew was causing a ruckus. Sweeping his gaze over the rest of the bar, he couldn't help but grin at the surrounding people and their expressions. They were obviously uncomfortable by the rowdy behavior, and seemed to shy away from the crew, who were easily the loudest patrons in the bar. The noise was momentarily drowned out by Aubrey's loud call “A Round for Everyone!” Giving Justin a slight shake and a grin, the pair tried to make their way to the crew, but were greeted by their winged stowaway.

"Oh no? Oh no! Squinty-Guy! Fancy-Coat! Are you guys okay? You look kinda... tip-over-able." There was a slight pause as Ren cocked his head to the side. "Squinty-Guy? Does no one ever consider that my eyes are actually closed?" Turning to Justin, he remarked "Oh well. Least it's better then Fancy-Coat. At least I-eh?" It was at that moment that he received a slight nudge to his shoulder, quickly loosing his balance. Rather then cause Justin to fall with him, he released his shoulder and half walked, half fell into the nearest table. The two men at the table didn't look happy at the arrival of an uninvited guest. Bobbing his head slightly, Ren straightened up again, giving each man a nod. "Pardon the intrusion, but I do believe that I have a round waiting for me."

Continuing his seemingly never-ending journey to the back of the bar, Ren spied a passing waitress with a tray and without a second thought, reached a hand over and snatched a handful of whatever was on the tray. Popping it into his mouth, a few moments of chewing revealed that he'd snatched a handful of peanuts. Finally reaching the back of the bar, Ren collapsed into an open chair around the table. "I think that I'm gonna retire here..." he said with a longing sigh. "Now where's my drink? Drink over here, come on now!" he said, pounding the table for emphasis. After a few moments, a waitress nervously came over to set down a drink in front of him. Pulling the mug close, he tipped it back and drained half of its contents in a few seconds. Setting the mug back down, he seemed to taste what he was drinking for the first time.

"That's foul! What in the world am I drinking?" Without waiting for a reply, he downed the rest of it, slamming the mug down with a grin. "Taste's bad, but it's pretty good." With a laugh, he staggered up out of his chair in search of something else to drink. He stopped for a moment, eyeing a man who was staring at a near full mug in front of him. Wobbling over to the man, he threw himself in the chair next to him. The man hesitantly looked back, before returning his gaze to his mug. "What, it doesn't taste good?" Ren inquired, tapping the side of the man's glass. The man didn't answer right away. He glanced back and forth between Ren and his drink. "It's not that. I just don't think anyone should drink too much. Moderation."

Ren stared at him for a moment before he burst out laughing. "Every party needs a pooper that's why they invited you! Party Poopeeeer, Party Poopeeeeeeeeeeeeer!!" The man just stared at him. Still laughing, Ren slung an arm around his shoulders. "We're gonna have to fix that. Stick with me, and I'll make you a drinking machine." For the next thirty minutes, Ren coached the man through the ailment he had dubbed moderation. "Don't think about the taste, think about the effects afterwards! Now drink!" In no time at all the man was drinking like a fish. "Everybody drink!" Ren said, finally making his way back to the crew's table. Not a few moments after he sat down, Donner came to the table with a bottle.

"Yeah yeah, set it out, set it out! Another round!" Ren said, holding out his mug. He was rewarded with a full glass, and without a second thought, he tipped the drink down his throat.

[Weeks]

-The entrance into the bar was less than heroic. The fuddled Sniper and sloshed Swordsman used each other for support as the bumped and bashed into just about every person that just so happened by on the way to the bar. Sufficed to say, the two were probably having the best time out of any of the crew. Justin's worries were long gone over the horizon with his increasingly rising buzz, and Ren seemed much less of a stick in the mud with a few drinks poured down his gullet. He still had the amazing ability never to shut his mouth however, weather it be from the drink or not, his words were much more entertaining now. Perhaps it had to do with his inability to balance properly, but Justin really believed that he was relieved to find that he could hold his drink better than Ren.

-"Oh no? Oh no! Squinty-Guy! Fancy-Coat! Are you guys okay? You look kinda... tip-over-able."

-It was perhaps the longest inward gasp that had ever been as Justin looked at Kaille. Upon seeing her clad in a Marine uniform, he could only wiggle with delight and shake his fists by his sides. A stupid smile was plastered on his drunken face as his jaw locked, causing his body to stiffen like a plank.

-"Ohmygodshe'ssocute." he breathed in, his voice going unheard over the ruckus.

-"Squinty-Guy? Does no one ever consider that my eyes are actually closed? Oh well. Least it's better then Fancy-Coat. At least I-eh?"

-"Boop."

-And Ren flopped of his shoulder like a Jellyfish, getting his just reward for complaining about his new nickname.

-"Ha! Nice one!" he nearly shouted, putting up his hand for a high five, yet Kallie's attention was drawn to Aubrey, interrupting Justin's fun or sleep as usual.

-"A ROUND FOR EVERYONE!"

-As Kaille and Ren went about their own fun, Justin was left standing placidly with his high five unanswered. Disappointed, he used his own hand to slap his own. With his high five finally satisfied, and the bar patrons slowly turning into a riot, Justin realized that he would have to be the one to break the individual escapades of his crew and captain. They were far to Sober, and he thought for a moment about how to form a "Constructive" group activity.

-"Lets see...Aubrey is still being a stick in the mud, no surprise there. The fat guy is drinking, and gambling, he's okay in my book, as I long as I don't have to carry him home...Then we have Ren, drinking....wow still drinking? Go Squints go! Alright, Ponte is drinking, quit sulking the corner man, take Marius for example, he's living. Alright, then Angle Wings, shes-"

-And once again, a gasp that should have caused him to pass out caused him to once again freeze by the sheer adorable antics of their only girl. As she threw back a shot of what looked like whiskey, Justin applauded from across the bar, chuckling like a school boy as she reacted in the only way that he expected. Negitivly.

-"Shedidit!" he whispered, this time his jaw open as he looked on with perhaps the happiest face he had ever shown in his life.

-Finally he was able to avert his eyes, gaining back whatever cool the fool possessed. He took deep breaths, looking so insane that a few of the patrons inched away from him in horror. After a few more moments he collected himself, slapping his own face and clearing his throat. He was definitely drunk, that was assured, but he also wasn't so drunk that he would make his crew ashamed to be seen with him. Honestly, Ren was closer to that than he was, regardless of his behavior when regarding the only chick on the crew.

-"Alright, time to kick this shindig into overdrive!"

-With large strides like that of a march, he made for the center of the room, jumping atop a large circular table that was already occupied by a group of card players. He kicked away chips and knocked over beers, yet he payed it no mind, inhaling a deep breath and causing silence in the bar almost immediately.

-"How are everyone's stitches holding up? Good? Not so good? You don't count Meador ya freak bastard!"

-Justin laughed stupidly at this, he didn't even care if he was the only one who got the joke or not.

-"Since I don't know all of your names, or since I forgot Squints'....It's Roger right? Whatever!" he called, nearly tripping over his own feet as he flung his arm around, as if casting away something unimportant.

-"I'd like to congratulate you on on not gettin' dead! AND FOR PUTTING CAPTAIN HORACE AND HIS CREW IN THEIR PLACE!"

-He got a few cheers at that comment, perhaps even a few not from his own crew.

-"And you should have seen the look on Commander Shepard's face when I SHOT HIS ASS OUT OF A CANNON Angle Wings! Looked like he was about to shit his pants! Yeah I'm talking to you girlie! We gave that prick a real run for his money! Nice work with that paint by the way! And the ship blowing up after that was an accident by the way, so...sorry about that!" he shrugged

-He took another breath, grabbing a beer he had not tipped over, uncaring of weather or not it belonged to someone else or was half full.

-"And sorry about shooting you in the back of the head several times Aubs, but...you were being kind of an asshole. You still are...but...yeah I guess that about sums you up. ANYWAY! I just wanna say I'm glad we are all here getting drunk after fighting for our lives! So without further adioago....adugo.........without waiting any further, I'm going to express my love for you the only way I know how!" he nearly yelled, his hands at his sides triumphantly.

-As he jumped from the table, he hit the floor on his knees, throwing the beer in the hand int the air as the liquid was strewn about the bar. The lyrics and melody were instantly recognizable to the patrons of the bar who knew it, and Ponte quickly joined in with his drunken first mate, Marius even kicking in a few of the lyrics when he could get a laugh, and snuggle in with his female friends. They danced around the bar, danced with random strangers, Justin even twirling Kallie around like a little doll before moving onto his next victims. Ren was slapped on the back more than once, and Aubrey's chair legs were kicked out from under him somewhere in the midst of the chaos. Donner's table was completely smashed to bits from a falling shelf, and shots were passed around constantly, even the singers shooting them down when they got to an ever so famous lyric.

"What would you do if I sang out of tune,
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song,
And I'll try not to sing out of key!
I get by with a little help from my friends,
He get's drunk with a little help from his friends!
I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends!

What do I do when my love is away?
Does it worry you to be alone?
How do I feel by the end of the day?
Are you sad because you're on your own?
No, we get by with a little help from our friends,
We get drunk with a little help from our friends!
We're gonna try with a little help from our friends!

Do we need anybody?
We need somebody to love!
Could it be anybody?
We want somebody to love.

Would you believe in a love at first sight?
Yes, it happens to me all the time!
What do you see when you turn out the light?
I can't tell you, but I know it's mine.
We get by with a little help from our friends,
We get drunk with a little help from our friends,
We're gonna try with a little help from our friends

Do we need anybody?
We need somebody to love!
Could it be anybody?
We want somebody to love.

-As they neared the finale, Justin and Ponte stood atop the bar, doing the cancan, each holding the others shoulder with a beverage in their free hands. It was out of sync, drunk, and absolutely fabulous to watch.

"BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS!
DRUNK WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS!
TRY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS!"

-And with the final note uttered, they both fell backwards behind the bar to a barrage of cheers hoops and hollers. It was certainly a night to remember as the red faced duo of drunken supermen did one final shot of whatever they could find, tipping the glasses and feeding the contents down each others throats.