Mission 59: A Hijacked Train and a Shiny Rescue [Hikaru/Leo]

[Blushing z0ro]

It was a calm journey for the most part, Leonard was taking a quick nap letting the shaking and sound of the running sea train. What a wonderful thing it was, allowing people to safely commute between three of the main islands of the Grand Line. It was on this wonderful vehicle two members of the Shining Pirates were currently travelling; the Gunner and Shipwright, Hikaru Shin and the Captain, Leonard LeClerc. So far the journey had been uneventful, almost boring, the two were set to regroup with the rest of the crew on Water 7, so their leisure time was almost up, yet Leo couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed, while he had nothing against having a quick rest in-between adventures long periods of rest tended to leave him somewhat uneasy and fidgety, it just was not in his nature to simply rest easy anymore.

Shifting in the seat and opening his eyes, Leo looked at the man sitting across him, Hikaru was just there puffing the smoke of a cigarette, in a way emulating the puffing of sea train, the "Gunner" as the World Government had dubbed him was not the most talkative member of the Shining Pirates but he was certainly one of the more reliable ones. A sigh escaped Leonard's mouth. "Man I'm bored, I wish something would just happen." Shifting once more in his seat the Ash Human rested his chin on his right knuckles, looking blankly at the ocean passing by them at incredible speed through the window of the sea train. At least the ride was somewhat luxurious, compared to normal ship travel, the seats were comfortable, the wagon was made of lovely wood, probably oak... or some other tree, the pirate didn't actually know anything about wood, maybe Hikaru would know but the question didn't actually interest the Captain enough to ask his crewman.

Not looking away from the passing ocean to his right, Leonard spoke again in hope to help pass the time. "Know any good jokes?" A desperate attempt by a desperate man hoping for this trek on the sea train to finally end. Little did he know, soon enough he'll have all the activity he would possibly want.

[HikaruShin]

It was evening, the sun had begun to set and the darkness had begun to swallow the remnants of light. Tired sea creatures and birds had begun to make their way home. The sea was at peace and quiet. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of the sea train, making its way through the blue ocean. The marvel of a contraption was a beauty and a wonder for shipwrights and scientists around the seas. Its speed made it convenient for many to travel between three islands on the grandline. The train was now making its way to Water 7. Among its passengers, were two wanted individuals from the infamous pirate group: The Shining Pirates. The two pirates had travelled to the other islands for some sightseeing and for purchasing some stuff. Having dealt with their business in the day, they were now headed back to regroup with the rest of their crew. Doing chores was no fun but it had to be done, so it had been quite the boring day so far.

Dressed in his usual all black tuxedo, Hikaru was puffing his cigarette. Keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings as the captain took a nap. Hikaru’s mind was wondering about the construction and structural details of the sea train. Such a construction was quite the rarity and thus was quite interesting for him. He almost wanted to hijack the train, take it somewhere and pick it apart to understand the working principle of it. Sure, he understood how a train worked and how it could be built in theory. He had worked with a mad scientist after all, such details were trivial for him. However, picking apart the real deal was something no mad scientist would resist. However, Hikaru was no mad scientist so resisting it was possible for him. ”If I could get my hands on the blue prints, maybe I could use those to upgrade our ship”, thought the shipwright. The blue print of this contraption would be invaluable. It would be too convenient if it was just lying around and Hikaru happened upon it.

His trail of thoughts was interrupted as the captain spoke up. Hikaru nodded in reply, he too was bored and had been considering hijacking the sea train. As pirates, the rogues of the blue seas could probably stir up as much trouble as they wanted. It was a moving sea train, would there be any security capable of stopping them? Doubtful. However, causing a ruckus or things similar to that just wasn’t how the shining pirates did things. Once more, Hikaru turned as did the captain, looking out at the peaceful sea. Once more, silence fell and once more twas broken by the captain. ”I heard a joke once..” replied Hikaru, answering to the captain’s question. ”Man goes to doctor, says he’s depressed; life seems harsh and cruel. Says, he feels all alone in the threatening world. Doctor says: treatment is simple. The great clown Poliyachi is in town, go see him, that should pick you up. Man bursts into tears, but doctor.. he says.. I am Poliyachi”. With a straight face Hikaru told the only joke he knew to Leanord.

SPOILER: Click to show

SPOILER: Click to show

{Mission # 59}
Mission #59 ★★
On its way to Water 7 with you on board, the Sea Train has been hijacked and is in the process of being robbed! Find a way to stay alive and possibly stop the men responsible. Be careful though, the crew is made up of pirates worth over 50 Million!

[Blushing z0ro]

Leonard stared blankly at Hikaru, an incredulous look in his eyes. Well that was a joke he supposed... wasn't it?. Keeping his eyes on his crewmate all that the could be mustered was a simple statement. "You're weird, you know that right?" With that said, Leo proceeded to stretch himself, still sitting in the velvety seat of the train, at least they had a four seats open booth to themselves which gave them room to move a little and keep their belongings, and weapons, at arm's length. The orange light of the setting sun began to enter his field of vision, causing Leonard to start blinking rapidly as his eyes watered. It was strange, the position of the sun would indicate they were turning left but no real motion in that direction could be felt, the train must have been gently turning at great speed leaving the passengers with almost no feedback as to their vehicle's motion, quite ingenious really. If only such things were possible on sailing ships who sometimes must sway so much while turning that everything inside must be carefully secured, passengers and crew included.

Despite all that, the "Young Lion" felt more at ease on his ship than on this sea train, this on rail vehicle was just, too comfortable. The sea train truly was a symbol of the taming of the sea, not just of any sea either, the Grand Line, the sea of all perils, mysteries and adventures. No doubt in a century, or possibly in a few decades, the wild sea that now serves as the theatre to the Great Pirate Era, would be as tame as the four Blues. How even a mighty beast can lose it's fangs with time, thought Leonard. Looking up at the ceiling of the wagon, the swordsman sighed. "The times, they are a changing aren't they?" Why did he just say that? Most likely Hikaru had no clue why his captain was saying such a thing nor could he possibly imagine what trail of thoughts got him there. That Mr. LeClerc in all his splendour, going off in his own little world then popping back in reality, others be damned if they had to follow an idea only the incorrigible day dreamer could understand the reasoning behind.

Moments after that a loud bang resonated through the train, which then began to slow down, not a stop mind you, but to a significantly tamer pace. "Technical issues? Great." For a few minutes it appeared this long journey had taken a turn for the worse, and for the longer. The two pirates had been sitting almost at the very back of the very last car, leaving only a couple booths on each side behind them. So if an employee was going down the train giving an explanation, they'd be the last to know, if said theoretical employee even bothered to go all the way back to them or even existed at all. However after a few more minutes passed the door at the front of the wagon opened, but it was not one of the people working on the train, two men stepped in, one wielding a cutlass and an other a riffle, from their ragged looks they were likely pirates. It seemed things had just taken a turn for the more interesting after all.

[HikaruShin]

Weird?, was he really though? Probably. Hikaru hadn’t assessed himself like that but Leonard’s assessment was probably correct. He had a strange personality and he had his reasons to be that way. Hikaru didn’t pay much attention to that comment as he continued to puff away his beloved cigarettes. The peaceful yet boring journey continued as silence accompanied it once more. The waves crashed against the moving locomotive as it sliced through the water and continued effortlessly. The contraption’s working principle was one thing but it’s rigidity was even more impressive. What good would a contraption like this be if it didn’t withstand the violent waves of the perilous sea?

Meanwhile, a certain group of pirates, who were also aboard the sea train had begun to move. They intended to hijack the relic that travelled through the sea and connected the three islands. Surely, hijacking it would lead to a grand ransom if they managed to be successful. A few members who were seated in the very first wagon stood up bearing different sorts of weapons. ”Alright, this is a hijacking, everyone remain calm if you don’t wanna get hurt”, announced one of the pirates. One of the pirates stood at the centre examining the layout. They had probably studied the whole train and revised their plan a few times. ”Get moving, stop the train and take care of them pesky security guys”, he said shouting orders to his lackeys. As if on cue, they divided and began running around as people cowered in their seats. The two members of the shining pirates crew were completely unaware of the entire situation by then.

”I wonder”, replied Hikaru to the captain’s statement that popped up out of the blue. Sure, Hikaru wasn’t aware of the content but he had a general idea. They were far away from home, things were changing. The changes that each of them had gone through thanks to this journey. The bonds that had been established and the ones that continued to strengthen, it was definitely a change. Despite being a pessimist in nature, he wanted to believe, to hope that these changes were for the better. Suddenly, the train came to halt slowly as if some the source of power was cut off. ”Technical issues? Is that really what’s going on?”, Hikaru couldn’t help but be a bit doubtful. If it really was a technical issue though, in the worst case scenario, it would be up and running soon. The staff would probably provide an explanation over the speaker present in each wagon. A little while passed and no announcement was made, that made Hikaru even more doubtful. As Hikaru thought about what could have happened, the door of the wagon slammed open. Two poorly dressed and armed individuals entered the wagon. ”So that’s what’s happening”, he thought nodding his head. Then Hikaru turned to look at the captain, ”Guess you won’t be bored anymore, Captain” said Hikaru.

Despite the obvious revelation, Hikaru remained quite calm. He was quite used to such situations anyways. ”Oi, this is a hijacking. You low lives are now our hostages!” said the pirate with the cutlass. ”The only captain in here, is our captain” said the one with the rifle as he pointed the gun towards Hikaru. “Bang!” a sound echoed soon after that gesture, as a scream of pain followed. Smoke rose from Hikaru’s revolver, in a similar way to the smoke rising from the cigarette in his mouth. ”Do you know what it means to point a gun at someone?” said the Gunner as he stared at the pirate with the cutlass. Hikaru’s quick draw ability came in handy in such situations. As soon as the rifle was pointed towards him, he didn’t waste a single moment retrieving the revolvers underneath his coat and firing one of them. At such a close range, the probability of missing was almost zero percent. The result was now a screaming pirate, blood on the floor along with a few fingers as he applied pressure to his hand which was previously holding the rifle. Why waste time with words when things were quite obvious the way they were.

[Blushing z0ro]

A somewhat amused whistle left Leonard's lips, "Now, now. That was pehaps a bit of an over-reaction don't you think?" he said looking a Hikaru, smiling and seemingly ignoring the two men who had just declared the Shining Pirates members their hostages. "Surely there is a way to just discuss the matter calmly isn't there, Mister Highjacker?" Added the pirate captain as he casually began to get up from his seat, his still sheathed trusty nodachi in his right hand. The cutlass wielding highjacker seemed both somewhat scared as well as confused by the strange turn of event and pointed the blade at the now standing young swordsman, unable to suppress a distinct shaking of his hands.

"St-stand back!" the highjacker bellowed at Leo who began to walk towards the man and his friend, who was still in pain on the floor, but the Shining Pirates' captain ignored the command. "Now I said there was no need for violence didn't I?" insisted LeClerc as he kept on walking. With every step of the Ash-Human, the still standing highjacker shook more and more. When Leonard was no more than two feet away, the highjacker barely able to held himself together and the pirate captain harbouring a calm smile of what could seem like friendliness on his face, the Shining Pirates' captain swung his right arm in a horizontal arc and whacked the unsuspecting enemy right across the face, knocking him out. As the man hit the ground the young swordsman in black added "Well I lied." The friendly smile that was there moments earlier turned into an amused smirk. Finally something to do on this dreary ride.

Leonard brought his left hand to his neck and moved his head around making the joints crack to relieve the tension accumulated over the journey so far. Truly, just sitting around was not something for him anymore. Slightly turning his head to his right Leo glanced at Hikaru and with utmost confidence, and the authority of a Captain in his voice, tinged with the excitement of finally having something to do after a long spell of boredom, simply said "Time to go to work." before turning his head back around to face the way towards the front of the train from which the highjackers came.

If the highjackers' leader was at the very front, which was very likely Leo thought, the two Shining Pirates would likely have to fight their way through almost all of the train. Well... at least it'll pass the time, hopefully this won't be too dreary; thought the Captain as he began to walk towards the front of the train wagon ready to walk to the next and face off whatever or whoever was waiting for him there.

[HikaruShin]

Hikaru didn’t reply to the captain’s comment as he noticed the smile that followed after. The captain wasn’t hiding his feelings: he was happy that things turned out this way. While Leonard stood up and dealt with the second pirate, Hikaru stood up and grabbed his sniper. The large sniper that he always kept in a bag and took it everywhere he went. ”You won’t get away with this, our captain will kill you” said the pirate on the floor and in pain. The gun shot had acquired the attention of the attackers in the next wagon as well. Due to the loud noise of the sea train, the rest of the hijackers remained impervious to the resistance that had just begun. Hikaru aimed his revolvers towards his victim once more, ”And will your captain be able to stop me if I chose to pull this trigger right now?”. With a cold expression and a cigarette in his lips, the smoking gunner inquired this of the pirate. Even though he was in severe pain, the pirate shut his lips as he simply stared at Hikaru. The poor individual had just realized that both these men didn’t care about who they were dealing with. It was then, that the captain ordered that it was time to get to work.

Before Leonard could move ahead though, Hikaru spoke up: ”Would it be wise to go straight through the wagons? Our battle might harm the innocent bystanders”. Yes, unlike the usual pirates that obeyed their captains without a second thought. Hikaru was questioning the decision of his captain and asking him to rethink what he had just decided. Obviously, Hikaru wasn’t going to disobey Leonard but he would prefer another method of dealing with the situation. Perhaps, getting on top of the wagons and covering the distance that way might be a good idea. Hikaru wasn’t the one to devise plans though, so he wasn’t going to give ideas. He left the hard stuff to Leonard and did what he was expected to do.

Meanwhile, there were three more pirates in the next wagon that had heard the gun shot. Two of them decided to check it out while one of them decided to run back and report it to the captain. The captain of the hijackers who was currently at the very first wagon, so it would take him some time getting there. As Hikaru and Leonard would indulge in a discussion about what to do, the door at the end of the other wagon would open and two more pirates would enter. As Hikaru and Leonard were standing at the entrance of their wagon, they would only be a few feet apart as the hijackers enter the scene. ”What the heck just happened?!” shouted one of the two as he notices the blood and the comrade in pain. Immediately the two withdraw their cutlasses, here we go again.