Rejuvenation (Ethereal)

[Cirrus]

Having been dragged to sea by marine Captain Richard J. Paul, our hero Alek Sorenson is unconscious, pulled under the waves by the weight of his captor. Separated from his crew with no one to turn to now that he has a 23,000,000 beli bounty on his head, Alek is completely alone. Now, stranded in the middle of nowhere, fate and fate alone will decide if he lives or dies. He was destined for greatness, but is it at the cost of his life?
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The waters washed over his face, and into his nose. This disturbed him a little, invoking the knee-jerk reaction of spluttering and coughing. He opened his eyes, struggling to see anything. He kicked out, or at least he tried to kick out, but his legs were not responding. This was the moment that he started to panic. He was underwater, barely breathing, and there was no way to get more air. If he didn't do something now, he would die here. Panicking, he jerked his head to the left. The rushing water around him only served to further confuse him, but it told him one thing.

He was completely and utterly alone.

Captain Richard J. Paul was no longer in his vicinity. There was no one to strike a temporary bargain with, no one to use as leverage for air, just no one. If he had had the strength, he would have sighed in frustration, but right now he was too pathetic to even do that. If anyone was watching they would have seen his hands suddenly curl, as if trying to grab something that wasn't there, and then go back again. A million curses ran through his head; plans were worthless when one had no strength to execute them.

Resigning himself to the possibility that he would die, the cyborg closed his stinging eyes, and let the sea currents take him where they willed.

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-----------------------------------
Alek Sorenson
Somewhere in South Blue
-----------------------------------

Alek's head bumped against something solid. It was soggy and it smelt badly, but it was solid. His body was now floating, apparently having come into saltier seas. The cyborg's eyes flashed open, only to instantly close again after the sun did its best to burn his retinas to a crisp. His head turned slowly, getting a grip of its surroundings. As far as he could see there was ocean water all around, save for the solid object behind him. His increased sense of smell told him it was wooden, and the captain of the Chess Pirates thought he could smell something reminiscent of a person atop it.

A raft? Wait....where am I? Where...where's Trent?

Disorientated, Alek raised his arm. That was good, he could move his limbs again. A hand found the edge of the raft, and he pulled himself up. When his eyes got used to the light, Alek found himself facing a boy with heterochromatic eyes.

Reacting badly to the stranger, the cyborg assumed that this person was in cahoots with the marine Captain that had sent him here in the first place. Moving at such speeds that he would disappear, the Chess Pirates' captain would reappear with a hand to the stranger's head.

"A friend of the captain's eh? Well, I may not have his head, but I can take yours instead! Where am I? Where are my crew? Answer carefully, or I will kill you right here!"

[❰ Misha ❱]

Jack sat on his raft, nonchalantly looking into the sky with a subtle longing of the overreaching abyss. He'd only decided to become a pirate a few days ago and set sail on the small raft, but wished he'd brought a map with him before leaving. He had to admit it now if he hadn't already. He was lonely, the silence of the day seemed too ominous for him. He was disturbed in his thoughts by the sound of something grabbing the edge of his raft and subtly shifting the edge of the raft down.

========================================

Jack kept calm as he looked at the stranger, and raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "I don't know who you're talking about, but I have not seen anyone in a few days now. I've been floating on this raft since I left the village."

Jack stared hardly at the stranger as the strong grasp started to become even more uncomfortable.

"As for where you are, well I would like to know that myself. I do know that we're somewhere in the middle of South Blue but that's all I know."

Jack paused for a second after answering the stranger and spoke again in his own tone as his muscles started to relax a little bit.

"I answered your questions now you answer mine. Who are you and how did you end up floating in the ocean? You don't look like anyone from the navy and you said "my crew". Are you a pirate?"

[Cirrus]

The boy seemed unphased at the fact that Alek could kill him on a whim, but then the cyborg remembered that the pistols where inside his fingers; nobody knew what they were capable of unless they witnessed them first hand. This explained what would appear to be stark bravery in the face of death on the stranger's part.

"I don't know who you're talking about, but I have not seen anyone in a few days now. I've been floating on this raft since I left the village."

Alek doubted this slightly, since he had narrowly avoided death he had become more cynical of the world around him. However, the captain of the Chess Pirates wasn't even sure how he was still alive; as far as he could tell he had been separated from his crew for a good few days now, since it had been late afternoon when he had fought the marine captain.

He would grimace for a moment, the thought of being away from his nakama being painful for him. Pushing the thought away for now, he decided to resume listening.

"As for where you are, well I would like to know that myself. I do know that we're somewhere in the middle of South Blue but that's all I know...I answered your questions now you answer mine. Who are you and how did you end up floating in the ocean? You don't look like anyone from the navy and you said "my crew". Are you a pirate?"

One word from his entire spiel stood out.

South Blue.

Alek groaned in despair. He had assumed he was near some island in West Blue, like Gunkan or even back at Illusia, but somehow he had managed to cross blues too. His crew were miles away from him, and Alek was certain that he would suffocate if he tried to use Wiatr for that distance. Remembering he was in the presence of another, and since he was a king that he should act a little more regal, Alek decided to address the boy's confident questions.

"How insolent. I do not even know your name, yet you wish to know my current circumstances? You may consider yourself lucky that you are the only company I have had for days; speaking so directly to a king is almost treasonous!"

He rambled on like this for some time, before actually answering the stranger's question.

"I am Alek Sorenson, captain of the Chess Pirates and a wanted head of 23,000,000. My crew and I have been separated. Now, as I said before, who are you?"

[❰ Misha ❱]

Jack smiled slightly at the stranger's words and responded with his calm, stoic, and serious demeanor still intact. This stranger did not seem like he would have any problem killing Jack. He emitted an aura of strength that did not seem cruel but only of threatening him for his own survival. Jack couldn't help but feel a little curious about the large stranger that seemed to tower over him in the sky but Jack kept his calm and serious attitude and decided to focus about finding out who these chess pirates were. Who knows, perhaps Jack might decide to see for himself who these pirates were.

"I've never heard of you, Alek, nor of the chess pirates. Although its a pleasure to meet you and I'm curious as to how you ended up here and separated from your crew. My name is Jack Caesar, I came from Yuuyake village a few miles southeast of here because I was run out after an incident. Since you won't tell me your situation unless I tell you mine, I shall enlighten you. I was run out of my own village because I became strong. I fled and I ended up here because I made a decision to become a pirate and become even stronger. Which is also why you might want to release me."

Jack took his hand and brought it to touch the grasping hand of the stranger for the nematocysts to inject a small amount of the venom into the stranger.
- Koraru Koraru: Sherushokku

[Cirrus]

"I've never heard of you, Alek, nor of the chess pirates. Although its a pleasure to meet you and I'm curious as to how you ended up here and separated from your crew. My name is Jack Caesar, I came from Yuuyake village a few miles southeast of here because I was run out after an incident. Since you won't tell me your situation unless I tell you mine, I shall enlighten you. I was run out of my own village because I became strong. I fled and I ended up here because I made a decision to become a pirate and become even stronger. Which is also why you might want to release me."

Alek wasn't surprised at Jack's comment. If he had his timing right, the Chess Pirates had started three days ago. He had only received his bounty yesterday, by way of news ku. Still, a little fame wasn't too much to ask for.

Jack touched Alek's arm, seemingly expecting something wondrous to happen. In reality, all Alek felt was a light tingle as the nematocysts punctured his artificial skin; small amounts of nerves had been transplanted underneath it way back when Alek was a kid. The venom wouldn't work because of his inorganic arms, but Jack wasn't to know that.

An awkward silence lasted a few minutes, then Alek spoke.

"A shame, that. I assume since you are not magical that you possess the abilities of a cursed fruit? Outcast from Yu...Yuuyake as you called it, meet cyborg king from Skypiea!"

Alek's little outburst would do nothing but lead to another awkward silence. Deciding to come up with something more productive to say, Alek spoke again.

"So, how do you exactly plan on getting out of here? I'm hungry."
[b

[❰ Misha ❱]

Jack waited for the encroaching sting to strike Alek, but for a few seconds nothing happened.

Jack's eyes burst open, "Why aren't you hurting, my Koraru Koraru no Mi is supposed to sting anyone who comes in contact with my hands"

- "A shame, that. I assume since you are not magical that you possess the abilities of a cursed fruit? Outcast from Yu...Yuuyake as you called it, meet cyborg king from Skypiea!"

Jack's eyebrow rose, "Cyborg? That explains it, but how come you didn't short-circuit in water? I've never heard of this Skypiea and how are you a king?" Jack rose a finger to his chin in deep thought

- "So, how do you exactly plan on getting out of here? I'm hungry."

Jack sweat-dropped, "You were just threatening to kill me and now you're asking me if I have a way out of this." Jack sighed, "I did look at a map before I left. It looked like there was an island west of the town I stayed at after fleeing. I set sail with that island in mind but I think the wind might've blown me off."

Jack paused a second, "I did bring enough rations that would've lasted me a week but they should last a few days still. We can't fish though.... I kind of have a "problem" with fish and all sea food." Jack looked at Alek for a second, "Since I told you my situation, are you willing to tell me yours now?"

[Cirrus]

The shocked expression of Jack was highly humorous to Alek, who burst out in a little fit of laughter. Seemingly oblivious, the cyborg's acquaintance continued, running through the reality of what happened in his mind.

"Cyborg? That explains it, but how come you didn't short-circuit in water? I've never heard of this Skypiea and how are you a king?"

Alek ignored the last question, seeing as he hadn't the faintest idea of how he had come to be king. He was just born that way, he guessed. The more physical based questions, however, he could answer with ease.

"Why would a cyborg short-circuit? I have skin, don't I?"

To demonstrate this, Alek tugged a little at the skin on his face. Although it wasn't artificial like his arms and legs, he felt it would prove his point well enough.

"You were just threatening to kill me and now you're asking me if I have a way out of this...I did look at a map before I left. It looked like there was an island west of the town I stayed at after fleeing. I set sail with that island in mind but I think the wind might've blown me off. I did bring enough rations that would've lasted me a week but they should last a few days still. We can't fish though.... I kind of have a "problem" with fish and all sea food....Since I told you my situation, are you willing to tell me yours now?"

Alek tutted. To him, it was obvious why he was threatening to kill Jack, who had back then been a stranger. He'd just been dragged out here by that dastardly captain Richard J Paul, from a place where everyone barring Trent was an enemy. Of course he was going to be hostile! Concluding the rant in his head, Alek decided to answer Jack's questions, which seemed to be never-ending.

"Sure...where to begin? Well, recently I started a pirate crew, the Chess Pirates, and we stole a ship from the Illusia Kingdom. The marines were persistent, though, and chased us out to sea. To get rid of them I resorted to jumping onto their ship, so I could set it on fire, but things went badly, and I ended up out here."

[❰ Misha ❱]

"Sure...where to begin? Well, recently I started a pirate crew, the Chess Pirates, and we stole a ship from the Illusia Kingdom. The marines were persistent, though, and chased us out to sea. To get rid of them I resorted to jumping onto their ship, so I could set it on fire, but things went badly, and I ended up out here."

Jack wasn't familiar with Cyborgs or the Illusia kingdom but he was familiar with how things usually went when pirate crews tangled with marines. Jack put his hand to his hand in forethought before speaking.

"If your account of events is accurate, your crew has probably either been captured already or escaped. However, I don't know how you plan to reach them again since this boat probably will be heading somewhere..."
Jack broke his speech to stare at the sail for a second, thinking to himself, "The wind doesn't seem like it's blowing me west but rather..."

"north. I planned to go to an island that was west but it seems the wind plans to blow me to the calm belt or a random island north of here. Maybe if we're lucky there will be an island soon where you can find a boat there to make it back to this... Illusia kingdom you were talking about."

Jack finished speaking and went over to where he stored the rations.

"Since you're here, we may as well eat now since I'm a little hungry myself." Jack opened the sack and routed his hand around inside.

[Cirrus]

"If your account of events is accurate, your crew has probably either been captured already or escaped. However, I don't know how you plan to reach them again since this boat probably will be heading somewhere..."

The boy paused, seeming to take into account want direction the light breeze was pushing the raft. It was apparent to the cyborg that the wind was blowing north, which, if Jack was correct about being in South Blue, would send them to East Blue if they went far enough. East Blue was the complete opposite direction to where his crew were meant to be going, Raito Island, and as such Alek would become a little fidgety, as if he had ants in his pants.

"north. I planned to go to an island that was west but it seems the wind plans to blow me to the calm belt or a random island north of here. Maybe if we're lucky there will be an island soon where you can find a boat there to make it back to this... Illusia kingdom you were talking about."

Jack finished speaking and went over to where he stored the rations. Alek watched with curious eyes; for a man that didn't eat seafood while surrounded by the sea, there had to be something interesting that that boy ate.

"Since you're here, we may as well eat now since I'm a little hungry myself."

Looking back out to sea, Alek wondered how long it would be before he saw his crew again. Of course, that is if he did see his crew again. But that was negative thinking, wasn't it? He'd just get through this, find a ship through to the Grand Line and from there to the Blues, and meet back up with Trent and Mathus and Silo and all the others. Of course, he expected his crew to be worrying about him, but the cyborg hoped that Trent would be ready to lead them in his absence.

"I'll be back soon..."

He mused, talking to no one in particular, despite the fact he had company. Suddenly turning back to talk to Jack, he eyed up the rations the man had brought with him. They didn't seem enough to last the two of them for long, and with that thought in mind Alek ventured a suggestion.

"Shouldn't we find an island and a better craft? I don't really want to be on this thing any longer than I have to, and that food doesn't look like it's going to go around."

[❰ Misha ❱]

"I'll be back soon..."

Jack heard and turned around with the small amount of smoked meat that he'd brought with him still clutched in his arms. Jack looked at Alek for a second who looked to be in a state of deep thought. Jack thought to himself for a few seconds.

"I'm really starting to wonder about this crew of his. The Chess Pirates.... not a bad name and he seems to really want to return to them. He even went so far as threatening me just to ensure his own survival so he could maybe have a chance of returning to them."

Jack lifted his finger to his lip in thought,

"I'd planned to look for a crew to join at the next island so I can start my journey and learn a little more about what's out there... but maybe I don't need to look at the next island. A crew named the chess pirates that are led by a cyborg...sounds like an interesting band of people." Jack chuckled internally at his own interest, even though he'd just met the strange cyborg Alek."

"Shouldn't we find an island and a better craft? I don't really want to be on this thing any longer than I have to, and that food doesn't look like it's going to go around."

Jack was startled out of his thoughts when Alek spoke, but dropped his finger from his lip to keep him calm.

"As I said, I'm not sure where the next island is. I remember there being scattered islands up north but I'm not sure if we'll reach any or if we're too far off course to run into one of them. I'd been aiming for the wind to blow me west on a 30 degree angle from the island and that was where the wind was headed when I left. Though now it seems we might be a little more than that. If we're lucky, we might hit the next island and be able to get a boat, but again I'm not sure."

Jack paused to check his memory to maybe draw up the map in his head.

"If I recall... there was an archipelago of islands up north. If we're lucky we'll hit those and the wind won't blow us into the calm belt on the grandline or worse... strand us on a cliff or rock somewhere." Jack spoke a little worriedly.

[Cirrus]

"As I said, I'm not sure where the next island is. I remember there being scattered islands up north but I'm not sure if we'll reach any or if we're too far off course to run into one of them. I'd been aiming for the wind to blow me west on a 30 degree angle from the island and that was where the wind was headed when I left. Though now it seems we might be a little more than that. If we're lucky, we might hit the next island and be able to get a boat, but again I'm not sure."

Jack paused, and Alek took this as an opportunity to think. Normally, he would have played chess but he was in the presence of another and 'breaking into board games', as the people 'Down Below' called it, didn't seem too appropriate. Instead, he wondered which islands were nearby. He'd never been to South Blue before in his life; the island that Olaf and Falo took him to was apparently in East Blue, and before that he'd lived in Skypiea. Pretty much everything down here was new to him.

"If I recall... there was an archipelago of islands up north. If we're lucky we'll hit those and the wind won't blow us into the calm belt on the grandline or worse... strand us on a cliff or rock somewhere."

Alek pondered this for a second. If he remembered correctly, an archipelago was a collection of islands, though not necessarily of the same geography. This could mean there was a whole array of different people and places he could go, and perhaps only one of them contained a viable ship. To the cyborg this was more worrying than the threat of the Grand Line or the Calm Belt. He'd been to both before, of course; Skypiea was above it. Voicing his opinion as he rudely took a piece of the smoked meat without asking, Alek said;

"Don't worry....about the Calm Belt or... any of that! I'm part robot; I'm sure.... I can find us a way...out of still seas. What I'm worried about...is food."

As his spiel went on between bites, Jack would notice that the "Checkmate King" had eaten all of the rations. Such was it un-king-like to purposefully starve oneself, that Alek had taken the liberty of devouring it all, and was in the process of carefully tearing pieces of Jack's meat off and stuffing it into his mouth.

"You got any more?"

[❰ Misha ❱]

"You got any more?"

Jack was shocked for a second when the "Checkmate king" had spoke. He'd been deep in thought up to a minute ago while they ate in silence. When Alek had spoken, Jack jumped from the pack of smoked meat he'd been about to eat. Jack looked back at the bag.

The entire bag was empty. In the span of a few minutes (Jack had lost track of time), Alek had eaten all of the rations. Jack routed his hand through the bag only to find nothing left. Jack turned from the bag with a smile on his face, for some reason Jack didn't feel like frowning. Alek had eaten the rest of the rations but Jack just didn't feel like getting mad.

Jack thought for a second,

"Maybe I'm getting soft. That food was supposed to last a few days but he ate it all in the span of 1 afternoon. I'd be amazed if it wasn't for the fact that we really needed that food to last for how long was needed to make it to the next island."

Jack faced Alek with the calm smile still on his face and walked over to the last piece of smoked meat that he'd had.

Jack picked up the meat and handed it to Alek, "We don't have anymore, but this is the last one." Jack held up the piece of brisket, "I am kind of hungry, but I've had enough to keep me living for at least another 1 or 2 days. You can have the last one." Jack held the meat out to Alek.

[Cirrus]

"We don't have anymore, but this is the last one. I am kind of hungry, but I've had enough to keep me living for at least another 1 or 2 days. You can have the last one."

Alek, who was still busy tearing pieces off of the brisket, was barely listening. He hadn't realised he was so hungry, but it was true. That fact hung in the air, uncaring who or what observed it, as long as it stayed there. As Jack pushed the brisket forward, Alek hungrily snatched it up. After a few minutes of gobbling and chewing and swallowing, he proposed a new idea.

"You know...I'm part machine. I can get us there faster...if you'd like."

Assuming the answer was 'Sure, why not?', Alek would dive into the water, newly refreshed, and grab hold of the edge of the raft. He would take a deep breath, gathering air that was to be the fuel for his Wiatr system. He would then pause momentarily, and then throw all caution to the wind and eject large amounts of air from the soles of his feet. The sheer volume of air produced in a blast by this would be enough to propel the raft at moderately high speeds, considering there were two sets of weight on it, and off into the distance, hopefully in the direction of whichever island Jack was aiming for.

[❰ Misha ❱]

"You know...I'm part machine. I can get us there faster...if you'd like."

Jack looked up a bit and before he could think up a response, Alek jumped into the water. Jack waited for a few seconds, curious about what the cyborg was going to do.

It took a few seconds before Jack had his answer. It started out slow but the raft gradually picked up speed. The raft began moving fast, at speeds Jack couldn't have hoped to get with the wind. It wasn't super speed, but it was faster than Jack could've ever asked for.

Jack smiled brilliantly as the water rushed by. Jack wondered at the speed, "This is perfect, at this speed we'll reach land in no time at all!

It only took about a few minutes, but Jack soon caught sight of a small dot just rising above the horizon. The smile on Jack's face grew to immense. "Perfect Alek!! We'll be there soon. Jack locked his face in and stared at the small island in the distance as the speed continued on for a little longer. As they got closer, Jack was able to make out various features. It looked to be a small island with a town on the west side and trees covering close to the remainder. Jack smiled as they neared the port.

[Cirrus]

"Perfect Alek!! We'll be there soon.

Alek could barely hear his acquaintance as the waves rushed past either side of his head, drowning out all noise apart from itself. Within minutes, they had travelled a vast distance, Alek's speed being rather more impressive than he had thought it was. It was true; he had held back when he had been fighting recently, but that didn't mean he had forgotten how to use his power! It was with this realisation that Alek continued forward, waiting for the eventuality of finding land.

A few minutes later, Jack shouted something about seeing an island. Alek didn't know which direction he had set them off in, and as such couldn't even begin to guess which island they were approaching. Hoping it was one on which he could rest up and maybe even upgrade, Alek began to wonder about what his crew were doing right now.

They could be dead....but if not...are they looking for me?

Alek slowed the pace, needing to inspire a little more air. It was while he was doing so that the island became a lot closer, and it was because of this that Alek decided not to bother pushing off again. The momentum would carry them to their destination,

But not...to my crew

{THREAD END. THREAD EXIT.}