[Abandoned] [Episode] Flea-Bites and a Hurricane

The soothing sound of the gentle tide climbing up the shore woke him that evening. His afternoon nap had been so peaceful it had near turned into a full day's sleep.

He rested on a lonely coast of Pirate's Refuge. It was a quaint little island, despite the many volatile personalities who visited it daily. The place was rarely a long stop for anyone, but vestiges of the Thunder Ogre's last "vacation" to the island remained.

The rowdy Yonkou had set up one of his base of operations here not more than a few months prior. His stay had brought commerce to the island, and it seemed some of the prosperity lingered after the Thunder Thunder Pirates returned to the New World.

His tranquil rest had managed to starve him. A loud growl from his empty belly prompted him to abandon the comfortable sand. When he was on his feet, a small shockwave was released with the gentle giant at its centre. Animals had their ways of shaking off sand and moisture, and he had his.

He strolled to the populated bits of the island, whistling to himself as his robotic arm wheezed and winced now and then to add to the tune. His whistles were not like others'. The notes carried abnormally far, and the melody filled one's ears as if it were coming from within. It was one of the many tricks he had mastered through the use of his devil-gifted abilities.

The lack of accessibility on civilized islands had often been an issue for this lone traveller, what with him being ten feet tall. Most buildings barely allowed him through the door. Fortunately for him, Pirate's Refuge was an "open-concept" sort of place. Business was conducted under the scorching sun or drenching rain. Though a good few merchants did have the sophistication to erect some form of shade.

The dining options on Pirate's Refuge were few and far between. But the cyborg had never been picky. He stopped at the very first restaurant - if one could call it that. A derelict wooden structure served as the indoors of an otherwise outdoor eatery. The tall man had no complaints. At least I can eat without worrying about putting a hole through the ceiling.

His size, his regal cloak and fur scarf which contradicted his scruffy appearance, and most of all, his advanced robotic arm; these were often a source of attention (and occasionally conflict). The patrons of the tavern stared at him with a mixed expression of caution and intrigue. He had been the target of many-a-pirates' spunky adventures in brawling.  He hoped this evening wouldn't add to that count of failed adventurers.

He sat on a grassy spot a few feet away from the farthest of tables. A mousy little red-head, no older than ten, attended him. Despite her quiet nature, she seemed to be at ease addressing him. Must be my kind smile. He smiled to himself. One after another, he listed drinks. Each one of them was unavailable or unheard of. In the end, he settled for a barrel of red wine from Baterilla, which, the little girl served as if she were holding a small tray. "You are one strong young lady! That is very impressive. Thank you." He offered a shiny gold coin which summoned a wide grin on the waitress.

While awaiting an order of twenty grilled tuna, he chugged wine straight from the barrel, pausing only to release burps that made the nearby tables shake. Of course, he wasn't so crude-mannered as to not follow those burps with an "Excuse me, please."

---

TRACKERS:

Prove yourself and RISE RISE

Her journey had only just begun and she had already stumbled upon what appeared to be a secret island. She had doubled checked all the maps that she had stowed away on her fishing boat and it was not charted on a single one. It didn't really come as a surprise to her due to there being a vast amount of islands that had to be charted in all the blues. In fact, it was more exciting that she had discovered an island that hadn't been charted or at least not officially yet. She soon realized that it had yet to be charted for a very good reason but this only seemed to excite her more.

This would be her first actual encounter with pirates after officially becoming one herself. She had minimal interaction with them before back on her island and on the island that she trained her swordplay on. She had always been curious and watched them from afar as that was usually the closest she had been allowed to be to them. Her mother's stories about her father's adventures had been the biggest factor for her taking up the skull and crossbones. But the snippets of life that she saw from afar had also brought the girl excitement and encouraged her.

So here she was docking on a secret island that looked to be a hub that pirates could meet at. She looked around at the different colors that were flying on each ship in awe. It was amazing how many different crews were on this little island. She took the time to make sure her little fishing boat was secure before moving onto the island. It was but an ant among giants. Despite the odd looks, her smile remained ever-present on her face.

As she ventured further onto the island, she found the outdoor tavern that appeared to be the only thing actually present on the island. So this was just a place where pirates could come to have a drink and not worry about the marines showing up. That was really nifty! The smell of the food as it entered her nose only prompted her stomach to growl in hunger and she knew what she needed to do first. She found herself a table to sit at and as she waited for a waitress she looked around at the rowdy lot with a grin on her face. She wondered as she looked over each and every crew if any of them were in a need of a swordswoman or navigator or even just a new crewmate in general. After a minute or two, she ordered herself some food, even though the decision was very difficult to make due to everything sounding delicious.  

COMBAT TRACKERS:

Make'em remember you, RISE

coded by heroin of gs and adox

Chug. Chug. Chug. Each gulp the middle-aged cyborg swallowed could've filled an average drunkard's flagon. Twelve gulps without a pause for breath and he'd emptied another barrel. The flagrant boozer burped again, violating whatever stability the other guests had maintained of their utensils after the first few gassy interruptions.

Only after the last traces of that long belch had left his stomach did he realise that he'd 'better-out-than-in'ed directly at a blue-haired ruffian.

Wiping the foam moustache grown above his lip, he lowered his head in response to the young lady's barking. A benign smile curved his bearded mouth. "Ohhh, ojou-chan! Please accept my humblest apologies for interfering with your meal." Even the most sceptical cynic would struggle to find any hint of contempt or condescension in his apology.

The giant waved at the reticent redhead, his blissful grin encouraging her to address him before those who had waited longer. The little tyke was single-handedly serving the unruly patrons of the nameless watering hole. Despite the distinct lack of staff, there were few to no vocal complaints about the delays in service. Any critics were quickly silenced by the freckled lass' diligence and inhuman brawn.

The cloaked man presented the waitress with three gold coins. "What's your name, little lady?" He asked, diverting his attention from the blue-haired challenger briefly. The bashful redhead twirled one of her short pigtails around her finger before squeaking a quiet word. "Wendy."

The cyborg's grin widened as he placed the promised coins in Wendy's expectant palm. "Thank you for your hard work, Wendy-chan~! I'm Gray. It's truly a pleasure to meet you! May I ask you to bring me another barrel - this time your most intoxicating saké? And bring my guest here a barrel of whatever she likes." He gestured towards the round-faced blue-hair, giving no thought to the inconvenience of being served alcohol in a barrel.

With a half-nod, Wendy made the coins disappear into her petticoat swifter than an illusionist. She scuttered off once (and if) the bitter woman had ordered.

Gray turned back to his offended guest and introduced himself as if he hadn't just done so in front of her. "My name is Gray. I hope you'll accept this drink to make up for the one I spilt." He stretched his flesh hand, offering a handshake (though his hand was likely too big in comparison for the offer to be considered polite by the average person).

The hungry colossus then retrieved a juicy red skewered-tuna from the pile placed next to him and bit into it sloppily. Chewing like a two-year-old—with crumbs falling out of the corners of his lips—he spoke barely legible words. "Bot bringz ju to Biratez Refuge? Ard ju a birate? Iz dat jur crew ober der?" The cyborg waved over to a rowdy bunch staring at them with a vested interest. He was near certain the blue-haired lady was in their company when he'd arrived.

Gray could only hope that this volatile scene wouldn't escalate into a gang of misguided delinquents venting their frustrations on him through unnecessary violence.

---

Prove yourself and RISE RISE

Emi took in the smell of the food that she ordered once it was placed in front of her and it only made her smile widen more. Back in her home village, her smile was something that she had been known for whether people thought she was weird or whether it was contagious was dependent on who was asked. If there was on thing that could truly make her happy besides drawing up charts and her swords, it would be food especially the kind that made her mouth water. That was what the plate in front of her was currently doing. It had been a while since she'd had any meal that was on par with what had been set in front of her.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" To say she was excited about the delicious food in front of her would probably be an understatement as she thanked the red haired waitress. She didn't hesitate to start scarfing the food down after the waistress had kindly excused herself as soon as she had accepted Emi's thanks. All she had been consuming as of late was whatever burnt to a crisp food she managed to cook. Her mother had always told her that she was better with a pair of swords or a pencil in her hand than cooking utensils. No matter how hard her mother had tried she just couldn't teach Emi how to cook anything but burnt to a crisp food.

As Emi happily devoured the delicious food in front of her, she looked at the different groups around her once more. Observing the conversations and interactions between them all. She couldn't wait to be a part of a crew and have fun like the lot of them all seemed to be having. It was as she was chewing her food to prevent herself from choking that she observed a blue hair pirate getting huffy and another huge pirate. She had noticed his belches, which were more like mini earthquakes, but paid no mind to them because they hadn't affected her. However, they seemed to have caused some problems for the ruffian who was now confronting him about it.

It was really exciting to watch the encounter unfold before her and she kept stuffing food into her mouth as she watched. She didn't want to be nosy but it was interesting to know just what would come as a result of this interaction. The giant pirate had clearly apologized for belching and no one else seemed to have minded but this one shorter pirate had minded very much. The green-haired pirate made sure to take a drink of her ale to wash down the food as she continued digging into her plate. She watched the exchange between the two pirates with obvious interest while other all the other pirates didn't show any almost as if they were used to this type of thing.

Make'em remember you, RISE

coded by heroin of gs and adox

With an eager nod, Gray allowed the young pirate—who he assumed was a captain—to divert a round of drinks to her crew. He chewed through the belly of a grilled tuna as if he'd been starving for days. The cloaked glutton did not take the time to savour even a single bite. With his face stuffed to the point of bursting, he washed it down with a swig from a fresh barrel. Each gulp went down his throat like a bag of rocks, making his Adam's apple dance unnaturally.

Gray set the emptied barrel atop the stack of previously emptied ones to respond to the hatted girl's inquiry. "My days of being a pirate are long behind me, Miku-chan. But your friends do look like an exciting bunch. You all remind me of the flock of daring young fools who used to sail with me many years ago. I think you might've got along."

In spite of the stream of alcohol pouring into him like a waterfall, the observant colossus detected a pair of curious eyes watching them closely. He tracked the eyes to a green-haired young lady sporting an orange jacket with fur collars. If she were to meet his gaze, he would smile at her amiably as if she were a two-year-old. "Hi there! I noticed you've been staring at us for a while now. Why don't you come and join us too, miss?" His voice was guttered by a fishbone stuck in his throat, which he cleared immediately after inviting their innocuous stalker.

When Miku made a ruckus over the taste of the newly served drink, Gray let loose a raucous guffaw. "GEHAHAHAHAHAHA! These parts of the South Blue are known for their strong saké. I once brought a friend here who could drink even the God of Wine under the table. But, even she couldn't drink more than thirty cups of this brew." The bear-man tipped a massive gourd to pour its contents into a saucer wide as a table. If the moss-haired girl were to approach them, he would leave a small amount of alcohol in the gourd and offer it to her without invitation. Otherwise, he would empty the container and toss it towards the patch of grass behind him.

"So, you call yourselves the 'Meddling Kids', huh? Gehahaha! I love it. Why don't you call your friends over? They look like a delightful bunch!" Gray suggested. He placed his lips to the saucer and guzzled the tangy liquid with no inhibitions.

Pausing between gulps, he would turn to the greennette if she had approached them and ask, "Tell us about yourself! What brings you to Pirate's Refuge?"

---

Prove yourself and RISE RISE

Just when she was sure that a fight was going to break out between the giant and the small pirate, the heated interaction simmered down at the simple offer of alcohol. It made Emi wonder if that was the quickest resolution the island had ever seen. The fact that their interaction wasn't about to break out into a fight didn't deter her eyes, however. As she watched them converse, she couldn't help but wonder how much fun being part of a crew could be especially as the blue haired pirate pointed their crew out. They were a rowdy bunch but it was obvious as she shifted her eyes to them that it was a lot of fun. It was definitely something that she was looking forward to when the time came that she found a crew for her to join.

It made the mossy haired pirate curious as to if any crews currently docked were looking for any crewmates. Her eyes shifted again from the small pirate's crew to the other handful of crews that were eating and drinking around her. As eager as she was to join a crew, none of them seemed to fit the expectations that she had for a crew especially for someone as small as herself. Her eyes drifted back to the table where the giant and the small pirate were sitting, just as the smaller pirate locked eyes with her but before she could give them her signature smile they looked away. She couldn't quite hear their conversation but all she had to hear was the one word for her interest to be sparked or rather two words.

Almost as if he was reading her mind, the giant pirate turned his attention to her and asked her if she would mind joining them. Gracefully with a mouth full of food, Emi stopped and pointed at herself as if he could be talking about someone else. She chewed the food that she had just shoveled into her mouth a couple of times before swallowing it. "I'd love to!" She could hardly contain her excitement as she flashed the giant one of her signature smiles. She didn't hesitate to pick up her almost empty plate of food and her mug of ale to join the table she had been invited to. This was also, of course, as the blue-haired pirate started coughing from the drink she had been offered by the giant and the table shook as he let out a booming laugh at their predicament. It was upon closer notice that Emi was finally able to determine the gender of the mysterious small pirate as up close she could see her subtle feminine features.

As Emi sat down at the table, she accepted the saki that was offered to her as she listened to him explain it to her fellow female pirate and asked her to invite her crew to the table to join them. It was upon this request that she was reminded that the female pirate had semi offered the giant to join her crew. This had obviously struck her interest but just before she had a chance to put forth her own question she was asked by the giant to tell them about herself. This wasn't a missed opportunity to ask if there were any places on the rowdy crew for her but an open way to put out there that she was indeed looking for a crew.

"Of course! I'm Emi Roromiya! I'm from Baterilla and I'm a swordswoman! My mom says I'm really bad at cooking but I have a knack for navigating! This is my first stop at the very beginning of my adventure! I figured this would be a great place to start looking for a crew to join! And the food smelled absolutely delicious!" Emi didn't hesistate one bit to talk about herself with almost a giddy tone of voice and it seemed as though she didnt' take a breath until she finished.  

Make'em remember you, RISE

coded by heroin of gs and adox

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