[Episode] Did We Just Become Best Friends?

Volo sifted through the sea of bodies as best he could, dozens of people splashing and pushing in the now ankle-deep water. Tensions rose as fast as the tide every second mattered, with ships leaving the docks as quickly as they could, caring little for those left behind.

"Move it!" He shouted, bodies bumping into him from all directions as the duo scrambled for Emilia. The hulking mass of metal and wood floated in the waters off the dock, bobbing with the increasingly violent waves as a black sky crept in from the west. The pi(lot)rate paused as he focused on the skies, watching as the lightning cracked across the heavens. "Well, fuck..." Mumbling as the cigarette fell from his lips, fizzling out as it hit the rising water.

"We gotta go, now!" Shoving his way to open space, "Oi! This way!" Signaling to Bill and motioning to the gorgeous, homemade abomination that was Emilia. Her hulking metal skeleton was naked without the smoke-filled blimp accompanying it, making for a strange sight to just about anyone aside from Volo.

Suddenly the crowd turned to the pair, forming a semi-circle around them. Shouting and cursing, blaming them for the troubles that had befallen LogInn. "Uhhh..." Volo mumbled, "Don't know about you pal, but I ain't got much left in the tank.." Raising his hands slowly as Susu poked his head out from Volo's chest pocket.

"Ballsy move, man.." Volo mumbled, hands still raised in surrender as Bill threatened the crowd with an empty gun. "Worth a shot though. Respect." Volo snickered as the crowd quickly called the bluff and encroached on them once more. Pitchforks bared and teeth snarled, the mob wanted blood.

Just when Volo reached down for that last bit of strength, Bill snatched Susu from his pocket. "Huh?!" Shocked, he watched as Bill hucked the screaming squirrel in the direction of the crowd, using him as a super move of his own. "SUSU!" Volo cried out, though before he could pursue the airborne rodent, Bill gripped the young man by the collar and drug him towards Emilia.

"Chitter chitter squeak squeak!!!" Susu exclaimed as he tumbled through the air, opening his wings and catching an updraft from the flames. The squirrel acrobatically corrected its flight path and managed to turn itself around. Flying back towards the fleeing pair, all the while chattering in anger at the gunslinger. Once more his vendetta was ignited, his rage refueled. One day.... One day he would take this man's head.

Though for now, he returned to Volo's shoulder and scurried into his pocket resting place. Biding his time until the day he enacts his revenge on the man known as Bill Holiday.

"Susu....!!! Buddy..!" Volo sniffled as he hugged himself to embrace his little pal who returned the sentiment as he outstretched his little arms and hugged Volo back.

"Get a room after we get outta here!" Bill shouted as he tossed the doting pair onto Emilia's metal deck.

"R-right..!" Volo shouted as he wiped the tears from his eyes and ran towards Emilia's engine room. "By us some time!" Yelling before he disappeared into the doorway.

"C'mon girl! Don't fail me now!" Volo shouted as he flicked several switches before placing each hand on a pipe jutting from the engine. With a deep breath, Volo used his logia powers to forcefully push his smoke throughout the machine, moving every gear as it began to sputter and purr. Metal knocked and clanged as it shifted and pumped, inflating Emilia's balloon as quickly as it could.

Meanwhile, the angered crowd had stormed behind them, having now made it to the dock. They swarmed the vessel, diving from the dock and clutching the sides, climbing the rest of the way, leaving Bill and Susu to defend them from the onslaught.

Susu dove from the railing and onto an invader's face, clawing at the man's eyes with his adorable tiny paws. Squeaking with rage as he imagined clawing out the eyes of Bill Holiday before moving to his next victim, knocking the pursuers off one by one, sending them to the choppy depths.

Thunder clapped across the sky as a bolt of lightning split the horizon and struck a nearby vessel. Erupting it into flames and sending the crew straight to Dave's jones locker.

Rain fell from above as LogInn was little more than flooded debris, a once-celebrated trade center of the South Blue reduced to some splintered floating wood and a population destined to die. With those still left aboard the doomed vessel having either resigned to their fates or now trampled one another to grab ahold of anything deemed worthy enough to float.

"How much time?!" Bill shouted as he chucked a wooden box he had found at one of the invading pirates. Knocking him from the side and back onto the docks.

"Just a little more...!" Volo shouted back, his voice barely reaching over the storm and the rumbling engine. "NOW!" The pi(lot)rate echoed as he darted from the engine room and to the cockpit. Flicking every manner of switch and lever as Emilia creaked and groaned, slowly raising itself from the waters.

"Steady...." Volo grunted as he gripped the wheel, using every bit of strength to keep her from blowing away in the ensuing winds. "Steady....." Repeating himself to speak his actions into existence. "C'mon girl.... We got this....!" Gritting his teeth as he waited till just the right moment to hit the big red button, sending out a blast of pressurized smoke to jet the blimp away from the dock, barely missing the tops of the sinking houses. Skimming the water as they gained altitude and did their best to keep the storm at their backs.

"Not outta the woods yet, hold on...!" The toll on Emilia's hull was evident, using such a powerful blast put a huge amount of stress on the vessel. But she was tough and Volo knew her limits, and he knew this wasn't it. He smirked as the flight path straightened out and returned to a manageable speed. Gaining enough altitude and distance from the storm to take a deep breath and rest their heads if even for a moment.

Stepping out from the cockpit, he smiled at Bill as Susu landed on his shoulder. "What a ride right?!" He snickered, "That was a fucking blast! That guy was all like, iM bEtTeR tHaN EvErYoNe, and you were all like pow pow, grenade, I'm a cowboy. And then, then, I'm like wham bam, thank you man! Finishing move!! Sheeeeeewwwww...!" His voice full of energy and passion, "We make a great team, you should join my crew! I'm a pirate captain, ya know?! The newspaper even calls me 'Red Wing' Volo, ya see..!" Brandishing his bounty poster to his newfound friend. "Bonafide and legit. That's me! So hows a bout it? Huh?! What do ya say?"

WC: 1,150/6,774/5,000

“Harharhar!” laughed Bill.

The bounty hunter was grinning ear to ear when he collapsed back onto Emilia's deck as the fabulous flying ship flew safely away from wreckage that had formerly been known as LogInn. Bill's chest heaved with heavy breath and pain wracked every square inch of his body. He couldn't think of a time he had ever been as exhausted as he was at that moment but even despite all that...he felt good.

Maybe it was the endorphins rushing through his brain that were trying in vain to counteract all the pain in his body. Maybe it was the excitement and exhilaration that you could only get from a near death experience. It could have been the cool rain falling on his face that felt like the world's most refreshing shower.  It could also have just been the concussion. Or that crisp, fresh, high altitude air. Or maybe Volo's energy was just that infectious.

Whatever it was. Bill felt good.

“God damn I thought we were gonna die!” laughed Bill.

He paused for a second to make it seem like he giving Volo's offer some serious consideration but truth be told he didn't have to give it so much as a second thought.

“Hell, why not?!” he bellowed “I ain't had that much fun in a dog's age!”

He wasn't lying either. In spite of everything that came with it, fighting and killing Rikard Magus had been the most exciting thing Bill or Jeremy had done in quite some time. Bill slowly pulled himself himself back up by the ship's railing. He turned to Volo and extended his hand out. It was a clear signal that he wanted to shake on it

“So where are we goin' next Captain?” he asked.

---

Later that night...

“Pero pero. Pero pero. Pero pero. Pero pero. Pero pero...”

“What now?” grumbled Bill as a he slowly stirred from his slumber.

He'd been sleeping for some time beneath Emilia's deck. His “bed” was just a dusty old cot on the floor of the otherwise empty crew barracks but, as tired as he was, it might as well have been the most luxurious king sized bed in a Celestial Dragon's palace. To say he was unhappy about being woken up was an understatement. In fact he would have been downright furious if he wasn't so completely worn out.

Through heavy eyes Bill looked over at the den den mushi on the wall. It might have been because he was half asleep but it looked as though the snail was wearing a plague doctor's mask. His arm felt stiff and heavy as he sluggishly reached for the receiver.

“Are you Agent Jeremy Filth?” asked the voice on the other end. The mention of his real name caused Bill to immediately.

“Yea this is Jeremy Filth...wait...did you just say agent?”

“Yes I...did you just admit it was you?”

“Yeah...?”

“Without confirming who I am? What if I am an enemy spy?”

“Are you?”

“Well no...” admitted the caller, followed by some unintelligible grumbling “but I could have been.”

“Then who are you?”

“I am Cipher Pol 9 Agent Dr.  Locusta.”

“Sorry I'm still groggy. Did you say Cipher Pol 9? I thought I was working with Cipher Pol 6?”

“Cipher Pol 9 has...hold on...aren't you going to at least try and verify my identity first?”

“No. I believe you?”

“What if I am lying?!” barked Dr. Locusta angrily “Did you think of that!? What if instead of a Cipher Pol 9 agent I am just a mole impersonating one!? Your carelessness could have jeopardized the entire mission! And then what would you do Agent Filth?!”

Jeremy yawned.

“Are you an enemy mole?” he asked.

“Well no but...” there was more unintelligible grumbling from Dr. Locusta.

“So what about Cipher Pol 9?”

“Cipher Pol 9 is taking over command of your mission?”

“Why?”

“That's none of your concern.”

“What about me?”

“That's the good news Agent Filth. You and your colleagues are getting a promotion.”

Colleagues? He must have meant the Tall One and the Short One thought Jeremy.

“I...don't know what to say? Thank you sir.”

“Don't let it go to your head Agent Filth. It's obvious to me that all three of you need have a long ways to go if we expect you to meet our standards, especially you. You will remain on this mission, for now, but we will be monitoring you closely to make sure you are capable of completing the task in an acceptable manner. Do you understand?”

“Yes sir. I understand.”

“Good.”

“So what do you need me to do next?”

“For now just continue to monitor Volo and be sure to report anything that might be of interest back to us.”

“Like what?”

“Part of being in Cipher Pol agent is being able to think for yourself. Unlike those brainless morons in the marines. We expect you to use your best judgment. We will give you further instructions when necessary.”

“How do I get a hold of you when I need to?”

“Your agent number is nine - four - zero. Contact the World Government HQ and give them that number. They will forward you to a senior agent for you to report to.”

“Easy enough. I don't have anymore questions.”

“Then you may get back to your mission.”

Click.

Dr. Locusta hung up. Jeremy yawned as he hung the den den mushi back up on the wall.  The newly promoted agent laid back down in his cot. As he closed his eyes only one more thought would cross his mind before he fell into a deep sleep.

What an asshole.

Word Count:

Magnus awoke to the sound of seagulls overhead, the waves splashing against his body as he drifted on the remains of LogInn. "Wahh..? He mumbled, rubbing his brow in confusion. "Where...?"

"Bout time, bub.." A deep, raspy voice called out to him.

"Huh..?"

"That's it, bub, open your eyes." The voice called out sarcastically once again as Magnus's vision began to adjust.

"He...hehe.... Of c-course... He would send you.... Gabagool Gagliano.... they call you 'Barrel Chest' or some other nonsense, right..?" The self-proclaimed pinnacle of humanity's voice cracked in fear at the sight of the assassin before him. His tone betrayed the arrogant words it accompanied.

"Well, well, looks like my reputation proceeds me." A black-suited beaver mink responded as he chomped on a cigar, his body halfway out of a barrel, bobbing and weaving with the waves. Magnus's own pathetic visage reflected at him in the mink's sunglasses.

"Don't...*cough*... Don't go fooling yourself, beast..." His eyes changed to a cold demeanor. "You are nothing more to me than prey that will one day decorate my mantle." He hocked a crimson loogie at the mink. "You are nothing. You are all.. *cough*... Nothing!!"

Gabigool sat and listened to the man rant, flicking a match to relight the tobacco as he did. A deep inhale and then exhale quickly followed. "Gotta say, I'm mighty surprised to see you in this, uhhhh what do you call it, condition, eh bub?" The barrel lid resting on his head tilting and spinning with every word and motion as he ignored the racist tirade. "What exactly, uhhhh, caused all this here damage ya got, ehh bub?"

"Tch... You filthy anim---arghhhh..." Gritting his teeth, clenching his fists, Magnus struggled to move. The wound dealt by the dynamic duo proving to be too much for even him to shake off easily.

"Now, now, don't get up on my account, bub. Just answer the question and this'll all be over, capeesh?" Withdrawing a pistol from his coat and took aim "Now, do me a favor, yea? Who the fuck did all this here damage to ya..?"

Magnus stared hatefully at the Mink before him, if looks could kill this one would commit mass genocide. "Go. Fuck. Yourself.

Letting out a sigh, Gabagool mumbled a prayer under his breath as he kissed a rosary that hung from his left wrist. "The Moose sends his regards." With a sharp bang smoke emitted from the barrel and the bullet lodged itself into Magnus's skull. The wood chucking hitman showing off his impressive accuracy with a dead-center shot right between the eyes.

He placed two pennies on Magnus's eyes and a white rose in his crossed arms. The sign of the Tundra. One that was known far and wide and struck fear in the hearts of all who would come across it. Warning what happens to those that cross Don Pale.

[i]Puru Puru Puru Puru... Katcha..[i]

"Yeah, Boss..? It's done... Bub's sleeping with the fishes now."

494/7,268/5,000