[Saga] [Part 2] Let the Games Begin!

Anton La'croix uses:
Hopper Cannon - HT at Wife Carry
Shed Skin - LT on self
UT at Wife Carry

Wife Carry uses:
AoE at Anton
UT at Anton

COMBAT TRACKERS:

The member 'Anton La'croix' has done the following action : Dice Roll

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#1 'Reflex Check' : 8, 3, 6

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#2 'Reflex Check' : 18, 17

Anton La'croix uses:
Great Spear - MT at Wife Carry
Bad Vibrations - LT at Wife Carry
Snap Kick - LT at Wife Carry
UT at Wife Carry

Wife Carry uses:
MT at Anton
LT at Anton
LT at Anton
UT at Anton

COMBAT TRACKERS:

The member 'Anton La'croix' has done the following action : Dice Roll

---

#1 'Reflex Check' : 8, 19, 3, 11

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

#2 'Reflex Check' : 3, 6, 18, 8

The six contestants approached the starting line, their partners held on tightly. From here, Anton could see a number of obstacles up ahead, even one that seemed to spiral upwards. [color:a487=ffcc66]"Alright folks! On your marks, get set..."

Ruth was suddenly cut off by what appeared to be the loudest string of obscenities Anton had ever heard. Everyone stopped, looking in the direction the shouting was coming from. "Is that...Greed?" Anton murmured. Velken chuckled. "That's the captain alright." Amberly shrugged, "Sounds like he's having some trouble."

Velken's smirk faded at the realization. "OK, with distractions out of the way!" Ruth piped up, "Let's get this started! On your marks! Get set! GO!"

Everyone took off into a run. Even without his devil fruit abilities, Anton had developed considerable leg strength, even with the additional weight of the two women.

The first obstacle seemed simply enough. Hurdles. Anton found himself leaping over them no problem. The same with Amberly, whose long legs let her score an early lead. Nero and Stromboli were clearing them as well, though we're falling a little behind. Velken was able to climb over them, thanks to his arms being free, while Calimoor's tentacles allowed him to do the same. Right now, Anton was a narrow second behind the long legged woman.

As he cleared the last hurdles, Anton finally saw what the next obstacle would be. It had been obstructed from view earlier.

"CRAP!"

Anton slid to a halt, almost going over the edge. Before him sat a pool of water, stretching out some distance.

Water and Devil Fruit users don't mix. That's the fundamental rule. The water appeared to be to about his waist, but that would still be enough for his legs to lock up. His pause allowed the others to catch up, diving in without hesitation. "What's this? Puck has stopped dead! Is the mushroom man afraid to get his feet wet?"

This was bad. Very bad. How was he going to complete this, let alone win? Fortunately, salvation came from the cold, ice woman in his arms. "I have an idea," she said, before looking to the water. She took a deep breath and started to blow. Those in the water would notice it starting to get cold, as ice started to form on the surface. "Lune you brilliant snowman!" Sol cheered out, "Keep blowing!"

Lune continued to blow as Anton stepped out onto the ice. It was thick enough to support his weight. Pushing off, he started sliding along as Lune continued freezing the water in front of him, allowing him to close the gap between him and the others.

"Would you look at that folks! Puck's partner's freezing the water, allowing him to cross quickly. Now that's picking your partners wisely!"


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The pleasant scent of the food, although disturbing, got changed swiftly as a loud burp could be heard nearby. Ryoichi's cheeks puffed up like a pufferfish as the scent reminded him immediately of the last feast he had... And for a good reason.

The one who let out this loud and smelly burp was none other than the fellow giant contestant, Lumberjack Jackson. "Rararararara, Those things were disgusting." the giant complained to his fellow crewmate who was, an average height human. It was a strange sight, especially to see them casually walk side by side.

Meanwhile, Ryoichi was busy holding back the urge to simply let it all out, over the edge, into the ocean. He did not want to have the feeling of weakness again. Thankfully, there was something that distracted him from it.

"Rararara! Look, it's that puny fairy! Little butterfly got lucky I got distracted by others. Otherwise, you would be mine!" the former marine giant expressed his thoughts about the contest with a loud laugh before that, pointing at Ryoichi.

Ryoichi blinked and tilted his head at the pointing giant. "This butterfly has no use for you." "Of course not, you would be in my book of butterflies... I'm a collector after all rararararara!". What a strange hobby, especially for a man who is called a "Lumberjack."

Well, one should not laugh about another person's interests... But this one sounded like a threat. Nevertheless, Ryoichi did not let this disturb him, however, he seemed to give some 'encouraging' words, one could even call it a provocation. "Well, you could ask your fellow crewmates to pick me, if they win."

A wide grin appeared on Ryoichi's face, but Lumberjack just laughed and kept walking on. "My crew will love to see you in my collection." Only time will tell, if there's something to come from this threat.

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Lune's ice bridge allowed Anton to catch up to the others, hopping up onto dry land on the other side of the pool. Now, it was time for the next obstacle. This one spiraled upwards like a miniature mountain. As soon as the first contestant set foot (or in the case of Calimoor, tentacle) on it, large balls started rolling down towards them.

Calimoor decided to use his octopus naure to his advantage. He gripped the wall below with his tentacles, swinging himself to the side to avoid the incoming boulders while still moving.

Of course, Anton didn't have that option. "Hold on!" he said to his two passengers, before jumping up at an incoming boulder. Anton scrambled atop the large ball, pausing to get his balance back before leaping across at the next ball coming towards them. A bit ahead of him, Amberly had a similar idea, jumping atop the boulders, though with only one person to carry, she was making more gains compared to Anton.

Meanwhile, behind them, Velken, Nero and Stromboli were working to brute force through the boulders, the last two using their considerable bulk to shove them aside (keeping their partners clear from the impact of course). Anton found himself having to rush, lest the boulder he was on got shoved aside from under him.

As he made his way up, Calimoor noticed the incoming competition. A tentacle pulled something from his pocket and popped it into his mouth. The mermaid he was carrying noticed. "What are you...?" "Just making sure we win," he murmured with a full mouth.

At the top of the mountain, a bridge extended out, pendulums swinging back and forth across it. Amberly and Calimoor reached the top at the same time, though the long legged woman's stride allowed her to pull ahead. Anton hopped down from the last boulder, rushing in at third.

As they crossed, Calimoor spit something out of his mouth, a needle that caught Amberly in the back of the leg. The woman stumbled, her vision starting to get blurry. Her disorientation was enough for a pendulum to catch her in the side, knocking her off balance. Her partner screamed as the pair toppled over the edge.

Anton acted without thinking. He could have easily let them fall, but the gentleman within him prevented him. With a burst of speed, he leaped forward, managed to grab hold of Smberly as she fell. Unfortunately, the extra weight and momentum threw Anton off balance. All five of them fell, crying out.

And then suddenly stopped as something caught Anton's leg mid fall.

"I got you!"

Four pairs of eyes looked up to see Nero's determined face as he struggled to hold all five of them, his other arm Bracing himself against the floor. Behind him, Stromboli was using his large form to block the Pendulum, stopping it from hitting anyone.

The crowd, and Ruth, we going absolutely wild. "Unbelievable!" she yelled out in excitement, "Puck, Nero, AND Stromboli have all stopped to help Amberly and her partner! Whoever said chivalry was dead? But this altruism is going to cost them!" Meanwhile, Velken had gone past the group, running to catch up to Calimoor, who was gaining a considerable lead.


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What a strange encounter that was. One to which Ryoichi can't do anything else but shrug. He stopped leaning against the ship's wooden railing and stretched his arms out. While doing so, his head turned towards the tents that were having contests going on.

"I wonder. How the situation is there?" he asked himself with a mumbling tone. But there was only one actual way to find the answer to his question. Leave the ship. He moved over to his barracks and grabbed his 'royal' cape and headed out, off the ship.

His destination was any of the tents that had a contest involving his crewmates. "Hmm..." he was thinking to himself while humming lowly. Which tent to go to, he asked himself, as he was standing in the middle of the 'street' with multiple tents lined up, each one of them holding a contest.

One by one, he stuck his head into the tent, but not all of them had any contests going on. Some had finished already, some had not even started yet. But his search bore success.

"Ah, the wife carriers." he nodded as he entered the tent where he knew Anton was currently competing. He took steps inside the tent, only to find the fellow Weasel Yumiko stalking the competition from the doorway instead of seats.

"Why aren't you... What the hell?" he asked when he noticed something unusual. Three competitors... Carrying two women. Why? Truly a good question. Pointless handicap. But that's not what shocked Ryoichi the most.

"Why is he carrying those two children?" an obvious joke on Ryoichi's part... They weren't children, of course. But the question still remained. Why is Anton carrying those two... Lune and Sol.

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With a great heave, Nero and Stromboli pulled thrm back up onto the bridge, their partners standing back and watching. Amberly was in a complete daze, groaning softly as her partner cradled her head.

Anton looked up at the two, naturally confused. "Why?" was all he could mutter. Nero smiled. "I saw what happened." "Ya," Stromboli added, "No pride in winning like that." Anton couldn't help but give a small smile. Sol looked further down the course. "Well, none of us are going to win at this rate."

Everyone looked over. Calimoor and Velken had already gone down a ramp to the last obstacle, a series of tall poles that had to navigate through. "Like hell we aren't!" Anton sprang to his feet, scooping up Lune, "Climb on Sol!" "I'm sorry..." murmured Amberly's partner sadly. Anton gave her a nod. "It's not your fault. But there's no way I'm letting that bastard win after that!"

Carrying the two sisters, Anton took off in a run, heading down the ramp. As he was making it down, Calimoor and Velken were clearing the last obstacle, making a dash for the finish line.

Dammit dammit dammi-Wha!?

Anton suddenly stopped as two hands grabbed hold of him from behind. Behind him, Nero and Stromboli smirked. "Hold on."

Anton was suddenly lifted off his feet, and before he could protest, the two strong men suddenly hurled him, and the Kaiser sisters, forward like a bullet. The trio screamed as they shot through the air, Anton's body crashing through the poles without slowing down.

Up ahead, Calimoor and Velken heard the screams, looking back just in time for Anton and the sisters to shoot by them, flying over the finish line and crashing into the far wall.

There was a roar from the crowd. "I can't believe this!" Ruth shouted, absolutely beside herself, "With a mighty throw from Nero and Stromboli, Puck has won the wife carry!"

Laying against the wall, Anton groaned. He at least had been able to shift his body to absorb the impact. "You two ok?" Both sisters gave a concerned nod and got to their feet, helping Anton up. As he staggered to his feet, Ruth came running up to them. "Congratulations!" she cheered, "I swear you Red Caps are just full of surprise wins today!"

"This is utter bullshit!" Calimoor yelled out, storming over to them, "There's no way that counted!" Ruth turned and glared at the mermaid. "I think you'll find it's perfectly fair. Puck held onto his two partners through everything. It never said how they got through it." "Yeah," Anton muttered, "Just like it says nothing about using poison needles." Calimoor suddenly looked very embarrassed. He didn't expect to be caught out, especially since a lot of people were now glaring at him.

"Now then," Ruth said with a bright smile, "The time has come! Choose which of your rivals you're bringing back to your crew!"

Anton looked over the five of them. Calimoor and Velken were out. And Anton didn't have the heart to break up Amberly from her partner. That just left two choices. He looked at Nero and Stromboli for a long moment.

"I choose Nero Caeser."

Nero gave a knowing smile as Stromboli patted him on the back. Anton and Nero approached eachother. "I had a feeling you would pick me." Anton shrugged, "It was really fifty fifty there. Anyway, welcome aboard."


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With absolutely and once more, no idea what Yumiko was saying or explaining, he simply nodded his head, followed by a remark to confirm that he understood what she said, "Well, sure, if you put it that way.". What a beautiful lie, but one that he shall forever keep to himself. The woman is trying her hardest, and it is appreciated!

Not too much later, the competition had come to an end, and it was another successful run for the Red Caps. Anton the Puck had emerged victorious in his games, thanks to two of the muscle 'headed' gentlemen of the competition. Truly a rare sight.

Right as he was about to head down to the stage to greet the new addition to their crew and congratulate his crewmate, Yumiko had other ideas. "Hey, don't you wish to come down there?" he asked the swift weasel who was ready to leave.

Her answer was another muffle. Was it an answer to his question? Was it a remark for something else? Who knew, but something clearly was off. What, however? He shall figure out, but only after he had shown the support to and escorted his crew that had competed back. "See you back on the ship."

Upon reaching down on the stage, he extended his hand out to Nero first and foremost. "Ah welcome aboard! I am Oberon, the king of our little red mushroom kingdom, or captain if you prefer." Ryoichi's grip was strong if his hand was chosen to be shaken, he expects the same from Nero. After all, he seems to be like a fellow training enthusiast.

But that was not all. He went over after the handshake to pat Anton's shoulder. "Excellent work! Although I only saw the very end, from the crowd reaction, you probably did really good." And finally, his head turned towards Lune and Sol. "What were you kids thinking clinging onto Anton? Handicapping him like that. I read the criteria, there was only requirement of one to be carried."

Answers! Ryoichi the Oberon needed them.

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Nero's handshake was as strong as Ryoichi would gave expected from someone his size, though the big man made it a point to hold back. He didn't want to crush his new captain's hand after all. "A pleasure to meet you Captain Oberon."

As 'Oberon' demanded answers from the two sisters, Lune looks confused. "Children?" Sol gave an irritated sigh, "For some reason Oberon here thinks we're children." Before Lune could respond with indignation, Nero spoke up. "That can't be right. What are you? Twenty? Twenty one?" "Twenty two," Lune answered, while Sol gave Ryoichi a look that screamed 'See? He gets it!'.

Nero nodded. "I am curious though," he looked to Puck, "I thought your name was Puck. So why did Oberon just call you Anton?" Lune and Sol froze. Was Anton's cover blown? Anton took it in stride, sighing. "It's short for Antony, which was my old name. I gave up that name a long time ago." Through his cap he glared at Ryoichi, "And no, I DON'T want to talk about why." Nero gave an understanding nod. There was a story behind that for sure, and if Puck didn't want to talk about it, who was he to force him?

"And to answer your question captain, Lune and Sol were having some difficulty deciding who I would carry. And rather than have a fight break out over it, something I can say from experience we do not want, I instead opted to carry both." He took a deep breath, noticing Wahid and Lane making their way over to them. "Now then, I think we should check on how the others are doing. Titania's event is the one we need to watch out for."


When they arrive, the dodgeball was certainly going strong. Each team still had two players in.

Anton was please to see Celia still in the game. By her side was a massive man in armor and uniform, no doubt one of the Iron Urchins.

Iron Brigadier" Bizmark:

Off to the side, a swordfish fishman sat. Their third teammate, already taken out of the game.

The other team was down a member too, a bald man covered in tattoos and piercings. No doubt one of the Misfits. But the two remaining members certainly got Anton's attention. He recognized one as Orion from the Centurian Pirates, but the other was none other than Captain Barnaby of the Big Top Pirates himself!

Suddenly, Celia winning this game meant two things. The first was that they got to keep Celia, but now they also had a chance of winning one of the pirate captains themselves into their crew!


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Ryoichi's eyes would widen as he had realized his mistake, or it was because of Anton's reaction? Thankfully Anton managed to play out of the situation while Ryoichi felt his neck getting sweatier. Luckily he could play it out as well.

"Hahaha... Yeah, we don't need to have people see you chase around with that red cap of yours." followed by another nervous laugh. Indeed, we don't need that to happen. Thankfully, Nero had played along, or he was oblivious to it. Things were clear once more.

The day was slowly approaching the end, and so were the games. Only a couple of them were still happening, to one of which they were about to head to. It was the dodgeball event where Celia the Titania was taking part.

"An interesting game this dodgeball is." he remarked. It was clear he had played ball games but was not too familiar with this one. Though he figured it out as the game was going on. One thing, however, seemed clear. Celia was playing with all she got. Her dodges were fast, her throws were fierce.

It felt as if she had a grudge towards something, or perhaps someone? Yes... This reminds him of the possible embarrassment he had brought upon her during the eating competition. Was it really that embarrassing though? One thing was sure. She was planning some form of revenge on him for it.

But what will be the revenge? And when will it happen? To steer clear from the thoughts, he distracted himself with a question to those who were with him. "So what games do we have left still for today?"

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"This is the last game of the day."

The voice came from behind Ryoichi. Sitting behind him was Melanie, though how long she had been there was uncertain. Her eyes glanced from the action on the field to her 'captain'. "Lucas performed well, but ultimately got beaten. Fortunately the winner had their eye one someone else. As for Bowork," she gave a small, irritated sigh, "He apparently thought it was a good time to try and play grabass with one of the Big Tops. Everyone took offense. It was almost fascinating watching them all ganging up on him and beating him up. Anyway, he's recovering in the infirmary."

It was hard to tell whether Anton heard them or not. His gaze was fixed firmly on the game taking place. "It was clear between the two that Bismarck was the powerhouse of the team. Celia was getting some good throws in, but was mainly passing it to the big man to launch the ball like a cannon. It appeared that Orion and Barnaby's speed was what was keeping them in the game. Even now, he could see that they were starting to get worn down.

Bismark launched the ball right at Orion, the makeshift cannonball crashing into his palms, causing the young man to slide back, but ultimately keep on his feet. He was trying to ignore the increasing amount of sweat threatening to get into his eyes. Bismark was effectively a brick wall.

Meanwhile, Barnaby scanned the field before seemingly noticing something. A small smile appeared on his face, before quietly gesturing for Orion to pass the ball. Orion's expression never changed as he nodded and passed him the ball. With a grin, Barnaby lept up into the air before launching the ball. The curious thing was the throw seemed a little wide. Bismark wouldn't even need to move to avoid.

"Oh! A bad throw from Barnab-Wait a minute!" Mary yelled out from the announcer's booth.

The ball hit the ground hard and then suddenly bounced backwards. Bismark barely had time to register what was happening before the ball hit him square in the back. The crowd went wild.

"Amazing folks! Barnaby pulled some magic out of his hat and eliminated Bismark!"

As the crowd cheered, Anton was finally able to see what had happened. A crack in the pavement, an uneven segment in the court. Barnaby had been able to figure out just the right way to hit it to get that desired ricochet. It was becoming clear just how dangerous Barnaby could be if he can do something like that.

Down on the field, Bismark let out a rumbling sigh before looking to his remaining teammate. "I'm sorry," he said in a deep voice, before walking off the field to join the fishman.

Celia, now alone, looked over nervously at her two remaining opponents. Bismark had been her ticket to victory, and now he was gone. Now she was facing off two very capable pirates by herself.

Celia was in trouble.

The Appropriate Response:

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This was not good. Oh no, it was not. Celia's facial expression said it all. She was in trouble. Or was she really? That's what many of the spectators may have believed, that was what some of the competitors may have believed. That was something Celia may have believed...

But not Ryoichi. Oh, he did not buy it one bit. In fact, he believed in Celia. He believed that she was strong enough to not fall into this trouble, and even if she did, she would be strong enough to come out of it.

But how to make sure that she would know he believed in her? How to make sure she knew that the entire crew believed in her. There was only one way to showcase it. He moved over to the railing that stopped the people from moving onto the arena.

"You can do it! Believe in yourself! They got nothing on you!"

There, that'll do it. This probably was wholly unnecessary, as deep down, Celia probably already knew that people and her crew believed in her, but it does not hurt to remind her that, right?

Ryoichi took a step away from the railing and folded his arms, grinning, showcasing his confidence in Celia and her abilities to bag the game, and showcasing that the kingdom of fairies does not go down lightly, especially against the 'hotshots' that participate in the games.

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Ryoichi's support seemed to be infectious, as Lune and Sol quickly got in on it too. "You can do it Titania!" "Yeah! Show these guys how the queen of the fairies does things!" Anton was quiet for a moment, watching the game intently before yelling. "You've got this! If you can put up with me all this time, you can handle anything!"

Down on the field, as she was getting the ball, Celia couldn't help but smile. Knowing her friends were here, cheering her on, helped strengthen her resolve. Sure, she was still in a tight situation, but they had been in such situations before and gotten out. How was this any different?

Gripping the ball tightly, she threw it hard.

One advantage Celia had was she was still relatively fresh compared to the two men. Bismark had been doing the bulk of the legwork and had managed to wear Barnaby and Orion down. The ball shot back and forth across the field, both sides now opting to simply dodge the ball, rather than attempt a capture and risk a fumble. But now that the other team had some more breathing room, they were starting to recover, pushing Celia further and further on the defensive.

She couldn't keep this up. She needed to eliminate one of them now and give herself some space.

Snatching up the ball quickly, Celia launched it with all her might at Barnaby. The pirate captain moved to dodge, only to realize the ball was curving in the air towards him. This was it! She was going to knock the pirate captain out!

Unfortunately, fate had other plans.

Orion appeared in front of Barnaby like a blur, swinging a leg out towards the ball. With expert precision, his foot caught the ball and sent it rocketing back in a powerful kick. Celia hadn't expected such a quick return and couldn't move in time. The ball slammed right into her, knocking her off of her feet.

The crowd roared. "Oh my God!" Mary almost screamed, "With a surprise kick, Orion has eliminated Titania! Though since it was a kick and not a catch, Orion is also out. Not that it matters at this point. Barnaby is the last man standing! The winner is team B!"

Within the cheers of the crowd, there was a loud cry, followed by some panicked shouts from Lune and Sol. "Puck!" The sight of Celia being defeated caused Anton to faint.


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What a shocking ending that was to such a fierce fight. Celia had lost the game. Ryoichi's eyes widened at the move that was performed that eliminated Celia. A move that also ended up eliminating the opponent, leaving only one left standing victorious. Was it intentional? Was it some fixed technical move? Hard to say.

One thing however was certain, there now was a danger of losing Celia. One can only hope that it won't happen. Perhaps that thought was what led Anton to drop down on his back and faint. Ryoichi however took a deep breath in. Instead of fainting, or fretting out about something, he instead, showed what he was taught to do.

As a true sportsman he was, no matter the outcome in the games, one should show respect to the opponent, no matter who they are, or what they did, even if you don't like it.

His hands moved together and he began the loud clapping. "You did great! Titania! Everyone else as well!". This message was sent out to everyone who had competed. One way to earn the respect of others is to show good sportsmanship. Will others answer to it is a whole other story.

Showing good sportsmanship had its benefits. You can sort out the bad from the good, sooner or later. It now was time to go down to the stage to cheer for their crewmate. Maybe Anton will do the same, assuming two of his squeezes will drag him down to the stage. "Wifey! Great work!"

Dangerous game Ryoichi was playing, but perhaps that was what she needed, a distraction from the loss, at least for the time being.

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Anton let out a groan as he slowly came back to reality, curtesy of a cold breath coming from Lune. "Did...did I just see...what I thought I saw...?" Anton murmured. Both girls gave a sad nod as Anton was pulled to his feet. "Yeah. Sorry." As Anton came to bearings of what had just happened, he noticed that Ryoichi was already coming down to see everyone, congratulating people in a display of sportsmanship Anton was not feeling right now. Then again, he doubted any of the crews they won people off of would have felt good about losing someone. It was just Anton's turn to feel it.

Out on the field, the winning team were quietly talking amongst themselves while Celia, Bismark, and the fishman were standing in line, looking less than pleased. In the middle stood Mary. "Ok folks, now it's the moment we've been waiting for! In accordance to the rules of team events, each member of the winning team gets a member of the losing team. So now we ask ourselves, who will take who?"

Celia was trying really hard not to tremble. This was a risk they were all aware of. Of potentially losing and getting drafted into one of the pirate crews. It just seemed like she never thought it would happen to her. She was suddenly pulled from her thoughts by a familiar voice calling out to her, referring to her as 'Wifey". She was not in a good mood right now, and if Ryoichi was attempting to be funny, it was incredibly poor timing. She looked back, shooting a glare at her 'captain' telling how badly she wanted to smack him right now.

She paused however when a hand rested on her shoulder in front of her. The 'queen of the fairies' blinked and looked away, seeing the almost kindly smile of Barnaby. "I do believe you'll be coming with me, Miss Titania." Celia blinked and looked around. Orion was laying claim to Bismark, while the tattooed Misfit was drafting the swordfishman. Mary gave a small chuckle. "Sorry Oberon. Looks like Barnaby's going to be taking your wife home tonight." This earned a good laugh from the crowd, and a snarl from Celia as her angry eyes darted between the announcer and Barnaby. The pirate captain, quick on the uptake, quickly rose his hands defensively. "Hey now, I'm nothing if not a gentleman Miss Titania."

Barnaby turned his attention to Ryoichi and approached him. "I do apologize for things coming to pass as they did," he said cordially, "It's just the rules of the game after all. Nothing that can be done about it." It was strange. Though he seemed to have a good natured smile on his face, there was something else. Something in the man's eyes. Remorse? Very well hidden, but it was there.

Meanwhile, Anton had come down to the field, his eyes immediately meeting Celia's. The two of them had been together since the very beginning, and now they were being pulled apart by this mission. Anton couldn't stop the wave of guilt rushing through him. After all, HE had been the one to suggest Celia for this game. And now that choice was hitting him hard.


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Ryoichi's head turned as he looked at the laughing crowd at the remark made by the announcer. A remark that Ryoichi did not like one bit. His fist clenched for a moment, but he then let out a soft sigh and relaxed his hand. This was no time and place, and to be able to control himself right now took a great deal. After all, a crew he was part of was in danger of losing a member, possibly forever if things won't go as planned.

But one thing he could do was to turn his head to Celia, move over to her and place his hand on her shoulder. He tried to look in her eyes if she let him. "We'll get you back, We promise." he assured her, this is then followed by a look at the showman Barnaby himself. "And I hope in a gentleman way, you shall allow us a chance to do so."

If the man truly was a gentleman, he would give them a chance to win her back, in any way possible. One thing was clear, however. In Ryoichi's voice, one could hear sadness, but also strength and will to carry out his duty to protect his comrade, and do what he has in his power to get her back. In reality, he was not the true captain of the crew but given to disguise as one, he felt it was his duty to promise it and do what he could.

He removed his hand from Celia's shoulder and took a couple of steps back to the crew that was with him. All he could look at now was how Barnaby 'took' away from a beloved member of theirs. Although Ryoichi knew her very little, he did not take this loss lightly, not at all. If he could, he would unleash hell on all who took something from them... But it was once more, no time and place for it.

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