[Episode] Red Wing Pirates and the Island of Ruin

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A golden lighter emitted its flame and lit up the cigarette. The glowing ash was burning the one end of the cigarette after each pull. White smoke left through the nose from a man wearing shades. His palm was against the metal frame while the other kept the cigarette in between the middle and index finger.

[plyr=pirt]"Where did it all go wrong?"[/plyr] Karl was questiong his life decisions.

It all started about four months ago when Karl met the man that he could technically call his 'captain'. An ordinary day as a bartender on Baterilla just turned into chaos. Explosions and shenanigans... All because of the very same lighter that just moments ago lit up Karl's cigarette.

Caught in the very same explosions and shenanigans were the Navy and a prominent Moosebella's crime family. It is very possible that neither of those factions has forgotten about what happened in the casino... The Navy certainly hasn't.

So the only logical way out seemed to be hitchhiking with the same man who got him in trouble.

The four months have been quiet... But have involved moments where Karl has had a chance to evolve himself to new heights. Volo, the captain of the Red Wing Pirates has a couple of companions of his own... Susu the Squirrel, and Bill Holiday, who did not get along with Susu.

But all those four months had one thing in common.

They all involved traveling, using a very industrial-looking ship... Which was carried by a massive metal skeleton-covered balloon powered by multiple steam engines, both visible and not visible from the outside. Karl had not before seen anything like this... But this monstrosity was most commonly known as a blimp.

Fortunately, the ship is now in a better shape visually! Upon first setting his foot on it, the ship was reeking of cigarettes and was full of cigarette buds lying on the ground, along with ashtrays full of them.

Unfortunately, however... The ship was the same unreliable self as it had been for the last four months.

Karl's voice pierced through the metal frame. His displeasure could be heard all over the small but sweet rural dock.

[plyr=pirt]"How many times have I told you... TO FIX THIS DAMNED THING?!"[/plyr]

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A lot can change in a few months, going from a wide-eyed country kid who never left his island in the country to being a full-fledged pirate captain with a bounty.

Ever since the incident with the Marines on Black Drum the pi(lot)rate known as Volo Rosso Airheart has steadily made a name for himself. Even if most of that name is tied to random acts of suspected terrorism over anything else due to the young man's habit of using dynamite haphazardly.

Now, with his pal Susu and new best mates Karl and Bill Holiday, every day was the start of a new adventure.

"Shit..." A muttering from the shadows of the engine room said as a flash of green emerged from the shadows, "Good thing we stopped. Any longer and we might've fallen right out the sky, wahahahaha!"

"The fuck?!" Bill snarled, "Fallen from the fucking sky?!"

"Ah relax mate." The pi(lot)rate barked back, "It ain't like it happened so we're fine." Taking a moment to wipe the grease from his hands, "Just a quick trip into town and we'll be back!" Pointing to the sky with a smile.

"Argh.. Fine." Holiday relented, as much as he disapproved of his captain's methods he had more than enough reasons to drop the subject.

"I gotta go into town myself anyway, I'll be back tomorrow, hopefully, ya got her runnin by then," Bill said before tipping his hat and making his back to the cabin.

"Yeah, sure, shouldn't be a problem." Volo nodded, "Oi! Karl! I'm headed out if ya wanna tag along!"

The wood creaked beneath his feet as Emilia bobbed gently in the water. The gulls squawked as dock workers bustled along the boards below.

"That'll be a hundred thousand!" A voice shouted.

"Huh?" Volo glanced around.

"Down here stupid. That'll be a hundred thousand berries to dock that thing here."

"W-What?! A hundred thousand?! What the shit kind of price is that, aye geezer?!"

The old man looked the pi(lot)rate up and down, then Emilia, "The kind I charge to pirates and after what happened in the capital, securities tighter than ever. So, as I said, that'll be a hundred thousand berries, kid."

WC 365/5,000

Whether he yelled out his displeasure or not, his words were to be ignored anyway. It was however one of those things Karl had to accept... This was now his life, whether he liked it or not... And yet, it still was so hard for him to accept it.

The life of a crime was not one he had his eyes set out for... But there they were... Discriminated against in plain daylight for being criminals in the shape of higher docking pay. [plyr=pirt]"And he doesn't believe me when I say we are bad guys..."[/plyr]

Karl made his way down the ramp next to Volo. [plyr=pirt]"Just pay the man and let's get going. I need some drink and a place where we can restock."[/plyr] He had hoped his words had put some sense into Volo so they could continue their merry way into the small port town. Whether Volo chose to follow him or not, Karl had set his way towards the local portside bar.

Packed with local and foreign sailors, Karl inhaled the salt-scented air before he entered the bar. Bustling with a life filled with the scent of booze, cigarettes, and sweat, Karl was immediately reminded why he chose to work more in the town's central bars.

[plyr=pirt]"Sailors... The filthy backbone of the economy... And of course other illegal fellows."[/plyr] Karl mumbled to himself as if he was not a filthy wanted criminal himself.

There was a bright side to the location of this part of town, however. It was the center to buy alcohol in bulk! A cold ale! And, the juiciest gossip of this side of town, possibly the whole sea around the island.


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Volo stuffed his hands into his pockets and did his best to pull out the kind of money the dockhand had asked for, though all he fished out was Susu, some lint, and a handful of crumpled-up Belli.

"Uhhh hehe.." He chuckled as he tussled his hair with his free hand. "Any chance this covers it...?"

"Not a chance." The man grunted.

"Here." Bill tossed the cash to the man as he walked by with his bag in tow. "Have the ship ready by the time I get back, will ya?"

The dock worker nodded to Bill as he counted the money before giving Volo and Karl the thumbs up to tie off.

"Where the heck did he come up with that..?" Volo muttered as he fastened the rope to the tie off.

The docks were crowded, and hundreds more flooded in on transport ships looking for work with the restoration of the city. Those already employed spent every minute unloading supplies from the ships and hauling them off into the city.

Recovering from disaster was an expensive endeavor and the kind that also provided a much-needed economic boom in the aftermath of the bombings.

The World Government lent a hand in the rebuilding, leading to an increased presence of marine officials and the like. Making it all the more dangerous for pirates and other criminal elements to move about unnoticed.

"Oi, Karl, wait up, would ya!?" Volo called out as hurried after his mate.

WC 245/610/5,000