Undying Will

On the corner wall of the wooden cabin sat a detailed map, threads running through the different places all labeled by needle like structure. Each thread had a different color and twisted weirdly with the others.

On the other side of the room sat a meager bed that had been the place where I had been sleeping for the past week. Around it sat a collection of plates and mugs haphazardly littered across the floor. They had been my meals and drinks, that had been delivered to me for the period of time that I had decided to refrain from human contact for.

Today, I decided would be one where I actually got out of the room, my head was fit to burst with all the information I had, and even my devil fruit could not help me right the deep sated lethargy that had steeped my body.

Today I would accompany Terrick on his mission. I had decided, and tomorrow I would help train him and Sorren, after that I would spend all my time tailing the newest addition to the crew, in the form of the still silent Angella.

Having decided this, I yawned deeply and draped the fallen article of clothing, that had been my shirt, over my shoulders. With a dull groan I began to stretch my hands and crinkle my neck before reaching for the doork.n.o.b to push the door outward.

With a deep wince and a hasty flurry I raised my hands to cover my eyes to protect it against the relentless rays of the sun.

Next to the Captain"s quarters ran a set of stairs that would lead to both the kitchen and the crew"s barracks. A hint of heavenly aroma rose from the stairs, Fawkes had probably begun cooking.

With eager steps I jogged towards the kitchen, spotting a bedraggled Terrick on the way down. Not even waiting for a groan of greeting I dragged the man into the kitchen where a starving Sorren already stood at attention.

A lopsided ap.r.o.n hung on his chest, one of the sleeves escaping from the top of his shoulder to the crook of his elbow. A small line of drool lined the tip of his mouth as he set the plates on the table.

After the first day on the island, he had taken the task of helping Fawkes in the kitchen. He didn"t want the man to strain himself too much owing to the aftereffects of the serum that had still not disappeared.

On one of the chairs near the table sat the white capped Angella, perusing the contents of a thick book that she seemed to have purchased from the town library. She had gotten a complete makeover in the time that I had served in self imposed solitude.

She had gotten a white top hat with a tiny blue strip running through the middle. A white suit with a pale blue shirt and a purple tie. Overall she reminded me of a female version of Alucard from h.e.l.lsing without the shades.

"So what are you reading, Angella?" I called out trying to get her attention, with an annoyed sigh ( the first show of emotion that I had seen from her since she joined the crew) she shut the book before regarding me from under her cap.

"It"s a book on Grand line climate captain. It says here that the line is famous for its downright weird and homicidally moody climate, is that true?" she asked, eyes that I had once thought were ditzy no longer looked so dull instead looking at me with a level of intellect I had only begun to expect from Fawkes.

"Aye it is. The line can be considered nature"s biggest f.u.c.k you to all the dwellers of the world. Its mainly caused by the conflicting of the magnetic waves from different islands. it"s really fun to navigate in!" I said chuckling at the pale face of the two newest additions to my crew.

"Anyway Fawkes what"re you doing?" I asked shifting the topic for a later date as I saw the cook bringing in a steaming pot of what looked like pasta.

"Why don"t you dig in and find out?" he said with a wicked gleam in his eyes as he dusted off his hands.

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"G.o.d d.a.m.nit captain!" Terrick cursed angrily as he ran over the roofs of the town buildings. Behind him ran a host of black suited men who all held some form of firearm. In his hands were a set of jewels that he had stolen from one of the two most notorious gangs of the island.

Beside him ran a cackling Lorean, seemingly out on a morning jog. "How was I supposed to know that these guys didn"t lend their jewels when asked nicely?" he asked taking unholy delight in the wrathful cry of exasperation that his compatriot belted outward.

"Anyway no time to point fingers runnnnn!!" he shouted as he continued on a mad tirade of laughter. Sounds of gunshots rang in the background as the black-suited men ran desperately after them.

"Remind me again why did I agree to you accompanying me on this trip?" Terrick called out. "Umm, Captain"s orders..?" Lorean replied with a frown of deep contemplation. "How are you still a captain?" Terrick asked with a sigh of resignation.

"Because I hold the c.u.mulative majority of brain cells on this crew..?" he replied, before pumping down a chasm between two houses. "Not agaaaaaiiiiiiin!" Terrick groaned as he was dragged down as well.

With a soft thud the duo landed on the gap between the two houses before promptly slicking their hair back and, in Terrick"s case turning his shirt inside out to make it look like a different color.

Then with an unhurried pace they swiftly blended into the ma.s.s of people going about their day.

A few hours later the duo could be seen exiting a dingy two-storied building, the jewels notably absent from their hands, replacing which was a suitcase of what could safely be presumed to be money.

"Umm captain, the job"s done. This was the only thing that had come up today, so we just have to get back to the ship. Why don"t you go first, I have some polishing to do on these.." he said gesturing to his blades.

"Sure why not?" Lorean called out, before walking silently into the evening. Of course after he had crossed the corner, he immediately doubled back to tail his suspicious companion.

Terrick on the other hand, waited in his spot for a brief five minutes before turning around to rush to the slums, his pace constantly increasing.

Lorean chuckled to himself silently. Terrick was many things, a good a.s.sa.s.sin one of them, but he often let his guard down when he was confident that one of his plans would go through. To an a.s.sa.s.sin this was as dangerous as a tell was for a gambler.

With a brisk walk Terrick had arrived at what looked like his destination. A dilapidated single storied house with a leaky ceiling and a broken window.

With a swift knock Terrick briskly entered the room while Lorean took his place silently at the roof of the house looking through one of the numerous holes that dotted its surface. Through the hole he could see the dull glimmer of a lantern sitting next to a gaunt and pale little boy.

"Brat here, take this" Terrick said from his spot at the corner of the room, pa.s.sing a half eaten box of food to him. The food had been what Fawkes had prepared for the both of them when he found out that the duo would go on a mission together.

With a dull groan that sounded like it came from his stomach, the young child quickly gobbled down the food that he had been given. Wiping his mouth and hands with a dull rag that hung from his bed.

With a quick flurry the boy immediately settled back down. "Big Brother what are you going to teach me today?" he asked pulling out a makeshift book from a patchy pocket sewn onto his leg.

"We are going to finish what we started with of course!" Terrick replied boisterously, we shall only perfect what I had taught you back then. "Ehhh that"s what you"ve been saying from the beginning!!! I want to learn how to fight!! I want to learn how to act cool!!" he said throwing his arms out in a tantrum.

Learn how to read before you can throw your hands around brat! You aren"t built to be a fighter, and I don"t have much time today so we shall read something!" he snapped before pulling out a book t.i.tled "Noland the liar".

With a dull chuckle Lorean got off the roof of the house and knocked on its doors.
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"Would you look at that, the rough and tough a.s.sa.s.sin finally grew a brain!" He exclaimed, genuine joy in his voice.

He never wanted a crew of puppets, that had never been his dream. He had always wished for a group of brothers and sisters to sail the seas with, and finally Terrick had begun to think of himself as a free individual, now it would only be a matter of time before he saw himself as a sworn sibling…

However, now Lorean had to deal with the situation at hand.

With a dull creak the door swung inwards reveling a sweating Terrick and a confused child that had just begun to read the first words of a fairytale.

"Captain I can explain!" Terrick called out, but was pointedly ignored. "What is your name boy? " Lorean asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Scipio sir. It was a name I gave myself so I don"t have a surname…" the child replied, unsure of the situation that he had been placed into.

"Terrick, when you joined my crew, what did I tell you? Do you remember?" Lorean asked, still not looking at the panicked a.s.sa.s.sin.

With a deep breath Terrick remembered, he remembered the time in the auction when he had been given a choice. He remembered those words from back then and chuckled.

"..........................................…..SHishishsihsihsishi.... Good! Finally I see a little spine in you Terrick, remember, this crew does not have useless and greedy individuals! Anyone in this crew shall have a mind of his own! Oi Fawkes, how much of our coffers still remain?...................."

"It seems it was only me who was over thinking. Captain permission to recruit the boy, Scipio onto the crew as a cabin boy?" he asked, seemingly forgetting all of his worries. A cheerful smile on his face and a quirky upturn of his eyebrows. "I shall take full responsibility."

"Granted!"