Undying Will

The marines stood behind us bowed and cowed into submission as they were forced to pay respects to the men, women and children that they had killed during their buster call.

There had been a few people that had refused to pay respects to the lives lost, claiming that all the marines did was just. All of them had been made an example.

They claimed that they were pure and righteous because they were marines, so it was only fair, that pirate sc.u.m such as us would lay our eyes on such hidden qualities.

Unfortunately, other than the week const.i.tution, none of them were able to show for their bravado. I had personally checked. To make sure that it was not just me, I had taken a few volunteers to ensure that there was no part that existed that I could not see.

Strangely they were too squeamish and had pa.s.sed out mid examination.

Even now the dismembered bodies of those that refused to pay their respects stood hung on huge poles on the periphery of the island. Crucified in such a way that anyone that made their way remotely close to the bustling metropolis would be able to see them.

With a deep sigh I looked over at the burial ground that this island had become. A once green island now stood dotted with rectangular stone after rectangular stone as far as the eye could see. Even someone as callous as me could not help but feel a p.r.i.c.kle on my conscience as I looked at the blatant waste of life that had occurred.

Terrick stood behind Angella with his hand over her shoulder as she mourned. She had opened up to the crew more in the span of this night than she had for the entire journey so far and for that at least I could not help but look at the island with grat.i.tude in my eyes.

"Thank you for giving me such capable crewmate. Thank you for giving me a sister…" I thought in my mind as I bowed to the island as a whole. Then I looked over at the marine ship that was moored over on the beach of the island.

"And thank you! For breaking another one of my siblings! For spitting on our dreams and telling us how dangerous hypocrisy can be!" With a final parting glare at the solitary bastion to the organization that I hated beyond all manner of reconciliation I walked over to my crewmates.

With a small sigh I touched on Angella"s right shoulder and led her into my embrace, with a soft sniffle she began to cry, my shirt wettened near the place that her face lay crocked as she cried. With a defeated sigh I looked over at my crew.

Then flames began to rise, the resolve that had been buried since the day on my father"s ship once again resurfaced. Once more a cold and oceanic tidal wave of pure malice rose through my veins as I looked over at the horizon.

"It"s time. Angella its time for us to go…." A dull sob answered me as she nodded her head still nestled in my embrace.

"Fawkes pack us in. Free these mules! After Morgans does his bit, death will be the least of their worries. It shall not be by our hands either . Sorren, I want you to load out all the necessities. There shall be no more lollygagging. I hoped that we would have some time in the blues before we pounced into the grand line, but that doesn"t seem to be the case any longer.

We shall set coa.r.s.e for Toroa, because there is someone I have to meet there. Then we shall cut across the calm belt into the grand line!

We have tolerated enough, now we shall take the fight to them! Fight and vie for our place on the grand line!

Fawkes by noon I want all the crew to be on the deck of the ship. I have something to say to them… and you aswell….." I said ending my orders before rubbing against the bangs of the crew"s swordsman…

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A dark skinned man looked over at the news paper as he grunted. The world was going through a lot of turmoil. The marines had been shamed, and in an incident that could even be compared to spark that began the great age of piracy.

It had been inconceivable for him back then to believe that someone existed in this world that could humiliate the world government and the Navy in such a way save for the Emperor"s of the sea.

Yet it had happened. A virtually no name figure in the underworld had done it. He, or she. The man could not say, somehow held connections to the most bigmouthed figure in the world and had even manage to beat back a Vice Admiral"s ship. Forcing their men to bow in shame, to someone that wasn"t their superior.

With a small hint of expectation he looked over at a letter that had been delivered to him. His brother had warned him against taking the extremely shady letter in front of him seriously, yet he could not help but do exactly that.

"Heh, Superbia, I wonder what you have in mind…" he chuckled as he looked at the letter of challenge, It had been quite simply phrased really.

"I am going to rob you blind!" along with a simple crying and smiling mask at the corner.

"Let the games begin!"

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The sun glowered as it silently trudged down toward the horizon. A warm breeze blew on the deck of the ship as the crew waited patiently.

Angella no longer had eyes that looked like they had been dunked into a vat of lava. Instead, her brown eyes shone with a strange determination as she stared into the door of the captain"s quarters.

Sorren who had been silent throughout the entire time on the island, looked ahead with an uncanny seriousness. He had been once again proven to, how hard the life of a pirate was. He had sworn to himself silently, that he would not let anyone else go through the pain that he had faced back then, but had failed.

Again he was shown how incompetent he really was. He was shown, that even though he was the crew"s doctor, he still could not yet cure all the things that ailed his crew.

With a silent glance he looked over at the women that he had called his elder sister. He swore, as he remembered her cry. "No more! No one else shall mess with my family!"

Fawkes stood to the side. Looking every bit the older brother of the crew, a role he had adopted ever since the crew was first formed.

He did not regret it. He promised himself silently that he would go back to his training regime, to protect his younger brothers and sister. He could not be weak anymore.

Terrick stood to Scipio"s side as he carefully looked at the child that had been forcefully woken up to the realities of the real world. With an internal nod he decided. He would make sure that Scipio would have a firm figure that he could rely on. To be relied on, it was a foreign feeling for Terrick.

With a dull creak the door opened as the captain walked out, holding a bottle of sake in his hand and a collection six plates to drink from.

The entire crew reacted dully as they took in the information that had been placed before them.

Everyone knew how monumental what the captain was doing was. Yet they could not feel anymore "right" about the entire situation.

"Would you like to be my family?" He asked as the entire crew began to cry.