Berry Backpost 5: The First Crewmate, Part 2
Posted on Fri Aug 2nd, 2013 @ 12:49pm by Berry
Edited on on Wed Jun 8th, 2022 @ 2:04pm
5,296 words; about a 26 minute read
Chapter:
Additional Stories
Location: West Blue, Velusia
Timeline: Two years ago
(OOC: Yeah, six months later and you get part 2. I think I may wrap up Berry's backstory in like....TEN YEARS)
OLD
A very large man sat in his very large, fancy high-back chair as he surveyed the island from his room at near the top of the tower.
He wasn’t large in a bad way, but rather had large pronounced muscles, especially in his thick neck, and broad strong shoulders, on which he wore his Captain’s coat. It was long and white, and dried golden anemones capped each shoulder to signify his rank. They shimmered and dangled with every bit of his movement. Even more interesting, though, was his extremely strong lower jaw—it was made of pure metal, with strange prongs at the front to protect his still-existent teeth.
“I am…great,” he murmured to himself, his jaw barely moving. It made his speech stiff, but intimidating.
Someone burst into his office, holding the side of his permed head. His chest heaved from breathing heavily, and his clothes were a dusty mess.
“Daddy!!” shrieked Lumio.
“Somebody hit me and I want you to kill her!”
NEW
Captain Hackam slowly turned to his spawn. He would’ve frowned if he could, but all he did was gaze piercingly at his son. “Who?”
Lumio sniffed. “This half-breed girl who punched me!”
Hackam looked at him before turning back to the window. He held right arm with his left, the muscles in both bulging. “Lumio,” he began slowly, voice deep. “You know who I am, right?”
“Yeah, yeah, Dad, you’re Hackam, a great captain, yeah,” his son quickly recited. Dad was kind of obsessed with being a captain…
Hackam nodded. “Yes…for these past three years I’ve ruled here at this island. I worked hard for it…”
Then he whipped around and brandished his arm. It was a huge metal ax half the size of his torso. It was larger than his head, and its handle stuck out of his arm above the elbow. His eyes widened as his voice rose. “And I will NOT continue wiping your ass!” he thundered. Even though he spoke stiffly due to his jaw, it made his tone harsh.
Lumio’s jaw dropped. “B-but Da—”
“You’re old enough to do it.” His eyes narrowed at his son, the ax menacing as he held it. “Strength comes to those who earn it. You are weak because you do not have the strength and are not worthy.”
Lumio whimpered in somewhat of an agreement.
Hackam glared at his son before straightening and turning to the window. He looked out, shoulders pulled back and huge chest thrust out as he gazed. His voice was now composed of authority. “I heard a small fry swam into the parade ground today.”
Lumio frowned, also displeased. “Yeah. She was trying to give food to Orza.”
The captain gazed out the window at the small speck of the bounty hunter down below. “Did you kill her?”
Lumio balked, eyes widening. “What, the girl?? No, I threw her over the wall.”
Hackam turned the bulk of his body slightly, gaze piercing his son’s. “She broke the law. She needs to be dutifully punished.”
“B-but Dad, she’s just a kid! She—”
“The law, Lumio. You don’t have any authority here. So go do what I say.”
The ax turned slightly, and Lumio nodded before bolting out of the office.
Berry hopped down from the wall and walked over to the woman tied to the pole. The wind sweeping through the island blew up dirt on the parade ground, bathing the two Aquar in it. Berry’s red seagrass tunic flapped in it, as well as her loose pants around her calves.
Orza looked up, annoyed at being interrupted in her daily sun bake. The random Aquar standing in front of her looked just a little under her age, face full of the spirit of youth and very much a twerp. “You again?”
The part-Aquar crossed her arms and tilted her head at the bounty hunter. Her two braids lifted slightly in the breeze, her black hair fluttering across her face as she peered at the other woman. “Hey, where's your sword?”
Orza turned her head, the two silver pendants in her ear glinting as they shifted from her movement. “In the fort tower—where else?”
Enlightenment shone on Berry’s face like the rising sun above the horizon. “Ooooh, that makes sense. Hey, if I get you your swords, you’ll join my pirate crew, okay? But I’m the captain.”
Orza scowled at that. “…what? I hunt pirates like you.”
“Okay, sounds good,” the other woman laughed before starting to walk off.
“I didn’t kriffin’ agree to anyth—hey, the fort is the other way!”
“Whoops!” Berry quickly veered around and started walking to the hard-to-miss fort tower.
As she neared the base of it she looked around for someone to ask where the swords were. She stopped walking and looked around, frowning confusedly as she scratched her head. “Uh, where is everyone?”
Then she suddenly heard voices. They weren’t in her head, but far, far away. Her brows furrowed as she looked around—and then she looked up. Someone was shouting up there on the roof of the pillar tower. “Ooohh…” But how to get up there? There weren’t any ladders that tall…and she couldn’t climb the tower. The sides were smooth as water, with no window shields or anything…
Berry frowned. Then she’d have to fly up there!! But how? She looked around and spotted something very nice—a cannon. She grinned and scampered over to it, peeking inside and looking around, almost tripping over the metal nets holding the…cannon balls. She pretty much beamed.
Toby’s face, on the other hand, was the complete opposite, even greener like he was going to be sick. He paused at the top of the parade ground wall, glancing around for guards, before scurrying down the rope ladder and running to the bounty hunter.
Orza watched impassively from under her bandanna. If the boy wanted to be killed, he was her guest. But then the bounty hunter’s eyes widened slightly as the boy started to untie the grass ropes. “What are you doing?” the Aquar woman growled. “I’m not done here yet!”
Toby frowned with resolve as he continued pulling at the ropes. “They’re going to kill you.”
“Pull! Pull!” shouted a marine at the top of the tower.
The other marines strained and grunted as they pulled back hard on the ropes, the sun baking and drying them up at this time of day. As they pulled, a large metal statue of a man with an ax slowly rose. The metal must have cost a fortune, a fact that led many marines to be disgruntled. Metal that could be used to make more bullets or to upgrade their ships…but they complied to the captain’s orders, as it was the metal of his ax that threatened them now.
“Careful,” Hackam growled through his metal jaw.
A growl that was too menacing, it seemed, for a marine’s grip wavered, causing the statue to wobble over to the tower entrance and scrape against the door with a harsh kreeeeeeek.
The muscly marine captain froze as his expression darkened at the unfortunate marine. “What…did…I…say!” he thundered before striding to the smaller man with his ax raised.
“Ididn’tmeantoIswearI’msosorry!”
The ax glinted in the sun and the marine’s yelp echoed into the air.
Then someone burst out of the door. Lumio. He was panting like he had climbed many stairs, which he had. “Daddy, what’s going on? The statue—”
“Did you kill the girl?” Hackam cut in.
Lumio paused at the sudden question. “Uh, no…not yet.”
Hackam pointed a finger at a marine. “You. Go find the girl that fed Orza and kill her.”
The marine released the rope he held, lips tightening. “No, sir.”
Hackam froze. ”What did you say, ensign?” He turned to face the marine, ax arm held slack in his hand.
“I said no, sir!” the marine yelled. “I will not harm an innocent!”
“I am your superior!” Hackam shouted back. “In every way! She broke the rules, she must be punished.”
“I won’t do it, sir!”
And as the ax came down amid the yells of the marines and Hackam, a cannon shot thundered from below. A cannon ball whistled above their heads
followed by a streak of gold-green.
The ropes the marines pulled on suddenly got pulled up as a flying part-Aquar yelped above them. She gripped on the ropes with all her might and pulled herself from the air, landing lightly on her feet with a relieved smile on her face.
Unfortunately, the same could not be said about the statue. The ropes snapped away from the men’s hands and the statue tilted, hitting the edge and careening off of the tower to plummet to the ground below with a large CRASH.
Berry brushed her knees off as she smiled around at the marines, pleased she made it.
And the breath Lumio regained from those stairs was lost at the sight of the girl he hated so much. He pointed at Berry and yelped, “Daddy!! This is the girl who punched me!”
Captain Hackam stood rooted in his spot, his eyes wide in rage as he fumed. Lucky for Lumio, the statue was enough to get Hackam to act. He pointed a veined hand at her, roaring, “SHOOT TO KILL!”
Berry glanced around at the marines clambering for their weapons. Looked like it was time to go. Before anyone could blink Berry had tore past the idiot son by the stairs, snatching him up and entering the tower as he screamed.
“AFTER HER!” Hackam thundered.
A marine near the edge of the roof railings peered down at the ground. “Sir, there’s someone on the parade ground.”
“Kill them, too,” the captain growled.
Back in the tower, Berry dragged the scrawny man with her, her grip strong.
“Do you know who my father is?!” Lumio yelled in between Berry’s headlock.
“No,” Berry replied as they ran down the tower stairs. “But do you know where Orza’s swords are? She said you took them from her.”
He frowned. “Not telling.”
Berry screeched to a halt and held his arms against his body as she turned to face him, a frown on her face as well. “You’re gonna tell me!”
“And how are you gonna make me tell ya?!”
Suddenly three marines blocked the hallway, rifles in their hands. They aimed them as one shouted, “Release Lumio or you will be shot!”
Lumio just smirked at Berry—a smirk that quickly morphed into a grimace of fear as Berry held him out in front of her.
The part-Aquar frowned in annoyance. “Fine, shoot, he’s not gonna tell me where the swords are anyway.”
Lumio wilted in her hands, near tears. “I-it’s…further down the hall…”
The soldiers looked helplessly on as the girl ran past them, using the captain’s son as a shield.
Berry burst into the room Lumio pointed at and had to stop in her tracks. Was this really the right room? Pink and purple-dyed seakelp frills adorned the windows, and little clusters of pearls hung from the ceiling.
Berry would’ve left the room if it weren’t for the sight of two swords in the corner. She scampered over to them, Lumio still in hand. “Hey, there are two of them. Which one is Orza’s?” She glanced over.
Lumio sunk to the ground, frothing at the mouth and passed out.
Berry sighed and scooped up the two swords.
They were a slim design, each in their sheath. One, however, was pure white, maybe a reinforced coral, and it had a curious obsidian raised symbol on it, that of a dot in the middle of circle with spikes on the edge. Over it all, a bright red coral line slashed through the sign.
Berry’s attention was soon drawn outside when she peeked out and noticed movement on the parade ground. “Toby?”
A sheen of sweat coated Toby’s forehead as he struggled with the kelp-ropes holding Orza to the wooden posts. A pure-blooded Velusian would’ve roasted right on the spot, unable to sweat and directly influenced by temperature. He brushed pale-red kelp hair out of his face. “Lumio said they were going to kill you anyway.”
“Kriffing scum,” Orza growled. “I need my swords before we—”
“HALT.”
Toby froze, then turned a little toward the voices.
A line of marines stood by the tower, flint-lock rifles trained on them. Behind the soldiers towered a Captain Hackam, a vein throbbing in his forehead as he held his ax. He glared at the two ingrates. “Execute them,” he ordered in his booming voice.
Toby’s grip on the rope tightened in shock. This was it.
The crude metal bullets shot out of the rifles, zipping toward the tied woman and the small man.
Unbeknownst to all, glass had shattered during the firing, and a sudden gust of wind blew across the parade ground. It wasn’t regular wind, but one fueled with water.
The bullets veered off course and shot into the brick fence.
As the dust cloud settled, Berry got to her feet and brushed off her pants with a smile. “Hey guys.”
The soldiers looked back at Hackam, confused. “Captain, we fired...”
“I know,” Hackam snapped. “She’s a water magic user.”
The marines took a step back. They all had heard of such a magic. It was a strange force of nature, manipulated by a person to do all sorts of fantastic things. Sounded impossible…but their aim wasn’t that shoddy. Something had happened.
Hackam stepped out from the rank of soldiers. He gripped his captain’s coat and threw it to the side, the golden-anemone shoulder caps fluttering as it fell. “I’ll take care of her myself.”
Berry walked up to Orza, still tied to the post. She gave the bounty hunter a sheepish smile. “Yeah, so I didn’t know which sword was yours, so here’s two.”
“They’re both mine,” Orza retorted. “Give ‘em to me.”
Berry just laughed. “Only if you join my crew!”
“Fine,” the bounty hunter snarled. If Berry were any smarter she would’ve roasted in the dark glare shooting out from under the bandanna’s shadow.
“Berry, look out!”
Berry turned at the sound of Toby’s warning. A huge shadow of a man loomed in front of her, and her dark eyes widened at the sight of the ax.
She was suddenly shoved out of the way as Orza met the marine’s ax with her durasteel blades, the kelp ties fluttering to the sand in tatters. However, metal alloys were not enough in a battle to win it. The strength of the wielder also dictated victory, and it seemed Orza had an edge.
For even though Hackam was double her size, he could not push further on the smaller Aquar woman. Not to say that Orza was small for a woman. Her arm muscles bulged as she held her ground, her strength originating from her well-developed core muscles. She glared at Hackam from under her bandanna.
“I order your death,” Hackam growled at the woman as he pushed against her blades.
Orza sneered. “Over your dead body.” Then she bared her teeth and clamped onto his ax.
Berry stared. Her teeth—they were pointy! Like a shark’s! Each tooth came out of the gums jaggedly pointed, small and proportional but still in a straight line so the top and bottom jaws could fit together...for that was where a shark's true power came from.
Hackam struggled as the Aquar woman’s jaw power grew and grew—then the bounty hunter braced herself and threw the man aside.
“So cool!” Berry exclaimed, followed by an “Oh crap!” as she dodged bullets. “Hey, I’ll take care of the ax guy,” she called out to the bounty hunter.
“Fine,” Orza replied before speeding across the parade ground to meet those annoying fish.
Hackam got to his feet, something he hadn’t had to do since he was promoted. His eyes narrowed in rage at the small part-Aquar twerp. “What’s a freak like you going to do against someone like me?” he asked as he took a step toward her.
Berry shrugged, gazing back at him with a grim smile. If he fought as sharp as his ax, she’d be happy. “Let’s find out.” Then she shot forward in a burst of speed.
Hackam growled and threw his ax-arm forward to meet her. But she already jumped, drawing her legs up beneath her, the ax cutting the air under her. Her blue beads shimmered in the strong sun, smile also as bright, before she kicked out with her legs—stamping her sandals right into his face.
The marine captain staggered back as his ax finished its arc, slicing through a metal fence by them. The fence curled up, cut cleanly, before clattering to the sandy ground.
Berry landed lightly on her feet, then jumped to the side as Hackam’s ax came down on her. It sunk into the sandy ground before slicing sideways. She leapt back, dodging it.
“Who are you?!” Hackam grunted as he sliced at her.
Berry grinned. “I’m Bería Z. Fieros, and I’m gonna be the Champion of Velusia.”
Then as he pulled back to swing again, Berry pushed off the ground and rocketed her fists into his face so hard he spun around, falling to the ground with a huge THUD.
Orza’s eyes narrowed as she sliced at a marine officer’s rifle, the gun falling to pieces. It wasn’t just one hit that Berry gave the marine captain, but several. Around seven, if the hunter counted correctly in between the blurred movement. Agility seemed her forte, with timed strength hits. It took some strength to beat past the reinforced metal jaw, anyway.
“STOP!” a shrill voice suddenly pierced the fighting din.
Berry looked over to see Lumio holding a gun…against Toby’s pale-red head. The gun was shaking, but it was a gun nonetheless. “Surrender or I’ll kill him,” the bratty son managed to say.
Berry glared, knuckles cracking.
“I mean it!” Lumio exclaimed in fright at the menacing part-Aquar. He glanced over at Orza pushing against three rifles...okay, now just two after one of them broke between Orza’s teeth. “Hey you! One move, and he gets a bullet in the head.”
The part-Aquar stared at the bratty son. Her gaze seemed focused and restrained…gauging for weak points. Hackam was just another huge island gorilla to her. This, however, required more finesse. She took a step forward.
Toby really looked like he was going to wet his pants, tears welling up in his eyes. “Berry!” he yelled. “It’s okay. Just…take out the marine.”
Berry stopped in her tracks, eyes widening. “Toby,” she murmured.
Tears now poured out of his eyes as his lip wavered. “I know I’m weak. I’m not worth saving…I’ll just get in the way of your goal. Your dream.” He bit his lip as he smiled in bitter amusement. To think, his dream would end right here, by the very people he wanted to join… “Even if it means I’ll die!”
Berry shook her head, frown deepening. She could not accept his words. “Toby, everyone deserves a chance to reach their goals.” And with renewed concentration, she stared at Lumio. She was so focused she paid no attention to the gorilla marine staggering to his feet behind her.
Orza met Berry’s eyes, pointy teeth still bared. The hunter registered the barest of nods from the part-Aquar, and then—Berry disappeared.
A cloud of dust kicked up before Lumio felt one of the hardest punches to his head in his life. The sound of Berry’s golden-green fist cracking against his temple exploded in his ears, along with a brief loss of vision as he fell to the side.
Berry grabbed the gun and tossed it aside. “Hey, are you okay?” she asked Toby.
The young man smiled weakly. “Y-yeah, but I think I—” He gasped and pointed. “Behind you!”
Hackam charged like a bull on its last burst of strength. “I am Marine Captain Hackam, and I will execute you!” he roared, ax held high.
Berry stared, clouds of dust kicking up in the corner of her vision.
Then suddenly the captain froze in the middle of his charge, ax still up. A gurgly groan escaped his lips before blood spurted from his chest, or rather, slice wounds; two deep ones in an “x” over his torso. He toppled to the ground, unconscious. The dust billowed up about his hulking body. As it slowly settled, it revealed a person standing behind the fallen form—Orza.
Berry gaped, mouth going slack. She must’ve been fast, to have run at the marine head on and end up on the other side.
The bounty hunter swiped her blades through the air, the blood flicking off the metal onto the ground.
Berry’s eyes then twinkled as her open mouth turned up into a huge smile of awe and gratitude. “Thanks, Orza!”
The hunter smirked at the woman.
“Anytime…Captain.”
The breeze blew about them, causing Berry’s braids and the tail-end of Orza’s bandanna tie to flutter, and Berry smiled. Then she looked over at the mass of marines.
Orza rested a hand on her sword belt as she cast a dark eye on them as she bared her pointy teeth. “You guys wanna fight?” She snapped her jaws shut at them.
The marines stared at Hackam. He didn’t move. They clambered for any remaining rifle they could…and threw them all up in the air. Cheers erupted from the marines as they hugged each other, finally free from the tyranny. A few of the more level-headed ones quickly dragged Hackam into the tower for an arrest.
Toby stared. “So they were forced to listen, after all…”
Berry laughed, amused. Two fish with one line. She turned to Orza. “Check it out."
Orza nodded, her gaze steady and serious at Berry. “Now that I’m a part of your crew, there’s something you need to understand,” she began, voice deep and husky. “I have my own goals, too.”
“And what are they?” Berry asked.
“To be the greatest swordfighter in Velusia,” the hunter immediately replied. She leveled a blade at Berry—the one with the obsidian-marked sheath. The thin metal glinted in the sunlight, matching the glint in Orza’s hard eyes, her gaze deadly serious. “And if you get in my way, I’ll make you commit ritual suicide for failing in your responsibility of a captain to her crew. That’s dishonor at its worst. Got it?”
For on these treacherous waters, a crew depended on their captain. If they couldn’t, then the members did better alone than with a leader they couldn’t count on being one.
Berry just nodded and smiled back, filled with glee again and some excitement. “The greatest swordfighter as part of the Champion of Velusia’s crew? That makes sense.” Her words almost swaggered by themselves.
Orza’s blades glinted as she smoothly sheathed them. “Damn straight.” Then the woman’s eyelids fluttered slightly.
“Orza?”
The pirate groaned and fell forward face first into the sand, her bandanna slipping from her hair.
“Orza!”
Plate upon plate of sea dumplings (made with sea salt this time) was served to the table of three at the local restaurant. And this time, Berry had a fellow bottomless stomach to join her in the feast.
Orza Lonai chomped on a dumpling, her sharp pointy teeth digging into it. Her bandanna was tied around her arm, revealing spiky green kelp hair.
Kila giggled, the young girl so pleased her savior enjoyed it. “Want s’more?”
Orza paused to smile faintly at the young child. “How about some grog?”
Toby made a face at Orza.
The pirate frowned. “Uh… ‘fruit juice.’”
Berry laughed. “Yeah I want some, too!” She smiled knowingly at Kila. “And I mean the real juice.”
As Kila rushed off, Toby smiled at the hunter. “I can’t believe you lasted a week without food.”
Orza laughed—a loud guffaw with no regard to anyone else’s ears. Fitting, for her personality. She smirked, some sharp teeth showing. “Well, I can. A shark’s gotta keep swimming to survive, sniffing for blood…” Her smirk widened, eyes glinting dangerously. “That’s me.”
Indeed, she always had a very methodical air about her, movements slow but calculated. Even her usual expression seemed laid back…but not without its edge. Sometimes it seemed she was just waiting to strike. Like for that dumpling. Orza snatched it and popped it in her mouth.
“Bounty hunting, right?” Toby asked.
“You got it. Went from ship to ship, rounding up the baddies.”
Berry stared. “Whoaaaa. So are you like, really rich or something?”
At that, Orza’s frown deepened. She usually frowned anyway, like she was deeply concentrating…or deeply irritated. That low brow looked very contemplative. “Uh…well, moving from ship to ship kinda cost money…” She looked around, eager to change the subject. “Yeah, so where’s the rest of your crew?”
Berry smiled proudly at Orza. “You’re the only one.”
Orza just stared dully at her. “Are you kriffing serious?”
There was a sudden bustling at the front of the restaurant. Kila stepped aside, a plate of dumplings in her hands as she frowned at the trio, eyes wide.
Several marine soldiers marched into the restaurant, the one at the lead being the very soldier that refused to find Kila to kill her.
Orza straightened, hand resting on her swords as she watched them.
“Bería Z. Fieros and Orza Lonai. As pirates on a marine outpost, we must ask you to leave the island at once.”
Kila’s mother frowned, stepping forward. “How could tell that to them when they helped us?”
"It's okay," Berry began as she stood. She brushed the crumbs off her tunic. “We’ll go.” She had her code to obey, and these soldiers had their laws.
Orza stood as well and followed Berry to the front.
Then the officer stopped Toby, eyeing him. “Are you with them?”
Toby froze. Well, he was, but…he wasn’t going to be anymore, right? He wanted to join the Marines, after all. But they had seen him helping Berry and Orza…so what were they to think? He couldn’t be seen as an accomplice, but…
Berry grinned. “This guy? Oh, he’s pretty close to a pirate,” she began, speaking loudly and obnoxiously. “There was this time when he went fishing, y’know? And he got caught by these pirates lead by a captain named Divaldas, and they made him scrub the poop deck ALL day and…”
Toby glared at the ground, his fists clenching. Berry, shut up...
The part-Aquar patted Toby on the back as she continued rambling to the marine officer. “And then there was this one time when I came aboard and he had to tell the captain how handsome he was.”
Orza watched on, expression neutral.
“Can you believe that?? That fat ass being handsome? But he groveled, saying it all the time—”
Toby couldn't hear her words anymore. Just a roaring panic in his ears as he realized if she said anymore they could corroborate her facts with what they knew of Divaldas' activity. His annoyance and frustration welled up, higher and higher, until—
“Shut up!” Toby yelled as his fist connected with Berry’s face.
And as she fell back, Toby glimpsed a smile.
The part-Aquar stumbled to her feet, frowning as she waved her fist. “Why I oughta—”
“That’s enough,” the marine cut in, frowning as well. “We can see you’re not with them.” He turned his attention to the two pirates. “Now please leave.”
Berry gave Toby a small smile as she and Orza walked out. Now was his chance.
“Sir!” Toby exclaimed as he turned to the marine. “Please let me join the marines! I promise to work hard and do my best.”
The soldier nodded. “You’ve proven yourself determined to help others today. We’ll see you get started soon.”
And Toby felt himself stand taller than he ever did before. No more groveling. He’d do what he wanted, and no one was going to stop him.
Out at the dock, Orza tossed a huge barrel onto the rowboat they conveniently “found” there. Kila rushed forward with a pack of dumplings. She gave it to the hunter, eyes wide before running back to her mother. Other villagers also gathered at the dock, watching their benefactors leave without a word. They were a marine outpost, after all…and even though their leader was corrupt, he was still part of the World Government. And everyone knew what the World Government thought of pirates, the name they gave those that didn’t follow the law.
Quietly, almost solemnly, Berry stepped onto the boat.
Toby stood nearby, watching with his brows furrowed. He realized this might be the last time he’d see her—the one that helped free him and encourage him to meet his goal, even though their goals might clash. And he couldn’t even say thank you.
The waves lapped at the boat, rocking it as it started its journey out into the sea.
The head marine officer suddenly stepped out of the lines. “Atten-tion!”
He raised his hand in a salute, hands flat at the temple. Fists were used in fighting, and here on Velusia, empty palms meant respect and no ill will held—literally.
The other marines lifted their hands as well, startling Toby. Was this a form of gratitude the marines showed? He quickly lifted his hand in his first salute.
Berry clambered to the edge of the rowboat, grinning in surprise. She waved, especially at Toby.
“We’ll meet again, Toby! Marine versus pirate.”
She smirked, and Toby laughed and nodded. She believed in him…and he’d believe in himself, too.
Orza rowed out to sea, the movement effortless due to her special conditioning. She had to smirk a little to herself as she watched how the goofy part-Aquar almost fall out of the boat. What an idiot. But…an honorable idiot. That she’d risk her life for people she barely knew showed a kind of determination one rarely saw here on the oceans. Orza was a warrior and abided by her own code, too. And she recognized another warrior, too, albeit cloaked in an all-too-real innocence.
And so the pirate hunter-turned pirate saw a fitting spot for herself in this crew as a voice of reason and to temper the dummy. That is…if they didn’t get lost on the ocean. The blind leading the blind led to many interesting escapades…and bounties to catch.
O—O TBC O—O
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