Daxam

One Piece: The Devil's Due (Always Accepting!)

---

A misshapen club of an arm crashed down on the spot Luna had been standing just a moment before, cracking the earth. Her ear twitched and she threw herself into a back handspring just as the other creature swung one of its arms, this one sharp as a sword, nearly cleaving her in half. ”The hell are these things?” she muttered as the pair began to advance on her again. Is this that Low guy’s power? He’s gotta be close, then! she thought, but a quick glance around showed her that the only people nearby were the two henchmen she had knocked out, the workers having taken the chance to run off.

Her attention was brought back to the golems as they sped toward her, surprisingly fast for their twelve-foot frames. The one with the club arm swung downward again and Luna sidestepped, then watched in surprise as the second one melted into the first, rather than step around it to get to her. She punched the flat side of the second’s sword arm, deflecting its downward slice. Her ear twitched again as the first’s club arm morphed and shot a spike out toward her. She dodged it, but just barely, wincing as the spike grazed her side.

Luna jumped back to put some distance between herself and the constructs, holding her side as the pair separated again. ”Alright, you assholes are getting annoying,” she growled as electricity began to spark from her body. Rather than let them close in again, Luna dashed forward as her cloak fell from her shoulders. She jumped over a swing from the bladed golem and lashed out with a kick in midair, connecting solidly with the lump that jutted out from its shoulders, which she guessed could be considered a head.

Her leg sank into the soft, malleable clay, then stopped. ”Shit!” she exclaimed as the lump suddenly extended into a long tendril. It lifted her into the air, then slammed her to the ground, hard enough to knock the wind from her lungs. She laid there, stunned as she watched the club-armed golem approach. It raised its arm and she closed her eyes as she braced herself for a sudden end to her journey.

I’m sorry, Sol…

“Hey, you bastards, over here!”

She opened her eyes just in time to see the club-armed golem get hit by a jar filled with some kind of liquid, the stench of it potent enough to Luna’s sharp nose to make her eyes water. She covered her mouth and nose as the golem’s raised arm suddenly fell to the ground, the clay having crumbled almost like soil. A second jar crashed against the clay tendril that had trapped her leg and she watched as the same thing happened. Before she could react, she felt someone grabbing her by the wrist. “What’re you waiting for? Stand the hell up before they can put themselves back together!”

Luna looked up to see a man with dark, disheveled hair, his face criss-crossed with scars, pulling her to her feet with his left arm. Where his right should be, there was nothing but an empty sleeve folded up to his shoulder and sewn closed. She scrambled to her feet and followed the man as he ran through the vineyard. ”Who are–”

“There’ll be time for that later, Princess!” the man interrupted, his grip on her wrist ironclad as he pulled her after him. “We’ll talk more once I get you somewhere he can’t see us!”

Questions swam in Luna’s head, but she held her tongue as she and the stranger entered the town. They zigged and zagged, sped through back alleys and side-streets as they took a circuitous route through the town. Eventually, they came to the wooden door of an old, run-down building. The man walked up to the gate and knocked on it three times, paused, then gave four more taps, each one spaced out seemingly at random. A moment passed in silence, then Luna’s ears picked up the sound of a lock disengaging just before the door opened into darkness. The man, without pausing, walked into the building and disappeared into the darkness. Luna hesitated, then followed him, unsure of what to expect on the inside.

Young Justice

Location: Harbor
Interactions: Stormcaller @Blizz

---

Before Talos joined up with the team, any time he fought was in a ring or cage, so he rarely had the chance to cut loose against a group of people. Save for the occasional street fight, of course, which would always end with a chastisement from his mentor. To Talos, there was nothing quite like going up against impossible odds--For regular people, anyway--and coming out on top. As he carved his way through the people firing at him from both sides, he felt the same familiar surge of adrenaline flood his system, his face split in a wide grin as he felt each bullet bounce harmlessly off of his dermal armor, doing less damage than bug bites. "Come on, don't you guys have anything stronger? Give me a challenge, already!" he shouted as he slammed a man against a shipping container. The metal warped around him and crossed over his chest and around his wrists, binding the man to the container.

He heard a gun cock behind him and turned to meet his new 'friend,' only to watch as Stormcaller fell from the sky, using the unlucky man as a landing platform. There was a brief flash and the man was still, aside from the occasional groan or twitch. "Good looking out, Sparky," Talos said with a nod. "And don't worry. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's keeping someone's attention." He watched as she drifted upward, then brought his gaze back downward as another gunman took aim at her.

Talos's wings flapped downward and he shot toward the man just as he started to pull the trigger on his pistol. His hand was suddenly in front of the end of the barrel, but thanks to his carbon armor, the round collided with his palm, then fell harmlessly to the ground. "Uh-uh," Talos said in a singsong voice, complete with a wag of his finger. The criminal was quick to turn swivel his aim at Talos's head, but the young hero simply rolled his eyes. "If that shot didn't do anything to my hand, you really think you'd have any better luck shooting me in the head?"

Talos didn't give him a chance to answer. The pistol suddenly fell apart in the man's hands, each neatly disassembled piece clattering on the ground. The would-be shooter slowly looked up from the pieces of his gun and met Talos's eyes. The hero shrugged, then suddenly lunged forward. His forehead connected cleanly with the criminal's, knocking him out cold. Before the man fell to the ground, Talos was already gone, laughing as he eagerly sped off toward his next encounter. "It's been way too long since I've had this much fun!"

One Piece: The Devil's Due (Always Accepting!)

---

It took a few minutes for Sol to recover from his relief at seeing Luna’s wanted poster. For fifteen years, he had thought she died that night. He lost a lot that night, losses that he still had yet to get over, but losing her had hit especially hard. Now that he knew she was alive, he felt the weight on his shoulders lessen, if only slightly…until he realized he had been looking at a bounty with her name and face on it. And for sixty million beris, no less!

He carefully read through the Northern Financial, one of the newspapers Lieutenant Nelson left behind. He ignored the bits that disparaged his homeland, though it was hard to not feel upset by what was written about Luna’s father, Comet. The part about him consorting with pirates and other criminals was completely fabricated, as far as Sol knew, but what really upset him was how the paper described the Lunar Emperor as little more than a savage beast. Comet had always been kind, not only to his daughter, but to Sol, his family, and the people of the empire. When he realized how angry he was getting, Sol calmed himself, a skill he had become extremely adept at over the years.

With a sigh, he set the paper down, leaned back in his chair, and covered his eyes, now understanding the reason behind Luna’s high bounty. In truth, Sol had always known about the part Captain Arbor played in the downfall of the empire and had planned on taking care of the captain, himself. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect Luna to beat him to it.

He once again looked at her picture. The only thing he truly recognized was that mischievous glint in her eyes. Though she was shy and quiet most of the time, whenever Sol was alone with her, she would get that look in her eyes and he’d knew they were about to do something that could have gotten them in trouble, whether that be stealing pastries from the kitchen or sneaking away into town. If anything, judging just from the picture, it seemed like Luna had grown into the type of person she truly was. At that, Sol couldn’t help but give a small smile.

The one thing he couldn’t figure out, though, was why? Did she just happen to come across Arbor, discover who he was, and let her feelings get the best of her? But how did she beat a Marine Captain? Did she really get so strong over the years? Was Marcus really harboring her all this time and how was he doing?

Sol shook his head and set the bounty poster down, placing the newspaper on top of it. He wanted nothing more than to go after her, if only to have those questions answered, but two things stopped him: he had no idea where she was and he couldn’t afford to risk everything just to see her. I’ve come too far and I have farther to go, still, he thought. If I survive, I’ll find you after I’ve done what I need to do. Until then, please, stay safe, Lu.

Ring, ring, ring. Ring, ring, ring…

The sound of his transponder snail interrupted Sol’s thoughts. He picked up the receiver and spoke, ”Captain Maxwell Rackham speaking.”

“You have new orders, Captain Rackham,” the snail said. “We’ve received word that a group of pirates have attacked a place called Green Isle. The base we have there is a small one and it seems that the pirates involved are more trouble than they can handle, so you’ve been ordered to give them some support.”

”Yes, sir,” Sol replied as he examined one of the charts ever-present on his desk. ”From the looks of it, we’re about a day’s sailing away from there, but we’ll do what we can to get there faster.”

With that, the call ended and Sol rose to his feet as he draped his coat over his shoulders. He glanced at his desk once more, at the spot he had placed Luna’s poster, before he made for the door. There would be time to think about her later.

He had a job to do.

Young Justice

Location: Harbor
Interactions: Zatara @Crimson Flame

---

Another day, another stealth mission. Or rather, recon. Whatever it was, Vincent was yet again delegated to sit by the sidelines. When he joined the team, he thought there would have been more chances to be in the thick of it. Sure, saving the hostages in his first mission felt good, but not as good as taking on a horde of bad guys. Besides, he didn't understand why they were only watching these groups, letting them complete their deal rather than take them out. Drugs are against the law, right? Breaking the law is bad, right? So, what's the harm in knocking some heads together to do good? he thought. At least, he thought it was drugs. That's what gangs usually traded, right? Truth be told, he zoned out a bit during the briefing.

In the time it took for the groups to meet up and conduct their business, Vincent had quickly grown bored and begun to pace, molding iron into intricate shapes above his hand while occasionally pestering Zach with games of "Guess What's Behind My Back," for no other reason than to stave off boredom. It was clear he had no interest in watching the proceedings, but he was still going to behave, at least until things went sideways.

Not only did things go sideways, but upside-down, too. Vincent had been sitting in a corner, dozing, when the first shots rang out. He was quickly up on his feet and standing next to Zach, an excited grin slowly spreading across his face. He heard Zatara say something, but Vincent was already rushing into the fray, his steel wings glinting as he flew through the air, practically skimming the ground as he hurried to join the fun before someone could stop him. When he was close enough, he drew in his wings, rolled, and jumped up to his feet as he waltzed into the midst of the gunfight.

The gunmen closest to him stopped firing at each other, stunned that there seemed to be someone crazy enough to leisurely walk into the middle of an active gunfight. "I guess the deal must've gone sour, huh?" Vincent asked, completely unaware of the injured civilian somewhere in the harbor. "You know, I've actually been wondering: how good is your health insurance, if you're so eager to start shooting at each other like this?"

He turned just in time to see someone take aim and fire. Vincent's reflexes took over right before his head rocked back. He staggered backward a couple of steps before he managed to steady himself. Chuckling, he straightened up, the squashed bullet falling away from his hardened forehead. "Apparently, it's pretty great!" he shouted. The steel casing around his implant burst open as he unfurled his wings and brought them down in a powerful sweep, launching himself at the man with the itchy trigger finger. As a reward for shooting Vincent in the head, the man received a hardened backhand to the side of his head.

As the first crumpled to the ground, unconscious, Vincent's body blackened as he hardened himself just as bullets began to ping off of his skin. He unfurled his wings and swept them around him, knocking everyone nearby off of their feet before he launched himself across no-man's-land to give the other side some attention. "Now, this is more like it!" he shouted, inadvertently drawing more attention to himself.

One Piece: The Devil's Due (Always Accepting!)

---

Luna wandered with no clear destination in mind, simply wanting to get a closer look at the state of the island. She walked through the town, silver eyes taking in shuttered windows, cracked walls, and overgrown walkways while her ears twitched under her hood as she listened to hushed whispers, as if everyone was afraid of being caught saying the wrong thing. Just how much of a tyrant is this Clay guy, anyway? she thought.

Before she realized it, she had left the town limits and found herself walking along the fence to a vineyard. She looked past and saw wilted grape vines on rotting wooden trellises, the field having obviously not been cared for in some time. She looked around, partly to get her bearings, but also to see if she could get an idea of the state of the nearby vineyards. There was one in a similar state, though the field was blackened, having obviously been put to the torch. From what she could see, there was only one vineyard that was still in operation. There were several people working the fields, seemingly under guard. It was a ways away, but Luna could pick out the glint of weapons glimmering in the sunlight, as well as a couple of large shapes the color of earth.

A thought suddenly occurred to her as she began walking toward the vineyard. Rufus had mentioned someone from their crew had returned to Bacchus when he heard that pirates had invaded. If that was the case, then where was he and why wasn’t he doing anything to help?

Luna was pulled from her thoughts when, now close enough for her to make out details on the people in the field, she saw someone stumble and fall. One of the armed people approached the prone figure and crouched next to them. “Aw, what’s the matter? Need a break?” she heard him ask. Before the fallen person could respond, the figure, whom Luna now realized was one of Sam Clay’s pirates, stabbed his sword into the ground in front of their face. “You know the rules. One five minute break for every four hours of work, and you’ve already had yours,” the pirate said. With a glee that made Luna’s blood boil, he then asked, “Unless you’d prefer to take a permanent one?”

“P-please, no! I-I-I’ll get back to work, I just tripped!” came the meek voice from the fallen villager. The villager attempted to stand, only to fall back down, his arms and legs too weak from overwork.

“Too late, time’s up,” the pirate said as he stood up. He brandished his sword, a wide cutlass, over his head and started to bring it down, only to suddenly stop. He tried again to bring his sword down, but found himself somehow stuck in midair. Or so he thought, until he looked back and saw a hooded woman gripping the back of the cutlass’ blade.

”Couple of big men, picking on someone that can’t even fight back,” Luna asked, glaring at the pirate from underneath her hood as she gave him a challenging grin.

“The hell?!” the pirate exclaimed as he tugged on his sword again, surprised by this stranger’s grip strength. Luna let go of the blade as he pulled, putting him off balance. She looked down at the villager and simply jerked her head to the side. The man got the hint and scrambled up to his tired feet before hurrying off.

The two pirates, the second drawing his own cutlass, closed in on Luna. “You rather we ‘ave some fun wi’ you, instead, sweet’eart?” the second asked with a smirk. His eyes moved up and down her body as he added, “Can’t ‘ardly see much with that cloak in the way, but I do like–”

The rest of his comment was lost as he suddenly received firsthand knowledge of the taste of Luna’s steel-plated glove. Her fist crashed into his mouth mid-sentence, knocking out a few teeth as he flew back, landing in a crumpled heap. His friend didn’t move for a moment, stunned by Luna’s sudden display of violence, until he finally snapped out of it. “You bitch!” he yelled as he swung his sword toward her stomach.

Luna turned toward him and caught his sword between her elbow and knee. ”Bullies and creeps, huh?” she sighed as the pirate tried to free his weapon. ”Just once, I’d like to fight someone with some manners.”

She brought her fist down on the pirate’s sword, snapping it in two. He stumbled backward, staring at his broken weapon in disbelief, then turned his attention back toward Luna just in time to catch her fist with his chin. He felt his jaw clamp shut, teeth cracking, as he was lifted off of his feet. He landed heavily on his back, knocked clean out, while Luna stood above him. She started to turn in the direction the worker ran when she heard a strange sound, like someone trekking through mud. She turned just in time to see the earthen lumps she mistook for some kind of storage buildings rise to their misshapen feet.

”That's...not good...”

One Piece: The Devil's Due (Always Accepting!)

He had been sleeping the night everything fell to ruin. What awoke him, however, weren’t the explosions or the screams, but the sounds of clattering steel and thudding footsteps that approached his room. He opened his amber eyes and sat up in bed just as his father burst in. He was dressed in full plate armor, an ornate helm under his right arm and a deep purple cape draped over his left shoulder. ”F-Father? What’s happening?” a young, sleepy Sol asked as he rubbed his eyes.

His father, Emperor Astrum Luminos, looked down at his son, barely hiding the sadness in his eyes. He knelt next to Sol’s bed and placed his helm on the ground next to him. Reaching out, he placed his hands on Sol’s shoulders and quietly said, “Listen well, my son. I need you to put on your armor and follow Prefect Istria to the safe room, where your mother and sister are waiting. Something terrible is happening outside and I need to go help our soldiers.” He moved one hand from Sol’s shoulder and gently tapped his fist against Sol’s chest. “Be strong for your mother and sister. I will return as soon as I am able.”

Though he was confused, Sol looked into his father’s eyes with a resolve that made Astrum’s heart swell with pride. ”I will, Father,” he said with a decisive nod.

Emperor Astrum returned Sol’s nod with one of his own as he picked up his helm and rose to his feet. He turned to the huge, bald-headed man next to him, and placed a hand on his arm. “Keep him safe, my friend.”

“Of course, Your Highness,” Marcus replied with a reverent nod. As Astrum hurried from the bedroom, Marcus turned to find Sol already fastening his greaves to his shins. “Let me help you with that, my lord,” he offered as he knelt in front of his young charge. Despite the size of his hands, Marcus’ fingers adjusted the straps of Sol’s greaves with surprising dexterity.

As Marcus helped Sol into the rest of the armor, the young man asked, ”Who’s attacking us, Marcus?”

The bear was quiet for a moment before he said, “It appears to be the World Government, my lord. At least, that’s what our scouts have been reporting.”

Sol’s brow furrowed. ”But…why? We haven’t done anything to them, have we?”

Marcus shook his head as he adjusted the final strap. “No, my lord. But there’s no time to worry about that, right now. I have to get you to your mother and sister, then catch up to your father.” He gave Sol’s breastplate a tug and nodded, satisfied that the armor was secure. He then pulled a sword from his belt, one quite a bit smaller than what was standard for soldiers of the Legion, and offered it to Sol. “Your sword, my lord.”

Sol hesitated. He had been training with a sword for most of his young life, but it was usually with a wooden practice weapon. The few times he was allowed to swing a real sword was when his mother or father wanted him to practice his edge alignment. That hesitation didn’t last long, however. He knew his mother would normally be able to handle herself in a fight, but with his little sister being barely two years old, she wouldn’t be able to fight as well. If their enemies made it through their guard, it would be up to him to protect them both.

He reached out and took the sword.

---

A knock interrupted the dream, much to Sol’s relief. There wasn’t much he cared for less than reliving that night. He opened his eyes to darkness, then lifted the cap he rarely wore off of his face, only to wince at the light that stabbed at his eyes from the nearby window. He had been in the middle of finishing the report that was interrupted by Rockaport’s arrival and the subsequent duel when he decided to take a quick nap. A glance outside told him a couple of hours had passed. No wonder my neck’s sore, he thought as he sat up.

The knock sounded again and he called out, ”Come in.” The door opened and Lieutenant Nelson stepped through, Sol’s freshly laundered coat and a bundle of paper in her arms. She saw Sol’s groggy expression and stifled a chuckle. “Did that duel wear you out that much, Captain?” she teased as she walked over to him.

”Very funny, Lieutenant,” Sol replied flatly as Nelson placed the items she carried on his desk. He glanced at the coat and resisted the urge to grimace, the urge more powerful with the memory of that night fresh in his mind. Instead he turned his focus to the bundle of papers on top of it. ”Newspapers?” he asked, though it was obvious what they were.

“And some new bounties,” Nelson added as Sol cut the twine with a pair of scissors. “Just a couple, this time. That gambler, Andou, escaped custody, so a bounty’s been issued for him. But, that’s not the interesting one…”

Sol raised an eyebrow and picked up the newspapers, each one from the major publishing companies in each of the Blues. He scanned the headlines before setting the papers aside to read later. An article about the anniversary of the fall of the Nychthemeron Empire, one about some disappearances on some island in the West. A “lightbulb?” That might be interesting, Sol thought, always having had an interest in science and new technology.

Then, he got to the bounties.

The first one was for ‘Snake-Eyes’ Andou. Sol didn’t know much about the guy, just that the hiss luck seemed to be unusually awful for a so-called gambler. He was also clear over in the West, so Sol couldn’t really bring himself to care enough to be curious.

He set the paper aside…then froze when he saw the ghost staring at him on the next bounty. It had been fifteen years since he last saw her, but he knew right away who he was looking at without needing to read the name. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead as he suddenly shot to his feet, one hand on the desk next to the bounty as he covered his mouth with the other, doing his best to calm down before his eyes could change color.

“M-Max?” Nelson asked, her voice coming from miles away. “Are you okay?”

Sol took a few breaths before saying, ”Uh, y-yeah, I’m fine. I just…” He shook his head. He cleared his throat as he regained some composure and continued, ”You’re dismissed, Lieutenant. I’m…I’m not feeling well, so I’m going to get some more sleep. You’re in charge until I wake up.”

Rachel opened her mouth, then closed it. “Yes, sir,” she simply said before turning around.

Only when the door closed behind her did Sol finally sit back down. He picked up the bounty with a shaking hand as he stared at the face illustrated on the paper. While she had a cocky grin, a confident look in her eyes that seemed to say “Fight me!”, and looked in no way like the quiet, shy girl he once knew, Sol knew he would always recognize her, despite how unique her half-Mink blood made her look.

”Lu…I can’t believe it…” he whispered. His eyes changed to a cobalt blue as he finally let his emotions wash over him. Covering his eyes as tears began to run down his face, he grinned for what felt like the first time in years.

”You’re alive…You’re really alive…!”

One Piece: The Devil's Due (Always Accepting!)

Valery Shimamoto

The dry scratching of a pen against paper and the lapping waves were the only sounds inside of the Marine captain’s quarters. The room was spartan, containing only a bed, a desk, a dresser, and a single bookshelf. A white coat with the word “Justice” emblazoned on the back hung from a hook on a wall. Sunlight streamed in through the windows, illuminating the captain as filled out a report on the operational costs for his ship. His long, black hair was tied back and he wore a black suit with a matching tie and a crimson dress shirt underneath. While his position was only a masquerade, he still treated it as seriously as anyone else would.

There was a knock on the door and the man with two names, “Maxwell Rakham” and “Sol Luminos,” set his pen down. Leaning back in his seat, he rubbed his eyes, sore from focusing on his papers for so long, as he said, ”Enter.”

The door opened and his blonde-haired lieutenant, Rachel Nelson, stepped in. She grinned at her captain as she saluted him. “Sir,” she said, “we’ve received a call via transponder snail that there’s a ship bearing provisions on approach.”

”Good,” he said as he rose to his feet, “it’s about time. We’ve been anchored here for the last couple of hours, waiting for them. Tell the men to prepare to receive them.”

Rachel nodded and left the room as Sol pulled his coat down from the wall. He slipped it over his shoulders, then looked over at the dresser. Sitting on top of it, carefully perched on its stand, was a katana. The guard was metallic gold and in the shape of an octofoil, a shape that repeated five times down the length of the white and gold scabbard, and the color scheme was repeated on the hilt. The sword was light and well-balanced, definitely a mastercraft, but Sol never felt right using it. Every time he wielded the blade, it almost felt like it was constantly reminding him that he wasn’t meant to use it, a sentiment that he couldn’t help but agree with as he thought back to how the sword came into his possession in the first place.

After a brief hesitation, Sol removed the sword from its stand and placed it on his left side. He turned and, shutting the door quietly behind him, left his quarters.

---

As Valery walked down the dock passing ships parked at their respective gangplanks, he had noticed a crew loading supplies and prepping to set sail shortly. Hitching a ride wouldn’t be an easy task but he had a shot right here. The ship's crew seemed a bit restless yet efficient as they worked with haste. Stationed near the platform was a man shouting out orders and directing the crew every which way, Valery took it that this was likely the captain or first mate at least.

“Hey, are you the captain of this fine ship? She sure is a beauty!” Valery said, his tone slightly raised in order to grab the mana attention. Upon closer examination he could see the rough appearance of this man. He had little hair upon the top of his head and his face and skin seemed weathered, as though he’s been at sea for many years. He wasn’t very tall nor a physical specimen yet he held a large and somewhat intimidating presence.

“Get lost, we're busy!” He shouted as he turned back to his crew. Now grabbing crates as well and helping them load the ship as well. Upon closer examination of the crew there were about 3 in total. One person organized the boxes on the ship while 2 ran to and from the dock alongside the captain. Valery was a bit impressed, he could respect a leader willing to get down and dirty with his crew. The guy seemed stronger than he looked as well as he managed to pick up a crate twice his size with ease. Still it seemed like they could use an extra hand.

“It looks like you guys need an extra hand, I’ll offer my assistance if you’ll allow me to hitch a ride to the next island you stop at.” The man grumbled as he stopped on his tracks and craned his next to the side. He was clearly annoyed as he sized Valery up. “Listen kid, why should I let you board my ship. Last thing I need is some unreliable brat distracting me and my men”

Valery just smirked as he placed his blade to the side and rolling up his sleeves.“Don’t be stubborn, you guys seem to be lacking in man power.” The silver haired boy scoffed, stretching his limbs out. “You seem like a man of his word, if i help out will you give me a ride?” Valery said as he picked up a stack of crates twice his size.

“Fine, just get all this shit on the ship or we’ll be late to meet up with our client.” He scoffed, slightly impressed. “Names Randal Rockaportl by the way.” the man smirked as he led the way for Valery. With the combined help they were able to load the ship and prepare to set sail into the ocean.

“RAISE THE ANCHORS AND LOWER THE SAILS! WE’RE SETTING SAIL AT ONCE” Valery looked around frantically before finding his target, he stretched his hands out before grabbing ahold on the anchor alongside one of the other crewmates. A brunette fellow with short yet curly hair along with some good size. They both pulled the anchor up, freeing the ship from its stationary position. Simultaneously the sails for the ship were released and in a matter of moments they were into North blue.

Valery looked back at Oceansong island, watching it slowly and slowly get smaller. As he looked forward in the distance he could see the light from a ship shining in the vast emptiness of the ocean. “I take it this is your client?”

Randal had been steering the ship towards its destination, he gave Valery a stern nod. “Make sure ya don’t embarrass me. Should be a quick exchange of goods before heading off.” Valery nodded as he shrugged, whatever they were trading wasn’t his business. As long as he was able to get to the next island was all that mattered to him.

Sol slowly walked around the deck of his ship as his crew busied themselves with their tasks, preparing to receive a merchant vessel bearing provisions. He didn’t let his annoyance show, but he couldn’t help but feel a bit irritated that they had to wait so long. He had hoped it would’ve taken half an hour or an hour, tops, and they’d be on their way. Instead, they had wasted two hours doing nothing while they waited for this ship to appear.

“There’s a ship approaching from behind, starboard side!” one of the Marines shouted.

Sol walked over to the starboard side and looked back. As the Marine said, there was a small ship approaching and he found his irritation abating, although only slightly. If there were only a few people crewing the ship, then he figured they couldn’t be completely at fault for being late.

As the smaller ship pulled alongside the much larger Marine ship, Sol approached the gunwale and called down, ”Randal Rockaport, I presume? You’ve kept us waiting. I trust everything is alright?”

Randal sighed audibly, “Indeed, I had a man bail on me last minute. Good riddance either way. Hope all is well with you Captain Maxwell Rakham. Let’s exchange without a moment's haste, I’m sure you and your crew have somewhere to be.”

Valery had been standing to the side, rather still as he watched the captains exchange greetings. Prior to the ships approaching one another he was a bit intrigued by the fact that Randal’s client was the navy. He was pretty interested in this fact as he saw it as the perfect opportunity to gather some intel.

Randals crew connected both ships with a gangplank and began the transfer of goods. Valery assisted as well as he took a large crate and carried it over, his balance was on display as it wasn’t very easy keeping steady on the shifting seas.

Upon placing the first box down he took a better look at this Rakham fellow, his eyes widening at what he saw attached to the man's belt. Immediately he dropped the boxes and placed his hand on the hilt of his own sword.

“I’m only going to ask once…where did you get that sword?” Valery said as he strained the words out of his mouth with a violent hiss.

Sol had been looking over the manifest that Randal had given him when he heard Valery’s question. He slowly turned his head as he fixed his dark eyes on Valery’s. He held his gaze for a moment before he looked down at the young man’s hand on his sword, then met his eyes once again. He handed the manifest to Lieutenant Nelson as he quietly said, ”I don’t see the need to answer that question. Now, I suggest you remove your hand from your weapon and return to your ship or else I’ll have to arrest you for threatening a Marine officer.”

Valery’s gaze didn’t waver in the slightest at Rakham’s threat. He had already steeled his nerves for this moment over the past year. A mixture of emotions filled the boys head, at first it was shock but as he recalled all the moments that happened since he last saw his father, he was overcome by rage. All he needed was confirmation, whether he spoke or not.

“HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?” Randal yelled at the top of his lungs. He was beyond pissed at the situation.

Valery ignored Randal’s comment as he unsheathed his blade. “That sword doesn’t belong to the navy and definitely not on your side. I’ll take it back by force if needed” Val gripped his blade with two hands tightly as he lunged at Rackham.

“Crescent Moon slash!” Valery chanted as he swung the blade underhanded across Rackhams chest with great force.

The attack would never hit its mark. As unhurriedly as if he were simply stepping aside to let someone pass, Sol sidestepped Valery’s attack, his eyes following the blade as it arced past him. “How dare you?!” Lieutenant Nelson shouted at Valery as she reached to unwrap the blade of her glaive.

“At ease, lieutenant,” Sol calmly replied, stopping his second-in-command from joining the fight. “I will handle this matter, myself.” He turned to the soldier he was now standing beside and held his hand out. “Ensign, may I borrow your weapon? Sheathed, please.”

The soldier glanced at the sword at Sol’s side, as if wondering why he wouldn’t simply use that one, but was quick to obey the order as he slid the sword from his belt and handed it to his captain. Sol took the weapon and then moved a couple of paces toward Valery, his body language relaxed and the borrowed sword at his side.

As he regarded the younger swordsman, Sol had an inkling of why Valery was so angry, so desperate to retrieve the sword that hung at his side. That didn’t matter to him, though. The way he saw it, he needed the sword more than this stranger did, at least for now. “Come at me, then,” Sol said as he aimed the sheathed sword at Valery with his right hand. “If you can so much as land a single blow on me or take the sword from my belt, I’ll let you leave with it.”

Valery watched as his sword sailed through the air with no sign of success. The boy halted his momentum by digging his boots hard into the wooden floorboards of the navy ship, kicking up dust before coming to a stop. With haste he returned to a neutral posture, his sword upright as he held it with both hands. His eyes shifted from person to person, as he waited for the other marines to react. He turned his attention first to a blonde haired woman who was the first out of Maxwell's unit to react as she reached for her blade. Before Valery could prepare to counter, Maxwell intervened, referring to the blonde woman as lieutenant.

The captain was taking matters into his own hand as he asked politely to use one of his soldiers' blades. Valery was a bit confused as to why he preferred to use a comparatively inferior weapon in this battle. A myriad of thoughts raced through the boy's head, perhaps he was gauging his strength or even underestimating him based on that first attack. Even more so, Maxwell seemed rather relaxed and confident as he approached Valery. His wager was proof of the man underestimating Valery’s skill as he offered to give back the sword if he was able to land a hit.

“Oh? You’re that confident I can’t land a hit on you?” Valery said in an annoyed tone. His confusion vanished as his expression returned to a fit of rage.

“Alright” Valery said as he lunged forward, once in range he planted his right foot firmly.

“Moonlight Style: Endless Waltz!” He exclaimed before delivering an onslaught of slashes upon his foe without break. The strikes came from all directions and were strung together with notable skill. To the untrained eye, it seemed as though the strikes Valery was executing were nothing more than a fury of brutal swings. Though with someone who possesses experience with a sword or even a well seasoned fighter, a faint tune could be heard as Valery's sword sliced the air. As though he was playing a melody and it’s each swing of a sword a note was being played.

Sol arched an eyebrow as he noticed the quiet tune resounding from Valery’s sword with each swing, surprised he used a form similar to his own. He sidestepped, ducked, and wove between each slice, his eyes darting from Valery’s weapon to his shoulders, and even his feet, taking careful note of the positions of each part of his opponent’s body as he anticipated each strike. Finally, having seen enough, Sol flipped his borrowed weapon in his hand, now holding it in a reverse grip, and blocked an overhead strike. ”Your form’s pretty decent,” he said. ”You’ve had a good teacher. I wouldn’t be surprised if you were the star pupil. However, you’re still much too early to try your hand against someone like me.”

With that, he angled his sword slightly and let Val’s slide down the length of the sheathed blade to get him off balance before he lashed out with his knee, intending to drive it into his chest. His left hand behind his back, he flipped his weapon again and stood at the ready. ”I’m starting to run low on time to entertain you,” he warned. ”I’ll give you two more chances. Come at me.”

A look of shock came over Val’s face as Maxwell evaded each and every attack. He even had enough time to respond and spark a bit of banter.

“Oh y-“was the only thing he could say before his opponent made their move and counter-attacked. As Valery felt himself become off balance and leaned forward for a perfectly placed knee.

“Ghhaah!” He exhaled as he felt the wind get knocked out of his body before flying into one of the cargo crates bought aboard. Val nearly dropped his sword from the blow, barely being able to hold on. Maxwell had his full interest now as he mocked him. “Entertain huh…” Valery muttered under his breath, his legs a bit shaky as he got to his feet, resting his sword on his shoulder as he stepped forward once more.

Maxwell was still holding back clearly, and he’s yet to even take a crack at him with weapon in hand. Valery was annoyed by the fact that he was toying with him.

He shifted his blade once more to face his opponent, extending the tip of the sword.

“I’ll make sure to wrap this up quick then” Valery said as he took a step forward, with a deep inhale he took a low stance as he held his sword to the right side of his body. He then leapt forward with his right one foot with immense speed. His muscles twitched as he brought his sword forward, revealing an attack from the right.

“Moonlight Style: Umbra Revolution!” he shouted, before pivoting with his left foot effectively feinting his attack. Valery spun on the ball of his left foot as he swiped at Maxwell's body from the right.

Sol raised an eyebrow at the feint, but didn’t fall for it. His eyes remained fixed on the point of Valery’s sword as it came at him from the other side and his body moved automatically as he ducked underneath the attack. He felt the wind generated by Valery’s blade ruffle his hair as he let his opponent sail past him.

”Not bad,” he said, ”but even when feinting, you want to commit as if you were going to follow through, or else a more experienced swordsman will see through it, like so.”

He turned to face Valery once more and said, ”One more chance. Don’t waste it.”

Valery jumped back, creating a bit of distance between the two of them. Sheathing his sword and holding it at his side as he faced Maxwell once again. Annoyed by his baits, now he was trying to school him.

“Aye aye Captain” he said, taking a deep breath in. Once more he sat on the balls of his feet. He ever so slightly leaned forward as he gathered energy into his feet and muscles. His left hand rested on the hilt of his sword as he stared, his eyes locked on his opponent. Valery held his position for a couple seconds creating tension in the air as the waves crashed into both ships and the smell of the sea permeated the air.

“Moonlight style Iai: New moon”

As the last word left his lips, Valery had lunged from his location in a flash of white. He reappeared in front of Maxwell, pulling his blade from its sheath . His shoulders were parallel with his foe, along with his feet pointed forward showing his intent to strike down his foe. Valery committed all his might into his final attack as he converted his kinetic energy into his swing. His mark was set on a crossbody slash. With a mighty swing he went through with his attack ending up on the opposite side of Maxwell. The residual force speeding among the members aboard the navy ship in the form of a gust of wind.

Sol didn’t move from his spot as Valery quickly closed the distance between the two of them. Valery’s speed seemed to have taken everyone by surprise, if their shocked faces were anything to go by. Nelson called out to Sol, as if she thought he wouldn’t react fast enough as the streak of white closed in on him.

In truth, to Sol, it was as if everything was moving in slow motion. Despite Valery’s admittedly impressive speed, Sol was able to keep track of him, his eyes never leaving the less-experienced swordsman’s. He watched as Valery’s sword arced toward him, glinting in the sunlight as it closed in. Only at the last possible second did Sol react.

”Symphonic Blade: Sforzando.”

Even faster than Valery had been moving, Sol drew his borrowed sword and parried the iai strike. To the Marines and merchants watching, it would appear as if Sol hadn’t moved at all, yet his sword was suddenly drawn. ”You’re skilled, there’s no doubt about that,” he admitted. ”But you’re still too early. You overestimated yourself, let yourself believe you were capable of more than you currently are. I’m sure you were the best at your dojo, but I’m afraid that doesn’t amount to much out here.”

The sword in Valery’s hand suddenly shattered, shards of steel glinting in the sunlight as they fell to the deck. Sol slowly turned toward Valery as their spectators grew quiet. Holding onto his sword with both hands, he brought it to his shoulders and aimed the tip toward Valery, parallel with the deck. ”You have two choices,” Sol quietly said. ”So long as you hold onto that, even broken as it is, I will consider you armed and I will end this fight. You can either drop your weapon, sacrifice your pride as a swordsman, and be taken into custody or turn around so I may end this properly. I won’t shame myself by striking you from behind.”

In a flash it was all over, as Valery stood behind Rackham, he had a small smirk on his face as a bead of sweat dripped down the side of his face. He knew that he had lost and that he would have to pay the toll.

CRINK! CRINK! CRINK!

His blade began to crumble in multiple areas before shattering into a multitude of pieces upon the ship's deck. Impressed by the swordsmanship of Rackham. Valery was having difficulty even recalling the moment that his foe reacted. All he remembers is everything moving as though he was in slow motion and Rackham was the only one moving regularly. He could have ended his life there if he really wanted, yet he chose to simply disarm him. In hindsight it's clear that he was way in over his head. If this was the man who took his masters head then anyone could have told him this was a fight he surely wouldn’t win. That’s not even taking into consideration the group backing Rackham.

He watched silently with a glare on his face as he stared back at Rackham. His eyes laser focused as he watched the man point his blade out towards him giving him two choices. Be imprisoned and rot away in a cell or to be struck down where he stands. Valery did not even have to think about the options as it was very clear in his mind what his choice was.

He turned around to face Rackham, his back against the railing of the ship. He firmly wrapped his fingers around the broken blade as he spread his arms out exposing his chest. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the expressions on Rockaports face as he watched everything unfold. He was pissed but there was a hint of concern. With a devilish grin, Valery held his head high.

“See you in hell.” Valery rebutted as he awaited judgment.

Sol watched as Valery turned to face him and spread his arms, seemingly accepting of his fate. He couldn’t help but respect the way the less experienced swordsman accepted the difference in their strength, that he had lost. Sol gave Valery a ghost of a smile and said, ”Very well. Out of respect for the way you fought and how you still face me without any fear, I’ll finish this with a showing of my true ability.”

He had been standing with his left side facing Valery, but now changed sides and let his right side take the lead. His right foot pointed toward the less experienced swordsman as Sol lowered his stance slightly. He lowered his sword arm, the blade aimed horizontally behind him as his left hand rested on top of his right wrist, his eyes locked on Valery’s as he pictured the strike he had practiced a thousand times before. ”Symphonic Blade - First Measure…”

He suddenly shot forward, the deck cracking under his feet. To the onlookers, it would appear that he had suddenly disappeared, but Sol made sure he was moving just slow enough for Valery to see what he was doing. Sol closed the distance halfway, then spun, adding momentum to his strike. As the blade arced through the air, leaving a gleaming trail behind it, something akin to a flute could be heard, gradually increasing in volume, the notes somehow coming together to form a cohesive melody that would make one think of the first rays of sunrise.

”...Dawn’s Crescendo.”

The blade came down, slicing diagonally through the air and across Valery’s torso as Sol came to crouch in front of his opponent.

Valery stood there with a borderline demonic grin in his final moments as all he had to take with him into the next life was the pride of a swordsman. Rackham didn’t spare him either as he showcased the gap between the two of them. The young swordsman took note as his pupils widened.

Rackhams stance was firm and strong, lacking any weak points. Within a blink in an eye, he had bridged the gap. It was nearly too fast for Valery but he just barely managed to keep up thanks to his adrenaline. He watched as the sword arced, towards his torso with a gleam of light. The sound of a flute could be heard, the sound transforming into a melody. It was as though he was being welcomed into the afterlife. The tune that Rackham produced was comparatively, much clearer and more precise than the one that Valery created earlier.

The slash made its mark, as the sword sank its blade it Valerys body creating a nasty wound across the boy's body. Rockaports winced and looked away, stifling their breath as the heard Rackhams sword make contact. Rockaport himself didn’t flinch an inch, his expression was stern and cold. Quickly things got rather messy as blood began to spurt out from the boy's chest and his knees began to buckle. Valery dropped to the floor as his life essence began to leak onto the deck.

Before Valery could land, however, Sol reached out and stopped him, catching him in his arm. Looking down at his wounded opponent, Sol realized he had long come to a decision of what to do with him. He could feel Valery’s blood soak into his sleeve as he turned to Rockaport. ”The wound isn’t life-threatening,” he said, ”but he’ll still need medical attention as soon as possible. I trust you have emergency aid supplies on your ship?”

Before Rockaport could reply, Lieutenant Nelson stepped forward. “You can’t be serious!” she said. “He just tried to kill you! If he doesn’t die, he needs to be taken into custody for attacking a Marine officer!”

The gaze Sol fixed on Nelson was enough to make whatever other protest she had die in her throat. The look in his eyes had once more convinced her that his position was no fluke. It was the gaze that brokered no argument. ”Last I checked, I was the captain of this ship, was I not?” he quietly asked. Without waiting for an answer, he carried Valery over to Rockaport and continued, ”Ultimately, whatever decisions are made on this ship are mine to make and I’ll gladly bear the consequences should I decide incorrectly. He may have attacked me. He may have tried to kill me, but as you can see, I am unharmed. Besides that, I feel that he has been punished enough for his mistake.”

He laid Valery on the deck in front of Rockaport and his men as he said, ”There’s an island a few hours from here, to the northeast. Do what you can to care for him until you get there, then find a doctor to tend for him from there. I’ll see to it that you’re well compensated for the trouble.”

Rockaport sighed, then nodded to a couple of his men. As they busied themselves with carrying Valery to their ship, the captain turned to Sol as he pulled his bloodstained coat off and carefully folded it. “Don’t you think you’re being too lenient, sir?” he asked.

”Maybe,” Sol replied as he handed his coat to a crewmember for washing. ”Or maybe I just don’t see the sense in a needless death.” After a moment, he then said, ”If I might trouble you for one more favor, Captain, I would like you to give him a message when he wakes up.”

Rockaport sighed and crossed his arms. “I suppose if it’s just a message, it shouldn’t be a problem. What would you like to say?”

Sol rested his hand on the white-hilted sword on his hip and he could hear the words of a dying man echo through his mind, words that asked him to return the sword to his son. ”Tell him that I’m sorry I couldn’t give this sword to him, but I have need of it, for now,” he quietly said after a long moment. He met Rockaport’s eyes and added, ”Unless he feels that he can wait for me to return it, he’s more than welcome to come find me and attempt to reclaim it once more. Should he choose to do so, however, I won’t hold back.”

---

One Piece: The Devil's Due (Always Accepting!)

---

While the port wasn’t in very good shape, neither was the town, itself. Homes and businesses were run-down in equal measure. Fades signs hung from shops and shutters hung on their hinges or not at all. The few people Luna saw out and about walked with slumped shoulders and spoke in hushed tones, as if they were worried they might be caught saying something they shouldn’t. What struck Luna the most, however, was that the town still bore signs of the vibrance it once had. Cracked planters were overgrown with weeds, but also vibrant flowers that were native to the island, left to grow as wild as the weeds they shared space with. Faded murals adorned the sides of abandoned buildings, some depicting the island from its heyday, when vineyards were numerous and the people were happy. The reminders that things used to be good soured Luna’s mood, but she did her best to keep a lid on her temper.

She and Rufus soon found the bar. Similar to the rest of the town, the bar was run-down and virtually empty, the only occupants being the bartender and a couple of patrons who couldn’t wait until later to start drinking. Luna couldn’t blame them, given what she already knew about the island and the people who now ran it. She and Rufus sat at the bar and the bartender approached them. As they took their seat, Luna felt Rufus nudge her with his elbow and followed his gaze to a poster on the wall. Her eyes met her own as she saw her own wanted poster: “‘Waning Moon’ Luna Nox. Wanted: Dead or Alive.”

“Only sixty million?” she muttered when she saw the number at the bottom of her poster. “That’s kinda disappointing.”

“The point is, they know you’re alive,” Rufus replied in a hushed tone, “so we need to be careful.” A moment later, a thought occurred to him. “Actually…" he muttered thoughtfully. "We play our cards right, we might be able to use that.”

Luna was about to ask how when the bartender approached. He gave Luna a cursory glance, as if curious why she was wearing a cloak, but then seemed to decide asking about it wasn’t worth the trouble. “What’ll it be?”

“A beer for my companion and some water for me,” Rufus replied. As the bartender got to work fulfilling the order, Rufus then said, “My crew and I just pulled into port a little while ago. We heard a lot about this island and the wine you guys made on our voyage, so we were hoping to buy some casks to take home with us, but it looks like you’ve hit some hard times.”

The bartender scoffed as he filled the glasses. “Guess I’m not surprised you haven’t heard. After the government turned Eclipsis to glass, it’s been hard for us to reclaim our old glory,” he muttered sullenly. “A few years ago, these pirates showed up and decided to make themselves at home. They booted the governor from his home and put any naysayers to the sword. Their captain, Sam Low, is a power user, a damn strong one, at that, so there wasn’t much any of us could do.”

He set the filled glasses on the bar and leaned against it. As Luna picked up her beer and brought it to her lips, the bartender said, “The empire never would’ve let this happen to us. If any pirates tried this fifteen years ago, the Legion would’ve had the captain’s head within hours.”

Luna shared a glance with Rufus before the latter turned back to the bartender. He placed some money on the bar, along with a little extra, and said, “Thanks for the info. We’ll let our captain know what’s going on and get out of your hair.”

The bartender looked at the money before sliding it into his hand. “Yeah, sure,” he said. “Just do yourselves a favor and get out of here as soon as you can. If the bastard’s men or his golems catch wind that there’s new prey in the harbor, you might not make it out of here in one piece.”

A little while later, the pair finished their drinks and left the bar. ”Well, that told us jack-shit,” Luna said as she stretched her arms over her head. ”All he did was tell us what we already knew.”

“You weren’t listening very well, then,” Rufus replied teasingly. “At least we know that the pirate captain has a Devil Fruit power. As for which one, I’m pretty sure I’ve read about it, but I’ll need to head back to the ship to double check.”

”You do that,” Luna said, already several paces away. ”I’m gonna take a walk around.”

Rufus opened his mouth to argue, but decided against it with a sigh. He may not have known Luna very long, but he already knew that trying to persuade her to do anything else when she already had her mind set on something was pointless. “Just don’t get into too much trouble!” he called after her, which Luna responded to with a raised hand.

One Piece: The Devil's Due (Always Accepting!)

---

”Oh, come on, I thought I was done hiding,” Luna complained as she inspected the cloak she now wore. ”Do I really have to wear this thing?”

“Afraid so,” Rufus replied as he pulled Luna’s hood over her head. “The rest of us should be fine. The only person the Navy got a good look at besides you was Marcus. Not many half-Minks, let alone people with white hair, so you’ll stand out like a sore thumb.”

“Now, remember,” Galen said as he approached the two, “don’t do anything reckless until we’ve stocked up on supplies and gathered some information. It’ll make things harder on us if a fight breaks out before then.”

”Aye, aye,” Luna said drily, giving Galen a half-hearted salute before she turned to follow Rufus down the gangplank and onto the dock.

The port was in a state of disrepair. The wood the dock was made of was broken in places and weak in others. Rufus let out a surprised yelp as a plank gave out under his foot and Luna had to stifle a laugh as she helped him up. “This place has seen better days,” Rufus muttered as he brushed himself off. He looked around and came to a realization. “Wait…where is everyone?”

Luna looked around and saw that, aside from a few dock workers, a couple of whom were talking to Galen, there was virtually no one around. The stone warehouses and port authority sported broken windows, cracked facades, and even missing doors here and there. The ground was uneven with weeds growing between cracks in the stone. ”Guess this is what happens when your town’s being run by pirates,” Luna muttered, feeling a mixture of anger and sadness for this piece of her ancestral territory. ”People leave and things go to shit.”

“Hey, is that smoke?” one of the dockworkers asked. Luna looked over her shoulder to see a burly man talking with his friend, the two of them looking to the sky.

Luna followed their gaze and saw the source of the stench of smoke she picked up earlier, a tower of black smoke reaching far into the sky. “Yep, that it is,” the other worker said. “I heard that the Aurelius family couldn’t make this week’s payment. Guess that’s their vineyard burning. It’s a damn shame, I heard they just had a baby, too.”

The first worker scoffed and muttered, “What’re they thinking? If they burn down all the vineyards that can’t keep up with their ridiculous terms, they’re not gonna have enough wine to drink, let alone sell.”

“Hey.” Luna turned her head to see that Rufus had already walked a few paces ahead. He nodded down the main thoroughfare, silently beckoning his captain to follow. Luna relaxed her clenched fists and breathed out as she followed after her vice captain. Rufus placed his hand on her shoulder as they walked and he quietly told her, “Keep your head. Remember what Galen said, don’t do anything rash until we know more.”

”No promises,” Luna grumbled. After a moment, she added, ”Let’s find a bar. I need a drink and we can start asking around.”

“You’re the boss, Captain.”

One Piece: The Devil's Due (Always Accepting!)

---

A couple of days later, Luna was napping on the topdeck of the ship, her back against the port gunwale. It was late afternoon and the gunwale gave her just enough shade to avoid the worst of the sun. Her nap, however, was interrupted by a firm kick to the thigh. She opened her eyes to see Rufus standing there, looking down at her. “Sleeping well, princess?” he asked. “Nothing else for you to do?”

”Hey, I’ve tried,” Luna replied as she stretched her arms over her head. ”Up until now, the only thing I’ve ever sailed in was a little boat. It was about all I could do to make sure I was going in the right direction. Working on a full-sized ship is completely different. I don’t really feel like getting laughed at when I end up tangled up in the shrouds, again, and Erik’s already banned me from helping in the kitchen. You start one little fire and you’re suddenly not allowed within sight of any pots or pans.”

“Way I hear it, it took three people to put out that fire,” Rufus muttered, before quickly shutting up when he caught Luna’s glare. He crouched next to her and said, “Alright, Erik and his kitchen notwithstanding, you know it’ll only take a little bit of practice to get used to doing everything else, right?”

”Of course I do,” the half-Mink captain sighed. ”And I promise, I will. It’s just better for everyone if I take some time to myself when I get frustrated. Otherwise, I tend to get zappy…or punchy…or both…”

Whatever Rufus was going to say was lost when Luna suddenly jumped to her feet, her nose tilted upward as she sniffed the air. She ran toward the bow of the ship and continued to smell the air. ”I think I smell…grapes?” she muttered. A moment later, she realized that was exactly it; the scent of grapes, warming in the afternoon sun. Something about it brought a powerful sense of nostalgia.

“That’s some nose you’ve got,” Rufus said as he joined Luna at the bow. “We must be getting close.” He turned back toward the crew and shouted, “Start getting ready to pull into port! The captain’s smelling Bacchus!”

Not too long afterward, a landmass gradually began to appear over the horizon. It wasn’t a small island, but it wasn’t large, either. Rocky cliffs rose above the water and a collection of buildings could soon be seen around a rather large port, relative to the island’s size, where a few ships were docked. One in particular stood out to Luna, due to its size, but because of the distance, she couldn’t make out anything else about it.

The rest of the island was covered in rolling green hills, the verdancy interrupted by the facades of buildings and walls, which Luna assumed were the vineyards. At the very top of the hill, sitting above the town and the vineyards, was what appeared to be a large complex, almost a palace, as if whoever lived there wanted everyone to know just how much more important they were than everyone else.

“So, that’s Bacchus, huh?” Luna muttered. ”It doesn’t look too bad…”

“Just wait,” Galen replied, having appeared behind Luna and Rufus. “After we’ve docked, you and Rufus can look around town while the rest of us stock up on supplies. Get an idea of just how bad things are.”

Luna nodded and turned back toward the island. As they drew closer, she realized she could smell something else with the grapes. Something all too familiar to her.

Smoke…?