Wealth, Adventure, and the Open Sea: A One Piece RP.(Arc 4: Porte Carlo.)

[CounterAttack]

Sammi had perfectly guessed Marielle's intention. If she wanted to learn more about herself, who she really was, then the best way to do that would be through travelling to other places. Maybe someone on another island would recognise her... Sammi had mentioned Porte Carlo. Marielle had heard the name but never been there herself.

The warnings Sammi gave made sense: stay sharp, this is a major change... you're going to have to do a lot of fighting. That was the biggest worry Marielle had. She was fine with the fighting, but the act of taking lives made her stomach feel like it was about to backflip. The first lives she had ended had been in the battle earlier that day, and remembering them was uncomfortable.

"I... I get that joining you guys is a big thing. But I don't have anything tying me down here any more... but it's the fighting and the - the killing - " Marielle felt herself struggle to get that word out " - that makes me stop to think. It's either join up and see the seas for myself, or stay here when you leave and maybe live as normal a life as I could hope for. Right now, the first option is looking mighty tempting." But the fact that she would have to fight was stopping her from fully committing to that decision.

 

[Mr. Omega]

Peter arrived at the dock they were preparing the ship at. By this point, most of it was covered in iron and steel. "OK, the plates needed for the mast should be much smaller, so it won't take much longer for the exterior. Seems most of the work is interior now..." he walked up the gangplank, stepping inside. The first floor seemed completely untouched, but once he went down the stairs, the entire ship looked completely hollowed out except the floor. Various people were welding huge chunks of metal together to form walls, and there seemed to be a third floor beneath them.

"Very nice... everything seems to be progressing along nicely." He walked up to one person working on it. "Now you managed to get that furnace I requested?" The worker seemed a little nervous "Yeah, we got one. You sure about this?" "Oh, just tell him Harligold's men stole it..." Peter shrugged. "And how about the scrap?"

The worker shrugged as well "We had some boys pick up as many rifles and swords along the ground in the south. Don't know what you'd want with all that..." Peter seemed satisfied, walking back to the upward stairs. "Easy to get raw material always tends to make my life easier. I should have enough scrap metal and gunpowder for a long time..."

He went back to the upstairs, checking through the captain's quarters. On the trip to Lasklee, while they were sailing there, he had emptied the contents of his older, smaller ship and brought as much as he could here. Inside a desk that had various small bits of strange machinery were a large pile of blueprints. "And now that I have enough space to work from, I can really get started..."

He sighed "Shame I busted my ammo maker making so many explosive rounds last night. Thankfully only the explosive round maker seems to have stopped functioning, and I know how to make a new one. Gonna have to ask for someone to get some materials for me in Porte Car...-" as he spoke, he felt a jolt of pain run up his sides, and he clutched his shoulder, then his knee. After a couple seconds, he took a deep breath and sighed.

"Harligold hit me pretty hard... between the headbutt, the explosions, falling off a collapsing building, and the backlash from those shells, I gotta commend Alaena for what she was able to do. Seems to mostly be bruising and cracked bones. The adrenaline has worn off after the patch up, so I missed most of the pain, but it still really fucking stings... gonna have to take it easy for a bit..."

He took a seat for a couple minutes before walking outside "One of the others can get the stuff for me. As long as we're quick, we can probably get in and out of Porte Carlo with no problems. Or at least minimal problems."

 

[Fragrance of Mtn Dew]

It looked to Hal like the battle had shaken Marielle up quite a bit. Had she accidentally killed someone? Her power looked like it packed a punch for sure, so that wasn't entirely out of the question. Hal always felt he had the justification to kill on the rare occasions that he did so he never let it bother him all that much. Marielle didn't feel the same apparently. That sounds familiar.... Where have I heard that before?

After thinking about it for awhile, Hal remembered that he and Yoje had had a similar disagreement at the docks the other day. Having people around that felt the same as her might put her at ease a bit. Maybe Yoje could even teach her how to fight without killing. At the very least, he was proof that a way for Marielle to fight without killing existed.

"You know.... You don't have to kill people when you fight. If you're careful enough, it can be avoided. Like with that tail chick. It looked like you were doin' alright against her, and she's still alive I think." Hal offered before deciding that that was a kind of weak argument and moving on. "And then there's Yoje. He kicked some pretty serious ass today and he didn't kill a single person. Maybe he could help you out. Anyway, the fighting is probably inevitable but the killing part sure ain't."

 

[NeoAC]

Sammi nodded along with Hal. "Yeah, really it's up to you. I mean personally, I take 'em out. In this business, you don't know who's going to live up to their word and who's going to take you out the second you turn their back on them. That's why if I get an enemy down, I'm making damn sure they stay down. But I know that style isn't for everyone.

I don't know why you're so worried about the fighting though, Mari. You did pretty good out there today. I couldn't have even lasted long enough to fight that big bastard if you weren't there."

 

[CounterAttack]

Marielle was under no illusions. She knew there'd be fighting... probably worse fighting than the battles in which she had fought to defend Lasklee. It was killing someone that concerned her. Her shockwaves could be applied with lethal force, and had been twice, since that fishman hadn't gotten up again after she had put him down.

"You give me too much credit, Sammi. If that poisoner hadn't hit you with... whatever it was, you'd have probably killed her and played a much bigger part in that other fight," she answered hesitantly, still thinking over what had been said. She knew she didn't have to kill her opponents, but her power was clearly designed to help with ending lives. On the other hand, Sammi's logic made sense... perhaps she could talk to thie Yoje that Hal mentioned, and find a way to avoid killing as much as possible.

With that and the rest of the conversation in mind, Marielle turned her attention to the decision she had to make. She could stay here in the ruined Lasklee, and perhaps help to rebuild it, or she could join up with these strangely benevolent pirates and make something of herself... maybe even learn more about herself, who she really was and why her memories were missing. That did it for her. She wanted to know what had happened to her before Lasklee.

"Right..." she began, a little nervous about what she had to say, but still determined to go through with it. "I think I know what I want to do. I want to join you guys."

 

[Mr. Omega]

Peter was heading through the streets of Lasklee now, looking around at what had happened. He took a couple minor supplies from his drawer, but mostly for the task he was aiming for. He went to a nearby shop and walked inside, helping himself to a flag. "Perfect... can't be a pirate crew without our own flag. Come to think of it, this crew needs a name. And so will the ship." he walked outside with his newly acquired items.

"'K, got some paint and some things to keep the lines straight... now what should I draw?" he muttered to himself, not noticing the others as he walked by them.

 

[Fragrance of Mtn Dew]

Hearing Marielle decide to join the crew caused a wide grin to spread across Hal's face. He had been a little worried for a bit there, but he was genuinely happy to see Marielle take the opportunity presented to her. Plus if he did decide to join as well, more people on the crew would mean less fighting and danger for him. It was a win-win for everybody. "Well, I think that this and our victory over Harligold definitely calls for a celebration! Is there a bar around here that's still open? Drinks are on me, of course! Although, maybe we oughta talk to Peter first..."

Shortly after those words left his mouth, Hal spotted Peter walking past them out of the corner of his eye. "Oh, how's that for good timing? OI! PETER!!" He called out and waved to get Peter's attention. "C'mere! We gotta talk to you!"

 

[NeoAC]

Sammi started to smile. She was happy Marielle had decided to come along. Not only for herself, but this meant for the first time, she wouldn't be the only woman on a crew, which would be a nice change.

She took a long pull from her glass, finishing it off in one swig. Hal brought up heading to a bar, and that agreed with Sammi 100%. Peter came by, he could surely join in. "Yeah Captain, get over here!" She put her arm around Marielle. "We got a new recruit for ya!"

 

[Mr. Omega]

Peter heard the two call out to him, smiling as he walked over to them. "Hey guys. I see you managed to find Marielle. You three been having a good talk while I was busy? And what are you all planning on doing now?"

He then turned to Marielle "So you plan on joining this crew? Well, that's good to hear. I just wanted to make sure you were sure about it. This isn't going to be easy, and at times it can get unpleasant. I trust the other two have explained that to you for you to still come to this decision. So... out of curiosity, why exactly have you decided to come with us?"

 

[CounterAttack]

While Marielle had been expecting the question from Peter, she had not had all that much time to formulate an answer. Still, repeating what she had to Sammi and Hal would work. "I don't think that much is tying me to Lasklee any more: the family I'd had left before Harligold and his followers arrived. So now all that's here for me is... well, very little. Old memories more than anything."

"All I have is the pack on my back and my Devil Fruit power, but hopefully that will be enough. Sammi can attest to the effectiveness of my ability," she continued. "By joining up with your crew, I intend to travel, and learn more about the world we live in... and about myself, with luck." Marielle paused there for a moment, quickly debating whether or not she should tell Peter about her lack of history. It couldn't hurt to just give him the basics, she reasoned.

"I say that last part because, well, I know nothing about my past before the three years I've spent in Lasklee. I don't know who I am, how I got here or where I came from," she added as an explanation. "Hopefully someone can explain that to me. Things like this don't happen for no reason."

Marielle wasn't sure of what else to say, so she fell silent, awaiting Peter's judgement. Hopefully she had convinced him to take her on, at least partially. She didn't doubt that as a newcomer, she'd be watched to make sure that she wasn't about to double-cross the crew or something.

 

[Mr. Omega]

He listened to Marielle speak, taking a moment to think it over. "A journey of self-discovery... I can respect that." Peter said, smiling as he extended his hand out. "Welcome aboard." He then gestured to Sammi and Hal "So what about you two? You got any plans?"

 

[Fragrance of Mtn Dew]

"I dunno about these two, but I'm looking for a bar that hasn't been wrecked." Hal told Peter when he asked about their plans. "Drinks are on me if ya wanna come with! I wouldn't have made nearly as much money here if it weren't for you guys, so it's the least I can do."

"Oh, yeah. That reminds me. I've been considering your offer to join up with you guys and.... Well, I think I'll take you up on that on a couple of conditions. For starters, I'm sure you may have noticed that I kinda suck at fighting. I can handle your average thug every now and then, but if we go up against more monsters like Harligold and his crew... Well, I know I'm gonna have no choice but to do it from time to time, but I'd prefer it if you kept me out of it when possible. In return, let me handle getting supplies for you guys and stuff like that. I'll get you the best stuff I can find for the lowest prices I can manage. Obviously, I don't expect you to totally trust me with money so I'll have a ledger that I'll keep a record of all transactions in. And you can send someone to keep an eye on me if you want too. It's all good." Hal's expression turned unusually serious as he outlined his idea for Peter. He had been thinking about just what sort of use he could be to a pirate crew for awhile now, and this was the best he had come up with.

"Second, I'm gonna be running my own business on the side. Taking care of supplies and stuff will come first, I promise. I'll mostly be doing it in my spare time, I just thought I oughta let you know. Anyway, that's how I think we'll work together best. Sound good pal?" Hal asked with a slightly nervous grin, hoping Peter wouldn't have any problems with his offer.

 

[tsatoma]

Deciding to forgo heading straight back to the inn, Alaena wandered around the city to assess the damage that had been done. The southern areas were certainly in the most dire situation, most of the buildings torn from cannon fire. The citizens of Lasklee were already working to fix all the damaged buildings though, and a surprising amount of progress had already been made.

'You should never underestimate what people can do. Especially when almost the whole town comes to help,' Alaena thought once she started to head back up north, happy that the people should be able to thrive now that the two threats to it were eliminated. 'At least for now. I hope that the citizens now feel they can defend themselves after helping to fight off Harligold and his men.'

Her attention drifted back to the street a head of her where she noticed Peter, Hal, Sammi, and Marielle were loitering in. She slowed down her walk as she got closer to them, greeting them slightly before staying quiet in case she was intruding on something.

 

[NeoAC]

"What you think I'm not looking for a bar?" Sammi asked Hal almost surprised. "Look at this!" She held up the emptied glass and turned it upside down. "This is empty. That needs to be fixed! So let's find some place to fix it! Besides, we gotta show Mari how we do celebrations in this crew!" She still had her arm around Mari and shook her to emphasize her latest point. Alaena had emerged from the night while they were talking and Sammi gave a quick wave to the woman who fixed her up.

 

[CounterAttack]

"Thank you... Captain," Marielle answered with a small smile, accepting the handshake. It felt slightly weird addressing someone she barely knew as her superior, but she figured that that would pass in time. Instead of speaking further, she turned her attention to the comments from Hal and Sammi. She flinched a little when Sammi playfully shook her, not expecting the action, but didn't throw the hand off. She was, after all, trying to befriend the people with whom she would soon be travelling.

"Um... sure, I wouldn't say no to a few drinks," she chipped in, a little apprehensive about visiting a bar with her new comrades but still a little excited.

 

[Xero Scythe]

Grana looked at Yoje, uncertain. "Huh? What did I do to tick him off? Whatever. Just try to not alienate one of your few friends, Grana." Grana whistled as he heard Yoje rattle off the strengths of Rokushiki. "Well. It sounds like that martial art of yours has got everything covered. Hard and soft defense, long and short range, plus rapid movement as well as a three dimensional battle field. That last one scares me the most, honestly. Whoever created that style knew what he was doing." Grana ordered a steak as the waiter came around to him. After the man left to get the food, Grana's mind flicked back to the battles they had just fought, and something didn't click. "Wait... Alaena completely destroyed Yarrakona. The Marine also saw to it that he wouldn't get back up. And yet he was then able to hold off our assault, as well as fight with Harligold."

No matter how he phrased it, Inshi was heavily in debt to the grey tyrant. "He should most definitely be dead by now. So how was he able to fight Hal at full strength? Dammit, humans just don't heal...that...fast." An idea arced though Grana's mind, as if propelled by lightning. It lit up the inside of his skull with the desperate need of hope. "Inshi must have some kind of super medicine that can heal wounds! That's the only way he's not dead! Oh, he better damn well have some left!" Grana looked at Yoje. Grana didn't expect much resistance, but just in case, it would be good to have someone with him who could fight. "Say... After this, do you want to head on down to the Oyster Resort? I reckon Oyabun was holding out on some of his goods, and I think he owes us after all that happened. What do you say?"

 

[GoWithDAFro]

Yoje shook his head. "No thanks, Grana. After I eat, I want to get some rest. Maybe I'll practice the Iron Body a little, but that's it. Besides, we have enough stuff right now, and I'm sure the Yarrakonas already gathered up whatever was left at the Resort anyway. You should probably be resting yourself."

 

[Mr. Omega]

Peter nodded, following them to the bar, shrugging off the occasional shots of pain up his sides. "So Hal, if I gave you a list of supplies to pick up in Porte Carlo, could I count on you to get them and get them back to the ship?" He then turned and saw Alaena. "Hey there! Still up at this hour? C'mon, the night is still young!"

 

[tsatoma]

Alaena thought over whether to accompany Peter and the few other members of the crew to a bar. "I am sort of hungry," she replied, tying the top of her bag up before following. It would be good to at least show some camaraderie with the people she'd be traveling with, and it wasn't like she was planning on doing anything once she made it back to her room at the inn. 'Other than dose myself up on pills and finally have a good night's rest. It can still be done later I suppose,' she thought, noting that Peter seemed to still be suffering from his injuries.

"Peter, you okay there? Do you need something for the pains? I have more than enough pain meds if you need any," she told him, coasting along until they sat down at the bar with her following suit.

 

[Fragrance of Mtn Dew]

"Alright, alright just calm down for a second and I'll get that glass of yours filled up again..." Hal told Sammi with a chuckle as he greeted Alaena with a tip of his hat. He resumed scanning the streets for signs of a place with some booze. Eventually, he spotted one and made a beeline for it. It didn't look to be in great shape but neither was much else in this town and beggars couldn't be choosers.

He and the others sat down at the bar and Hal signaled the bartender over to them. "Oi, gimme a glass of the best whiskey ya got pal! And I'm covering for these guys, so give em whatever they want and send the bill to me." Hal loosened his tie as he ordered and snagged the drink eagerly as it was handed to him. "Ah yeah, that's the good stuff..."

Once he was satisfied with the drink he had received, he turned his attention back to Peter's request. It was going to be risky for him to go out and get supplies at Porte Carlo but as long as he laid low and was quick about it, he didn't think he'd get too much trouble. "Yeah, I could definitely do that! Just tell me what you need, and I'll get the best of it. Might take me a bit since I'll have to avoid Marines when possible, but my bounty isn't that high so that shouldn't be much of an issue."