One Piece: An Odyssey

[Shalashaska]

This fight was already over before it started. The initial adrenaline rush that he had was being suppressed by the medication though it seemed like he was somehow able to block the incoming attack in time. The mercenary should've just stayed on the ground rather than keep pushing himself but he just stood up with his blade held outwards towards Roma. Hayden looked like he was just going to pass out at any given moment, but tried to stand tall. "You...I don't like fighting opponents that aren't able to use their full strength. You aren't going to win so why fight?" The plasma spear in his hand dissipated into glittering lights before fading away. "What is this Ai person to you? Is she really worth fighting in your half assed state?"

Blinking, Hayden glared murderous daggers at Roma.

"She's just my fucking companion... associate thing... person... We're not even friends, so why don't you lay off?!" Hayden half-questioned, half-demanded as his ears seemed to redden. He did not have time to deal with the bullshit assumptions of others and all their Goddamn implications. "She was literally just trying to kill me a few days ago, God!" The mercenary shouted as he ran his fingers through his hair and he glared at Roma.

"Where the fuck do you get off trying to imply that I... We... She and I... are... Fuck you, man! I don't... God... My head feels funny..." Hayden mumbled as he leaned back against the wall and slowly slid down to the ground, sitting quietly as he fell asleep with his eyes open.

 

[Hatakekuro]

Blinking, Hayden glared murderous daggers at Roma.

"She's just my fucking companion... associate thing... person... We're not even friends, so why don't you lay off?!" Hayden half-questioned, half-demanded as his ears seemed to redden. He did not have time to deal with the bullshit assumptions of others and all their Goddamn implications. "She was literally just trying to kill me a few days ago, God!" The mercenary shouted as he ran his fingers through his hair and he glared at Roma.

"Where the fuck do you get off trying to imply that I... We... She and I... are... Fuck you, man! I don't... God... My head feels funny..." Hayden mumbled as he leaned back against the wall and slowly slid down to the ground, sitting quietly as he fell asleep with his eyes open.

This guy certainly was a mess. Whether it was the drugs that made him loopy or he really a nutcase was up in the air though Roma suspected that it was the first option. Whoever this Ai woman is certainly was important to this Hayden guy despite how confused he looked. The mercenary suddenly passed out from the effects of the drugs that The Doctor injected into him now that the adrenaline rush that he was going through finally faded away. As of now this guy was completely out cold. It would've been effortless to kill him in such a defenseless state, but no, that kind of behavior would've left a bad taste in his mouth. Roma can tell from his brief exchange of attacks that this guy was strong and experienced, much more experienced in combat than Roma himself. To kill an opponent such as himself when he wasn't at the top of his game would've been reprehensible. Roma sighed and knelt down as he picked up Hayden before tossing him onto his shoulder. "Make no mistake, I'm not a merciful man. I just hate to see strong guys like you go to waste."

The captain carried Hayden back to The Doctor's office and laid him back down on one of the beds. He turned to The Doctor, motioning for him to come over to his side. "This man, you would do best to put restraints on him." Roma looked down at Hayden and finally got a good look at him; he must've taken one hell of a beating before hand and then getting treated by The Doctor. It made it even the more impressive that he was even able to fight Roma in his condition. "Doc, what's his story? Who the hell gave him that beating?"

 

[samreaper]

This guy certainly was a mess. Whether it was the drugs that made him loopy or he really a nutcase was up in the air though Roma suspected that it was the first option. Whoever this Ai woman is certainly was important to this Hayden guy despite how confused he looked. The mercenary suddenly passed out from the effects of the drugs that The Doctor injected into him now that the adrenaline rush that he was going through finally faded away. As of now this guy was completely out cold. It would've been effortless to kill him in such a defenseless state, but no, that kind of behavior would've left a bad taste in his mouth. Roma can tell from his brief exchange of attacks that this guy was strong and experienced, much more experienced in combat than Roma himself. To kill an opponent such as himself when he wasn't at the top of his game would've been reprehensible. Roma sighed and knelt down as he picked up Hayden before tossing him onto his shoulder. "Make no mistake, I'm not a merciful man. I just hate to see strong guys like you go to waste."

The captain carried Hayden back to The Doctor's office and laid him back down on one of the beds. He turned to The Doctor, motioning for him to come over to his side. "This man, you would do best to put restraints on him." Roma looked down at Hayden and finally got a good look at him; he must've taken one hell of a beating before hand and then getting treated by The Doctor. It made it even the more impressive that he was even able to fight Roma in his condition. "Doc, what's his story? Who the hell gave him that beating?"

With Ai passing out; The doctor, after doing another brief check-up made his way to his desk where he poured himself a glass of scotch. Taking a long, slow sip, the burning in his throat an soothing relief after a long hard day as he held the cool glass to his forehead with his left hand and let out a sigh. He just wanted this day to end, but needed to quickly write down the anatomy of Ai's leg while it was still fresh in his mind and took out a journal to sketch down all the fine details, while the ruckus from outside seemed to die down.

The fight seemed to ended already, brief as it was; at least it was over so he could relax, but that thought was gone faster than it came with his captain entering his office with a passed out Hayden over his shoulders. Seeing Roma calling him over and nearly snapped the pencil he held in half before making his way over, glass of scotch in hand.' Fine, but patch up any damage you idiots did to each other. right after I just patched this dumb fuck too.'Muttering the last bit before taking a sip then made his way to one of the tables that had an assortment of drawers to grab some leather bands.' No idea, this guy who was half dead stumbled his way to me on the streets, begging me to heal his...'associate' and here we are.'The way he said associate showed his doubts of what the woman meant to Hayden as he worked on strapping the arms and legs down to the bed, giving just enough leeway so he could slightly move his limbs to prevent cramping.

 

[Hatakekuro]

With Ai passing out; The doctor, after doing another brief check-up made his way to his desk where he poured himself a glass of scotch. Taking a long, slow sip, the burning in his throat an soothing relief after a long hard day as he held the cool glass to his forehead with his left hand and let out a sigh. He just wanted this day to end, but needed to quickly write down the anatomy of Ai's leg while it was still fresh in his mind and took out a journal to sketch down all the fine details, while the ruckus from outside seemed to die down.

The fight seemed to ended already, brief as it was; at least it was over so he could relax, but that thought was gone faster than it came with his captain entering his office with a passed out Hayden over his shoulders. Seeing Roma calling him over and nearly snapped the pencil he held in half before making his way over, glass of scotch in hand.' Fine, but patch up any damage you idiots did to each other. right after I just patched this dumb fuck too.'Muttering the last bit before taking a sip then made his way to one of the tables that had an assortment of drawers to grab some leather bands.' No idea, this guy who was half dead stumbled his way to me on the streets, begging me to heal his...'associate' and here we are.'The way he said associate showed his doubts of what the woman meant to Hayden as he worked on strapping the arms and legs down to the bed, giving just enough leeway so he could slightly move his limbs to prevent cramping.

"Eh, none of us got hurt. The idiot passed out from the meds you gave him. Next time you should use a horse tranquilizer on him." He said half jokingly, chuckling slightly. Still this guy was tenacious enough to withstand the drugs in his system and to fight like he did was still impressive. The battle between the two of them would've certainly lasted longer and would've brought injuries to the both of them. Then he would certainly feel the wrath of The Doctor...and that is something that he for the sake of his life wanted to avoid. It seemed like Hayden cared for this woman more than he did for himself, but their relation was still unknown. He sighed and shook his head. "I was hoping that you would know. Thanks anyway." Roma turned around and began to walk towards the door and then his eyes widened and he realized that he forgot something. He turned to look at The Doctor and gave him a wide grin. "And thanks for treating everyone else, but more importantly thanks for stopping me yesterday. My actions nearly got us killed so I appreciate what you've done for me. Anyway, when that idiot wakes up let me know. I'd like to have a talk with him." Before The Doctor could say anything Roma walked out the door. From outside he could be heard barking orders to the crew outside.

 

[samreaper]

"Eh, none of us got hurt. The idiot passed out from the meds you gave him. Next time you should use a horse tranquilizer on him." He said half jokingly, chuckling slightly. Still this guy was tenacious enough to withstand the drugs in his system and to fight like he did was still impressive. The battle between the two of them would've certainly lasted longer and would've brought injuries to the both of them. Then he would certainly feel the wrath of The Doctor...and that is something that he for the sake of his life wanted to avoid. It seemed like Hayden cared for this woman more than he did for himself, but their relation was still unknown. He sighed and shook his head. "I was hoping that you would know. Thanks anyway." Roma turned around and began to walk towards the door and then his eyes widened and he realized that he forgot something. He turned to look at The Doctor and gave him a wide grin. "And thanks for treating everyone else, but more importantly thanks for stopping me yesterday. My actions nearly got us killed so I appreciate what you've done for me. Anyway, when that idiot wakes up let me know. I'd like to have a talk with him." Before The Doctor could say anything Roma walked out the door. From outside he could be heard barking orders to the crew outside.

Listening to his captain prattle on about using horse tranquilizers on the man, the fool clearly not knowing just how strong the sedatives he used. This Hayden most likely built up a resistance to such drugs from constant use; only way to explain how he forced himself up like that. Whatever, now that he was done and wanted nothing more than to sleep, but it seemed Roma wasn't finished as the man went on to thank him from doing something that would of gotten them all killed, mostly himself.

He had nothing to say regarding that since it was done with and downed the last of the scotch.'I'll see to getting that blood sample later. Guess I should take some from Hayden as well.'Wiping his mouth off with a shrug before setting the glass down at his desk; opening the journal to jot down the last bit to the sketch of Ai's leg. Closing the book once he was done, yawning as he headed to his hammock and slid in to drift off to a much needed sleep.

 

[Shoske]

Roy looked down at the large chunks of wood ripped out of the floorboards. On his back was the giant bag filled with various tools and materials for his future projects. He knew Roma said to bring in the others, but he figured this bag held more value than the knocked out people. He rubbed the wood where the chunks had been ripped out. He raised his fist and punched through the wood board, ripping it out. Roy walked away for a moment and came back with another wood board and a few nails. He replaced the wood board, still with the gigantic bag on his back. Unknowingly, he was blocking the hallway but it didn't matter to him at the moment since the ship came first.

 

[Hatakekuro]

It was many hours since they left that pirate island. Apparently Ayame ran off to do her own thing so now they were short of a navigator, which sucks for them considering they need one or else they'll get lost once they're in more complicated parts of the world. For now Roma can lead them through these calm waters, but for how long he can pull it off was uncertain. Not to mention that blue haired woman ran out on them after getting treated for her sprained ankle. If it wasn't for the fact that Roma came back with a crew then today would've been a complete loss for him. Roma sighed and looked up at the blanket of stars above them that the night offered. At least while he was steering the ship the clear sky of the night would keep him company.

 

[samreaper]

The sea, like the cloudless sky was calm with only the faint crashing from the gentle waves hitting against the ship. Leaving a crisp, salty scent in the air as those of the crew and others slept or kept to themselves to do their own thing. Only the moon and twinkling stars illuminated the way; a dim outline came into Roma's view at first as he could see it growing larger by the second.

Like a ghost appearing out of nowhere, the huge ship appeared alongside the Decateur, where multiple lamps suddenly burst to life, revealing the pirate ship in its fullness. Before the man could react, countless hatches along its side opened until those on the deck would see nearly a hundred cannons aimed at the ship.

Spoiler

A clear sign that the unknown ship before them could easily take them out in a heartbeat, which was strange that they had not already fired as the silence was broken by a loud feedback. From atop the mast rested megaphones connected to a den den mushi held by one of the mystery crewmembers; again a loud feedback echoed causing any who heard it wince in pain or to stir from sleep.' Testing...testing *loud exhaling* Ah good. Seems to be working.'The man speaking made sure to test it before clearing his throat.'Frightfully sorry for disturbing you and your sleeping crew this night. Now I'd like to offer a cease and desist for we do not want a fight.'The man adjusting the snail in his hand, his breathing easily heard.'Now on to business then shall we? If it wouldn't be a bother, we would like for the captain to board our ship to speak with our own and to be fair. The captain may bring only one other with him for our captain merely wishes to speak. Please lower your sail if you accept these proposals.'A slow, heavy exhale followed by a brief pause.' We will wait five minutes and I would kindly advise against a battle, otherwise we shall not hesitate to fire upon your vessel and I do very well apologize once more for this trouble.'An audible click from the snail being hung up showed the message was done and to show they were good on their word, had the cannons aimed at the ship aimed up somewhat.

All while this was going on, the crewmembers were muttering to each other in confusion as they were nervous, yet perplexed at not the message, but the person's kind mannerism. It was less a threat, more a warning, though doubted they weren't joking around. It was loud enough that it made impossible for those not in a deep sleep to continue with their slumber as The Doctor made his way sleepily to the deck with a loud yawn. Scratching at his head as he yawned, mumbling about the loud noise disturbing his sleep.'Hmmmm....what the fuck is going on.'A slight slur of his words as the man was still in the midst of waking up before lifting his head to spot the flag showing a male head with long hair and a top hat resting atop the head. What caught his attention the most was that dopey grin and scar going diagonally over the face.

Well...this isn't good.'Scratching at his head as he had a good guess of who the captain of this ship was.

 

[Shoske]

Roy was in his workshop, a pair of strange looking glasses on his head with various types of glass overlapping one another. He lifted his head away from a drill looking cannon ball, walking up to the window to see who the voice belonged to. He saw a large ship with multiple cannons pointing at him "..." He calmly walked away up to an unfinished project, which appeared to be a giant cannon or gun with various contraptions all connected to a prototype looking battery. "If it works, it may Destroy them. Of it doesn't, it might destroy us" He scratched his head, before shrugging and going back to work on the drill looking cannonball.

 

[Hatakekuro]

It was a quiet night save for the soft lapping waves against the ship as Roma steered the Decatur through the endless sea of black, speckled with bits of white moonlight. The nights for him had often been long and lonely since he is always the last person who ever gets to sleep on the ship...well except for Roy, but to be honest it's wonder if that guy actually needs sleep or not. The only company he had was the wheel between his hands, the stars above him, and the endless sea set before him. As well as an unidentified object off in the distance...which kept getting closer and closer at a stupidly fast rate. "What the? A UFO?" As if appearing out of thin air, a ship many times the size of the Decatur arrived right next to it and as the lamps illuminated it Roma got an eyeful of its true outrageous size as well as hundreds of cannons pointed directly at the ship. "Oh shit." There was not a single hope in hell that they would even survive an onslaught from that so why didn't they fire yet? Just one command and the Decatur would be blown to pieces so why hesitate?

A loud feedback broke the peaceful silence. The source were megaphones connected to a den den mushi by held by one of the crew members aboard the ship. Then more feedback echoed, forcing Roma to cover his ears to save himself from a headache. God dammit did this guy know how to use one of these fucking things?! The reverb was replaced by a soothing, gentleman voice with heavy breathing doing a sound check. Just what the hell did this guy want with them? This voice wanted to meet with the captain of the ship, Roma, for reasons that he couldn't understand. Sure along the way he made enemies, heck even made enemies with a Celestial Dragon, but this voice or ship did not ring any bells for him. The odd thing about this whole ordeal was not the message, but how the man acted. It was more of a warning than a threat, but he wouldn't put it past them to attack them if their demands weren't met. "Tch, what is this fucking bullshit?" As much as he hated it, there was not a choice in the matter. Roma ordered his men to lower his sails upon the deal that they would not attack. He could only hope that they were true to their word.

Roma glared up at the ship for a brief moment before his attention was brought to his doctor. It looked like The Doctor understood that they were in a predicament and needed to be sorted out before they were blown to the bottom of the sea. "Doc you're coming with me on that ship. At this point you're the only reliable person on this ship for this kind of situation."

 

[samreaper]

Such a night this was turning out to be followed by a bad day that made him wonder how it could get any worse? Well if that flag belonged to who he thought it did, then this was truly a horrible day.

Soon hearing what his captain said and was glad the man chose to take him along since Roma would likely say something that would cause a fight to break out.'That's fine with me, just wish to add that its best to let me do the talking as I have an idea of who the captain might be. With that mouth of yours, it'll end with a fight and us at the bottom of the sea.'If only he was joking with the last part, but couldn't put it over his captain to say something completely moronic.

Shortly after the sails were lowered, to show they were good on their word; the cannon hatches closed and moments later a long, wide plank was lowered to form a bridge between the two ships. At least this assured a ceasefire and The doctor would make sure it ended that way as well, making his way onto the other's ships deck where the two would see crewmates. By the mere look of them, they wouldn't be able to tell they were pirates with how finely dressed and clean they were and the ship was spotless.

A brief look around before a man wearing a finely pressed suit walked over to them, well it was more of a stride as his cane made faint thunks each time it tapped against the wooden floorboard. He stood there twirling his burly mustache, while fiddling with his monocle to get a better look at the two then grabbed his top hat and bent over, bowing to them.'I do welcome you upon our vessel and again I apologize for any trouble and what not.'Standing back up, resting the hat back upon his head only to flash the two a dazzling smile that blinded any who looked directly at his sparkling teeth.'The captain awaits most eagerly to speak with the guests. Follow and tallyho if you please gents.'Tapping his cane against the floor twice then spun around in a twirl, leading to the captain's cabin, rapping against the door with his cane.'Best hope you two have manners. The captain very much hates rudeness and wisecracks.'With another flash of his smile then opened the door with a creak.

Inside, the room would smell of sweet berries, air hazy from the multiple lit candles scattered throughout the room. The well lit room had walls of bookshelves and at the center sat a small dining table where three cups had been set. Behind the desk was a comfortable couch where a single male was lying on his side who wore a suit of blue, white gloves worn on the hands. His eyes and upper part of the face covered by strands of his long white hair; leaving only the scar running diagonally down his face and a big goofy grin to show his excitement at meeting the guests, but this was a truly special meeting for he had the one man he was most anxious to see again.

Hello, The doctor. I know how impartial you are on the The regarding your name.'The man spoke in a suave, british accent, a voice that would even make insults sound polite; sitting up to hold out a gloved hand, motioning the two to sit.'This calls for some tea. Sherman, have them prepare the finest tea for this is a joyous meeting.'He leaned forward on the table, resting his chin on the back of his hand, very eager to start the conversation with an old friend, his toothy smile hardly hiding it.

 

[Hatakekuro]

Roma arched his brow at The Doctor for this man knew who the captain of this ship was and knowing that The Doctor came from the underworld this didn't put his mind at ease one bit. For all he knew he could be getting caught in between a black market deal that had gone terribly awry and the captain maybe wants to see heads roll. At this point he couldn't lash out against this captain, their naval strength far exceeded what he currently possessed and they caught up to the Decatur so quickly that making a break for it would've been a waste of their time and end up being blown to bits. At times like these Roma chuckled at the stupid situation before him. "Ah man, how the hell did we get in this situation?" The best thing to do in this situation was to remain calm and he knew that very well. It is best to keep a cool head even in this kind of situation. The Doctor was right, his words would lead to their doom if he wasn't careful. Still he couldn't let The Doctor do all of the talking. As captain of the Raconteur Pirates he would speak to this person who aimed his cannons at his ship.

A wooden plank wide enough for them to walk on was placed to connect the two ships. Walking up the ship, he began to question if this was actually a pirate ship or a ship consigned by a nobleman or owned by a rich merchant. Just looking at those men made him feel like he was completely naked in comparison to their handsome, well tailored clothes. His attention was diverted away from these handsomely dressed men to the sound of wood tapping against each other. A man dressed in such finely pressed butler's uniform and monocle approached the two of them and bowed, removing his top hat as he did so. What caught Roma's eye the most was the man's burly handlebar mustache that must've been bathed in wax regularly. The distinct urge to go and touch it coursed through his veins though he remained in complete control.

The butler smiled with dazzling brightness that Roma felt like he was staring at a newborn star shining across the galaxy. He rubbed his eyes only to have the butler tell them that the captain was eagerly awaiting them and to follow and tallyho. '...Tallyho? What's next? Tea and crumpets?' Roma thought to himself as he followed the butler to the captain's room, where they were told to be on their best behavior. "Yeah yeah." He grumbled in response and walked in the room filled with candles and well furnished with a man with long white hair and a scar running along his face. The way the man spoke and looked was so stereotypically British that it was disgusting. This man seemed incredibly excited to see that The Doctor had arrived and didn't even hide that toothy grin of his.

Sitting down, Roma leaned back against the chain and folded his arms. 'Okay remember Roma you've got to be civil...even if this well dressed bastard pointed cannons at you.' He reminded himself in his mind to keep himself from saying anything that would result in having their lungs filled with sea water. He cleared his throat and began to speak in the most calm that The Doctor had ever seen him before. "If you don't mind me asking, but what is it that you want from a rookie pirate such as me? I have no valuable treasures as of yet nor do I wish to risk the loss of my crew in a one sided slaughter." In the back of his mind the growing suspicion that this man had known where he was and followed him under the false pretense of speaking to him. It would seem to him that this man's true actions involved The Doctor. "I apologize if I had spoke out of turn Mr...?" Oh god he hated acting like this. All he wanted to do was to ram his fist through this man's freakishly polite mouth and knock his teeth out. Still he figured that fighting wouldn't solve everything, especially if he was truly at a disadvantage.

 

[samreaper]

Gentleman. The gentleman if you please.'The man having a nickname like The doctor and preferred that they mentioned the as he adjusted the hat on his head somewhat, leaving it slightly askew to the right.' At first it was The undertaker, but that's too depressing don't you think?'He let out a playful chuckle then tilted his head to the left, his body in a relaxed demeanor, no sign of worry or fear.' As to the question of my desire. What I want is the doctor.'That grin of his widened after saying that; The doctor who remained standing at the moment had been listening to the two talk and had to admit how surprised that his captain was being calm and polite so far. What The gentleman wanted was of no surprise to him, but their partnership ended months ago and had no intention of working with him again.

A soft tap of fingers against the table.' My surprise when hearing that you of all people had become a pirate shortly after your escape of the marines. How ecstatic I was to know I would be able to see you again. So how about it..want to join my crew?'Leaning forward on the table in anticipation of his old friend's answer, though The doctor showed no sign of answering for he was thinking of multiple things.' Well, forgive me mr. Roma. I have no intention of stealing your doctor from you of course to calm any concerns, as I'm willing to buy him from you. Name any price and its yours...The doctor is worth it.'Rocking his body to the right and left, too anxious to keep still, hoping this evening would go his way. while The doctor, though having his answer already, curious of whether Roma would accept such an offer since it would be easy to find another doctor, doubtful as skilled as him of course.

 

[Hatakekuro]

The Doctor, the Gentleman? What was up with these weirdly overly simplistic nicknames? It was certain that they were keeping their identities a secret for reasons involving the the underworld, but it seemed like they were extra careful. Even though The Doctor was apart of his crew he had no idea of what his actual name was. Damn The Gentleman's attitude was starting to piss him off a great deal with just how calm and giddy he was even though the captain he threatened to destroy his ship was sitting right in front of him. To say Roma wanted to ram his fist through The Gentleman's perfect teeth was a complete understatement. No matter how composed he was his eyes spoke loudly. They showed his disgust and disdain for The Gentleman's desire for Roma knew what he meant when he said he wanted him. "I see...I suspected as much."

He closed his eyes as he listened to The Gentleman saying that he would pay him whatever price it would take to recruit The Doctor into this fancy pants crew. Heaving a heavy sigh, he opened his eyes and smirked at him with his confident, cocky grin as he slowly stood back up. "I'm afraid that I would have to politely decline your proposition. I have no intention of selling The Doctor no matter what price you intend on paying me. Money comes and just as quickly it goes a way before you know it. I have no use for monetary gain nor do I wish to rid myself a man of such caliber." Roma suddenly coughed up bits of blood from being forced to be so polite in this situation. What he wanted to tell him was to shove not only the deal up his ass, but his head and eat his own shit. Wiping the blood off with his sleeve he continued speaking. "After going to great lengths of finding him I suspect you aren't going to let us go free aren't you?"

 

[samreaper]

As Roma spoke of declining his once in a lifetime offer, that smile of his gradually shrunk until the man was frowning.' ...and you? Do you wish to remain in this man's crew? Know that I wouldn't take you in as a simple doctor or first mate. No..I'd make you my partner..just like old times.'A smile returned to his face in hopes The doctor would see reason as The doctor glanced briefly at Roma, unsure of whether to respect the man or to think he was a complete imbecile for turning down such an offer. After a few more seconds with his own thoughts, smiled before slipping into the seat, which made The gentleman think he would get the answer he wanted.' No.'Folding his left leg over his right, folding his hands over his knees as that smile of The gentleman faded away once more; replaced by a hint of anger.

Unknown to Roma, the two were sizing each other up, gazing at each other that left a thick tension in the air, letting one think a fight would break out. Both burst into laughter, any tension suddenly washing away.'You're as stubborn as always and blast them bloody shades hiding your intent. I'll get those cute shades off to see them eyes one day.'He continued laughing along with The doctor who shifted his shades somewhat.' And like always you can try. Relax captain, he isn't The gentleman in appearance only. They said they had no intention to fight and this man is true to his words.'Chuckling still.'Should of seen his face after you frowned, thinking you about to jump at him.'The doctor shook his head as the two broke into fresh laughter.

This continued for another minute before The doctor let out a sigh and patted at his chest.' But, as I said. My answer is no. You have your crew and I'm apart of my own. Besides, us being rivals is far more interesting than being partners no?'Raising a brow as that brilliant smile returned to The gentleman's face who leaned back into the couch.'I'm disappointed, but there you have a point, normally these meetings end with a trade to become friends. Looks like we'll be Rivals from this moment on...Captain Cesare Roma. Seems I'll have to win The Doctor from you.'Tipping his hat to him.'Can't let this evening end with nothing so.'Pressing a finger against his chin, thinking for a moment and snapped his fingers.' How about a story? I think a nice story would give a nice end to this meeting don't you think? Ah and there's the butler now.'Even without saying it, they would know of his coming for the floor shook with every heavy step.

With each step, the shaking grew stronger as the clinking of the cups and faint whoosh from the lit candles could be heard, muffled by the heavy thuds that creaked against the wood. Behind, what was actually a normal door set into an even larger door swung wide open. From the doorway stood the largest man Roma has possibly seen; a man most assume to be half giant half human standing over 10 feet tall who wore a suit of black covering his rather buff upper body, his lower body slimmer, almost making one wonder how the man walked. His head round with no hair on his grey head. The eyebrows protuded out somewhat to better show his piercing black eyes that sent chills of fear through any that received the man's gaze, while a small scar rested just below his right eye and held in his large, thick gloved hands was a tray holding a plate of crumpets and tea kettle that, with him looked like a mini tea set and a small bowl with sugar cubes.

Entering the room with thudding foosteps till he stood besides the table.'...Your tea..sir.'His voice explosively deep.

 

[Hatakekuro]

He could only assume that a fight would break out between The Gentleman and him as he watched that wide grin turn slowly turn into a frown though he continued to try and get The Doctor to join his crew. The two did seem to go quite a way back since he seemed to be keen on being partners again rather than a role of a simple doctor in the crew. Roma watched The Doctor smile and sit down in a relaxed manner before rejecting The Gentleman's offer. Just what exactly was that lanky guy thinking? It wouldn't surprise him if he decided to leave his crew for this one. In the span of three days The Doctor nearly lost his life each time because of Roma's reckless actions so why would he even want to stay in a crew that would be the probable cause of his death? This crew seemed to be so much more advanced financially and in power in terms of naval strength and man power so it would be logical to join The Gentleman's crew.

Well damn, The Doctor decided to stay as a member of the Raconteur Pirates instead of this incredibly posh crew. Normally relief would be what one would be feeling right now, but in front of this man Roma felt uncertainty of what would happen next. There was an unbearable tension in the air between those two and a fight certainly was going to break out in between them. Roma was ready to fight his way through this ship, but the tension was shattered with a baseball bat as the two began to laugh as if the greatest joke had been told. At The Doctor's words Roma had relaxed and sat back down knowing that they were true to their word of avoiding violence. All he could do now was watch these two friends laugh as he sat there as the third wheel in the meeting.

For the love of god how long do these two intend on laughing? It's been a solid minute and they were still laughing like a pair of hyaenas! Finally The Doctor finally caught his breath and made it clear that he was staying in his current crew since he preferred the two of them being rivals rather than partners that caused that radiant smile on The Gentleman's face to return again. The dashing man said that Roma and he would be rivals from now on until The Doctor was in his crew. "Heh, there isn't a chance that I'll lose to you Gent." Not wanting to see the evening gone wasted The Gentleman decided that he would tell them a story, but before he could do that it seemed like the person bringing the tea was coming. The incoming shaking was like an elephant waltzing around and it was only growing stronger. What came in made Roma question if this thing was even human; this man was more than twice the size of him and looked like a hairless gorilla on steroids. How this guy was even able to stand with the slim lower body supporting the giant mass of muscle that is his upper body was beyond him. Even his own voice was shocking with its low boom. He couldn't stop staring in awe at this incredible being. It seemed like he wasn't the only one who had strange people in his crew.

 

[Shalashaska]

Blinking, Hayden's eyes fluttered open as his mind swam, stuck in limbo between the past and present. So many things happened; many of which pissed him the fuck off. He remembered Ai, somewhat, and he remembered some shady-looking asshole. Gritting his teeth, he forced his mind to catch up find some sort of clarity and he realized he was staring at a ceiling. Moving his arms, he sighed heavily when he realized they had strapped him down.

'As if...' He stated mentally, amusement in his thoughts as he bent his thumb backwards, using the bed as an opposing force as he dislocated the thumb of his left hand. Within seconds he shimmied his hands out of the leather binding as he brought his hand up to his mouth and, biting into his thumb, set it back into place. Quickly he undid the strap to his right arm and swung his legs over the side of the bed, sitting up quietly as he inspected the Doctor's... Lab.

Sliding off the bed, he stood up on shaky legs as he approached Ai, giving her a look of interest and annoyance. A pain in the ass, she was. But, he couldn't deny that she had grown on him to some extent. Perhaps it was the fact she was a monster girl that had been influencing his actions, or maybe he was just... Getting soft...?

Nah. He was only helping her because she was a monster girl. If she had been anyone else he would have slit her throat and ripped out her tongue through her neck after she shot at him. Scratching the back of his head, he quickly grabbed his sword and glaive which had been bundled up in a corner, slipping the collapsed discus onto his forearm.

Pushing open the door, he gripped Sin tightly with his left hand as he went to explore the ship.

 

[samreaper]

The awestruck look on Roma's face was just the reaction The gentleman had hoped for and couldn't help but chuckle a little before holding a hand out to him.'This is the butler, Max. Make sure to say hello to our guests Max.'As he said it, the large, hulking man peered at the two with his piercing eyes, scowling a little at the sight of The Doctor.'...Hello.'Saying nothing else as he set the tray on the table then picked up the kettle, which looked like a small teacup in those beefy fingers of his and filled the cups one after the others. When done, he grabbed the tongs for picking up sugar cubes.' Sugar?'Asking The gentleman who kept his gaze on the two with an amused smile.' 2 suga...ah you know what? Such an occasion like this is too enjoyable. Make it four sugars.'Nodding to the butler, who slipped four cubes of sugar into the master's tea.

Clinking of the spoon stirring tea.'Now then. if you two are comfy, I can begin.'Finished with stirring his tea; tapped the spoon lightly against the cup before setting it down and took a sip of his tea with a sigh of content then leaned back against the couch, the cup resting on the palm of his left hand.

Max starting blowing out candles to dim the room somewhat to give better atmosphere for the story.'A tale filled with mystery and misery being told among travelers and pirates alike.'The teacup placed on his lap so that he could wave his hands and wiggle his fingers as if trying to wave into a flashback.

"Once, there was a village that rested on a small, secluded island. The villagers were content and happy and seldom received visitors; pirates left them be, they lived a peaceful life. People who had little experience with violence or crimes or more specifically, the unexpected.'Pausing to take a small sip of tea.'One night, a family of three had suddenly moved into a house located at the backpart of the forest. No one knew where they came from or saw them come, as if they appeared out of thin air. The villagers were unsure of how to handle it and decided to simply meet them and so the village leader went to welcome them.

Upon arrival, found they were a family consisting of a father, whom had a rugged, harsh look of a fighter with a few scattering of scars along the arms. A mother with a calm air about her, though her eyes sharp like a hawk and cold as ice that betrayed the warming smile she expressed. Finally, the son.

The boy, at first look was clearly different than any person they've seen for he had the pale skin of a sickly child. So skinny that made his limbs look like sticks, how the child even stood confounded the villagers. His appearance was worrisome, so much that the villagers worried if his parents were even taking care of him, yet, the most disturbing of this boy was his eerie toothy smile. A smile so spine chilling; one would think him a demon in human guise and with tinted glasses hiding his eyes, could very well of been.

At first they seemed like a normal family who kept to themselves mostly, though the boy would wander the island as his appearance seemed to frighten the children. This made it difficult for him to make friends as they would either avoid him or throw rocks at him. Poor child. He only wanted friends; such cruel kids for treating the boy so harshly for something he couldn't help.

This went on for half a year; life went on as usual as the villagers lived their daily lives. It was around this time that they had started finding dead small animals that had been dissected or ripped opened, organs missing. This strange occurrence disturbed the villagers greatly, though who they suspected of doing it wasn't hard.' He stopped briefly to clear his throat with another sip of his tea.

At this time they had begun paying close attention to the boy, where upon inspection, they had started to notice the bruises covering his arms and face. Time passed and the bruises grew in numbers, which made the people think it was likely the father beating him from drunken rage. Perhaps the dissected animals was the boy's way of handling the loneliness and beatings as the boy grew more quiet and reclusive.

Disgusting to treat a child and yet nothing could be done for there was no proof, that and the villagers were too scared to do anything. An easygoing, peaceful life had made them spineless, their cowardice allowed a defenseless boy to live this life with no sign of stopping for the mother showed no hint of helping or even attempting to put a stop to it.

This went on for another year and half. Two years since the family had moved in, the dead animals no longer found on the island for at this point the boy hardly ever left the house as the villagers were left to assume the father didn't allow it. Most likely he was completely covered in bruises and cuts and didn't want others to see. Those who did see him could see the beaten state of him with bandages and blacken bruises all over playing a single yo-yo.

This yo-yo seemed to be the boy's only child as he was never seen without it, but the truly most disturbing of it all? Even after these last two harsh, horrendous years; the boy still kept that eerie toothy smile of his. A smile of one gone mad.

That was the last time they would see this boy for that very night a terrible storm wracked the island with lightning and powerful gales of wind that ripped trees right out of the ground. Unknown that during this storm, a terrible event took place at the small family's home. The damages done to the village so severe that they paid no attention to the three and it wasn't till a week passed that they noticed no sign of movement or life coming from the house, which somehow withstood the storm better than most.

Stopping there to take another sip of tea, his eyes closed as he enjoyed the taste, giving a small playful smile.

Finally, the villagers decided to investigate to see if something had happened or perhaps they simply left the same way they arrived. The instant they stepped inside, a vile, nauseating stench filled their noses. The house reeked of death and decay as those brave enough ventured through the smell to find both the boy's father and mother lying on the living room floor dead. Upon inspection they had found that the two had their heads crushed by some kind of blunt object and their bodies shown signs of being beaten.

A truly horrible and ghastly scene and yet, after searching, found no sign of the son. The villagers looked all over the island and found nothing of him, which led them to think that perhaps their son had killed them. Perhaps, though how a young boy could take down two adults singlehandedly made it seem unlikely, though where did the boy go? Even if he fled, where could he have gone? For such a small island there weren't too many places to hide and all ships were checked and accounted for.

A dark and grisly murder followed by the disappearance of a ten year old. Even to this day, it remains a mystery and still clue of what happened to the boy. Some say he fled after murdering them only to get blown into the ocean to drown, others say the boy had secretly built a ship and fled from someone that could of been after his parents as they always felt as if they were hiding from something or someone.... "

That was where the story ends as The gentleman placed his teacup on the table before folding his hands on the table, smiling warmly at the two.'What do you think? An amusing story no?'Gazing over the two, curious of what they thought of the story, though The Doctor showed no hint of what he thought as he simply sat there with a blank expression, sipping his tea.'What about you Roma? were you intrigued by this lovely story?'Tilting his head somewhat in his direction, awaiting the man's answer.

 

[Hatakekuro]

Roma was still staring completely awestruck at the intimidating figure who was introduced as The Gentleman's butler, Max. How the hell was this thing a freaking butler? He looked more suited in playing a role as a giant ape monster in some big production or making babies cry with that scary mug of his. It was almost comedic how this monster of a man was serving tea from a pot that was held in between his meaty fingers. It was like watching a gorilla in a suit go around and play butler with its master...well actually this was pretty much the same situation with the way he looks. 'I need to get someone like that in my crew.' He thought to himself as he watched Max the apeman butler perform his tasks without question nor saying a word unless it was to ask if his master wanted something. Oh he could see it now; a large behemoth rampaging among an enemy ship, letting a roar of battle echo through the seas and Roma himself would be riding on top of him like a king mounted on his steed with a severed head in his hand as he laughed victoriously. Oh the absolute awesomeness that would be.

The dimming lights brought the daydreaming captain out of his overly violent fantasy and he glanced around and saw the man-ape servant blowing some of the candles out. "All we need now is some Barry White and massage oil." Roma joked as he leaned back into his chair with his teacup in hand. Oh boy looks like they were going to be listening to something very cheerful alright. All there was to do now was to sit back, drink his tea, and enjoy the damn story. It wasn't like he wanted to stay and listen. All he wanted to do was to go back to the Decatur and get some shut eye right after telling The Gentleman to shove his top hat up his ass, but for now he must be polite. At that thought Roma coughed up more blood into his sleeve and wiped it off on a napkin. Just how long would it take before politeness kill him?

Once the story was finished Roma had only remained quiet and sipped his tea. The Doctor had the rare moment of not having the devilish smile on his face. His eyes had only briefly glanced at the pale fellow and turned to look at The Gentleman. "It was...interesting." He stood back up on his feet and placed the dinky teacup back down on the table. "I thank you for your hospitality, but I don't wish to overstay our welcome. Goodnight, the next time we meet we'll most likely be enemies. The Doctor, let us go back to the Decatur." At those words Roma turned and began to walk towards the door, wanting to get out of there before he really does go nuts.

 

[samreaper]

His smile broaden upon hearing Roma's reply and watched him get up, speaking of overstaying his welcome. As much as he hated letting the Doctor go; best to see them off on a good note, besides, The Doctor was not someone one could force to follow you.' Hope you enjoyed our hospitality. I apologize for any grievance I may of caused you and your crew.'Shifting his hat before glancing at The Doctor.'Last time, things ended badly. At least this shall partly make up for it and as your captain said, next we meet we shall be enemies.'He chuckled while running a finger along the rim of his teacup.

Seeing that business was done and would nod at The gentleman with that eerie smile of his and stood up.'Hm, no more of that comfy, easy life as a doctor from this moment on. Whether you'll handle it well or not...I'm anxious to see.'A wide grin plastered on his face, though at that moment The Doctor's face became dark; the loud thud of him slamming a scalpel onto the table, which caused a growl from Max, who cracked his knuckles, ready to protect his master.

The Doctor stared darkly at the man before him, no longer smiling, replaced by shock for this was the first time seeing an outburst from him.'....Don't...ever assume or think for a second that I ever had an easy life.'His hand resting on the table was clenched tightly and shaking a little before exhaling to settle himself.' Relax, Max. I'm done and sorry for the table.'Picking up the scalpel with his right hand and moved his left hand over the etch to leave a gold coin in its place.' Till next time.'Turned to leave without another word, wanting nothing more than to be alone and think about what took place this evening.

Watching his old partner and friend leave and leaned against the couch in a relaxed demeanor.' Such an Enigma that man. No one has fascinated me as much as him and I aim to find out just exactly is this Doctor. A shame..I tried to spare that man and his crew from whatever dark force surrounds him....Max, another cup of tea and tell the others to get ready. Things will be getting exciting soon.'Holding his cup up, while from the doorway, multiple pairs of glowing eyes and shining rows of sharp teeth could be seen.

Lets see who wins in the end...Doctor