Water 7
Chapter 6: Paulie
Despite having just become the Vice-President of the company, his biggest passion remained in his post as a foreman, so it was no wonder that Paulie could most often be found skipping off on all the paperwork and working at the docks.
As a foreman, he’d also met a great number of unusual characters. Pirates, marines, revolutionaries… even those kinds of people needed to go through the company if they wanted a ship worth something.
So that’s probably why Paulie wasn’t as surprised as some others might have been when he met Karasu and his crew.
The group had come in without causing a ruckus, asking politely to speak to someone in charge about commissioning a ship. When asked about their budget by the worker attending them, the biggest of the men ―a muscular guy with blonde hair and a chestnut in his head― dropped a white sac he’d been carrying and revealed the gold inside.
The sight of it was enough to make everyone pause in what they were doing, including Paulie.
It didn’t take the man more than a look at all that gold to decide that this was a commission he wanted to take part in.
The blonde smirked around the cigar in his mouth and approached the group, waving away the worker. He had a feeling this commission was going to be an interesting one to say the least.
HPOPHPOPHPOP
‘A ship is another member of the crew and whoever builds it gives it a part of themselves, they create its soul. I won’t have just any stranger build mine.’ Had stated the young masked man before a wide smile spread on his lips. ‘Come on, let’s get a drink.’
Those were the words that saw Paulie sitting at a table in a nearby tavern, sharing a drink with the pirates.
And now they were asking if the Galley-La company worked with Adam’s wood, it being the best company according to everyone in Water 7.
“Adam’s wood?” repeated Paulie, wonder clear in his voice.
The young man nodded firmly.
“I’ve been assured it is the strongest wood and that ship’s made out of it are the best.”
“It is also rare and expensive. Extremely expensive.” Remarked Paulie.
It seemed to make no difference to the group of people and the foreman narrowed his eyes in interest whilst bringing the glass to his lips.
“We can’t give you a clear budget until tomorrow.” Explained Raki, a beautiful woman that had Paulie blushing each time he saw her skirt. “We have yet to exchange the gold. But if it’s any help, we have at least another three or four bags like the one we brought with us today.”
Paulie’s jaw almost hit the floor. If she was telling the truth… he cleared his throat, trying to recompose himself.
“Well, I guess a ship out of Adam’s wood shouldn’t be so impossible… The hardest part will be getting our hands on it, but the company knows a trusty supplier.”
He didn’t miss their satisfied smiles.
“You are looking to purchase the world’s best ship, then?” he asked, more out of curiosity than anything.
“Not the world’s best, but the one that best fits my crew.” Corrected Midori.
Paulie raised an eyebrow in surprise at the answer, but said nothing. At least that was within their hands; he didn’t think anyone in the company had it in his heart to try and build something that rivalled Franky’s dream.
Personally, his expertise laid more along the lines of riggings and masts, but he was well versed in other areas too; his education as a shipwright had been well-rounded at Iceburg’s insistence. He was glad for that, since he had a feeling he really didn’t want to miss out on this project. Also, he was sure that Iceburg would be taking an interest on it, if only for the chance to work with Adam’s wood again.
“So you’ve been pirates for long?”
HPOPHPOPHPOP
Maybe Paulie shouldn’t have been surprised that their enjoyable night ended with him being accosted by both adoring fans ―and hell, this was getting old fast; why couldn’t those girls ever dress decently?― and debt-collectors.
He’d run off like a maniac, only later thinking of how bad it must look to potential clients, unknowingly leaving the three pirates staring after him in a mix of bemusement and amusement.
The next morning, he’d shown up to work in a gloomy mood, thinking about how best to explain to Mr Iceburg that he’d lost them such promising customers.
Instead, he’d found Midori and another man talking with his boss. The blue-haired man hadn’t seemed at all angry as he waved him over.
“There you are, Paulie.”
“Boss, Midori.” He greeted warily, eyes straying to the unknown man with Midori today.
“Good morning, Paulie! This is Gin, my nakama; Gin, this is Paulie.” introduced Midori with a grin clearly visible under his bone-white mask.
The men both exchanged a nod in greeting, but neither said anything. Whilst the black-haired man interestedly studied him, the blonde looked at his boss, wondering at why he’d been waved over so soon.
“Midori was telling me that they had a few things they wanted their new ship to include.” Said Iceburg. “I assured him you’d do your best to meet his specifications with the quality that our company is known for.”
Paulie arched an eyebrow, surprised.
“You are in charge of the project.” Clarified Iceburg, and he swore he looked amused as he said this.
“You want me to build your ship?” he asked, looking directly at Midori.
The younger man shrugged, smile not dimming a bit.
“Yeah.”
“Why?” he blurted out incredulously, ignoring Iceburg’s frown.
“After talking to you and seeing the passion you feel for your craft, why wouldn’t I? I just know the ship’s going to have a beautiful soul with you as its creator.”
Without giving him a chance to react other than a blush and under Mr Iceburg’s amused gaze, the young man launched into an explanation of the things that he believed their ship just couldn’t be without.
HPOPHPOPHPOP
Over the time it took to design the ship, Midori randomly showed up asking for new things to be added to its design, so Paulie learned to adapt fast. Sometimes it would be a small detail, whilst others it would change basically the whole layout of the ship. But he wasn’t worried and thrived off the challenge.
In truth, he was totally exhilarated, to the point that he was suddenly as excited as Midori to see the end result. He wanted to make sure all his hard work paid off and Midori and his crew weren’t disappointed to have put their trust on him.
But he had to admit that sometimes, he was simply utterly annoyed by the seemingly random requests. This was one of those times, as the young pirate had shown up asking for an indoor freshwater pool on top of the already agreed upon moon pool.
“I thought you were pirates!” he exclaimed, hands in the air. “At this rate, your ship is going to be more a leisure cruise than a warship.”
Midori ―or Karasu, as sometimes his nakama called him― just blinked up at him.
“It is a pirate ship, but I want it to have everything indispensable so that all my nakama are comfortable on it.”
“And a freshwater pool is indispensable for that?” he asked, more than a bit exasperated.
He glanced at Wyper in search of help, the winged man having been the one with the unfortunate task to accompany the overly-enthusiastic raven that day. He didn’t get it, though, as the man shrugged uncaringly and explained.
“Midori has basically adopted three Yagaras that, if previous experiences are taken into account, we’ll end up bringing with us upon our departure. I think the pool is his idea for that.”
Paulie blinked. Okay, that explained everything. And yes, he meant it. He’d met Nola and Yuki ―and hadn’t that been an experience to be remembered― so Wyper was more than probably right.
In his mind, he was already making plans and changing the ship’s layout. And worrying about how suddenly this conversation didn’t even rank atop the ten strangest ones he’d had. The ranking had changed a lot since meeting these pirates.
“Right. I’ll see about fitting it in the lower decks, maybe cut out a part of the garden.”
The ‘garden’ was truly an ample patch of earth for Raki to be able to cultivate a few medicinal plants, but it was much bigger than the woman had estimated she needed so there was room to change it.
“Oh! I know, put it in the middle!” suggested Midori. “That way there’s no need to change the opening for the light the garden needs and the freshwater won’t harm the plants!”
Paulie sighed but dutifully went back to the blueprints, riddled with so much red marker he’d soon need a new pencil.
HPOPHPOPHPOP
“It may work.”
Paulie straightened from his slouched posture, his indifferent façade falling away at his mentor’s words.
“You really think so?”
“Yes, anything else would be impossible on a ship this size.” Muttered Iceburg nodding his head slowly as he went over the calculations. “I’ll speak with the engineers on my way back to the office, if you want. Have them start crafting the pieces.”
Paulie grinned, satisfied. It had been a headache, but he may have finally found the answer.
Both he and the Boss had been working on an alternate mechanism to open the ship’s moon pool, since the usual machinery would take up more space than the ship would have available but a smaller one would not have the needed potency.
After so many failed attempts, this looked promising. They only needed to change the source of power and it’s not like there would ever be a shortage of seawater at sea.
“As you say, Boss.”
The blue-haired man nodded and gathered the needed papers, whilst Paulie’s attention was already drifting to other points of the design that needed fine-tuning.
Distracted as he was, he didn’t notice the other man shake his head fondly at him but he did notice ―a few minutes later― that he hadn’t yet left.
“What?”
Iceburg grinned.
“Nothing. It’s just… I’ve never seen you invest yourself so much on a project. You’re very… enthusiastic about it.”
“Well, of course, Midori’s counting on me doing my best.” Then the blond caught the man’s grin widening, lips twitching as if containing a laugh, and he blushed. “I mean, he’s asked for some very unusual things… you don’t often get a chance to work on a ship like this one… and he’s paying a good bit for it… you know, just the money is worth it… not that seeing their faces when the ship’s finished won’t… but… ah… yeah…”
The major finally took pity on his old apprentice and cut off his ramblings with a few nods of his head.
“Of course, Paulie, you’re right.” He said, turning towards the door. “It’s this kind of enthusiasm for a project that distinguishes a true master of their craft, you know? But sometimes… sometimes the most wonderful part is in watching where our creations take us.”
And after giving him that bit to chew on, he left to talk with the engineering department.
HPOPHPOPHPOP
Slowly but steadily, as the ship took shape under his command, he got to know the strange crew that would take it out to sea.
Cricket was the easiest to approach, or to be approached by, since the older man held decent knowledge of ships and their needed maintenance ―not that it stopped Paulie from telling him how he’d have to do certain things when the ship officially passed into his hands― despite the fact that he was mainly the navigator. His expertise laid upon steering a ship itself, but the man had been a captain before joining Midori and the others and he’d learnt quite a bit from his carpenter back in the days.
It was for that reason and his clear enjoyment of carpentry itself that Karasu had asked him to incorporate a workshop for him and to iron out the details with Cricket, so they ended up spending some time in each other’s company.
Spending time with Cricket had the side-effect of getting to know Wyper. The two men hadn’t known each other long, from what he gathered, but they had a strong sense of camaraderie: a healthy mix of rivalry and friendship.
The Shandian had asked him about the possibility of integrating some of his dials ―and hadn’t he wished he could get his hands on a few of those when they were explained! ―into the ship. That had led to a good number of discussions on the most practical ways to do so when their number and access to its supply were limited to what he’d brought from the Sky Islands.
Then there was Raki. She was the only woman on the group, but she was no pushover. She’d been there when a gang tried to bluff their way into paying only half the cost of their commission and soon showed that the rifle hoisted on her shoulder wasn’t there just for decoration.
In the beginning, Paulie had blushed to the roots of his hair every time she got within sight. A few times he hadn’t been able to hold back the impulse and burst into complains about how she shouldn’t dress so scantily. Her reaction? A loud laugh and a hell of a lot of teasing from then on.
Gin had been another matter entirely. He was a man of few words, a bit rough around the edges but kind in his own way. From what he’d gathered, he was also the one that had been travelling longer with Midori. And if there was something that couldn’t be called into question about his character, it was his loyalty to the latter.
Apparently, he’d been the First Mate of a big crew back in East Blue for a lot of years before a lot of shit happened and he chose to leave and wander around the Grand Line with another crew for a while; until he met Karasu and started following him.
Granted, he knew that much only thanks to Karasu since the older man tended to speak little even when they met for a drink at a bar. Paulie would easily bet ―and win this time, he was sure! ―that Gin would end up back in the same position that he’d abandoned in East Blue, this time as Midori’s second.
Of course, he also met the… non-human members of the crew. He’d made the mistake of calling them pets once and he’d rather not have a repeat. Besides, it didn’t take him long to realise that they really behaved like nakama and not pets.
Yuki, the Sea King, was a great menacing-looking beast, but he was no more dangerous than a small puppy when it came to Midori. He usually stayed near the small ship shared by his crew, but he sometimes went exploring ―scaring a few civilians when he let himself be randomly spotted from the shore at different points of Water 7.
A few times, he even showed up where Paulie worked on their new ship and helped move the heaviest parts. Not that the shipwright couldn’t move them, but helping seemed to make the beast happy.
Then there was Nola. The giant barbed serpent, according to the crew. Paulie had to admit she was big for a snake, but he wouldn’t call an animal the size of a wolf gigantic. Either way, she was usually sunbathing or snuggling up to Midori, her thirst for being petted never assuaged. Paulie had been treated to a long intense look when they met, but as soon as the masked man declared him a friend, the snake backed off. Well, for a while at least…
Next were the most recent addition to the crew: three young Yagara brothers. Paulie hadn’t had much contact with them, but he’d heard the story of how the crew had found them in a rental house during their visit to San Faldo, causing more than a bit of trouble for their owner by throwing off and biting anyone who tried to separate them even just for the day. Karasu had seen the three playing around in a separate pen from all the others and immediately decided to rent them despite the owner’s warnings. He then kept going back for them every day for a week. On the 7th day, the Yagaras had been waiting for him at San Faldo’s train station.
By the end of the day, Karasu had asked them if they wouldn’t mind if he stole them away permanently and, at their enthusiastic nods, did so. Even more telling was the fact that the owner of the rental house never showed up looking for them. Therein Karasu showing up at Paulie’s workplace asking for a freshwater pool to be built into their ship.
But out of all others, the one he got to know the best was Karasu. Or Midori, as he was often called too. He’d even heard Gin call him Aiko once, though the shipwright was pretty sure he wasn’t supposed to have heard that and so kept silent on it.
Karasu… Paulie didn’t even know where to begin with him. He was… like a force of nature.
Unexpected, changing everything in its path even without meaning to, seemingly complicated but so simple at its core, uncontrollable, energetic and utterly unpredictable.
Yes, Midori was definitely a force of nature.
He’d often show up without warning at Paulie’s workplace, sometimes to add a change to their future ship, others simply to drag Paulie drinking with them. Every little thing seemed to delight him, and yet Paulie could sometimes feel a deep sadness coming from him.
He loved his nakamas and did everything to make them happy ―from dragging Wyper on one of his little trips when the Shandia got into one of his moods, to sitting quietly with Gin just staring at the sea or helping Raki improve her fighting skills―, but he also loved to roam by himself and explore the surrounding area.
He had a big caring heart, that was obvious, and a talent for bringing all sorts of strays together ―despite Wyper’s protests at being referred to as a stray. The shipwright could only describe it as a kind of pull that constantly brought you further and further into his sphere, like a whirlpool that brought you closer to its heart the more you tried to resist.
His charm was a wondrous and dangerous thing, able to ensnare even the most cold-hearted of men, something he could freely admit he wasn’t.
No, Paulie was definitely a hot-headed man, passionate about his craft and the people he loved.
Which was precisely why, when Gin showed up whilst he worked on the ship ―the dark-haired man alone for the first time since he’d met these ragtag crew of pirates― and asked if he’d like to join them on their travels, refusing was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do.
HPOPHPOPHPOP
Paulie had gone to see Karasu when he realised there was an important part of the ship they had yet to speak about, but instead he only found his nakamas.
They were all gathered on the deck of their Dial Boat, or close to it in the water in the case of Yuki and the Yagara Brothers.
They all seemed clearly tense to him and the blonde wasted no time in asking what was wrong and especially why Karasu was nowhere to be seen.
He soon learnt that said pirate hadn’t come back the previous night and no one had seen him in the morning either. Gin had found his usual mask ―a Shandia mask, according to Raki― carefully set apart, but the carnival mask he’d bought in San Faldo’s market ―a pale blue and orange one that clashed horribly with… well, with everything about him― had been missing.
“He wouldn’t go without telling us if he planned on taking so long.” Said Raki, leaning her hip on the railing, her trusty rifle set next to her and her forehead creased in a small frown.
“I agree; Karasu’s never done that before.” Nodded Gin.
“So we can assume he got into some kind of unexpected trouble.”
“Do you think maybe someone recognised him despite the mask?” asked Raki, clearly worried.
Paulie listened silently, curiosity piqued by that comment.
“He is very careful with that.” Pointed out Cricket. “And if he really believes we’d be in so much danger over something like that…”
“Hmm… you’re right. Somehow, I have a feeling we’d already have heard of it if that had happened.” Hummed Gin.
After a discussion where they decided to give him a few more hours before going in his search ―none of them had any idea of where he’d gone this time―, the crew settled down for what promised to be a tense wait.
Paulie stayed with them, excusing himself in his head by complaining that he needed to speak to Karasu before he could continue his work. Raki’s side-eyed looks and Cricket’s grin told him they wouldn’t believe him if he spoke it aloud, so the argument stayed firmly confined to his mind.
HPOPHPOPHPOP
Sooner than they’d expected ―they’d been waiting maybe near on two hours― a familiar voice called out to them.
The blonde shipwright let out the smoke from his cigar to hide his relieved sigh and saw the crew’s tenseness slowly drain from their bodies. They barely paid any attention to the two men walking behind him, though they were aware of their presence, too focused on checking he was fine.
And there he was, walking towards them dressed in his typical black pants with a silver belt, a red shirt with a black spiral pattern, black combat boots and dark gloves. He wasn’t wearing his usual dark red long-coat, probably because the weather was far too warm for that, nor his carnival mask.
Paulie did a double-take at that ―strange, as he’d never even blinked at him the first time he met him, with his usual mask on.
Instead of the mask he must have worn when he left, he had a green handkerchief wrapped around the lower half of his face that left his expressive green eyes ―a rather unique shade―, the part of his forehead not covered by bangs and the bridge of his nose exposed.
Upon seeing them, the young man ran a hand sheepishly over the back of his head, messing up his ―already messy― hairstyle.
“Uhh… hi, guys!”
Paulie sweat-dropped like most of the crew ―except Cricket who was laughing and Yuki who seemed to be doing some kind of… strange happy dance in the water.
“You had us all worried.” Explained Raki softly, the first to recover of them all.
Karasu blinked at her seemingly utterly confused for a moment, something he didn’t think any of them missed, his head tilting to the side.
‘Like a bird.’ Thought the blond with a mental snicker. ‘A raven certainly suits him well.’
Then the youth smiled up at them, his eyes conveying it without them needing to see his mouth.
“Sorry! I didn’t think I’d worry you. It wasn’t on purpose, I swear! I was going to visit Pucci, but I fell asleep on the train and woke up halfway to St. Poplar. I was going to take another train back, but there were a lot of marines around and I decided to wait. So I went exploring, but there was some commotion in the centre square: something about a group of pirates who’d been causing trouble and the marines fighting them… Anyway, so everyone was running around and a little girl was crying, so of course I went to help! She said she’d lost her daddy in the crowd, but he found us and he thought I was trying to kidnap her and some marines heard…” they all weren’t even blinking, certain that they’d miss something even just by closing their eyes with how fast the clearly embarrassed young man was talking and gesticulating. “They pursued me, thinking I was part of that crew, the idiots! And then I lost my mask and realised I had forgotten to bring my bandana and I covered my face with my hands and ran and… well, I… I fell a little bit asleep, just a little! But I made two new friends! They helped me hide from the marines and even lent me this kerchief to cover my face! Then we had to wait till things calmed down a bit to take a train back, but they’d all been cancelled till this morning! And as they’d agreed to coming with us for a while, we came straight here once the train was in service again, and here we are!”
Gin seemed to be the only one of them all to follow through the whole explanation, if the way he rubbed under his eyes ―a mix of fondness and just plain old frustration― was any indication.
The rest of them took a while longer to process all his rushed explanation and even then it was clear they had questions. Paulie certainly did! Who fell asleep while fleeing? And how does one fall ‘a little’ asleep? Was that even possible?
“How can you fall ‘a little’ asleep?” he voiced without even realising.
Karasu just looked away, the upper part of his cheeks reddening and giving away his blush, and pretended to see Yuki’s begging eyes for the first time since arriving.
As the younger man pretended to be too busy pampering his beasts, the crew turned their attention to the men whom they apparently owed said young man’s safe return.
The shipwright was confused at the sight for a brief second until his mind caught up to his eyes and he realised just who Midori had brought with him. Meeting their unflinching and even bored stares, he almost choked on the smoke from his forgotten cigar.