Crocodile and Mr 1
Chapter 7: Crocodile and Mr. 1
Gin stared warily at the two men his chosen captain had brought back. Their nakamas from the Heavenly Islands didn’t seem to recognise them, but they were alert at the tension they could feel hanging in the air. He could tell Cricket knew who they were, but the older man was waiting for Gin’s reaction as a clue on how to act whilst still keeping an eye on their blonde friend.
But Gin wasn’t sure of how to act in this situation. He was tense and it was taking him a lot of effort to maintain his composure.
Karasu said they’d be travelling with them for a while, but he wouldn’t put the crew needlessly in danger. So what did this mean? Why had they helped Karasu?
He studied them carefully, trying to see what Karasu had seen in them.
The shortest of them was around a head and a half taller than Gin, with wide shoulders, a trim waist and defined big muscles. His hair was blonde ―not the bright shade that Paulie’s was, more the colour of pale straw― and cropped short on the top of his head, with the lower part nearest to his ears completely shaved off. His skin was dark, which also contrasted heavily with his hair-colour. His face was hard and his small eyes a dark brown.
As for clothes, he wasn’t wearing anything fancy: black pants that were easy to move in and a black sleeveless T-shirt with white trimmings, the look completed by a pair of black half-calf boots and a brown bag thrown over his uncovered shoulders. But although he wore no visible weapons and even if they had had no knowledge of his identity, they’d have known he was dangerous by the aura he gave off.
The other man was even taller, towering by half a head over Cricket, and he was definitely the tallest of the group! His wide back and chest seemed even more so thanks to the dark fur coat he wore. He had dark hair, slicked back carefully and cut at nape-length, and dark eyes that watched them in interest as he smoked, whilst his skin had a strange kind of pallor to it, the tint greyish. His clothes were good quality, but there were other things in his appearance that claimed more attention, like the big golden hook on his left hand or the big scar bisecting his face in two.
The handkerchief he was seen wearing in all his wanted posters was absent.
Gin chanced a look at Karasu. The raven-haired man was relaxed, giving no sign that he was uncomfortable turning his back on them.
He wondered if maybe, just maybe, he didn’t know who they were. However, when the other raised his green eyes to meet his and gave him a small nod, Gin erased all doubt from his mind. Karasu knew who they were ―who wouldn’t, truly, after their role in the Marineford War? Well, except for those who lived in the Sky Islands― and he was still alright with their presence.
Gin nodded to himself and turned back to their new travelling companions. He’d just have to trust his Captain’s judgement; he’d yet to be wrong once.
Whatever he’d seen in Crocodile and Mr 1, Gin was curious to discover it.
HPOPHPOPHPOP
“So not that you’re not always welcome, Paulie,” started Raki giving him a curious look and laughing when the blonde turned red as soon as he looked in her direction and saw she’d changed her clothes for something more comfortable. “but didn’t you say you had something important to discuss with Midori?”
That gathered the attention of everyone present and they looked in his direction with either curious or bored stares. The shipwright directed his attention to the miscellaneous group’s captain ―even if he himself didn’t acknowledge himself as such― only to find his bright green eyes already fixed on him.
“Yeah, right.” He coughed out. “It’s about your ship.”
‘Obviously, bright guy, what else are you going to be coming to talk about?’ Paulie ignored his own voice in his head and refused to think on whether that made him crazy.
“I mean, about one of the most important parts of it.” Karasu tilted his head like a bird. “You haven’t given me any directions as to what you want the figurehead to be shaped as.”
Some of them sweat-dropped, but others just looked at Karasu, waiting for his answer.
“The figurehead is important?” asked Karasu, looking confused.
“Of course it is! Weren’t you the one who said a ship was another member of the crew? It is one of the first things about your crew that people will notice and it is supposed to represent an aspect of the crew that mans it! Stated Paulie passionately. “The figurehead is very important!”
By the end of his tirade, Paulie was breathing heavily and his face had gained some colour. Everyone was staring at him too, which just made him redden more.
Karasu looked a tad bit worried until suddenly his eyes lit up and he smiled widely at Paulie.
“Then just go with what feels right.”
“Go with what feels right?” they all repeated, confused.
“Yeah. I’m not sure I wouldn’t mess up with my choice so since I trust Paulie, I’ll leave it up to him to choose what he considers the best figurehead for us. Just go with the one that feels right.”
He made it sound so easy and talked so blasé about him trusting Paulie that the shipwright felt his chest tighten with a strange sense of pride and warmth.
He looked at the others thinking he’d find some complains on their side, but he should’ve known better. They just looked at him and shrugged.
With that matter apparently solved, the conversation soon changed to other topics and the blond stayed quiet, taking them all in and thinking.
This crew seemed to embody freedom, much like another one he’d met in the past, and as he stared at Karasu an thought of the only thing other than chance that seemed to have brought this crew together, he suddenly knew what the perfect figurehead for their ship was.
HPOPHPOPHPOP
After having lunch, Paulie left saying he still had work to do and the crew separated as each went to do what they felt like. Cricket and Wyper invited Crocodile and Mr 1 to the nearest pub for some drinks, but only Crocodile accepted. Gin went to have a look at some weapon’s stores. Nola, Yuki and the three Yagara brothers guarded their ship whilst playing around. And Aiko, with Raki and Mr 1 offering to accompany him, went shopping.
Raki followed after her excitedly chattering captain and shook her head as she saw Mr 1 ―or Daz as he’d introduced himself in a quiet voice― indulge him and paying close attention to their surroundings at the same time, keeping the path clear for Aiko.
“So what do you think of the names?”
Raki paid more attention to their conversation, knowing what the pirate spoke of.
“I do not know.”
“Oh, come on, you must have an opinion! What about your own suggestion? You’re the only one who’s not put up a name to be voted.”
During lunch, Cricket had brought up one of the topics they had been avoiding for a while already: choosing a name for their pirate crew.
That had resulted in an argument where each person wanted their own idea to be chosen, but they had all been rejected in the end by someone for being either too outlandish or too obvious.
And she was glad of it, since she didn’t fancy being part of the Midori no Ichimi or the Fukumen sencho no Ichimi. Honestly, only her moronic nakama could think being known as the Green Crew or the Masked Captain Crew sounded good. Honestly, Wyper and Cricket had the same bad taste drunk as not.
“What I think is not important.”
Daz’s words brought her attention back to the present just in time to see Aiko pause, look at Mr 1 with wide eyes and speak in an utterly outraged voice.
“Of course it is! You’re my friend! Your opinion is as important as any of my other friends’.”
The man blinked slowly down at the raven-haired pirate before he simply shrugged a bit. Raki almost laughed: one more person who didn’t know how to deal with Aiko’s honesty.
“Come on, you must have some idea for a name. What would you call the crew?” asked the young man with true curiosity.
“I don’t know.”
Aiko sighed.
“Alright, just… say something if you come up with an idea or you like one of the others, okay? I want to know what you think too.”
Daz had an incredible poker face, but she was able to see that he felt a little lost at having his opinion be valued. She couldn’t help but chuckle a bit and his face closed off. Raki grinned at him in apology, chastised.
They continued on their way, with Raki talking Aiko out of buying a horrendous red and green scarf and instead getting him a green one that went well with his eyes.
It was as they walked past a flower shop that Aiko stopped to admire some hibiscus flowers and Raki saw Daz looking at something.
“Hasu.” Muttered the man.
Both Raki and Aiko looked at him in confusion and, with a slight red tinge to his cheeks, the older pirate elaborated.
“The lotus symbolises new beginnings. I’d name it the Lotus Crew.”
There were a few seconds of silence and then…
“Hasu no Ichimi; the crew of new beginnings.” Murmured Aiko pensively before beaming at Mr 1. “I love it! Come on, let’s go back to the others and put it up for a vote!”
As she followed the pair, Raki knew there was nothing they needed to vote on. Their captain had chosen and none of them were going to complain at their new name.
HPOPHPOPHPOP
Gin ran around covered in black gooish ink and tried to leap for the slippery being once more, just barely managing to brush the tip of his fingers against its slimy hide and jumping over a group of crates that he barely saw in time.
Some might wonder how Gin had ended up in such a situation. The answer was simple. He had just wanted new weapons!
The Man-Demon had perused Water 7’s offers of weapon stores for days, until he finally found a small one hidden in a corner in one of the lower city’s alleyways.
He had been assured the shop was the best Water 7 had to offer, with the highest quality materials and the greatest craftsmanship. Or craftwomanship, as it was.
But when he’d come into the shop he’d been greeted by a hollered ‘we’re closed! And we don’t make kitchen knives! Go waste somebody else’s time!’
He’d, in fact, left the shop just to check that he was in the right place before coming in again. After a couple minutes waiting, a woman stumbled into the front room, hurriedly putting on some kind of leathery water-suit. Gin had blushed and turned to give her privacy as soon as he could.
“Oh, you’re still here? Well, what do you want? As I said, we’re closed, I’m pretty busy at the moment.”
After checking between his fingers that the woman was finally decent enough after her tirade, Gin processed her words and looked around with an arched eyebrow. The shop was empty.
The woman, a forty-something female with a big bust and hips and a mean frown, pursed her lips at his look.
“Look, as much as I’d love to hear what you want, since you’re obviously a pirate and not another housekeeper who comes plead the case of the incredible kitchen knife they need made, I’m busy right now and won’t be back for at least a few hours, so if you’ll scamper off…”
Gin had let out an almost imperceptible sigh and was turning to leave when her voice stopped him. she was looking at him with narrowed brown eyes that were full of a wary curiosity.
“Just… what were you going to ask for?”
Gin explained what he needed.
“Tonfa, you say?” the woman’s face lit up under her frown, her eyes shining at the idea of working on such unusual weapons. Then her visage darkened. “Oh, I wish I could help you, but as I said, I’ve got an errand that’ll take some time.”
“Maybe I could help with your errand.” Offered Gin, hesitant but not letting it show.
She looked at him pensively, looking him up and down as if thinking whether he’d be good enough for the job. Gin resisted the need to straighten. Then, she smiled brightly and Gin already felt he’d made a mistake.
Apparently, her pet had somehow escaped and she had to go find it, so she offered him a deal: he’d bring her lovely ‘Squishy’ to the shop and she’d work on his weapons, creating him the best tonfa he’d ever dreamed of and would even make him a discount if he brought the animal before dinner time.
That was the second clue Gin received that maybe he should’ve backed down from the deal, but he needed new weapons. Without his tonfa, he worked at a lower capacity and he needed to be as strong as possible to help his captain in the coming challenges.
He accepted the deal and the woman’s smile became a smirk.
And that’s how Gin ended up running around the lower city of Water 7, pursuing a slippery white squid the size of a dog ―and weren’t those supposed to be aquatic animals? How could it move so fast? ― and covered in its slimy ink from the few times he almost got it before it, quite literally, slipped away from him.
Now he just wanted to go back to their boat, slip in unnoticed if at all possible, and take a long shower to get rid of the sticky substance. And forget this ever happened.
Taking a deep breath and calling up all the patience he had left, Gin took off again. He just hoped those weapons really were worth it.
HPOPHPOPHPOP
“I’m curious, Little Flame.” Said Crocodile using his usual nickname for Aiko. “Where did you grow up?”
Aiko looked up at him, but his eyes were lost in the distance even as they walked back to their boat after both groups met up in the tavern.
“Why the sudden curiosity?”
“It’s your accent.” Replied the ex-Sichibukai smoothly. “I just cannot seem to place it.”
“No, I guess you wouldn’t. Not many people leave the place, you know, small place, non-adventurous people… the path to leave is also dangerous and definitely not worth the trouble of getting in.” at their even more curious stares, he added: “It’s a small island smack in the middle of one of the Calm Belts. Not the easiest place to get to.”
They nodded in understanding, but when it became clear that Aiko was now lost in his memories of what they guessed to be his home, they left the matter alone.
Their curiosity only grew, though it was soon forgotten at the sight that greeted them upon reaching their destination.
A group of marines was forcefully trying to saddle their Yagara nakamas, whilst Nola was trying to intimidate them and hissing furiously.
The mood changed rapidly after that, the group enveloped in a forebodingly scary aura as they stepped closer to the conflict.
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” called out Aiko.
“Are you the owner of this Yagara? We must requisition them as we need mounts, but do not worry, the government will reimburse you for them once our missions is done.” Explained one of the marines whilst avoiding one of the Yagara’s bite.
“Reimburse…?” repeated Aiko in a low and dark voice, his eyes darkening.
“I think it’s best if you leave now.” Said Cricket with a forced smile as he sensed their captain’s mood worsening. “And leave the Yagaras.”
“Didn’t you hear? We are-”
Whatever he was going to say was cut off as Karasu was suddenly right in front of him and punching the daylights out of him.
Everything stopped.
“Wh- what? What do you think you’re doing!?” exclaimed one of the other shocked marines.
“Do you not know what you’ve done? You’ve hit an official whilst on duty! You-”
“Why should I care?” shrugged Midori. “He was trying to kidnap my friends. He deserved it.”
“A-are you pirates?” muttered one of the marines suddenly looking much warier.
Aiko smiled.
“Exactly. And since you’re not going to get anything out of us, I suggest you leave.”
The man Karasu had punched stood up, face angry and fists clenched.
“You are hereby under arrest for piracy, obstruction and assault against a marine official!” he exclaimed. “Your mounts and boat will be requisitioned and-”
“Look, I want no trouble, so I’m going to ignore everything you’ve said up till now and let you all go.” Said Midori in a soft voice. “But if you don’t leave right now or even think of trying to take one of our friends again, I’ll make you regret it.”
The official got redder in the face, so much so that some worried his head was about to combust. But one of his companions, having noticed and recognised Crocodile and Mr 1, tried to tug him back.
“Come on, Ranto, Mako, Ryo.” He said speaking to the Yagaras. “We’ll have dinner soon.”
However, the other man simply shook his man off and walked to the edge of the water, hitting Mako, the middle brother, over the back of the head when he was about to follow his brothers.
“You don’t move, Yagara! And you!” he shouted taking a few threatening steps towards Karasu. “How dare you threaten a marine official, you pirate scum-”
He was soon cut off by a heavy tonfa falling on his head before he’d taken more than a couple steps, followed by a lean man showing up next to Karasu.
“Sorry I’m late. Took a while getting my new tonfas made.”
“Oh, hi, Gin. You’re just in time, in fact. These idiots were trying to kidnap Ranto, Mako and Ryo.”
“Yeah? I saw this fool” he said punctuating the word with a softer hit from his tonfa on the man’s head. “hit Mako too.”
“He did. I was just about to deal with them.” Replied Karasu.
“There’s no need for you to bother, Captain. I want to try my new tonfas, anyway.”
And with that solved, Gin proceeded to do just that whilst Aiko stood in shock at being called Captain, Raki petted Mako and someone went to have dinner started.
HPOPHPOPHPOP
Gin was glad his new weapons were as good as he’d been promised. After all, he’d just spent several hours chasing a squid all over Water 7 to get them.
It had been worth it.
And now he even felt some pity for the poor squid, whom the storekeeper had put a purple bow on as soon as she got her hands on him.
HPOPHPOPHPOP
The ‘Free Raven’ or Soryo Karasu as the ship had been baptised was a beauty amongst ships.
Paulie had outdone himself with that one.
Iceburg watched, amused, as the strange crew that Paulie had gotten so close to explored the ship his pupil had built from scratch. He continued watching as they hoisted their pirate flag.
It was a rather elaborate flag that they had chosen to represent them and Iceburg didn’t know the meaning behind most of the symbols, only the lotus flower that represented new beginnings and gave the crew their new and soon to be infamous name of ‘Hasu no Ichimi’.
The flag was strange, with the bones forming a cross and a smiling skull, with the lotus flower on the lower right side and a wave on the lower left corner. There was also a broken fetter, which probably represented freedom, and from the upper part, two flaming red eyes watched out.
But he wasn’t here just to watch them enjoy themselves. He was here to bring them news.
HPOPHPOPHPOP
“Bounties, you say?” asked Raki.
Iceburg nodded, passing the stack of papers over to the woman, who handed them to Gin, who in turn passed them around.
“There was an article in the papers that spoke of a new pirate crew, the Hasu no Ichimi, that is causing trouble in Water 7. There was little information about it, just that there were some well-known pirates associated if not a part of it, amongst them the ex-shichibukai Sir Crocodile, Mr 1 and the Man-Demon, as well as a dog-sized snake and three Yagara pets.” Explained Iceburg, arms crossed over his chest. “I suggest now your ship is finished you don’t delay your departure much.”
The group listened with half an ear to what he was telling them, but they were speechlessly looking at their wanted posters.
There was one for Sir Crocodile and another for Mr 1, both still with the same bounty since the Marineford War but with the added note of their association to the new crew. There was an actualised one for the Man-Demon Gin that brought his bounty up to 30,000,000 berries. Aiko’s poster didn’t even have a name on it, just the whooping sum of a 40,000,000 berry bounty, probably because of his association with Crocodile, being an unknown in the Grand Line and being the one Gin had obviously deferred to. It was enough to make them all speechless.
Lastly, there was a bounty for the “Barbed Snake”, obviously Nola, that consisted of 20 berries and another for the “Three Yagara brothers” of another 20 berries.
Whilst they all processed the new information and what it meant, Yuki was whining, obviously unhappy at being left out of the bounties ―he’d gone hunting and had therefore missed the confrontation altogether.
“Thanks for the information.” Muttered Gin, peering up to gauge his captain’s reaction and finding that, for once, he couldn’t really tell what he was feeling.
“We’ll leave in the morning, then.” Said Aiko in a soft voice.
“So soon?” asked Paulie with a frown, taking the cigar off his mouth.
“No sense in staying around and causing trouble for your company.” Shrugged Midori.
“That should give us enough time for me to familiarise myself with the ship enough to actually sail it and for you all to stock it up.” Nodded Cricket.
And there was nothing else to be said as they all got to work, Nola and Cricket helping Iceburg and Paulie carry the money for the ship to the company’s headquarters whilst the rest got to work on stocking up their new beautiful ship.
HPOPHPOPHPOP
The crew’s last night in Water 7 was actually a great party. They commandeered a whole tavern with the company’s people that they had made friendships with and they drunk and ate, sang and danced.
Cricket and Wyper had their usual drinking contest, whilst this time Mr 1 joined them. And could that man drink! It was always the quiet ones…
Crocodile sat regally with Nola half-draped over him, drinking slowly and referring the drinking contest, the man being intelligent enough not to get into it when Mr 1 decided to compete.
Karasu had sat with Gin and laughed as Raki led Paulie on a dance whilst the blonde blushed to the roots of his hair at how much skin her tribal party clothes showed.
Through a window, one could see Yuki, Ranto, Mako and Ryo doing pirouettes in the water and drinking from the barrels some of the guys had brought out for them.
In the middle of the night, Paulie announced all drinks and food were on him, thanks to the generous commission he’d received from building the ‘Free Raven’.
They partied till early in the morning, when the pirates decided they needed to leave so they could get some sleep before their departure and it was with some sadness that they said their goodbyes, Paulie staying whilst gambling with his friends.
HPOPHPOPHPOP
They’d barely got any sleep when it was time to leave for good. Aiko stood on the ‘Free Raven’s’ prow, looking out at the city, when Gin approached him.
“I’m going to miss Paulie.” Sighed Karasu.
Gin simply nodded, but it was obvious he would too. They all would.
“He loves the company too much, I guess.” Shrugged their captain.
They had just raised anchor when a commotion from the city reached their ears and they all paused in what they were doing, looking over.
A blond blur was running in their direction, fast as the wind, whilst two groups of people pursued him. the two groups were in clear contradiction of each other, one being made up of all females that swooned and called out for ‘Paulie-sama’ to look at them, whilst the other were mostly men and were shouting about debts.
Just as they were leaving the dock, the blond blur jumped up onto the ship and they all stared open-mouthed at Paulie.
“I think it might be best if I travel with you for a while. You know, until the fans and money-dealers forget about me.”
There was a moment of silence and then…
“Didn’t you get a good-sized commission out of building our ship?”
“Yeah, that lasted me the whole night, can’t complain about it.” Shrugged Paulie. “So where can I put my things?”
Karasu’s smile was so big at his words that the Shandia tribal mask hid part of it.
But upon leaving the waters of the island, they found the marines waiting for them. Not that it delayed them too much and after that encounter they never again got wrong who the Captain of the Hasu no Ichimi was.
Also, Yuki finally got his own bounty and stopped whining so much.