Detour
Chapter 11: Detour
They toured the island for a while, with Hatchan acting as their guide on his insistence. Paulie disappeared for a while, looking for Tom’s brother who he wanted to meet before they left.
It was during the tour of the island that Hatchan took them to a establishment called “Mermaid Café”, where they met the lovely but rather clumsy mermaid, Camie.
HPOPHPOPHPOP
It was the morning after their feast celebrating their arrival at Fishman Island and they were cleaning up the ship to let Tom have space to work on the coating.
“Which of you is the Captain of the Lotus Pirates? The one they call the Midori no Tama?”
The pirates all stopped in their tracks at the high voice and turned to see a young woman ―or was it girl? ―looking up at them from the edge of the deck.
She was young, or maybe it was her clothes that made her look younger: a cute black and pink long dress, coupled with a big black hat with white flowers and a pink umbrella. Her hair was also pink and curly, her skin pale, and she wore matching lipstick and black liner emphasizing her wide round eyes. The creepy teddy bear she was holding onto only added to the strange look.
“Who’s asking?”
The girl huffed, looking very much annoyed when she looked at the Shandia who’d just questioned her.
“You should be more polite, you know? And put on a pink ribbon or something around your hair, though I doubt you’d look cute even then.”
This time it was Wyper’s turn to look annoyed.
“You were the one that came here with demands.” Intervened Raki, putting a hand on her fellow’s arm to stop him from starting a fight.
The girl pouted, looking quiet cross until she took a good look at Raki and her eyes took on the shape of hearts. She was suddenly aboard their ship, hanging all over the woman.
“Ohhh… you’d be such a cute addition to my collection!” she gushed. “You should leave these trash and come with me. I’ll allow you to serve me forever.”
It was then that a familiar ―or fast becoming so― presence made itself known and they all looked for its source. There was a pause and then…
“Cindry-chan!” squealed suddenly the unknown woman. “Horohorohoro, so you’re alive!”
The blonde’s eyes were cold as ice as they stared right at the pink monstro- ahem, girl.
“Victoria?” asked Paulie, cigarette clenched between his teeth.
“She’s Gecko Moria’s lackey.”
There was an immediate shift in their demeanour, the aura around the ship turning heavy and darker. Gin felt a flicker on the edge of his awareness and knew they had attracted their captain’s attention.
“That’s Moria-sama to you, don’t be disrespectful! You wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him.” The girl’s eyes narrowed in anger, but then she sensed their aggression and she recoiled.
“Your master is nothing to me. His hold on me is no more: I owe him nothing.” Shot back the scarred woman crossing her arms over her chest.
For a second, nobody moved ―even Raki with the stranger still clinging onto her― as both glared at each other and the crew stood around them, tense but ready to support their friend. Then the door opened and Gin saw it: the minute tensing of the pinkie’s shoulders as she took in that bigger than life presence their captain exuded. The Man-Demon unconsciously relaxed slightly as the younger man stopped next to him and took in the situation.
“Vic-chan?”
“She’s Moria’s. She’s the user of the Horo Horo no Mi, Perona.” Informed Victoria. “She asked for you, Captain.”
Karasu hummed absently and the girl visibly gathered herself, squaring her shoulders and putting her hands on her hips.
“You are the Captain of the Lotus Pirates? I expected someone cuter, with that name, but that mask’s not cute at all!”
He could almost feel Karasu’s raised eyebrows at her outburst. What was with the girl and ‘cute’ people? Raki, now free from her vice-like-grip, took a few steps back.
“Noted.” Answered drily the captain. “Now care to tell me why you’re looking for me?”
The woman muttered something under her breath, so low that they only caught a few words, but it seemed to all come down to her not being a messenger bird.
“Here, this is for you.” She said fishing something out of her pocket.
All the crew tensed as she took a step towards their captain and she frowned at them.
“We don’t want anything from Moria.”
“It’s Moria-sama!” protested Perona, then she added a little petulantly: “And it’s not from him.”
That picked their curiosity.
“Who’s it from?” inquired Paulie, an eyebrow raised.
Perona didn’t even look at him, throwing the wrapped bundle at their captain. The masked man caught it easily.
“Here, you can find out for yourselves. I’m leaving.”
But before the girl could jump back onto the dock, their captain’s voice stopped her.
“Perona-san.”
She paused a moment and looked questioningly over her shoulder.
“Transmit my message to your master: if Gecko Moria or any of his crewmembers step foot upon my ship again, they’ll be held accountable for each and every offence they dealt Victoria. Is that understood?”
HPOPHPOPHPOP
They were spending their time at the Mermaid Café, as they had taken to doing most of the time when they were not exploring the island or learning from Tom’s brother, in Paulie’s case.
“You have a beautiful voice, why don’t you join my crew?”
The mermaid became red up to the tips of her ears, but it was another voice that answered.
“Are you trying to filch one of my waitresses?” asked Madame Shyarly in an strict voice.
“Unashamedly.” Answered Karasu with an unrepentant grin that made the corner of her lips twitch. “She has talent and we could use a good music on board, or at least a singer. What say you, my lady, would you like to leave on an adventure with us?”
The red-faced mermaid turned insecure at the question. It could be seen in her eyes that she wanted to leave, but the fear visible in them stopped her. Seeing that, the crew fell silent, but sent encouraging smiles her way.
Her dream had always been to be a great fashion designer. Then she met Luffy and the others and she wished, with all her might, that she could be strong enough to travel the seas like they did. Her dreams about fashion faded, but this one didn’t. She wanted to be brave enough to pursue this dream.
“You know what,” started Midori, looking thoughtfully at her. “we’ve something to do on this side of the Red Line before we leave for the New World and I don’t expect it to be too dangerous. If you want, you may accompany us on this little adventure and, if you don’t enjoy it, you can stay here when we come back.”
Camie’s cute face lighted up at that but she looked shyly at Madame Shyarly, with her strict face and soft eyes, before she nodded once and then again more firmly at the Captain.
“I’d like that. So… what’s this adventure about? Are we stealing another pirate’s treasure? Fighting the navy to rescue slaves? Saving a princess from a dreadfully boring life at court?” asked the mermaid looking more and more enthusiast.
“Nothing of the sort; in truth, I’m afraid this might seem a bit boring to you, with such expectations… We’re simply visiting a Shichibukai.”
Silence and then…
“…We’re what!?”
HPOPHPOPHPOP
Gin looked on as Cindry helped Camie bring her things on board and then showed her around the ship. On his hand, he held a small missive written in a neat and elegant calligraphy.
It was a short message, a summons really, asking for the presence of the Captain of the Midori no Tama. Alongside the message, there had been an Eternal Logpose that Cricket had gleefully added to his collection in the navigation room.
Eternal Logposes were expensive, but extremely accurate, so either its sender had money to spare or they really had an interest on meeting its recipient.
The first wasn’t implausible, but knowing who had sent it, Gin would bet on the second option.
“Are you sure of this?”
“Yes, I don’t want to leave for the New World with questions about this. I’d rather just hear him out.” Answered Karasu from his side.
“Alright.”
And that was it. It wasn’t his place as First Mate to question his captain, after all.
He watched the crew again, noticing Hatchan arriving with a lot less things than Camie had, but then again he was a former pirate and must be used to travelling light.
The fishman was joining them on this trip to make sure Camie was alright and so he could be their guide back to Fishman Island again. But Gin would bet quite a bit that he wouldn’t be leaving the ship anytime soon.
Their crew was growing again.