Black Bone Tower Part 5

Previous: Black Bone Tower Part 4

It was quite an amazing little pirate village they had going on in that unnamed isle, simply known for its very large, and noticeable tower that stood at the very edge of its western shore. Even though it was a temporary settlement, the pirates that inhabited it were more than happy to be there, vegetation or not. There was no marine authority there, and even if they were to find that island, they could be seen for miles off shore. There were dances, bands playing a merry tune, drinking competitions, and laughter heard throughout the whole island. That was not to say that there wasn't the occasional fights to be seen, and normally when they happened, they were brought to the middle of the arena that stood in the center of it all. It was a very large arena, a hundred square yards in a circle with all of the seats around it so that the spectators could see everything.

There were personal bouts in the center of the arena, but then there were also scheduled exhibition matches seen, though they were few and far in between. While Rinji and Kimi had their chat, two no-name pirates struggled to gain the upper hand in a grappling match that was of little interest to those seated around it. There were many boos from the rabble crowd, but for those who were seated in the upper decks of the ship, there was no sounds to be heard that the lower levels could hear. All of them sat and talked quietly amongst themselves.

Boy: Excuse me [Working his way around the tables and the noisy pirates who drank and gorged themselves on the food.] Scuse me. Ah, there she is! [He said, looking over the shoulder of a very large man who happened to bend down at the right time.] Miss Rangass! [Waving his hand] Miss Rangass!

The boy kept waving his arms and calling for Kimi over the crowds of people, but couldn't get her attention, so he started to run toward her. Just as she looked up to acknowledge her name, a very, very large man walked out in front of him, and the boy's face collided with the man's arm, busting his nose and causing him to recoil backward. He held his face as his nose began to bleed. That was when he looked up to see a very large, seven foot man, who was a walking mountain of muscle. The boy's eyes widened to their full extent as he realized that it was none other than Thomas Drake standing before him. His brown, bearded chin glaring down at the boy, his toga outlining his gigantic muscles as he turned to pay heed to the little boy.

All of those in attendance knew full well the capabilities of that man, and with a 400 million belli price on his head, no one wanted to know what he could do when he got angry. All eyes turned to gaze at the giant of a man as he  continued to stare down at the boy, his eyes unblinking. That was when he put his hand onto what little cloth was on his arm, gripping the toga, he ripped it off in a handful, further extending the outlook of his enormous bicep. Everyone around them gasped as Drake moved toward the boy, who gasped, unable to move, unable to speak, even unable to swallow, his throat completely dry.

That was when Thomas Drake held the cloth up to the boy's nose and very gently pressed it against his face so that it soaked up the blood.

Thomas: There, hold that up to it and allow the blood to drain, if it starts to pound, put ice on it. Be more careful next time.

The boy, still unable to speak in any fashion, simply nodded. Thomas continued to walk across the large group of tables, followed by a small gathering of very large men, who were his crew. All of them glanced at the boy, paying him heed, for very few times has their captain paid any attention to the commoners.

After that, the whole group  around him moved in on him and started to ask him questions, or congradulated him for being one  of the few people to touch Thomas Drake and not have every bone in their body broken. They slapped him on the back, laughing and offering him a beer or something stronger. The poor boy, whose name was Tango, was so disoriented by it all. One minute he was looking for a female pirate captain, next he was in the midsts of one  of the great warriors of the Grand Line.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, one that gave a light squeeze that caught his attention. He looked up to see two more very well known names beyond the Red Lines. Rangass D. Kimi and Rinji stood behind him.

Kimi: Umm, hi, you were calling me?

Tango: Oh! Captain Kimi!! Yes, ma'am! Your table is ready in the upper deck! Oh... Captain  Rinji, we didn't know you would be attending.

Rinji: That makes two of us. Mewhahahahahaha!

Tango: Well, sir, if you give me  a minute, I could reserve you a place on the upper deck spectator seats.

Kimi: There will be no need, the Tiger-Stripe Pirates will be my guest.

Rinji: Oh? To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?

Kimi: Hehe, well, there's only three of us in the Descendents, so I think your crew should be able to fit in our little space. Lead the way. [She said as she looked down at Tango.]

Tango: Yes, ma'am, right this way.

He led the path for the both of them. Around all of the ground-level tables and on the north end of the arena. They climbed the stairs up to the high decks where many of the big-name pirates kicked back and waited for the true fun to begin under a wooden roof that shaded them from the sun.

However, as Rinji passed a specific spot on the decks, he saw a big pair of green, gleaming eyes that followed him from one side of his high-ground hut to the other. Rinji looked to see, to his surprise, that it was yet another nekojin. This one was absolutely pitch black, if there was just a little  bit less light, he would have blended in completely were it not for those gazing eyes that did not leave Rinji, who looked back with his own, golden eyes. It would not have been so damn creepy were it not for the Nekojin's irises being so gigantic that there was no white corneas in his eyes at all. The black Nekojin simply kept staring with that blank expression up until Rinji left his sight.

Rinji: Who in the hell was that? [Muttered to himself.]

Alice and Nikk attended the magic show that stood beside all of the food stands in the middle of the celebration portion of the stands. There was a whole crew of magic performers there, giving wonderful light shows and card tricks. Usagi was at the retail dealers that traded rare games, puzzles, and books that she had never heard of before. Gonzo Lee was with  Ellis, and they were more or less just wandering around the whole thing, checking out the drinks around the arena and the musical bands that were playing merry melodies while everyone sat and waited.

Chio stepped out of the outhouse, holding his nose and coughing.

Chio: Sweet mercy, that stuff stinks. [Fixed his shirt collar and started to walk away, but that was when he heard something.]

It was a very feint sound, like someone was sneaking around, and why would they want to do that? Chio's eyes snapped around, looking, then he spun around, to look at he top of the outhouse, which shook very slightly as if someone were in fact on it before.

That was when he saw a figure above him, it was a masked figure coming down at him as they'd just jumped from the roof of the outhouse and came down at Chio like a comet. The red mask flaired as they brought out a very large short bladed weapon that sliced straight down at the fighter, who flipped straight backward. As Chio flipped, his leg shot straight up, and kicked the masked figure in the stomach, causing it to fly backward into the door of the outhouse, which broke down into splinters.

The masked figure got up and brandished their blade into a fighting stance, which Chio also took.

Chio: I don't know who you are, but you better be made of solid steel.