Padrino Part 13

Previous: Padrino Part 12

Rinji sat with his head in his paw, his arm on top of their dinner table on the Panno Marie. He wasn't sure how the others were coping with the whole Gonzo Lee incident; he knew Chio was hopping mad himself. He had filled himself a beer, but now that he had it, he didn't really feel like drinking it. His claw lightly scratched against the sweat on the outside of it for a bit, but even that got boring, and he simply pushed it to the center of the table. The catman simply sat and looked down toward a small at the end of a wood plank, one of many that made up the main hall's floor. He looked at it with such great disdain. He scowled at it, and he cursed at it under his breath. He wished that the damn thing would just stop existing already so that he didn't have to even admit that it was there. He pianoed his claws on the paw that rested against the table, and occasionally gave a great sigh of annoyance.

Chris: You know there are other things to do than just stare at a crack on the floor. [He approached Rinji from behind and sat beside him on the bench.]

Rinji: Like what... [Said with very little life clinging to his words.]

Chris: Well, for one thing, you could do like I do and hock loogies onto passing seagulls. Man, you should see how mad they get!

Rinji kept sitting and pianoing his claws against the table, his eyes closed now.

Chris: Then there's always building random clay potholes on the ship to see who will step in one first.

He simply opened an eye toward Chris at this, one that shut after a moment.

Chris: Or... or! We could very well go across Fringe, singing merry carrols while all snuggly warm in our coats and jackets, holding hands while we---

Rinji: You have some of the worst issues I have seen in all 9 of my lives...

Chris: Whoa, you seriously have those?

Rinji sat for a moment, his eyes still closed and his claw scratching his head a little bit. Then he gave a sigh and shook his head.

Chris: Well, you can't let good soda go to waste, so if you don't want to drink it. [He lifted the mug and started to drink]

Rinji: Ummm that's not so---

Chris: Whoa! I suddenly know what One Piece is! It--- [Thud! Hit the floor completely unconcious]

Rinji: MewhahahahahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!

Onboard Snowbeard's very large ship, the master himself sat, his eyes closed and his mind completely solemn. Every so often he would take a drink from his little cup of fine sake and set it back down, his mind going back to its blank tranquility.

Juuri walked into his chambers, a very broad-shouldered samurai with his sword held at the back of his shoulder. Before Snowbeard he went to one knee and bowed very low to the ground.

Juuri: My lord, please forgive my intrusion. This man has sworn under his honor that he will not say a word until he has a chance to prove himself against you in battle.

Snowbeard opened his eyes and gazed down at Juuri, one of his lower ranking commanders of his crew. To this, he uttered a very small laugh.

Snowbeard: Prove himself? Is that right? His skills are that of miscalculation, arrogance, and misguided judgement of his technique. I will not waste my precious time on such a galant upstart. If he will speak no more of the matter, then I suppose it is time to end his torment forever.

Before Juuri could utter any kind of protest, he saw a black figure in the corner of his eye. That was when he whirled around with his sword out, and stood with his blade only inches away from a little girl's face. A little girl in a black trench coat, with black hair, red hair tips. and a somber look on her face. Snowbeard acknowledged this girl with a very interested look, he noticed that not even Juuri's keen senses did not pick up on her presence until she was already in the middle of the room, and that she did all of this without even the smallest sound.

Juuri: Who are you and why do you interrupt us with such insolence!?

Snowbeard: Lower your katana, Juuri. She is of our allies, the Tiger-stripes.

This did little to comfort Juuri, and as he sheathed his sword, he noticed that her eyes followed his movements with passive interest.

Nikk: I heard about Ricky, and I came to see if it was true.

Snowbeard: It is, little one. What is your name?

Nikk: Miko Nikk, I joined the Tiger-Stripe Pirates some months ago.

Snowbeard: [Nodded] I see. Forgive Juuri, his honor is worn on his sleeve. [Turned toward Juuri] You may leave us, speak to Gonzo, and if he speaks no more for us to hear, then you may kill him.

Juuri: Yes, master. [Bowed once again, and then began to walk out of the chamber]

Nikk: He will not get anything from Gonzo Lee. [This statement stopped Juuri quite well in his steps.]

Juuri: What did you say? [Turned back toward Nikk]

Snowbeard: What do you mean?

Nikk: He won't get anything from Gonzo Lee, and it is entirely from lack of trying.

This struck a serious chord between both Snowbeard and Juuri. This was when Nikk produced a small glass test tube. One with a very tiny fleck of metal inside of it. She casually tossed it to Snowbeard, who caught it, and looked inside.

Nikk: He is one of them. One of the traitors among us. He attacked Vice Admiral Polatsu along with a very large, powerful man who was strong enough to punch deep into pure steel. They attacked the marine while garbed in black, and did not clean up thoroughly behind himself.

Juuri: You insolent little brat! How dare you accuse m---

Snowbeard: Juuri... [His voice boomed with a horrible sense of anger that worked itself straight down Juuri's spine.] Where did you say you were that night? The night the Admiral was attacked?

Juuri's sweat was clear across his brow now. Now it was serious. He had no chance against Snowbeard, and he knew it very well. Even if he had twice the skill he possessed now, and the finest blade in the entire Grand Line, he had no hope of taking down Snowbeard, himself. Let alone all of the White Blade Pirates that stood outside, waiting for their Captain's whim.

None of that mattered, though, Snowbeard was in front of Juuri that very instant, his towering presence dwarfing Juuri, looking down at him as if he were a child.

Snowbeard: Was this why you volunteered your services to question our captive? If this is true, then I can only assume that you know of my daughter's current whereabouts! [He said, and his hand darted to Juuri's throat, instantly getting it into a grasp that couldn't be loosened by a crowbar] How far does your treachury go, Juuri-the-shameful?! When we found you starving, and bleeding from every limb of your body, was that thespianism?! Was that only the beginning of your destined turn-coat ways?! Was it your true destiny to be destroyed by the palm of my hands! You maggot-eating dog?! Tell me! TELL MEEEEE!!!

That was when Snowbeard looked toward Miko Nikk who looked at him with a blank, emotionless look, and then he looked back to the sweating, choking, and struggling Juuri within his grasp. That was when he simmered himself down, and threw Juuri into the ground where he wheezed and coughed, holding his neck.

Snowbeard: Molli... [He called as she appeared from the darkness.]

Molli: Yes, my lord. [Bowing]

Snowbeard: Take this miserable wretch to a prison chamber, and tell Wataru that he is unleashed onto Gonzo Lee. Tell him that our time is running very short. Tell him that he is to do whatever he can.

Molli: At once.