Padrino Part 3

A lone marine rushed through the crowd on the busy streets of Fringe. Even so early in the morning as the sun was just over the horizon, the crowd was still bustling with the early birds looking for the fresh stock on the market place. The marine huffed and hurried, he had to say "excuse me" over and over again, still keeping a good speed, hurrying toward the marine base with the greatest speed he could muster. His rifle clicked against his back, attached to a harness that was tied against his chest. That was when he saw it, the marine base, and just outside of it, the troops were doing their role call. What luck!

Corporal: Captain! CAPTAIN! [The marine called, still hurrying, through all of the noise on the streets, and his voiced reached them, because he turned all of their heads]

Morris: Corporal! What are you doing? This is an official formation! [Captain Morris said, gritting his teeth and glaring at the watchman as he hurried toward them.]

Corporal: Captain! Urgent news! I saw a ship! A pirate ship!

Morris: There are a million pirates in Fringe! What's so different about this one?

Corporal: The flag, sir! Two katana under a samurai helmet!

Morris's expression went from angry to wide-eyed in an instant, and he looked to his line of soldiers behind him.

Morris: Fall out!

-

Usagi: I don't know, Chio, sometimes I feel like if we didn't travel so much, we wouldn't get into so many dangerous scenarios. Perhaps we wouldn't run into so much trouble. Maybe if we settled down somewhere, dropped out of sight.

Chio stood at a corner store stand, and nodded to the standman, grabbing his deep-fried whats-it and taking a big bite of it.

Chio: Yeah, don't think I haven't thought of that. But then that would mean we'd be stuck here in the New World. If you asked me, I think we should have thought of that somewhere between island number sixteen or island number twenty.

Usagi nodded at this, and looked at her blade, and her eyes dropped down toward her feet. She took another large bite out of her carrot.

Chio: I haven't seen you write your little poems for a minute. You been feeling alright?

A very slight smile crossed Usagi's mouth, and her cheeks deepened red.

Usagi: Well, there's a reason for that, you see, I have been thinking of one.

Chio: Oh? [Mouth full]

Usagi: Yeah.

Old man: What?!

Both of them looked to the side to see a very tall, large old man with a white beard, hunched over and with a very large pile of apples. His hand was up to his ear and leaned toward the fruit stand guy.

Clerk: 50 belli! 100 Apples for 50 Belli!

Old man: 15 belli? That seems mighty cheap there young man, you sure these apples are good? [He picked one up and sniffed it close]

Clerk: No, no, you don't under stand sir. Five-zero, fifty!

Old man: You said there were a hundred apples! I'm not paying someone who can't do math!

Clerk: Gah! You're kidding me, just give me the money.

Old man: Okay okay, sonny, don't rush me, let me get my coin bag. [Took a small leather bag from his pocket and put a single belli on the table] One... [Reached into the bag and put another coin on the table] Two... [Reached into his bag, rummaged, rummaged, and rummaged before putting another coin onto the table] Three...

Clerk: Ah!! Just take the apples! Please take them! I beg you!

Old man: One second sonny, I'm on a roll. [put another one on the table] Four...

Voice: Hahaaa! What do you expect from a geezer who should be feeding pigeons in the park!

This turned many heads, all of them looked to see a young man with long, braided blond hair, and golden eyes that grinned toward the old man, who turned to see the boy as he stood tall among the crowd. The boy was Gonzo Lee, with a bounty of 400,000,000 belli for several terrorist attacks on many marine bases in the name of the White Face Pirates.

Gonzo Lee: You may be able to fool the common rabble here, but I know who you really are. [Grin extending even bigger] Today, you lose your title, old man!

Before Gonzo could step closer, a katana in its sheathe was brought out in front of him, stopping him.