A Pirate Conspiracy and a Terrifying Foe! The Jollys' Unexpected Find.

 In the New World, just a ways beyond the unmarked Spire Island 

''In this very location, near an inhabited island, a sight could be seen as it drew closer to the harbor. From the horizon, it appeared small, although as it came closer, it began to grow in size. Growing, growing, growing... Eventually, key details could be spotted as what appeared to be a ship came into view. It was large, and appeared to be a Galleon of sorts. It also seemed to have two figureheads protruding from the front of the ship, and what looked to be some kind of round tower on top of its main mast. In time, a symbol could be seen, displayed upon the ship's main sail in a proud fashion as the breeze from behind pushed it forward. The symbol was that of a skull and crossbones, making it a pirate ship no doubt. But... The crossbones seemed... Different somehow. And the skull appeared happy, not the least bit intimidating. Eventually, one could make out who exactly owned this pirate vessel. As it came closer to the island, its passengers could be seen and overheard. They appeared to be up to something.''

Wyatt: Oi, what's he doing sleeping at a time like this? Is he STILL napping after the celebration we had a while back?

Shinku: Not sure... Try poking him, or kicking, or... Something.

Wyatt: What? No way. You do it!

Shinku: Me?! I don't even have feet, stupid!

Wyatt: Ya got fingers, a head, and a tail, dont'cha?

Shinku: Still though, I suggested it first! So you should do it!

''Indeed, it was none other than the festive Jolly Pirates, up to some form of nonesense and no good antics as usual. Their mermaid singer and scout, Shinku, and their sniper, Wyatt, were busy hovering over an unconcious body they found on the deck of their ship, The Jolly MK II. They seemed to know this person however, and so further investigation was required.''

Wyatt: If you're trying to get me to do things for you, like that baka okama, Aphro, then you can forget it! I mean, what if he's... D-D-Dead...?

Shinku: DON'T SAY STUFF LIKE THAT, YOU JERK!!

Wyatt: I JUST DON'T WANT TO TOUCH A DEAD BODY IS ALL!! THAT'S GROSS!!

Shinku: WHY BRING IT UP THEN?!!

''Just then, a new figure showed up from behind the two. He appeared to have an inquisitive look on his face. He looked at Shinku and Wyatt as if they had done something bizarre.''

Spike: And just what are you two arguing about?

''Wyatt and Shinku pointed to the body on the floor. Spike peered over at it to check it out.''

Spike: That dumbass... I bet he overdid it again. He sure can sleep through anything though, that's for sure...

Seeing three people surround an assumed sleeping body, yet another person stepped up to check out the scene.

Rex: What's going on? H-... He's not dead, is he...?

Shinku: NOT YOU TOO!!

Rex: Hm? What'd I do...?

Spike: Heh, I have to say, Rex. For a minute, I thought it was you down there on the deck.

Rex: Really? I don't sleep that often, do I?

Wyatt[sighing]: Yes, yes you do...

''Spike returned his attention to the sleeping young man on the floor. He gave the lay-a-bout a decent kick to the side, thus forcing him into the air for a second or two, before falling back onto his other side. The young man's face and hair could be easily seen by now. The hair was orange in color, and the face looked rather tough in appearance. The young pirate groggily began to get up, groaning in the process as he scratched his rear end.''

Timber: Ugggh... Who hit m-...? [notices Spike standing in front of him] ... ... ... YOU JERK!!! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!!!

Spike: WELL WHO THE HELL SLEEPS SO LONG AFTER RECOVERING FROM HIS INJURIES?!!!

Timber: SO SUE ME IF I WANTED TO PARTY JUST A LITTLE WHILE LONGER!!! NOT LIKE I COULD DO MUCH WITH APHRO AND KAREN WATCHING ME LIKE HAWKS!!!

Wyatt and Shinku[sighing]: Great, they're fighting...

Rex: Zzzz...

Wyatt: Hm...? THE HELL, REX?!!! YOU'RE ASLEEP NOW TOO?!!!

''Shinku merely slapped her forehead with her palm in dissapointment. However, being the klutz she was, she accidentally hit her head a little too hard, leaving a red handprint where her hand had made contact.''

Shinku[tearing a little from the pain]: Owww...

''Amidst the chaos of the scene, a young woman could be seen walking out from the main hatch on the floor, and approaching everyone who was present. She seemed to be happy about something.''

Glory: I see Shinku's not at her post again, big shocker there...

Timber and Spike[in the midst of hitting each other and pulling on their faces]: Hi Gworwy... (Glory)

Rex: Hm? Something up?

Shinku[mumbling]: When did HE wake up?

Glory: In fact, something IS up! I decided to do some checking, and found out that there's an island not too far from here. In fact, we should be seeing it some time soon now.

Wyatt: OK, not that that isn't great news and everything, but how could that put you in a good mood?

Glory: Well, remember the big feast we had a few days ago? Back when Rex joined us?

Spike: Oh yeah... That food was great.

Glory: It also drained us of our remaining supplies relatively quickly. Seems having an extra mouth to feed is starting to affect us.

Rex: Wait, are you saying this is my fault?

Timber: How rude, Glory! Rex is our nakama now, so we shouldn't blame him if Hanuman's a pig!

Glory: I WASN'T BLAMING ANYONE, STUPID!! ... Ugh...! Anyway, the island seems to have people on it, so there should be some shops.

Spike: Ah, so it's shopping day, huh?

Glory: Yep, and you guys know what we're going to need.

Rex: Wait, what do we need other than food?

Wyatt: Eh, don't sweat it, Rex. I'll explain everything later, once we make landfall.

Glory: Speaking of landfall, be on alert for-

''Just as Glory was talking, out from the ship's lounge room could be seen a VERY jolly Jolly Pirate. He appeared to be dancing some sort of silly dance, in celebration of who knows what.''

Chris:[singing]: Next island~! Next island~! Be on the lookout for the next island~! Could be above us, and it could be below~! In the New World, you'll never know~!

Spike: Is that what you were about to warn us of, Glory? [a sweatdrop forms on the back of Spike's head]

Glory: Err, yeah. Seems Chris is awfully excited today, so when I told him about the next island, he started singing that increasingly annoying song, and began to dance around like a baka. I was going to warn you of how annoyingly catchy the song is, but...

Shinku: "Next island~! Next island~! Be on the lookout for the next island~! Could be above us, and it could be below~! In the New World, you'll never know~!"

Glory: Crap! Now Shinku's doing it too...

Spike: Hehehe... Song or no song, it definately will be nice to get on dry land again after being out at sea for so long.

Rex[muttering to himself]: Is the island really that far from Spire Island...?

Chris: Oi, guys!! I can see the shore now!! Let's get ready to depart!!

Timber: Aye aye, captain!

Glory: See what I mean? Excited. He must've woken up on the right side of the bed or something.

Chris: Docking Jolly~! Docking Jolly~! We're now ready to dock Jolly~!

Glory: NOT ANOTHER ONE?!!!

''The scene continued on like that for quite some time, all the while, The Jolly MK II finally reached the harbor, and in time, had its anchors dropped and its sails raised. The Jolly Pirates were now ready to leave the comfort of their ship, and start their next adventure on this island.''

 Meanwhile, several miles off the opposite side of the island 

''entirely unnoticed, a periscope slowly rises through a wave, and slowly rotates. A complex array of lenses twists and focusses on the coast. The periscope was in fact attached to a very sinister, not to mention unusual, submarine. It was sleek, and sharp edged, and instead of a propeller, the entire rear half of it was enclosed in a spiral of long curved blades that rotated around it to provide thrust. It was a stolen marine prototype designed to be swift, silent, and near enough unstoppable, but there were less than a dozen people in the world who could have recognised it as such. aboard it, in the main control room, one such person turns away from the controls of the periscope. He has dark hair, and wears a long black coat with a hood, which makes him appear to be almost made from shadows. He approaches the other prominent person in the room, who is slumped in an excessively luxurious armchair in front of a ship's wheel, mostly out of sight'' unknown woman: Well then?

unknown man: Seems just an ordinary island.

other voices from people out of view join the conversation

Loud voice: This is the New World! There are no ordinary islands! Backa!

Sarcastic voice: That's Baka. no C.

Loud voice: Rghhh... How long are you going to be hearing misspellings for anyway?!

Sarcastic voice: That depends entirely on how long you keep talking.

Quiet woman's voice: I say worth taking a look.

Sarcastic voice: Seconded.

Loud voice: Fine. So long as I get to kill something on the way.

unknown woman: Ok. But let's scout around a bit first. Besides, I want to see if this will actually work.

unknown man: heh... As you wish.

''The man turns back to the periscope, and presses a tiny switch. The submarine launches a very small diamond shaped torpedo, which covers the remaining mile to the island in seconds. Strangely, it surfaces without exploding, and drifts into a rockpool, floating just beneath the surface. There is a moments pause, then the end of the torpedo splits open. Something slips out impossibly quickly and vanishes into the shadows under the rocks.''

 Back at The Jolly Pirates' location 

''The crew of pirates could be seen all together, having finally gotten the last of their own off The Jolly MK II, and onto the island. Once off the ship, they could be seen discussing things of importance and interest amongst themselves. Or at least... Things that SEEMED important and interesting to them...''

Glory: Good, now time to see who will do what. We have 15 people here, including Lawrence, making for...

As Glory stopped to count, Mary butted in, seemingly knowing what Glory was about to say.

Mary: 30 sets of eyes in total.

Glory[nodding]: Right! And including Akatsuki here...

Glory rubbed the snout of her loyal snake ally as she talked.

Glory: That makes 32.

Bach: Just one of the benefits of having such a large crew, I guess.

Chris: Argh... Can't we just skip all this and get to the shopping? I want to see what cool stuff the stores have on this island...

Karen: No way Chris! We need to stay organized when it comes to things like this. Plus, you always like to run off and buy things we don't even need!

Sakura: Agreed. We need to conserve our funds for food and building material.

Chris[head droops]: Arrrrggggh, you guys are no fun...

Spike: Quit your complaining, you big baby. We all have to go through with this, not just you.

Rune: Oh, I just recalled that Mary and Rex are still relatively new amongst our crew, so they might not know how our system works.

Karen: Sis... [a sweatdrop forms on her head] You're making it sound more complex than it has to be...

Rune[cluelessly]: Hm? I am? I hadn't noticed.

Wyatt: She never does...

Mary: May we please move this along? I'd like to know what I can do to help.

Rex: Yeah, and I think all this waiting is making me sleepy... [rubs his left eye]

Wyatt: And you're always sleepy...

Hanuman: Says guy who runs his mouth.

Wyatt: You wanna start something, Hanuman?!

Glory: Alright! Enough of this! Look, i'll just set us up into five groups of three, so that way, we can cover more ground and spend less time doing... Well, this! [motions towards Hanuman and Wyatt, indicating their brief arguement]

Hanuman and Wyatt[pointing to each other]: He started it...

Aphro[Female Form]: Well I agree with Ms. Glory! Five groups of three sounds about right. So then...!

Aphro then squeezed "himself" between Rune and Shinku, and placed "his" arms over their shoulders.

Aphro: I'll go with Ms. Glory, Ms. Sakura, Ms. Rune, Ms. Shinku, and Ms. Mary!

Timber: THAT'S SIX PEOPLE, YOU GREEDY PERV!!

''Aphro then rushed over towards Timber and placed his forehead against Timber's, almost appearing as if they were really locking horns with one another. They both stared daggers at each other and growled at one another.''

Aphro: Well, aside from the greedy bit, isn't THAT the kettle calling the pot black?!

Timber: You calling me a perv, perv?!

Aphro: Yeah!!

Timber then appeared to cool down after that, and even smiled warmly and waved at Aphro in response.

Timber: ... Oh, thanks Aphro!

Aphro: THAT WASN'T A COMPLIMENT!!

A pair of fists then struck Aphro and Timber over the head, leaving noticeable bruises on the area of impact.

Glory[annoyed]: This is what i'm talking about!! Stop wasting time arguing, so we can go and get this over with!!

Aphro[with heart shaped eyes]: Yes Ms. Glory!!

Timber: How did you NOT feel that hit just now?!

Glory: Good, now that that's settled with, this is how we'll split up...

Glory then went about organizing the groups, as dictated by her.

Glory: Group 1, Me, Spike, and Lawrence.

Wyatt[flatly]: Big shocker there...

Glory: Groups 2 to 5...

''Glory was then seen situated between an indifferent Spike, and a casual Lawrence. She smiled teasingly at the others from her location.''

Glory: You can settle that for yourselves.

Jolly Pirates except Sakura, Glory, Spike, and Lawrence: YOU JUST WANTED TO BE WITH SPIKE AGAIN!!

Rex: I'm guessing she does this a lot?

Mary: From what little intel i've gathered about Glory, i'd say she does this on an 89.97% basis. The data may be incomplete though.

Wyatt: Long story short, she's nuts for Spike.

Sakura: Well it seems Glory has made up her mind, so I guess we should choose our shopping partners.

''Sakura scanned over her fellow crewmates, trying to figure out who she'd like to go with. As the others did the same, Sakura eventually stood beside the first person she chose.''

Sakura: I'd like to go with her.

Sakura could be seen standing beside Karen, creating quite a surprise from some of her fellow crewmates.

Aphro[weeping]: She chose Karen over me?!!

Shinku: Seems Sakura has a soft spot for cute things after all...

Chris: Kinda hard to tell though, since she always has that bored look on her face.

Sakura: I'm not bored, it's just that i'm not easily swayed by most people.

Wyatt: Well I think i'll go with Rex this time. I promised i'd explain how we do things when we need to buy supplies. That sound good to you, Rex?

Rex: Sure, I don't mind.

Mary: May I go too, Wyatt? I'd like to learn as well.

Wyatt: Hm? You too, Mary?

Mary simply nodded her head in response.

Wyatt: Alright, you can come with us.

''Wyatt then began to feel a sensation of joy and excitement. He tried to hide his growing grin.''

Wyatt[thinking]: This is great! I've got TWO strong guys with me today! So now if anything happens, i'll be nice and safe while Rex and Mary protect me! Today must be my lucky day!

Timber: Well I guess I should go with Hanuman. That way, we can pick out food and materials for the ship all at once. That OK with you, big guy?

Hanuman: Mm-hm! Hanuman will go with Timber. Make things quicker that way.

''As time went on, the groups eventually were formed, and were given specific instructions as to where each of them should go, and what each of them should buy. However, knowing some of the members of the crew, not all of them were willing to do EXACTLY as they were told. One such group could be seen dragging their feet down a path of shops, appearing to be in a gloomy mood as they marched forward.''

Aphro[Male Form]: I can't believe none of the ladies wanted to go with me...

Bach: Oi, at least people knew you were there. I got forgotten, AGAIN...

Chris: I can't believe I took too long to choose... Now i'm with Aphro...

Aphro: WHAT'S SO WRONG WITH BEING WITH ME, YOU BRAT?!!

Bach: STOP FORGETTING ME, DAMN IT!!

''It appeared that Rune ended up joining Sakura and Karen, and that Shinku went with Timber and Hanuman, leaving Chris, Bach, and Aphro to themselves as the others went off on their separate ways. The three were obviously feeling dissapointed over their own individual problems concerning the group's creation.''

Bach: Nevermind, we're together now, so I guess we should make the most of it while we can.

Aphro: Agreed. So then, what were we supposed to buy again? If i'm with you two, then it has to be medical supplies, correct?

Bach: Not sure, I think Chris has the list.

Chris: Hm? What list?

''Both Bach and Aphro stared at Chris with widened eyes and gaping mouths. They should have expected something like this from Chris, but the shock was still too great to ignore.''

Bach: YOU FORGOT THE LIST?!

Aphro: YOU IMBECILE!

Chris: Oi, I didn't even remember GETTING a list! I just thought we were supposed to buy stuff!

Bach slapped his face with his right hand in dissapointment as Aphro sighed alongside him.

Aphro: Ms. Rune wrote up a list for us all to follow before we split up. How could you not have known about it?!

Chris: Oh, is that what she was writing? I just thought she drawing a picture or something.

Bach: Baka!!

Aphro: Well, we're now list-less. So what should we do now?

Bach: I guess we'll just go buy some medicine like you said. After all, I doubt either Rune or Karen would know as much about medical science as you, Aphro.

Aphro: Hm... True, I suppose. I guess we should start looking for a pharmacy around here.

Chris: Ooh, I found a store we can check out!

Both Bach and Aphro looked over to where Chris was pointing at, only to see that instead of a local pharmacy, it was a magic shop.

Bach: A MAGIC SHOP?!! SERIOUSLY?!!

Aphro: NO DETOURS, CHRIS!!

Chris: Aw c'mon! We could probably get some cool magic stuff from this place! I'd like to see if I could make Hanuman shrink! Hehehehe!! He'll be so surprised!

Bach and Aphro[sighing in unison]: Why'd we get stuck babysitting him...?

''Unoticed by the Jolly pirates, something slivers out from under the rocks nearby, and then immediately retreats. Aboard the mysterious submarine, the man in black, now wreathed in shadows that make him look like a living ink blot, turns to the woman.''

unknown man: It's a summer island. in fact it's a high noon island. Unfortunate.

unknown woman: Your point?

unknown man: Endless sunlight. I'm running out of shelter.

unknown woman: Ah. any ideas?

unknown man: That shop on the corner. seems dusty enough to have some shadows. I doubt I'll get enough critical mass to do anything smart but...

''back on the island, the shadowy shape flits out from under the rock again, and posts itself under the door of the magic shop. Nearby,Chris, Bach, and Aphro were still arguing amongst one another, albeit, it was Bach and Aphro against Chris in this situation.''

Bach: I'm telling you, Chris!! We are NOT going in there!

Aphro: Yeah, we're on a budget, ya know! We can't waste our money on this shop!

Chris: Then I won't buy much. Problem solved.

Bach and Aphro: NO IT'S NOT!!

Chris: Guys, seriously, I won't take less than five minutes or so. ...Give or take. Besides, it's me you're talking about, remember?

The duo drooped their heads in despair.

Bach and Aphro: We know...

''Knowing that anything short of a fight wouldn't keep Chris from doing as he pleased, the trio proceeded to enter the magic shop before them. And as stated earlier, by the mysterious man from before, the shop was indeed shady, though only in the literal sense. All around them, the Jollys could see various magical trinkets and toys lined up on shelves and stuffed into barrels on the floor. In front of them was a counter with a translucent glass window on the bottom, displaying more whimsical objects like the ones around them. The three pirates looked around, taking in their new surroundings. Chris in particular was eyeing every little thing he saw with absolute curiousity. In the meanwhile, the three were vacantly walking up to the front counter in a steady pace. Out from behind the counter, seemingly hidden well before, came a short, somewhat elderly man. He had white hair (what was left ot it, that was, as he was more or less bald on the scalp,) wore a white, short-sleeved, button-up shirt that was left buttoned, and appeared to have a somewhat stern and serious expression on his face. But what was most odd about him, was his unusually long and large, white moustache. It spanned from one of his ears to the next, and even then, was still a few inches longer. He leaned one of his skinny, lanky arms on the counter as he peered over at the otherwise oblivious pirates before him. He smirked when he began to realize why they might be here.''

Clerk[thinking]: Seems we got some takers...!

Bach: Is it me, or has this shop seen better days?

Aphro: Rather off-putting if you ask me. Some of these trinkets really creep me out.

Clerk: Oi now, just who are you calling "creepy"?

''The Jolly Pirates froze in their tracks after that, and proceeded to stare blankly at the elderly clerk in front of them. Both he and the pirates were now just within inches of each other as they continued to stare directly at one another. Chris, Bach, and Aphro were justifiably surprised to see the clerk standing before them, as they hadn't noticed him earlier. However, Chris had the wrong idea...''

Chris[confused]: Who let the mouse in here?

Bach: [strikes Chris on the head with a karate chop covered in Busoshoku Haki] THAT'S NOT A MOUSE, DOOFUS!

Clerk: Oi now, just who are you calling a "mouse"?

Aphro: Oh c'mon!! We just got past this already!!

Clerk: The name's Hocus. And I not only run this store, but I own it. It's been in my family for generations, and i've been here for decades. How may I help you?

Bach: Yes, well, you see, sir, we're not really intent on buying anything-

Just as Bach uttered those words, Hocus could be seen lazily reading a newspaper as he rested his head on his hand.

Hocus: Then what good are ya?

Bach: YOU COULD HAVE AT LEAST LET ME FINISH!

Chris: Oooooh!! How about we get that?!! It's one of those dissapearing boxes, isn't it?!!

''Chris could be seen with his back turned to Hocus as he pointed at what he thought was a dissapearing box. In reality, it was something else...''

Hocus: That's an iron maiden, kid. Though if you still want it, i'm sure I could work out a deal with ya.

Aphro[shocked]: WHAT KIND OF SHOP IS THIS?!!

As Hocus looked up from his newspaper to eye the three pirates, and while Chris was pondering on why this "dissapearing box" had the same name as his mechanic, Mary, Hocus noticed something important.

Chris[in the background]: Hm...? So... It's like Mary...?

Hocus[thinking]: Wait!! That's...!!

''Hocus spotted the jolly roger that Chris wore on the back of his shirt. Two things came across his mind as a result of this.''

Hocus[thinking]: A jolly roger!! So then... These guys are either young'ins pretending to be pirates, or they're the real deal! If so, then I think today might be my lucky day...!

Hocus then began to address Chris, Bach, and Aphro, after coming upon a conclusion.

Hocus: You fellas seem interested in magic though, am I right?

Chris: Yeah, I thought it'd be cool if I gave this place a look. Got anything interesting, Mr. 'Stache?

Hocus: Mr. 'Stache, ay...? Hehehe... You guys seem to be of discerning taste, so i'll let ya look around my store for a while, until you find something that catches your fancy.

Chris: Sounds good to me!

Bach: I thought I told you that we weren't buying anything here!!

Hocus[returning to his paper]: Oh, let the little fella have a look. What's the worst that could happen?

Bach[thinking and looking dissapointed]: This guy's a straight-up businessman, huh...?

Much to the chagrin of Bach and Aphro, and to the delight of Hocus, the three continued to browse the selection of the shop, still not showing even the slightest awareness of the creeping shadow that crept its way underneath the door and vanishes into the corner.

Hocus: If you're pirates, some of the stuff in the back room might be worth a look.

''Bach looks around, somewhat uncertainly picks up what looks like a guitar, and plucks one string to test the tuning. The room slowly turns upside down, and then back the right way up again.''

Hocus: hypnotic notes. Very clever design I thought.

Bach, now somewhat aprehensive, puts the guitar down, walks over to Chris, takes an ornate telescope out of his hands and puts it back down.

Chris: Eh?

Bach: I wouldn't touch anything. Some of these things-

''There is a rustling hiss. They both turn around just in time to see what looks like a rounded object wrapped in dry bandages crumbling to dust. Aphro rather hastily puts his hands in his pockets.''

Aphro: I didn't do anything...

Hocus: I hope your going to buy that.

''What is left is a bundle of papers with an egg shaped pebble tied round them. Feeling curious, Aphro moved over to inspect the cause of the previous hissing from before.''

Hocus: Just so you know, that's the bargain bin over there, or as I call it, the "Bargain Barrel." Stuff in there costs only 100 each, since I could never sell the junk.

Bach: "BARGAIN" MY ASS!

''Aphro then continued his investigation by pulling his arm down into the barrel, and picking up the bundled up papers. He held them up to eye level in order to get a better look.''

Aphro: What... Are these for...?

Hocus: Oi there, is that what was making that noise earlier?

Aphro: Yeah... What about it?

Hocus: Sounds like something came undone in that barrel. So you know what that means...

Chris, Aphro, and Bach: ...?

Hocus: ...You break it, you buy it.

Aphro and Bach: WE DIDN'T BREAK ANYTHING!!

''Chris sighed in dissapointment and began to march up to Hocus' counter. As he did, he reached into his right pants pocket and pulled something out. Once there, he emptied the contents of whatever it is he was holding; presumably being money.''

Chris: Way to go, you guys...

Bach: YOU'RE BLAMING US FOR THIS?!!

Aphro: Settle down Becky (Bach.) You know Chris isn't always the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Bach[mumbling angrily]: Shut up... My name's Bach, you okama freak...

By moving his right hand away from the money, Chris revealed to have placed 100 exactly on the counter, alongside some pocket lint, and what appeared to be a...

Hocus: Mm? Is this a kabuto beetle on my counter?

Chris: Oh, right! That! Hehehe, sorry Mr. 'Stache. [stows the beetle back into his pocket] I found that bug in a forest a few islands back, and thought it'd be cool to keep. So I decided to do just that! Oh, and don't worry. It's already dead.

Hocus: Erm... I didn't need to know all that, ya know. [a sweatdrop forms on his head]

Bach: Wait, hold on here. Something doesn't add up. Where'd you get that kind of money, Chris?

Chris then turned around and looked at Bach in bewilderment.

Chris: Hm? Bach? When'd you get here?

Bach: DON'T START THAT!! ANSWER THE QUESTION!!

Chris: Question...? Oh yeah! You were the one who asked the question! Anyway, to put it simply, I was saving up for a while, in order to buy something really cool. But since you went and wrecked whatever that thing is, it looks like i'm broke again.

Chris stared daggers at Aphro, seemingly annoyed at the doctor.

Aphro: I tell you, I didn't do it, you moron!!!

Hocus: In any case, you have now bought yourselves some strange parchment of sorts. To be honest, I don't know what it is myself, since i've gone over it multiple times and could never make heads or tails of it. That's why I put it in the bargain barrel.

Bach[nervously]: So wait...

Aphro[nervously]: That means...!

Hocus: You bought a worthless bundle of papers for 100, yes.

Bach and Aphro[dissapointed and drooping their heads in unison]: That's what we thought!

Chris: Well, i'm spent. Guess we should head back to the ship.

''Chris then began to make his way back towards the shop's door in a completely non-chalant manner. As he passed Aphro and Bach, who were left stunned by what Chris had gone and done, the duo merely gawked at him with their mouths left a-gape. Aphro more so than Bach, in this case, as it seemed Bach was thinking of a witty response to this outcome.''

Aphro: But...! But you were the one who...!!

Bach[mockingly]: "Settle down Alphabet (Aphro.) You know Chris isn't always the sharpest knife in the drawer."

Aphro: DON'T GO USING MY OWN WORDS AGAINST ME, YOU LANKY ARMED FREAK!! WE JUST LOST 100!!

Bach[aggravated, yet smiling deviously]: "Lanky armed freak," huh? [cracks his right knuckle] I'll be sure to remember those words, okama...

''With all said and done there-after, the trio began to leave Hocus and his magic shop behind. Hocus simply stared at them with curiousity, trying to make out just what kind of pirates these people were. He played with the right end of his long moustache by twirling it between his fingers; obviously now deep in contemplation.''

Hocus: They're supposed to be pirates...? I suppose after finally coming into possession of my family's shop, I shouldn't be so surprised by such wierd sights. But still... Bah! No sense in worrying about those youngsters now. Time to get back to business...

''And with that, Hocus returned to his newspaper. He briefly frowned, thinking he heard a voice behind him, but ignored it.''

Unknown woman: .. Was that it... please tell me..... surely...

Aboard the submarine.

Unknown man: They were blueprints for something. Couldn't tell what exactly.

Unknown woman: ... Then it was! The one shop we take shelter in had the blueprints we've been looking for. And sold them. For one hundred Beli.

Loud voice: ... Can I Burn The Place?! Let me Demolish it!!! And dont you dare correct my gramer, Bookworm!

Sarcastic voice: *sigh* you were mostly correct until you said that. It's Grammar.

Loud Voice: WHY YOU-

Sarcastic voice: And that was ignoring all the grammar mistakes.

Quiet woman's voice: I do not think the shop is our enemy. We could tear it down, but what would that gain? It's the pirates we need to pursue.

Unknown woman: That shop is too interesting to smash up. I might pay a visit later. But we need those blueprints! prepare to disembark!