The Marine

After relieving the Marines at the camps perimeter, Bill sat and relaxed while the pirates fiddled with the things Bill had taken from a few of the men.

The pirates had grumbled and cried, but they still came along without having to be subdued.

Now they were at the perimeter and armed, they just grumbled.

Though Bill didn’t think the few pistols, muskets, and axes would make a big difference recalling the pirates past performance, it seemed to calm them down.

The seven men formed a crescent on the beach as loud crashes came from the forest.

Bill didn’t feel much threat from the pirates, thinking that if they shot him, they’d be volunteering to be lunch for some crazed animal.

Focusing on the sound of the crashing, which was slowly but surely getting closer, Bill heard Hollandaise speak up: “sir, I's hoppen you'd see the ma bois an’ me is innasent. We’z not that the bad sort an gonna fite instead run-oft on ya.”

Despite this reassurance and the fact that these men had worked diligently, Bill couldn’t help but to remember what this pirate had said to him on their first meeting.

The fact this pirate was Wanted Alive didn’t factor in his judgement.

Just as Bill was about to reply with some platitude one of the pirate’s whisper-shouted: “Just tell’em captain!”

Looking over his shoulder, Bill saw Hollandaise turn his head towards the pirate and then back to him. Now speaking somewhat more clearly the man said: “Bu’ in xchange, you gotta left us ere’.”

To this, Bill laughed cynically and answered in a ridiculing tone: “Leave you here? look, if I leave you here, you’d better be ready to never leave anywhere ever again!

No. You lot are going to fight with me because it’s literally your only chance to survive! Especially you all!” Bill said, pointing to the five beside Hollandaise: “None of you have bounties and as far as I can tell, I’m the only Officer on this crew who even remotely cares whether you live or die!

And if that doesn’t matter consider this” Bill said, now speaking while pointing at the group: “You are only Wanted Alive, which means you’ll only have to do labor or something for a period of time.

Leave you here? Pft!! Value your lives!”

Although after this only a couple of minutes had passed, the sounds in the distance were getting louder.

Not seeming to be affected by either the sound or the young Marines chastisement the pirate captain continued: “Boi, ya a gud Marine. I's glad I's not see the day wen ya see the truth.”

Now thoroughly riled up, Bill didn’t despise the pirate enough to ignore him and took the bait: “What exactly does your breed know about truth or anything other than being sea wolves?”

No sooner than Bill finished speaking did another pirate whisper-shout: “There’ not time’! Tell’um captin!”

Seeing the man nod his head, Hollandaise spoke even more clearly: “Boi, we’z be from da South Blu. Merchant’s naturly we’z traded with the big casino Gran Toreso. We’z fond a big secret-” “Oh wait.”

Bill interrupted loudly while cynically smiling: “You mean to say you aren’t Wanted because a Marine Officer wanted to steal your ship? That ship you found with no crew at sea?” Bill said nodding his head up and down sarcastically: “And what about the rest of the story you told me? You know, the one you swore on your own mother’s grave was all true?”

Nodding somewhat sorrowfully, Hollandaise answered back: “Me mutters’ dead, but me bois are still ere’. I lied cuz we’z not gonna survive if we get turned in.”

Scoffing at this Bill said quickly: “Yeah, well I think you need to come up with a better lie.” Then pointing in the direction of the woods Bill said: “Do you hear that?”

By now the sounds of the beasts were very close, maybe only a hundred meters or so away. Thankfully the animals seemed to be just as keen as eating each other as the humans.

As several pirates were repeating some variation of ‘just tell him’, Hollandaise spoke: “Jus listen. On one of our trips me bois an I's fond out about Pure Gold an were it iz.

Sipher Pol suspected us, an cuz that world nobles would stop a’ noffin ta get the info, they put money on our heads-

Interrupting again, Bill said: “I’d think the World Nobles have enough ‘pure gold’ not to have to arrest some merchants.”

Shaking his head in response, Hollandaise continued fervently: Not that kind of gold. This gold makken ya live forever! We’z met us a two-hundrid year ol’ little girlie!

Thi is the teruth! We’z fled South Blu ta sell the info ta a big pirate for our safety.”

By the noise had come closer and closer until whatever was happening was doing just behind the tree line.

The pirates backed up slowly and readied their rifles.

Now in no mood for anymore banter, reading himself, Bill sternly said: “Ok, no more fairy tales. Remember if you want to live, you’d better fight.”

Then out of nowhere one of the pirates who Bill hadn’t head speak before yelled: “Sir! It’s not a fairy tale! The girl who we met wanted our help in recovering it!! She wanted us to go inside the belly of a fish that swallowed her home island!

Only who are we!? We’re nobodies! We couldn’t even believe her when she tried to take the captain hostage! It was only after Cipher Pol came for us when we knew she was telling the truth!!!”

No sooner than the man stopped talking did beasts flood out of the brush. They came in all sorts and every color of the rainbow. It was pure mayhem.

Somewhere near the front of the pack was the land octopus that Bill had fought, it had a wound cut diagonally on its face but otherwise showed no signs of slowing down.

When the creatures neared, Bill jumped into action. Planning to repeat his strategy from earlier.

As he moved, Bill stomped down on a long-legged fox-like animal.

The cannons from the watchtowers fired, hitting the octopus on its back, sending the thing staggering backwards before disappearing back into the bush.

Although he was unable to keep the pirates in sight, Bill could hear the sounds of musket fire though he couldn’t see any apparent effect.

No, as the battle around the perimeter continued it was the sporadic cannon fire that was the most effective.

The Marines were well trained and selective in their targets. Even when they missed direct hits the cannons were able to hurt something enough to cause infighting in the beasts.

With every swing, blood flew. The more blood flew the more frenzy took over the horde.

It didn’t take long, perhaps thirty minutes, before Bills forearms were dyed red. He had avoided using the Moon Step technique but by now his knuckles were starting to become bruised.

Having entered a trance, the only thing he knew was how to move and strike.

The fact he was punching snarling, horrific, monsters with his bare hands never even crossed his mind.

As Bill put down a tri-horned red goat, cannons blasted only several meters away.

Turning towards the blasts, Bill was swept away.

Falling backwards, a green shadow with pincer arms and stalk eyes looked down at him.

In this second, for the first time in eight years, Bill felt true fear as he looked at the giant praying mantis staring down at him.

The world slowed and Bill faintly heard a crackle.

From his view he saw a small ball fly from the side, landing directly in one of the bugs eyes.

Turning his head to the side, Bill saw Hollandaise slowly throwing down his pistol with one hand and reaching his other hand towards his chest.

Just as Bill recognized that time had slowed, everything sped up – as if trying to catch back up to reality.

Without thinking, Bill used the Moon Step to speed away while on his back, kicking up sand before jumping to his feet.

Unable to fully process what just happened, Bill closed in as quickly as he could to the praying mantis before he put his fist directly through the things skinny back.

*huff* *huff*

Though he wasn’t physically exhausted, Bill was now mentally fatigued.

Watching the animals go wild for the praying mantis, Bill could only take this chance to examine his surroundings.

Surprisingly all six pirates were still alive. They had formed two teams of three, one team had muskets while the other had pistols and axes.

There were torn carcasses littering the beach. Even as he stood there in that moment cannons still went off.

As he looked around, Bill spotted waves from the corner of his eyes.

It only took a glace to realize it was the giant crocodile, and in its mouth was the python.

These creatures were so large that they looked unreal. Stopping far offshore, but probably touching the bottom of the ocean the crocodile roughly raised it head as if it meant to swallow the snake.

As it ate the beasts invading the camp quieted down and began to retreat slowly.

Bill and the others saw this, as he heard them cheer, he had a bad premonition.

The kilometer-long crocodile looked rough. Almost as if it was falling apart.

Its scales were cracked and faded, using his enhanced eyesight Bill could even see the things teeth and eyes sunken in. Hell, Bill thought, the thing could barely lift its head!

If Bill didn’t know better, he’d say the python looked the same!

‘Hell! Did the crocodile find it already dead?!’

Then with an urge, Bill scanned the sky.

In the far distance, he found three humanoid silhouettes.

Was it terror? Bill didn’t have time to think about these feelings, shouting to the pirates: “Get up and run to the boat!”

The watchtowers were large, and though Bill didn’t want to leave anyone behind, he’d first make sure the Marines were safe.

Using the Moon Step to his fullest ability, pushing himself he went to each watchtower in the blink of an eye telling them to get to the ship.

Looking back up, the trio in the sky were much closer. There was an old man, a clown, and a gorilla. Most importantly, Bill thought, seemed to be freely flying!

Adjusting his ears, he listened to what he thought was the clown speaking: “Typical! Gigantification is a failure, the structure becomes too fragile!”

Keeping his eyes peeled for the Marines leaving the watchtowers, Bill noticed the pirates run off but didn’t pursue them.

He couldn’t stop them from killing themselves, something told him that they’d be lucky to survive this situation.

Listening back to the flying trio, it was the gorillas turn to speak: “Oh, there are Marines here?”

?: “Shihahaha! Let’s take a look and see who we have on our little island!”

As the trio flew very fast, Bill experienced something of a Doppler Effect, it seemed like whoever it was, they were going to be paying Captain Hina a visit.

Stopping the Marines who came out of the watchtowers, Bill gathered them up while grabbing up some unused cannons.

As he listened, the flying man was antagonizing Hina.

Before Bill could hear anything, Hina actually attacked the man!

‘Oh no!’

Seeing the flying man reacted, Bill’s instincts screamed that the woman was going to die, throwing the cannons as hard as he could Bill barely managed to make the old man move.

Thankfully the mans kicks were also altered as instead of falling on the Captains head, they instead wrecked the ships main mast.

Seeing this, the old man glared at Bill before laughing hard.

?: “Fine!” As he said this, the old man sped through the camp, out of Bills line of sight. After hardly thirty seconds he appeared and said: “You have fun now! Shihahaha!”

Following the old man’s flight path, Bill watched as he went towards the dying crocodile before touching it.

By now Bill had the twelve Marines with him in a group, they all watched in horror as the kilo-meter long crocodile lifted out of the water, creating a massive tidal wave in its wake.

 ‘Ugh!’

Immediately shouting to the men to hold on, Bill could only watch as the wave swept up the beach, taking him, the men, and the ship along for a ride.

Into the ocean, for the second time in a week, Bill couldn’t help but to think just how dangerous this world could be.

If he had anything to be thankful for it was that his last experience aided him now.

He couldn’t hold the weight of twelve men while using the Moon Step, but Bill could pull them along in the water.

As the ship sped away, Bill was right behind it.

Catching up just before his legs gave finally gave out.

Hauling himself and the men onboard, Bill laid on his back and starred up. The ship was completely silent.

In the distance, Bill saw an island flying away.

Now mentally exhausted, Bill didn’t even have the mind to look for the MSU recruits. His final thought before falling asleep was: ‘Like a fairy tale… huh.’