122 Surprise!

The emperor's flag waved in the wind as a sense of sincerity settled into the base of my stomach. Of all the imperial candidates in the world today, he could be considered the standard, the man that defined the title and gave it meaning.

The serenity of the island seemed empirically linked to that free flag, the joyous expressions on the face of the people that gallivanted below it gleaming with a sense of security that I had not seen even in the most peaceful of the blues.

For here, there was no pirate that could loot or plunder, no world noble that would shoot bullets from a golden gun the size that their brains could never hope to reach. Here, there was no marine that would thrust their world view on the free folk that lived here.

Angella could not help but sigh in reverence, her eyes taking an envious tinge as she no doubt put herself in the place of the baker hawking in the background. She superimposed the baker that she knew with the one that she saw, the one back on Ohara.

As we stood stock still in place, the people that walked past glanced over at us curiously before whistling on their way. Baskets in their hands as they went around doing their daily jobs.

Fawkes touched my shoulders softly as he urged me on, his eyes telling me to walk forward. My goal waved loftily over my head, I had been given time to worship and stand silently in reverence, now it was time to hustle. The time for worship was over, the next time I would sigh in reverence, that man would be before me.

I nodded equally morosely as I walked forward, each of my steps ringing in my ears. I remember when I trained, when I researched in the library, this man's work, his journey and his life had plagued it. Ringing, haunting and taunting me forward.

And as I stepped into the shadow of the flag waving against the skyline, a smile stretched over my clean face.

"Ok, guys! Go around, we're on a new island, be cautious but enjoy!" I smiled to the crew behind me.

Fawkes was the first to leave, heading purposefully in the direction of the market. Rein looked ruefully behind him before shooting me a look of helplessness.

"What do I do, captain?" he asked in a meek voice. His red hair and buff figure cutting a stark contrast to his squeaky voice.

"Look around, walk through the town and enjoy the scenery. You made a decision to make it into the world, now go ahead and enjoy its beauties." I said, an uncharacteristic level of motivational thought in my words.

Barts looked at me next, not as clueless as Rein but still with a certain level of doubt on her gleaming face.

"What do you want to do?" I asked her, beating her to the punch. In the short time on the ship, she had become a core member of the crew. Our emotional anchor, even if I do say so myself.

A naughty expression appeared on her face, as if she was thinking up a prank her face scrunched up childishly.

"You know, captain. Ever since I left the island, I've begun to miss booze…", ah! there it was, the subverting response.

"Well I can't help you there. Alcohol on board is going to be the piss poor imitation until we find a brewer willing to cater to the crew's requirements." I answered dryly, a hint of saliva in my mouth as I remembered the fruity texture of the wines on the island.

The crew had taken a small sip of the stuff, and now the normal brew tasted like sea king's piss! We were hooked onto the damn thing!

"Weeelll, maybe I can go buy a few fruits and try and make an imitation of the elixir? When I was on the island, I always wanted to be a priest after all!" She said enthusiastically.

'Ugh. Why was everything she said so left field?' I bemoaned mutely as I nodded. And with the crew was dispersed leaving me singly under one of the few banners that I respected.

'Now what to do..?' I wondered as I walked forward, breaking into a small jaunty hum as I walked into the city.

**********************

Angella groaned as she tried to reason with the owner of the book store. She just wanted to have a little read of his wears, he didn't have to insist that she purchase it! She reasoned darkly as she negotiated in the futile enterprise.

"A hundred thousand berries for the lot, and no lesser!" He announced resolutely as he waved a paper fan over his face.

"But-" Angella began, only to be shushed by an old women reading smut in the backdrop.

The shopkeeper gulped inaudibly as he looked at the women, his attention briefly moving from Angella to the old women. "As I was saying, a hundred thousand berries and not a single berry lesser!" he announced once again as he looked at Angella, his eyes clearing all traces of fear that it once held.

"Ugh.. Goddamnit old man!" Angella hissed as she brought out a few thousand berry notes and picking a few books off the pile. Her budget of the ship's funds could in no way sustain her reading habit.

With a sigh she sat down as she cradled the book glaring at the man as he began to open his mouth.

'I've bought your books, what else do you want?' her eyes seemed to say challengingly as she began to flip through the yellow paged encyclopedia.

"Hey.. Old man, what's with the flag in the centre of town?" She asked flippantly as she shut the thick parchment like book.

"Oh! That, that's ol' Edward's flag!" The man began as he stretched to his full height. "He's a pirate, but a really good one! He was born here on the island, I remember the lad when he was a child.. He used to play with my older brother!

He had a full gang racket goin' on, riding sphinx into the sunset an' all! But when the world government stopped protecting the island, he went out and became a pirate! Been caring for the island ever since.." the shopkeeper said finishing his nostalgia train.

Unfortunately however, Angella was too busy wrapping her head around the fact that THE Whitebeard had played with this swindler's brother..

**********

I groaned darkly as I walked out of the market. My back itching as I moved forward. The sheer humidity in the town alongside the occasional tamed sphinx colliding into me had taken its toll on my body.

The dark canopy of the houses above covered the streets from the sun's perplexingly harsh glares as I walked forward.

The occasional businessman bumped past, for him the day was young and a whole ocean of opportunities lay ahead.

Only after going around town had I realized how vast and unique the island itself was. It had been built atop a collection of rolling hills, with a massive selection of cultivable land in the form of step farming pastures available to the island's food suppliers.

The sphinx on the island had taken up the position of cattle, doing everything from helping with the cultivation to transport.

At the very center of the island was the markets, with a cache of men and women hawking all forms of goods, from the everyday food produce to a more antique collection of sea shells and other odd trinkets.

With a huff I moved past the last of the traders, before smiling in satisfaction. At the very horizon of my view was a cozy looking tavern.

Wooden walls surrounded the small establishment, with a rickety sign with the words ' the eager eater' on it.

As I neared the establishment, sounds of shattering plates and breaking tables rang out. My suspicions were awoken, though it was swiftly squashed in favor of annoyance as a street side vender called out to me.

A plushy in his hands of one pineapple headed pirate in all his orange glory sat on his carpet stall.

"One for your young'un perhaps?" he queered through his yellow teeth, before sighing in disappointment when I nodded in the negative.

And thus I journeyed forward, an itch in my throat I reached for the door. Before jumping out of the way as it flew off its hinges alongside the bulky body of a bald bare chested man.

At this point my observation Haki was ringing, and with just a glance I knew why. For within this unfortunate establishment was a group of two individuals that stood sizing me up cautiously.

One Marco and another Thatch of the whitebeard pirates stared out at me expressionlessly, the duo holding each other by the scruff of their shirts with a dribble of food falling off their heads…