Carat Isle Arc - One Piece RP (I)

First topic message reminder :

A pair of light green eyes blinked open and stared gently up at the wooden roof of their chosen resting place. There wasn't much else to see in the blackness, with the only light being a small sliver that filtered in through a crack in the wood.
Nevertheless, Toriru Shiori couldn't help the small smile that spread across her features as she uncrossed her arms and shifted her position. She hadn't been found yet, which meant she could do some exploring on her own.
Moving from where she was lying on her back with her feet pressed against the narrow walls of the box she had chosen as her hiding place, Shiori shifted to a crouch under the low wooden roof in order to have a better angle to push up at said 'roof' with one arm.

It had only been half a day or so ago, that Shiori had been wandering the busiest port of Reine Island...

The island was small, but that didnt stop large throngs of people from going about their daily business. As Shiori wandered along the docks of Reine Island, she could smell the delicate scents of cooking fish, as well as taste the salt of the ocean in the air. Sifting through the pockets of her pale blue jacket, Shiori wondered if she had enough beli to purchase some of that delicious smelling fish. There was nothing like fresh fish after all. Luckily, the money she'd gotten from lending a helping hand on the last ship she'd been on was more than enough to buy some food, and so Shiori sat at the small stall by the docks to enjoy her fish, not forgetting to thank the stall owner and praise his cooking. There really was nothing like fresh fish cooked on the docks.
Shiori had been about to ask the cheerful man about the best fish to put in a spicy fish stew, when her ears picked up the subject of conversation of a duo that were passing by the stall.

"The Grand Line is still that far away?" A blonde haired man asked his friend, who had a nasty scar over his right eye that trailed over his nose before ending on his left cheek.
The scarred man chuckled at the disappointment in the blonde's voice, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

"You should enjoy the peace whilst it lasts!" He laughed, "The Grand Line will run you ragged. It's a dangerous place."
The young blonde's frown didn't leave his face as he replied, "But then why does everyone call it 'Paradise'?"

The older man with the scar burst out into a long, hearty laugh at the blonde's words, before their voices were lost in the crowds of Reine Island's port.

Shiori had wasted no time wolfing down the rest of her fish and yelling another thanks to the stall owner as she dashed off in the direction the duo had disappeared in. They weren't wearing navy uniforms, they'd been carrying various weaponry, and they were heading for the Grand Line, which suggested only one thing.
"Pirates!" Shiori grinned to herself.

Shiori didn't have a ship of her own, and so for the time being she'd opted to use her 'skills' at stowing away on other ships to get her from place to place. Normally she'd find a way on board and hide until they were in open waters, at which point she'd explore the new ship before someone found her and then convince them to let her stay aboard rather than throw her off.
Sometimes it was easy, sometimes it was a hard task that needed to be handled delicately. It all depended on the type of pirates. Luckily Shiori didn't mind swimming too much, and as long as she wasnt too far away from the port she'd left, she could make her way back towards the docks and try and find another ship. Or if the threat of being thrown overboard was too large, steal a rowing boat and row back.

These two pirates however, seemed like somewhat decent individuals. Shiori just hoped their captain was of the same attitude. You could never be sure after all.

Spotting the blonde haired man and the scarred man in the crowd, Shiori had followed them, watching as they stopped at a store to pick up some rum and sake before heading back to their ship.

The boat had a stag figurehead and Shiori had to admit that the antlers it possessed made it look rather formidable. The flag the ship was flying was black with a skull and crossbones, but the skull possessed the same antlers as the ship's figurehead.

Shiori had already decided that Reine Island was too small to find a crew of her own here, so someone else's ship would do just fine until she could acquire one. If the words of these pirates could be taken at face value, the entrance to the Grand Line was still weeks, if not months away anyway; plenty of time to find a ship of her own, and maybe even her own crew! 
Shiori's mind was so easily lead astray by thoughts and dreams of adventure ok the Grand Line, that she nearly missed her opportunity to sneak on board the deer-ship. The ship's crew had been noticably absent from the deck for the past few minutes and, upon realising this, Shiori took advantage of the gap in security to hop on board and duck through a few doors until she reached the cargo hold.
Checking each of the various chests and boxes in the hold until she found one that was all but empty (if you ignored the few bottles of alcohol and a couple of bags of coins), Shiori clambered inside. It wasn't a tight squeeze and the young pirate-to-be had ample room to rearrange her position into something vaguely comfortable.

She had fallen asleep there, the comfort of the small space erasing any sense of danger that Shiori might have felt from hiding there as she waited for the ship to leave Reine Island.

The lid of the chest was opened just a crack but with practiced ease, making hardly a sound as Shiori's gaze scanned the area before her. Unfortunately what greeted her was nothing more than a stone wall, but there was still information to be gleaned from the sight. It definitely wasn't the same wall that she'd left behind when she'd first hidden in the wooden chest back in Reine Island's port, and Shiori couldn't help but wonder just how long she had been sleeping for.
Peering over the edge of her box, Shiori noted that the other assorted boxes and crates laden with food and other stored goods were still here with her, but in a slightly different order to before.

Where on earth had the ship's stores been moved to?

Shiori smiled gently at Caim's words, considering them for a moment before her expression brightened into a large grin as the swordsman referred to her as the captain. Jogging closer to where Kennard had taken up position, she shot a meaningful look towards the Stag Pirates' captain before turning so that her voice would carry to the largest number of marines and pirates alike.

"The prisoners have been reclaimed! They're not worth rotting in a cell for! Let's go back to the ship!" she yelled, glancing back up to Kennard who seemed to have caught on. Having enjoyed her brief acting debut, Shiori waited for Kennard to sound the retreat. It didn't take long and Ackee was soon aiding a few stragglers to escape. As groups of Stag Pirates ran past her on their quest to reach their main ship; the Fallow Doe, Shiori took up a brief occupation of pest control, attacking any marines that were posing a threat to their retreat using long range fishman karate techniques.

When it seemed like the Stag Pirates had a suitable handle upon things, Shiori found herself backing towards Kennard once again.
"I trust you all can handle the rest of the retreat without mine and Caim's help," she smiled. It wasn't a question, but a statement. She knew that they'd be fine with both Kennard's strength and their surprisingly good teamwork as a crew, but the Stag Pirate Captain responded with a short nod nevertheless.

"I suppose we won't see you two after this then?" he asked. He didn't really need to know the answer, but Shiori just grinned up at him.

"Well you never know..." she chuckled, thinking back to what Caim had said about his former crew, " 'Fate is a mysterious mistress, she always finds a way!' "

Kennard couldn't help his own small chuckle, having been close enough to overhear Caim's words previously. Shiori grinned before turning to grab Caim. She had her own crew now so she couldn't just hitch a ride all the time. They'd need to find their own boat.

"See you around!" she grinned before heading off and motioning for Caim to come with.

Hearing Shiori's acting Caim smirked for a moment, drawing his blade and swiftly triggering Zefākyanon in order to strike at some of the Marines who attempted to cut off the retreat, he wasn't going to allow an ally to be caught if at all possible. Overhearing her short conversation with Kennard Caim chuckled slightly when she found herself quoting him. Soon enough, after two more uses of Zefākyanon he turned and heading back to Shiori.

"Good luck to you on the open seas, just... See you another time" Caim spoke, giving a small bow to the Stag Pirate Captain before turning his focus to his new Captain. "We should get out of here and keep our heads low till this Is all over, we don't want to draw any more attention if we can help it" Caim spoke as he sheathed Murasame, which had been at his side.

Kennard expressed his gratitude and bid the duo farewell before Shiori lead the way away from the battlefield, using the chaos around them to her advantage and making a beeline for the closest populated area she could locate. The marines seemed not to notice the two of them slipping away from the fray, having their hands full with the rest of the Stag Pirates as they too made their escape.

Shiori kept going until she came upon a dark little alleyway in what she could only assume to be the outskirts of a town. Slowing down so that her movements were less of a run and more of a casual walk, she glanced behind her as if to double check something. Satisfied, she turned to Caim with a grin.

"Alright, looks like they didn't see us slip away or at the very least aren't chasing us. I'm pretty sure we won't have to run around like headless snowbirds trying to avoid them," she chuckled confidently.

Caim naturally followed the lead of his new Captain, keeping a careful eye on the situation as he used the chaos to his advantage in order to escape. Soon enough the two had reached a Dark alley... This was perfect for Caim, he could blend into the shadows relatively well thanks to his clothing. "Even so we should be careful, the people in town probably won't realize what we are so stealth cause suspicion if we're spotted... Where's your ship?" Caim spoke to his Captain, obviously not knowing he was the only other member of the crew and that there wasn't a boat at all.

(Posting from work so short post)

"Then let's not sneak around," she replied after a small moment of thought, "We can just blend in with the rest of the crowd. It's not like pirates have a dress code so I reckon we'll be fine as long as we avoid anyone from the navy."

The tawny haired captain then proceeded to dart out from the darkness of the alley and began to wander down the street with a small spring in her step, acting as if there was nothing in the world she'd rather do than take a casual walk through the town they had found themselves in. After a few steps of silence she remembered Caim's question and glanced over with a small chuckle.
"Oh.. and, I don't have a ship. We'll have to get one from somewhere."

Shiori spoke of the matter as if she were merely stating that the sky was blue, and not as if their only way of getting off of the island and escaping those who were likely to pursue them was to somehow acquire a ship and further risk being caught.

When Shiori jumps out of the shadows and onto the street Caim smirked a little and merely nodded, following her out in a much more relaxed, calmer fashion, he didn't need to act so overly excited or eager... he didn't want to draw attention. when he heard something about there not being a boat... well, Caim face palmed... how unprepared was his new captain? "We need to get a boat then... supplies as well... you seem somewhat underprepared... no offense meant" Caim spoke to his Captain. At this point he figured either her crew and vessel had been obliterated or this was a beginning, he prayed the second one was correct.

"I suggest a Civilian vessel for now, a small fishing ship perhaps, hide in plain sight" He suggested, doing his best to make his walking seem normal as well as he was trying to hide the wound on his shoulder.

Shiori just grinned as Caim commented that she seemed somewhat underprepared. The idea that she was, and honestly it was kind of true, didn't seem to phase her at all.
"Well you've gotta start somewhere right!?" she replied with a broad grin, wandering down the street. Her eyes seemed to suddenly light up however as the swordsman suggested they use a fishing vessel.

"That, my friend, is the best idea i've heard all day! Let's ask someone where the nearest docks are," she grinned, glancing around as if attempting to select one of the civilians to speak to.
"We could ask where to get some medical supplies for your shoulder too," she added thoughtfully, watching as Caim tried to hide the wound from plain view as he walked.

"That most certainly is true... And regarding my shoulder... It's fine, just bandage it is all that needs doing, we'd need supplies anyway" Caim responded, shrugging slightly in the process, continuing to follow after his new Captain. So the definite plan was to take a fishing boat, it'd probably be easy enough, the Marines were busy dealing with the Stag Pirates at the moment after all. "You ask... I'll follow your lead" He spoke once more, it was all he really could do at this point.

Shiori nodded and promptly sauntered over to the nearest person she could spot. This particular young woman was holding a tray of delicious looking mini sausage rolls and chatting to her colleague as he rinsed the outside windows of what Shiori could easily identify as a quaint little local bakery. As a customer left with a paper bag of their purchases in hand, a little bell in the doorway jingled and Shiori was immediately tempted by the smells coming from inside the building.

The woman holding the tray of sausage rolls quickly switched her attention to Shiori and Caim as they approached.
"Hi there! Would you care for a free sample of our new sausage roll recipe?" she asked in a cheerful voice, speaking before Shiori even had a chance to.
"Free sample!? Hell yea!" grinned the tawny haired captain enthusiastically, her attention momentarily diverted from her task by the prospect of free food. After biting one of the mini sausage rolls in half and taste testing it, she promptly gave the blonde woman a thumbs up. The man who had previously been cleaning the windows couldn't help but grin widely to the blonde woman at Shiori's gesture.

"Tastes awesome!" Shiori confirmed with a smile, before shoveling the other half into her mouth. She seemed to temporarily forget her manners as she turned to her new crew mate with her mouth still full, "Caim you should totally try one of these!"

Honestly as soon as Caim heard food be mentioned his interest was taken, sure it'd be a distraction to their escape but Caim hadn't eaten since before Reverse Mountain, he certainly was hungry. Seeing how Shiori was acting and hearing what she said about him giving one a try, seeing that her etiquette had pretty much gone out the window he sighed.

"My apologies for her poor etiquette... It's the first time I've seen her act this way. I guess the thought of food must have caught her attention" Caim spoke as he walked over, chuckling faintly at the last part, he was doing his best to play his part. Waiting for a moment to be sure it was ok Caim carefully picked out one of the Sausage rolls and tried it.

To his surprise it was actually quite good, he'd honestly not had many of these before, especially none this good. Once he finished the small bite of food and quickly wiped his face he looked towards the woman and nodded. "They are most definitely good, you're on to a winning recipe it seems " Caim spoke.

The blonde woman chuckled good naturedly at Caim's comment before offering him the platter and allowing him to take one of the tasters. Shiori herself looked a little sheepish for about half a second before returning to her normal cheerful self with a 'sorry!' that wasn't insincere, but was laced with her own quiet chuckles.

The tawny haired captain nodded eagerly at Caim's more eloquent agreement that the pastries were delicious.

"Thanks! We've only recently taken over this place so we're trying to improve what they had before," smiled the woman, the man finishing what he was doing and dumping the cloth he'd used to clean back into a bucket of soapy water.

"Everyone'll love them!" beamed Shiori. The teen's smile faltered only a little as she remembered why she'd come over in the first place and opted to quickly got back to business at the sacrifice of no more free food.
"Oh also. We're... not really from here. We got a little lost and were actually hoping you could point us in the direction of the docks," she began with a small shrug. The blonde seemed more than willing to help after the compliments Shiori and Caim had given to their pastries and cheerfully pointed them in the right direction with a few pointers to avoid wandering in circles.

With this new information in hand, Shiori nodded her thanks to the duo and bid them farewell with a call of, "Good luck with your bakery!" over her shoulder as they were waved off.

Once again Caim now simmered back a little and allowed Shiori to take charge in terms of conversing and asking for directions, he wanted to see what his new captain could do outside of combat for the moment. When she commented about everyone would like the sausage rolls Caim nodded in agreement, her logic was definitely accurate here, they most certainly were good. When She finally got back to the task at hand and requested directions, he noted she did so well, not in a way that'd draw any kind of suspicion.

Upon receiving the response of directions Caim smiled and nodded approvingly. "We most certainly appreciate the directions, as my friend here said, good luck with your bakery, keep up the creation of good food" He spoke as he turned to walk alongside Shiori. "Nice work... we know where we're headed, we should scout out the dock, see what the security is like, if there is any at all, try to identify a suitable vessel and a way to get supplies to it efficiently" He whispered, clearly remaining on task.

Shiori nodded in response to Caim as he walked alongside, the duo turning a corner as Shiori followed the directions and tips they'd been given from the bakery owners. It didn't take them particularly long to get there, with Shiori only stopping to point out interesting locations, such as small convenience stores. They'd need supplies from somewhere after all, and these sorts of places seemed to be their best bet.

Upon reaching the docks, the tawny haired captain's expression widened into a large grin once again at the large selection of ships. There were a few rather luxury looking ones docked nearby, along with an unoccupied marine ship or two and an array of much smaller boats. Shiori scanned them, trying to figure out which would be best.

"I suppose we ought to avoid the marine ships at least," she chuckled, "But I think we should go for one that looks older, but still works. That way it'll be less likely to be missed than say, that new shiny boat," she commented, pointing to a rather swanky looking boat that had been painted white and was docked a short distance away. It didn't look like it had ever been used, the paint was practically fresh.

"What do you think?"

"Yeah, that'd be the most sensible thing to do, the less attention we draw the better" Caim responded to her idea, having been quietly following and nodding along for the most part. Caim looked around at the variety of vessels, trying to see if any caught his eye that would be viable in terms of meeting their needs. One vessel did catch his eye, it looked somewhat old but it clearly was in good condition. "Perhaps that one... The biggest challenge would be acquiring the vessel and getting supplies to it... Your call" Caim spoke, the supply issue would be relevant for most of the vessels, the same could be said with the vessels acquisition.

Caim couldn't stop looking around the area... So many different types of ships, worn yet still standing, each held a history that could be of use somehow.

Shiori followed Caim's gesture to the ship in question and nodded to herself. The ship looked sufficiently old that it was less likely to be missed, but still looked to be very much in working order. She held a passing hope that whoever owned it didn't rely on it for their livelihood but figured it wasn't her place to worry about such things when they were going to be stealing from someone no matter what happened.

She was a pirate now, and had been for a long time if she was honest. It didn't mean she didn't care, but hell she could stand to be a little less considerate of other people in the face of escaping the clutches of the marines and ensuring she lived to continue her adventures. She didn't know who owned this boat, so it was none of her concern.

"Alright that one will do fine," she replied with a mischievous smile, throwing any and all lingering doubts out of the window with her next words, "Now lets go pilfer us some supplies, eh?"