Black Bone Tower Part 4

Previous: Black Bone Tower Part 3

''This new crew introduced themselves as The Descendants. First was Rangass D. Kimi, captain of their group. Then there came Jana Chi, first mate and fighter of their group. Then there was Dala, the Nekojin, who seemed to talk rather normal to everyone, although all of them had a million and one questions for her, but none of them found the proper time to ask.''

Kimi: We're here for an opportunity, one that could possibly skyrocket our fame across the New World!

Rinji: Oh? [Leaned against one of the bigger boulders on the shore, which was as black as anything on the ground in that dread land of a place.] An opportunity, you say?

Usagi: Why would you want to skyrocket your fame? Wouldn't that bring more marines to you?

Kimi: Possibly, maybe even get me a victory over a Vice Admiral, just like what brought you to such heights, Captain Rinji.

Rinji: Mewhahahahahaha! I think what you're talking about is infamy, and that is not at all why I battled the marines in the first place. I merely did that for survival.

Jana: You see, Kimi? I told you, it is foolish to blood the water for sharks.

Kimi: Blah blah blah blah, whatever, that's still not the only reason why we're here. There's also a great deal of treasure. [She pointed toward the other side of the island, where many other pirate ships were docked.] We heard it's only a few days before we can take the challenge.

Rinji: The what?

Voice: She speaks of the challenge of the Tower. Something of which she should not be speaking of!

''All of them turned toward a figure standing on top of a rather large pile of boulders. There stood a young man with a bandana wrapped onto his head, and behind him stood a rather large group of pirates, all of them seeming around the same age group, which couldn't be more than nineteen or twenty. He was Richard Killmeister, with a bounty of 150,000,000 Bellis, Captain of the Orphan Pirates.''

Richard: There is only a select few who will be chosen to take the challenge, and I aim to take the challenge... unchallenged.

Chio: So you don't want to take the challenge?

Richard: What?

Chio: You just said you want to take the challenge unchallenged, so that means you don't want to take the challenge.

Richard: Well no, I mean I want to take the challenge, but make it to where it's not so much of a challenge.

Chio: So shouldn't you take a challenge that's a little more challenging?

Richard: Well no, if it's not so challenging, then I'll get the money with only a slight challenge.

Chio: But the challenge of that challenge may be relatively challenging, so you might have quite the challenge for it to be unchallenged, or even not so challenging.

Richard: But that challenge... well the challenge... But then that challenge...

Kimi: So you wanted to challenge me?

Richard: Well... wait... challenge... I mean... YES! I challenge you!

Kimi: That doesn't sound very challenging.

Richard: Well then, prepare to be proven wrong! Orphan Pirates, show them what we're made of! [Pulled a bastard sword from his back sheathe, then wielded it as his pirates began to charge.]

''In the instant he unsheathed his sword, Usagi's blade was out and her strike came swiftly onto their cook, who was cut and signed by Usagi's blade. Chio jumped in an instant into their navigator, who had just pulled his dagger from its holder, but was met with a foot directly into his face, smashing into his T-zone, and bursting blood out of his nose. Jana Chi stopped one of their pistols with the palm of her hand, and her other hand chopped into the side of his neck, temporarily halting his trachea's air passage, knocking him out in under a second.''

''Jiro winked toward one of them, and that one, as well as the one beside him both shivered into a cold sweat, and then passed out completely onto the ground. Kimi was already in front of Richard Killmeister, her extremely fast whirling halted in front of him and her gigantic axe at her side as she gazed at him. Without even a sound, the front of his shirt ripped open, and a huge wound appeared on his upper stomach, across his chest.''

Richard: GAH!! [He held his newly formed wound, and started to breath shallow, quick breaths as he looked at her.] You'll regret that, men! Come-- [He looked behind him to see that all thirty of his men were already taken down, and unconscious.]

Kimi: I really don't like arrogant little bastards like you, which makes me happy that you challenged me before the tournament, now you have no one to blame but yourself. [She reared back and punched him across the cheek, causing him to spit blood and fall onto his face in defeat.]

Rinji looked over toward Dala, seeing her stand there, her arms crossed with a very small smile across her face as she watched it all happen.

Rinji: I thought you were ready to take one of them down.

Dala: Oh, don't worry about me. I took five of them out. [She smiled, and drew a puzzled look from Rinji.]

Gonzo: Now, wait a minute, what's this about a tournament?

Booming Voice: There you have it, folks! Our scouts say that Richard Killmeister challenged a new group of challengers, and is now officially defeated before the tournament even began!

''All of them looked into the distance, seeing a great amount of tents and stands, all around a gigantic circle in the middle of everything on the island. On top of it all was a Den Den Mushi being used as a megaphone.''

Booming Voice: Welcome Descendant Pirates and Tiger-Stripe Pirates!

Dala: It's not the Descendant Pirates! It's just the Descendants! The Descendants!

All of them began to hurry toward the arena, there were popcorn stands, food stands, mini-games and, of course, a bookies for those who were gambling, this was the longest of the lines of all of them.

Rinji: What is all of this? [He stopped and surveyed all of the pirates and bystanders eating in trailer parties, drinking gigantic barrels of alcoholic beverages, and placing bets on a gigantic poster of contestants.

Alice: Oh, funnel cakes! I do so love a good funnel cake! [She looked at Nikk, who nodded.]

Ellis: I ain't so sure bout this, captain. [Took a swig from her flask.] This place don't have a very good looking doctor's tent.

Rinji: Mewhahahahaha! It doesn't look that bad. I'm sure--

Voice: Hey! That's my seat!

Rinji looked over to see a guy in a hat, and a scar on his cheek punch the ever-loving daylights out of a brutish looking bald guy, laying him low with a bloodied nose.

Ronald: Thanks for the drink, though. [Picked up the man's beer and drank it down in an instant.]

''Ronald Dipps, Captain of the Bulldog Pirates, Bounty of 250,000,000. Then he looked over at Rinji.''

Ronald: Well hey there, pussy cat.

Rinji: [Eyebrow cocked.] Oh, so it's like that, is it?

Kimi: Rinji, come'ere. [Motioned him over to a table, the other crewmembers separated among the crowd, but stayed rather close to one another, just in case there was trouble.]

Rinji sat down at the table with Kimi, and she ordered them both drinks to have while they talked.

Kimi: So, you haven't heard of the Black Bone Tower Tournament?

Rinji looked blank.

Kimi: Alright, you saw the tower when we came on here, right? Well, we're competing to enter that tower. Inside that tower is complete salvation.

Rinji: Define this "salvation."

Kimi: When I say salvation, I mean not only a mystery prize, but also 500 Million Bellis.

Rinji's eyes widened a great deal.

Kimi: That is... if you survive the tower in the first place.

Black Bone Tower Part 5