The Marine

Early the next morning, Bill started to work as normal but soon realized that he was getting all sorts of deflections when he asked the whereabouts of various people.

And since he would not read the thoughts of people who were not criminals, he had to go on the assumption that while he had been gone the previous night, news of the [Davy Back Fight] had spread around.

This suspicion wasn’t hard to confirm either, since [Long Ring Long Land] was a flat plateau, and he could easily watch hundreds of creaky old people, excited kids, and smiling adults as they walked to their destination.

After briefly wondering if he should stop them, Bill decided not to do so.

There was a chance that they could be taken hostage, but that would only be a real risk if the [Foxy Pirates] were hiding several Vice-Admiral level figures in their midst.

Foxy himself had the very powerful ability to slow objects down for 30 seconds, but if that was taken away, then Bill figured the pirate captain to be around the level of a [Paradise] Base-Commander of Commodore Rank.

Which meant the ‘Silver Fox’ was strong, but against Bill himself, there was difference of strength that could not be bridged by simple trickery.

With this in mind, Bill was unhurried to babysit the Merveillian refugees and decided to just let them have a good time. Foxy’s camp was essentially a festival and Bill thought it would be a good distraction for the kids before being put back on the boat for a few weeks more.

So, after giving new orders to Masterson, Toma, and the 30 or so remaining Special Operators who he had brought from [New Haven], Bill went ahead to finish up with the detailed work that he had planned for the morning.

It was just a couple hours before noon when it was his turn to finally make his way to Foxy’s camp, and seeing the huge commotion caused by the people, Bill could tell that the spies had given Foxy a low estimate about how many people existed in his camp.

Foxy had a big encampment thanks to his over 600 crew members, but the difference between organizing an event for a few hundred and a couple thousand was completely different.

But while that was Foxy’s problem, Bill quickly found he had a problem of his own. That was, simply put, the Merveillians had no Beli to purchase any of the snacks or drinks put out to offer.

Sighing to himself, thinking that this was the last thing he wanted to be thinking about, Bill looked at a huge crowd of kids standing in front of a cotton-candy stall but just as he was about to act a middle-aged man, who was covered from head to toe in bandages, stepped forward.

Hollandaise: “These’d be for da Davy Back Fight, aye?” the old merchant-turned-fugitive asked in an inquiring voice.

Standing back with his presence erased, Bill listened as Hollandaise negotiated free cotton candy for the crowd on a technicality.

“Yeah.” Answered the masked pirate, to which Hollandaise asked again: “This’n contest the one that were’s all agreed upon pirate island?”

“Yeah, so what?”

“And’d you’s be da party to initiate the contest?”

“Yeah! Now get to the point old man or get out of line!”

“Then’n you’s ought to know the precedent made by Cap’n John and Cap’n Sparrow, under Davy Jone’s own nose no less.”

By now, the Merveillian kids were drooling at the cotton candy – having never tasted sweets they could still smell the deliciousness of those colorful balls of fluff.

As for Bill, he was just interested in what Hollandaise was saying.

“Yeah? What precedent is that exactly?”

“Tha precedent was that the challengin’ crew had ta provide refreshments for the defended crew. Ya’s tellen me ya’s didn’t knows, or didcha just not wants ta say?”

“Yeah? Wait n- “That’n all we need’d to knows, now’s start servin me mates ere’ some cotton candy!”

Bill had no idea what Hollandaise was talking about, and apparently neither did the vender, but as the pirate started to argue back Hollandaise started up a chant which even got the kids going.

“Peanuts!”

““Peanuts!””

“““Peanuts!”””

…

This chant was quickly noticed by Foxy’s pirates, and it wasn’t long before the man himself walked over with shaking legs and a face so white it looked like he had seen a ghost.

Or rather, Bill hoped that was it. There was some chance that he had tied the rope around Foxy’s head too tight and he had actually become a ghost!

Now half thinking about the possibilities of ghosts in this strange world, Bill watched an ever-growing scene of Hollandaise arguing the precedent with Foxy.

The main thrust of the case was that because any captain could issue a [Davy Back Fight] challenge, and only a few captains could actually refuse it without being dishonored, the burden fell to the challenger to provide both the arena AND refreshments – or the entire thing was ‘Peanuts’.

Foxy naturally disagreed with this until eventually, Yoko and the teenagers came over with Akisu, Adelle, and Roule looking wide-eyed and side to side for ‘someone’ that they expected to show up any second.

Now with the challenged ‘captain’ present, the situation was resolved quickly with Yoko calling Foxy a ‘Split-headed cheater’ and when she threatened to call ‘Peanuts’ the pirate captain relented.

And the hungry children cheered.

They weren’t the only happy ones though, since Yoko claimed everyone present was in her crew, the adults naturally got free food and drinks too.

Shocked and chagrined by this development, Foxy quickly got to the stadium and started the duel.

Hearing loud Snail Speakers call out the start time, Bill silently followed the crowd to the stadium where he found Yoko and Foxy standing under a huge billboard that read:

Four Articles of Defeat

1. Any crew members (or objects) taken during the Davy Back Fight may only be retrieved through another Davy Back Fight.
2. Taken crew members must immediately swear loyalty to the victorious captain.
3. Taken symbols (like flags) must never again be raised by the losing crew.

Normally, each event could only be participated in once per crew member, assuming the crew had enough people to allow it, and the order of participation had to be handed in before the first contest started.

But that was only in the standard rules for normal sized crews, in the case of those larger crews there was one final Article:

1. Crews are - through mutual agreement - allowed to stake multiple members on a single event.

• If the agreed-upon number exceeds the losing crew's total membership, all of their descendants may be claimed by the winning crew until the difference is made up.
• Any contestant is allowed to participate in an event where multiple members are at stake, regardless of past event participation.

Underneath these rules, which caused concerned murmurs from the Merveillians who hadn’t been exactly aware of the kind of festival they were attending, there was a list of events.

They were:

• Donut Race
• Groggy Ring
• Run Roller Around
• Hit and Dead Ball
• Dash, Touch, Domination
• Captain's Fight

Reading the rules herself, Bill heard Yoko ask Foxy about the fourth article and if that implied that the ship came whole or if that meant she had to win each object on the ship.

Thinking this was a good question, Bill praised the girl in his mind, but heard Foxy’s sleazy thoughts when he said, “Of course the ship comes whole” but then thought ‘Just without anything you’d need to set sail’.

Shrugging when Yoko didn’t ask Foxy to further clarify that statement, Bill saw Itomimizu holding a Megaphone Snail and coming beside the contestants make his pitch: “Here we have it boys and girls, a contest for the ages!

FFFFEEEAATTUUURRRIINNNGG on one side, with 1000 victories and a single loss it’s the beautiful, the strong, the spectacular, the cunning, the wise, you know him, you love him! That’s right, it’s our boss FFOOOXXXY The Silver FOX!”

Receiving whoops and hollers, Bill heard some haggard pirate women in the gallery scream “I love you, Foxy!” and “Make love to me Foxy!”.

Soaking in the love and adoration from his crew Foxy had his arms spread out wide but Bill moved down to the field he saw Yoko roll her eyes and then heard her say with disdain: “You’re gross.”

Dropping to the ground from the mild insult, Bill watched Foxy as the same scene from over a decade ago occurred.

Depressed over the insult, Foxy rose from the ground like a holy man when someone in his crew complimented him.

If there was any difference between then and now, it was the ‘innocent’ Carrot who, looking as if she made a great discovery, lightly pounded her right fist into her left hand and said: “Oh I know! He looks like a split-headed eggplant!”

This insult had Foxy foaming out of the mouth, only to be barely received when Porche, now in her last twenties and looking much more mature than she had back on Vallipo, came onto the stage to defend her long-time Captain.

“Don’t listen to her, Captain! She’s just jealous her captain isn’t as good as you are!”

Recovering from his stupor, Foxy quietly repeated: “That’s right, that’s right…” than said to Carrot in a slowly raising voice: “But don’t worry about that sweet bunny, it won’t be long now until you’re with our crew!”

Hearing herself be called a ‘sweet bunny’ by Foxy almost caused Carrot to throw up and for the first time Bill noticed that Rapanui may hold feelings for the Mink when he had instantly tried to attack Foxy, only to be restrained by Adelle and Akisu.

“ENOUGH!” Yoko suddenly yelled, almost in direct imitation of Bill in her mannerisms, then turning to Itomimizu said to him: “Introduce us so we can get this over with!”

“ERRRR… OK!” Started the strange headed man.

Then speaking back into the Megaphone Snail, he said: “Featuring on the other side is a girl who’s short… kind of like a monkey… err… what was your name again?”

Narrowing her eyes, Yoko used a passable version of [Shave] to practically teleport in front of the announcer, and then snatching the Megaphone Snail, roared: “Listen up bozo’s and let me enlighten you!

I am the Queen of the monkeys on Merveille Island, I’ve been to the [New World] and came back stronger than when I went in, I’ve battled corrupt Marine Vice Admirals and stinking pirates alike, I’m known to crew members of the Pirate Emperors and have watched them be beaten to a pulp!

My name is Yoko Ox! And today is your lucky day, because you bozo’s only know that split-head, but now you get to be in my presence!”

To her introduction at first there was complete silence, but that quickly turned into a ruckus when the Merveillians began wildly cheering and the Foxy Pirates began booing loudly.

As for Bill, he just stood there with his arms crossed and rubbed his face. The girl technically didn’t lie, as such, but her face was a little too thick.

But, where he would have normally been slightly more critical, Bill couldn’t help but smile when she introduced herself as ‘Yoko Ox’ – it had to be known that family names were not universal in this world, and where Yoko didn’t inherit one from her deceased biological father, Captain Ryudo, she had accepted Bill’s suggestion to use his last name when she was officially promoted from Chore Boy to Seaman.

Standing tall, receiving cheers and jeers from hundreds and hundreds of people, Yoko only turned when Itomimizu asked somewhat sheepishly: “err… Ox you say?”

Hearing this question be asked, Bill’s eyes narrowed, and he quickly appeared beside Yoko with his presence erased but whispered in her ear: “Do not mention me.”

Letting out a surprised ‘Yeep~!’ the girl quickly turned to look around but found nothing.

 Knowing that she had been found out, Yoko answered Itomimizu in the way that Bill indicated, and though the weird headed man suddenly thought there was something wrong, Foxy did not.

Quite the opposite in fact.

For Foxy, the prospect of getting a crew member who had traveled through the New World was more desirable than getting a hold of that powerful quarterstaff.

So, ignoring Itomimizu’s objections, the Silver Fox finally spoke: “Fuehfehfehfeh! Very good young lady, very good!

I never would have guessed you were so distinguished! But now that you’ve been introduced and know the events, tell me, do you wish to stake multiple or stake single?!”

Before Yoko could answer, Bill – having already considered this – whispered to her to stake multiple, and for that number to be three per event.

This number was well considered.

With five events before the Captains Fight, Bill decided that he would have Yoko win 15 of the most important Foxy Pirates and then trick Foxy into an ‘All or Nothing’ battle, where he would reveal himself and finally get the revenge that he told Foxy he would get 13 years ago.

Back when Bill was 10 years old, Foxy had been an insurmountable mountain, his Devil Fruit power was novel and powerful, had it not been for Aramaki, Bill didn’t know what he would have done that night.

“Stake three!” Yoko parroted what Bill told her, looking more natural than she had a minute before.

Answering her with a ‘Fuehfehfehfeh!’ Foxy put his hands on his hips and said: “Yes, we can do that if the price is right!

But, young lady, I think you stand to benefit more from that so how about this, since you’re so distinguished, you can only participate in two events total!?”

“PEANUTS!” shouted a bandaged middle-aged man from the stands, but he was quickly shouted down by the Foxy Pirates.

Seeing that Hollandaise had again spoken up for them – and without any other considerations, Bill knew since he would read the could-be pirate’s thoughts – really bolstered his opinion of the man.

But whereas Hollandaise had his heart in the right place, that wasn’t what Bill wanted and so told Yoko to agree to the terms.

“Agreed!” she instantly said, and with another laugh Foxy replied: “Fine, that’s fine!

Get your participant list ready, and in fifteen minutes we will start!”

Taking this as his signal, Itomimizu began hyping up the event and with five minutes left Yoko had finished putting together her list.

Disappointed that she couldn’t find Instructors Masterson or Toma, she had quickly split her crew into teams of three.

Participating in the Donut Race were four teams of howler monkey Minks in addition to the team of Akisu, Rapanui, and Carrot.

Standing in a line surrounded by 20 teams of Foxy Pirates, the 5 teams of Marines looked serious when Itomimizu called out over the Megaphone Snail:

“Times up! Now without further ado, it’s time for a [Davy Back Fight]!”