In Pursuit of an Artist! The Great Marine Adventure!

[Kyubey]

Whether Ohyeah was correctly following Rory in the conversation, if there was anything to follow at all, the response he got didn't indicate it to him. Perhaps he was keeping up, perhaps the true message went completely past him, or maybe there weren't any hidden meanings at all and Ohyeah had just dismissed the poor guards for no reason. Whatever was going on, though, he couldn't give up or turn back at that point. The only choice available to him was to keep going, and hope that he would get a straight answer soon. Rory seemed to be willing to cooperate. At the stage they were on, this was a good enough sign as any. He pulled out a small napkin and a pencil from his chest pocket, and hastily sketched out a picture of the image he had been shown during the meeting with Lieutenant Asperio and Captain Fate. The picture was drawn from memory, and Ohyeah was, by all standards, an awful artist, so there were no doubt a few mistakes, but in general Rory should have been able to recognize what it was. Upon the completion of his masterpiece of a drawing, Ohyeah slid it to Rory the same way the journalist slid the cloth, not wanting to upset any boundaries.

"This is the only thing I know. I want to find out who's been leaving that mark all over the place, and I want to bring him in. Where can I start?"

Ohyeah looked at Rory expectantly, waiting for an answer.

[Shark a' Pult]

"Oh... this. I thought you were here to..."

Rory was immensely interested in what it was Ohyeah had to show. He had expected to offer up what he knew on the matter, and for the Vice Admiral then to perhaps set off on the task of getting to the bottom of this whole mess. Although he looked quite attentive at first, when he finally did get a chance to see what it was Ohyeah had to show him, the prisoner's head lowered and his hands dropped to the floor (still holding onto the napkin).

"I suppose you could start at the last place it was seen, though it's not like you'd have much to go on. Since the marks stopped showing up, it won't be an easy task. I've been here about... oh, a couple of months now, I think? They locked me up after the last one was seen. You want my advice, Sir? Forget about it."

Rory couldn't offer much support, as it was not really a subject he liked to talk about. And why would he? It landed him in this place. Did anyone ever bother to ask why he did what he did, or bother to tell him what he did wrong? No, they just imprisoned him for doing some research and writing a few articles. To his knowledge, they just didn't care. It was easier just to shut him up, shut him away once the marks stopped appearing, and so here he was.

"Leave it alone, or you'll end up like me, in a place like this."

Dropping the napkin from his hands so that it drifted to the floor, Rory leaned forward a bit and knocked on the bars to emphasize his point.

Of course there was one slight detail that seemed to be off; the prisoner was operating under the assumption that the marks had stopped showing up before he had been locked away. What reason did he have to believe otherwise, when all he knew was the inside of this prison now, and what the told him. Since the government had suppressed any information on the marks, they told him they stopped showing up.

[Kyubey]

Ohyeah had expected Rory to not be helpful right away, and though he had some hope when the journalist had expressed a desire to help, he still didn't really think that he would find out what he needed to know all that easily. He was disappointed a little, to be sure, but he was not deterred. He decided when he strode into the great prison, that he would not walk out until he had some lead. And if a bit more convincing was required, so be it. Now that the conversation was opened up like it was, Ohyeah wasn't about to mince his words anymore. The clever method never suited him anyways. He didn't have much wit, but he had determination to spare, and he could use that as well as anything.

"If you think that this graffiti has stopped, Meyer, you're wrong. Even if it did, that still wouldn't stop me from finding whatever sneaky bastard thinks he can get away with such a threat like that, and putting him where he belongs. This is my job as a Marine, as given to me by my superior officers, and I am not the sort of man who gives up easy. They wanna lock me up? Let 'em, but if they really wanted to stop me, they'd have to kill me. You're crazy if you think I'm going to stop while the security of the World Government is being tested. They might have tried to shut you up, and I'm sorry for that, but now is your chance to do some good! The Marines need information, Meyer, and you're the only guy that can give it! You've got to know more than what's common knowledge at this point. Anything you say could be useful, so from one soldier to another, I ask for your help here."

There was some hint of urgency in his tone now, but it was mostly said out of the same serious, straightforward energy he came in with. If nothing else, Rory wasn't about to get away with such a weak reason not to help. The deeper the situation seemed, it only made Ohyeah want to get to the bottom even more.

[Shark a' Pult]

Something that Ohyeah had said, caused a change in Rory, and he looked at the Vice Admiral as though he had just divulged all the secrets of the universe.

"Wait, it's still going?! Ithoughtithadallstopped! If I'd have known-"

Without warning he practically flung himself at the bars, speaking as quickly as he was used to.

"Please Sir, I'll do anything to help! I thought it had all ended, so being put in here... it felt right, to do the time since the crime had been committed. But if it's still happening, and I'm stuck in here doing nothing... Ican'tbearthethoughtofit! I'm sure all the work, all the research I did is all out of date by now, but I'll try to help the Government getto thebottomofthis in any way I can!"

Just the thought of it all was enough to make Rory forget where he was, and he promptly began to pace feverishly about the cell, muttering to himself about this and that. Several "I knew it!"s could be heard amidst the conversation he was having with himself. Turning details in his mind, trying to imagine how it all had continued, contemplating just what kind of person it was that was leaving these marks. Eventually though he stopped himself, and slowed his breathing, bringing his hand to his eyes as he took some deep breaths.

"I'm... I'm getting ahead of myself. If you still want my help Sir, then we'll have to work out a system I suppose. Since I'm stuck here, I suppose ifyoumaderegulartrips back and forth with any new or relevant information you found, I could try and help solve this situation? Of course that would become a real chore, having to do all that traveling, and I reckon time is key here... though I can't really think of any alternatives."

Rory tried his best not to mix his words, though it was certainly hard, all this newly learned information and newfound excitement.

[Kyubey]

As Rory seemed to have a sudden change in heart, Ohyeah nodded approvingly. He still didn't know if Rory was finally willing to help or not, but it did seem like there was some semblance of progress being made. Given the circumstances, it would have to do.

"Thank you, soldier. With your help, my crew and I might just be able to catch the guy who's responsible."

As Rory asked how they would be able to convey information to each other while he was in prison, Ohyeah's brow furrowed. He hoped that Rory would have been able to tell Ohyeah enough information so that he and Fate would be able to continue the chase without further help, but if Rory insisted on being a continuous part of the investigation, he wasn't about to deny what could be a valuable asset to the mission. Still, he wasn't entirely willing to spend so much time that might have been spent pursuing the criminal going back and forth to Impel Down. There had to be another way.

"Would you be comfortable with working through a mediator?" he asked. "I might be able to arrange for another Marine to convey information back and forth between us as we see fit. It would be someone I can trust, naturally. I would like to work with you directly as much as possible, but if I spend that much time traveling to you and back, the guy we're looking for will have more time to slip further away from us. Considering his record so far, that's the last thing we'd need."

Perhaps it wasn't the best possible solution, but it was a solution, and it was better than anything else he could think of.

[CJ]

"Or we could temporarily release him."

Fate approached the cell block in her usual attire but with the exception of the helmet on her head. The Captain kept her face unveiled as much as she could. Ohyeah or anyone else might assume this was because she was trying to get used to possibly having her shadow back.

"Vice Admiral Barlow," she said with a frown, "you know you can immediately temporarily prisoners above Level 3, right? Of course, you could also ask for their release, but that would involve much more time and paperwork than we can afford in this investigation. It's all up to you, sir."

Presenting some documents to Ohyeah, she glanced at Rory and introduced herself briefly.

"Whatever your decision may be, Vice Admiral, you should make it quick. We've got a new lead. The symbol's appeared again on, believe it or not, the Shichibukai Brynhilda's forehead. I suppose, as a giant, she is technically a prominent location. But this isn't the only thing interesting about this particular incident. There's also someone else on the ship who might be the greatest suspect since this fellow here."

The Captain showed a book she had in her possession. It was an old encyclopedia on Devil Fruit.

"While you were chatting, I decided to do some research on known Devil Fruit to see if there were any connections to the symbols. I've narrowed it down to about fifteen different types that could be harnessed to achieve something like this. There are three that would be most useful. One of them is the Toki Toki no Mi, which allows the user not only to freeze time but to teleport to locations in time.

"I've been informed that the Devil Fruit's owner, the Shichibukai Uzo, has been residing with Brynhilda and her crew for quite some time now. Captain Masked reported the Metallic Falcon to be hiding a hand injury that has severely limited the use of his powers. However, several eyewitness accounts, including my subordinate Gracie Grace, have seen him using his powers without his hands in the past. In other words, the man is lying.

"By intercepting the Shichibukais, we will not only be able to interview Brynhilda but also arrest and question Uzo about his involvement.

"If we had this man on our side, he might be able to pick up on some clues we might miss. What do you say, Vice Admiral?"

Fate certainly knew how to rant and prattle on about information. It seemed she had changed greatly since leaving her post in Jubilee. In a mission like this, she would have likely had Ohyeah figure this all out on his own. But for Ohyeah and Rory, they likely wouldn't suspect a thing.

[Kyubey]

Ohyeah was surprised to learn that he was actually able to temporarily remove prisoners from Impel Down. He was almost certain that he had learned that at some point, but as he never, until that moment, saw a need to do so, it was one of those many facts and details that he trusted his subordinates to remember for him. He tried his best to hide his embarrassment, upset with himself for making himself look foolish in front of both Captain Fate and a prisoner.

"Yes. Well. That makes our job easier, doesn't it?" He chuckled, trying to make it sound as though he had been joking the whole time. Neither Fate nor Rory were likely to fall for it.

Ohyeah listened as closely as he was able to Fate's speech, too embarrassed from earlier to ask her to slow down a bit so he could make sure he caught everything.

"Warlords, huh? It figures they'd get involved with something like this. Good for nothing but trouble, the bunch of them. So. We'll start with them. Sounds good. As for you, Meyer..." he turned to Rory. "You were listening, right? So, how about it? Care to take a hands-on role in solving this mess?"

He was excited to finally have a workable lead. More than that, he was thrilled to finally have the chance to fight a Warlord. The paperwork and legal issues that would be involved with possibly arresting an ally of the World Government might have been intimidating to some, but Ohyeah, at least, was not one to care about that.

"And by the way. As long as we're gonna be working together, the both of you can call me Ohyeah."

[Shark a' Pult]

When Ohyeah came up with a plan for a correspondence between him and the prison, Rory couldn't help but felt a little let down. After all, having done the work he had on the matter, and being imprisoned for it... he felt somewhat entitled to a piece of the pie, so to speak. Regardless, he realized the crime he committed and accepted the punishment without remorse, so just being included in the matter in any way whatsoever was already a dream come true for him.

"A hands-on role? You mean, out of... this place?"

Like an angel herald from the heavens above however, Fate descended to bring with her the news of a temporary release to help solve the crime. At first Rory was a bit leery of it all, and he withdrew (at least emotionally), realizing now that this whole interaction might just be a big ruse by the navy to further punish and torment him for what he did. When Fate actually went into intense detail on the matter however and started talking about the new appearance of the markings, it was impossible for Rory to hide his hope.

"Y-Yes Sir! I-I mean Ohyeah, Sir!"

In response, the ex-marine ex-reporter and now (at least temporarily) ex-prisoner stood at attention, and saluted his new wardens.

[CJ]

"Vice Admiral," Fate would say, avoiding at all costs to call her superior "Ohyeah." She was noticeably more irritable in this new journey, checking daily on her personal Den Den Mushi for Commander March and the secretary Gracie Grace's progress in their separate mission. One would only need to see her frown after she hung up to know what was going on.

The Captain only spoke to Rory extensively when it came to the mission at hand. It was noticeable that she tried to avoid him otherwise. It was clear she had a sense of justice that was standard of the Marines. Despite any sympathy she might have felt toward him, she treated him as low as a chore boy.

Strange as it was, Fate wore an old top hat around the ship, gripping it tightly if she ever needed to venture outside. If asked about it, she would merely comment with a huff that she had to get used to not wearing her helmet outside.

---

Patchwork Island

Seen from above, this island looked like a quilt of sorts. On each patch grew a common or exotic crop. The whole island was dedicated to the grow of grain, fruit and vegetables and the buying and selling of these products.

The market itself was a vast array of colors, as each different stand sold its own unique product. Aside from the trade business, there were inns and motels for traveling consumers. It was a rather peaceful place, despite being locked between Water 7 and Regala. There saw no great amount of crime due to a good concentration of Marines, some located in a small base and others who visited frequently to purchase rare fruit.

It is said that sometimes a Devil Fruit can even appear amongst the products. But the last time that happened was the swift execution of Bee Sanderson by then Captain Savage Feral nearly twenty years ago. By the time anyone knew it had appeared, it was already eaten.

Today, a handful of Marines arrive at the island to investigate a serious matter. Will they bring peaceful discourse?

---

"13:07:19... 13:07:22..."

Uzo talked in his sleep, as he always did. His right arm was in a sling as he broke his wrist in a fall after trying to assist the crew in sailing. By this time, his hand would have likely healed enough to use his powers again. To try and help, he had a habit of saying he was going to "look out" for islands and other ships in the crow's nest. He would ask Brynhilda to place him up there and then promptly fall asleep irresponsibly. To avoid attention on populated islands, he would always stay behind on the ship. Today was no exception.

"13:07:56... 13:07:59... 13:08:02..."

---

"Alright! We're here!"

Fate nearly jumped off the ship in excitement. She shifted on her feet, gripping onto her sabers. Her motorcycle helmet gleamed in the sunlight, blinding all those who dared to look at her straight on.

"Where are the Shichibukai? We need to interrogate them right now!"

Perhaps it was because of the midday sun, perhaps it was because she was merely ignorant but she could not see the target ship, Brynhilda or really anything important around

[Kyubey]

Ohyeah, like before, kept himself in his cabin during most of the trip, coming out mostly during mealtimes and at regular intervals throughout the day to check up on his ship. What he did in his cabin was unknown, but the constant sound of the clattering of weights was often heard echoing through the vessel, and occasionally he would come out to discuss certain details of the mission at length with Fate and Rory.

Rory might have found himself right at home with Ohyeah's crew, though he was technically a prisoner, and thus, constantly under supervision. Despite his status, Ohyeah knew a fellow Marine when he met one, and, as such, treated Rory like he would any other sailor. Perhaps unfortunately for him, this meant that he was also given the work of a common sailor as well. Regardless on how he felt about this, Rory probably would have found his treatment by both Ohyeah and his subordinates to be surprisingly kind and humane, unless reason was given for them to do otherwise.

Fate would most likely have found the voyage to Patchwork Island to be very similar to the trip to Impel Down, in terms of the conduct of the common soldiers. The one oddity she might now notice was that, a few of the common sailors would act strangely stiff around her, generally behaving like Fate was about to berate them for some reason or another, whether she gave them reason to think that way or not. If asked about this, they would deny it was the case at all, but perhaps it because they were simply accustomed to the actions of the female captain that was previously aboard the ship.

---

"Yup. Here we are. Nice little town, ain't it?"

Ohyeah stretched a few times and popped his neck as he strode onto the shore of Patchwork Island, relieved to be out of the cramped ship. He followed after Fate, glancing around with slight interest. He had been told that Brynhilda Irongard was a giant, and, knowing this, had hoped he would be able to spot her right away. Apparently, this was not the case. Part of him wanted to find the Warlord's ship and immediately search it for the suspected culprit, whether they liked it or not, but there were procedures even he had to follow. Already he was displaying a lack of tact by not first paying a visit to the local Marine base in the area, a fact he was sure to be reminded of at a later date. His men were divided into two group, which were ordered to rotate between guarding the ship and keeping it ready for further instruction, and investigating the marketplace, which really meant taking a break and enjoying the island while they could.

"That we do, Captain, that's why we came all this way. So here's the plan. First, we locate and question Irongard. She doesn't seem to be around here, but she shouldn't be too hard to find. Fate, Rory, you're with me. Let's move out."

In truth, after doing some research ("Research," in this case, meaning a Den-Den Mushi conversation with Captain Falkland) on Brynhilda, the prospect of talking to this particular Warlord excited him a little. From the sound of it, he guessed that he shared a few common interests with the pirate, and, given the circumstances, there was always the possibility that those interests could be explored over the course of their interaction. It was enough to give him that much more motivation, while he was there.

[Shark a' Pult]

More than anything else, Rory was just happy to be included in the case, and being allowed to work on it. If they'd have left him in prison and kept a correspondence that would have been enough, but to be out and involved in the matter, felt more liberating than his actual temporary freedom. Enough so that he almost forgot how temporary it really was.

On Ohyeah's ship for the travels, he didn't feel bold enough to don a marine uniform again, but he had no problem helping out. He probably stuck out like a sore thumb in what he wore, a mix of casual clothes over his still-slightly visible prison uniform, but he didn't let that stop him. He was a hard worker, always had been, and the work helped take his mind off things; helped him to focus on the case. All this new information after being let out of prison, and here he was thinking the marks had stopped showing up altogether.

If he wasn't busy all day working, he was busy all night researching. It was almost like he really was back in the marines again. Almost.

---

"Hmmm... well, the nicest one I've seen in awhile, certainly."

Rory looked about the scene, wide-eyed at the innumerable colors and sounds that assaulted his senses. After coming from the prison and then the relatively mundane ship, this was a bit much for him, and he did his best to hide his light-headed feeling. To make up for it, he just stayed very close to the Vice Admiral so as not to cause any unwanted trouble or misunderstandings. He new how privileged he was to be here in the first place, he wasn't about to let some stupid mistake ruin that.

"Right, interrogate the warlord, yes Sir!"

Physical appearance-wise he looked marginally better than he did in the prison, partly because he was getting real food and sunlight now, but mostly because he wasn't suffering constant beatings by the inmates or being forced to run through a thorny hell. He still had lots of band-aids covering his skin, and he still looked malnourished, but with the marines in this place he might just go unnoticed altogether.

---

Hilda's ship would certainly not be hard to find. Depending on how big the island was and it's topography, the marines might be able to make it out from where they had arrived. That is, at least, the ship truly was massive. It had to be big enough to house a giant below deck at least, even if it was only barely big enough. Looking for that at least, might prove at least a little easier than finding the warlord herself.

"I don't like this very much- *ACHOO*! I want to go back to the ship."

"You're not allowed to wander off on your own, you're still in trouble for what you did. And if you don't like it, stop smelling everything!"

The giant was sitting slouched over in the marketplace, going through a sneezing fit and likely blocking up a portion of the street. Her nose was running terribly, and the cause was of course that she kept leaning down to look at all the amazing exotic foodstuffs, most of which she had never even heard of before. And of course, being as curious as she was, she felt compelled to smell them as well. The problem being, that she often ended up with half a cart of produce up her nose. Normally it wasn't so bad, except that she had suffered a few spice carts in a row and now was regretting her curiosity.

Elsa and the other scouts were currently minding her while the captain and the rest of the crew on shore were around and about, negotiating prices and whatnot for the purchase of some of the produce here. They had a lot of crew to feed after all, a rather big crew in more ways than one, so to speak. They were not hard to spot out in the market probably, given their usual clothing comprised of skins and furs, leather and armor and the like.

Normally they wouldn't have brought Hilda along for such matters as this, but the other day she had nearly capsized the ship trying to grab a sea serpent out of the water. Thus she was effectively grounded, and had to job around. That said, it was helpful to have her around when they needed to get some heavy lifting done, and she could simply carry all the supplies they bought back to the ship at the end of the day.

Unfortunately until that time, it was somewhat of a poor reflection on the crew to have her crawling around in the street on her hands and knees, leaning down to keep investigating produce and moping about otherwise.

[CJ]

Seeing that Hilda wasn't on the ship (and being able to see Uzo in the crow's nest), Fate instead suggested they search the town in response to Ohyeah's orders to find Irongard. Of course, Hilda herself wasn't all too hard to find either.

The crowd pressed together, trying not to get too close to Brynhilda as they made their way across the market. Nevertheless, Fate jumped right into it, trying to get as close as she could to the Shichibukai. Rory and the others would feel the same pressure if they tried to follow after her in the crowd.

However, it would be glaringly apparent that the townspeople kept a relatively large space around Ohyeah, no matter where he went. They seemed to hold a certain respect for him, nodding their head toward him. Children giggled and waved at him. Was it because he was a Vice Admiral? A Marine? Then why did they not show the same respect to Fate, who clearly was of a higher rank than the others amongst them?

"Shichibukai Brynhilda Irongard, you are under arrest!" Fate barely managed to shout under the muffle of her helmet. "I mean, you are subject to interrogation regarding the symbol drawn on your forehead!"

The black helmeted Marine pushed and shoved against the crowd to try and get to Brynhilda. She only managed to make the crowd move closer to her.

[Kyubey]

Ohyeah was visibly uncertain about how to react to the attention that the townsfolk were giving him. He would have liked it better if he was able to go about his business without being so noticed, but, given his large stature, he tended to be the focus of unwanted attention even when he wasn't working. As long as the onlookers didn't obstruct his job, though, he wasn't about to complain, and he even waved back at a few of the children, albeit awkwardly and hesitantly.

He looked up at Hilda, then down at Fate as she began shouting at the Warlord. Already, it was beginning to look like they were making a poor impression. Normally Ohyeah wouldn't care about what Hilda thought of him or his comrades, but if he wanted the pirate to cooperate, immediate aggression was not the finest choice. Even he knew that. It occurred to him, with some small amount of horror, that he just might have to play the role of the reasonable one during the questioning.

"We're only going to ask some questions," he clarified. "I'm Vice Admiral Ohyeah. The lady wearing a helmet is Captain Fate, and this little fellow here is named Rory."

He didn't bother giving his actual name this time, or saying a proper, formal introduction. He wasn't the type for formalities in situations when they weren't required, and he didn't think Hilda, being a pirate, would have minded.

"Is there a better place where we can talk? Being out in the open like this might not be the best idea for this sort of conversation."

[Shark a' Pult]

"Shichibukai Brynhilda Irongard, you are under arrest!"

Over the hustle and bustle of the market place and the crow therein, Hilda heard the unmistakable sound of a verbal threat. Wiping her nose on her sleeve, her gaze fell to Fate, the one who stood out the most in the crowd. She was about to reach for an axe on her back, when Fate continued.

"I mean, you are subject to interrogation regarding the symbol drawn on your forehead!"

Almost immediately, the giant turned beet red as her expression changed to one of a mix between embarrassment and horror. At first she tried to hide her face with her hands, but then the realization dawned on her that no matter what she did, everyone could still see her.

"Is there a better place where we can talk? Being out in the open like this might not be the best idea for this sort of conversation."

"S-S-Sorry t-t-toy s-s-soldiers... I-I-I h-h-have t-t-to g-g-go!"

Doing her best not to crush anyone or cause any damage, Hilda struggled to her feet and quickly looked around, trying to see in the distance where her ship was. Of course from the ground it might have looked a bit confusing as to what she was doing, but once she sighted it she was off in a run, trying as before not to cause any wanton death or destruction in her wake. Even though she went at an unsteady pace, still keeping her hands to her face and having to step here and there to move around people and places, the ground still shook with each footfall.

"Well, that's one way to start an interrogation! Whatever it is that you did Captain, keep doing it, and once we find her I'm sure she'll be too flustered to hold anything back from us!"

It took Rory a short while to respond, as he had been watching in awe as the giant fled; the last time he had seen one was at Marineford, and never this close. Once he regained his focus however, he was as enthusiastic as ever, showering Fate's approach with praise.

"She'll have gone to the ship, as sure as the sun rises, though I wonder what you want with her. Last time we got Marin like you around, nothing but trouble it was."

Elsa had been examining a wondrous object she had never seen before called a pineapple inside, but by the time she heard all the commotion outside and came to investigate, Hilda was already tearing off in the distance. She set down a basket she had been carrying, and approached the marines alongside some of the other scouts whom had gathered, the greatbow ever-visible across her back.

"She's terribly self-conscious of that mark what was on her head, Klas gave her quite a scolding for that one. You may call me Elsa, and you may ask of me whatever it was that you would ask of her. I will answer as best I can, and I would imagine at least, you'll find your answers easier this way."

In response, Rory pulled out his notebook, and looked to Ohyeah and Fate for further instruction, and to see how they would proceed.

---

Near to the ship Hilda sat with her head on her knees, breathing heavily and grinding her teeth. She would probably get in trouble for running off like that, but she couldn't bear to be reminded of... that, again, let alone have it mentioned or spoken of in public like the toy soldier had done.

"Dåre... why did I ever bother with that kit in the first place..."

[CJ]

Fate nearly fell over when Hilda dashed off. She called out for her to stop and realized with some small horror that she was likely to blame for this. She had forgotten pirates could have feelings. Odd as it sounded, it wasn't until Breakwater that she even considered how her adversaries might feel.

Shaking her head to be rid of memories, she tried to analyze the situation. Hilda wouldn't be able to leave the island anytime soon because she couldn't operate her ship alone. But if she told the other Shichibukai of the situation, there was a chance he could leave before they interrogate him. The mission could have been compromised.

Taking a tip from Ohyeah, Fate choose to talk to Elsa on the side of the street, far from citizens and tourists.

"Your cooperation is appreciated, Ms. Elsa. As the Vice Admiral said, I'm Captain Fate. We're here to get information on the symbol that appeared on Shichibukai Irongard's forehead not too long ago. You said she got a scolding. Are you implying Irongard somehow did this to herself?"

She glanced at Rory to see if he was recording their conversation or writing anything of relevance.

---

"13:28:04... 13:28:07..."

The sounds of earth shattering steps jolted Uzo from his sleep.

Scrambling to his feet, he tried to balance himself to greet his fellow Shichibukai. If she was running on her feet, it meant something was wrong. Seeing as there was no other visible chaos, it was likely that she made some sort of mistake.

Standing to his own feet, he didn't catch what Hilda said, too focused on balancing himself. She looked upset, though not to the point of tears.

His lazy eyelid could have suggested tiredness, but even Hilda would know it was how he usually looked. Holding onto his slinged arm, he leaned slightly on the railing of the crow's nest to get a better look at the giant.

"Hilda, are you OK?" he asked. He knew only to ask simple questions, not just because of Hilda's nature as a giant but because she was emotional for the time being. It was better to let her vent now and try to solve whatever went wrong later.