South Blue Blues

Author’s Note: I love me some One Piece, and I noticed that there really aren’t a whole lot of original stories. I originally posted this some time ago, but it was lost in a deluge of other fiction, not to mention, there were no views. So, I’m going to repost this and see if there’s any interest. I’ve gone over it, proofread it and did a few minor edits. It’s not much different from the original work, just with less grammatical errors.

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Captain’s Log, Day 158:

So we’ve finally arrived at the Grand Line, and things aren’t looking very good. After nearly being smashed just getting up and back down that God forsaken mountain, the weather here wreaks havoc on the senses, and our compasses. Our navigator is a talented lad, but he lacks the necessary skill to get us through these waters. It’s all we can do to hope that our recently acquired Log Pose can lead us to an island, but I think it’s safe to say that my journey will be ending here. It’s a shame, really. I had such high hopes for my crew and I. Who would’ve guessed that we’d even had gotten this far?

I sent my son a package the other day, a discovery our crew made on one of the few uninhabited islands between us and the Grand Line. We made a unanimous decision to let go of such a valuable object, because its power would certainly help him more than it would help any of us. I don’t regret this decision. I hope that he gets to live in peace, but this world is never kind to people who are linked to pirates. If it’s not the Navy, it’s other pirates.

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“Isaac! Wake up, child! This is an emergency!” A feminine voice called from downstairs, forcing the young boy to turn slowly on his side, trying to return to sleep. He was a light sleeper, so he was awake usually by the first call. It was just fun to pull the old woman’s chains, make her think that he was a heavy sleeper. The sound of feet stomping up the stairs at a fast pace got him to sit up, looking up just in time to see the grayed woman poke her head into his room.

The years had not been kind to her. Face wrinkled with stress, gray hair topping her head. It was difficult to imagine what could get her to move so quickly. The primary benefactor to the island’s orphanage, the old woman is constantly in a state that looks like she could keel over at any moment, but this day was different. The panic was evident on her face as she pushed the door open all the way.

“What’s wrong, Lily?” Isaac inquires, working his way out of bed. “It’s kind of early, don’t you think?” He begins to work his shoes on.

“Pirates, child. Everyone else is in the cellar, but there’s not much room. You and I have to find a place to hide for a while, but there’s something we must do first.” Lily answers. “And I don’t want any grief from you. There’s no time to lose. This is a large fleet of ships only a few miles out heading straight here.”

That’s when the panic struck Isaac. “What could possibly be more important than hiding right now?!” He nearly yells, tugging on his shirt, a difficult prospect when one’s in a real rush, and he moves to follow her out of his room and down the hallway to her room. Opening the door, she leads him into the room that he’d only ever been in twice in his life, and both of those was for getting a paddle to his back end for causing trouble.

The room itself had very little in it of interest, and was much like the rest of the orphanage: a bed, a sink, a toilet and a small chest or footlocker to keep her things in. A picture of an old man, her husband having passed away only years before, sits upright on the table, staring out at them with a huge smile. That characteristic smile. Something he’s likely not to forget anytime soon.

“Your father sent this a few years ago, not long after he’d left.” Lily speaks, kneeling slowly to dig through the chest at the foot of her bed. “He said that in the case of an emergency, I was to feed this to you.”

She pulls up a modestly sized fruit from the chest, easily nearly half the size of that small chest. Isaac can understand then why she never seemed to have much in the way of clothes. He slowly moves closer to accept the fruit, examining it. It was unlike any fruit that he’d ever seen in his lifetime. Spirals on the fruit were never of the same length, only helping to obscure the pearly white color. Under any other circumstances, the fruit would have been beautiful to keep around, as it radiates a feeling of calm.

“This is a Devil Fruit.” Lily explains. “It will give you powers. Hopefully powers enough to save our island. I was hoping I’d never have to give it to you or, better yet, give it to you when you were older, but this day came much sooner than I thought.”

An explosion not far away rocks them from their reverie of staring at the pearly white fruit. “Eat it, child. Our time is quickly running out.”

With a nod, Isaac opens his mouth wide and takes a bite out of it. For as beautiful as the fruit looked on the outside, the actual taste was borderline intolerable. It took every ounce of willpower to eat the first bite, but the second was pushing it. He gags, but the rest of the fruit fades away into dust. A relief to Isaac, who wasn’t sure if he could finish that third and last bite.

“I don’t feel any different..” Isaac murmurs softly, looking at his hands.

“It will come to you in time. Come now. We have to get somewhere safe.” Lily smiles, moving to lead him out the room and down the stairs with the same urgency as she’d gone up. She locks the trap door leading down to the cellar, covering it with a rug as she leads him outside.

By that point, people were running in the opposite direction of the port. People without weapons were running towards the mountains, while those with weapons rushed quickly towards the port to try and stop, or at least slow, the pirates. Through the rising smoke of demolished homes, the Jolly Roger flies on each and every approaching ship, a dragon swirling around the skull and crossbones in each one.

“Why can’t we hide in the cellar?” Isaac inquires, following her as she leads him towards the mountain. “I’m scared..”

“Don’t be. We’ll be just fine..” Lily reassures him. “In fact, go on ahead. As fast as you can. Join the people up in the mountains. They’ll lead you to somewhere safe.” She smiles. “I won’t be able to climb those rocks like you can, and I’ll just slow you down. Go on, Isa-“

She never finishes her sentence. Her body slumps over and falls, Isaac reaching up to grab her. “Lily! Lily, wake up!” He shakes her gently, trying his hardest to hold up her dead weight, until he can’t any longer, gently setting her down. It’s then he sees the red on her dress. A bullet wound. The source of the bullet is evident, a mob of pirates all moving slowly down the street, shooting anything, anyone in the path.

“You killed her!” Isaac screams, praying to whatever God that would listen that he’d learn how to use his powers. Anything, anytime, just to give him the edge. Let him do something about this situation.

“So what, kid? You’ve got a problem?” One of the pirates chuckles, leveling his flintlock pistol in his direction. “Well, I guess it won’t be your problem much longer.”

Time almost seemed to slow as Isaac heard the crack of the pistol, a bullet hitting him with enough force to send him clear off his feet, landing on his back. Yet, there was no blood, no pain. He blinks in surprise, examining his body with a panicked urgency. Where the bullet would have hit Isaac before, the pirate who’d fired it was bleeding, slumping down to his knees. Soon, he was just as dead as the woman he’d shot moments earlier. With little time to waste, Isaac scrambles to his feet.

“Serves you right!” Isaac screams, his voice cracking as he tries to force the words out. Finally, he gets the opportunity to kneel down, try and tend to the old lady. “Come on. Wake up..” He whispers, shaking her gently.

“I… don’t believe what I just saw. The hell just happened?” Another of the pirates in the small mob calls.

“Think he got hit with his own bullet.” Another laughs.

“Always was a bad shot.”

Another walks forward, leveling a rifle in Isaac’s direction. “Let me give it a try.”

CRACK. Another one falls, in the same manner as the last pirate, a gaping hole where the bullet might have hit Isaac. The pirates look at one another, and slowly take a step back. “Somethin’ weird is goin’ on here..” One of the pirates murmurs. “I think this one’s got a Devil Fruit or summin’.”

“Why are you having such a hard time with just one boy? Move out of the way. This should be a clean sweep of this island. I want it for my own before night falls.” Comes a voice from behind the mob, clear, loud, commanding. The captain.

Isaac looks up slowly as he sees a tall man approach. Cloaked in black, with long, wild hair as black as the cloak around his body, the only other outstanding feature was the red marking that went down from his forehead, left eye, all the way down to the bottom of his cheek. “…”

“I don’t believe it! Dragon! Monkey D. Dragon, the revolutionary!” A voice calls from an alleyway, accompanied by another shot sounding off, and a half-scream to announce the death of the person who’d been foolish enough to give away his hiding spot.

“Boy, why are you here? Why are you giving my men such grief?” Dragon inquires, slowly moving to approach Isaac.

“Are you the captain of these pirates?” Isaac inquires, trying his hardest to muster the bravery required to speak in the presence of someone so intimidating.

Dragon chuckles softly, shaking his head. “Yes, I am. Why haven’t you run yet?”

“Because I’m not afraid of you.” Isaac growls, standing up on his feet. “Fight me. If I win, you have to leave the island!” He knew this was a boneheaded move, especially since he barely knew how to use his powers, let alone how he even got them to work the first time.

“And if I win?” Dragon inquires, folding his arms across his chest.

Isaac smirks. “You won’t win.”

“Well, at least you’re confident. Follow me.” Dragon motions towards the docks, turning, his cloak following him. “Don’t touch the boy. He will be fighting me.”

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The dock looked as much of a wreck as the town was beginning to look. Holes all along the wooden docks show where cannonballs had landed. Boxes were missing, likely once filled with supplies, and the smell of the sea was strong, but now was mingled with the smell of gunpowder. Those pirates not actively seeking out people to capture or kill were watching their captain and the small, blonde-haired boy stare each other down.

“I’m feeling generous. You can have the first move. No weapon?” Dragon inquires, tilting his head slowly to one side curiously. “Well, I suppose to each their own. Let’s see what you have.”

Isaac bites his lower lip, and lifts his hands slowly, opening his palms and aiming all five fingers towards Dragon. Every fiber of his being wished to be able to access his power, some kind of power, SOMETHING to strike down the captain before him. When nothing happens, the pirates, once leaning in close to see what Isaac produces, break into laughter.

“Last chance to leave, boy.” Dragon speaks, a fierce wind whipping up around him. “The clock is ticking, and so is my patience. You’re out of your league here, and I will prove it!” He growls, unleashing a burst of wind so fierce that it would put hurricanes to shame. The sheer magnitude of the wind is enough to tear into the fragile wooden docks, sending splinters and wood flying every whichway. What wood is spared is pocked with marks as though it had been dug into by a dagger at random.

Isaac closes his eyes and prays silently, still holding his hands up, as if trying to intercept the blast of wind..

Without warning, though, the wind turns and changes course, heading right back towards the source. Now with no wood beneath it, the fierce winds churn up the sea instead, sending sea foam up everywhere. Dragon’s eyes go wide, and he disappears with little warning, only to reappear, cloak and all, not far behind Isaac.

Turning quickly, Isaac moves to try and intercept the hand that reaches for him, but he’s too late, and even if he wasn’t, would never have been strong enough. The hand snags him by the head, causing him to cry out in pain. No-one had ever grabbed him this hard, and the fact that he had monstrous strength in one arm was enough to allow him to slowly lift a much lighter Isaac into the air.

“So, you have a Devil Fruit power.” Dragon hums softly, oblivious to the struggling boy his dominant arm dangles in the air. “Though what exactly it /is/, we may never find out.” With a flick of his arm, he releases Isaac, forcing the boy to land and roll, nearly falling off the dock and into the unforgiving sea below, still frothing from the activity above. “Get on a boat and leave. You have too much potential to be wasting it away here on this island. I have plans, and I intend not to let you slow me down.”

As Isaac stands, he’s intercepted by two pirates who quickly lift him by his arms, forcing him to kick and struggle at thin air once again. “Let me go! Dragon!” He cries out. “Fight me! This isn’t over yet!”

“Put him in a boat and let him loose. We’ll let the sea decide his fate.” Dragon smirks, stepping away from the docks and back towards town.

Thrown onto one of the nearby lifeboats, the loud sound of metal cutting rope, and then wood, snaps him out of his reverie. The boat immediately begins to float away, pushed by a wind that was never there a moment ago. “DRAGON!” He screams, moving to the front of the boat, trying not to tip it.

By the time the wind died down, Isaac was miles from the island, watching the tiny speck of an island begin to disappear over the horizon.

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“Of course, that was nearly nine years ago.” Isaac chuckles, leaning forward to rest his arms on the bar. To either side of him, women listen intently to his every word. “If I met Dragon now, he wouldn’t stand a chance.” He winks, using his charm to woo the women.

“You’ve told us this story a million times, Isaac. So what else is new?” The bar wench inquires, smirking playfully. Unlike the dancers, or the attractive women that visited the bar, the bar wench was hardly what one would consider a catch, the only feature that stood out, besides her long brown hair, were the breasts that would’ve easily put many of the women in the bar to shame, if she had been twenty or thirty years younger.

Issac turns to look towards the lady behind the bar, smirking, and holding up a flyer, handing it over to her. Near the top was a seal, a blue seagull silhouette with the words NAVY written beneath it. “My luck’s finally turned around, Laura. Someone high up finally retired, and that means one thing..”

“You’re going to get a promotion soon?” Laura inquires, smirking playfully as she pours a beer for another man at the bar. “Well, it’s about time. If anyone deserves it around here, it’s you. Does that mean you’ll be going out to sea again?”

Isaac nods and takes the flyer back from her, folding it up and putting it back in his uniform. “Yeah. I don’t get why it’s taken this long. I guess it’s because I’m younger, but some of those people with Devil Fruits are so high up the chain of command it’s ridiculous. It’s about time I get some recognition.” He smirks.

“What’d’ya figure you’re going to get?” Laura inquires, watching the two ladies as they lavish the blonde-haired male with attention.

“Commander, hopefully. That way, I’m pretty much guaranteed to get higher ranks by that point. As far as this goes, I’m as far as I can get without someone dying or retiring from higher up, and I’ll be in the queue.” Isaac wiggles his eyebrows playfully, garnering an eyebrow roll from Laura.

“Well, live it up, then. Best time to celebrate.” Laura smiles, sliding him a mug of beer, watching him down half of it with relatively little effort. “That one’s on the house, but you really need to pay your tab more often.” She says with a light scolding.

Isaac nods quickly, slipping off his barstool. “Yeah, I know, I know. I’m sorry. We get paid tomorrow, so I promise you’ll have your money then.” He smiles. “Let’s go, ladies.” He motions for the two women.

“HOOOOOOLD ON THERE A MINUTE!” A voice echoes from the kitchen, and out of the large double doors storms out a brown-haired, tanned woman. “You aren’t planning to leave and take them out somewhere, are you?” She growls sternly, slamming her hands on the bar. It’s enough to get most of the patrons to recoil slightly. “Do you remember what you promised me the other night? You told me that you’d help me clean the kitchen, and I intend to hold you to that promise!”

“M-Maiya..” Isaac stumbles, looking over at her.

The women with him roll their eyes, and slowly turn to walk out without Isaac. He lifts a hand after them to stop them, but by that point it’s too late. He lowers his head in defeat, and slowly moves to work past the bar and following the slender female into the kitchen area.

Maiya was the lone daughter of Laura, the owner and full-time bar wench. Most people respected the both of them because of their commanding nature; if someone owed them something, they gave very little slack when it came to getting it. This was the result of a difficult past, thanks to Laura’s short love affair with a seaman who’d docked there for a short while, and they weren’t about to let people walk all over them.

The cook of the operation, Maiya was as talented as she was beautiful, able to whip up most basic meals in minutes, and other, more difficult things offered on the menu in relatively little time. This came with lots of repetition and a knack for cooking. Otherwise, besides her knowledge of alcoholic drinks, there was little her many suitors considered her worthwhile for besides staring at.

They stared for good reason. She kept up with her tan, her skin always a dark, exotic hue, and the tan lines were evident whenever she wore anything revealing enough. Her slender body, shaped not unlike an hourglass, lead down to slender legs that seemed to stretch on forever when she wore shorts, which wasn’t often, much to the chagrin of the people seeking her hand in marriage.

Her brown hair was long, like her mother’s, and they both shared those deep emerald green eyes. Laura would’ve been a spitting image of her daughter if she was the aforementioned twenty or thirty years younger, but the years had not been too kind to her. They were rarely kind to anyone.

“Here. Take this and start scrubbing the floors.” Maiya smiles, handing him a bucket of soapy water and a scrub brush. “After that, maybe we can enjoy ourselves a little.”

“Yeah, yeah. As long as you don’t cheat me out of it like last time.” Isaac grumbles, slowly moving to kneel down and wet the brush, before starting scrubbing.

“Oh, quit complaining, you wimp! You know I’m going to help you as soon as I’m done with these last few dishes. Then we can close the kitchen,” Maiya promises, and she quickly proves her words true, delivering the last dishes out to the bar and announcing the kitchen was closed, loud enough for the patrons to hear, before rejoining Isaac.

“You know I hate this. Reminds me of when I first started out in the Navy. Those were the most miserable days of my life.” Isaac grumbles, scrubbing quickly, watching her as she ties her hair back and kneels down, grabbing her own bucket of water and scrub brush and helping him.

Maiya smirks playfully, glancing over at him. “Cry more.”

“Don’t tease me.” Isaac sticks his tongue out at her.

“Should have eaten a Devil Fruit that gave you super speed or something. Instead you have one that makes stuff do unexplainable things.” Maiya rolls her eyes.

“Not a day goes by that I don’t wish I’d never eaten that Devil Fruit.” Isaac teases playfully.

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With the kitchen clean for the next day, Isaac and Maiya retired to her room. Seated Indian-style on Maiya’s bed, Isaac stares at her, watching her disrobe in front of her mirror and look herself over. “It’s a shame you’re going to be busy tomorrow. I only have to work half the day,” Maiya muses.

“Well, I don’t know how long I’ll be busy. If my plans change, you’ll be the first one that I come to. Why? Did you want to do anything?” Isaac smirks, eyes slowly drinking in the beautiful woman who stands not far away, examining herself naked in the mirror. She seems so comfortable with not only herself, but even with Isaac in the room with her.

“Only the usual. Maybe a little shopping..” Maiya winks at him in the mirror, before cupping her breasts in her hands. “I wish these would get a little bigger..”

Isaac rolls his eyes. “They’re just fine.” He stands up, moving up behind her and wrapping his arms around her, cupping her breasts playfully. She just looks at him slyly, not moving his hands, instead moving hers and just letting him fondle her, not seeming to mind.

“You’d know, I guess. You’re the only one who gets to look at them, let alone touch them.” Maiya blushes softly, only to moan when he tweaks her nipples gently. “Mmm. Got enough time to indulge yourself before you have to go back to base?”

Isaac nods, grinding his hips against her ass, pulling her tight to him. “I think I should have enough time. If not, I’ll just get a slap on the wrist, no big deal.”

Maiya almost seems to melt into his arms as he pulls her tight to him. “Then get this uniform off, Isaac, damn it. Don’t be so modest.”

“I like to tease you by leaving my clothes on.” Isaac smirks playfully, working his uniform off with little trouble. Getting in and out of their uniforms quickly was something they learned very early on. With Isaac as naked as she was, she slowly steps over towards the bed, moving to lay on her back. “I just wish it was a full moon tonight.”

“Oh, you have no idea how I wish it were a full moon. The last time was fucking incredible.” Maiya smirks, watching him slowly move between her spread legs, resting his lips against her folds and just taking in her smell for a few moments, before suckling and licking, forcing her hips to rise slowly off the bed. “We don’t get to do this enough…” She groans.

Isaac smiles, pushing his tongue slowly into the deepest parts of her folds, soon replacing it with a finger, arching it up to rub that most sensitive little bundle of nerves. “I agree.”

“God, Isaac! Not so soooonn..!” Maiya squeals softly in pleasure as he hits that sensitive little part of her, reduced now to quick, random panting as she just grips his short blonde hair, pulling him close. “Yes! Yessss..!”

Having done this act with her so many times before, Isaac was aware of the places she loved to have touched, caressed. Though they’d never really explored that particular part of sex yet, she responded positively to having her ass hole stroked softly, forcing her hips to lower on the fingers, depending on how little contact he gives her. Tonight is no different, the touch to that sensitive little pucker forcing her into deeper gasps, biting her bottom lip to keep from moaning as she cums, eyes shut tightly.

Another thing he knew she loved was being taken just as she was cumming and, after getting a good taste of what she had to offer, Isaac slowly moves over her, piercing her deep with his thick, hard shaft, immediately taking her at a hard, fast pace. “Isaac..!” She gasps, wrapping her arms around him, holding him close to her. “I told you that we… couldn’t have sex… anymore…” She groans, grinding her hips up against him.

“I know. Do you want me to stop..?”

“Fuck no.” Maiya growls, grinding up against him. “Just don’t cum inside me this time..”

Not quite his proudest hour.

As Isaac thrust away at her sensitive folds, changing up speed to keep her on edge, Maiya was trying so hard not to scream and squeal. She was a loud one, and the last time they’d been alone somewhere away from the house, and prying ears, Isaac had a hard time hearing anything for a while after that particular night. Maiya was a bit of a nymphomaniac, though it was difficult to immediately tell if you didn’t know her well enough, and she took to sex with a vigor that Isaac never had with any of his partners before.

Sure enough, Isaac felt her tighten around his cock, forcing a shudder from him as he tries so hard not to cum. He slows to a stop, burying his cock deep inside her, just waiting patiently for her to stop cumming, before she begins to grind against him. “Cum for me. Just not IN me this time..” She warns him a second time.

Isaac nods, fucking her hard and fast once again, forcing gasps from the female again. It’s when he feels the tightening in his balls, feels his cum start to rise, that he wishes he could just cum inside her anytime. It was an amazing feeling, one unlike any he’d felt. When he finally feels it coming for real, he groans and pulls out of her, jerking softly at the base of his shaft, aiming stream after stream of pearly white cum at the woman beneath him.

Each rope lands on her stomach or chest, and for a moment, Maiya seems content, closing her eyes and just laying there for a moment as she feels the warm cum land on her skin. “You should… mmm… head on back to base, before you get in trouble.”

“Shit, you’re right. I think our commanding officer has an announcement, or something, tonight. If I’m late, he’ll probably kill me for sure.” Isaac slips off the bed, leaning over to kiss her mouth softly. “Sorry for making you need a bath again.” He apologizes quickly, working his uniform on and heading out the door, closing it behind him. He knows he hates leaving like that so suddenly.

Maiya sighs softly, slowly moving to a stand. “I just wish you’d quit that job and come work here. I don’t know what you’re still in the Navy for..” Though no-one’s there to hear her.

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“Monkey D. Dragon has made a move.” A voice echoes down the hallway, the same hallway Isaac sneaks down quietly, making his way into the briefing room and moving to take one of the hundreds of seats, just as his commanding officer continues. “Lieutenant Commander Isaac. So nice of you to finally join us..”

Isaac’s seat was next to one of the few people he’d known in the Navy for a while. With unkempt long red hair and blue eyes, Lucas was at least one head higher than Isaac, but one rank lower, something that Isaac pointed out constantly. “Where’ve you been?” He hisses in a low whisper to Isaac as he sits, trying not to draw too much attention to himself.

“Maiya needed me.” Isaac leaves out all the details, but Lucas knows what he means anyway.

“She’s going to get you demoted or thrown out one of these days. Commander Black will probably be on the warpath later.” Lucas whispers again, a smirk evident on his face.

“Sometimes I wonder if that’s what she’s out to do.” Isaac murmurs, listening to the briefing, a large map up on the wall of an equally large room, allowing every seaman to see the map and its details. “I’m not too worried about it.”

Commander Black clears his throat to continue. “It’s been several long years since his hostile takeover of the crucial chain of islands in South Blue.” He points a long stick up towards a large ring of islands, making an almost perfect circle around one larger island. “It was only a matter of time before he works his way to North Blue and, like he promised, he intends to invade.”

Whispers begin to work amongst the seamen, but Commander Black quickly slams his stick down on the podium he’s standing at. “Enough. This is no cause for alarm, as we’re not close to the designated point of intrusion that we think he’s going to use. However, if this invasion does occur, realize that we will be heading out to assist immediately. Some of you won’t be making it back alive.”

Again, more whispers. “But some of you will be coming home with medals.”

“There’s one thing you need to remember, though, and that’s that Monkey D. Dragon is a powerful revolutionary, with the power of a Logia-type Devil Fruit at his command. There will be few people to spare, as many of our strongest are situated and busy on the Grand Line, making this situation dire, and difficult to call. We’ve asked for reinforcements, but they’re not likely to arrive anytime soon. So, we have to do what we can to help until the reinforcements arrive.” Commander Black gently sets his stick down on the podium.

“We’ll be running a mission tomorrow. I’ve selected a few of you to run this mission with me, so if you find a letter on your bed, that means you’ve been chosen. You need to be at the docks at the time listed in the letter tomorrow. Dismissed.” Commander Black calls, letting the seamen stand and begin to dismiss. Black, often called ‘Black Bear’ due to the power of his Zoan-type Devil Fruit, was a bear of a man, himself. Always bald, the commanding officer was one of the commanding officers that took very little guff, and had legendarily bad patience. So it came as a bit of a surprise to Isaac that he hadn’t received a worse tongue lashing..

––––––––

“Wow. Letters.” Lucas hums, working through the mail left on his bed from family and friends, eventually finding a letter watermarked with the traditional Navy symbol. “Looks like I’m going on that mission tomorrow. I wonder what it’s about. Looks like the material is classified, and that we’ll be briefed when we get on the ship and out to sea.”

“Same here.” Another seaman calls from across the barracks.

Of course, Isaac knew when he was to go on a mission. He never got letters, and when he did, they were the watermarked letters signed with his name on it from the Navy, and none of them were reassuring, let alone pleasant. “I’ve got one too. Should be interesting.”

“Notice that they only picked the most skilled seamen?” Another Lieutenant spoke up, grinning. “Guess it’s going to be dangerous. I heard that they spotted a few pirates not far away from this island. Probably going to pursue.”

“Hope so. I could use some action.” Lucas chuckles, stretching his arms over his head as he works into his sleep uniform. “What about you, Isaac?”

Isaac glances up from the letter, shaking his head slowly. “Well, I’m not so sure, really. Fighting would be nice, but every time we go out and fight we risk our lives, for such a menial paycheck..”

Lucas smirks. “Getting all philosophical on us again? Just get some sleep and you’ll feel like fighting tomorrow when you get your energy back. Especially since you’ve spent all your energy on someone today..”

“Oh, shut up and go to sleep,” Isaac grumbles, moving under the covers of his small bed. “Good night.”

“Night, Zack.”