A Timely Meet

**Date Started:** May 13, 2018
**Date Completed:** Ongoing
**Previous Role-Play**: Merged Blood
**Users Involved:** User:Yesdemia, User:EmperorSigma,
**Setting:** Whiskey Peak
**Characters Involved**: Buster D. Zack, Hijorelle...

## The Boy and the Mermaid

*Somewhere past the Grand Line*

A ship floated lazily across the ocean, seemingly completely dormant. The only sound to be heard was the wind pushing against the sail, and the calls of birds in the distance; at least, that was until a massive crash and the sound of cracking wood rang out. The hull of the ship had ripped open, flooding water into the lower regions of the vessel at a rapid pace.

A woman was ripped from her sleep as the ship collided with the rocky shores of an unknown island. The glass box that she had been chained in was shattered by the debris, and she quickly shook free of her bindings. Her tail flapped wildly to fight against the rushing water that flooded the ship, before she was knocked down by a falling wooden beam and pinned underneath its weight.

"Gah, fuck!" she yelled, gritting her teeth at the pain and looking helplessly around.

Not too far away from the marine vessel, Hijorelle found herself locked in, a small boat had been drifting to the coast of the island. The wild waves and force it carried caused it to crash against the terrain. As it did, the body that had been within the boat was tossed to the front of it.

"Arrgg.." The brown-haired boy spoke, rubbing the back of his head after finally awaking. Rising so that he could get a view of the surrounding area, he had no idea where he had been. "Where the hell... Damn my head hurts. All I can remember is that guy turning into some other guy. And then I passed out. Did I, win?"

He slowly stood to his feet, holding the side of the small boat to keep himself up. He stepped over it to finally touch the land, something he hadn't done in quite some time. As he stepped from the boat his appearance came whole. His jacket was filled with holes near the sides and blood.

While leaning against a nearby rock to keep himself, he heard a shout from nearby. Peeking around the island, he noticed a Marine ship which lacked a mast. "Well, ain't that bout a bitch."He mumbled while heading towards the ship. It would take long for him to reach it and he used all of his strength to climb aboard it. He made his way to the "lower deck" of the ship and there he could see a ton of cells.

"Hello..." He called throughout the ship, hoping to get a response otherwise his efforts would be wasted.

"Well don't jus' stand thar ye idiot, help me!" A voice called out, which seemed to come from a pile of debris. Hijorelle comically shook her fist in the air above her head and she continued to struggle underneath the fallen beam.

He turned his attention to a cell behind him, a *woman* stood there leaning against the bars howling out to him. "Idiot? You got caught by people as dumb as tha' Marines, so who's really the dumbass here?"

Dropping to the floor, he sat down with his back leaning against the cell across from the woman. "What the hell even are you?" He asked, completely confused by the physical features she possessed.

"Are ye completely daft? Ye live on a water-dominated planet 'n haven't heard o' a mermaid?" Hijo spat, a fiery tone in her voice. "But that ain't important, I be kinda bein' slowly crushed! So if ye're done sittin' pretty, can ye help me?"

For some reason, he didn't even bother to question her. Still sitting he reached to his pock and pulled out a small nub spiked ball. Flinging it to the cell and at the moment it made contact with the bars, a powerful shockwave of wind was created. The forces would be enough to push the mermaid back, but since Zack had been leaning against a strong support, he just blew wind in his face.

The cell gate would fall due to the immense force and the already bad shape the ship was in. "Happy birthday." He added sarcastically.

"Oh thank ye! Now that that useless cell be gone, this pile o' garbage that be crushin' me be soooo much lighter!" Hijo hissed sarcastically as she pushed off some of the debris that had been on top of her before she crawled out from underneath it. "Hurt like a cur, I'll tell ye that..." She said, before she suddenly flung her body towards Zack at a high speed before picking him up by his shirt and pinning him against the support he sat against. "Now wha' in th' Davy Jones' locker do ye reckon ye're doin' here? Ye a Marine?" Hijo spat, her eyes rapidly scanning Zack in a questioning manner.

The boy grunted in pain from being lifted and held up against the wall. From what was mentioned earlier, he'd just waken up from a fierce battle he'd had just a while before arriving at this unidentified island. As she lifted him, blood began to leak down his side, revealed by the fact that his jacket was pull up uncovering his abdomen. He had several holes in his ribs and to the woman in front of him a completely mystery.

"Use your head, you dumbass fish lady. Would I have set you free, if I was a damn Marine." He jerked away from her, sliding against the wall so that his feet could meet the ground once again. "My name is Buster D. Zack, I'm a Pirate dipshit."

"I don't appreciate yer tone bud, watch yer tongue!" Hijo spat, losing her grip on Zack's shirt. "If ye aren't a Marine, why are ye on this ship? Be that a squiffy riddle?"

Standing to his feet, Zack headed towards the exit of the lower deck. "Your yellin'. I could hear you, all the way on tha damn island. Instead of questioning me, you should be sayin' thank you. Pirates don't help prisoners."

"Well thank ye kindly, pretty lass." Hijo said sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she did so. Her body then appeared to go stiff, as her tail split into two separate legs indiscernible from a human's. When her legs were fulling "formed," she wobbled slightly and appeared to try and gain her balance before she was able to maintain her posture. It was then that she looked up at Zack and with a raise of her eyebrow and a questioning tone to her voice, said "Belay that, did ye say ye came from th' island?"

"WOAH, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" He shouted, referring to the girl's tail turning from a tail into a set of legs. He shook his head and turned to continue to the exit. *"Now that's crazy."*

Reaching the main deck of the ship. Near the front of the ship, Zack had noticed a bag that looked strangely similar to his own. "Nah, I've come from the South Blue. I had to deal with something before I could make it to the Grand Line. It ain't turn out the way I thought it would." He answered the woman who'd followed him up to the deck, yet his eyes were still locked on the bag.

He squinted his eyes trying to stabilize his vision. Running over to the backpack, he opened it and in it were tons of different contents. From the medkit his mother had given to him before he left, the gadgets made by Thatch, to the seastone bullets he'd stolen from the Marine ship.

Lifting the lid off of the medkit he saw a variety of doctoral tools and the only thing he'd reached for was the bandages. Extending the bandage out, he lifted his shirt up and held its end in his mouth and proceeded to wrap the bandages around the hole wounds over his abdomen area.

Once done, he threw everything into the backpack and launched it over his back. "This is an island though." He added, leaping from the wrecked ship back onto the land, heading towards the smaller ship he'd been sent there on. "Do what you want, you're a free... um.."

"WOMAN! A FREE WOMAN, YE GUD FOR NAUGHT IDIOT!" Hijo yelled comically, shaking both of her fists in the air as she stood on the wrecked ship and watched Zack walk away. "Where th' Davy Jones' locker do ye reckon ye're goin'? I don't 'ave anythin', 'n since ye found me, ye get t' help me back on me... feet... tail..." Hijo stumbled, quite literally flopping off of the ship and onto the shore, attempting to catch up to Zack without falling over. "I needs supplies, 'n ye needs actual medical attention."

Hijo put her hand over her eyes to block out the setting sun, and began to survey her surroundings. "But 'til then, 'tis gettin' late. Can I trust that ye won't try t' scuttle me in me sleep, twinkle toes?" Hijo asked, before she laid her eyes upon light in the distance, not too far from the rocky coast that the ship crashed on. "Looks like a galleon t' me, let's go!" She spoke, before almost instantly grabbing Zack by the shirt and dragging him along as though he was nothing but a ragdoll.

Just as Zack had reached into the small boat and grabbed the unknown bag that was within it, Hijo had grabbed him by the shirt and took running towards the center of the island, which if you looked close enough, would be a city coming up soon. With the speed she'd been running at, they make it there at no time... even if he were a flailing ragdoll for now.

## Whiskey Inn

After about a twenty minute run, the duo had finally reached a town. Zack twisted his body so that his shirt would twist as well freeing him of Hijo's grip. Because of the time of day, the city had been slowing down and lots of vendors had been packing to return home with their families.

There was a sign right at the entrance of the city, while it wasn't flashy, it was noticeable nonetheless. Reading the words of the sign, Zack called out, "Whiskey Peak?! Damn, so we on Cactus Island." Throwing his two bags over his shoulders, he slowly made his way into the city looking left and right with each step he took.

Finally, he'd reached a building and its sign read "Whiskey Inn". He stood in front of it for a moment, thinking if he should enter it or not, taking quite a few possibilities. He shooks his heat frantically, slapping his face with both hands. *"I need to rest for now. I'll stay here for a while, then I'll leave."*

After opening the door of it, he entered the facility of the building. Upon entering, he noticed quite a few things that seemed to have calmed him down. The inside of the inn was clean and organized, obviously proof that whoever the keeper was, held their business in high regards. It was a bit more modern than a normal inn though and the more modern something was in this world, the more it'd cost.

Zack looked around as he approached the front end desk, waiting to be greeted by an employee so that he could reserve a stay... if the prices were right of course.

"Eesh!" A leading uppercut. "Eesh!" A straight right. "Eesh!" A leading hook to the body of the bag. His movements flowed as his weight shifted between his left and right with sharp exhales. The sound of the rattling bag coagulated with the *smack* of his punches snapping against it. Yes. Hornigold Dan. The protecter of the Whiskey Inn. The famous Inn would've been torched had not been for the man. But his love of the fight, of battle, made him a valuable addition to the family.

"Oi oi Goldy. Get your ass up here and help!" A woman barked. Her orders interrupting his concentrating and leading to a missed punch.

Hornigold sucked his teeth. "But-"

"We just got a guest, so get your ass UP THERE!"

"Fine!" He roared. The dark skinned warrior wiped the sweat off his face with a towel and started for the door. Usually, these places required a more professional attire. But the young fighter wore his signature sweatpants and a black t-shirt. After all, he was actually off today...

"Welcome to the Whiskey Inn, what'd'y'a want?" He asked. His silver eyes reflecting the lights beautifully.

Zack grabbed his abs, he really couldn't hold out on the pain much longer, but luckily for him, an employee had come to his rescue. He was met by a dark-skinned man who'd, honestly, been less organized than himself. He was a warrior, Zack knew that much for certain. The greeting was rather abrupt, but it was a greeting nonetheless.

"Uh, right... I'd like a room for one." Zack turned his head to the door waiting knowing that the mermaid-girl-thing would come running in right behind him. "Just make it two. Do y'all offer medical assistance? I need it pronto."

Sure enough, pieces of what used to be the door flew across the lobby of the inn. A red spot on Hijorelle's head signified that she had used her head to bust open the door, although she appeared not to be in any sort of pain "DO YE RECKON TIS' SOME SORT O' GALLERY WALK? WHAT'S TAKIN' YE SO LONG!" Hijo wheeled herself in on a wheelchair which she hadn't had before, angrily spitting as she spoke. It wasn't apparent where she got the wheelchair until she moved slightly to the right, and an eldery man lying on the street revealed just where.

Hijorelle reached into her bosom and pulled out a small yet hefty bag of beli and hurled it at Zack, making direct contact with his head. "Make it one cabin, I not be payin' fer th' other!"

He moved. Hornigold's hands, as spontaneous as lightning across the sky, grabbed the bag inches from the boy's head. Without hesitation, the ebony fighter had leapt over the counter and retrieved their funds from midair. "Of course. Your cabin'll be right upstairs. But I should also let you know that you'll be paying for the damage you just caused. That door is quite expensive. Shipped straight from Elbaf and installed by a dear friend of ours. One whose services are not cheap. Plus a service fee for such a loud commotion-" He tossed the bag nonchalantly in his hand. His eyes noticed the old elderly man lying on the street and sighed. These people aren't rich. Any medical assistance they received probably required a sacrifice. He took out a small amount of beli and handed it over to the employee.

"This'll pay for his new wheelchair. I'm sure our guest wouldn't mind. We can call it a friendly tax." Hornigold teased.

"Just get me a damn room." Zack demanded, smashing his hand onto the counter of the welcoming desk laying out quite a few berri over it. "Pay for whatever, however, whenever!" Tightening the grip of his bags onto his back, Zack turned to the direction of the stairs and headed for them.

Once he reached the first step, he turned back to the young man in charge. "I need a doctor too..." He added, continuing on up the stairs of the Inn and soon finding an empty room which he would call his own.

"Doctor? In these streets at this time?" Hornigold scoffed. He wasn't the smartest tool in the shed, but even he knew that any doctors nearby would be busy dealing with tonight's ruffians. Besides, with all this money in his hand, he wouldn't mind lending some of his expertise...which ultimately amounted to little. Regardless, he followed the two demons into their room and closed the door.

"Let me take a look at what's wrong. Before I call any doctor, I should assess the problems. Make sure its not too major." He added.

"So what's wrong?"

Zack wasted no time after entering the room and hearing the man's words. He took his jacket off and tossed it on the floor revealing the bandages fulled of blood wrapped around his abdomen. He grunted in pain from just the removing of his jacket and waited before he would reach to remove the bandages from around his abs.

In a single swoop, he ripped the bandages off revealing six holes, three on each side of his ribcage as though he'd been drilled into with a blade. They'd been much smaller than they were when he was on the coast with Hijorelle, but they were still there nonetheless.

"Antibiotics." He requested, his voice as commanding as ever. "All of them that you have! I'll heal up overnight and patch myself up. Then I gotta' get to the New World as soon as I can!"

"Ah aye, 'tis jus' wha' I needed! A dyin' scallywag that serves as me only lifeline out o' this hellhole island!" Hijorelle spat, bearing her pointed teeth as she watched the underqualified doctor attempt to assess the wounds. "If ye die in yer sleep, I be callin' dibs on all yer stuff, then hoppin' out!" Although such a sentence would normally be said in a comical manner, Hijorelle's face was dead serious.