The Castle Part 1

The Castle

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"Got it… got it… read it... got it… read it..."

"Oi, any of these books worth anything nerd?"

"Hm?" I looked over at Yermak, the tall man having come into the library on the ship we were hijacking, there was a speckling of blood on him from the fight, but nothing serious. I turned back to the bookshelf, "Mm, nothing I've noticed yet."

Mostly, I was looking for any books I hadn't read yet. Not so much 'valuable' books, which is all Yermak was concerned with.

"Tch… what a mess."

'… huh?' I scowled some, 'What's this?'

" We thought this thing would have somethin' good on it and now there's nothing."

With a grunt, I launched myself up a few feet and caught onto one of the shelves, hauling myself up to get a better look at the book.

"'Ey, you found somethin' nerd?"

"Maybe?"

A pair of hands grabbed my legs before the seven and a half foot Yermak lifted me higher, "There! Hold me steady…" steadying myself with a hand on the shelf I pulled the strangely bound book from the shelf–… well, I would have if it hadn't clicked halfway out.

"Huh…" the shelf rumbled and slid a foot outwards before sliding to the right, revealing… documents?

"What the hell'd you find…?" Yermak lowered me some before dropping me the rest of the way.

Landing lightly on my feet, I walked into the hidden cubby room… there… "Oh… okay…" reaching up and carefully pulling one of the books from the shelf, I gingerly cracked it open, "These… these are worth something…"

"How much–?" Yermak started to reach for one of the books and I elbowed him in the thigh, the highest I could reach, making him grunt and retract his hand.

"Oi, y'know the rules. I got first dibs on books till they're copied…" I frowned some and flipped through the book I had carefully, "That and I think these are delicate as hell… lemme go through them first and see what's safe to transport…" Some of the books were in glass cases even! Eesh. "And I want to know what these documents are for too…"

'It wasn't a Marine ship… and the people on board were definitely just merchants…'

I gasped and nearly dropped the book I was skimming through.

"What?"

"… this… this book… maybe all of this… it's from right around the time of the Void Century…"

"So…?"

"It could actually have information on that time! Or at least hints… something on the stuff that the World Government wants suppres–"

A flash of steel and the book was cleaved in two, making me yelp and stumble back. Quickly looking, I found Barley standing in the doorway to the secret room, "Barley! The hell?!"

"Florida D. Jacob."

I froze, he'd never spoken like that… not to me definitely, hell not even around me.

"Barley…?"

"Don't. It's not worth it. Now get out."

"But… Barley…"

The steel of his sword flashed, "I said out! The both of you!"

It was a sudden pressure on the inside of my chest and my stomach dropped and both Yermak and I high-tailed it out of the room and the library as a whole.

-oOo-​

I pushed the needle through the leather time and again, turning my fingers into steel made sewing, especially with leather, so much easier holy shit. Who needs a thimble? "So where's the rest of the crew?"

Restaurant… three? Three since I'd hooked back up with Bonney's crew. Holy shit did Bonney just go through the food.

Bonney snorted as she bit into the local cuisine and gave a little jerk of her head, "Drn't ashk shtupid queshtions!"

Casey shuffled around the table and leaned close to whisper, "We're being really obvious so that the rest of the crew can go gather information."

I looked at him sideways for a moment. Puzzling through that. Why would they need to be obvious, gathering info is gathering info–

… Bonney's power.

My eyebrows went up, "Clever." Finishing sewing… stitching? Sewing the hood onto the jacket, I tied off the thread, "Rankyaku: Scissor." With my hands in the classic scissors shape I snapped the fingers together quickly, creating a tiny cutting force to clip the thread. "What are y'all looking for?"

"Food and treasure!"

"… of course. How silly of me."

---

My fist thumped against the wooden door three times, "What?!"

"Bonney, we need to talk."

Silence for just a moment, "Alright, get in here." I opened the door and slid into her room, closing it behind me. She was leaning over a table with a map of the island on it, "What about?"

"Things I'm not gonna do or stand for." I placed my hands on my hips as I stood in her room.

Her purple eyes hardened and she frowned, "Talk."

"I've never wanted to be a pirate, I was born into this and never really given a choice. So don't expect me to seriously participate in looting and pillaging and such, not directly. I'll defend the crew and the ship, and if things go sour I'll help out, but I'm not gonna go out and punch things in the face to steal stuff from them."

"You won't get a cut of the treasure then." She pointed out.

"I can make my own money on the islands we go to. But I'd like first claim on any books or knowledge sorts of things we run into." Her eyes narrowed and I held up a hand to cut her off, "I'm more than happy to pay for that with weapons and training in the techniques I've learned."

Bonney looked back at the map before her, bringing a thumb up to chew on it in thought as she leaned on her other hand.

… I was suddenly rather aware of the fact that she'd ditched her hat, jacket, and stockings. She was in just short shorts, suspenders, and a tank top. For all her faults, she very much had dat ass and a figure to kill for.

She turned around, pulling her thumb from her teeth as she half sat against the desk, leaning against it. Right, back to serious mode. "What if the book is the most expensive thing? The crew needs to get their cut."

"I'm not against selling books, I actually know a few good ways to get access to that black market. But I want to copy any books we get a hold of. Knowledge is my treasure, not gold or belly," a smile flickered across my face, "And yes, I know, I'm forfeiting my cut of treasure by not participating in shooting a ship, but I'm willing to pay for it with my knowledge and assisting Akira in treating the crew."

Bonney blinked in surprise before tilting her head and looking at me curiously, "You're a doctor?"

"Medic. First Aid and general treatment, not the fancy stuff."

She hummed thoughtfully before saying, "That's acceptable, though the crew will have to agree to the dibs."

"Fair enough. Now, about the things that will have me gone at the next port or even fighting y'all." Purple eyes flashed dangerously at that, but I continued, "Torture of civies. Rape. Wanton slaughter or destruction. Random cruelty. You'll hear shit from me if you mess with civies seriously, or injure them more than necessary, but it's your ship. But any of those three will have me standing between you and them."

Purple eyes were locked on me, "What about purposeful cruelty?"

"In… select situations…" I said carefully, "I can get behind it."

"How so?" Bonney pressed.

"… people that have wronged you or the crew… those I can let slide." I said, looking at the floor, "You've got to look out for your own, and you've got to make a point about people not messing with you and yours… sometimes… statements need to be made."

It… it wasn't something I'd have subscribed to in my old life. But here? In this world? In this society? It was a necessity for the likes of us, for those outside of the umbrella of the government.

Bonney nodded, a satisfied smile on her face, "Good."

I raised an eyebrow at her, "No problems with the others?"

The pink haired woman snorted, "No? Those things really send your bounty skyrocketing, which draws bigger and badder Marines."

I threw up my hands in appreciation, "Thank you! Finally! Someone who gets it."

Bonney smirked, "So stealing's not a big deal goody two shoes?"

"… uh… pirates?"

She let out a small bark of laughter before giving me a devilish grin, "So what about breaking into the home of the biggest tribe on the Gothic Islands and stealing all of their loot?"

"So long as it doesn't involve a whole lot of death and destruction? I'm fine with it."

"We're going in as kids and older men… Wallace is familiar enough with the stupid tribes to get us in." She trailed off, looking out the window across from the table for a moment before looking back at me, "If you're half as tough as I think you are, I'd really like you on hand in case things go sour."

I took a deep breath, looking away for a moment before releasing it with a sigh. I wasn't really in a position to refuse her, and not in the fun ways, "Alright. When?"

"Two days from now."

"Alright."

---

"Hey, Florida."

"Mm?" I grunted as I lay in the hammock I'd appropriated for myself, my new jacket draped across me as a blanket as I slowly flipped through my new book.

It was entertainingly easy to have a candle sitting on my metal chest for light. Hot wax was basically unnoticeable to my metal form.

"Why do you sail?" Wallace, the big Scottish looking member of Bonney's crew asked from his hammock a space over.

I sort of shrugged, "It's… who I am. I was born to this in a literal sense. I'd feel… weird if I wasn't on a ship most of the time."

"Oh come on!" a foot hit my butt from the hammock beneath me, thunking against my metal ass, "Tch, ow. But come on, give us more than that Florida!"

I turned my head some, speaking over my shoulder to Jaime, the man in the bunk beneath me. I couldn't see him, nor lean very much with the candle on my chest, but I knew the Mexican looking man in the hammock beneath me had a pear shaped head and a thin, long, curly mustache. He favored baggy pants and a green turtleneck, usually carrying his saber over his shoulder.

"More like what?" I asked.

"Well, I sail for treasure and to perfect my art of the sword," Jaime said, "Wallace sails for honor and proof of his strength."

"Ach, and trreasurre," Wallace added.

"Lucca sails for the wenches."

"And ze treasure." Lucca added.

"Tom sails for the salt spray in his face, for the wind off the sea, for the thrill of the ocean."

"And the treasure?" I asked.

"And the treasure." The awake pirates chorused quietly.

"So what about you amigo?" Jaime asked, "What do you sail for?"

I hummed quietly in thought, looking up at the ceiling above me. What did I want?

I wanted to learn more. I wanted to help others where I could. And there was this vague, impossible hope of dethroning the stupid celestial dragons without destroying the World Government as a whole. The big G was a net positive for the world, I'd traveled enough to know that it honestly was. But the Celestial Dragons and the more 'Absolute Justice' members of the Marines were the problems.

But as for what I actually told them, "I guess… I'd have to say I sail for knowledge. To learn more, to experience more of the world, to know its history. To be a true Scholar."

"But not the treasure."

"Knowledge is my treasure." I countered.

"Ach, to each his own," Wallace said, "Though I prefer me some belly and gold in me pocket than a book on me shelf!" Laughter came from the pirates and I rolled my eyes. At least they weren't calling me nerd.

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The Castle Part 1 End