The Vulture

 
“M-hm.” Taki would agree with Mirabelle, wincing a little as she’d rest herself down. “If you don’t clean yourselves, I’ll throw you into the ocean.” she’d grunt, casting a glance at the three of them. She didn’t quite know who the other two were, but from the looks of it only one of them was human. She hadn’t encountered anyone like the tallest of the two new entries. She’d scan her up and down.
 
However, she’d soon be interrupted by Mirabelle’s laughter and sighed, once again someone underestimates Koto, Koto gets into a row, and like was going to attack the offender. Taki was about ready to intervene when something else drew Koto’s attention, seemed he got roped into helping the shorter of the two to go find her son or something.
 

 
Bura awkwardly floundered on deck before sitting upright. She looked around, saw a massive.. Thing, and jumped upwards about five paces. “Whattheheckisthatohmygosh!” she’d say, zooping around to inspect the large creature. It was a big orca fishwoman? Or something like that, she hadn’t seen a fishman before. It grimaced as she approached, probably due to the sewer stuff that covered her.
 
“Soooo cool!” she’d announce, and she had large melons. That made Bura jealous because she was like a steppe compared to other peoples’ hills. And Taki’s mountains. “Just get the hell cleaned.” she’d hear, before Bura’d hop back. “Sorry!”

 



At the mention of cleaning themselves Koto looked at a bucket of water and pulled a face. He knew he'd feel weak again and hated it. Agreeing reluctantly Koto threw some water over himself and washed as much of the sewer stench off as he could.

Whilst Mirabelle led the ship in the direction of the dirty side of town Koto looked at Taki then Bura & Murphy. He was just happy to be aboard a ship with a crew mate. Taking a few moments to take in the sight of the ship whilst the others washed themselves down Murphy careful not to open her wounds Koto started to notice how beautiful the ship was. He wanted it.

Making has way towards Taki slowly and almost without raising any attention Koto gestured for her to get down to his height which might be quite a feat all things considered.

"Taki, how the hell did you get aboard a ship like this? Its nice. I think we should steal it."

As Murphy pulled her coat back on and a sweeter scent met her nostrils she looked towards the shore and town. She could see the bar she'd left her son in and smiled. She was going to hold him so tightly when she got down.

Turning to Koto & Bura she couldn't help but smile. It was time for her to get going, she had a son to raise and a life to live without any more crimes or worries hopefully. Not with the large bag of money she had slung over her shoulder.

 
Taki turned to see Koto edging toward her, she’d raise an eyebrow at his suggestion. She could mess around with him, but then again she wasn’t in the mood to be tailing people around. “She’s giving it to us. Destroyed a slave prison.” she’d say shortly, before turning back. At least people were getting relatively clean now. Or at least, they didn’t have a load of muck on them. “Picked out of three. Thought you’d like it.” she’d say, shrugging. “Didn’t give it a name though.”
 
She’d look at the place where they were going. The woman with a son didn’t seem to live in a good part of town. Anyway, time for a nap.
 

 
Bura would look around as she was spurned away by the grumpy fishwoman. However, soon a bucket would be pressed into her hands and she’d empty it on top of her, it cleaned up.. Most of it, though she did tip it over a second time just in case. She’d then blink, before jumping up and down. “Oh! Oh! I rememberwhyIwasafteryouinthefirstplace!” she’d say, jumping upwards and landing behind Koto.
 
“How’d you run along the rail thingie so fast?[ Or speed along it? Are you half-traing?” she’d ask, crouching down and looking at him intently.

 



As Taki said how it was their ship Koto smiled. He was proud of his first mate and deep sea diver. She'd done well and gotten them a new ship. Koto on the other hand had discovered they were targets of the Octopus Reach. But that could dealt with later. Looking towards Bura then Mirabelle and finally Murphy, Koto could see she was ready to get off.

"I want to thank you for helping me realize how important my son is. And in exchange I'd like you to take a cut of my money." Reaching into her bag and handing over a wad of Beli, Koto happily took it and pocketed it.

"Thank you." Murphy turned to the shore and leapt from the ship. Landing on the shore easily she turned and smiled to Koto who waved. Waving back Murphy was off to see her son. Heading towards the bar and inside Koto smirked.

For all Koto knew she was lying and wasn't seeing her son but he trusted her and he didn't know why. Maybe it was just stupidity. Looking at Bura as she spoke quickly Koto raised an eyebrow before he understood fully just what it was Bura was saying.

"I have a devil fruit. Makes me a rail man." Looking over at the shore Mirabelle then returned her gaze towards Koto, Bura & Taki.

"I should probably leave you guys to your ship too." catching attention of Koto he looked at Mirabelle who headed towards the same exit as Murphy had done.

"We could use a shipwright though."

"Nah, I'm not for the life of travelling. Take the ship and live a great life. Make me proud."

"We can drop you off around the corner so your walk isn't as far."

"Nah. I got a friend who lives round here anyway."

Falling backwards into the drink below Mirabelle was gone in a moment's notice. This now left Taki, Bura & Koto aboard the ship. Since Taki said the ship was unamed he'd been trying to think of a name for it but nothing had come about yet. Looking at Bura, Koto was curious what her next plan was.

"So Bura? What's next for you?"

 
Taki’d wave a hand as son-woman left. The left bit of her mouth’d twitch as Mirabelle announced her own departure. “Stay safe. Pleasure removing slavers with you.” she’d say, nodding to her before returning to her resting position, she needed to take it easy now. Mirabelle left and Taki hoped for the best for her. “Oh. I injured myself. Probably a couple of broken ribs. It’ll take a while for me to recover.” she’d say, before closing her eyes, indicating that she doesn’t’ want to be disturbed as she takes this nap. She hadn’t really even taken a look around the ship, oh well, she could do that later.
 

 
“Raaaail?!” Bura would practically squeal, before calming down and scratching her head. “But does it work even if you don’t have train tracks?” she’d ask, before walking off to the other side of the ship to contemplate it. If he was a railman, then that’d mean he’d be able to make the rails, buuuut.. What if he just stood by rails and was a rail man as in a job of looking after a rails? He did say he had something about a fruit, devil fruit? Never heard of them.
 
She’d then blink. “My sword!” she’d remember, as she clattered to the back of the ship, it was probably long gone by now, she held onto the railing and sank down in despair. Where was she going to get one now? Great, no money, no sword, no nothing. She heard the question and turned with a river splashing down from her eyes. “Uuuh.. Dunno.” she’d say, the tears stopping abruptly as she’d sit cross-legged on the deck. “Uuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrggghhh. Can I stay with you guys? I don’t have any money.” she’d say, straight faced.

 



Koto watched Bura wander off confused about what he'd said about being a rail man. As she asked about not having train tracks he replied.

"No it doesn't work. I can ride rails by standing on them or pick up momentum by running over the course of time. So yeah." As she exclaimed about her sword Koto raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure what she was on about. As Bura spoke about her lack of money along with seeming to be stuck in a general depressed manor about her sword which Koto started to notice she didn't have any more from when she'd attacked him earlier.

"Sure, I don't see why not. In fact since you can do a bit of medicine you can patch up Taki when she wakes up. I'm sure she'd appreciate it." Climbing up to the helm Koto grabbed hold and removed a few small items to aid him in navigation. It was time he set a new course for them and a new adventure. Twisting the wheel to the left and grabbing it to stop it he watched as the ship started to shoot off from the island and head into the large blue that was the North blue.

However after the Behemoth encounter and the four dead Octopus Reach members were left at the slave enclosure their boss who had arrived at the docks wasn't pleased with what he saw.

"A large fish woman!" a woman shouted from beneath a pile of Rubble. Moving towards it the leader moved kicked a few pieces aside to discover Magpie still alive, beaten and bloody but still breathing. "A fish woman! She, she. She did this!" the anger in his eyes was startling and screamed revenge. Nodding to Magpie the leader removed his den den mushi and made a quick call.

"This is Crow, our slave ring has been destroyed. Apparently it was a large fish woman. This is what my man Magpie tells me."

"I see."

"I will try to get our ring up and running again, but I cannot promise anything. Not yet."

On the other end of the mushi a dial tone was heard as the call was ended.

Hanging up the person on the other end of the phone clearly wasn't happy. Slamming their fist into their desk they started to see a running theme. A little red haired man & large fish woman seemed to be causing quite a stir for their organisation and Cape had failed in stopping them. He was either dealing with professional undercover Marines or bounty hunters or pirates coming for his position of power. Either way he wouldn't be moved.