19 Comic Relief #19

"So the seven warlords of the sea are complete..." I muttered to no one in particular as I read the newspaper in my hand, specifically the article about Donxiqute Doflamingo becoming a warlord.

Several months had passed since my fight with the sea king, and the time to leave Troini Isalnd was fast approaching. I only had forty-two days before the ship arrived, to be mo precise.

I had already learned everything in the villager's library and mastered concocting their medicines, be it simple salves to treat mild burns, brews capable of curing diseases, and everything in between.

Naturally, the villagers noticed my progress, and once they realized how much I'd learned, they started coming to me to get treatments from time to time. And I didn't turn them down as I had no reason to.

I considered it practice as it helped me increase my understanding of the human anatomy. Unfortunately, I didn't reach my goal of visualizing and replicating the effects of their medicines internally. I wouldn't be able to do it before I leave either, but I had no intention of giving up.

I also spent whatever free time I had training. There was no conflict on the island, but I still had other ways to increase my strength, such as performing strength and conditioning exercises.

In terms of strength, I could easily uproot a medium-sized tree and chuck it into the sea, and my speed didn't lag behind, either. I had no way of measuring it, but I remember reading that the top human running speed was around twenty-seven mph somewhere, and could probably run twice as fast as that, no sweat off my brow.

I didn't forget about training with my spear, either. I had no guidance or someone to teach me, but that didn't stop me from practicing and learning to wield my weapon more accurately.

All in all, I'd say I was now at a point where I could confidently say I can defeat someone like Nyoka without suffering any injuries, but I'm sure you get the idea.

"Whatever... what do I care...?" I said with a chuckle as I let go of the newspaper and prepared to resume practicing with my spear. However, I only had time to pick up my weapon before Shanba's voice came from outside.

"Oy! Cedric! There's a big ship approaching the eastern shore!" The boy said as he burst out of a bush nearby. "Let's go check it out! Please! Please! Please!" He added as he clung to my arm.

'Hmm? My ship shouldn't be here for another month at least...' I mused with a frown. 'I should check it out in case they're pirates or something...' I sighed as I nodded at the boy.

"Fine... but they might not be good people, so you better stay out of sight until I say you could come out..."

..

'Oh boy...' I couldn't help but mutter, my eyes twitching as I watched a big, three-masted ship hoisting a familiar pirate flag anchor some distance away from the shore. 'Of all the people... it had to be the Foxy Pirates...' I shook my head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

As far as pirate crews went, the Foxy pirates were harmless comic relief at their best, but with Torino island's unique situation, they might cause a lot of damage, albeit unwittingly.

In the original work, the Goayo birds turned hostile and refused to let the villagers climb the treasure tree and collect herbs because they were too wary of outsiders who would steal their treasure.

While the island didn't get many visitors as no one knew of the treasures, the Foxy Pirates might change that once they find out about it.

'Yeah... I'll have to do something about this...' I mused as I watched the pirates drop a row boat into the water, several of them jumping into it as they prepared to come ashore.

Sighing, I signaled for Shanba to stay hidden and jumped into the water, swimming toward the rowing boat.

...

As she looked at the island's shore, Porche couldn't wait to get there, having spent the past two months on the sea, sailing in circles alongside her crew to avoid the rear admiral chasing behind them like he had nothing better to do.

Though she took pride in being a part of Foxy's crew and took pleasure in every victory they gained over gullible pirate crews, she and everyone else knew they weren't a threat.

They were just a big group of people who liked to have fun, nothing more and nothing less. It's why so many pirates from different crews could get along as well as they did and work together.

The foxy pirates didn't take themselves seriously and expected others to do the same, but rear admiral Sicily seemed to have other plans as he kpet chasing them all over South Blue for an entire month, only to suddenly give up for no apparent reason.

But now that they've escaped the marines and reached this deserted island, they could resupply and head for the Grand Line to seek new adventures, leaving South Blue and the viscous rear admiral behind them for good.

"Come on! Hurry up and use your Fish-Man-Taekwondo or whatever it's called, Capote!" Porche said, nudging the green-skinned billfish fish-man sitting beside her. "I'll die of starvation if we don't get to the shore in the next five seconds!" She dramatically urged, unfazed by the fish-man's exhausted appearance.

"It's called Fish-Man-Karate...!" Capote said as he stopped paddling and turned to Porche. "And I barely have the energy to row. I'll die before we get there anyway!" He added, copying the bluehead's dramatic tone.

"Bastard! If you're going to die, the least you can do is get us to the shore before it happens!" Said a stout man with skinny, short arms and legs, a unique hairstyle that split into two spikes pointing upwards, and a red pointy nose.

"You're such an idiot, captain Foxy..." Porche said with a light chuckle as she turned to the stout man. "We're obviously just kidding, you know? No one is going to die..." She added, and Foxy seemed to trip over the air and fall to the side at her words.

"I know, right...? I'm such an idiot..." Foxy said as he lay on his side, clearly depressed as he began drawing circles on the boat's floor. "If anyone should die, it might as well be me..." He continued to mutter, seemingly in a despairing daze.

Porche barely held back a sigh at her captain's antics. Luckily she knew what she needed to do. "But where would we find someone as handsome, intelligent, and brave as you to lead us if you died, captain...?" She said, her words seemingly injecting energy into Foxy as he quickly got to his feet, striking a triumphant pose.

"Fefefefefe, but of course! I was merely testing you two!" Foxy said with a weird laugh as he stood akimbo in the middle of the rowboat. "And you have passe--" He added, stopping halfway through as the seawater splashed his face and someone boarded their boat, landing behind him.

He turned around, then slowly looked, straining his neck to find the face of the muscular young man standing behind him. "And who might you be?" Foxy asked, clearly displeased with the intruder.

"Doesn't matter..." The young man, Cedric, said as he literally and figuratively looked down at Foxy. "What matters is that you're not welcome here... turn around and sail away..." He firmly added in a tone that brokered no argument.

"Who do you think you are to tell the great Foxy to leave, eh?!" Foxy said without bothering to hide his annoyance or arrogance. "I'll have you know, I'm a great wanted pirate!" He added, striking another pause as he pointed an open palm toward the young man.

Cedric didn't reply and merely stared at the pirate captain with a blank look that seemed to rub him the wrong way, causing him to scowl as he prepared to start hurling insults at the former.

However, Porche's hand on his shoulder as she approached to whisper in his ear caused Foxy to swallow his words. "Captain, I think he's the guy who took out Baby-Faced Gyro..." She said.

"The guy we found stranded in the sea some months ago described him for us... did you forget...?" Porche added, and at her words, Foxy's expression instantly changed as he flashed Cedric a calculating smile.

"I say, young man... we're pirates, you know...?" Foxy said with a sly smile, instantly changing his attitude as he spoke to the young man. "We don't like doing what others tell us to do... unless..." He added, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Have you ever heard of the Davy Back fight...?"

....

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