13 Part 13 - Decimation

The crew, one by one, were floated down by Nargo's chains. Tim Tim and Ronin went down first, landing safely on the ice below. Jimmy, Whatz D Face and Sam were floated next with no problems. Belsari, however, was slightly unfortunate. A lapse in concentration caused Nargo to accidentally smack her into the frozen waterfall. Luckily, she didn't suffer any major injuries.

Vaeg, delighted by the smell of burning flesh, cannonballed into a pile of snow below, the only snow patch in the entire area so Vaeg was unharmed. Barbosa decided to go with Nargo at the same time, which he instantly regretted.

As they jumped together, they plummeted quickly. Momentarily, Nargo was unconscious but just about managed to wake up in time to soften the blow. Barbosa, thinking it was his time to die, let out a screech, only to realize he wasn't dead.

The area everyone had landed in, was pretty large. Ice had encased everything but the opening in a wall. Anywhere someone looked, the ice would reflect and sparkle. Despite being awestruck, they hurriedly picked themselves back up and headed towards the entrance. When they passed through, they realized Vaeg's nose was right.

The entire village was in cinders, bodies littered everywhere, mutilated. There were no screams, no cries for help, only silence. The crew were too late to help anyone. They were too late for the treasure. A black flag with four daggers stabbing into a skull was hung above the village.

"Those bastards! I won't forgive you Kozo!" Sam shouted, his words echoing; no-one replied. He punched the wall of the entrance.

As the crew walked around, there was nothing but blood sprayed on walls and people mangled beyond recognition. Sam called out, hoping for someone, anyone to reply. Alas, everyone was decimated. Not a single man nor woman spared. Not a single one granted an ounce of mercy.

"All these bodies are no good. They're all mangled and missing pieces of themselves." Vaeg mumbled disappointedly.

"Who's Kozo?" Jimmy asked quietly.

"The Captain of the Black Dagger pirates." Sam replied.

He walked into a hut, perhaps designed for the chief, and found himself tearing up. There laid what appeared to be the chief, now decapitated, his head on a spike, curled up around a small girl. Her pulse was gone, like everyone else.

"Tim Tim, how long ago do you think this happened?" Sam asked quietly.

"We were a week too late, Mister Sam."

"I see." Sam trembled. He continued, "This chief was just a little boy when my crew came here. So full of life. So little cares in the world. Why did he have to be killed in such an inhumane manner?"

Vaeg walked into the hut, biting into what appeared to be a roasted arm. Before Sam could notice, Barbosa dragged him outside, trying to avoid an argument. Nargo entered the hut after searching every inch of the place. His face was grim, and he broke the news to Sam.

Sam walked solemnly over to the back of the hut. He pressed something and the floor opened up, revealing a passageway. Everyone, followed Sam down the stairs, apart from Vaeg, still searching for, at least, an intact dead body.

As they walked down the stairway, Sam spoke again, "Down here should lie that treasure. Thank you for bringing me here. It hurts me a lot to see... b-but at least I know what happened to them. If only I had got down here sooner, maybe I could've stopped Kozo."

"There's no point in regretting about the ifs and buts." Jimmy said.

"The only way to move forward is to accept everything no matter how painful." Tim Tim continued.

"Thanks but this old fool has set his mind. I will take down the Black Daggers." Sam declared.

"Fucking hell. Aren't they the highest wanted group in the North Blue?" Nargo asked.

"Now that you mention it, I remember seeing a couple of bounty posters back in Lvneel, for the Black Dagger pirates." Belsari chipped in.

"My fair gentleman, that's a suicide mission." Whatz D Face warned.

"I know..." Sam replied.

When they arrived in a large basement, they investigated the area. Around twelve chests large enough for hundreds of thousands of Beli were looted. Not a single ounce was left. On top of that, more tribesman were scattered around, all with four daggers stuck in their skulls.

"I think this was a message for me." Sam said.

"This is all kinds of messed up." Jimmy said.

"I understand you might deny this old man a final request but here I go. I know somewhere and someone who might know where the Black Dagger pirates are based. My request is that you help me bring down the Black Dagger pirates completely. Erase them. You can have every single bit of treasure as long as I get Kozo's bounty.

Don't worry, there were hundreds of millions of Beli in those chests compared to Kozo's 90,000,000 bounty. You can also keep the first mate's bounty which is around 70,000,000 Beli." Sam pleaded the group.

"Let us bury the dead, then we will discuss with the whole group back at the ship on what to do." Jimmy offered.

Sam's solemnly looked at the group, "Ok."

Sam was taken to the opposite side of the village away from Vaeg, so they wouldn't conflict with each other about eating dead remains. After a few hours, they had all successfully buried everyone, albeit with a few limbs missing occasionally. They sat around a fire and Sam described one of his many adventures in honour of the tribes people's curiosity of the outside world.

"How comes this place has soil and grass when it's between ice?" Jimmy asked.

"I'm not sure to be honest. One of mother nature's mysteries I guess." Sam replied.

"We should start to get going now Sam."

"I know. I just want a minute more to reminisce about the good old days."

A minute later, Vaeg interrupted his flashbacks, "So old geezer, how are we getting out of here?"

"There's an secret exit that has stairs leading down to just outside a town."

"Let's get going, before I have to make you my next patient."

"What, are you going to hit me?"

"Oh no. Something much worse." Vaeg grinned evilly.

A bit freaked out, Sam gathered his things quicker and led the group to the exit. It was pretty steep but nothing compared to trying to go up the mountain. In the distance, a town covered by a blanket of snow appeared, now sparkling in the moonlight. As they reached nearer to the bottom of the stairs a tavern was coincidently nearby so Nargo opted to go get some drinks to drown the images of the horror they just witnessed and for the voyage to another island.

Before Sam could warn them, the Vaeg pirates walked into a tavern... that was frequented by bounty hunters.

As they walked in, a small man, wearing a top hat and suit finished his conversation on the phone, "Pecklo won't be happy about that. Sorry gotta go, troubles brewing."

Everyone stopped their conversations, turned and saw the Vaeg pirates. The bar owner, a man of lean stature and a curly moustache, came out and instantly recognized what was about to go down.

"No trouble in my bar otherwise I ain't servin' ya drinks. Take'm outside and do yer business there." He exclaimed.

The man with the top hat stood up, he was easily smaller than Tim Tim who was considered tiny compared to his comrades. He signalled for everyone to stay seated, and they all obeyed; something unheard of among any bounty hunters. They were usually independent and didn't listen to anyone's orders. The man's yellow, cracked teeth stuck out like a sore thumb, resulting in his creepy smile being fractured and menacing.

"Now gentlemen, and gentlelady, please step outside, so we can continue our business. Would be a shame if I couldn't be served after taking your measly heads."

"Are you trying to copy me, little gentleman?" Whatz D Face said outraged.

"Who the hell is this bloody midget? Bucket boy 2?" Vaeg said confused.

"Hey wait a minute, Mister Doctor Vaeg, I'm the one and only bucket boy. Don't insult me by comparing me to this dwarf." Tim Tim replied, excited at the chance of mocking someone being smaller than him.

"I just want a fucking beer. Is that so hard to ask for?" Nargo said annoyed.

"Are you lost child?" Belsari asked earnestly.

Suddenly they were all forced out by an invisible force. When top hat man stepped out, Sam's face turned white.

"W-why are you here?" Sam asked, scared and trying to claw himself away.

"Still tormented by the last time I thrashed you Sammy boy." Top hat man gloated.

"You said you wouldn't come back."

"I lied. Tee-hee."

Another invisible force pushed everyone further out.

"I am Belito and I have the Miezarute-Miezarute fruit. Basically invisible hands. Just thought I'd let you know before you die."