The New Captain

The sound of thunder shocked Walker completely.

'Magik! It is coming...Why?'

Walker looked at Captain Von Heim coldly and asked

"What happened up there?"

"I'll kill you! - Kill yours-"

'Skip'

Von Heim's attempt at killing Tom and Martha was crushed by Walker who suddenly dashed forward pulling out a shining blue blade while plugging on the earbuds.

Time was now of essence and Walker felt he had to kill Von Heim and escape with the ship immediately.

*Rumble

At this point. Tom who had been silent all this time stood up and pulled out a hammer. Out of nowhere. Not a system panel but out of nowhere and smashed it on Von Heim's head from right. Instead of being crushed however, all it did was flatten it as if Von Heim was made of rubber.

Right then, Walker slashed at the Captain's back but an invisible bullet hit his hand right hand stopping his attack. The wound spreading like a burn. Walker could not choose the frames to delete if he couldn't see it coming.

Excruciating pain spread in arms but Walker had already taken in nerve supressing pills that weakened his pain.

"Ow!" Tom held his head as he squealed. Only feeling pain from the invisible bullet but no damage.

'Toon Logic' Walker thought the name of Tom's ability as he pulled out a bottle and sprayed the lotion on his wound immediately cooling the effect but not healing it completely. He had prepared some equipment in case he had to fight the angry captain.

Invisible bullets. The true reason Walker kept a distance from Von Heim. It was Von Heim's third ability that allowed him set a point wherever he liked from where, invisible plasma bullets would be emitted towards wherever Von Heim wished in his sight. These bullets were extremely dangerous and all it took was contact with them to get burnt. There strength was also somewhat their weakness as the bullets didn't remain in a persons body but passed through them like butter so that the aftereffect was only a spreading burn.

In previous loops, he had joined Von Heim as a subordinate to gather information but no matter what, Von Heim never disclosed the anchor point of his ability. Besides-

*Duk

Thick green vines struck at Von Heim but were stopped by an invisible shield.

"YOU BETRAYED MY TRUST AND YOU'LL ALL DIE NOW"

Von Heim pulled out a halberd from the system panel and hacked at the vines.

'Skip'

Von Heim 'missed'

Martha looked at the raging captain with a little remorse but grit her teeth.

"It doesn't matter now. All I can do is now to fight for my own survival."

*Rumble

The captain raised his head to looked at the girl in front of him when-

"Hit him Tom or else Martha will die!" Walker shouted.

Tom moved and swung the hammer at Von Heim's stomach. The invisible force shield that should have protected him didn't even react as the hammer landed on the captain's stomach. Or it should have.

"-Stop-"

Tom stopped right in his track and was struck on the head with the halberd causing neck to stretch like rubber as the head flew away.

The work however was done as Von Heim wasn't looking at Martha anymore. Though some of her hair flinging around were in his eyesight and a plasma bullet hit the hair. Martha screamed in agony as she quickly cut off the burning hair. Walker used that moment to grab a chair and smashed it on Von Heim not using too much force, the chair broke on impact with the shield but Walker simultaneously kicked forward while skipping some frames. This time hitting Von Heim right in the stomach sending the captain flying shocking the captain and Martha. A thick vine smashed down at the same time but the invisible shield defended the captain.

"His force shield isn't a pure shield but rather something inverts damage. The higher the damage, the stronger is the shield. The reverse is true so a weak attack breaks the shield. Remember, you need to follow up with an attack after breaking the shield as he can immediately replenish it." Walker said

"You know, I'm starting to regret this. Maybe you really are a mind reader and are going to kill me later or something." Martha said with her eyebrow raised as she wiped of the sweat on her face. tinges of pain still remaining.

"Don't take it too seriously but I could have and can easily kill you if I really wanted. But I am curious about one thing, can your hair down there gro-" Walker said with a smile but was interrupted-

"That's it. I've decided. We all die today!"

The captain who had struck the walls that had the control panels said maniacally as he moved to press a button on it.

"Nope-

'Skip'

Walker dashed forward and deleted three seconds worth frames of him running at the same time. but because he was running before the deleted frames. It skipped him to what would have happened if the frames weren't deleted, instantaneously thus erasing the frames. What would have happened? Walker would still be running and would have covered a certain distance. But because the frames of him covering the said distance were skipped. It led to Walker instantaneously covering the distance between him and Von Heim.

Right then, the masked man slashed at the captain's hand simultaneously as three thick vines of green hair struck from below. The blade was blocked but the vine with weak force behind it broke the shield allowing another vine to hit Von Heim in the stomach causing the man to propel up.

"AAARG"

From above, Tom swing a chair as if he was a batter and hit the captain like a ball causing Von Heim to crash onto the front window.

"-Kill yourself-" Midway in air, the captain commanded.

Nothing happened.

Walker had plugged in earbuds. Martha had covered her ears with her hair and Tom...

Tom didn't realise that killing oneself was an option because Cartoon Logic.

The captain now covered in blood stood up weakly as he looked at his enemies. Behind him, the waves were rising and falling as the sky had turned dark.

"Nonononono" Walker muttered gravely and pressed a button on the control panel simultaneously spinning the wheel, causing the ship to suddenly ramp up it's speed and move a little.

Walker looked at the system panel on the side.

|7:26:09|

|7:26:10|

Von Heim began to laugh maniacally as he looked at the upcoming storm.

"I would have blown you up but I should save 'it' for later. We'll meet again"

Von Heim pulled out an umbrella like object from his system panel and pressed a button on the handle. The top of the umbrella began spinning and propelled into air accelerating away from the ship.

Tom suddenly dashed forward jumping above the panel as though he was in a hurdle race. He didn't look down as he reached the broken front window. The floor had reached its end with nothing to step over but-

Tom ran on air.

Not looking down, he ran on air.

*Patt!

Von Heim was struck right in his guts as his tired hand left the flying umbrella, Von Heim fell in the endless blue.

The last person he saw was Tom, the man who ran on air to strike him. Tom met his eyes as he fell and the dying captain just laughed sinking deep. He truly didn't expect this betrayal. Looking back, he didn't exactly treat Tom or Martha the best. Maybe he was indeed at fault

Tom at the same time made a mistake of looking down which him realise that Newton didn't achieve nothing in life. Gravity worked on him again. Before he could fall however, Green vines reached him and grabbed him.

*Rumble

Walker maxed out Maria's speed as the rumble increased.

---------------

*Phew

Seeing the storm left behind, Walker calmed down as he looked at the two system users.

They were cautious. Well, Martha was. Walker smiled and raised his arms as though hugging the sky.

"Alright- I am the captain now...and I will find the one piece!-"

"Where is he? My father?" Martha interrupted with a hard expression. She had been unable to inject the poison in Walker's blood due to Von Heim's sudden attack and was now nervous. Walker sighed and looked at Martha.

"No. I am your father" Walker said gravely.

"..." Martha was shook. All had been for nothing.

"Don't breakdown...Your father is in Kaisen Island. He is apparently being detained by the government there. That's all I got after infiltrating the marines." Walker said while reading the manual to move Maria. Martha immediately frowned and asked gravely.

"You have any proof?"

The new captain sunk his hand in his system panel and pulled out a piece of paper, giving it to Martha immediately.

Martha accepted the paper and her eyes shook upon seeing it's content. Her teeth clattered as she took deep breaths to calm herself.

Closing her eyes, she looked down at the floor and sighed. Glancing at Walker, she had mixed feelings but gratitude took the flag.

"Thank you, I willl not forget this"

Walker nodded with a smile and turned towards Tom who was looking at Martha with a smile.

"What do you want to do?"

"Huh...I...I don't know. I just go where the wind takes me. Though you were right, I didn't exactly like what Von Heim was doing. I guess I will be a superhero then. No, a pirate superhero!"

Tom said with a innocent a smile.

"What'll be your superhero name?"

"Hmm...Superm-?

"Copyrighted, how about the Toonman"

"That makes me sound like a funny cartoon side character!"

"You are exactly correct but do you not like cartoons?"

"I love cartoons!"

"So?"

"I guess you are right" Tom agreed to be Toonman.

'That's the name you chose before' Walker thought as he looked at Tom. It wasn't necessarily a name Walker preferred but it was Tom's choice previousl-

'Is it right to project a Tom of another life with the Tom in front of me?"

Walker's eyes widened as he realised his action. Walker took a deep look at the bubbly kid in front of him as he turned around serenely.

'They are not the same'

Walker sighed as he adjusted the wheel on more time.

It wasn't the act of giving hero name suggestions that was wrong but the act of thinking, that the current Tom actually chose- what Walker proposed when it was a Tom of another time line who did. Not the one here. The one who would never return. Walker dazedly stood leaning on the panel.

"It's all done."

Martha clapped imaginary dust off her hands as she looked around the cabin. The damages caused during the battle with Von Heim were mostly patched up.

"Alright, they should be beginning to wake up in some time so let's go take a look"

Tom nodded with a smile while Martha remained stoic and expressionless.

-------

Opening the door to the deck. Walker saw some of the pirates looking around cautiously.

"Ahem Ahem. WAKE UP MORONS"