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Post by cmd1095 on Jul 20, 2023 20:31:26 GMT
Loguetown, a bustling city with a great deal of historical significance, countless ships coming in and out of port, and most importantly for Captain Kramp and the Windchaser Task Force, a major marine presence.
Damaged ships coming to port here wasn't an uncommon sight, being one of the biggest cities in East Blue and also being a favorite place to stock up on supplies before going to the Grand Line, but it wasn't too often a marine ship docked looking quite as beat up as the Windchasers ship, so it generated quite a bit of buzz, especially when a marine officer was escorted off the ship in chains by the ship's captain. Rumors were already forming about what had happened, much to Kramp's irritation... the situation was embarrassing enough for him and his crew without any embellishments from unfounded rumors and wild speculation. He'd much rather have stopped at a more low-key location to get the ship repaired...
Unfortunately, there was the issue of Nostra, with Tyco gone and his ship lacking a sea prism coating, he couldn't go to Impel Down to drop the corrupt bastard off himself, he needed to have him transferred to a marine captain he could trust not to be swayed by any attempted bribes or threats from the disgraced nobleman. He had a few candidates in mind, but he wouldn't find any of them out on minor bases in the East Blue, so coming here had been an unfortunate necessity.
While his crew handled arranging repairs for their ship, Kramp reported to the marine base in town, with a chained and gagged Nostra in tow. After explaining the situation he was brought into the building to fill out his report while the secretaries made calls to see which of his old friends could be convinced to take a prisoner to Impel Down for him.
"Ugh... damn paperwork gets more tedious every time." Kramp grumbled to himself as he worked "Gonna need to request a replacement for Nostra too, which means even more paperwork... and waiting around for someone eligible to get here to transfer aboard..."
Meanwhile Nostra hadn't been let out of Kramp's sight, he'd been remarkably well-behaved since their fight with the Quillion pirates, but Kramp still hadn't trusted him to be unchained or ungagged this whole time, lest the snake try to pull anything to try and weasel out of his punishment. It was an odd sight, since he was still in his marine uniform... sitting in the middle of a marine base all bound up next to a grumpy old man filling out paperwork, but it didn't seem any of the local marines were willing to touch the situation with a ten foot pole, instead deciding it was best to just leave the mess alone and hope it went away.
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Post by DornKoon on Jul 20, 2023 21:37:48 GMT
He had been transferred! He had rarely been far from Notice, much less near outside North Blue, but now he was in East Blue and Loguetown! Getting him out of North Blue had been surprisingly fast, not that he complained about it. Maybe speed had been for the best. Honestly, he had been expecting Auntie Mahonia to turn up and stop it from happening, drag him back to his past desk post where he would be out of the way, and as she called it... safe.
The young marine adjusted his "justice" coat before raising a hand to adjust the cap hiding the messy bush that could politely be called hair. He had been pacing back and forth inside the base for a while now, having been instructed to wait there for the arrival of Captain Kramp. Windchaser Task Force, his new assignment, as the lieutenant and aide to the captain, no less. He checked the documents at least once every ten minutes just to ensure he did not get them wrong.
"You're going to do great, Marigold," he muttered, "No, First Lieutenant Marigold... important. You're not just a petty officer... need to make a good impression."
Of course, he had not been told why Kramp suddenly needed a new officer and had not been allowed to ask many questions about it. He sat down but could only do so for a few seconds before standing back up. He had too much energy just to sit and was too nervous to relax. He hated to wait. Waiting was among the three worst things he knew.
"Excuse me, First Lieutenant?" One of the secretary's voices forced Salamander back to the present as he spun around, almost knocking her over with his coat.
"Uhm, yes?" Salamander asked, trying to keep his voice from shaking. Anything else would be unbecoming of an officer.
"Captain Kramp, he has arrived. I was instructed to take you to him."
"Oh, excellent! L-Lead the way."
With that said, Salamander followed the secretary through the building. What kind of man could Kramp be? He only knew that the man knew his grandfather... but he didn't have a face to look out for.
"That's him, over by that desk."
It was not what the young officer expected to see, a marine tied up and gagged next to an older Marine shuffling through documents at a desk. He did note that most of the other Marines seemed to give the duo a very wide birth, and even the secretary had only shown him this far, and when he turned to ask her more, she was already gone. Salamander turned and looked towards the odd pair, and he checked to make sure the transfer papers and recommendations were still inside his pocket... just to be safe.
After deep breathing, he crossed the room and stopped before the desk.
"Captain Kramp?" He asked to ensure it got the right person. Unless the Captain were the tied-up person, he would have even more questions. Maybe it was an East Blue thing?
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Post by cmd1095 on Jul 21, 2023 4:29:26 GMT
Kramp grumbled to himself as paper after paper of report writing was sifted through. All of this just to lock up one man, no wonder they were always shortstaffed fighting pirates, half the marines were probably stuck at desks! He had half a mind to...
"Captain Kramp?"
to... wait till later to vent his frustrations about this, best not to make a scene in the middle of the headquarters.
"That would be me, and who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?" Kramp asked politely, looking up at the youngster who'd addressed him. A First Lieutenant huh? Not one he recognized though... well he did look a LITTLE familiar... maybe he knew one of the kid's relatives? Still he wasn't sure what this young man wanted with him... but anything was a welcome distraction from having to fill out article 420 section 13-B right now.
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Post by DornKoon on Jul 21, 2023 9:06:20 GMT
Ok, now was the time to introduce himself, and he had better make it good... first impression and all that was vital. He straightened himself, taking on an attentive posture, before saluting.
"First Lieutenant Marigold E. Salamander, sir" Said Salamander. "Reporting for duty as instructed, looking forward to serving under you, sir. I came here as swiftly as possible after receiving my transfer papers from Marineford."
He paused. He had forgotten something, and he furrowed his brow as he was thinking, trying to remember. A closer look would reveal to anyone who had met a male member of the Marigold family that Salamander was one of them, as he possessed the famously known and bushy "Marigold eyebrows".
Something important...
Oh yes, the letter!
"I was also instructed to give you this letter upon my reporting for duty." He pulled out a sealed letter with Kramp's name written on it, handing it over to the captain. He had been curious about the letter's contents but had not dared to look at it, as it was not meant for his eyes. It had arrived with the documents from Marineford, however, so it must have been important.
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Post by cmd1095 on Jul 21, 2023 23:15:08 GMT
"Marigold... wait you're Wombat's grandkid aren't ya!" Kramp said, taking a moment to process the name, but with the furrowed bushy eyebrows made it click. "Well I'll be a sea king, lookit you all grown up now, makes me feel even older than usual. How's the old geezer doing these days? Haven't seen him in a good while"
Kramp let out a hearty laugh and accepted the letter "I'll read that in a minute, I am glad to hear you're being transferred to my ship though, saves me about half this paperwork trying to replace this waste of space over here" he said, gesturing to Nostra "Still gotta finish the report on why he's being sent to Impel Down though, and the sooner I get that done the sooner I can be rid of the bastard..."
Kramp would continue working on the report to lock away Nostra, he had to be thorough about it to make sure he didn't weasel out of anything at trial. He was a noble after all, and while his family probably wasn't all that fond of him they were bound to throw their weight around to try and protect him.
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Post by DornKoon on Jul 22, 2023 11:10:30 GMT
Salamander was taken slightly aback by the mention of his grandfather. He had heard that the old man knew Kramp from their time in the Marine, which was unsurprising. But, when he asked how he was doing these days, that was a surprise. He could not tell if the Captain was asking if he had heard anything from him inside the prison or if he was even aware of where Wombat was.
"Y-Yes, Marigold E. Wombat is my grandfather." He replied slowly, "And I'm unsure how he is doing. He sent me a few letters but did not read them, only those not screened out or confiscated by Auntie Mahonia."
He glanced towards the gagged Marine when Kramp mentioned the waste of space. Salamander could not say that the man looked familiar, other than his uniform being a marine. Being sent to Impel Down... another traitor? What had he done? It must have been bad if he was not letting the man speak, so maybe he possessed some kind of devil fruit that affected the voice. Was there such a thing? Salamander absentmindedly rubbed his wrist.
"I'm glad it will save you some trouble, Captain," you commented, looking around and slowly taking a seat in one of the empty chairs, unsure if you were expected to sit or stand in a situation like this... so had was ready to bolt back to standing if he should need too.
It was still taking some getting reused to his whole body since he ate that fruit. He also found himself hungrier than before, and he already had a hearty appetite.
Growl
His stomach decided that it was the perfect time to make its discontent known to the world, made even more aparent due to the silence in the room. The young Marine's face turned a slightly shade of pink...
"Sorry..."
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Time
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Post by Time on Oct 30, 2023 2:08:31 GMT
(Taking over for the time being)
Kramp would nod as he continued to write down information upon the stack of paperwork, rapidly moving some of them to the side thanks to his newest addition. Hearing that Wombat's Granddaughter had been taking letters and censoring them though, Kramp's handwork would slow down considerably. When Salamander sat down, Kramp would look up to him, "We'll discu-" Only to have what he was going to say inturrupted by the sudden and loud growling of the boy's stomach. Kramp blinked a bit wide eyed. Even the gagged Marine looked at Salamander with disbelief. "Listen, go on and head into the Galley. After a moment of silence, Kramp laughed, "Krahahahahaha! Well, I thought they fed you better when you were here on land. Turns out it's not always the case. Step outside for a while and I'-" Instantly inturrupted again by a door opening, the older marines face turned from amused to sour in an instant.
The individuals before the pair were a man and woman, along with a set of marines who were escorting them. The man and woman being escorted were obviously rich, or nobles of some kind; their luxurious clothing, dress, shoes, and even the gold accessories and glasses showed as much. Closer inspection on their faces would reveal that each of these two seemed to share similar features to the one gagged and bound. If Salamander looked back at the gagged marine, he'd find that the person would look confused; though more so as to why so many people showed up. There was no hint of any recognition. Kramp slowly stood up, towering even over Salamander and the escorted pair as he looked down on them. "Mr and Miss. Nostra..... What are you doing on base grounds?"
Immediately the man was given a letter by the pompous looking man with golden glasses, before he said in a half snobby voice, "You will find details of new orders issued from your superiors here. I will be taking my son with me. Do not fret, as I shall be certain to give him proper punishment."
Salamander wouldn't know the reason for this bound marine's crime; but Salamander would know the general rule about those sent to Impel Down. They were scum, traitors, or terrorists of the world. For Kramp to decide to issue a statement and then someone else come in to try and fight it made things clear. The question was if Salamander would speak up, or simply watch.
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Post by DornKoon on Nov 1, 2023 11:02:48 GMT
Salamander's cheeks started to heat up slightly when Kramp laughed. That had not been part of the plan and made a horrible impression. He knew he should have eaten more, but he was so nervous about this posting... so it just slipped his mind. Maybe the ground could open and swallow him?! Or maybe he could go into exile to a deserted island somewhere?!
Thankfully, before things could get worse (or more embarrassing for Salamander), the door opened, and the First Lieutenant looked at the extravagant couple walking inside. Salamander got to his feet as the captain did, like a good soldier, and quickly stood at attention. He was not about to lose face in front of what had to be some powerful people.
He quickly summarized that they were the parents of the gagged fellow in the chair and very rich parents, going by the bling and the silk. Or, at least, it seemed that way... Kramp appeared to know them, and they talked about taking their son with them. Yet, he was looking at them as if they were strangers, no recognition at all, not the reaction of a son relieved to see his parents... Salamander should know. He had himself had "the look" on occasion. His eyes shifted from the two nobles over to their son. It did not seem to make... sense... somehow. Yet, he could not put his finger on why.
"Hey, you!" Salamander turned to the gagged fellow. His voice was maybe a little louder than intended, and the fact he was hungry also made him slightly irritated,"Why are you looking at your parents as if they were strangers? You don't seem to recognize them at all." He did not know what was going on, and it did not seem like Kramp was seeing what he saw, so best was to point it out, if anything, to make himself useful. He did not expect much of a reply, with the guy being gagged and all, but he did look at the reaction.
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Time
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Post by Time on Nov 4, 2023 2:17:26 GMT
The bound marine looked puzzled when he was addressed. The look in his face changing from curious regards to sudden confusion and a bit of panic. Kramp held his hand up to Salamander, attempting to quell the honorable marine's tone and irritation. "At ease Salamander. It's probably a ruse, but at this point, it's out of our hands... Seems the Nostra family has a favor that they pulled from the Peak." The older man glowered at the parents. The Peak.... it was often times spoken with either hushed whisper or stern acknowledgement. Why? It was simply really. It was the place where the World Nobles, the Celestial Dragons lived. Any marine worth their weight in their training knew of the Celestial Dragons; and how they were the ruling force of the world. If a Dragon wanted a slave, they would have one. If you offended a Celestial Dragon, they could execute you on the spot. Even the Admirals, Vice Admirals, and Grand Fleet Admiral had to bow to their whims, and execute their orders without hesitation.
The Nostra family had connections it seemed, but despite their pompous attitudes, it seems as though even they were intimidated by the captain of the Windcatchers. Unbinding the marine's mouth, followed by undoing the chains with a solid clink; the marine looked puzzled. "Go on Huston Nostra.... As of now, you are officially discharged from the Marines until further notice." Kramp said, stepping back as the father and wife embraced their son. "Oh Huston! How could that big brute do that to you! You did nothing wrong at all my perfect little prince!" The doll of a wife said.
However, the now ex-marine, Huston Nostra tried to inch away, stretching his neck as far as he could away, "Get off me lady! I don't know who you are!" Instantly Kramp's face turned from an ugly and disgruntled glower to a frown of attention. Salamander's father often gave this look when he realized something was wrong. The parents would attempt to compliment and cater to their son, only for him to abscond his name. Eventually, the frown turned into a slack jaw of astonishment as Kramp spoke to no one in particular. "I thought he was faking it...." He said, clearly not expecting this reaction from Huston Nostra.
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Post by DornKoon on Nov 4, 2023 11:26:22 GMT
Salamander continued to look at the bound marine, glaring at him, examining the way his face changed, panic and confusion. The young lieutenant looked to Kramp when the captain spoke, and after a moment of contemplating, he took a step back. "Yes, sir," he replied, but it was clear that he did not fully believe the statement. He was more than a little certain that Nostra was not pretending because it made little sense for him to do so here and now. He would be rescued by his loving parents and returned to a life of luxury, and none of his crimes (whatever they were) would be mentioned.
The young marine watched what happened next with his hands behind his back, standing at a relaxed attention. Only his eyes moved, following as Kramp freed the bound marine, watching as the parents embraced their son.
His attention turned from the Nostras to Captain Kramp, watching as his visage changed, and he looked exactly like Salamander remembered his father used to look like when he was contemplating a problem or trying to figure out what was wrong without asking. He looked away, not wanting to seem like he was staring, and instead focused his attention on a spot on the opposite wall. "Why would he do that, Captain?" Salamander asked. His voice was calm now; he kept it lower so as not to intrude on the reunion in front of them. "They are here to save him from Impel Down, and as you said, his parents. Yet, he gave them the same look he gave me when I came inside. Not the look of a son happy to see his ma or pa."
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Time
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Post by Time on Nov 20, 2023 6:52:34 GMT
Kramp shook his head. "Looks like he wasn't lying then.... He really did lose his memory."
Mr.Nostra turned to Kramps and yelled incredulously. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM!" He yelled, even going up and grabbing the Captain by the midriff of his marine uniform. Honestly he'd have tried to grab the collar; but he couldn't. Kramp was not alarmed by this action, and even made sure to hold up his hand in case Salamander got aggressive again. "It's not what I did Mr.Nostra. It's what he did himself." Kramps grabbed the man's hands off his uniform, and with a quick tug he made it clear that Mr.Nostra held no sway over the towering man. Taking his time, he searched through the papers before finding one that he picked up. Clearing his voice, he spoke.
"Several days after the apprehension of a suspected immigrant of Wano, mid transit through the Calm belt towards Impel Down, Huston Nostra had been taking advantage of our assigned Devil Fruit user, the now Missing in Action Devil Fruit user Tobi who had eaten the Clear Clear fruit. Due to several denied requests for repairs to the Sea Prism coating to our Hull, we had been using the abilities of the Clear Clear fruit in order to help the taskforce avoid the attention of the Sea Kings. Ensign Tobi was forced to utilize his fruit's powers for various illegal activities, including brutality and assault of prisoners; smuggling items under the emphasis of "Inspecting contraband" or "safeguarding Contraband", as well as general abuse of authority.
Due to the constant strain of using the Clear Clear Fruit's power; Tobi was unfortunately unable to fully sustain his abilities in the Calm Belt, and as a consequence the Windcatcher was attacked by a Sea King. Instead of preparing to defend the ship, Huston Nostra attempted to send various members of the crew to their deaths, all while he attempted to flee using an auxiliary vessel used for landing operations. He was only stopped by the now MIA Tobi who is now presumed to be possibly dead, as the Dwarf was thrown overboard in the resulting tussle. With the assistance of the entire crew, we were capable of fighting back against the Sea King and driving it away; though shortly found Huston Nostra incapacitated, a broken mast having fallen upon him. Further more, our prisoner had managed to escape due to the lax in security measures, escaping with various Contraband that Huston Nostra had attempted to escape with. Unfortunately the prisoner was devoured by a Sea King; and thus all contraband was lost.
Upon his awakening, Huston Nostra claimed that he had no recollection of various deeds he had performed. We placed him into the brig, as we made an emergency detour to the East Blue, towards Loguetown. End of Report."
Mr.Nostra had gone through several emotions; along with Lady Nostra; from anger, to appalled, to uneasy, then unsure, and finally they both looked quite anxious. Huston Nostra himself looked both confused and now scared. "That.... I didn't do that.... Did I?" He asked, now concerned by what would await him. Mr.Nostra was quick to speak up. "No my son! You shall not be punished for something you can't even remember. Besides; you've been discharged from the Marines until you recover, so this will no doubt be wiped from the records... correct?" the nobleman asked Kramps as the old man looked at the now anxiety ridden noble with disinterest.
"We were indeed ordered to discharge him.... as well as dismiss any crimes he may have committed. It was exclusively stated as such. That said, I do hope you understand the severity of what just occured. From the abuse of Devil Fruit powers; to abuse of authority. Even IF he does return to marine life; it will be hard for him to become anything more than a chore boy. So.... I suggest you explore new life opportunities for him. I heard your daughter is a researcher herself after all."
The nobles suddenly looked irritated and a bead of sweat ran down the sides of their faces. Kramp simply smiled softly, before taking all of the paperwork that he had piled that was related to Nostra and simply dumped it into the waste bin. "I only wish that you had arrived sooner. I'd have had far less paperwork to deal with." Of course there was still a significant amount, but far less without needing to report contraband or even prisoners. Looking to Salamander, he spoke to the young man. "Seems we have some spare time. To the Canteen?" He asked, now curious to see the marine's reaction to all of this. If Salamander agreed, he'd gesture for the young marine to lead the way, as well as to grab whatever he wanted for lunch. The Nostra family would hushly spoke with their son; outright avoiding looking at anyone else; including their escorts who looked irritated that they were wasting time.
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Post by DornKoon on Nov 20, 2023 10:11:19 GMT
It... was a lot to take in at once, and Salamander was not even sure if he got the whole picture clearly as he listened to the captain talk. What he did get from all that was that some devil fruit had gone missing, a lot of contraband had been lost to the sea kings, and this Nostra guy had somehow been behind it all happening despite having lost all memories of it. Clear Clear Fruit, Salamander was unfamiliar with it, although he could guess the nature of its power, making things transparent or invisible. It sure seemed a fine mess, but it was not his mess, and thankfully, the Lieutenant did not want to voice his opinion at the moment. He did not like the idea of crimes being dismissed just like that, but he also knew the futility in complaining if it was indeed the supposed "gods of the world" that had made the order.
Salamander turned to his captain as Kramp spoke to him. "Sir," he gave a small nod as an affirmative, and with the gesture, he shot one last glare at the Nostras before leaving the office in the direction of the canteen. He did not really care much what he picked in terms of food, as long as there was a lot of it. So, he ended up with a few plates of this and that: fish, meat, stew, bread, and fried shrimp, among other things, together with a generous helping of rice. The young marine had noticed he needed to eat more than before ever since he got his devil fruit.
"I'm sure glad I don't have parents like that," Salamander said once they had found a table in the canteen. He took a big bite from a piece of fried shrimp before he continued. "Don't get me wrong, sir, I'm sure they like people to think they care about him, but I got the feeling they are more interested in looking good and saving face than actually wanting their son to succeed."
His parents would never have done the same. They would have made sure Salamander learned from his mistakes and then helped put the pieces back together afterwards. "Pa never cuddled me, like when I challenged Captain Griggs to a duel. My family could have tried to stop me, but they did not, and I ended up getting my ass handed to me." He absentmindedly rubbed the side of his chest, vividly remembering the fight against Thorleif. "Still, I don't regret it and would do it again if I get the chance."
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Time
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Post by Time on Nov 25, 2023 0:01:51 GMT
Making a heaping helping of food for himself, Salamander would easily create a plate that almost seemed like a mountain of white and various colors topped with stew and a pair of bread loaves. Kramps seemed to follow suit with his own meal being equally mountainous. Sitting down with Salamander, Kramps focused on eating his own food, though instead of loafs of bread he had chosen bone in meat to satisfy himself. In the middle of chewing, Kramps would reply to Salamander's first statement about the Nostra family. "The Nostra Family have always had their hand in the politics ever since their inception. Kissing up and always paying tribute even at the expense of their subjects. Don't feel bad. They're scum in my opinion. I can't say that about their benefactor, but I'm free to have an opinion on them Son." He stated, chewing in between words.
Listening to Salamander talk about how he was raised, Kramps nodded his head. "Yeah, sounds like your old man all right. Not saying it was a wise choice on your part, but if you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough.... Fortunately you at least learn. Huston might have lost his memories from the looks of things, but even if he didn't he likely wouldn't have learned jack shit." Kramps was clearly willing to shit talk on those who abused their power if he could get away with it. The older man chewed angrily with white eyes as he huffed at the idea of the nobles. That said, he eventually would calm down enough after he himself had eaten nearly half of the mountain of food.
"So.... Best tell me why you chose my Taskforce Salamander." Kramps asked, now slowing down his previously record breaking rate of eating to pay attention to the young man. "As a Devil Fruit user given explicit permission to keep operating in the Marines, surely you realize that you can't ever retire, right?" Kramps was right. During his approval to continue service, it was something of explicit notice that the only way out of the marines was either to be imprisoned in Impel Down until the day he died inside of a sea stone lined cell, albeit with comforts so long as he didn't resist the orders of officers; or dying in the line of duty. Even then, he was explicitly told to avoid being captured no matter what by any opposing force. It was a life sentence to eat a devil fruit as a marine, but some did so out of dedication, such as Grand Admiral George.
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Post by DornKoon on Nov 25, 2023 0:48:23 GMT
"I see," said Salamander, taking a moment to reflect on the comment about the Nostra family. "Suppose, if you're free to have such an opinion about them, I won't feel bad about thinking they seem like scum, and I pity the guy for having them as parents." He grinned slightly and took a bite of meat before washing it with a gulp of water. "So, what do you think they will do with him now? His parents, that is, seeing he has amnesia and all. Must be... rough to not remember when you did a whole lot of those shitty things you said he had done. I can't even imagine what I would feel if I found out I did something like that and forgot about it."
"Nah, it was very stupid of me." Salamander laughed for the first time in a long time, adjusting the cap on his head with a free hand. "I knew he was strong but did not think he would be that strong. Still- he said I had the right stuff, and he was impressed with me, so I take that as a win. Besides, maybe it's dumb, but I would still do it again, knowing what I know now." There was clear admiration in his voice when Salamander talked about Captain Griggs. "I did learn I have to become stronger if I want to make a difference out there."
Salamander stopped eating, and a turkey leg held inches from his mouth as he looked to the new captain. He should not have been surprised that a question like that came. He decided honesty was the best way to go about it. "Yeah, I know, and I knew it before I ate it. Or, well, it all happened so quickly." He lowered his hand.
"It was either me or some random pirate who would have eaten it, so I made a choice. And, as to why your taskforce- I didn't really choose it. I've been trying to climb the ranks for a while now in the North Blue, but Mahonia has been blocking me every-single-time, relegating me to desks at home base. I couldn't take it anymore." Salamander let out a frustrated huff. "So- I sent a message directly to Marineford, to Fleet Admiral Saint. Honestly, I did not even think it would reach him, much less that he would do anything, but he did. He promoted me and sent me here. Mahonia was so upset and more tense than I had ever seen her. I was worried she might have a massive facial expression, and ugh" Salamander pretended to get a heart attack and fall onto the table. Mahonia Marigold had a reputation among the Marines for her lack of humour, and being outwardly cold and extreme in her war against piracy. "I- did give you that letter I was asked to give you, from Marineford..."
The young lieutenant looked to Kramp, brow furrowed but face determined.
"But, don't worry about me, Captain Kramp. I'm going to prove myself, and I'm thankful for you giving me the opportunity to do so."
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Time
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Post by Time on Nov 26, 2023 3:35:32 GMT
Kramps smiled at Salamander's play on how suffocating his sister could be. Still, he nodded, "Yes, I did receive it... And a call from George himself. The letter is likely just formality. Considering Taskforces were the Grand fleet admiral's idea in thr first place, he keeps eyes and in touch with those who he trusts. I'll be honest with you boy. I already knew what happened to your old man." Kramps stated as he turned down trodden
"But when I asked about if you were sure you understood, do you really understand? You may have eaten the fruit out of necessity, but you could have chosen to simply live quietly. Several older and retired marines who have eaten fruits of their own simply to keep them from being circulated in the world
There are also marines who betrayed us after eating such things. Eating one of those cursed fruits is never as simple as just choosing to do so. Pirates would rather sell them or eat it themselves. Yet... You chose to take on that burden and still continue being marine. You could always ask to be placed on a different taskforce. I wouldn't argue, since I am not your standard marine captain.... Do you understand what I am saying?"
Kramps had stopped eating and stared at Salamander with full intimidating focus.
"Now that your sister isn't here to keep you from harming yourself, can you truly say whether or not you are not tempted by the freedom given to you?". It was clear now that Kramps was testing the young man. "You can do anything at this point..... Turn into a bomb and detonate, reassembling from the ruins. You could have simply looked like a blade in any store, waiting for someone to purchase you and no one could track you. You could also end up like Nostra, simply sticking with my taskforce while biding your time.... He may have amnesia, but if he ever recovers his memories, he can never hope to be trusted again. That much is certain."
Kramps didn't take his eyes off of Salamander, making sure to keep eye contact. His grip on the bone of the last beef mutton he ate creaking a bit, as the man exuded pressure. The canteen became quiet, as suddenly everyone felt a chill run down their spine, Salamander included.... Which was odd. The room was in no way cold, yet it was as though a freezer door had been opened directly in front of him. Had Saint not trusted Salamander when he reached out? Had all of this simply been a ruse? A statement that because of what happened with his family that he wouldn't be trusted simply because of his blood relations?
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