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| - “A... few games?” D’Artagnan asked, arching his eyebrow with suspicion, “sorry, but judging by how you entered I don’t think that game is the right term to use.” “Oh, but I am sincere,” the cow man said, bowing, “me and my group would be most delighted to welcome you to our humble Cowsino Island.” “Cowsino Island?” Sid inquired with an equal amount of suspicion in both mannerisms and tone, “you really like your cow puns, don’t you?” “And yet your crew is named after a type of algae that rolls around helplessly on the bottom of the sea,” Gambull shot back, “you’re not exactly in a position to talk.” “Why you...” Art grumbled, his eyes going white with rage as he tried to leap over the railing in order to deal damage to the interloper, “it’s not a name we had the opportunity to choose, asshole!” “C-calm down, D’Artagnan-san!” Kagome said, frantically grabbing onto the Majin first mate’s robes, “he said it was an island, right? T-then we can probably find medicine for Knave-san there!” Art stopped, turning his head slowly around to face the crew’s temporary lookout. “That’s... a point,” he conceded, “call Stormy up here.” He then faced the railing once more, calling out to the cow-patterned bounty hunter, “you mind if we take a few minutes to decide?!” “Not in the slightest!” Gambull called cheerily back. “in fact...” He dipped his hand into one of his breast pockets and pulled out a Log, tossing it up towards the Majin, “...have an Eternal Pose to the island! You’ll make good use of it, I’m sure!” “There sure are a lot of these things on the Grand Line,” D’Artagnan said as he caught it, “guess we’ll have to get used to them....” For the second time in a single day, the Marimo Pirates gathered on the deck of the Shooting Star, though this time Gopher had managed to be present (due to Knave’s condition somewhat stabilizing to a consistently high fever... for the moment, that is). Stormy held the Eternal Pose in her hand, staring at the label on the log that read ‘Cowsino Island’. “So...” the doctor began, “you think we’ll find the medicine we’re looking for on an island some cow nut asked us to go to?” “It’s not exactly a BAD option,” Art pointed out, “and it’s better than sailing forward and hoping we’ll come to a populated island.” “Judging by the movement of the needle and the current patterns of the, err.. currents,” Sid joined in, “we should arrive at the island a lot faster than the next one our Log Pose is pointing to, Stormy-chan!” “P-plus, the sooner we can get there means the sooner we can cure Knave-san!” Kagome added, “a-and then if any trouble comes up we can deal with it as a full crew again, right?” “If worse comes to worse we’ll have to fight someone in a cow suit,” Pura said, “..what kind of person wears a cow suit anyhow?” “I’ve never been to an island with such a bad pun for a name!” Mercuia said, her eyes shining happily, “it’s decided, we HAVE to go!” “WE CAN’T JUST DECIDE THINGS FOR A REASON LIKE THAT!” the rest of the crew replied back in an incredulous fashion. Stormy sighed, tossing the Eternal Pose towards the crew’s navigator (who proceeded to catch it as if it was mana falling from Heaven itself). “Well,” she concluded, “I think in the end the only person who can honestly settle this is Knave. He’s the captain, after all.” “Gao, gao!” Gopher agreed. “Cowsino... Island?” Knave asked, his eyes bleary and his face still bright red, “what... what the hell is that?” “We can probably get medicine and the like faster there, Knave-san!” Mercuia told the marimo lad. “A-and that means that you can start fighting again soon!” Kagome chipped in. “I’ve really just decided to become neutral,” D’Artagnan muttered as he absentmindedly counted some coins from a money sack he had kept wrapped around his waist, “whatever happens I’ll go along with the captain’s decision.” “You’re remarkably disinterested,” Sid remarked. “Well, I’m just thinking about... THE MONEY WE COULD ACQUIRE THERE!” Art suddenly realized, leaping up and down happily! “What makes you think that we can earn money there?” Pura asked. “It’s obvious!” the Majin first mate continued, snapping his fingers slightly as sparks danced around his visage, “his name was GAMBULL, right? It’s OBVIOUS that his name is a pun on the word GAMBLE! And add that to the fact that it’s called “COWSINO ISLAND”, and we JUST KNOW that there’s a bunch of money for the earning (and maybe taking) there!” “A-at least he’s being honest,” Stormy gaped, before turning to her captain, “Well, Knave? It’s your call.” The marimo lad snored happily as a small snot bubble came out of his nose. “WAKE UP, DAMMIT!” the medic yelled, delivering a kick straight to the side of his face! “Eh?!” Knave asked, forcing himself up slightly at the stimulus! He quickly sunk down again as he remembered the effects of his fever, “what’re you guys talking about again?” “BOUNTY HUNTER ISLAND, YES OR NO?!” the crew collectively cried, causing the very cabin itself to shake slightly! “Oh...” Knave muttered, his eyes already drooping again, “sure... I guess...” He then promptly rolled over and pulled the covers back over his head, the sounds of his snoring once more filling the air. “Well, I suppose that settles it,” Sid said, pinching the bridge of his nose before heading out, “I’ll plot a course. Art, you make sure the anchor is clean, alright?” “D-do I have to?” Art asked, his head drooping slightly as tears formed on the edges of his eyes. “Do it!” “NEVER!” the Majin cried in sudden defiance, launching himself at the navigator as a cartoonish brawl began! Gambull stepped off his boat, his feet coming into contact with the hard and scarred earth that made up the very base of Cowsino Island. The leader of the bounty hunters head quickly looked up, seeing the massive construction of neon lights and gambling halls that made up his little slice of the ocean. From neon-lined door very close to him, a pretty (albeit in a very bizarre way) girl with pink hair, heavily tanned skin, and odd horn ornaments attached to her forehead walked out to meet her leader. “Did they get the message?” Lambia asked, tilting her head slightly. “Very much so,” Gambull replied, “in fact, if our intel is correct, they should be heading here very, very soon. Ah, speaking of: tell Crowe to make sure that our medicine cabinet is placed in the next round of prizes, alright?” “The medicine cabinet?” the horned girl asked, raising an eyebrow. “Indeed.” her leader confirmed, “it appears our friends the Marimo Pirates have a sick man on board, and they’re running low on medical supplies. So, let’s OFFER them some... if they can beat us in a fair match!” “A fair match, eyup?!” Pinkuma, the giant pink bear asked as he walked (or rather, jumped from a platform) down to the area as well, “that NEVER happens here, eyup!” “Now, now...” Gambull concluded, “let’s just see what happens when they arrive, shall we? Now, prepare the games!” “SIR!” the bounty hunters gathered together cried, saluting! Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
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