A Haunted Ship?! Gang-way! Mugiwara Pirates Ghost Closer to the Ghostly Galleon!

[gomu_ningen]

Who?: Monkey D. Luffy gomu_ningen and the other passengers aboard the Chasing Joy.
Where?: Out at sea.
When?: Evening of the 22nd.
What?: The crew aboard finally encounters the ghastly vessel much rumored
Warnings: Language, spooky things, possible harm and/or fatality to characters.

- - - - -

The brig sloop on which the crew had been sailing was finally out in the midst of Crytallis' vast, emerald-tinted waters. Surprisingly, their rations had maintained a steady decline, with enough food for several more weeks despite the ship's Captain insisting on a fourth portion with each meal. Nights had become uneventful, so much so that doubt had begun to fill what little belief that the ship they sought was truly noting more than rumor.

It was on the fourth evening, the sound of the cutting water splitting past the hull of the ship as they sailed. Despite the uneventful nights, the ship's Captain still sat atop the cartoon-ish figurehead of a Behemoth, watching out as a lone lantern lit their way forward as it swayed a few feet above Luffy's head.

He'd mistaken the light in the distance as a piece of the horizon, a glimmer of a distant star and nothing more. It isn't until his small wealth of intelligence discerns that the light was in fact growing closer, an approaching outline of an unsettling color that was more akin to a ripened lime than any sort of star in the sky. The young pirate jumps to his feet, holding to the mast line which connects to the bow of the ship. His eyes widen in the darkness, watching as in the distance he can make out the form of a ship cast in the light of the moon above. Turning his head over his shoulder, he barks up to the Crows Nest and to the rest of the ship.

"SHIP! THERE'S A SHIP! WE FOUND IT! HAH HA HA! WE FOUND THE GHOST SHIP!"

Comments

[thegreatninja]

Yuffie did absolutely nothing except watching Ramza work. Her eyes were a little more clear and her stomach a little less wonky.

"I think we are suppose to pull that."

She was just pointing up and doing nothing to lend a hand. She didn't want to move around and get sick again, besides she's finally feeling better.

[zodiac_brave]

Ramza was happy to do the heavy lifting on this task. Yuffie needed to sit and keep her strength. He knew how much motion sickness affected her.

"As you command, Princess," he called out, giving the ropes she indicated a pull.

[thegreatninja]

Yuffie was really surprised that he just agreed like that. She stared at the back of Ramza's head for a moment and then shrugged.

It really was better for her to delegate anyway.

[dammit_flynn]

"Take it easy," Yuri replied walking up to them all as well. Of course, Luffy could be heard no matter how far away Yuri was from them. Hell, he didn't even know why he joined this anyway. Though, gathering information, he supposed was one thing.

"What next, princess?"

He might as well play along since doing the dirty work was his thing.

[not_most_days]

Mary kept at work in the rigging. She knew a few things about coming up alongside another ship in preparation of boarding. It would be important to make sure that Luffy's ship didn't gain too much distance as it was moored and could easily be set to sail again in case they needed a quick retreat.

Yuffie's orders weren't doing any harm but she kept an eye out to correct anything that would need it. No need to trouble her fun.

[thegreatninja]

“What?!”

Yuffie looked over at Yuri as if he had just grown a second head. Why the hell was he asking her?! She swallowed trying to think of something.

“What if we board it from behind?” That sounds really silly when she says it out loud and Yuffie was now trying not to giggle. She looked over at Mary knowing the girl has been on a boat like this one before.

[victorix]

Rikku had been stationed as another lookout, and came clamoring down at Luffy's call. Hurrying energetically to the side of the ship to watch the approach when the Chasing Joy started to hold a true course towards the ghost ship.

The Al Bhed had to press her lips together to prevent herself from snickering at the back and forth. She granted Yuffie an amused look, arms crossed in front of her -- blonde eyebrow arched up. Boarding from behind? Sounded more like crash territory.

[dammit_flynn]

"Behind? That sure doesn't sound like a safe way to enter. How about taking it from the front?"

Sorry Yuffie, he's totally going to amuse himself while teasing her a tad bit. Yuri was used to dangerous maneuvers so he wasn't going to be too afraid to do a lot of dangerous things.

So far he could see three girls and two guys. He wondered if anyone else was giving their hands to help with this. He just laughed and crossed his arms otherwise.

[theendiswherewestartfrom]

"Totally safe, if you go slow and easy..." From behind Yuri, of course Jack arrived just in time for the suggestive part of the conversation. Still in drag, but those heels are off to give him better traction on the wood. He gives Yuri a wink, but looks at Yuffie seriously.

"Usually that sort of thing is better for ramming. Keep us out of the firing line of their guns, but we don't have any front-line weaponry on here, do we?"

Jack crosses his own arms, "Uh. For that matter, does the Chasing Joy have any weaponry on board?"

[gomu_ningen]

Luffy tips his hat, looking to the small band of sailors that he'd amassed with a bright, tooth-filled grin. He crosses his arms over his chest, a swell of pride and confidence practically drowning the deck as he speaks to his crew.

"We're not going behind or the sides. We're going straight for it!"

He laughs for a moment, turning back to look at the ship as he raises a single fist into the air.

"If we can't approach this ship like real pirates, then what good are we? Pakku! Straight ahead! We're jumping on! Let 'em fire at us at they want! If they send anything at us, we'll punch them back!"

[not_most_days]

Mary nods from her own position and calls down. "Mister Harkness has the right of it. The rear s a good approach but we can board a bit better from the sides assuming it doesn't simply try to sink us with its cannons." It was always a bit of a gamble. Her own crews would usually try to disable a ship before boarding but this may not be an option here.

"Captain! What do we have as far as weapons?"

[dammit_flynn]

"Now you're speaking my language!"

Yuri replied as he laughed at Luffy's reply. That was the best plan after all. He wasn't about sneaking tactics of any sort really. He wanted to just do things straight and head on. Though it seemed like everyone else wasn't against his arguments.

That was a good question. He eyed the rest of the crew and back to Luffy.

"That's a good question, so what do we have under our belts?"

[thegreatninja]

"YEAH!"

Yuffie jumped up with a wide smile.

"LET's DO THIS!"

[nosferatanking]

"Aye aye!"

There Morgan was. He'd spent most of his time on the ship thus far getting acquainted with the kitchen, but with the ghost ship fast approaching, he figured that it would probably be better to move to the deck. Thankfully, he'd missed the previous conversation.

What he didn't miss, however, was the conversation about weapons. Naval warfare wasn't his specialty, sure, but that didn't mean that he wasn't familiar with naval war tactics. For example, the tactic of abandoning half your ships and setting them on fire. That was a good tactic.

"I dunno about weapons, but we should be able to come up with something, right?"

Like throwing all their pots and pans at the ghost ship. Or lighting the barrels on fire and chucking them.

[victorix]

A hand rubbed at the back of her head. Were they really going to attack a ship they were going to board? She'd rather it not be all fiery and the like and rouge sneak on. That craft looked like it could swallow them whole. But well, if those were the captain's orders.

"All the time mages are practically weapons themselves." It's why the magic reluctant girl had finally tried her hand at such a job. She had so missed her grenades. "We can make anything into an explosive."

[gomu_ningen]

Luffy crosses his arms before he puts a finger to his temple, his face becoming red as he tries to recollect just what had been told to him about the armaments of the ship.

"I.. I think we have a forward cannon, then one on either side! Yeah! That's right! We have three cannons!"

Luffy looks to his crew, a bright grin on his face as he's filled with pride in being able to remember the details of his ship.

"Yup! Three cannons against.. How many cannons do Ghost Ships have? It's a Man-O-War ship, right? Do they have three cannons, too?"

[dammit_flynn]

"Why don't we investigate it and figure that out instead of assuming? Just in case we end up being the target of the so-called Ghost Ships?"

Yuri replied, swinging over to Luffy as he talked. Of course, it was easier to talk when you're closer. There were many people here he didn't know besides Luffy when he met the guy earlier and Yuffie. There might be another one or two familiar faces, but beyond that Yuri didn't know anyone.

He didn't really make it a habit to get along with a lot of people, honestly.

[thegreatninja]

Yuffie ran up to the side of the ship and then pointed at their target.

"Charge!!!"

She grinned back at Yuri and Luffy with a wide smile before glancing at Kidd and the others. She knew that some of them would like the idea while others might want to aire on the side of causion.

"Right?"

[not_most_days]

Mary just....looked at Luffy for a moment. "Aye. They tend to have three cannons. And a good many more besides. Our ship is smaller and likely swifter as well. The best thing to do would be to keep behind it then, and watch out for anything it tries to send at us."

They were doomed. She could feel it now.

Glancing over to Rikku she gave the girl a nod, "If we can get close enough that could work."