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

Sorry! Late to the party.

[ninjainviolet]

Sheena had been scouting the Ghost Ship from any angles that she could as they moved near it, trying to figure out a way on board. Of course, leave it to their "captain" to put into practice what she was going to suggest.

But, ironically, not as recklessly.

Shaking her head, she hears the question about the Ghostbuster job and points to her proton pack. "Well, if they don't have one now, they're gonna have one soon!"

And with her Time Mage job equipped as well, Sheena's able to speed herself up to make that flying leap on to the other ship.

Re: Sorry! Late to the party.

[gomu_ningen]

Heavy cannon-fire begins to rain down upon the ship like a storm of metal and fire. The main guns of the Flying Dutchman sound off as if a series of fireworks had been ignited in a row. It is unfortunate timing that Luffy had made his attempt to make his way across to the haunted vessel, leaving the ship vulnerable to the barrage of cannon balls. He'd put his trust into the crew, and it would be their next actions that decide the fate of the gifted ship.

More cannons fire on the approaching ship, the larger vessel making a bank to the right so that their port side cannons begin to fire upon their target with impeccable accuracy. Splinters fly as the behemoth-headed boat undertakes the numerous holes from the other ship unloading its bewitched magazine. The hull begins to resemble a wood-stained swiss cheese, perforated and punctured to where it was beginning to take on the sea's endless supply of salt water.

Re: Sorry! Late to the party.

[not_most_days]

With the cannons firing, Mary pulled back on her plan to go to the other ship just yet. If that fool was going to abandon his own ship in his eagerness that was on him, but she still wanted to avoid a watery death, or at least have a way home after this. Swinging down from the rigging, Mary landed on the deck and took the helm. She quickly turned the wheel, trying to turn the ship away from the worst of the cannon fire.

"EVERYONE BRACE! GET THOSE CANNONS READY! RAMZA! JOHNNY! GET BELOWDECKS AND SEE TO THE DAMAGE!" She looked across the deck to someone she knew she could count on. "Saori! Take the wheel! I'll give you as much sail as I can!"

[dammit_flynn]

"Whoa what a greeting this is!"

Yuri shouted amused as he moved to dodge the canons that were suddenly being fired at him as he made an attempt to land on the other side. Now that was one wake up call. He used his sword sword to help him move around acrobatically, in hopes of not getting tackled down with the canons as he was making his way over. Yeah, he's reckless as hell and he doesn't care.

[zodiac_brave]

Not sinking seemed like a much great priority than getting to the ghost ship, so Ramza followed Kidd's command. Ducking down below deck, he found water already starting to splash in through the multiple cannon holes.

His voyage at sea a few months before had not really prepared him to 'see to' this damage, but he had faced worse odds, and he forced himself to stay calm. He took a deep breath and tried to assess.

"No fire...multiple holes...damage above the waterline. Barring further damage, it can be contained."

[charming_jerk]

Johnny let out a string of profanities as he ran below deck, but he was very glad there was someone taking charge. This is his first time in a ship battle, and he hadn't the faintest idea of what to do. So he accepts Mary's orders, and dashes below deck as fast as he can, following after Ramza.

He listens to Ramza's assessment, and looks lost.

"Okay... So what do we do? How do we patch this up and keep it from takin' in any water?"

[needsteaplz]

Meanwhile up on the deck, Saori managed to evade the last attack and turned her attention to the wheel. "I'm on it!"

She was grateful she still remembered her crash course in piloting a ship. Except this one was much bigger in size and took on a lot more damage. She wasn't going to let the ship lose a set of hands on the counter attack though. A quick cast of [Clone] would do the trick. Saori's hands went to work continuing the same evasive path Mary started them off on.

"Hang on, everyone!" At the same time, she prayed to herself the advancing crew members were making more progress then they were.

[gomu_ningen]

Pakku had taken to hiding under a pail that had been filled with mop water, peeking out as he watched the heroes move in a frenzy to gain control of the skirmish with the haunted ship.

More holes are shot into the hull of the Chasing Joy. The once proud ship now had scars, pricks and tears in the painted sails and many more injuries that were sure to bring the ship to the bottom of the Crystallis sea. The echoing of cannons drowns out what sound the fires below deck would cause, trails of flame reaching closer to where the crew had slept and stayed through the past few nights.

- - - -

Meanwhile, on board the Flying Dutchman..

Luffy stands on the side of the ship, cupping his hands together while keeping his sure-footing.

"PAKKU! GET EVERY ONE OFF AND ON TO THE GHOST SHIP! HURRY! I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT! ARE YOU A MOOGLE, OR ARE YOU A PIRATE?!"

[ninjainviolet]

Sheena hadn't expected to be greeted by a cannon when she made her leap, but the combination of being under Haste and her own natural ability, she was able to land and leap off one as soon as she "boarded" the ghost ship.

Landing on her feet, she turned, and wondering if it would have any effect, cast Slow on the cannons in an effort to give her fellow ghost hunters a fighting chance.

[dammit_flynn]

Yuri landed pretty well on his part minus the lovely delays that he had but of course he was quick to offer help to others as he turned back around and hearing Luffy speak and other suddenly making their way over here.

"Here hurry. Those of you who can't do it on their own just dash at me. I'll catch you or something!"

There's no time to be playing right now obviously.

[not_most_days]

Mary gripped the ropes as the other ship kept up it's fire. Cannonballs were tearing into them and she knew this sort of engagement well enough to know that there was no way the others below deck would be able to keep them patched and afloat for much longer.

Over the din she faintly heard Luffy's words, and when the moogle below them began to parrot them she knew this ship was being given up for lost. It was a shame. This was a good one.

"Saori! Aim for the Dutchman!" She shouted down before unfurling all the sails, "Get Ramza and Johnny up and brace yourselves...and be prepared to jump!" This ship was going down, but it didn't have to do so quietly.

[needsteaplz]

Saori looked up when she heard her name called. So what Luffy was saying wasn't a figment of her imagination. He wanted everyone on board. Her clone disappeared minutes ago so she gave the wheel the strongest spin towards the Ghost Ship as she could. She ran to the door leading below the decks and shouted at the top of her lungs.

"JOHNNY! RAMZA! CHANGE OF PLANS! WE'RE GOING ON THE GHOST SHIP NOW! GET UP ON DECK AND GET READY TO BOARD!"

Now to find Pakku. If there was one thing those pompoms on moogles were good for, it's finding them. Before he could utter a protest, she snatched him up and braced for the upcoming impact by the steering wheel just in case.

[charming_jerk]

Johnny exchanges an unsure look with Ramza before darting back up to the deck. He was just in time to see exactly what was going on, having just enough time to get a hold of something before they collided with the other ship.

[zodiac_brave]

Ramza sighed. He should have known that nothing would be easy or sane on Luffy's boat. Taking a quick look around the boat, he scooped up a length of rope and a lantern. He'd have to grab his pack when he got back to the deck; he doubted a ghost ship would come well-equipped with food for them if they survived the encounter.

Following Johnny, Ramza climbed the ladder back to the deck and braced himself for impact.