[World Event] A Fool's Errand

Chapter 6

Bubbles popped in a pool of lava, like boils on diseased skin. The molten earth stirred, roiling with rage and itching to explode. Deep within this unstable reservoir was a vault door too stubborn to be eroded even by magma.

Inside the vault was a pristine laboratory with sterile white tiles and tidy glass apparatus. A silver-haired, one-eyed scientist busied himself brewing an odd concoction. A soft blue flame danced on its crimson surface, as if the potion were on fire. The man hummed and sang loudly in solitude, the earth rumbling as his chorus.

[npc=scbk]"Last one,"[/npc] he mumbled as he dumped the flaming liquid down a chute, feeding the elixir to the volcano. [npc=scbk]"Time to go,"[/npc] he said once the flask was empty.

The mountain groaned again, and the magma flared angrier than before. The scientist lazily packed a few essentials in a wrinkled duffle bag and a few more in the deep pockets of his lab coat. Then he approached the vault-like door, breathing in the sanitized air of his lab one last time.

A barely visible glass sphere manifested around him as he turned the wheel on the vault door. Clicks and clanks rang out, dipped in heavy bass. The sphere morphed, sticking to the threshold as he pushed the door with all his might against a wall of lava. The burning soil seemed to be repelled just a few feet short of enveloping him and pouring into the lab; the transparent barrier held it off with ease.

Once the sphere cleared the threshold, the burning semi-solid gushed into the lab vault and swallowed it whole. The scientist floated through the hot pool slowly in his bubble. The earth sizzled and hissed around him like a nest of a thousand vipers, but the man was unfazed.

[npc=scbk]"I'll miss this place,"[/npc] he said with a faint wistful smile tainted by a tinge of lament.




The improvised marine vessel had cleared one dangerous stretch of the sea only to be sailing into another. Captain Wyre was barking at the sailors, ordering one station after the other. Meanwhile, Bradley pulled Yumiko aside as she shared words with Captain Stone Okirama. [npc=radm]"I know you wanted to watch Okirama, but I need you to scout ahead and find out where Silver is instead. Take a baby transponder snail with you and report back as soon as you spot him. No matter what, do not engage him solo. He's not someone you can hurt on your own, let alone beat,"[/npc] he warned her, now acquainted with the warrant officer's instinct to plunge herself into danger without support.

[npc=radm]"The shooting will start as soon as they see us coming out of the fog. Until then, try not to get spotted. I don't wanna give the scum a chance to be ready,"[/npc] he added. With a pat on her back, he sent the flying weasel off once she was prepared.

When the shooting finally began, the rear admiral watched proudly as the bear-man made his grand entrance on Carbuncle, bringing the wrath of the Navy down on the dregs single-handedly.

Bradley unsheathed Dōjikiri Yasutsuna from its ornate scabbard, the blade twinkling impatiently. His sharp and swift flying cuts neutered every cannonball that might have threatened to stall or even slow their landing.
Justice had come calling, and the wicked denizens of Carbuncle would answer.




Nesbit and his goons escorted Gotli's troop into a nest of stone and brick embedded in a cliff face. The eloquent man's administrative building rested high above Carbuncle. Many of its tinted windows watched over the town, while the rest overlooked the Bay of Spectacles. On a less foggy day, one could even spy La Crima and beyond.

The climb up to the offices was treacherous. They walked up narrow zigzagging flights of stairs built into the cliff with no railings to guard them from the sheer drop. Mancie peered down a ledge with anxious beady eyes, only for Gotli to pull him back. [npc=cmdr]"Stop looking down if you're scared, fool,"[/npc] he said.

Mancie let out a guttural croak and retreated from the edge, though his gaze never stopped drifting to the long fall for more than a few seconds.

[npc=pirt]"Not far now, gentlemen,"[/npc] Nesbit said. The chubby man was surprisingly agile and composed.

Once they crested the perilous path, they entered the offices through a postern door. Inside, a long corridor opened into a compact roofless agora. Several doors outlined the airy hall, leading into rooms unknown. Most of the walls were carved out of the stony yellow cliff.

Birds of varying sizes sat near the skylight, some chirping, some cawing, some honking. A pair of prying eyes and ears spied on the new arrivals from within the assorted flock. From below, one could only make out the silhouette of the birds and not their features. If they could, they might have noticed the odd creature dressed in a white suit.

[npc=pirt]"Please accept my apologies once again for the unpleasant hike. We will have the elevators mended within the day. Admittedly, the hurricane took a heavier toll on us than anticipated. But, I am confident you will find our operations efficient and quick to recover,"[/npc] Nesbit said with his perfect white teeth showing through his smile.

He removed his top hat and hung it on a hook against a wall as he invited his guests to sit on one of the many benches scattered in the hall. A few lab workers seemed to be gathered around some of the other benches already.

[npc=cmdr]"Save your apologies, Langhorne. You mentioned we'd be meeting your famous boss. But, I don't see any big shots around,"[/npc] Gotli said, cranky as ever.

[npc=pirt]"Of course. Our tenacious leader relishes training at this hour. He should be joining us momentarily,"[/npc] Nesbit answered without a hint of impatience.

As if on cue, a dark gate rolled up into the wall, revealing a faint figure. Nesbit clapped twice, the sound echoing through the agora signalling all personnel to leave as their proprietor entered with confident steps. The earth seemed to grumble in response. The swan in the skylight skipped back from the edge, craning its neck to continue its stakeout.

Gotli's jaw dropped, and Mancie stared wide-eyed as the man stepped into the daylight beaming through the roof. His hair was fiery red, spiked and thorny, and redder irises burned in his eyes. His bare brown chest was drenched in sweat and spotted with dust, veins pulsing and sinewy muscles twitching.

[npc=cmdr]"Iron Beast? Your boss is the Iron Beast? Ya couldn't have told us that sooner?"[/npc] Gotli exclaimed.

Nesbit countered with his usual wisenheimer grin. [npc=pirt]"Our master likes his privacy. And until this morning, our relationship did not warrant an introduction. But, as your faith in our enterprise appears to be in jeopardy, I thought it prudent to unfurl the enigma that is our chief."[/npc]

Rubill Silver, the Iron Beast, the youngest of the Seven Warlords of the Seas, stepped up to the group. One of Nesbit's followers offered him a towel, which he handily used to wipe off the traces of his recent labour. The NRA soldiers watched, speechless.

[npc=pirt]"As they already seem to recognize you, Mr. Silver, may I introduce to you two commanders of the New Revolutionary Army: Commander Ta'al Gotli, and Commander Mancie Bracken. They braved the hurricane to parley with us in service of an investigation over the recent disturbance at Briss."[/npc]

Rubill tossed the towel back and studied his guests head to toe. [npc=scbk]"You're the one they call Meat Torpedo,"[/npc] Rubill noted.

Mancie snickered while Gotli stomped forward, glaring up at the warlord. Rubill was easily a foot and a half taller. [npc=cmdr]"Are ya tryin' ta pick a fight?"[/npc] Gotli snarled.

Nesbit inserted himself between the two. [npc=pirt]"Now, now, sir. Commander Ta'al is here to discuss business. Surely, we can table the name-calling."[/npc]

[npc=scbk]"It's not like I made it up just now. It's what everyone calls him."[/npc] Rubill shrugged. [npc=scbk]"Fine, get the small fry out of here, then we'll talk."[/npc]

Nesbit ushered his escort away, and after a brief instant of glaring, Gotli did the same with his. Only Rubill, Nesbit, Gotli, and Mancie remained—and the eyes stalking through the skylight.

Nesbit fetched his notebook from his breast pocket and started writing with his pencil finger, drawing the curiosity of the two NRA commanders once again. They spoke of the recent bombing of the World Government embassy at Briss, of how the NRA was framed through the use of their signature explosives. They mentioned again how their own bombs were well-accounted for, which had caused them to suspect their suppliers.

Nesbit insisted that it would be against their interests to support dubious factions so close to their home base. Rubill agreed gruffly. [npc=scbk]"If the World Government found out I had anything to do with it, I'd no longer hold my title. Why the fuck would we take that risk only to frame you losers? It's bad enough that Three-Eyes sells you this shit in the first place,"[/npc] Rubill said, each sentence more bitter than the last.

[npc=pirt]"What can I say? Their general, Mr. Villium Price, strikes a good bargain,"[/npc] Nesbit explained.

[npc=cmdr]"And you wouldn't cross him to strike an even better bargain?"[/npc] Gotli asked.

[npc=pirt]"If I did, I would strive to do it in a manner that did not result in you knocking on our door, loaded with accusations. Deceiving you has never been a priority of mine. It is why I invited you to Carbuncle - to provide you with an opportunity to inspect our operations and see for yourself how detrimental it would be for us to lose our best customer."[/npc]

[npc=cmdr]"That ain't exactly true. You invited us to Carbuncle 'cause Nine Grain showed up,"[/npc] Gotli corrected him.

[npc=scbk]"Nine Grain? Nine Grain is here?"[/npc] Rubill asked, tense and urgent.

[npc=pirt]"Yes, sir, but do not be alarmed. I have already set Mr. Brow to task to engage and disperse the small marine incursion on Dexter Eyeland. Surely, the marines will not know to look for us here today."[/npc] As if to prove him wrong, a volley of cannon fire broke out on the coast, followed by constant exchanges of more explosions.  

[npc=scbk]"You were saying?"[/npc] Rubill muttered, vicious and annoyed. Gotli and Mancie traded worried glances.

[npc=pirt]"Perhaps I underestimated the intruders. We must not let them see you, sir. Or you, commanders. Our operation's efficacy relies upon the secrecy of your identities,"[/npc] Nesbit said.

[npc=scbk]"If they do, I'll just have to squash every last one of the cockroaches,"[/npc] Rubill declared.

It was indeed too late. Their attention was forced upwards by a whirlwind swooping in through the skylight, swords drawn and hungry for a fight. The birds on the roof flew away—all but one.

Cornered, Nesbit scrambled to resolve the ambush without bloodshed, lest his master start a rampage that might cost them their livelihoods, or even their lives.




Winny scampered from one contraption to the next, greasing a gear here, tightening a nut there. His jabbering only paused when his eyes squinted and his mouth twisted to scrutinize some elaborate mechanism. Pinako tailed her grandson—hands behind her back—reviewing the wonder boy's tweaks with content nods. The facility was a gargantuan metal beast, breathing steam and bleeding oil, and Winny treated it as such.

A few workers they passed greeted the boy and his granny warmly, though the new faces behind them were met only with dismissive shrugs or hostile glares.

[npc=misc]"Looks like ya brought a whole fuckin' party along this time, boy,"[/npc] growled a worker wearing grease as if it were war paint. His practised hands blindly assembled parts on a conveyor belt and moved them to another.

[npc=misc]"I had to! It's the first time Bell's Gears and Grease had a client with a flying ship."[/npc] Winny grinned proudly. [npc=misc]"And we now have a mink too..."[/npc] He looked back at the red panda mink who had tagged along with them as their pseudo-captive after her failed attempts at theft.

When she was finally forced into revealing herself on the boat, an excited Winny had pushed past the angry victims of her crimes with a million curious questions. [npc=misc]"Are you a mink? How did you get on the boat? Did you warp? Did you fly? Or were you on the boat the whole time? Can all minks turn invisible? I heard minks can make electricity! Can you poop?"[/npc] His curiosity had helped ease the tensions some, and the new creature was forcibly drafted into their motley daytaler crew, if only to keep a close eye on her sticky fingers—short of pushing her into the sea.

A flying ship, a mink, and a fishman - it was a day of many firsts for Winny.

As ecstatic as the boy was, his audience was not impressed. [npc=misc]"Whatever you say, kid,"[/npc] the worker said with an indifferent eye roll.

When Karl, the grumpy blond gentleman, asked Winny if he was expected to help, Winny smiled. [npc=misc]"Don't worry, I won't ask you to do anything too complicated. I don't think Nesbit would like it if I let you work on some of these machines anyway. He doesn't even tell us what they make in this factory, even though my family built most of it. There's even a part of the factory where that jerk Billy doesn't let us go. Makes my job so much harder sometimes."[/npc] He gestured towards the far end of the lengthy structure. A set of large iron doors obscured the mysterious section of the building. Two bored riflemen stood sentry on opposite sides of the doors.

[npc=misc]"All we know is that whatever they make here must be explosive,"[/npc] Winny added with an ominous, vacant stare. But, his childish joy soon returned. [npc=misc]"It doesn't matter what their product is, though, as long as my babies keep singing the right tunes."[/npc] He pressed an ear to a thick, trembling pipe, listening to its mechanical melody, waiting for it to report its ailments.

While the Bells and their temporary assistants performed repairs, Billy Audi monitored them from a long and narrow metal platform hanging high above. He cruised in parallel, listening intently but saying nothing. This continued for a good while until, suddenly, a salvo of cannons drew his attention towards the coast. Sirens blared and bodies hustled.

Audi exchanged words with a baby transponder snail and then shouted down, [npc=pirt]"Pinako! We're under attack, if you know what I mean! Put those useless fuckin' brats to work fighting the damned marines while you and your Boy Genius finish the repairs, if you know how I mean!"[/npc] He wasn't asking, nor did he wait for them to comply, instead bolting out with a pistol in each hand.

An unhealthy mix of panic and excitement embraced Winny as he tried to explain Audi's orders to Pinako, since they'd fallen on unaided deaf ears. He then turned to the rest of the group to assess their response to the unexpected crisis.

This was a first he would surely regret experiencing.

---

Notes:

Chapter 6 - Part II

The intruder who fell from the sky made a point Nesbit could scarcely argue with. The two NRA officers looked anxious and ready for a fight, but the more disturbing possibility stood behind him. The Iron Beast was boiling, steaming, and ready to rumble. The gentleman could already sense the ragged breaths prefacing his superior's destructive transformation. His hairs would've even stood on their ends if he were particularly hairy. Thankfully, he was not.

Nesbit cleared his throat and offered a gracious bow to their ambusher with his top hat in hand. [npc=pirt]"I humbly beg your pardon, dear lady, you are positively correct. Your unexpected visit simply took me unawares; I am named Nesbit Langhorne,"[/npc] he said with overflowing courtesy.

[npc=pirt]"Miss Yumiko, is it? I am afraid you may have misapprehended the situation you found us in."[/npc] He was about to weave a web of lies; luckily, he was a well-practised spider. His only fear was the monster stirring behind him. But, to his relief, Rubill seemed to be playing along. Nesbit even dared hope the easily angered man understood the consequences of rash actions.

[npc=pirt]"You see, Mr. Silver and I, along with our two companions Lloyd and Harry here, are actually agents of the World Government, contracted—in secret—to expose some dire operations being conducted by rogue partisans,"[/npc] he claimed with such blinding confidence, even a man with some sense might have believed him. It even incited confused stares from Gotli and Mancie. His deception would be wasted if she identified either of them, but it was a bet Nesbit was willing to make.

[npc=pirt]"Our objective was to inquire after some dissident Cipher Pol agents who staged a bombing in the Briss Kingdom. We strongly suspected that the chief of Cipher Pol No. 2, a Mr. Seamus Fowl, was responsible for the farce. We even traced the payload's production back to this city. However, we have yet to collect the evidence essential to proving his complicity. Therefore, it is critically important our mission and presence remain covert—even to devoted and dependable soldiers like you and your gallant Rear Admiral, Bradley Nottingham."[/npc] His fiction starred characters he hoped the abominable weasel would recognize. He had scattered a few grains of misleading facts into the improvised plot. It remained to be seen if Yumiko would thread the pieces together in a manner that led to their absolution.

Meanwhile, wings fussed in the skylight, but remained in place for now.

Chapter 6 - Part III

Nesbit was well-informed of the joint task force who had been hunting them down. Perhaps he knew even more than he should. And while Nottingham was not a card he had seen until that day, the pieces were there to keep building his pyramid of falsehoods. 

[npc=pirt]"Yes, I am ashamed to inform you that the entire operation is a red herring. Sir Nottingham is indeed a brave man, but Seamus Fowl's deception is thick and elusive. He had even evaded the million eyes of the World Government. But today, we shall bring an end to his treachery. In the name of justice!"[/npc] He hoped the other three would join his chant, but none did. Dumb and dumber struggled to keep a straight face, and Rubill only brooded silently. But, perhaps his words and counterfeit conviction would be enough to persuade the hare-brained marine.

As the foolish woman came closer and closer to believing the tall tales, the bird on the roof grew more restless, vexed, and dismayed.

Chapter 6 - Part IV

Anger flashed in the beady eyes of the swan who stalked the weasel and her deceivers. For an instant, he was back on Briss, waking up for the tenth time in a sterile room, white-on-white. The stench of burnt skin still filled his nostrils. His chest and arms ached something awful. There was a constant itch that he could not scratch; partly, perhaps, thanks to the bandages, but partly because the itch stemmed from a piece of himself he felt he had lost.

Only days later did he realize he was still whole, and yet forever diminished. His torso was blistered and charred, with barely a patch of skin intact, and his arms and thighs were nothing but muscle and bone, twitching and throbbing. Despite the graveness of his injuries, he had fought to retain his command. He would have justice, and failing that, he would at least have vengeance.

And yet there she was, Kamaitachi no Yumiko, Nottingham's new idiotic toady, easily succumbing to the unrepentant lies of obvious criminals. The injury to his name would not have stoked his ire as much if his sacrifice had not been so great. But, this was the straw that broke the swan's back. Abandoning his patience, Chief Seamus Fowl trumpeted with fury.

[npc=cpol]"You moronic weasel!"[/npc] The words flew down only slightly faster than he did. Less than a breath later, Seamus struck his beak into the duplicitous overseer of Carbuncle he knew as Nesbit Langhorne. The chubby man let out a frantic gasp as he crashed through a door leading into a dark room.

[npc=cpol]"How could you believe these blatant lies?"[/npc] Seamus asked Yumiko with venom in his words and vitriol in his eyes. The feathers retreated into his body, replaced by flesh. His suit morphed around the silhouette, its shape changing to a human's. 

Once he was a man again, his anger started to give way to rising panic. In his outburst, he had disregarded the calibre of criminals he was up against. In particular, the Iron Beast had slipped his mind entirely. He spared a moment to remember the day he had heard how Rubill Silver joined the Shichibukai. It was said he had presented Ginsai with the head of Alancar Sicca, one of Behemoth's elites, a Wraith of the Wild Hunt Pirates. He had slain him in single combat after declaring his own exit from the New World crew. Rumours said Behemoth was so enraged by Silver's resignation, he went on a rampage that ended with the death of his favourite daughter. If Silver had survived a Yonkou's wrath, Seamus now questioned his own chances.

His head swivelled to the Iron Beast. His dread was valid, for the red-haired man was fuming, muscles tight and fists clenched. [npc=cpol]"Oh, fuck..."[/npc] He grumbled. The two fools from the NRA seemed to have also noticed; they were backing away slowly. Seamus did not care enough to glance at Nottingham's flunky. This was her fault, after all.

It all happened in a matter of seconds. Silver's skin turned green and red, his frame grew large and heavy, fangs bearing, claws curling. With an ear-piercing roar, the monstrous dinosaur whipped his tail. It shattered all the windows and blew four holes into the front wall. Each hole resembled the awkward shape of one of the four targets of his wrath. Luckily for Seamus, the fall was long enough to allow him to transform and take flight, but he watched Ta'al and Bracken crash through a factory roof. It was doubtful they would walk out of there unscathed. 

With sleeved wings spread wide, his eyes finally searched for the fly in his soup; the marine named Yumiko. Come what may, he would see her disgraced.  

Chapter 6 - Part V

Carbuncle's main factory was singing farewell to its labourers when a loud crash through its ceiling introduced a pair of unexpected guests. A monkey-like squeak escaped Winny when he heard the noise. [npc=misc]"I think it came from the forbidden section!"[/npc] He shouted, looking down the long corridor to where the two guards stood vigil over the heavy metal doors. Their faces were white as a sheet from what Winny could tell. Even they dared not look inside. 

A moment later, more impacts cracked out of the same section. It was likely more of the roof had collapsed. [npc=misc]"Maybe we should go see what's happening in there! It sounded like something broke,"[/npc] Winny said, driven partly by fatal curiosity and partly by genuine concern for the wrought-iron creature that was the building. 

Before Pinako had a chance to talk sense into the impatient boy, he ran to the door, hurrying his tourists along behind him. Only when he reached the guards did he come to a screeching halt. 

The two riflemen wore green boiler suits and angry frowns. [npc=pirt]"Where the hell do you think you're going, you brat? You know you're not allowed in here,"[/npc] one of them growled. 

[npc=misc]"I just wanna fix whatever's broken back there, guys. I'm sure ya heard the wrecking noise too. Just let us in—I promise I'll be faster than the wind,"[/npc] Winny pleaded. But, his promise was not enough. He doubted he would get another opportunity to peek behind that particular curtain, so his head turned to his guests in hopes that one of them might have a more convincing argument to make.

Behind the forbidden doors was a hot and stuffy room with a vaulted ceiling supported by sturdy steel beams. Three streaks of daylight poured through the roof, dispelling some of the blackness. Two figures shuffled out of the waning dark, groaning and grunting.

[npc=cmdr]"Dammit. I think that fat bastard may have been playing us this whole time. What a mess,"[/npc] the shorter figure grumbled. He rubbed his shiny scalp and picked at his many bruises.

[npc=cmdr]"Ah zink zuh Aayon Beez bok mah bag, Godli-zan,"[/npc] the taller one said. He dusted himself off and popped a few bones. His back curved like an old man's as he walked.

[npc=cmdr]"That makes two of us. But, it looks like he might be breaking more than just our backs today. We need to get together with the rest of the gang and get the hell off this island before the Iron Beast gets into a fight with Nine Grain. This town's probably screwed if those two assholes start whacking at each other here,"[/npc] Gotli said as a shiver raced down his spine.

[npc=cmdr]"Looks like we fell into a dangerous place,"[/npc] the bald man continued with apprehension as he studied their landing zone. Countless cylinders clad in thick steel stood tall around them, with pipes twisting in and out. Many of them hissed, while a few others whistled, and each one of them quaked as if seething with rage. Gotli had just started to make out the faint letters embossed into one of the cylinders when he heard another crash from the ceiling.

[npc=cpol]"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised the two of you are still alive,"[/npc] said a stinging voice they had heard minutes ago. The inflection in his speech seemed to be well-architected to trigger his targets.

[npc=cpol]"The rest of my team will be joining us shortly. What do you say we have a chat until then? Assuming that buzzing fly leaves me alone long enough,"[/npc] the swan said, glancing up through the holes in the dome.

Only a moment ago, the Cipher Pol chief had been targeted by the moronic weasel, who seemed stubbornly set on believing Langhorne's unbelievable fabrications. The insane woman had now even escalated to direct assault. It had taken a few skillful circles around the area for him to lose her and call for backup, but he wouldn't bet any money the bloodhound had lost his scent for good. 

While the intruders in the main factory played their parts, the blasts on Carbuncle's shore only grew louder. The temporary crew of the flame-marked ship landed with the zeal and vigour of a thousand warring apes. Even with a small crew, they easily cut down the defence that met them on the shore. Some forty valiant marines fought their way through the docks, while fifteen nimble Cipher Pol agents darted through the backstreets to rendezvous with their chief.

A second violent roar matching the one they'd heard a few minutes before came sailing down to town. In the distance, Bradley spotted a beast tearing out of a structure built into a cliffside. It was as if the mountain itself was giving birth to the monstrosity that was the Iron Beast, Rubill Silver. Bradley's fingers danced on the hilt of his sword with anticipation. 

Back at the mountain, the dinosaur charged through the front wall with a howl and leapt off the metal platform outside. Like an earth-splitting asteroid, he fell amidst the buildings below, flattening them into crumpled sheets of scrap and dust. It would take him a few moments to get back on his feet.

Meanwhile, up in the offices, Nesbit whined in the dark, digging himself out of the debris the swan's charge had buried him into. He corrected his posture with a few stretches and wiped away the grime off his spoiled suit with a patterned handkerchief. 

But, he soon realized he was not alone. 

Clearing his throat, he spoke to the grey-haired stranger with a composed voice, [npc=pirt]"Just who might you be, skulking in the shadows? What secrets have you spied? What lies have you told?"[/npc]