#bc iunno not everyone likes having demons as inmates in your crew

[miraimisu]

Chapter 54 [EXTRA]

(that is the wrong header and we are going to ignore that)

So this chapter turned out to be 14k and that’s too long so I said “fuck it this chapter is very important” and the beginning isn’t needed so I’m posting it here! It also serves as a preview of some sorts for this chapter because it’s a very important chapter full of all that Pirate Stuff Goodness and I nearly cried revising it so instead of posting it on AO3 I’ll leave it here :>

HERE YOU HAVE A DELETED SCENE OF SORTS WOOSH

Warning: Moon being a dumbass and BROT3 foolery to ensue. Beware of me writing Moon as an absolute insane bean.

The Blackring is surprisingly supportive when it comes to boarding the ships and organizing their strategy, if their plan of 'sailing into the Soakedge Sea and getting the boss real good' qualifies as an actual strategy. Regardless, they still lend the three warriors their ships – frigates, Gladion thinks they are – their weapons and their intellectual support, and by the early afternoon of the next day, Moon, Gladion, and Hau stand in front of ten Blackring ships, all of them loaded with cannons and harpoons.

Moon watches the vessels with a proud smirk. "Look at those beauties! I can't believe we're gonna go all out on a ship war– just like the old times!"

"This is nothing like the old times!"

Hau regards the ships with the stark opposite of Moon's enthusiasm: he grimaces, a step back from everyone else as he braces himself for what's to come. "Dude, those ships look hella' pretty… but are we gonna go fast? Are we gonna take it slow? Though I'm maybe gonna pass out the second we set off, just a warning. How are we gonna do things, by the way? Do we get a ship for ourselves? Maybe each in one ship?"

One of the pirates approaches him, calm. "We can give you a pill or two for that stuff. We got some people who get all jittery on boats too; y'all are kinda weird."

Hau nods, swallowing a lump of nerves; Moon observes the ships with keen attention. "If each of us is gonna get one, I want," she points at one of the frigates, completely identical to the rest around it, "that one. It's by far the prettiest one."

The swordsman spends two seconds surveilling the ships, then turns to her. "Moon, they are all identical."

"No, they aren't– you just have no eye for ship aesthetics!"

All ships are the same in Gladion's mind, and as long as they work equally to one another, he doesn't care much about their aspect– well, there's one with a red and black flag that has called his attention, but that's a matter for a whole other day. The number of masts and the sizes of the sails are similar or identical, and none of the pirates accompanying them have made any remark about the matter.

"You three can spread around however you wanna. We're just gonna take you to the Blackring Keep and help you fight the fleet that will come out of there– though Moon might have more experience on that field than the two of you, so a little lesson for you two is in order," says the girl they had talked to before. "We'd usually let the boss give us details for these operations– he's great at that stuff, but we obviously can't rely on him now."

"Hm." Two fingers under her chin, Moon turns to her desired ship. "Then, I wanna take that one and lead the way."

"You can't lead the way," Gladion comments. "You don't even know where the way is."

Moon waves that fact off, stepping a little closer to the ships. "Beats me. As long as somebody tells me where to go, I'll be fine. I just wanna go first in case some dumb marauders wanna crash heads with us. I'm not gonna let any of you steal the kill from me and that's final."

"You just look eager to get your ship destroyed and that sounds very dangerous."

Her eyes flutter indifferently, hands on her hips. Moon points a thumb towards Gladion and Hau. "Put those two away from me. The superstar can't travel along with people who will hold her down."

"Wait, when did we officialize that name for our group? I don't wanna be the trio!" pouts Hau, following Moon along while Gladion silently asks for a painkiller.

"We never did," grumbles the blond.

A shake of her head. "I'm officializing it now as we speak, so I'm traveling alone. I'm not gonna go slow and easy, so all of you better keep up with my crew and my ship. The superstar always comes first!" Moon turns to the buccaneers, smiling. "I guess I can't get a ship for myself, right?"

"How would you command the cannons without people to help you?" asks one grunt.

She grins in response. "With lots of courage and insistence! And a little bit of luck. Being quick helps, too– but you raise a fair point, I guess. As long as you all don't rain on my parade, we'll be cool," she comments nonchalantly. She turns to Hau and Gladion again. "This is gonna be so much fun! We have never done this stuff in the sea!"

Gladion is aware that her idea of fun is tremendously extraordinary, so he decides to humor her. "I'm slightly concerned with this, though. Is the route to the keep safe?"

"It should be. We might find the fleet of the boss and a pair of sea monsters, but that's nothing our cannonballs can't handle," explains one of the grunts, arms folded. "The boss knows nothing about our, um, grand mutiny, to call it something, so he shouldn't have called for reinforcements."

"If we meet up with some of your bad friends, can we blast them away and let them sink? Or can we deal with it personally?"

Of course, it's Moon who speaks, her tone all too pragmatic to not be serious.

"Cannonballs are preferred in this case."

"Aw, shucks," Moon sounds downcast; her face is anything but. "I guess we should get going then, right? I can't wait to get to the keep, it sounds like the coolest place ever!" Moon cracks her knuckles; the noise is a bit too loud. A grinned smirk fills her cheeks. "Also, sorry to inform you that I can't wait to kick your bosses' ass."

"The feeling is shared, Miss," says one of them. The people surrounding the grunt nod in overwhelming agreement. "We're thankful for your help. Don't go too over the top with it. Let's keep it at a mild ship war and the rest should come easy."

"That's low-hanging fruit for her," grumbles Gladion, sighing. "We will do as much as we can. We aren't especially fond of any of you, but your help is also greatly appreciated."

The girl from the previous day nods. "We aren't fond of people like you either, but we gotta knock some sense into that guy's head. Be it violence, be it a cannonball to his head. We can't aim for that guy with the weird blue hair, but we'll save as much as we can."

Hau nods and triumphantly raises a hand in the air. "We're gonna kick his ass real bad! He'll never see us coming!"

Moon huffs a chuckle. "Considering there will be a little committee tracking us down for Plums' sake, they're gonna see us coming one way or another– but we're gonna sink those ships like we're playing chess! This is gonna be awesome!"

Gladion doubts that this will be half as fun as Moon is envisioning it, but as long as she doesn't crash her ship with his, everything should be fine.