168 The sendoff (1/2)
Throughout his life on the seas, he had had to bid farewell to many crewmates. It never got easier.
At least, he could take joy in the final moments of parting. After all, there were still things to be done. Barnie the old man, was one of the few members of his crew still without a bounty, so there was not much reason to worry.
The town below was infested with activity, the chattering of people all around raising the young pirate from his thoughts. The town was preparing for a celebration. In fact, the celebration was to do with the old pirate and his newborn son.
The enclosed town was more than happy to celebrate it, after all it was not every day that a child was born here, in addition when one was to consider the fact that it would be the new born child to the Mayor's family the people felt that there was all the more reason to party.
Shanks' crew was more than willing to cooperate. The bunch of scallywags had deserted their captain the first chance that they got, dumping the hungover man on a small sack of potatoes on deck before they ran into town.
He could see Lucky Roux in the side, alongside a particularly scandalized couple as he roasted a pair of fish over a makeshift barbecue, his hands dripping grease and a arsonist's smile on his face. His glasses gleamed with a particular spark of malcontent as he roasted the food.
The crew's cook had taken it upon himself to take control of the food facet of the celebration, taking great joy in the scene of the various pastry chef and otherwise running around town looking for the most exotic of ingredients like headless chickens.
It was safe to say, that nothing was safe from the ambitious fat man's outstretched and vile fingers. Shanks could not help but retch at the times that Roux had fed the entire crew a horrible dish because one of his experiments had run awry.
To the other side with the decorations, Yasopp stood a pistol in hand as he attempted to peg the massive banner into the temporary wooden beams that Ben Beckman had helped erect. Of course, he had failed, and the only thing stopping the blacksmith from chewing out the hazel haired sniper was the dangerous looking weapon in his hands.
With a small burp and groan the red-haired pirate rose to his feet. He nursed his head with one hand as he ran another down the side of the gangplank. As the captain of the crew he could not be seen moping. The least he could do for Barnie was a good send off.
The rest of the day passed in a blur, and as it went by the New World hot shot could feel himself getting happier and more carefree. The first thing that came to his mind was no longer battles on territory that had to be fought, but more how a pink banner would suit the rosy atmosphere of the baby's welcome party. God! Shanks had become a party planner!
In fact, at the end of the day when the man that had been sent with Barnie and his wife to the doctors in the next town returned, shanks found himself in a clown's apparel. Full with white face paint, red fake nose (that eerily resembled another pirate that he knew) and all.