Chapter 100 (1/2)

Grandline, New World, Solaris island

While Azul was watching the sun sinking down behind the edge of the ocean far off in the horizon Shanks had silently disappeared to wake up his crew. Going by said mans body language, Red-hair was tense and justly so. After all Whitebeard didn't carry the title of strongest man alive for nothing. Something that even one of the four emperor's of the sea had to respect.

As the sun had disappeared from the sky completely and darkness engulfed the small normally so relaxed island the villagers ignited many torches to illuminate the major places around the island. This, coupled with the heavy atmosphere that had descended on Solaris after everyone had learned of Whitebeards appearance, brought a rather eery quality with it as shadows danced in the flickering light of hundreds of torches as if ghosts and spirits of the past were dancing and mocking the people still remaining in the land of the living.

Thus the party that had raged until a couple minutes ago was already forgotten, replaced with a nervous anticipation for what was to come.

Shanks all the while had thrown his black cape over his shoulders and sheathed his saber at his hip and was now sitting with a contemplative look on his face on a tree stump a little away from the majority of his crew, no doubt gears turning in deep thought.

While Azul was still sitting with Robin in his arms the Moby D.i.c.k had gotten close enough to the island and was now letting rowboats down into the ocean after which the crew of the Moby D.i.c.k began to board said rowboats except a select few that were to remain behind and guard the ship for any kind of reason.

With splashing sounds that grew louder the closer the small sh.i.p.s got the Whitebeard pirates soon arrived at the beach of Solaris, the gigantic figure of Whitebeard amongst the first to set foot on the island. Under the crunching of the sand beneath his feet Whitebeard walked over to the now assembled crew of Shanks and the the calmly sitting Azul that was observing Whitebeard as said man came closer.

'Truly, strongest man alive is indeed a fitting title. Only masters spirit has illuminated the night just as strongly and that was at the end of his life...' Azul thought to himself with a neutral look on his face with memories surfacing in the back of his mind, his masters grinning face flashing forth now and then.

Around 10 meters away from the red-hair pirates Whitebeard came to a stop and mustered the line-up before him with a calm expression on his face. Only seconds later Shanks pushed his way through his tense crew and walked over to stand opposite Whitebeard whos body was bathed in the flickering lights of the nearby torches, giving his already intimidating figure a menacing quality that sent shivers down many a sailor.

”It has been a long time since we last met, Whitebeard...” Shanks said in a diplomatic fashion, not knowing the reason behind Whitebeards sudden appearance on Solaris, to keep every evenue on how to proceed from there open to him.

”The last time we met you were just a cabin-boy under Roger together with that funny rednose. What happened to him?” Whitebeard replied with a monotonous voice that grolled like the crashing waves in its deepness.

”Ohh, Buggy? We split up after the captains execution. Last I heard of him he was somewhere in the Eastblue, no doubt causing trouble for everybody, bwahahahaha” Shanks answered with a humorous tinge to his ruminations causing him to laugh a little that slowly subsided after a few seconds leaving silence behind in its wake.

”Why are you here, Whitebeard?” Shanks asked, all humor gone as if a switch had been turned.

Though before Whitebeard could reply another voice interrupted the mens discussion.

”He is here because of me, or...us? Either way, you get my point.” Azul said with a monotonous voice while his huge frame stepped forth from the shadows, craddling Robin in his arms while said woman clung to him like a sleepy Koala to its tree.

As he did so the eyes of a few Whitebeard pirates widened once they laid eyes upon Azuls enormous height that wasn't all that much shorter then their captains while shivering under the mans passive aura that surrounded him like a cloak making a few of the mens knees shake slightly.

”I see that my daughter has gotten rather attached to you...and so have you it seems, gurararara” Whitebeard said after a few seconds while Azul came to a standstill besides Shanks, Robin craddled in his arms like a precious gem.

”...Attachment is the wrong word I think. But I do care for her a lot, yes. I suppose that makes you my father-in-law or something, right old man? Hahahaha” Azul answered at first blankly which soon morphed into a slight grin on his face which was accompanied by his chuckling, dumbfounding alot of the sailors listening in on their conversations.

”GURARARARARARARARARA! You are one shameless little brat, aren't you? Gurarara” Whitebeard replied, his bellowing laughter echoing over the beach in its penetrating deepness.

Shanks meanwhile had developed a little sweatdrop on his forhead as he now understood why Whitebeard truly had come to Solaris frustrating him just a teny tiny bit in the process.

After all he had sacrificed his passive drunkeness for those two morons before him which had taken him weeks to accomplish!

”Besides the matter with my daugther there is another matter we need to discuss.” Whitebeard said while sitting down into the warm now slowly cooling sand beneath him.

Whitebeards words caused Shanks to perk up again while Azul only nodded.

”Give me a second. I'll put Robin to bed real quick.” Azul said his feet igniting in billowing flames after which he disappeared in thin air causing the men watching to widen their eyes due to his speed while Whitebeard only nodded and Shanks let himself fall down into the soft sand not too far away from Whitebeard.

Appearing at their hut Azul opened the door and walked inside. Pulling the cover back he put Robin down and after taking of her clothes put the cover back over her while Robin was mumbling something incomprehensible in her sleep, bringing a soft chuckle out of Azul.