immamartillo | 5th Hat Flip [Voice/Action]

[Voice]

[It's early in the morning-after a night of much boredom and little sleep- when Firo opens his journal.]

I've been wonderin': what kinda weapons do people use back where you guys come from? Where I live, people'll fight with anything from fists to tommy guns, but I figure everywhere's gotta have somethin' different.

[Action]

[Later that morning, Firo sets off running for the Battle Dome. He hasn't been too pleased with himself lately: he failed to be effective against the droids that attacked a few weeks ago, and then he couldn't even protect his friend from being mallynapped. Actually, ever since Ennis was kidnapped before his arrival in Luceti he's felt nagging feelings of uselessness. They've only been intensified by recent events.

He has to get stronger. The capos of his Family would be disappointed if they saw him like this. In the back of his mind Firo can practically hear Yaguruma berating him.

He spends most of the day at the Battle Dome, focusing on training until he's ready to drop (though feel free to interrupt him). Maybe trying to go so long without a break isn't a good idea, but that doesn't matter to Firo at this point. When nightfall comes, he wanders outside and slumps by the door, exhausted.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's easy to romanticize pirates. Adventure, freedom, chasing One Piece, but in reality very few are like Gold Roger or Whitebeard. They're wimps, cowards, and general weaklings.

The marines have a lot of problems, and I suspect Drake probably left more over those than he claims, but at least we usually have each other's backs. Pirates only protect their own damn crew, and plot against each other every chance they get. Exceptions to that are rare. But whether he can handle it or not is on him now.

Would the marines ever let him back? Doesn't sound like you can trust a guy who'd switch sides just to see what it's like.

[To Firo, it doesn't matter if the marines have problems. He's been taught that you never leave your organization and that those who do deserve death.]

No, he definitely would not be allowed back.

Even if he wanted to be a shichibuaki, which I doubt, they're not going to forgive that easily.

What's a...

[He pauses to try and get the pronunciation right.]

What's a shichibuaki?

Seven warlords of the sea. They're legalized pirates. They have their bounties forgiven in exchange for a cut and they're called in to fight other pirates.

It's bullshit.

[It's starting to sound like there's a lot of jumping ship and switching sides in Smoker's world. Firo's faintly disgusted, but decides he shouldn't be too surprised. There'll always be a good amount of people looking out for their selfish interests.]

Still, sounds like it'd be a pretty sweet deal for him if he got caught or somethin'.