The sea took up a vast majority of the world. The sea was the beginner of life, offering both a sustenance for those on land as well as a home for those who considered the water to be home. It was so ironic how the world treated what it created. The water allowed life for the land. The land gave birth to the Devil Fruits, coveted by all who wanted power. However, the water was also what offered the sole weakness of the Devil Fruits. The one power that Land created that the Sea itself could not house was violently attacked by the very water that gave Land life. Was that not just the definition of irony?

That strange occurrence perhaps was what made it so odd for Idaru's appearance within the star shaped island of Crescent Island. He was not there for the indigenous people, nor was he searching to increase his martial arts or medical knowledge while there. He was here in search of one of two things. A family to call his own, one that he could protect with his own two hands, and a devil fruit. How ironic that the man who planned to travel the world in search of his goals, using the very water that encompassed the planet so fully, was in search of the very thing that the Oceans despised so much. There was reasoning behind his intentions, of course, but none that were worth going into just yet.

Making his way through the village and into one of the restaurants that the indigenous people created, housing unique and odd foods, he helped himself to a seat at what could only be described as a bar. The drinks that were offered were strange, technically being alcoholic but often weak in their kick. Ordering a couple of dishes of meat as well as a beverage, he began to eat in silence. As far as he could tell, he was currently the only foreigner on this star shaped island. Considering he was not looking to find his family at such a permanent address, that meant he was only truly planning on finding a devil fruit here. Even so, it appeared his searches had been unfruitful thus far. Sad, really- But what was he to do?

Appearance:

The sun was beaming down on the earth with little to no clouds in the sky here at Crescent Island. A perfect day for many to be out, including the medical samurai, Marcel Law. This isn't the red eyed pirate's first journey here as he was here many times before, choosing the jungles that resides here as his training spot. Simply training in a dojo like in Karate Island wouldn't be much of a challenge, despite its interesting foes. The thrill of possibly losing your life to the many beasts within the jungle served as better practice. Despite his distant, and rather stay out of conflict attitude, nothing got Law's blood pumping more than the possibility of death if one wasn't too careful.

This however would actually be his first journey into the village of this island. After recent events, Law has managed to make it onto wanted posters much to his displeasure, so going into a highly populated area was certainly the last thing he wanted to do, but from the many times he has journeyed here, he noticed that there was an absence of marine activity. Still, one has to be careful of any possible threats, so had on his usual iron chest plate, safely equipped, and completely hidden within his attire. He also had a small black case hidden in his pocket, containing three pills he has crafted himself with the ability to increase ones speed, and of course his prized katana crafted for him by a friend back in Shimotsuki sheathed, and strapped to his left hip.

The samurai walked through a small market section, doing some brief window shopping before leaving the area. Some of the residents were friendly, and greeted the man as they walked by, while others whispered amongst each other about him. After his brief walk, Law stumbled upon a restaurant, and decided to go in for something to drink, despite his past conflicts with establishments. The smell that filled the air within this building was certainly exotic, and hard to describe. The aroma along with the entire atmosphere of this place in general was amazing compared to that run down crook infested bar back at Briss.

Law took a good look around while walking up to the bar at the friendly faces that inhabited most of the seats, brining a small smile to his face as well. Marcel finally took a seat at the bar which only had another guy sitting there before. "A glass of water, please." the samurai asked the bartender politely in which she nodded before stepping back to get his request.

A small sigh escaped the pirate's mouth. It was rare for him to have opportunities like this where he could just relax.

Equipment:

Idaru glanced at the seat beside him as someone took its place. The man looked different than the rest of the indigenous people here, his skin seeming sheltered from the constant rays that beat down upon the island. As the young man took his seat, the Alpha's eyes shot over what he could see at first. All he could tell about this man was that he was someone who planned on taking care of himself, a sword on his person. Quite interesting, and it was the first time on his travels that he met someone else who appeared to be a traveler.

As the young man ordered a glass of water, Idaru refocused on the mans face for a half a second before returning to his food. The man seemed to have delicate features, looking unlike someone who had seen much combat. Looks could always be deceiving though, couldn't they? Finishing his meat dish in silence and sipping at the odd beverage that accompanied it, he contemplated whether or not he should make conversation. Well... For one who wanted to find himself a family, he certainly wouldn't do so while basking in his own silence.

"Hello there." Glancing at the mans direction and sliding his now empty plate away from him, Idaru allowed for a confident smirk to overtake his face. Holding his glass up, as if suggesting a toast, he decided to see if this man had any personality. "It's rare I bump into other people who are so obviously travelers. What brings you to the Southern Blue?"

The sound of a plate lightly screeching the counter caused the samurai to glance over to the direction of the noise to see the person next to him raising a glass in his direction. Law raised an eyebrow, but wasn't too surprised of the random gesture. It's not the first time he was pulled into a conversation in a bar before. Unlike that encounter however, this guy appeared sober, and has some form of courtesy.

"Was actually raised in this Blue." he responded in a casual tone as he continued to glance. What caught his attention the most was that scar on his cheek. What stories that scar could tell, however it wasn't any of Marcel's concerns. The pirate's attention was then switched back to the bartender who returned with his water. "Thank you." he said with a brief bow while she gave him his glass. Marcel glanced down at the water before picking up the glass. "Had some business to take care of." he continued, twirling the glass around a little with his eyes fixed on the rotating water.

This "business" he spoke of was something he didn't want to think too much about. Just vaguely bringing it up like this was enough to put a worried expression on his face. He stopped twirling the glass, and said, "Then I stumbled upon this island, mainly spend my time training in the jungles on the outskirts." He took a sip from his glass before placing it down, and looked over to the guy, asking, "I take it you're not from around here?" thinking it would be rude to not ask in return.

Idaru lost the swagger that had overtaken his aura when the young man brought up business. Whatever that business was, it seemed like a solemn activity. "I'd have offered to take up your tab for you, but it seems like your tastes are just too expensive." A little bit of dry humor, hoping to raise the spirits of the man quicker. He had noticed the eyes that hesitated on his cheek, but he couldn't blame him. All this told him was that this man, similar to him, looked into the ones he met.

Upon bringing up training though, it confirmed Idaru's suspicions that this person was a warrior, in one way or another. "I am from a little no where town on a little no where island." What he said was entirely true, despite the fact that probably anyone said that. Anyone from a place that they wanted to forget, anyone who was hiding someone, would answer the same way. In Irdaru's case, though, it was the truth.

"Well, I'm sure you came to this bar in the middle of no where to tell someone about your problems, life and plans." He said this with a very heavy sense of sarcasm in his voice before grinning at the man. "What made you all down earlier? Something crossed your mind."

"Pretty sure the water is free." Law responded in a plain tone, clearly missing the joke completely. He then looked down at the glass with his eyes lowered a bit before looking up at the bartender. "It is free, right?" he asked in hopes of confirmation. The bartender shook her head slowly, and pointed to the menu behind her with a nervous smile painted on her face.

"Hmm..." It wasn't not being able to afford it that was the problem. He was fine when it came to beli. It was the actually charging for a glass of water that bothered him. Sure, he had to pay in the last bar, but judging by how it looked, they needed the beli. Small things like this just made the medical samurai yearn more for his home country. He then brought his attention back to the guy next to him, smirking a little at his vague description. "Sounds exciting." he said with a bit of a sarcastic undertone. It was obvious that this stranger didn't want to go into detail about this, but then again no sane man would spill their guts out to someone they just met.

"Nope. I came all the way down here to "mingle" with some of these attractive women." he replied once more with sarcasm as well. A small grin grew on his face, but it would quickly go away at the man's next question. Law's gentle hold on the glass turned into a firm grip, looking back down at the counter. He remained quiet for a few seconds before looking up at the man. "How about you tell me about the "no where town" that you grew up in." Marcel responded with another smirk in an attempt to change the subject.

Idaru laughed a little bit. The subject change was pretty severe, and this man was turning into more and more of an unknown variable. He seemed a little bit ditsy, but then again everyone who had a bit of a personality could be. What really grabbed his attention was the color change in his fingers as he squeezed upon the glass of water in his hand. However, before he could press further, well... The subject change.

"Well..." He started, drawing out the last letters of the word in an elongated fashion. He sipped at his drink a little more, wondering why the flavor was growing on him so fast. "There isn't a whole lot to say. There honestly isn't a name of my village, nor is the island mapped out. We farm, we fish, and those of us who want to leave early train. Most of the people who stay in that village are people who decided they want to retire somewhere where they will never be bothered again."

He looked at the man who was beside him once more, offering a grin. "Well, I delved into my little secret. Now how about you tell me about yours? After all, us strangers are nothing without our common courtesy."

As the stranger talked a little bit about his hometown, Law raised his glass up, and took another drink, finishing the cup before putting it back down. His story was interesting as well as mysterious. An unknown village on an unknown island? The world is indeed a large place filled with many locations yet to be discovered, but to meet someone who claims to be from such a place seems a bit odd to Marcel. Perhaps there was a reason he didn't want to give a name, or maybe there actually isn't one for it. Either way, Law wasn't going to pester on about it.

"Seems very peaceful there." Law responded as the bartender came up to him, offering a refill in which declined. Marcel looked back at the man before sighing lightly at his response. "I suppose you do have a point there." he added before rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I was born, and spent part of my childhood in the Wano Country, a place located far from these small blues." the samurai explained. This was clearly not what the stranger was talking about, but it was still information about himself nonetheless.

"I grew up with two older brothers, my mother was a doctor, and my father a "strict" samurai." Law would then turn his head around to look at the people here, laughing, and enjoying their time before continuing. "Me, and my brothers would always practice the art of the samurai on a daily basis. It was "interesting" but what really captured my attention was medicine, and how my mother would cure those who were ill." he said with a small smile finding its way on his face, coincidentally looking at a loving mother with three kids at one of the seats behind them.

"I wanted to pursue what my mother did as well as what my father did, however..." his smile would soon fade before turning back around to face the front of the bar, and to his empty cup. "My father didn't agree." The samurai briefly shook his head before making a small, "Heh." noise, looking over to the stranger.

"My apologies. I don't tend to ramble on about things. Especially to complete strangers."

Idaru laughed a little bit at that, shaking his head quickly as if to cover the tracks of his laughter. "Please do not misunderstand. I am not laughing at you, merely at the similarities between you and I." He looked the man in the eye before continuing, the grin very evident on his face. "You see, my mother was also a doctor. And my father taught me everything I know about protecting myself." His words remained vague in the form of avoiding exactly how he defended himself. Sadly, he still did not know enough about this samurai to feel completely safe in his company.

As Idaru finished the beverage that had filled his cup, he quickly asked for a water as replacement before sighing. "You know, it's crazy how we come out to these far off lands, sailing with the wind, looking for vague ideas of what we want." He laughed a little as the glass of water was placed before him. Sipping at it, he glanced over at the man beside him again. "Well about whatever it is that you keep getting tense about- If you need any aid, maybe I could help?"

Law raised an eyebrow at the man's sudden outburst in laughter. Did he say something funny? Marcel shifted his eyes to the side, thinking back at exactly what he said before the guy grabbed his attention again. "Similarities?" the samurai repeated. Marcel highly doubted that the two had anything in common until he started to speak. "Oh?" Was all that he could say with a somewhat enthusiastic tone, and eyebrows slightly raised.

He was a lot more interested in the fact that mother was also a doctor. Could he possibly be a doctor as well? The samurai always did have a tendency to want to talk to other doctors about medicine, how skilled they are, and what interested them most about it. His curiosity certainly increased from how it was before. The samurai listened to the man's beliefs about sailing with the wind. "Hmm, some people come all the way out here with a purpose as well. There are those that would rather follow their own instincts instead of being slaves to the wind." Marcel added.

Everything Law has done thus far has been planned by him, or another, believing that he is destined for something great, or rather something terrible. Marcel then shook his head about the strangers offer, saying, "To be honest. I am still trying to grasp this as well. I do appreciate the help though." Law then rubbed his chin slowly with a pondering expression on his face. "Funny. We've been talking all this time, and yet we don't know each others name."

Idaru nodded as the young man spoke about those who refused to become slave to the waves. He had a point, he assumed. However, it was hard to take such control over ones destination when they didn't know where they were going. "I envy that you have so much faith in your destination." It was true, he was. He himself had yet to find a destination, nor a family. How long until he would understand what it was he was looking for? How long until he found a Nakama?

"Of course, and of course. My name is Idaru Shuka, I suppose you could consider me a free agent right now, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. And you?" Idaru looked at his new acquaintance with genuine interest. Honestly, this man had proven himself to be nothing if not an enigma. Who was it that he was making acquaintance with? Was he a pirate, a marine, maybe something else entirely? Who was he?

"Marcel Law." the man answered with a brief nod. He wasn't entirely sure what to call himself, but from his past conflicts, and encounters, people would claim him to be a pirate. However, he didn't really see it like that. "I'm just a fish out of water I suppose." he commented with a stale joke, that was of course true at the same time.

Sure, he has been away from his home country for years, and should be completely settled in with this new life of his, even wearing attire that's not native to Wano, but he still couldn't help but feel out of place in this area, filled with rather strange characters. Marcel glanced up at the menu. He wasn't thinking about what to order, but instead about what Idaru told him earlier. "I envy that you have so much faith in your destination." Law shook his head at the irony of it. Despite what the samurai said before, he has little to no clue about what he is heading into.

Just recently he learned that the sabretooth like tattoo on his left shoulder isn't actually a tattoo, but a "curse". That he is apparently being targeted by a cult of some sort responsible for the brand, and just recently lost his step father, who was more of a father to him than his actual father due to this. Law snapped out of his miniature daze, and looked back at his acquaintance. "Ah, my apologies." he said with a brief bow. "You said your mother is a doctor as well if I remember correctly. Does that mean you've dabbled a little in medicine as well?

Idaru nodded slightly, drinking about half of the glass of water that was left. "Here and there, helped my mother with patients when she needed a spare hand. Dabbled in medicine, identifying herbs and creating new medicines for specific reasons. It has definitely made traveling alone a bit easier, and hopefully it'll be more help to those I meet." He looked at the man beside him, wondering more and more about his new friend.

"What about you? Your mother was a doctor, and I can infer that you are into medical practices as well. How long have you been involved in it?" He was genuinely curious, not just asking out of common courtesy. After all, this was something that linked the two and made the possibility of them become more than just acquaintances open up before them. This could be the budding of a friendship between doctors- Or more likely just a friendship between two men. What sort of wondrous medicines had this man created and discovered?

Law gave Idaru his full attention as he explained. It was certainly interesting to meet another doctor who learned from a similar background. The place slowly became more lively as people began to pour in. "Interesting." Law complimented with a light grin. It was good to see that there are still good people left in this world, something that Marcel believes he's not. "Hmm." the samurai thought a little about The Alpha's question before answering.

"Suppose it's not too different from how you learned. I use to watch my mother almost on a daily basis, taking notes. I've even crafted my own medicines as well as conducted a surgery recently." The samurai said as he leaned back with an amused smile on his face which would soon disappear. "But as I said before, my father didn't approve of this, and would get into fights with my mother about this eventually leading me here to the Blues." the pirate added before closing his eyes, letting out a small chuckle.

"My mother would've been proud." Law finished with a stretch, glancing back at the now packed restaurant, blinking a few times in confusion. "Hm? When did this happen?" It wasn't like Marcel to lose track of time, but he hasn't had an interesting discussion like this in a while. A casual conversation with someone he can call a friend.