he beating sun torched many things on the summer island, unprepared desert travellers, towering caucuses and scorpions. At this point, it torched one other being, under his black leather jacket, soaked in seawater, coated in sand. Approximately three months ago, the raging storm pushed Gideon's stolen vessel through Reverse Mountain. With no time to restock at the Twin Capes and banging his head on mast, Gideon was stuck on the seas for months upon months, with no direction. On the third month at sea, his supplies faltered, crashing on the deck from dehydration and exhaustion. Climbing off the vessel, he didn't get far before crashing on the coast. Staring into the scorching sun's embrace, Gideon accepted that this was the end of the road. He didn't die in combat, or at the mercy of the very big names he desired to crush but by the cruelest enemy and supporter of man, nature. It was a blur to him but the next thing Zion remembered was awakening to the bandages on his head being changed. She was beautiful, the woman's brazen skin, long flowing black hair and piercing marble like eyes mesmerised him. The first sight Gideon glanced as his conscience came to, "I'm in hell. It's too hot and your too beautiful for this to be heaven. I'm pretty sure this is how the Devil would trick me." Gideon uttered, muffled, still groggy from the mild concussion he suffered from the ship wreck. "I assure you this is not hell. Far from quite actually, this is Alabasta." the woman said, gracefully changing his bandages. Coming to, Gideon realised that he was wearing nothing but a peer of briefs. Covered by the sheets, the sun was now gently lighting the room, Gideon assumed it was getting later in the evening from the cast of the sun.

Waiting for the family to fall asleep, Gideon rose, grabbing his jacket and clothes from the basket nearby. Launching himself through the window, using chi in his finger tips, the man scaled the simple two story house, landing on his feet. Bowing towards the house, Gideon began to usher his way through the flourish night life in the city he had yet to learn the name of. Starving but no money to buy himself a meal, Gideon took a seat at one of the nearby outside open area pubs. On the table was a collection of newspapers, picking up the paper, Gideon checked the date as well for the location of the news being reported in. "Local Crime Syndicate Boosts Sand Ships for Bandits..." Gideon said, reading the parchment's headline and the article. The waiter arrived at the table, "Welcome to the Rainy Stop Pub, one of the premier pubs in Rainbase! Can I get you anything,sir?" the waiter inquired. "Rainbase huh... Is that what' this place is called?" Gideon asked the waiter in an intimidating tone. "Ugh.. Umm... Yes sir..." the man responded confused and startled. "Great. Tell me where this Q guy... The man's whose suspected in boosting ships!" Gideon exclaimed. Everyone around eating their meal froze, even the waiter dropped his tray, petrified to even answer the man's question. "Hey... Kid." a man sitting adjacent from Gideon, two tables over got up and exclaimed loudly.  "You got alotta nerve accusing our boss of boosting ships shorty... Who are ya' with?" the 6'2 feet man asked angrily. Gideon leaned back in his cheer, making direct eye contact with the behemoth of a man. "I'm the best booster from the South Blue and I need some work. My prices ain't cheap though, fam'" Gideon said calmly. The man smiled, leaving a tip on the table and advancing towards Gideon. "If ya' lying I'll rip your arm off as compensation." the man said, tapping Gideon on his shoulder as a sign to follow.

 

he desert air was pure, it's contents filled Gideon's lungs as he followed the thug through the busy night light strip of Rainbase. The lights from the Casino, though approximately 1km or so away from their current position could be seen from their position, filling Gideon's heart with excitement for the journey ahead. Stalls selling various perfumes, belly dancing services, restaurants and a variety of snazzier pubs than the one both men had met initially. A Swing Jazz type beat travelled within the vicinity from a live band that playing at an open air pub, opposite the building the two men now entered. The entrance was guarded by two muscularly built gentlemen, though, they gave neither Gideon nor his escort a glance, the men advanced up the steps of a three story building. Arriving on the second floor, they entered a professionally styled office, one you'd find in more high end marine bases across paradise. The table was made of maple wood, leather chairs and a variety of thugs wearing turban's sat around the room, smoking cannabis and tobacco from their pipes, or at least from the smell of it. His plug, or well escort sorted to get nervous, which in turn put Gideon on alert. He could tell by the heavy perfusion that soaked his custom made tailor suit. "Boss." the man stated proudly, dipping to his knees. "I met this kid at the pub... He says he can boost ships." the man said, trembling. The man who sat in the chair, was around 6'5 in height and was well overweight, smoking a fat cigar, between his left hand which was covered in a variety of rings. All Gideon could think was 'Jackpot'. "Nitro... You bring a stranger, no offence to you kid, to my place... Talking about my business while you still owe me money for that shipment you lost. Uoohoolooo, you're a brave man." the boss exclaimed, with his peculiar laugh. "Q. Look listening to me... If this kid can fix our-" Nitro's words were cut off by the man slamming his fist on the table. "Which means you still don't have my money... Kid. How could are you around land vessels?" Q inquired, now peering Gideon directly in his eyes. "Land Vessels. Not sure whatcha' mean. I'm experienced with sea ships." Gideon said bluntly. "Uoohooolooo he's never even fixed land vessels, this is your excuse-" Gideon rose his hand, interrupting the man's statement. "I don't mean to be rude but I can fix any ship. Land or Sea, a ship is a ship. I don't mean toot my own horn but I'm one of the best, fam'" Gideon said with his southern accent.

"I like that confidence kid!" Q exclaimed, leaning back into the office chair. "Alright. You got a job. You start tomorrow. Tonight, eat, drink, screw to your hearts content. My girls will take care of ya'. I hope your not shitting me though... Cuz it'll be the last breathe you take." Q said sternly but zero wavering occurred in Gideon's eyes. Just a confident smile. "Now Nirto... as for you." Q said, pulling out a pistol from his drawer and resting it on the table. Gideon walked over to the man stooped over on his knees and gripped the collar of his suit. "I'll need the lug as an assistant. Just in case I need help moving parts or fetching additional equipment." Gideon said, dragging the man as he exited the room. "Uooloooo" the man exclaimed, resting the gun back into the drawer. "That kid just saved your life... Nitro. Don't disappointment me and work off your debt!" Q exclaimed, igniting his cigar. As the door closed behind Nitro and Gideon, the dingy blonde released the man's collar. The man wiped the snot from his nose, "Thanks.", the only word a prideful man like Nitro could say in a situation like this. Walking down the staircase to the ground floor, it seemed to be a lounge room filled with tons of leather chairs and gorgeous belly dancers. "Now then Nitro..." Gideon said walking over to the bar area. "They are a few things I want to know about our boss upstairs." Gideon said, patting the barstool adjacent from his.  

 

ights fashioned the colour of ember warmly lit the room that Gideon and Nitro now set in. Raising his fingers towards the barkeep, "I'll take two jugs of yer' best ale, punk!" Gideon exclaimed with a smile. Nirto sat at the table, head on the bar's top, sighing profusely. "Look. If ya' going to be down in the dumps all night, take a girl and go home. I'm trying to enjoy myself... I can't work on ships well unless I have a headache motivating me." Gideon said, peering over to the man who hadn't touched the glass of scotch he'd ordered earlier. The ice began to melt in the scotch, diluting the sugary alcoholic beverage. "I didn't mean to loose the shipment..." Nitro sat up, clutching onto his glass. "Look. We'd just scored over twenty ships from Jaya... Land ships are basically sea vessels with the bilge's coated in stronger metals, right!?" Nitro shouted, almost for affirmation. "I've never seen Land Vessels before but I'm assuming that's how they work. How'd you managed to loose twenty ships!?" Gideon exclaimed. "Two more." the man signalled towards the barkeep for more ale. "Like I said, we stole them from Jaya... On our way back to Alabasta, disaster struck. It was like a pillar of lighting descended from the skies. That took out the ship's with our navigator's who were leading our pack. It was almost as if it was purpose work!" Nitro exclaimed, downing the scotch. "A pillar of lighting... Your not making sense, punk. How is that even possible?" Gideon inquired. The man clutched his head, almost as if he had a headache, his body beginning to shake vigorously as if he was cold. "I DON'T KNOW GODDAMNIT!" the man exclaimed loosing his cool. "But- It did. Next thing you know this... arm came from the skies. This woman and the arm took up the ships into the sky... It closed. When I came to, only my vessel was left." Nitro declared. "Came to, meaning you passed out?" Gideon said, almost chuckling a bit. "Yeah." dragging out his word. "Lemme get this straight, oi. A fucking arm descended from the sky, wiped out your fleet, stole a few mind you, and then left only your ship?" Gideon asked with a puzzled look on his face. "If you told me that story I'd be pissed too, to be honest." Gideon said, finishing off one of the jugs of beer. "I returned to Jaya... Uncover of course. I asked around the city about the incident... The locals all said the same thing. 'The God of The Sky punished us for our spoils from the Kingdom in the Sky.'" Nitro said, hyperventilating near the end.  "The Kingdom in the Sky... Basically your telling me to believe that God robbed you?" Gideon said, sipping his other brew. "I knew he wouldn't believe me." Nitro thought to himself, "Why am I even telling him this story anyway-" the man's internal thought was interrupted by the man's response but it was so unbelievable, all he could utter was, "Could you say what you just said again?" Nitro asked."I believe you." Gideon said, finishing off his beer, ordering another six ales, this time, the barkeep poured them out with hesitation, the ale was quite strong and most people tap out after the third glass. Sliding three of the ale's towards Nitro and keeping three for himself, "Look. When I was training with my master... He told me stories of his travels. He's kind of a no-nonsense person. One time, after training was pretty rough, he told me a story about this so called Kingdom in the Sky. How he fell for this princess up their and got kick out the clouds... It was pretty ludicrous, ya know, oi." Gideon said, hiccuping at the end of his last word.

"Imagine how astonished I was. The man I believed in to never lie to me told me about a Kingdom in the Sky, everyone I told in town called him senile but I believed him, so I believe you. I told myself I'd go there one day." Gideon said, turning to the man smiling from the intoxication. Tears welled in his eyes, for the first time in months, someone actually believed his story. They were tears of both joy and astonishment. He couldn't believe the story he'd told to his family, his boss and his friends; the one that lost him everything and that no one believed was accepted so easily by Gideon."You said you wanted to know about Q?" Nitro inquired, the man asked wiping his tears. "Oh yeah, right." Gideon said, finishing off another jug of beer. "I'd like to know who I'm rip- I mean working for... What's the deal with Q? How is he in the paper for boosting ships but still walking free?" Gideon inquired. "Q's well connected in Alabasta... He has tons of Royal Family officials in his pockets. He also has protection from the local Sand Bandits who raid desert areas surrounding the Alabasta cities. The Royal Family has begun investigation on this building, we call it the 'Club House'. He has tons of 'Club Houses' across Alabasta. Well, more like his boss does." Nitro stated. "Boss? I thought he was the Kingpin." Gideon inquired. "Nope. The owner of the Club Houses and rising political figure within Alabasta allegedly runs the whole thing. A man who goes by the code name, Liger. Though, there's been a rumour going around the city that it's neither Liger or Q who owns the Club Houses, it's someone who it's rumoured that if you know his name, you don't last very long among the living." Nitro concluded, sipping on the beer. "Alright. So he's the boss underneath the bosses boss." Gideon said, confusing himself in the statement. "I know who my first target is then." Gideon thought. Lifting his jug, "Cheers." Gideon simply said, signalling to Nitro to raise his glass. The rest of the night was crazy, belly dancing performances and live bands, it all continued to the early hours of the morning, after which most people crashed wherever they fell.

 

cold rush befell the sleeping shipwright's body, jumping up to a seated position, he squinted his eyes, hangover fully in place to the words of Nitro saying, "It's time. Boss wants you to start work pronto." Gideon was blindfolded, thrown into the back of a horse driven carriage and relocated to another warehouse within the city in which a factory was stationed. Escorted into the building, the blind dropped and before him stood over twenty different vessels, twenty-three to be specific. Whistling, the shipwright's heart beat with excitement as he dashed from his current position, through the warehouse, inspecting each ship with his keen eye for detail. Via snail-phone, Q's voice was wired through the entire warehouse, "I heard you had a hell of a time last night kid. Now it's time for work. Before you are twenty odd-sum vessels that I need finished in forty eight hours, my last shipwright had an accident with some stairs... So you'd do well to remember that as well. He managed to add modifications to all of them but he didn't finish. If you manage to wrap this all up in time, I'll reward you handsomely with around a half million, cash." Q said before the transmission ended. Knocking on the wood of the ship's bilges, Gideon discovered an alarming factor. "He reinforced the bottom of all these crafts with brass and iron. I see, that's how they move along the sand, with sled like fixtures..." Gideon said, making his examination. "Sorry to say but your boss was getting bamboozled." Gideon concluded. "The metal he used to reinforce these ships... They are way to cheap and not durable, I can tell by the hallow sound they make when you tap on them. Steel would've been the best bet." Gideon stated. "Our last shipwright had a strict budget to follow... We make war vessels, they don't have to be durable just functional." Nitro informed. Walking up from the workshop towards the office where Q's men guard the door, Gideon shouted. "How much money did you pay the last guy to patch these ships up?" Gideon inquired loudly. Q getting up from the comforts of his office chair, opened the warehouse door. "What are you going on about kid... 10 Million for the upgrades, including weapons and sled enhancements." Q stated. "Brilliant, now I know what his budget is like" Gideon thought. "Well he did a bad job. Give me two million, I can give you better quality upgrades as well as three more ships." Gideon concluded.

"Ha. You talk a big game kid... You're going to do this all in two days. Impossible. Just do what I'm paying-" Q's words were interrupted by the man's next statement which brought him to a state of simple astonishment. "Oi. I'm not having my handwork's track record be degraded by some two bit patch job. Each of these ships cost around forty million a pop, including weapons I'm assuming. You're probably going to flip that and sell them for double or maybe even triple the cost. I'm telling you that for an additional two million, I'll increase their speed, durability and give you two more ships. What do you have to loose?" Gideon inquired to the mobster like figure. "Uooloohaha... Your crazy brat. I like it." Q said, dipping back into his office and opening his chest. Tossing a few million in a sack, he tossed it at Gideon. "Do your worst brat. Once you know that you've got my ass and your life on the line." Q said menacingly. Whistling, Q ordered two of his men to follow Gideon, in which Gideon responded. "I need you guys to go into town and get me these following items." Gideon said, running down the stairs over to the old architects work station. Beginning to write rapidly, Gideon outline the exact materials and amount's he'd need to finish the job, also placing price caps on how the money would be spent and broken down. "Don't bargain with any of them, get rough if you need to. I need all these amounts at these exact prices. Meanwhile, I'll get to work." Gideon smiled, placing Chi into his hands. Cracking his neck, the man began to rip away at the ships bilges, the wooden parts with his barehands and the metal parts with wrench crowbars.

 

ithin the hour a plethora of wood barrels arrived to the warehouse. The men heaved the large quantity of wood stock into the warehouse via manual willpower. Within in hours it filled the warehouse flooring, along with a variety of ores, iron and copper as far as the eyes could perceive. Gideon's hands were already quick at work, pre-heating the smelter machine within the storehouse. Grabbing a nearby shovel, Gideon began to stock the furnace with iron ore, at temperatures which would cause an erasure towards the impurity within the metal. It was paramount the temperatures within the heated fixture had reached it's peak and required levels for the job at hand to be completed. Hours trickled by and the ore's cores were ready to be smelted. Using the various smithery custom tools left behind from his predecessor, Gideon began to smelt the bilges in a streamline shape, leaving bends in their fram for the sled like structure required. This process repeated like clockwork, at rates that made the men onlooking the man's unique but yet keen eye for detail and professionalism watch on in awe. By the evening, his pace had been set. Twenty-five bilges bearings were formed and lined the floor of the warehouse. Now it was all about application labour and this time was subsidised by Nitro's assistance. Falling onto the floor, Gideon stared at the ceiling, covered in sweat, panting from exhaustion and starvation. "Alright. That's enough for now Nitro, you can take a break, I'll finish up the remaining ships myself." Gideon stated. The dead sound within the warehouse was complimented to the fact that everyone else had went back to the Club House to party and partake in the merriment but the two, well one shipwright and makeshift shipwright. "Why'd you promise him three more ships, Gideon?" Nitro inquired, tossing a cinnamon bun from the food rations towards Gideon. "Oh, I lied about that for my own supplies honestly." Gideon said grinning. The man's statement made Nitro spit out his bread, even in his zombie like state. "Then why promise him!?" Nitro shouted. "I needed to find out how much he trusts me. It was either that or kick the shit out of one of his closest men." Gideon said peering at Nitro. Gulping tenderly, "Never mind I guess." the man said. "He'll be looking for those three ships..." Nitro said, panicking as he now realised Gideon brought him into his lie, added to the fact he's already liable for the fleet he lost at sea.

Around the outskirts of the factory location, Royal Official in the Royal Family Court oversees his month long investigation. Peering through his telescope, he inspected the positions of his men as they surrounded the warehouse, taking out it's remaining guards and maintaining secured slots around the perimeter. Changing their clothes, the soldiers now dressed as Q's workers would, all in attempts to infiltrate his operation. The superior warrior's scimitar's glimmered as they bathed in the sunlight. "As soon as he returns men... We bust him." Babula said, impatiently biting away his fingernails.  

 

s the next day ushered in, Nitro passed out prior, literally having an anxiety attack over the fact that Gideon had revealed to him he's wasted Q's funds for materials for his own personal vessel. "Damn... Shit... Fuck... Mother..." Nitro uttered these words in his sleep as he twisted and turned. "Oi!" Gideon shouted, "The ships are done!" Gideon exclaimed. Q stood before Gideon with his jaw dropped almost to the ground, twenty-three ships were completely refurbished and completed as required. "I read the plans of your old guy and made some modifications. Working through the night it wasn't that hard with the supplies I had, to weld the bottoms and spruce up the weapon systems for the most part. You were using old cannons too. I modified them to fire up to two cannonballs without a need to reload. Well about ten of the vessels can, the others ones use too dated of a system but I indicate those custom' ones with the prime numbers between one and twenty-three, punk. Well, just look for the numbers in blue paint." Gideon said rambling on. "Ugh... Right. Alright boys... The shipment is done! Get these vessels out to the drop off point!" Q shouted. "Oh. I almost forgot, what about the additional three ships you promised me?" Q inquired grinning gleefully. "Oh. That was a lie. I needed the material for my own ship and wasn't going to pay for that out of my labour fee, so I had to come up with something." Gideon said smiling. Everyone in the room went silent, a pin could've been heard if it was dropped at this point. Q began to laugh, it was different from his regular nonchalant laugh, it had a darker undertone. Stomping towards Gideon in a slow manner, the man reached his hand out towards Gideon's face. Clenching his fist, an explosion went off through the building at this exact same point. A squadron of soldiers ushered into the warehouses focal northern and southern entrance points, approximately, thirty meters from Q's and Gideon current positions. Pulling out his pistol, Q's back turned from Gideon to the direction of the explosions sound, "What the fuck is going on!?" the man shouted, slightly pissed. Grabbing onto Nitro's collar, Gideon dashed into the shelving rows within the warehouse, using the commotion as a distraction to slip away.

The Royal Guard had struck the jackpot, commandeering almost half of the ships from Q's fleet, Captain Babula of the Royal Guard advance through the warehouse, scimitar's drawn slaying any and all foes that arrived in his path. Q realising the situation, attempted to exit through the Western section of the warehouse where he had several camels for escape prepped for situations such as these. However as he advanced towards the Western Area, Babula intercepted him at a junction within the hallways of the warehouse. "I figured I'd finally capture you, Q. I've been waiting so long for this moment." Babula said grinning, wiggling his dog ears in excitement. "Heh. I don't know what your talking about, on what charges do I owe this visit?" Q inquired calmly. "One count of pissing me off last week at your restaurant. One count of owing me a free meal and making me pay. Several counts of boosting ships and selling them to bandits." Babula said as he stomped his foot on the ground at every count he declared, out of pure frustration. "Is this about my people making you pay at my joint, come on Babz. I thought I sent a nice basket to your place. Just be cool." Q said, reaching into his jacket for a cigar. "You blow off my warehouse door... Got my men all nervous... Now's not the time for the Royal Family to be gong to war with me is it?" Q said, lighting his cigar and taking a few puffs. Spinning towards the man's position, grazing his scimitar against the mobster's neck, while Q's barrel stared the prince directly in his face, the two men simply grinned at each other. "You know... For a two bit bookie... You're pretty fast." Babula complimented him. "For a snot nose prince who doesn't know when to mind his own business... You're not bad ya'self." Q said, firmly puffing on his cigar.

Emerging from the shadows, launching one of the solider's between the two men, breaking their standoff was the dingy blonde hair shipwright. Cracking his neck, Gideon emerged from the shelves of the warehouses hallways, using the inventory as cover for hide and seek survival. Though, Gideon didn't escape because he was afraid of Q and his men, he wanted to asset the situation. "All the cards seem to be in my hand now, boss." Gideon said grinning. Babula looked to his escorting guards, "Who is that man?" he inquired. "Sir! He's the man whose recently joined Q's ranks. According to our research he's a pirate from the South Blue with a million dollar bounty on his head." one of the soldiers chimed in. "A million... Small fry. Everyone knows that to be chosen for the Royal Guard, you need to be at least valued ten times that in the eyes of the World Government." Babula said chuckling slowly. "I'll make you a deal, Q. I kick this snot nosed reject Scooby Doo wanna be's ass and you let me keep my supplies. And! I want double the original fee for my work on those ships." Gideon said smiling. "Scooby Doo...", the prince pondered earnestly trying to contemplate what in the word babble this man was spewing. Pointing his pistol at the shipwright, "Fuck you and that shit! You've tried to swindle too much money out of me-" Q's angry outburst was qualm by the force of Babula's scimitar amputating the man's wrist. "I don't get most of what you're saying ... but from what I gather, you assume you can defeat me. Please. Turn yourself over and lest this useless babble." Babula confidently stated as Q clutched his handless arm, falling to the ground. Q took off his overcoat, wrapping his hand with it, using the suit jacket as a bandaid for his now handicapped arm. "Deal! Go fuck yourself Babula! I'll pay you whatever you want!" Q shouted. "You never had any other option, Punk." Gideon said grinning.