172 Fishman Island: Laurel

They wore a huge trench coat and a top hat, both with tinted a sandalwood brown. A small horde of fishman followed them, a burly man in the lead roaring curses as they made their way through the streets.

"Thief!!" The man screeched as his tone rose shrilly. You could already see that he was tiring. His frame would not allow him to indulge in as much activity as he was doing, sweat pooled from his pale mottled blue face as he grimaced in anger.

The men behind him roared in assent at the man's assertion, though it was clear to the common bystander that they had no stake in the chase. They were merely here for the fun of it all.

The figure in the front quickly dipped into a narrow passage that streaked to the right, rancid stench filled the air as broken pipes leaked faecal matter onto the pale black stone.

The burly man groaned as he breathed in, clenching as much of his stomach as he was able, before shimmying into the narrow spot.

Instantly the small mob that he had assembled deserted him.

It was all fun and games until you smelled for days.

"Stop!" the man roared huffing through his visible canines. "Return my item to me at Once!" He continued as he chased after the figure.

At the very end of the narrow passage light could be seen streaming through, the passage was no doubt a connector between two streets in the market. The cloaked figure instantly whirled around, the shawl they were wearing on their faces came undone swaying to the side.

A pair of cunning green eyes regarded the figure as a mischievous grin spread over the petite mouth. A small curl of blonde hair streamed down from the cap as the now identified women smiled.

Her pale grey webbed fingers pulled the silver instrument from her breast. It was a lyre.

Then with a light tap of her fingers, she began to play...

*******

Rein snorted softly as he walked through the market place, hawkers roared from every side, though whenever they saw the little entourage of pirates they could not help but lower their voice staring at their figures with suspicion.

The small group consisted of Fawkes, Barts and Rein. The captain had decided to stay back on the ship, while Scipio who had originally wanted to join the group had to be diverted when one of the snails began to twitch and beep.

Sorren had no interest, and had instead decided to give Terrick an examination after the recent scuffle that they had been a part of. Angella had been quickly dissuaded when the captain had dragged her under deck showing her a half completed blue print that he wanted her opinion on.

That left Rein and Barts forced to accompany Fawkes on his constant journey to find new and interesting cuisine! At least that was what he claimed. At this point everything that Fawkes prepared was so tasty that he didn't care what it was, the lines between the different forms of food had become blurry.

Finally, Fawkes stopped his monotone march, dragging the duo over to a bright yellow tiger shark sitting on a small wooden stool. On his table was a whole host of different fish, each with a vivid and different colour.

"What's the speciality old man?" Fawkes asked as he bit his bottom lip. He had been unable to identify some of them, and that bugged him.

The fishman regarded the small group with narrowed eyes before he looked over at his goods.

"The lanky one, it's called a Floundering Farwer . We only get a few hundred every week." He said with a clipped tone as he introduced a thin and bony fish us to.

Fawkes ran his finger over the creature's side with a contemplating look.

"How does it taste?" Aha now the man asked the important questions!

"Eh a little spicy with a strange tang." The fishman replied as he looked over Fawkes with an appraising look.

"I'll take it! Also put in the grey one and the Tonal Traunt" he said pointing at a fairly large grey fish and a colourful blue and orange one.

The fishman nodded as he proceeded with the transaction, a hint of surprise could be seen in his eyes when Fawkes handed him the money.

"You lot are actually paying!" he remarked a measure of surprise that had Rein questioning how the man made a living.

"We aren't poor enough to have to swindle sellers in the streets." Fawkes replied curtly as he began to look around.

"But ya'll are pirates no?" the fishman asked, now much more comfortable with the conversation.

Rein could not help but chuckle at what the man was insinuating. He was calling all pirates poor, and he could relate. He too had a similar idea before he came to sea.

Fawkes smiled as he looked at the man, nodding politely as he began to walk over to another stand with green seaweed sprawled over.

Unfortunately for him however, a sudden brown meteor shot towards him, running quickly enough to surprise the first mate.

"IIIIITTTTTTTTT DIDN'T WOOORKKKKKKKKKK!!" the figure screeched as she ran, her cap bent over her head as he barrelled head first out of the small group of scandalized shopper running straight at Fawkes.

Fawkes dodged to the right smartly reaching for the figure's hand in curiosity.

"Stop her!!" A roar sounded out as a huffing and wheezing fishman waded through the crowd.

Rein looked on in bemusement as the women was forced to a stop, before she shot a distressed look over her shoulder and pulled Fawkes forward. "We run!" she muttered as he barrelled forward, dragging a baffled Fawkes with her.

As if the situation was not absurd enough, the orange tiger shark took this moment to comment:

"Huh I knew it, all ya'll pirates are poor as fuck!"