Devil's Luck Pirates

With presentations done, the crew proceeds to savor every last bite of their post-victory meal.

At one moment, the thought of the food being poisoned crossed William's mind. But he quickly discards the idea of this lovable man doing such a thing.

-That was the best meal I had in ages! – Pearl says while sliding her scaly finger on the bottom of the bowl and licking it.

-I concur. I was getting tired of eating nothing but fish for the last weeks… – William complements after swallowing his last spoonful of stew.

-I'm more of a meat man myself, but this was good! – Ragnar comments after finishing his fourth bowl of stew. His Devil Fruit gave him a bigger appetite than ever before, apparently – That guy should come with us!

Ragnar's sudden suggestion makes everyone's ears perk up.

-That's a fantastic idea, my friend! – Duros says completely on board with the idea.

-Hmm guys, are you forgetting that this guy is a Marine? – Verona questions.

-Well, he didn't have much of a reaction after knowing we killed all of his comrades. – Duros ponders.

-Yeah, he doesn't look like the "everything for justice" type of guy. – Ragnar comments.

-Well, it certainly wouldn't hurt to ask. – William casually says – Gravy, my good man! – He calls out to the cook who's in the kitchen cleaning his pots and cutlery.

-Yes? – He says while continuing with his task.

-Tell us, are you like a fully sworn Marine official, or were you just helping out here?

-Well… I don't have an official rank. I'm just a hired cook. – Gravy responds humbly.

-So there you have it. – William says to his crew with a satisfied grin on his face. He's growing very fond of this Gravy fellow.

-He may not be a sworn Marine, but he was still working for them. – Pearl says – I'm just saying that it might be dangerous.

-I'll have to agree with Pearl here. – Verona adds – We can't just invite anyone to the crew. Especially someone that worked for the Marines.

The incident with Atom comes to William's mind.

-Ah, you guys worry too much! – Ragnar scoffs – If the guy tries anything, we'll just kill him.

His simple assurance gives William some peace of mind. They could just kill him, yes, but it will be difficult to maintain any leverage against the guy who's managing your food. One simple drop of the right poison, and they're all dead on a moment's notice.

-What do you say, Duros? – William asks his First Mate.

He seems to be considering this topic very seriously after receiving Pearl and Verona's input.

-…He seems like a good man to me. But the decision is yours, Captain. – He says with a serious tone.

William values his First Mate's opinion very much. But he has a bad habit of leaving the decision-making process to others.

After hearing everyone's opinion on the matter and giving it a few seconds of thought, William stands up and walks towards the kitchen.

-Gravy, my man! Congratulations, for you, are now the newest trial member of my mighty crew!

Gravy seems a bit taken aback by this. But as always, he quickly shrugs it off and goes with the flow.

-Oh… Well, I know if I refuse you're just going to kill me, so sure. I'll grab my things and head to the ship right away!

-You seem rather chill about this... – Verona says a bit put off by this man's carefreeness.

-I try to have a positive outlook on life as long as I'm able to keep doing what I love. – Gravy says with a warm smile.

The rest of the crew feel happy with this outcome, so they all give a warm welcome to their newest crew member.

After some time, the crew finishes looting the Navy ship. Aside from the map that William took before lunch, he also got a hold of some Marine uniforms. Just in case they need to blend in somewhere. He also made a point of taking a female uniform for Pearl. It's certainly better than what she's wearing now.

They also secured a good amount of medical supplies, ammunition for William and Verona's weapons, and the ship's cannons. While carrying some cannonballs to the Yogi Pooh, Ragnar spotted some javelins on the armory and decided to take them as well.

The kitchen was also stripped of its pots, pans, and cutlery together with all the food so Gravy can prepare a delicious dinner tonight.

Overall, it's a pretty decent loot for their first pillage in a long time.

After tossing Lieutenant Hubris' body back to his ship, the crew gives way to Pearl so she can have the honor of burning the vessel with her fire.

She happily comes forward and starts blowing hot flames on the side of the ship. For someone who hated pirates not long ago, she surely enjoys playing the part.

It takes some time, but soon enough the flames completely consume the Navy ship as smoke rises to the sky. This could have been more beautiful if it were night. But staying anchored beside a Navy ship until nightfall isn't a good idea.

William gives it a mocking salute as Verona stands beside him.

-Captain Marrow is en route to the Tarako Kingdom. So we should avoid stopping by there for the time being. – Verona reports to his Captain in a low voice.

After hearing this information, William recalls Hubris referring to Pearl as a "princess". Maybe she has something to do with this Tarako Kingdom, so he makes a mental note to discuss this later with her. For now, he simply gives his navigator a nod.

-Alright guys, let's get the fuck out of here. The smell of burned corpses is getting too strong.

-Where to now, Captain? – Verona asks – We were going to Krendor to get some supplies, but now we're set for a good while.

-Let's go there anyway. – Ragnar declares – I got the name of the bastard and the crew I'm looking for: Eustass Valve of the Steam Pipe Pirates. Let's start looking for them there.

-Yeah, and I also don't want to wear Navy uniforms for the rest of the trip, so a decent set of clothes will be nice. – Pearl adds as she goes below deck to get changed.

-Very well then, Verona! Stay the course for Krendor! – William declares at the front of the ship, looking to the horizon.

-Aye, aye, Captain. – He responds.

And so, after a successful battle, a bountiful loot and a new crew member, they set sail once again to Krendor Island now in search of information and new clothes.