The Party Pirates - Part 19 - The Battle of Niigata

[resop2]

Akari knows her pirates!

https://twitter.com/angerme_upfront/status/1095308067132952577

https://ameblo.jp/angerme-amerika/entry-12439707055.html

[resop2]

The Party Pirates - Part 16 - Phantom Smuggler Bakuwara


A girl with short blond hair and large glasses knocks on the door of a large estate.  She is met by two seedy looking guards.

"Who goes there?"

"The green dove swims upside down."

The men recognize the password and bow.  "Miss Katsuta, how nice to see you again."

"I wish to speak to your boss.  I may be able to move some product to Niigata."

"Right this way."

...

Rina makes it back to the ship with a large bag.   "Captain!"

Haruna looks at her with bleary eyes.  "You're back.  And, what's with the disguise?"  Haruna who is tipsy on rum slurs her words a little bit.

"I'm famous now as a pirate so I wanted to not draw attention to my clients."

"Good, good, good.  Have some rum.  We set sail in the morning."

"Great.  I will put this bag in the captain's meeting room.  Tell sleeping beauty not to look at it."

"Sure.  Sure."

Karin watches Rina drop the bag off in the captan's meeting room.

...

The Joker escapes the river that runs between Takarazuka and Chiba and enters the Sea of Happiness.  There was no need to take the canal since Chiba was downstream.

Karin Miyamoto stands up in triumph.  "I did it!"  She holds up a earring.  I am sure Oden will enjoy this one better than Taguchi's earring.

Karin walks from her workstation below deck to the stairs and then behind the stairs where there are six compartments, each with an entrance covered by a dark cloth.  Each compartment was about seven feet long (running to the front hull of the boat) and three feet wide, so there was room for a futon and some storage space.

Karin had been given the compartment closest to port side.  She knew that Oden slept in the compartment next to hers.  I'll just put the earring on Takeuchi-senpai's bed.  Won't she be surprised?

Karen pulls aside the black cloth.  "What?"

Yamaki Risa awakens with a start.  "Is it evening?"

"It's not even noon."

"Go away!"  Risa turns over and tries to hide from the dim light of the gimbled lanterns.

"Why are you here?"

Risa yawns and sits up.  "Moe!  Now it will be hard to get back to sleep.  I hope you're happy."

"Why are you here?"

"The night shift sleeps in main crews' compartments during the day.  Since I am the night lookout why wouldn't I have the same compartment of day lookout?"

"Aren't the other girls jealous?"

"I don't know.  As you know, The Cyclone was a larger ship.  Everyone had their own rooms.  We haven't been on The Joker for long, you know."

"Sorry.  I need to stop getting jealous."

"Look, if you're jealous about this, then you're going to be pretty miserable on this ship.  Especially because how everyone feels about her."

"How do you feel about Takeuchi-senpai?"

Risa smiles.  "Well, let me start at the beginning."

...

Below deck in the Joker the main area is almost pitch black.  Suddenly a small candle breaks the darkness.

"Are you okay?  Can you eat anything?"

Yamaki Risa, dazed and starving, struggles to focus her eyes.  She is barely able to mutter.

"It's soup.  It's good!"

Risa smells something under her nose.  She tries to open her mouth.

"Take your time.  There's plenty here."

Risa takes in a spoon of soup, then another.  Her eyes start to focus.  "Who are you?"

"Takeuchi Akari, but my pirate name is Oden."

Risa flinches.  "Are you here to sell us?"

Akari laughs.  "We're here to help you guys.  We found your ship adrift.  We're docked now."

Risa starts crying.  "I thought I had already died."

Akari keeps feeding her.  "You'll do just fine.  What's your name?"

"Yamaki Risa."

"That's a nice name."

"Thanks."

Risa is able to finish a bowl of soup.

"Can you walk now?"

Although a little unsteady, Risa is able to make it to her feet.

"Cool, let's go on deck, the others are waiting to help you as well."

Akari leads Risa up a spiral staircase to the deck.  Risa is wobbly on her feet.

Risa covers her eyes in pain from the midday sun.  "You have a high voice for a guy."

Akari laughs.  "I'm a girl."

Risa squints at Akari.  "Sorry, but you're pretty handsome for a girl."

"Thanks.  But, you should talk to Rose Quartz next.  She can help you with your muscles and get you walking normally again."

"Another pirate?"

"Yes.  However, she won't hurt you, unless you want her to."

Risa smiles.  "Thanks, Oden-san."

...

"Akari-san did this for all of the crew memberes of the Cyclone, so Akari is sort of an angel to us, the girl who brought us back from the dead."

"The attack on the ship that left you adrift must have been terrifying."

"It was.  The Cutthroat Pirates boarded us and beat us down.  One of those pirates held me down with his boot on my neck and mocked me.  He said that normally he would have his way with me but I wasn't good looking enough."

"How cruel."

"It was pretty horrible."

Karin nods and smiles.   "And yet, your crew was okay with becoming pirates.  Was it  because you were saved by pirates?"

"Pirates?  Us?"  Risa laughs.  "Well, after I got a massage from Rose Quartz-sama, after I then got some exercises from Yagi-sensei, and after I then got a pep talk from Captain Honey, Bakuwara finally told me the truth about her smuggling.  Up until that point I thought I was a normal worker on a merchant ship, one with a strict captain who paid us well.  Rina explained to me that the better than average wages were because of the smuggling and gave me a chance to quit, which I declined."

"Isn't smuggling bad?"

"Yes, but since I have never seen Rina actually do it, I figured that if she got caught I could always say that I thought that Rina was just kidding, or trying to sound tough."

Karin laughs.  "Well, if you guys had gotten caught for that, it would have been the luck of the draw if they let you go."

Risa shrugs.  "Oh well."

"And, now you're a pirate."

"Hey, for the last two years I was a part of a normal merchant vessel crew who just happened to have four ladies with shady pasts who were trying to go straight by working as bodyguards for the Cyclone.  You talked Rina-san into turning into a pirate."

"Sorry, but it was to save my country."

"Well, I will forgive you if you let me sleep."

"Okay."  Karin takes the earring with her and walks out of the compartment.


To be continued

[resop2]

The Party Pirates - Part 17 - Sleeping Beauty


Karin gets off of her futon and sneaks up the spiral stairs.  The night is overcast so it seems pitch black on deck. Karin sneaks into the Captain's meeting room.

There it is!  Karin approaches the bag that Bakuwara had left there earlier in the evening.  She peeks inside but in interrupted by a tap on her shoulder.  Crap!

A shadowy figure leads her on deck.  A break in the clouds reveals a girl that Karin has not seen before.  "Who are you?"

"I am the captain, Captain Megane."

"But you don't wear glasses."

"I don't need them, but they make me look smart, so a borrow other people's glasses a lot.  You can call me Rikako if you want."

"Does Captain Honey Quinn know about this?"

"Of course. She's sleeping in the closet of the Captain's meeting room. That's why I brought you on deck.  I didn't want to wake her up.  I'm the night captain."

"Have you looked in Bakawara's bag?"

"Of course.  It contains autographed portraits of the Takarazuka Theater performers.  They sell for a pretty penny in Niigata."

"Autographed?  Could you bring that out?"

Risako brings out the bag.

Karin looks at the portraits by the light of the moon.  "These are fake autographs.  I have seen how these actresses write before."

"Wouldn't surprise me.  Are you going to tell Bakuwara that she's a bad girl for smuggling forged stuff?"

Karin gets nervous and puts her hand behind her head.  "That's okay, it was just a little shocking."

"And, piracy isn't?"

Karin laughs nervously.  "I guess there is that."

...

After docking in a pirates cove, the six pirates cover the two mile hike and enter Niigata.

Haruna sighs.  "So, Rose Quartz, do you know where we are going?"

"Absolutely.  We're going to the tavern that is the most popular with the sailors.  If what we are looking for isn't there, we will go to the second most popular tavern."

"Sounds like a plan."

After walking several blocks, they arrive at a raucous establishment and enter.

"Oh my god!  I can't believe it!"

Haruna looks to see who is yelling and looks surprised.  "Captain Uemura Akari?"

"I guess you finally kept your promise after five years."

"Sorry, I have a busy schedule."

Karin looks sneaky.  "You know this lady?"

"She was the first victim of the Party Pirates."

Uemura laughs.  "Victim?  We were her first satisfied customers."

Karin laughs.  "Captain Uemura, let me buy you a drink so you may tell me this story, it sounds very interesting."

Haruna panics.  "Wait, wait, I had better tell it."

"Okay, you tell it and I will tell your friend when you are fibbing."

...

"It was about a month after we had freed the sailors from the Joker.  It took a while to gain confidence in our ability to navigate, but one night."  ...

Oden yells down through the horn.  "Captain, ship off the starboard bow, and it looks like prey."

Haruna gathers her crew.  "Okay, this is it.  Let's get our costumes on and sneak up on them.  When we board, I'll do the talking."

"Aye, aye!"

The Joker draws close to the merchant vessel but no alarm is sounded.

Yagi looks worried.  "Is this a trap?"

"One way to find out."

The Joker draws close enough for Yagi and Rose Quartz to rope the vessels together.

Haruna, Maimi, and Tomoko board the ship, with Akari staying back on the Joker with several loaded pistols.

Haruna opens the door to the captain's quarters and the three raiders wake the captain and bring him on deck at sword point without incident.

Haruna bangs on the door to below deck.  "Hey, this is a raid and we have your captain.  Either stay down there and be good boys or we'll kill her."

Captain Uemura looks at Haruna carefully.  "That's a fib.  If you wanted me dead you would have already killed me.  What do you ladies want?"

Haruna smiles.  "Fifty gold pieces."

Uemura face plants.  "That's all?"

"We can make it more if it would make you feel better."

Uemura thinks.  "Well, I can pay that, but I was wondering if you could do me a favor?"

Haruna smiles.  "What is it?"

"Could one of your crew check my crows nest?  I want to know why I wasn't warned."

"If this is a trap, my rear guard will put a hole in that person's head."

"It's not."

Yagi quickly climbs up and down the rigging.  Yagi laughs.  "Your lookout has passed out from rum."

Captain Uemura nods.  "Well then, your fifty gold piece fee is an absolute bargain. I will be happy to pay it."  Captain Uemura goes into to the captains quarters and comes out with the money.

"Good decision.  Your men will live to see another day."

"Thanks to you, they will.  I now know that the bum in the crows nest is not reliable.  I will key haul him with vigor.  What a jerk!  If you guys had been real pirates we would be in trouble."

Haruna pouts.  "We are real pirates.  Captain Honey."

"Pirate Yagi."

"Black Mistress."

Uemura laughs.  "No, no.  You guys are freelance security specialists."

Harana looks disappointed.

"We should party one day, when our paths cross again.  Don't forget my name: Captain Uemura Akari."

Haruna forces a smile. "Okay, Captain Uemura, it's a promise."

...

"So, that's how it happened."

Karin looks at Uemura.  "Was that correct?"

"Of course, is she going to lie with me right here?"

Karin nods.

Tomoko breaks into the conversation.  "Captain Uemura, I think you might have a song to teach us."

"A song?"

"We have magic rings that can power us up and give us the power to defeat the invaders who have overrun your city.  But they need a song to make them work."

"Well, there is a song that's popular in this tavern that we sing when we are drunk."

"Outstanding.  Let's get started!"


To be continued

[resop2]

The Party Pirates - Part 18 - Yaji's Rival


After some preparation, the pirates congregate at the back of the tavern.  Captain Uemura calls for silence.

Rose Quartz gives a magnetic smile.  "Ladies and gentlemen, we are the Party Pirates.  Your town has been overrun by the enemy, but we can do something about it!  We can kick their butts, but before we can do that, we have to power up our magic rings by treating you all to a song.  Your reaction will power up the rings."

One of the drunk patrons bellows.  "And, if we hate it?"

"We'll have to move on and you'll be stuck with the invaders."

This seemed to satisfy the heckler.

"So, this will be a song you all know: I Want To Do Lots Of Things!"

In my graduation portrait
From a few years before
You can see a really young me
I wonder if I'm growing up alright?

Very soon, I'll be the age
my mother was when she got married

I wanna do lots of things
But I have no time
I keep making up excuses
And don't have enough motivation

When I think about
The dreams I have
For my future
I get all excited, but, Ah
I need to keep my grades up first!

The drunken salon residents respond with gusto and the rings respond with bright lights.

Rose Quartz waves to the drunks.  "Thank you all.  Those invaders will be stomped into the dust now."

Uemura, who had been dancing along with their song, nods.  "Show them the sharp side of your sword!"

The pirates gather their rings and prepare to leave when they are interrupted by a young man who seems out of place since he is sober.  "Wait!  I have business with you all."

Yaji stares a hole into the man's face.  "I've seen you before."

"Yes, your group raided a ship I was working on."

"Here for revenge?"

"I could be."

Haruna looks at the man sideways.  "Oh?"

"After all, this was just put up yesterday at the town square."  The man holds up a 'wanted for 500 gold pieces' poster for Honey Quinn."

"It could be a lot more, but that's more like it!"  Haruna beams.  "But, why didn't the tavern drunks want to collect?"

"The invading army put up the poster.  No one in Niigata is dumb enough to think that they would actually pay."

"There is that."

"But, instead of revenge, I would like to help your group."

Karin raises an eyebrow.  "Are you strong?"

"Not as strong as Yaji."

"How do you know?"

"Well, it's a long story."

Karin calls to buy the man a bumbo.  "Let's hear this story."

Yaji looks exasperated.  "Do we have to?"

Honey shrugs her shoulders.  "Why not."

"It was around four years ago ..."

...

Honey Quinn, Rose Quartz, and Yaji board a ship while Oden intimidates the ship's crew by waving her guns.

Honey Quinn smiles.  "Okay, you all should know the drill by now.  Fifty gold pieces and we leave you alone.  One hundred gold pieces and we'll party and sing some shanties with you.  If you don't give us gold then, then, well let's not think about unpleasant things now, shall we?"

The captain brings out fifty gold pieces.  "Please take it.  We don't want any trouble.  We have families we're trying to support."

Honey Quinn looks at the gold.  "Well, don't worry.  There will be no problems today."

"Yes there will!"

The captain and the rest of the crew look around in shock at the sailor who had spoke.

"I challenge your henchman on the left to a Kendo match."

Honey Quinn looks incredulous and points to Rose Quartz.  "With her?"

"The other left."

Yaji steps forward.  "A Kendo match?  These are real swords."

"I have wooden swords and gear."

Yaji looks at Captain Honey Quinn.

"Go for it. Sounds like fun."

The man runs below deck and returns with the gear.  After a few minutes both Yaji and the man are suited up and kneel before each other.  Another sailor acts as referee.

"Start!"

In a blinding display of speed, Yaji touches the helmet of the sailor with her sword before he can react.

"Match!"

The man bows low before Yaji.  "Thank you for the match!"

"No problem.  It was fun."

Yaji takes off the protective gear and the pirates turn to leave.

Suddenly, Captain Honey Quinn turns around.  "Captain, I think this belongs to you."  Honey tosses the bag with the gold coins back to the captain.

The pirates leave without another word.

...

Karin repeatedly slams the table with her hand.  "That was great!"

"Well, it was only an account of what happened."

"But, why did you challenge Pirate Yaji?"

"Because she looked exactly like the girl who defeated my senpai in Kendo, Yajima Maimi."

Maimi blushes, then notes that only people who were really close to the man heard his voice say her real name over the din of the tavern.  "Yeah, that's me."

"Then, you will understand why I want to assist your campaign."

"What happened to your senpai?"

"He retired from Kendo and got his degree.  He works for the Spade security forces."

"Is he happy?"

"Yes."

"I really shouldn't be, but somehow I am relieved."

Honey Quinn nudges Yaji.  "Do you think this man can help us?"

"He at least has courage.  He also has dedication to continue to practice Kendo on his ship."

Honey Quinn nods.  "What's your name?"

"Hiromitsu."

"Well then, I think we can use you, but you need to follow my instructions to the letter."


To be continued

(RQ) Takadaka suunenmae no
(Pr) Sotsugyou shouzouga demo
(Od) Zuibun wakai watashi
(Ya) Chanto seichou shiteru ka na
 
(Ba) Haha ga totsuida nenrei
(HQ) Sugu ni oitsuichaisou
 
AREKORE shitai kedo
Jikan ga tarinai
Iiwake bakari shite
Doryoku ga tarinai
 
Watashi ga kakageteru
Shourai no yume
Omoiukaberu tabi
Ninmari shichau kedo, Ah
(Pr) Tani ga saki

[resop2]

The Party Pirates - Part 19 - The Battle of Niigata


The Party Pirates line up at the quarter mile line from the invading armies ship.

Haruna waves to the people passing by.  "Ladies and gentlemen!  We are the Party Pirates and we have come to free this city from the invaders!"

A curious crowd gathers.  Hiromitsu hangs out in the crowd and makes eye contact with Yaji.

"So, let's give them a flashy show!"

Haruna and the rest of the pirates turn around.  "Party Pirates Power, Make Up!"

The pirates do their roll call, then start rampaging their way to ship.  They encounter more combatants than usual, and the going is slow.  Eventually they arrive at the ship.

They hear an obnoxious laugh.

"My sand cooking timer tells me that you guys are too late. You're not going to get past me!"  A larger combatant blocks their way to the gang plank.

Captain Honey Quinn looks worried.  "Come on, get him!"

The six pirates battle the invader but the invader is able to hold them off.

The party pirates transform back.

"Baka!  You guys are too slow.  You're now going to be easy prey for my minions."

"I don't think it's going to work that way."

Startled, the invader turns around to see Hiromitsu waving to him from the deck of the invaders ship.

"Who are you?"

"A merchant seaman and visitor to Niigata.  Since you had diverted all your men to slow down the Party Pirates it was surprisingly easy to run a couple of blocks parallel to them and get to and board your ship while you were looking the other way.  The source of your power is no longer working."

"Impossible."  The invader freezes.

"Final wave!"  The Party Pirates shoot in unison and the invader turns into a deer who runs away.

From the crows nest of another ship a spy glass stealthily appears.

...

Oden and Bakuwara make it back to the ship.

Oden whistles.  "Listen up!  I have a bag of reward money.  You all may split it up and go shopping in Niigata.  I will stay here and keep watch."

The minions cheer and soon depart to town to shop til they drop.

Bakawara smiles a sly smile.  "Well, I have to take care of some business."

"Have fun."

Rina changes into her short wig and leaves with her bag of forged autographed Takarazuka portraits.

Oden eats the meal that Maria has left for her.

...

"Halt, who goes there?"

"The purple sun rains nutmeg candies."

The bodyguards bow.  "Welcome Captain Katsuta Rina.  The boss is waiting for you."

"Thank you."

Rina enters the bosses private room.  "Made it."

"No one suspects what you are doing?"

"No."

"Excellent.  Please proceed."

Rina throws the bag of pictures aside and walks behind a dressing partition.  A minute later she emerges holding her bra.  She throws the bar to the boss.

The boss undoes some buttons on the inside of the bra and takes out several diamonds.  "Excellent!  They are as specified.  Again you prove to be a reliable smuggler."

"Thank you."

The boss throws Rina her bra back.  "My minions have your money by the front."

Rina changes behind the partition.  "Let us do business again."

"Always."

...

Haruna, Maimi, Karin, and Tomoko drink at the tavern with Captain Uemura and  Hiromitsu while Uemura's crew and many assorted merchant mariners drink and sing badly around them.

"Captain?"

Haruna looks at Karin and realizes that Karin is pretty drunk.  "Yes?"

"Where's Takeuchi-senpai?  I want her to princess carry me back to the ship."

Haruna suppresses a giggle.  "You're out of luck.  She's watching the ship so the minions can shop."

"I got drunk for nothing?"

Maimi, Haruna, and Tomoko face plant.

Haruna frowns.  "Rose Quartz, would you like to take this drunk back to the ship?"

"Me?  Well, okay."  Tomoko makes a disgusted face, realizing that Haruna had again forgotten to phrase her requests as an order.

Karin jumps into Tomoko's arms and kisses Tomoko.  "Thank you Takeuchi-senpai."

"Moe!"

Tomoko gets Karin outside and forces her to stand up.  "I am not gong to carry you.  You're not in condition to walk but I will allow you too lean against me."

"Don't speak to a princess like that!"

"Have you forgotten that I can mess up your body so bad that you'll only be able to walk with one leg?"

"Meanie!"

"Come on, Takeuchi isn't here.  She's on the ship.  Are you coming?"

"Okay."

Tomoko leads Karin who has her arm around Tomoko's waist for several blocks.  Suddenly, the hairs on the back of Tomoko's neck raise up and Tomoko stops.

"What's wrong?"

"We've screwed up."

Two men come around a corner ahead of them and two men come up behind them, all with drawn swords.

Tomoko realizes that she cannot draw her sword with Karin's arm around her.  She sneers.  "What do you men want?"

One of the men in front of Tomoko takes the initiative.  "Rose Quartz, there is a bounty on your head.  You're coming with us."

"Then let this drunken wench go.  She's a nobody."

The man shakes his head.  "She's also wanted, but my boss told me to get you in particular."

Tomoko looks puzzled.  "Me?  I'm not the captain.  Wouldn't Honey Quinn be worth more?"

"She is, but orders are orders.  Drop you weapon on the ground and allow us to bind your hands and you and Princess will live to see tomorrow."

Tomoko glances at Karin and scowls.  "Can't be helped then."

The men bind the hands of Karin and Tomoko.  The leader turns to one of the men who was behind Tomoko.  "Send the message and then hurry back to the ship.  We need to leave at once."

The man runs off.

...

Haruna and Maimi stagger out of the pub laughing.  Haruna stops and freezes when she sees a note on the door of the tavern.

"We have Rose Quartz and Princess.  If you want them to live meet us is Kobe the day after tomorrow.  C. T. P."

"The invaders?"

"Haruna shakes her head.  They have to stay a quarter mile from their ships.  This is something else.  And, it can't be the police either."

Maimi looks worried.  "And, without Karin we won't know how to power up our rings."

Haruna nods.  "We're in a dangerous position now."



To be continued