First Steps! A Forest Spirit Meets A Dragon!

Akiko sighed seeing he didn't seem to have any cruel intentions to her. Her ears perked up and her eyes widened as he asked what she was but at the same time didn't stare at her. "Me?...well I um..I'm a Centaur" She says before falling quiet for a moment. Then she spoke up again "Um...I hate to be a bother after you saved me but..can you get this thing off?" She asks poking at the large thick lock on the door. "I'd rather like to get out of this box if possible.."

With the ship coming into better view Heartly begun to lower the sails slowing down to avoid ramming the ship. Despite being a pirate vessel it wouldn't be wise nor considerate to any hostages or Colton.

Drifting towards Heartly checked his revolver was loaded just in case and stepped towards the front of his ship to see Colton waiting for him yawning. He was stood beside the cage in which Heartly could now see had a peculiar looking creature inside.

"A centaur? But I thought those things weren't real."

Looking skyward for a few seconds Colton thought about centaurs and whether or not he'd read about them in a book and next if it was fiction or non.

He couldn't quite remember but either way there was a first time for everything and this was a pretty exciting first.

As Akiko asked about being freed Colton nodded. Turning to the crew and mainly the captain Colton coughed into his hand.

"Does anyone have the keys to this cage? Captain I'm looking at you."

Reaching into his jacket shakily the captain tossed over the keys which landed at Colton's feet.

Sending his hand down to lift them up Colton used them to unlock the door of Akiko's cage.

"There you go, now if you want to hurry on out."

"Colton round up the pirates and lock them in the cage!" the order came as the ship and Captain Heartly Hayes arrived just in time to keep Colton from severe  boredom.

Nodding in response as Heartly lowered the anchor and leapt aboard the pirate vessel, Colton turned to the crew and pointed to the cage.

"You all heard him right?"

"We exist as much as the nose on your face does...sorta.." She mutters before she looked at him between the bars watching as he had a thoughtful look before her ears perk up and twitch happily as he asked for the keys and unlocked her cage "T-Thank you!Thank you so much!" She says happily her eyes shining in pure joy.

Sadly as she had been stuck in the cage for so long her legs were weakened and in her rush to freedom she got her legs tangled together and with a bleat of surprise she tumbled out head over hooves and ended up bumping against the railing upside down her hind legs still tangled. "Opps...its like learning to walk all over again.." 

Watching as each member climbed in single file Heartly helped up Akiko. Offering her his hand and smiling as she was now free he spoke.

"Looks like we may have learnt something new today Colton. Sorry about this ma'am hopefully, you'll be able to be integrated back into normal life easily once again. If you just let us know where home is for you, we'll do our best to return you there."

"You guys can't be serious about this." one of the pirate scum said as the door to the cage was slammed shut. With the crew mates poking out left right and center there was no way they were making it back to the Naval HQ.

"No I think he was, so best get cosy guys it's gonna be a long four hours."

Turning to Heartly, Colton could see he was busy attempting to woo the centaur which Colton though thought of as disgusting due to her deer bottom half.

"So what now Captain?" Colton asked. 

Turning to face him Hayes grinned and pointed to the cage.

"The cage, move it aboard the ship."

"Lazy bastard!" Colton muttered as he agreed to the terms.

Akiko took the strange mans hand as she got up. "You would really help me get home..?!" She asks in shock her large eyes widening and sparkling in happiness, but that joy quickly faded. "But..it took over a year for us to get here, and we barely made it past the giant wall of a mountain.." She said before watching the ash man start to move the cage and the bad humans inside onto their ship. She fidgets with her scarf before turning back to Heartly she spoke softly "U-Um what are you going to do with them?"

This was one thing Colton wished he could use his powers for, but unfortunately ash wouldn't be of much use in moving things. Grabbing the bars of the cage he started trying to pull it along the ground but to avail. The weight inside was simply too much. If anything it would make more sense to have moved the cage then ordered the crew inside. 

But alas that wasn't the way things had been done. 

Listening to Akiko speak about how it had taken a year to reach their current possition Heartly smiled. 

"I wouldn't so much worry about things like that. As a member of the Naval service we have ways of making travel much easier. So it should only tak- Colton use the crane aboard our ship!" Heartly snapped turning to Colton. Not angrily but a little annoyed. Turning back to Akiko with the same smile as before Heartly heard the question asking about what they were going to be doing with the pirates.

"They'll be delivered to the Naval head Quarters of Black Ball where their fate will be decided depending on their crimes. The worse the crime the more deadly the punishment."

Colton had found his way to the small crane and picked up the cage swinging it quickly and fairly uncaringly he lowered it aboard the Naval ship of Heartly's. 

Stepping away from the crane and towards the edge of the ship Colton yawned as he spoke out to Heartly.

"What about their ship Captain?"

Turning to face Colton who once again interrupted his conversation Heartly replied. 

"Take the jolly roger and burn it. Leave it for ashes in the sea. We don't want to leave them with the chance to escape aboard anything."

Akiko tilted her head hearing that they had faster ways of travel but before she could ask any questions of this Naval service he spoke of she remembered she was still missing her bow and quiver. "Oh,hold that thought" She says before she turns and walks towards the captains quarters. After she entered the room. Clatters and smashes could be heard as she looked for something "Found it!" She declares as she comes back out holding a silver bow with gold etchings over it and a matching quiver that was full of arrows. Slinging both over her shoulders she approached them again "So...what exactly is this Naval service you were talking about?" She says as she scratches her head.

Colton allowed his body to drift apart into pieces of ash before reforming hanging from the mast by his legs. Ready to lay waste the jolly roger and ship Colton raised his hand when he heard the shriek of Akiko. 

Heartly watched as she turned rushing toward the ship.

"Hold fire!" he shouted signaling Colton who lay back lazily hanging from the mast by his legs. 

Heartly watched as the sounds of an office being trashed was heard. When Akiko once more emerged he smirked noticing she had a bow and arrow. They looked specially made too.

"Oh so i see you're an archer?" he asked questioning in his mind how she came to being captured by pirates. Was she really bad at archery? Did they sneak up on her? these questions plagued Heartly's mind but he shook them aside as Akiko asked about the Navy.

Returning his gaze to Colton and giving him a thumbs up Heartly returned to Akiko. 

Colton nodded to the signal and pressed his hands against the mast.

Serpent Spit III

Unleashing a barrage of large searing hot ashes at the ship it was only a matter of moments before the ship was engulfed in flames.

"Fantastic job recruit!" Heartly shouted as he gestured to Akiko to follow him. Heartly headed to prepare the ship once more for their return to base.

"The Navy is an armed service for the seas in which we will do all we can to protect the seas from the scum that declare themselves as pirates. And we have our own little ways of working throughout the world making travel just a little easier for us."

She looks around the new ship impressed as it was much nicer then the other old leaky ship she had been on for over a year. She complimented them both on the ability of keeping the ship in such good shape before her ears perked up at the explanation of the Navy. "So you are like the guards and peace keepers?" She asks with a slight cute tilt of the head "You two are very brave to do that no doubt you've put your life on the line" She says as she tests the bows sting drawing it back and slowly easing it back then pulling it tight again and looking both the bow quiver and arrows over for damaged. She frowns finding a few of the fletching,the feathers on the arrows were damages and useless for firing.

  "Wish I could be that brave.." She mutters and sighs out as she thinks back to the first few days when she had cried day and night from fear,hunger and sadness. She put the arrows back into her quiver planning to fix them later that night. She opens her mouth to speak again only to stop at the sound of an loud growling fill the air. Suddenly she was over come with weakness her legs giving out causing her to fall to her knees,her forelegs tucked underneath her and her back legs to her sides. She looked suddenly so weak and pale. It was clear she had been badly mistreated while being held captive,she had a thinning coat and was covered in cuts and bruises,her skin was stretched tight over her bones showing she had been slowly wasting away starving. It seemed like a miracle she could of even stood and moved like she had but at the sound of her stomach growling all the strength she had left had was gone. "Food.." She moaned out weakly.

With a flag in hand and a leaky ship engulfed in flames Colton drifted down towards the Naval ship that would become his new home. He drifted down like a lose leaf folding the jolly roger into a perfect triangle. As he arrived aboard the ship and looked towards the pirate prisoners he tucked the flag under his arm.

Captain Hayes was busy talking to the prisoner about the Navy so Colton figured if anything a bit of light music would be appropriate. Heading towards the side of the ship where he'd left his guitar resting Colton's fingers wrapped around the neck and lifted it for a nice little tune. He had just the one in mind to belt out to the sea, the sky and heavens above but most importantly the pirate scum who were busy spitting, swearing and shitting themselves with every passing second.

"Colton, would you be so kind as to bring our guest here some food?!"

Sighing as he was halted before he even begun Colton slipped the acoustic guitar back off of his torso ad leaned it against the side once more. A little annoyed he agreed to help out.

"Sure thing Captain."

Heading into the kitchen Colton picked up a bowl and searched the cupboards for whatever they had. Finding a bowl of oats and milk he shrugged and threw them together.

This would do right? Or was this just being strotypical?! shrugging Colton returned on deck and approached Akiko as he picked up his acoustic guitar on the way.

This time he'd get to play, captain was bound to enjoy his music.

Arriving at the wheel after raising the anchor and unfurling the sails Heartly felt the breeze pick up almost instantly and begun leading the way back to base. Black Ball was a nice place to be stationed. But most places in the south blue were.

As Akiko inquired about being peace keepers, Heartly grinned.

"Yea sorta like that, sounds better than Marines."

As she continued to mutter how they were brave Heartly continued.

"That's the thing about bravery, it's all in the mind. Kinda like confidence. If you feel confident in your actions you'll be fine, if you feel brave in the face of impending fear and danger you'll most likely be fine because your body will know how to handle itself and the survival instinct will take over. As for Colton, he's a logia devil fruit user so he has less to worry about."

With a strong breeze picking up and leading the ship in the correct direction thanks to Heartly's steering he looked towards Colton who'd sat behind him and started strumming his guitar.

"Colton, no offence but would you mind doing that in the crow's nest. I need someone on look out."

Sighing once more Colton pulled the guitar on to his back and shot up quickly thanks to his weightlessness. Pulling off the guitar once last time he started strumming it as he looked around for anything that might pose a threat or good fortune.