Ask A Meister (and More)

Chopper sat down on the Ferris Wheel's seat and happily swayed his legs back and forth, waiting for the ride to officially start as he watched some Kung-Fu Dugongs prepare to load onto the next one.

"Wow~! They sure are excited for this one! Must be fun if those guys're taking time out for it!" Chopper excitedly gawked, stretching his arms overhead and producing a few pops and cracks in the process. Getting washed up ashore meant he probably hit a few rocks on the way in, but you wouldn't know it from how quickly the two recovered.

"Oh!" Chopper piped up again, noticing Patty's phone vibrating. "Is that Liz? Tell her you're having fun with your Big Bro so she doesn't have to worry about a thing~!" Chopper stuck his tongue out playfully, figuring teasing Liz with the idea of Patty getting taken would be amusing. "Oh! Someone take a picture of me and Patty so we can send it to Liz!" That'd probably get a fun reaction.

Slowly, the girl whose body was formerly that of Pixy Misa's opened here eyes. She slowly sat up, placing a hand atop her temple. "My… head." She wore a typical Japanese middle school student uniform, the black magician girl outfit from Pixy Misa not totally gone.

"Where am I? Who are you people?" Looked left and right, the girl scrambled to her feet, wobbling as she stood. It seemed she was exhausted and unlikely to succeed at running off.

"Depends," Maka started, still having the end of Soul's staff aimed at her. "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?"

"BOO!"

"Get a new reference!"

Maka bonked Kid's head and Soul's blade with the edge of her hand. "Pipe down." She turned back to try chatting with the girl.

Meanwhile, Liz was in tears, talking with Patty on the phone. "LITTLE SIS! I WAS SO SCARED! Your big sis almost died!"

Patty stared forward--before quickly stating in a monotone voice, "Big Bro Captain Chopper says I'm having fun with him and that you have nothing to worry about. Also, we're going to take photos of us on the Ferris wheel to make you jealous."

"I'LL KILL 'EM!" Liz could be heard shouting from the other end of the phone.

Patty was now jovial: "That's the big sis I remembered, not the emo cry baby! When you getting over here to the amusement park?!"

"As soon as we figure out how far we are from there." Liz was calmer, carrying on a conversation--while carefully massaging Kid's head where Maka chopped him. "We got delayed by some girl with multiple personalities."

"Bet Kiddo likes that."

"I HEARD THAT! AND NO, I DON'T!"

Patty could be heard laughing on the other end of the phone.

@chopperpirate

“Hello, ocean!”

The beach was not a common sight for the DWMA students. True, their missions took them all over the world--but every time they had to head back home to that city in the Nevada desert.

“But today is a beach day!”

Patty Thompson was shouting to no one in particular. While her classmates were still unpacking the van, she already had all the belongings she needed: towel, umbrella, floatie ducky innertube, phone, Bluetooth speaker, magazines, cooler full of ice and drinks--all of which she carried effortlessly, practically skipping across the sand. She was wearing sandals, a buttoned shirt, a straw beach hat, and jean shorts--and with her swimsuit already on underneath, she couldn’t wait to take them off and dive into the inviting blue ocean.

As she ran forward, she shouted, “Nothing’s gonna get in my way!”

Almost immediately her face collided with the sand.

“Umph!” She lifted up her head, spitting out sand. “What the hell got in my way--”

Her tirade was interrupted by her phone landing on her head, as it had flown out of her hands when she tripped. Then the speaker. Then the magazines. Clutching her banged-up head, she waved her hand to get the papers out of her eyes--before her towel slowly floated down and landed on her head. She let out an annoyed groan. That’s when the cooler finished the job, its corner practically lodging into her skull. She laid dead-motionless for a few seconds.

Then came the scream: “AAAAARGG!” Patty growled, throwing the mess up into the air, fire in her eyes, pounding her fists against the sand like a child having a tantrum. “Who is responsible for this--”

While she was still lying down on her belly, her now sandal-less left foot felt something.

“Hmm?”

Touch, touch.

She shrieked.

“IT’S A FURRY BEACH TARANTULA!”

Patty was on her feet, armed with the beach umbrella, ready to stab it downward into the hairy threat--when she saw a round furry ball atop the sand.

“Huh--how did I miss that?”

She poked it again with her foot.

“Hmm…”

She nudged the ball a little harder with her foot.

“MMMM!” she whined, before she just stepped on it, slamming the bottom of her foot down hard onto the ball--

A stream of water splashed right at her forehead.

“EW! Spitting beach tarantula!”

Patty wiped her face with the towel, then she had a realization:

“Tarantulas don’t spit water.”

That’s when the ball started to cough, revealing who he really was.

She looked more closely at the furball--and her eyes widened in realization.

“Oh my god--Chopper?!”

Indeed, this pre-teen was just an ordinary human in spite of Pixy Misa's prior magic. The Witch Soul seemed to fade slowly back into a regular soul, as though she were only a witch at certain times. It was certainly a new phenomenon, but the unconscious girl wasn't telling any secrets.

Chopper waved his arms as if telling Patty not to do it, still seeming to treat the toy knife as though it were a real one.

"Black Star! So mean! Fine! Patty'll do it instead!" Chopper grabbed Patty's hand and held it in order to ensure she'd be too distracted to make any moves with the knife. It wouldn't be long before they boarded the wheel.

"This thing sits four! What a coincidence that only Black Star managed to catch up with us! Now it works perfectly~!" Chopper didn't seem to think it was important to ask where Maka's group were or how he was separated. He just smiled and took his seat, knowing things would be fine.

"But did you have fun otherwise with your new friends?" Tsubaki asked.

"I don't know, but I think I'm be-throned?"

"It's 'betrothed,' Black Star," Tsubaki started--before her face scrunched up, her eyes narrowed, and her smile turned forced. "I'm sorry, you mean someone is trying to marry you now?"

"Look, Captain, the Ferris wheel bucket thingie is moving!"

Sure enough, it was now their turn to board the Ferris wheel--with Patty and Chopper having similar childish glee, while Tsubaki's murderous intent was rising.

Elsewhere, Maka was still poking the unconscious Misa.

"Come on, wake up and explain what the heck is going on!"

"That's not how you wake up people, Maka."

"It gets Soul up in the morning."

"That's why I come to school with headaches. AND STOP POKING ME AT HER!"

Liz was about to say something, then thought better of it, checking her phone. "Patty, where are you..." She started texting.

@chopperpirate

“Hello, ocean!”

The beach was not a common sight for the DWMA students. True, their missions took them all over the world--but every time they had to head back home to that city in the Nevada desert.

“But today is a beach day!”

Patty Thompson was shouting to no one in particular. While her classmates were still unpacking the van, she already had all the belongings she needed: towel, umbrella, floatie ducky innertube, phone, Bluetooth speaker, magazines, cooler full of ice and drinks--all of which she carried effortlessly, practically skipping across the sand. She was wearing sandals, a buttoned shirt, a straw beach hat, and jean shorts--and with her swimsuit already on underneath, she couldn’t wait to take them off and dive into the inviting blue ocean.

As she ran forward, she shouted, “Nothing’s gonna get in my way!”

Almost immediately her face collided with the sand.

“Umph!” She lifted up her head, spitting out sand. “What the hell got in my way--”

Her tirade was interrupted by her phone landing on her head, as it had flown out of her hands when she tripped. Then the speaker. Then the magazines. Clutching her banged-up head, she waved her hand to get the papers out of her eyes--before her towel slowly floated down and landed on her head. She let out an annoyed groan. That’s when the cooler finished the job, its corner practically lodging into her skull. She laid dead-motionless for a few seconds.

Then came the scream: “AAAAARGG!” Patty growled, throwing the mess up into the air, fire in her eyes, pounding her fists against the sand like a child having a tantrum. “Who is responsible for this--”

While she was still lying down on her belly, her now sandal-less left foot felt something.

“Hmm?”

Touch, touch.

She shrieked.

“IT’S A FURRY BEACH TARANTULA!”

Patty was on her feet, armed with the beach umbrella, ready to stab it downward into the hairy threat--when she saw a round furry ball atop the sand.

“Huh--how did I miss that?”

She poked it again with her foot.

“Hmm…”

She nudged the ball a little harder with her foot.

“MMMM!” she whined, before she just stepped on it, slamming the bottom of her foot down hard onto the ball--

A stream of water splashed right at her forehead.

“EW! Spitting beach tarantula!”

Patty wiped her face with the towel, then she had a realization:

“Tarantulas don’t spit water.”

That’s when the ball started to cough, revealing who he really was.

She looked more closely at the furball--and her eyes widened in realization.

“Oh my god--Chopper?!”

Pixy Misa was hammering away at the windshield for a while when suddenly, a book slammed against her head, sending the girl flying to the ground.

"UGYAH!"

Pixy Misa was knocked unconscious… surprisingly easily. Her Love-Love Monster had also bled to death from having its jaw destroyed, its gigantic body toppled over behind the witch. After a few seconds, Misa's body transformed into that of a somewhat shorter, black-haired preteen girl, still with a bump on her head from Maka's attack, totally motionless and still unconscious. They had defeated Pixy Misa solely by her lack of physicality compared to the others, her specialty being purely magic based.

Meanwhile, the Dugongs carried Black Star right over to where Chopper stood in line with the other two. The reindeer frowned softly, realizing Black Star was the only one not changed out of his swimwear.

"Uwah! They should've dropped you off by the ship! Are we gonna be allowed in like this? I guess there are some water rides."

That sure was a nice way to greet Black Star again. Chopper rubbed the back of his head to shake away the anxiety. Their turn in line was coming up. Chopper rummaged through his pocket to make sure he had enough money to pay for everyone's admission.

"I wanna go on the Ferris Wheel first, but it's so high! Black Star! Hold my hand while we go on it, okay?" A shameless request that he had no hesitation making as he pointed to a Ferris Wheel they could see from outside the park. A pirate captain with a fear of heights. How pathetic.

Maka carefully poked the now black-haired girl's body--

"Could you not use me for this?"

--with the top of the staff of Soul's scythe form.

"Can never be too careful," Maka said.

"You're shoving me at her head!"

"Hang on..." Maka turned on her soul perception to try to get a read on this seemingly new person, or a new facet of the same person.

Meanwhile, now in line for the Ferris wheel, Black Star was confused--more than usual.

"I just got carried here after eating a ton of flowers, my belly hurts--and instead of putting me on a roller coaster so I can puke my guts out like any real theme park fan would do, you're having me get on a wimpy Ferris wheel because your scrawny butt is afraid of heights?"

Patty was behind Black Star--fire in her eyes, starting to withdraw her pirate toy sword with murderous intent.

And evidently the Dugongs were also in line for the wheel--at least until their break was over and they had to get back to work.

@chopperpirate

“Hello, ocean!”

The beach was not a common sight for the DWMA students. True, their missions took them all over the world--but every time they had to head back home to that city in the Nevada desert.

“But today is a beach day!”

Patty Thompson was shouting to no one in particular. While her classmates were still unpacking the van, she already had all the belongings she needed: towel, umbrella, floatie ducky innertube, phone, Bluetooth speaker, magazines, cooler full of ice and drinks--all of which she carried effortlessly, practically skipping across the sand. She was wearing sandals, a buttoned shirt, a straw beach hat, and jean shorts--and with her swimsuit already on underneath, she couldn’t wait to take them off and dive into the inviting blue ocean.

As she ran forward, she shouted, “Nothing’s gonna get in my way!”

Almost immediately her face collided with the sand.

“Umph!” She lifted up her head, spitting out sand. “What the hell got in my way--”

Her tirade was interrupted by her phone landing on her head, as it had flown out of her hands when she tripped. Then the speaker. Then the magazines. Clutching her banged-up head, she waved her hand to get the papers out of her eyes--before her towel slowly floated down and landed on her head. She let out an annoyed groan. That’s when the cooler finished the job, its corner practically lodging into her skull. She laid dead-motionless for a few seconds.

Then came the scream: “AAAAARGG!” Patty growled, throwing the mess up into the air, fire in her eyes, pounding her fists against the sand like a child having a tantrum. “Who is responsible for this--”

While she was still lying down on her belly, her now sandal-less left foot felt something.

“Hmm?”

Touch, touch.

She shrieked.

“IT’S A FURRY BEACH TARANTULA!”

Patty was on her feet, armed with the beach umbrella, ready to stab it downward into the hairy threat--when she saw a round furry ball atop the sand.

“Huh--how did I miss that?”

She poked it again with her foot.

“Hmm…”

She nudged the ball a little harder with her foot.

“MMMM!” she whined, before she just stepped on it, slamming the bottom of her foot down hard onto the ball--

A stream of water splashed right at her forehead.

“EW! Spitting beach tarantula!”

Patty wiped her face with the towel, then she had a realization:

“Tarantulas don’t spit water.”

That’s when the ball started to cough, revealing who he really was.

She looked more closely at the furball--and her eyes widened in realization.

“Oh my god--Chopper?!”

The Dugongs grabbed Black Star an held him overhead before heading out to the ocean, swimming with him held above the water as they made odd noises he could only guess to the meaning of. They were headed after the ship Chopper took with Patty and Tsubaki rather than toward Maka's team's plight against Pixy Misa. Ironic considering the witch's vendetta was against him.

"You jerks! You hurt my Love-Love Monster!" The monster was groaning in agony as Pixy Misa kept whacking away at the windshield of the car with a magician's cane. It was just wood, but it would be enough with a normal windshield, only held back by the fact that Pixy Misa had the body of a preteen girl.

"Get out of there so I can make you cry!" She demanded with an enraged shriek as cracks began to finally form on the windshield of the van.

"MAKAAAAAA..."

A new crack formed through the windshield, before the windshield shattered--but from inside the vehicle and out toward PIxy Misa, as a hand clutching a book was coming for her head.

"CHOP!"

The book slammed down hard atop Misa's head, leaving an indent the shape of the book's spine, before Misa's chin slammed into the hood of the van, denting it and knocking it up out of its alignment with the rest of the van.

"You do know this was a rental, right?"

"You want what she just got, Soul?"

Soul crossed his arms and fell back into the car seat, pouting. "Jerk."

Back with the Dugongs, Black Star was confused--which was pretty typical, actually. "I didn't quite catch all of that--we going to another island? They got more food there?"

@chopperpirate

“Hello, ocean!”

The beach was not a common sight for the DWMA students. True, their missions took them all over the world--but every time they had to head back home to that city in the Nevada desert.

“But today is a beach day!”

Patty Thompson was shouting to no one in particular. While her classmates were still unpacking the van, she already had all the belongings she needed: towel, umbrella, floatie ducky innertube, phone, Bluetooth speaker, magazines, cooler full of ice and drinks--all of which she carried effortlessly, practically skipping across the sand. She was wearing sandals, a buttoned shirt, a straw beach hat, and jean shorts--and with her swimsuit already on underneath, she couldn’t wait to take them off and dive into the inviting blue ocean.

As she ran forward, she shouted, “Nothing’s gonna get in my way!”

Almost immediately her face collided with the sand.

“Umph!” She lifted up her head, spitting out sand. “What the hell got in my way--”

Her tirade was interrupted by her phone landing on her head, as it had flown out of her hands when she tripped. Then the speaker. Then the magazines. Clutching her banged-up head, she waved her hand to get the papers out of her eyes--before her towel slowly floated down and landed on her head. She let out an annoyed groan. That’s when the cooler finished the job, its corner practically lodging into her skull. She laid dead-motionless for a few seconds.

Then came the scream: “AAAAARGG!” Patty growled, throwing the mess up into the air, fire in her eyes, pounding her fists against the sand like a child having a tantrum. “Who is responsible for this--”

While she was still lying down on her belly, her now sandal-less left foot felt something.

“Hmm?”

Touch, touch.

She shrieked.

“IT’S A FURRY BEACH TARANTULA!”

Patty was on her feet, armed with the beach umbrella, ready to stab it downward into the hairy threat--when she saw a round furry ball atop the sand.

“Huh--how did I miss that?”

She poked it again with her foot.

“Hmm…”

She nudged the ball a little harder with her foot.

“MMMM!” she whined, before she just stepped on it, slamming the bottom of her foot down hard onto the ball--

A stream of water splashed right at her forehead.

“EW! Spitting beach tarantula!”

Patty wiped her face with the towel, then she had a realization:

“Tarantulas don’t spit water.”

That’s when the ball started to cough, revealing who he really was.

She looked more closely at the furball--and her eyes widened in realization.

“Oh my god--Chopper?!”

Now that he'd been put back down, Chopper smirked at the respect he was shown, though he made sure to note in silence that the two were more volatile than he'd initially suspected they'd be. "Good! Now then Tsubaki, you can help me out by refurling the sails while I lower the anchor! Patty can go feed Jugemu some of the bananas from the kitchen."

Chopper walked right over to the anchor, transforming into his muscular human form in order to grab the thing. The ship was headed over to a nearby dock right in front of a boardwalk amusement park. Clearly Chopper had plans to waste time over there rather than waiting on the ship for everyone else.

Meanwhile, Pixy Misa was glaring daggers at the group, Liz in particular. She not only insulted her gorgeous blonde hair, but had the audacity to ask why she was attacking them with her precious Love-Love Monster. Very well. With her right hand raised, the monster curiously tilted its head and made another adorable noise, no longer attacking for now.

"You people thought I didn't notice you!? Cozying up to the Dugongs!? To my Dugongs!? The Queen was supposed to show me her favor, give me her ship, and pledge her allegiance to my lovely and perfect Captain Buggy! You people stole her attention with your silly ninja! Get on your knees and apologize! Beg for forgiveness and hand over your belongings and I'll let you all scamper back home on foot! Go on! Out of that dumb van!"

It seemed this Witch was rather petty, viewing Black Star's favoritism with the Dugongs as some type of slight against her for wanting the same.

The four in the van blinked.

"Who's Buggy?" Soul asked.

"Obviously it has to be someone involved with bugs!" Liz answered.

"Oh, Buggy Bunny?" Maka offered.

"No, that's a cartoon, this is real life," Kid replied.

They were continuing their conversation, not even making an attempt to exit the van.

Elsewhere, with Black Star--

A loud belch escaped from the Dugong camp.

"Ah, excuse me," Black Star groaned, before cracking open another ginger ale. "Hey, thanks for the drink--I needed this to settle my tummy after all those flowers."

@chopperpirate

“Hello, ocean!”

The beach was not a common sight for the DWMA students. True, their missions took them all over the world--but every time they had to head back home to that city in the Nevada desert.

“But today is a beach day!”

Patty Thompson was shouting to no one in particular. While her classmates were still unpacking the van, she already had all the belongings she needed: towel, umbrella, floatie ducky innertube, phone, Bluetooth speaker, magazines, cooler full of ice and drinks--all of which she carried effortlessly, practically skipping across the sand. She was wearing sandals, a buttoned shirt, a straw beach hat, and jean shorts--and with her swimsuit already on underneath, she couldn’t wait to take them off and dive into the inviting blue ocean.

As she ran forward, she shouted, “Nothing’s gonna get in my way!”

Almost immediately her face collided with the sand.

“Umph!” She lifted up her head, spitting out sand. “What the hell got in my way--”

Her tirade was interrupted by her phone landing on her head, as it had flown out of her hands when she tripped. Then the speaker. Then the magazines. Clutching her banged-up head, she waved her hand to get the papers out of her eyes--before her towel slowly floated down and landed on her head. She let out an annoyed groan. That’s when the cooler finished the job, its corner practically lodging into her skull. She laid dead-motionless for a few seconds.

Then came the scream: “AAAAARGG!” Patty growled, throwing the mess up into the air, fire in her eyes, pounding her fists against the sand like a child having a tantrum. “Who is responsible for this--”

While she was still lying down on her belly, her now sandal-less left foot felt something.

“Hmm?”

Touch, touch.

She shrieked.

“IT’S A FURRY BEACH TARANTULA!”

Patty was on her feet, armed with the beach umbrella, ready to stab it downward into the hairy threat--when she saw a round furry ball atop the sand.

“Huh--how did I miss that?”

She poked it again with her foot.

“Hmm…”

She nudged the ball a little harder with her foot.

“MMMM!” she whined, before she just stepped on it, slamming the bottom of her foot down hard onto the ball--

A stream of water splashed right at her forehead.

“EW! Spitting beach tarantula!”

Patty wiped her face with the towel, then she had a realization:

“Tarantulas don’t spit water.”

That’s when the ball started to cough, revealing who he really was.

She looked more closely at the furball--and her eyes widened in realization.

“Oh my god--Chopper?!”

Pixy Misa screamed despite the harmlessness of the flame, shaking her head vigorously to avoid the flame catching to her clothes.

"Ahh! You foolish little kids! You'll hurt somebody!" She shouted despite appearing even younger than they were and not acting very mature for the most part. The Love-Love Monster indeed opened its mouth, leaking fumes of Love-Love Witch Energy from the bullet holes as it dropped the van in order to hold its jaw up with a confused whimper.

"No! It can't take too much damage, you fools! Stop bullying my Love-Love Monster!" Pixy Misa leaped off its shoulder to land in front of the van, holding her hand out so that a magical cane would poof into it. After a few practice twirls, she aimed the cane at the van and fired a bunch of roses with thorns on the vine that weren't strong enough to penetrate the windshield. It seemed this was a harmless way to express disapproval at their choices.

Chopper squealed fearfully as he was held overhead. "Eek! Keep this up and no one's gonna be vice-captain! Black Star might be vice-captain if you don't put me down!" He cried, knowing the threat of working underneath Black Star's leadership should get them to calm down and behave. Patty was dumb, but Black Star would somehow find a way to surpass even her idiocy if given dominion over their ship.

Hearing Chopper suggest Black Star as a new vice captain, Tsubaki froze and Patty stopped screaming. Both of them had the same image flash across their eyes: Black Star, decked out in stereotypical pirate gear, seated on a throne atop a pile of coins, jewels, and other treasures, swinging his cutlass--before it flew out of his hand, almost hitting Patty, dressed as a pirate clown, locked in a cage, while Tsubaki was re-filling Black Star's goblet with Baja Blast.

The two instantly stopped fighting. "We're sorry, Captain." Tsubaki set down Chopper before Patty softly patted his head. They looked traumatized by what they imagined.

Meanwhile, Maka got into the driver's seat, turning on the wiper blades--which only made the rose thorns scratch across the windshield. "Damn it..."

"What did we even do to you, huh?" Liz shouted, sticking her head out the passenger window. "Call off your creepy monster and go back to Oz or wherever you come from, you shrill witch with the bad hair?!"

"Damn, Liz, you didn't need to do her like that..."

"Cram it, Soul!"

@chopperpirate

“Hello, ocean!”

The beach was not a common sight for the DWMA students. True, their missions took them all over the world--but every time they had to head back home to that city in the Nevada desert.

“But today is a beach day!”

Patty Thompson was shouting to no one in particular. While her classmates were still unpacking the van, she already had all the belongings she needed: towel, umbrella, floatie ducky innertube, phone, Bluetooth speaker, magazines, cooler full of ice and drinks--all of which she carried effortlessly, practically skipping across the sand. She was wearing sandals, a buttoned shirt, a straw beach hat, and jean shorts--and with her swimsuit already on underneath, she couldn’t wait to take them off and dive into the inviting blue ocean.

As she ran forward, she shouted, “Nothing’s gonna get in my way!”

Almost immediately her face collided with the sand.

“Umph!” She lifted up her head, spitting out sand. “What the hell got in my way--”

Her tirade was interrupted by her phone landing on her head, as it had flown out of her hands when she tripped. Then the speaker. Then the magazines. Clutching her banged-up head, she waved her hand to get the papers out of her eyes--before her towel slowly floated down and landed on her head. She let out an annoyed groan. That’s when the cooler finished the job, its corner practically lodging into her skull. She laid dead-motionless for a few seconds.

Then came the scream: “AAAAARGG!” Patty growled, throwing the mess up into the air, fire in her eyes, pounding her fists against the sand like a child having a tantrum. “Who is responsible for this--”

While she was still lying down on her belly, her now sandal-less left foot felt something.

“Hmm?”

Touch, touch.

She shrieked.

“IT’S A FURRY BEACH TARANTULA!”

Patty was on her feet, armed with the beach umbrella, ready to stab it downward into the hairy threat--when she saw a round furry ball atop the sand.

“Huh--how did I miss that?”

She poked it again with her foot.

“Hmm…”

She nudged the ball a little harder with her foot.

“MMMM!” she whined, before she just stepped on it, slamming the bottom of her foot down hard onto the ball--

A stream of water splashed right at her forehead.

“EW! Spitting beach tarantula!”

Patty wiped her face with the towel, then she had a realization:

“Tarantulas don’t spit water.”

That’s when the ball started to cough, revealing who he really was.

She looked more closely at the furball--and her eyes widened in realization.

“Oh my god--Chopper?!”

"WHOAWHOAWHOAWHOA! Patty! Calm down! Be reasonable! If you have demands, I'm sure at least some can be met, but don't make Tsubaki suffer just for looking presentable!" Chopper was shaking with fear, his eyes on the verge of tears at the sight of Tsubaki being threatened. One might assume he was either playing this part way better than necessary or that Chopper legitimately assumed Patty was threatening Tsubaki with a real sword. Either way, he held both arms overhead as if to show that he had no intention of resisting and endangering her hostage.

The witch kept laughing, leaping up with surprisingly agility onto the monster's shoulder. "Ohoho~! Wouldn't want you to crash, would we? Go, my Love-Love Monster! Gobble up their silly van!"

"Ogyoh~!" The monster squealed in girlish delight as it grabbed the van with one large hand and lifted it up toward its open mouth to consume the students in one gulp. The entire time, Pixy Misa was laughing hysterically and waiting for the kids to scream their last scream.

One of the kids did scream--

BANG, BANG, BANG!

--while her soul bullets fired out of her arm, transformed into a pistol.

"I don't want to get vored by a monster!" Liz let out in a sob, tears falling down her face.

Everyone just looked at Liz. This remark even managed to wake up Kid.

"What does that even mean?" Maka and Kid both started to ask, before Soul interrupted: "Don't ask--we're in enough trouble as is."

The soul bullet managed to slice through the Love-Love Monster's jaw, and given Liz's poor aim while this upset, even left a small supernatural flame atop Pixy Misa's head.

Elsewhere, Tsubaki was holding Chopper over her head. Whether she too thought the sword was real or just playing along, she was trying to keep Chopper from getting smacked by a plastic toy. "That's right, Patty! Maybe co-vice captains?"

@chopperpirate

“Hello, ocean!”

The beach was not a common sight for the DWMA students. True, their missions took them all over the world--but every time they had to head back home to that city in the Nevada desert.

“But today is a beach day!”

Patty Thompson was shouting to no one in particular. While her classmates were still unpacking the van, she already had all the belongings she needed: towel, umbrella, floatie ducky innertube, phone, Bluetooth speaker, magazines, cooler full of ice and drinks--all of which she carried effortlessly, practically skipping across the sand. She was wearing sandals, a buttoned shirt, a straw beach hat, and jean shorts--and with her swimsuit already on underneath, she couldn’t wait to take them off and dive into the inviting blue ocean.

As she ran forward, she shouted, “Nothing’s gonna get in my way!”

Almost immediately her face collided with the sand.

“Umph!” She lifted up her head, spitting out sand. “What the hell got in my way--”

Her tirade was interrupted by her phone landing on her head, as it had flown out of her hands when she tripped. Then the speaker. Then the magazines. Clutching her banged-up head, she waved her hand to get the papers out of her eyes--before her towel slowly floated down and landed on her head. She let out an annoyed groan. That’s when the cooler finished the job, its corner practically lodging into her skull. She laid dead-motionless for a few seconds.

Then came the scream: “AAAAARGG!” Patty growled, throwing the mess up into the air, fire in her eyes, pounding her fists against the sand like a child having a tantrum. “Who is responsible for this--”

While she was still lying down on her belly, her now sandal-less left foot felt something.

“Hmm?”

Touch, touch.

She shrieked.

“IT’S A FURRY BEACH TARANTULA!”

Patty was on her feet, armed with the beach umbrella, ready to stab it downward into the hairy threat--when she saw a round furry ball atop the sand.

“Huh--how did I miss that?”

She poked it again with her foot.

“Hmm…”

She nudged the ball a little harder with her foot.

“MMMM!” she whined, before she just stepped on it, slamming the bottom of her foot down hard onto the ball--

A stream of water splashed right at her forehead.

“EW! Spitting beach tarantula!”

Patty wiped her face with the towel, then she had a realization:

“Tarantulas don’t spit water.”

That’s when the ball started to cough, revealing who he really was.

She looked more closely at the furball--and her eyes widened in realization.

“Oh my god--Chopper?!”

Chopper kept heading toward the dock by the amusement park, though his smile faded slightly as he looked toward Tsubaki, then at Patty. It seemed Tsubaki had a way better outfit for piracy than Patty, prompting the reindeer to give Patty a sad and almost hurt expression.

"Patty… I really had faith you'd be the one! You were gonna be the vice-captain who I could trust to run the seas at my side, above all the other crew members. But…"

The reindeer stepped closer to Tsubaki, his frown turning to a softer and more endeared smile as he chose to wipe his tears away with his forearm, offering a reassuring smile to Tsubaki. "I guess I should've known a ninja would be the best choice after all! Tsubaki, do you wanna be my vice-captain?" The sheer betrayal! Patty's position was threatened by her lack of pirate-y attire.

Maka could read the witch's soul. Chaotic and malevolent as any witch's would be, but the most noteworthy thing about this one was her weak spiritual presence in spite of some degree of danger coming from her monsters. It seemed that despite her boisterous nature, she herself wasn't much for fighting.

"Hohoho~! The mere sight of my Love-Love Monsters has brought the mighty Death to his knees! None can stand before me now!" With that, the wacky witch leapt from behind the giant monster and landed right on the roof of the van, smirking mischievously. Her boots seemed to stick to the surface in spite of the movement of the vehicle.

"No escaping now, you dirty DWMA goody two shoes!" She laughed triumphantly, giving the roof of the van a stomp just to assert herself as the monster ran after them. She waved her precious monster over like an air traffic patrol person, her arms waving toward herself. "Come! Love these fools to oblivion!"

"Ogyah~!" The monster squealed happily and reached a big hand down to grab at the van, its big, bouncy body jiggling with every step.

"Oh!" Tsubaki started. "I'm flattered, but I think I would have to ask Black Star--"

"Captain Chopper..." Patty's voice was low and threatening. "Is there such a thing as mutiny against a vice captain?" She pulled out a toy sword, aiming it at Tsubaki's throat.

Back at the van--

*SLICE*

A scythe's blade went right through the blob's arm.

"Enough with the monologuing," Soul said from inside the scythe, now held by Maka. "If you want to fight, we're up for it. Right, Maka?"

Maka grinned and nodded. "She doesn't seem too tough. And it'll be the witch's soul we need to complete your transformation, Soul!"

Although Soul was quick with the retort, and Maka was book smart, there was one flaw they both shared.

"Ugh," Liz groaned, sitting up. "Is the bad monster gone?" She got her answer, seeing the monster still outside--and something even more frightening.

"You morons!" Liz shouted. "Who's driving the van?"

Maka, in the middle of leaping for an attack, froze in the air. Soul was in scythe form, in her hands. He was no longer holding the steering wheel, his feet were not ready at the pedals. Maka was mortified.

That was their one flaw: two souls united--and one brain cell between them.

Soul, after a pause, spoke for both of them: "Oops?"

The van spun out of control.

@chopperpirate

“Hello, ocean!”

The beach was not a common sight for the DWMA students. True, their missions took them all over the world--but every time they had to head back home to that city in the Nevada desert.

“But today is a beach day!”

Patty Thompson was shouting to no one in particular. While her classmates were still unpacking the van, she already had all the belongings she needed: towel, umbrella, floatie ducky innertube, phone, Bluetooth speaker, magazines, cooler full of ice and drinks--all of which she carried effortlessly, practically skipping across the sand. She was wearing sandals, a buttoned shirt, a straw beach hat, and jean shorts--and with her swimsuit already on underneath, she couldn’t wait to take them off and dive into the inviting blue ocean.

As she ran forward, she shouted, “Nothing’s gonna get in my way!”

Almost immediately her face collided with the sand.

“Umph!” She lifted up her head, spitting out sand. “What the hell got in my way--”

Her tirade was interrupted by her phone landing on her head, as it had flown out of her hands when she tripped. Then the speaker. Then the magazines. Clutching her banged-up head, she waved her hand to get the papers out of her eyes--before her towel slowly floated down and landed on her head. She let out an annoyed groan. That’s when the cooler finished the job, its corner practically lodging into her skull. She laid dead-motionless for a few seconds.

Then came the scream: “AAAAARGG!” Patty growled, throwing the mess up into the air, fire in her eyes, pounding her fists against the sand like a child having a tantrum. “Who is responsible for this--”

While she was still lying down on her belly, her now sandal-less left foot felt something.

“Hmm?”

Touch, touch.

She shrieked.

“IT’S A FURRY BEACH TARANTULA!”

Patty was on her feet, armed with the beach umbrella, ready to stab it downward into the hairy threat--when she saw a round furry ball atop the sand.

“Huh--how did I miss that?”

She poked it again with her foot.

“Hmm…”

She nudged the ball a little harder with her foot.

“MMMM!” she whined, before she just stepped on it, slamming the bottom of her foot down hard onto the ball--

A stream of water splashed right at her forehead.

“EW! Spitting beach tarantula!”

Patty wiped her face with the towel, then she had a realization:

“Tarantulas don’t spit water.”

That’s when the ball started to cough, revealing who he really was.

She looked more closely at the furball--and her eyes widened in realization.

“Oh my god--Chopper?!”

Chopper rolled his eyes at the way Patty almost came out of the cabin undressed. While no one was around and he was used to seeing his male and female crew mates in states of undress, he still felt they were a little too close to the shore to run around naked without being certain no one was watching. Thankfully Tsubaki made her go back inside before he had to yell at her.

"Hm hm hmm~! Oh!" After a few minutes, they finally came out of the cabin, ready for adventure. Well, at least Patty did.

"That's what I like to see! Now we can go to the amusement park and have fun!" It seemed Chopper wasn't too concerned with waiting for the others now that they had a meeting spot.

Without warning, a large, pink blobby monster landed in front of the van from the sky, causing the ground to shake as it loomed over them with a lovestruck and happy expression on its face. "Ogyoh? Ogyoh~!" It squealed excitedly before opening its mouth to try and eat the van, diving straight at it with little warning. Clearly, they were under attack. A voice could be heard laughing, a shrill, girly voice just behind the large creature.

"Ohohoho~! That's right, my precious Love-Love Monster~! Eat that silly toy and assert yourself~!" It was a young girl in a somewhat 20's themed magician outfit complete with a black hat, her long blonde hair blowing in the wind. "Hello, MY FRIENDS! Welcome to the Pixy Misa Magical Showtime~! To satisfy my hundreds of billions of fans across the world, I'm going to make this van disappear so please remove all valuables from the vehicle and give them to me~!" She seemed rather excited, holding one of her black-gloved hands out, causing as cane to poof into it like magic. As she twirled it around happily, it was clear to everyone involved what this girl probably was. A witch here to spread chaos and mayhem with this big monster she cooked up.

"Ogyoh~!" The monster took a big chomp at the van and tried to swallow it whole.

---

Chopper had already turned the ship in the direction of the Ferris Wheel when he heard some commotion, his eyes narrowing in disdain and sadness at the sight of a monster in the distance, not quite in the direction of the amusement park but instead behind their ship.

"Ah... that's pretty cool but... oh! We might get a better view of it from the top of the rides!" Chopper squealed happily, seeming to want to go to the park rather than fight the monster he saw in the distance.

Standing beside Chopper was Tsubaki, now in a striped shirt, baggy pants, and with a bandana across her head.

"Is this how a pirate would dress?" she had asked earlier.

But now that she looked alongside Chopper and spotted the van, she shouted: "What's that thing going after the van doing?!"

"Asking for directions?" Patty suggested.

Meanwhile, at the van--

"Shit!"

Soul spun the wheel to try to get away from the monster--but not before it bit a chunk out of the rear bumper.

"Hey!" Kid shouted. "If you're going to do that, take the whole thing!" He opened the back door to try to pull the now half-bitten bumper off, before Liz pulled him back into the van.

"Idiot!" Liz still had her arms around his waist. "That thing is trying to eat us and--" Liz then did a double take, shouted, "Monster!" and fainted.

Kid looked unamused. "So glad to see someone keeping their head on straight." Then he had a thought. "Oh, yes, we are not symmetrical now--"

Now Maka looked unamused as both Liz and Kid were passed out, stiff as corpses. "Super..."

Maka then turned her attention to the witch. She closed her eyes before opening them to try to read this witch's soul.

@chopperpirate

“Hello, ocean!”

The beach was not a common sight for the DWMA students. True, their missions took them all over the world--but every time they had to head back home to that city in the Nevada desert.

“But today is a beach day!”

Patty Thompson was shouting to no one in particular. While her classmates were still unpacking the van, she already had all the belongings she needed: towel, umbrella, floatie ducky innertube, phone, Bluetooth speaker, magazines, cooler full of ice and drinks--all of which she carried effortlessly, practically skipping across the sand. She was wearing sandals, a buttoned shirt, a straw beach hat, and jean shorts--and with her swimsuit already on underneath, she couldn’t wait to take them off and dive into the inviting blue ocean.

As she ran forward, she shouted, “Nothing’s gonna get in my way!”

Almost immediately her face collided with the sand.

“Umph!” She lifted up her head, spitting out sand. “What the hell got in my way--”

Her tirade was interrupted by her phone landing on her head, as it had flown out of her hands when she tripped. Then the speaker. Then the magazines. Clutching her banged-up head, she waved her hand to get the papers out of her eyes--before her towel slowly floated down and landed on her head. She let out an annoyed groan. That’s when the cooler finished the job, its corner practically lodging into her skull. She laid dead-motionless for a few seconds.

Then came the scream: “AAAAARGG!” Patty growled, throwing the mess up into the air, fire in her eyes, pounding her fists against the sand like a child having a tantrum. “Who is responsible for this--”

While she was still lying down on her belly, her now sandal-less left foot felt something.

“Hmm?”

Touch, touch.

She shrieked.

“IT’S A FURRY BEACH TARANTULA!”

Patty was on her feet, armed with the beach umbrella, ready to stab it downward into the hairy threat--when she saw a round furry ball atop the sand.

“Huh--how did I miss that?”

She poked it again with her foot.

“Hmm…”

She nudged the ball a little harder with her foot.

“MMMM!” she whined, before she just stepped on it, slamming the bottom of her foot down hard onto the ball--

A stream of water splashed right at her forehead.

“EW! Spitting beach tarantula!”

Patty wiped her face with the towel, then she had a realization:

“Tarantulas don’t spit water.”

That’s when the ball started to cough, revealing who he really was.

She looked more closely at the furball--and her eyes widened in realization.

“Oh my god--Chopper?!”

Chopper was confused by her words. Were they servicing fans by wearing different clothes? Merchandise? The thought of being famous was amusing, but Chopper knew not to get hung up on Patty's weirdness.

"Huh. I wonder if Nami would've given some of her old clothes to those guys. Still, we'd need stuff for the others. Ah! I think some of Luffy's clothes would be perfect for Black☆!"

Chopper dialed Liz with a soft smile, using Patty's phone responsibly.

"Hey. It's me. I thought we should meet up at the beach with the amusement park boardwalk. I'll be there with the others for a few hours. And Patty's my sister now! I'll love her a million times better than you ever did! She's gonna choose if she likes being a pirate with me or being in school with you guys! Get ready!"

Chopper abruptly hung up with a huff after needlessly escalating the situation.

Too bad Liz's scream from the van could be heard all the way back at the ship.

Patty, with bare shoulders, poked her head out the cabin window. "Did Sis step on a Lego?"

"Patty, you're not decent!" Tsubaki could be heard, pulling her back in.

Back on the road, the van swerved from Liz's shout before righting itself.

"Liz," Maka began, her pigtails blown forward by Liz's scream. "Soul needs to focus."

Soul's fingers were gripped so hard that they had put dents in the wheel. "If it's not books upside the head, it's screaming Brooklynites..."

"THAT FURRY BASTARD IS NOT TOUCHING MY SISTER!" Liz stuck her head out the van window. "I'LL TEAR YOUR ANTLERS OFF AND TAP-DANCE WITH 'EM!"

Back on the ship--

"Wouldn't that hurt the toes?" Patty asked.

"Unless they're like soft felt?" Tsubaki offered.

Back in the van--

"Did our new 'captain' say where to meet up?" Kid asked, still organizing their belongings. "I will feel more comfortable with twin pistols again."

Liz let out a huff. "Some boardwalk up ahead."

"Oh, with a ferris wheel?" Maka asked, pointing to one off in the distance. "It looks cute!"

Kid frowned. "I am not enthused, for various reasons," he said, Liz shivering from memories of a prior encounter at such a carnival. "Especially if the wheel stops anywhere but the very top!"

Elsewhere, Black Star was collapsed on his back. "No...more...flora..."

And Patty finally got dressed and kicked down the cabin door, holding up two metal hooks. "Arg, captain! I be extra sharp now!"

@chopperpirate

“Hello, ocean!”

The beach was not a common sight for the DWMA students. True, their missions took them all over the world--but every time they had to head back home to that city in the Nevada desert.

“But today is a beach day!”

Patty Thompson was shouting to no one in particular. While her classmates were still unpacking the van, she already had all the belongings she needed: towel, umbrella, floatie ducky innertube, phone, Bluetooth speaker, magazines, cooler full of ice and drinks--all of which she carried effortlessly, practically skipping across the sand. She was wearing sandals, a buttoned shirt, a straw beach hat, and jean shorts--and with her swimsuit already on underneath, she couldn’t wait to take them off and dive into the inviting blue ocean.

As she ran forward, she shouted, “Nothing’s gonna get in my way!”

Almost immediately her face collided with the sand.

“Umph!” She lifted up her head, spitting out sand. “What the hell got in my way--”

Her tirade was interrupted by her phone landing on her head, as it had flown out of her hands when she tripped. Then the speaker. Then the magazines. Clutching her banged-up head, she waved her hand to get the papers out of her eyes--before her towel slowly floated down and landed on her head. She let out an annoyed groan. That’s when the cooler finished the job, its corner practically lodging into her skull. She laid dead-motionless for a few seconds.

Then came the scream: “AAAAARGG!” Patty growled, throwing the mess up into the air, fire in her eyes, pounding her fists against the sand like a child having a tantrum. “Who is responsible for this--”

While she was still lying down on her belly, her now sandal-less left foot felt something.

“Hmm?”

Touch, touch.

She shrieked.

“IT’S A FURRY BEACH TARANTULA!”

Patty was on her feet, armed with the beach umbrella, ready to stab it downward into the hairy threat--when she saw a round furry ball atop the sand.

“Huh--how did I miss that?”

She poked it again with her foot.

“Hmm…”

She nudged the ball a little harder with her foot.

“MMMM!” she whined, before she just stepped on it, slamming the bottom of her foot down hard onto the ball--

A stream of water splashed right at her forehead.

“EW! Spitting beach tarantula!”

Patty wiped her face with the towel, then she had a realization:

“Tarantulas don’t spit water.”

That’s when the ball started to cough, revealing who he really was.

She looked more closely at the furball--and her eyes widened in realization.

“Oh my god--Chopper?!”

The Dugongs were in tears at seeing Black Star go before they could finish making their seaweed and flower casserole, but they could only slither so fast.

Chopper stared at Patty with a concerned frown on his face when she pulled a phone out from under her hat. "How is that thing not destroyed from all the times you went underwater?" He asked with a somewhat nervous chuckle before smiling at Jugemu. The monkey had already learned how to play Go Fish. He was shaping up to be a valued member of the crew.

"Ah! You know what? Enough of your shenanigans! I'll call them while you guys go check in the ship for any clothes that'll fit you. I don't wanna go to shore being the only one fully dressed!" Chopper said this despite only wearing pants, but that was pretty normal for him. Holding his hoof out to Patty, he smiled and waited to receive her phone so he could call the first contact he recognized.

"Okay, Captain!" Patty handed over her phone. "NO ROAMING DATA, YOU GOT IT?!"

"Do we actually need a change of clothes?" Tsubaki asked. "Can't we just wait for the van to catch up?"

"Pirate adventures always need new outfits, Tsubaki!" Patty shouted. "It's merchandisable!"

"What?"

"It helps with fanservice!"

"WHAT."

"Just get in the cabin and find something!" Patty shouted, pushing Tsubaki to the cabin.

Back at the van, Kid had a pair of binoculars.

"What're they doing now?" Liz asked.

"They seem to be crying. Also, I think Black Star is drowning."

"Hm. Real shame." Liz went back to filing her nails.

"Hang tight, Black Star!" Soul shouted, slamming his foot on the gas. "We're on our way!"

"SOUL, SPEED LIMIT!" Maka smacked him upside the head.

@chopperpirate

“Hello, ocean!”

The beach was not a common sight for the DWMA students. True, their missions took them all over the world--but every time they had to head back home to that city in the Nevada desert.

“But today is a beach day!”

Patty Thompson was shouting to no one in particular. While her classmates were still unpacking the van, she already had all the belongings she needed: towel, umbrella, floatie ducky innertube, phone, Bluetooth speaker, magazines, cooler full of ice and drinks--all of which she carried effortlessly, practically skipping across the sand. She was wearing sandals, a buttoned shirt, a straw beach hat, and jean shorts--and with her swimsuit already on underneath, she couldn’t wait to take them off and dive into the inviting blue ocean.

As she ran forward, she shouted, “Nothing’s gonna get in my way!”

Almost immediately her face collided with the sand.

“Umph!” She lifted up her head, spitting out sand. “What the hell got in my way--”

Her tirade was interrupted by her phone landing on her head, as it had flown out of her hands when she tripped. Then the speaker. Then the magazines. Clutching her banged-up head, she waved her hand to get the papers out of her eyes--before her towel slowly floated down and landed on her head. She let out an annoyed groan. That’s when the cooler finished the job, its corner practically lodging into her skull. She laid dead-motionless for a few seconds.

Then came the scream: “AAAAARGG!” Patty growled, throwing the mess up into the air, fire in her eyes, pounding her fists against the sand like a child having a tantrum. “Who is responsible for this--”

While she was still lying down on her belly, her now sandal-less left foot felt something.

“Hmm?”

Touch, touch.

She shrieked.

“IT’S A FURRY BEACH TARANTULA!”

Patty was on her feet, armed with the beach umbrella, ready to stab it downward into the hairy threat--when she saw a round furry ball atop the sand.

“Huh--how did I miss that?”

She poked it again with her foot.

“Hmm…”

She nudged the ball a little harder with her foot.

“MMMM!” she whined, before she just stepped on it, slamming the bottom of her foot down hard onto the ball--

A stream of water splashed right at her forehead.

“EW! Spitting beach tarantula!”

Patty wiped her face with the towel, then she had a realization:

“Tarantulas don’t spit water.”

That’s when the ball started to cough, revealing who he really was.

She looked more closely at the furball--and her eyes widened in realization.

“Oh my god--Chopper?!”

Chopper turned to his new subordinates with a smile as he noticed the monkey. Mission accomplished, but now they had to get somewhere safe. With a smile the reindeer walked up to the two of them.

"Great job! We rescued our new mascot and Ninja Operations Manager!" The implication that a monkey would be involved in ninja work was a bizarre one. Chopper turned from those two to look down at the ones being left on the beach.

"Tsubaki! You need to have faith in our friends and think of a meeting spot! If they have their phones, we can go around and meet them somewhere without risking damage to the ship by fighting Dugongs!" Chopper spoke with stern affirmation, smirking as he felt like a real captain.

"I wonder if there are clothes in this ship. We can't have you guys fighting in swimwear all day or the crew will look silly." He was already calling them his crew, so it seemed they made the cut with the success of their monkey retrieval.

The Queen was still squeaking orders, prompting her followers to dive into the ocean to retrieve ingredients for Black☆'s sudden sashimi course. He had gained favor with The Queen and all the Dugongs seemed to allow the monkey to get away. The van wasn't even under attack, though they still had to choose between following the ship and getting Black☆.

Meanwhile, back at the van, which was following the ship from the road...

"We're not doing that."

"Come on, Maka," Soul said. "We just swing the fishing pole and pull Star out!"

"That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard! How would that even work?"

Back on Chopper's ship...

"Got any 2's?"

Jugemu tossed down a few cards.

"Yay!" Patty shouted. "Oh, wait, phones?" Patty checked under her sun hat, pulling out a phone. "Like this, Captain?"

@chopperpirate

“Hello, ocean!”

The beach was not a common sight for the DWMA students. True, their missions took them all over the world--but every time they had to head back home to that city in the Nevada desert.

“But today is a beach day!”

Patty Thompson was shouting to no one in particular. While her classmates were still unpacking the van, she already had all the belongings she needed: towel, umbrella, floatie ducky innertube, phone, Bluetooth speaker, magazines, cooler full of ice and drinks--all of which she carried effortlessly, practically skipping across the sand. She was wearing sandals, a buttoned shirt, a straw beach hat, and jean shorts--and with her swimsuit already on underneath, she couldn’t wait to take them off and dive into the inviting blue ocean.

As she ran forward, she shouted, “Nothing’s gonna get in my way!”

Almost immediately her face collided with the sand.

“Umph!” She lifted up her head, spitting out sand. “What the hell got in my way--”

Her tirade was interrupted by her phone landing on her head, as it had flown out of her hands when she tripped. Then the speaker. Then the magazines. Clutching her banged-up head, she waved her hand to get the papers out of her eyes--before her towel slowly floated down and landed on her head. She let out an annoyed groan. That’s when the cooler finished the job, its corner practically lodging into her skull. She laid dead-motionless for a few seconds.

Then came the scream: “AAAAARGG!” Patty growled, throwing the mess up into the air, fire in her eyes, pounding her fists against the sand like a child having a tantrum. “Who is responsible for this--”

While she was still lying down on her belly, her now sandal-less left foot felt something.

“Hmm?”

Touch, touch.

She shrieked.

“IT’S A FURRY BEACH TARANTULA!”

Patty was on her feet, armed with the beach umbrella, ready to stab it downward into the hairy threat--when she saw a round furry ball atop the sand.

“Huh--how did I miss that?”

She poked it again with her foot.

“Hmm…”

She nudged the ball a little harder with her foot.

“MMMM!” she whined, before she just stepped on it, slamming the bottom of her foot down hard onto the ball--

A stream of water splashed right at her forehead.

“EW! Spitting beach tarantula!”

Patty wiped her face with the towel, then she had a realization:

“Tarantulas don’t spit water.”

That’s when the ball started to cough, revealing who he really was.

She looked more closely at the furball--and her eyes widened in realization.

“Oh my god--Chopper?!”

The Dugong Queen was pleased by the development. Black Star had appreciated her flower, consuming it for his much needed nutrients. As the queen of a tribe that prided themselves on their fighting spirit, the privilege to grant Black Star more strength through her gift made her call out to the other Dugongs. Without delay, they all slithered over to her and Black Star, each carrying with them more flowers of different kinds to deliver to their queen, who in turn handed them to Black Star. It seemed this distracted them from Jugemu's retrieval.

Chopper transformed into his human form to better reach the sails, knowing he had to unfurl them in order to get the ship moving. With Patty and Tsubaki on the ship with him, the reindeer ran over to lift the anchor with his incredible strength, the wind now propelling the ship away with whoever made it on as the Queen Dugong and her underlings continued to give Black Star a bunch of flowers, only a few seeming to notice the ship leaving and the van gaining more passengers.

"Dugoh?" One of the dugongs spoke, slithering over to the van curiously as Chopper escaped to sea with the monkey.

"I caught a big one, Captain!" Patty shouted, holding up Jugemu, still clutching the banana, although looking a bit addled by the shouting and being fished onto the ship.

"But what about Black Star?" Tsubaki asked.

"I don't have bait for him, unless you want to get on the hook--"

"Thank you, Patty, no, that's fine!" Tsubaki waved her hands in front of her--before noticing the van driving on the road, following the ship. "And how are we getting them aboard, too?"

Meanwhile, Black Star was in the middle of a taste test.

"Hmm...The red ones are kind of flavorless. I like the texture, though--gets rid of the nasty after-taste from the daisy-things. You got anything with some more umami, maybe?"

@chopperpirate

“Hello, ocean!”

The beach was not a common sight for the DWMA students. True, their missions took them all over the world--but every time they had to head back home to that city in the Nevada desert.

“But today is a beach day!”

Patty Thompson was shouting to no one in particular. While her classmates were still unpacking the van, she already had all the belongings she needed: towel, umbrella, floatie ducky innertube, phone, Bluetooth speaker, magazines, cooler full of ice and drinks--all of which she carried effortlessly, practically skipping across the sand. She was wearing sandals, a buttoned shirt, a straw beach hat, and jean shorts--and with her swimsuit already on underneath, she couldn’t wait to take them off and dive into the inviting blue ocean.

As she ran forward, she shouted, “Nothing’s gonna get in my way!”

Almost immediately her face collided with the sand.

“Umph!” She lifted up her head, spitting out sand. “What the hell got in my way--”

Her tirade was interrupted by her phone landing on her head, as it had flown out of her hands when she tripped. Then the speaker. Then the magazines. Clutching her banged-up head, she waved her hand to get the papers out of her eyes--before her towel slowly floated down and landed on her head. She let out an annoyed groan. That’s when the cooler finished the job, its corner practically lodging into her skull. She laid dead-motionless for a few seconds.

Then came the scream: “AAAAARGG!” Patty growled, throwing the mess up into the air, fire in her eyes, pounding her fists against the sand like a child having a tantrum. “Who is responsible for this--”

While she was still lying down on her belly, her now sandal-less left foot felt something.

“Hmm?”

Touch, touch.

She shrieked.

“IT’S A FURRY BEACH TARANTULA!”

Patty was on her feet, armed with the beach umbrella, ready to stab it downward into the hairy threat--when she saw a round furry ball atop the sand.

“Huh--how did I miss that?”

She poked it again with her foot.

“Hmm…”

She nudged the ball a little harder with her foot.

“MMMM!” she whined, before she just stepped on it, slamming the bottom of her foot down hard onto the ball--

A stream of water splashed right at her forehead.

“EW! Spitting beach tarantula!”

Patty wiped her face with the towel, then she had a realization:

“Tarantulas don’t spit water.”

That’s when the ball started to cough, revealing who he really was.

She looked more closely at the furball--and her eyes widened in realization.

“Oh my god--Chopper?!”

Chopper had been busy getting everything onto the ship. After running back and forth a few times with multiple supplies, the reindeer smirked from atop the deck at their good work, but resisted the urge to congratulate them out of fear of gaining the Dugongs' attention.

The dugong queen held a flower out to Black Star, making unintelligible squeaking noises as she blushed. Whatever was going on there, it seemed to entrance the entire herd of dugongs, allowing Chopper to wave everyone onto the deck.

"Psst! Time to go! I'm about to unfurl the sails!" He yell-whispered, which defeated the whole point of being quiet, but he had to get their attention somehow so they could bring Jugemu onboard.

"Eh?" one dugong squeaked, looking up--before getting smacked by a monkey hanging in the air onto a banana hooked to a fishing line.

"Why the hell should we go on the ship?" Soul complained.

"We're not leaving Patty behind!" Kid shouted, already shoving everything into the van--before stopping to re-organize it all. He started muttering to himself: "Most essential items in convenient, accessible locations, less essential items towards the back--"

"I'm not leaving Patty or Tsubaki alone!" Liz shouted, shoving more items into the van, upsetting Kid's organizational work--and upsetting Kid.

"Think of it this way," Maka said, getting into the driver's seat. "Do you really want Patty and Black Star unsupervised and engaging in piracy around the world?"

Soul thought about this. "It'd be entertaining from afar--"

Maka reached out through the passenger side and dragged Soul into the van.

Meanwhile, Black Star was...munching on the flower?

@chopperpirate

“Hello, ocean!”

The beach was not a common sight for the DWMA students. True, their missions took them all over the world--but every time they had to head back home to that city in the Nevada desert.

“But today is a beach day!”

Patty Thompson was shouting to no one in particular. While her classmates were still unpacking the van, she already had all the belongings she needed: towel, umbrella, floatie ducky innertube, phone, Bluetooth speaker, magazines, cooler full of ice and drinks--all of which she carried effortlessly, practically skipping across the sand. She was wearing sandals, a buttoned shirt, a straw beach hat, and jean shorts--and with her swimsuit already on underneath, she couldn’t wait to take them off and dive into the inviting blue ocean.

As she ran forward, she shouted, “Nothing’s gonna get in my way!”

Almost immediately her face collided with the sand.

“Umph!” She lifted up her head, spitting out sand. “What the hell got in my way--”

Her tirade was interrupted by her phone landing on her head, as it had flown out of her hands when she tripped. Then the speaker. Then the magazines. Clutching her banged-up head, she waved her hand to get the papers out of her eyes--before her towel slowly floated down and landed on her head. She let out an annoyed groan. That’s when the cooler finished the job, its corner practically lodging into her skull. She laid dead-motionless for a few seconds.

Then came the scream: “AAAAARGG!” Patty growled, throwing the mess up into the air, fire in her eyes, pounding her fists against the sand like a child having a tantrum. “Who is responsible for this--”

While she was still lying down on her belly, her now sandal-less left foot felt something.

“Hmm?”

Touch, touch.

She shrieked.

“IT’S A FURRY BEACH TARANTULA!”

Patty was on her feet, armed with the beach umbrella, ready to stab it downward into the hairy threat--when she saw a round furry ball atop the sand.

“Huh--how did I miss that?”

She poked it again with her foot.

“Hmm…”

She nudged the ball a little harder with her foot.

“MMMM!” she whined, before she just stepped on it, slamming the bottom of her foot down hard onto the ball--

A stream of water splashed right at her forehead.

“EW! Spitting beach tarantula!”

Patty wiped her face with the towel, then she had a realization:

“Tarantulas don’t spit water.”

That’s when the ball started to cough, revealing who he really was.

She looked more closely at the furball--and her eyes widened in realization.

“Oh my god--Chopper?!”

The dugongs squeaked as though speaking the same rough number of syllables as would be in English, but remained unintelligible to all but Chopper as they put a crown of seashells onto Black Star's head and pushed him toward their blushing queen. It seemed they were not waiting at all for whatever arrangement they'd decided on for him.

"Okay... Tsubaki. I think you're probably best equipped to get Jugemu while we all sneak onto the ship and head out. Black Star's distracting them." Chopper whispered as he took a few steps toward Jugemu and the ship.

Tsubaki nodded--before looking in confusion as Patty handed her the fishing rod.

"You got this, Tsu!" Patty said.

Tsubaki had learned long ago, when confused by her friends, just smile and nod. At that point she planted her feet, angled her body perpendicular to her intended cast, then with tremendous force cast the rod, sending the fishing line out--

The banana on the reel landed in front of Jugemu, who poked at it for a moment before kneeling down, sniffing it, and grabbed it--

Yoink!

Tsubaki pulled back on the rod, sending Jugemu, holding onto the line, up into the air and towards her.

@chopperpirate

“Hello, ocean!”

The beach was not a common sight for the DWMA students. True, their missions took them all over the world--but every time they had to head back home to that city in the Nevada desert.

“But today is a beach day!”

Patty Thompson was shouting to no one in particular. While her classmates were still unpacking the van, she already had all the belongings she needed: towel, umbrella, floatie ducky innertube, phone, Bluetooth speaker, magazines, cooler full of ice and drinks--all of which she carried effortlessly, practically skipping across the sand. She was wearing sandals, a buttoned shirt, a straw beach hat, and jean shorts--and with her swimsuit already on underneath, she couldn’t wait to take them off and dive into the inviting blue ocean.

As she ran forward, she shouted, “Nothing’s gonna get in my way!”

Almost immediately her face collided with the sand.

“Umph!” She lifted up her head, spitting out sand. “What the hell got in my way--”

Her tirade was interrupted by her phone landing on her head, as it had flown out of her hands when she tripped. Then the speaker. Then the magazines. Clutching her banged-up head, she waved her hand to get the papers out of her eyes--before her towel slowly floated down and landed on her head. She let out an annoyed groan. That’s when the cooler finished the job, its corner practically lodging into her skull. She laid dead-motionless for a few seconds.

Then came the scream: “AAAAARGG!” Patty growled, throwing the mess up into the air, fire in her eyes, pounding her fists against the sand like a child having a tantrum. “Who is responsible for this--”

While she was still lying down on her belly, her now sandal-less left foot felt something.

“Hmm?”

Touch, touch.

She shrieked.

“IT’S A FURRY BEACH TARANTULA!”

Patty was on her feet, armed with the beach umbrella, ready to stab it downward into the hairy threat--when she saw a round furry ball atop the sand.

“Huh--how did I miss that?”

She poked it again with her foot.

“Hmm…”

She nudged the ball a little harder with her foot.

“MMMM!” she whined, before she just stepped on it, slamming the bottom of her foot down hard onto the ball--

A stream of water splashed right at her forehead.

“EW! Spitting beach tarantula!”

Patty wiped her face with the towel, then she had a realization:

“Tarantulas don’t spit water.”

That’s when the ball started to cough, revealing who he really was.

She looked more closely at the furball--and her eyes widened in realization.

“Oh my god--Chopper?!”

Chopper cringed and grit his teeth through a pained smile as the Dugongs started dragging Black Star by the arm toward their queen, presenting him to her with glares as they seemed to wait for him to apologize for what he said earlier. Chopper silently knew he'd only make the situation worse, but the dugongs seemed to be under the impression that now that they were given a ship, Black Star would realize his wrongdoing.

"Alright! Get Jugemu while they're all distracted by... whatever Black Star is about to do." Chopper knew whether or not he told Black Star to serve as a diversion, the wannabe ninja would never be able to help himself. Rubbing the back of his head vigorously, he looked toward Jugemu who was left to his devices with only about five dugongs nearby keeping watch. Whatever they wanted a monkey for seemed benign enough that they weren't intent on restraining him.

"So, what're we doing?" Black Star asked the dugongs. "We sacrificing the monkey or something? Or is your queen marrying the monkey?"

@chopperpirate

“Hello, ocean!”

The beach was not a common sight for the DWMA students. True, their missions took them all over the world--but every time they had to head back home to that city in the Nevada desert.

“But today is a beach day!”

Patty Thompson was shouting to no one in particular. While her classmates were still unpacking the van, she already had all the belongings she needed: towel, umbrella, floatie ducky innertube, phone, Bluetooth speaker, magazines, cooler full of ice and drinks--all of which she carried effortlessly, practically skipping across the sand. She was wearing sandals, a buttoned shirt, a straw beach hat, and jean shorts--and with her swimsuit already on underneath, she couldn’t wait to take them off and dive into the inviting blue ocean.

As she ran forward, she shouted, “Nothing’s gonna get in my way!”

Almost immediately her face collided with the sand.

“Umph!” She lifted up her head, spitting out sand. “What the hell got in my way--”

Her tirade was interrupted by her phone landing on her head, as it had flown out of her hands when she tripped. Then the speaker. Then the magazines. Clutching her banged-up head, she waved her hand to get the papers out of her eyes--before her towel slowly floated down and landed on her head. She let out an annoyed groan. That’s when the cooler finished the job, its corner practically lodging into her skull. She laid dead-motionless for a few seconds.

Then came the scream: “AAAAARGG!” Patty growled, throwing the mess up into the air, fire in her eyes, pounding her fists against the sand like a child having a tantrum. “Who is responsible for this--”

While she was still lying down on her belly, her now sandal-less left foot felt something.

“Hmm?”

Touch, touch.

She shrieked.

“IT’S A FURRY BEACH TARANTULA!”

Patty was on her feet, armed with the beach umbrella, ready to stab it downward into the hairy threat--when she saw a round furry ball atop the sand.

“Huh--how did I miss that?”

She poked it again with her foot.

“Hmm…”

She nudged the ball a little harder with her foot.

“MMMM!” she whined, before she just stepped on it, slamming the bottom of her foot down hard onto the ball--

A stream of water splashed right at her forehead.

“EW! Spitting beach tarantula!”

Patty wiped her face with the towel, then she had a realization:

“Tarantulas don’t spit water.”

That’s when the ball started to cough, revealing who he really was.

She looked more closely at the furball--and her eyes widened in realization.

“Oh my god--Chopper?!”

"Married? Was that what happened?" Chopper grit his teeth in disdain at the thought of it, glancing aside in shame. Dugongs admired strength and Black ☆'s boisterous personality may have been attractive to their queen. It was truly unfortunate that things were going so poorly. Had the ninja not ruined public relations, they wouldn't have to trick the Dugongs, who now neatly docked the large ship against the shoreline.

"Well... are we all sure we wanna keep Jugemu?" Chopper turned to face Patty with a serious expression, knowing she was the one who actually cared enough about this. "We really don't wanna let the dugongs keep him? Seriously...?" Her answer would determine the trajectory of the next several minutes.

"Don't you think a pirate crew needs a monkey?" Patty asked, as she was attaching something to the fishing hook and preparing the line. "They are excellent icebreakers! And pickpockets! And companionship!" She tried a few practices swings of the line. "The perfect cast will seal the deal!"