Squawk! Squawk! Sha…!
A little red crab crawled into a small dark tunnel formed of cloth. It leisurely made its way through all the twists and turns. Until it finally hit a dead end.
The crab wasn't sure what was in its way. So, it decided to make its own way. It poked the block spot a few times.
The first jab did naught. The second followed suit. And the third caused a sudden movement to occur, which frightened the crab into attacking like a startled cat.
SNAP!!
"KYAAHHH!!" The prey yowled out in pain by the rigid pinch.
He flew up from his long slumber, or was it a short nap….? Not even he knew the answers to those lingering questions.
The man attempted to sit up for a brief second to ponder about it. However, a massive headache came down on him like fallen boulders.
"Heave! Heave!" He slowly gasped for air as he failed to catch his missing breath.
"Whew...! Whew...! Am I al...? Ka..! K…!" Water got coughed up with his words as the entirety of his body felt queasy.
Ack! Ack…!
"Ah...! My brain…! It feels like beating drums!" He voiced aloud to nothing but the flowing wind.
His thoughts were scattered like glass as the constant pain made it troublesome for him to think straight.
So, he spun his head to loosen his neck and settled to have a look around his surroundings instead. However, the attempts were futile since his vision was too dark to make out a rock nor stone. It felt as if a cloth of some sort was resting on his face.
Thus, his other senses were what he depended on to gain some hints and clues about the terrain.
The surfaces beneath him felt grainy to the touch. Tiny loose bits got stuck between his bare fingers. The grains got hotter and hotter the longer he left his palm on them.
Where am I? He constantly asked himself.
The clothes on his back seemed as if they had been washed and put out to dry.
His chest down to his toes felt cold and wet. Yet, other areas, such as his neck and arms, were left a bit sunburnt.
Sniff! Sniff!
The scent of salty fish and the sound of beating water ruled the air. He took in a deep breath of the crisp, moist breeze to calm his nerves a bit. Since he had a decent idea of the place from the sensations, he continued to take tiny breaths to...!
What's with this sudden shade? Is it a cloud...?
"You finally decided to come alive, sailor." Said a random male's voice out of nowhere.
"Aargh! Hugh...!?" The man sprung away from the strange voice in awe.
He pushed and pushed, only to pitch up sand all over the place. Still, all his efforts were in vain as he went nowhere.
Huh, what the hell is this? His hands seemed to meet some form of stiff resistance.
The same voice said, "Looks like our crab friend here came in handy." As though there were other people around.
"Ah tell yuh, we likkle shell friend here, goh do de trick."
Okay, that confirmed the thought of there being others around. And it frightened the man even more.
He tried his best to get up and run like anyone else in this situation. But his legs weren't up for it, or rather, someone else made them not up for it.
"Are you leaving now, mate? My, oh my, how impolite of ye," voiced the stranger in a light tone.
"Where am I?! Why am I here?! And who are you, lots?!" Demandingly asked the restrained man.
"So many questions, yet so few answers." The voice replied. "But before we express ourselves, let me take this off ye."
He heard sand shifting towards him, so he braced himself for the worst. All of a sudden, he felt the object that impeded his vision getting removed.
Though he was relieved to see again, what he saw wasn't exactly pleasant for him.
"It's…You!" He eerily shouted after a few blinks.
The sailor's eyes came across a standing Livie staring at him. Along with a smiling Baba who's playing with the snappy red crab.
"Ahoy," Livie greeted. "Do you always sleep in late?"
"W-why…why am I here…with you two of all people?" He timidly asked them.
"Funny, isn't it. I was about to ask the same thing." Livie replied with a smirk on his face.
"Ehh…?" To say the sailor's mind was in an utter haze would be putting it mildly.
"Let's not worry about the questions for now." Livie strolled up behind the tar and told him, "First, we need to locate the rest of me hearties."
He suddenly placed his hand on the sailor's neck with a bit of pressure and uttered sinisterly, "Then, I will be the one asking the questions. Savvy?"
An awkward shake of the head was his response, "Uh-huh."
"Splendid," He let go of his trembling neck and stood up.
"Capt'n, are yuh sure Bree Bree and Peacoat will be on here soh island with us?" Baba tensely asked.
"They should be if we all came ashore."
"I hear yuh, but Selly here is taking a caulk." Both of them turned to a sleeping Selly, who's catching heavy ZZ's on the sand.
Wait! There are more of them, the sailor promptly thought to himself.
"He's still in the other world, I see."
"I'm tired ah carrying his fat ass." Baba held up the crab as if it was a daybreak alarm. "Should I wake him up with we likkle shell friend?"
"Since time isn't on our side, do as ye wish," Livie answered to Baba's harsh request.
And that was all she wrote for Selly's nap.
SNAP!!
"Urghhh...! Son of a wench," bawled out Selly when faced with the pinch.
"That's two outta two, Capt'n," Baba stated after Selly awakening. "Is best we make him part ah we crew."
"He is one effective little salt. I'll give it that much." Livie jokingly said.
Selly was as shocked as the sailor for a brief moment. "What in God's holy name was that?! And who is chatting up the...!?"
He had a glance around and noticed his, "Captain?"
Selly rubbed his eyes to clear his vision a little. "Call me an ugly bastard, and I say yer a liar. Captain Livie, it is ye."
"The one and only, in flesh and blood, mate," He replied with his hands up to his head.
"I knew ye wouldn't let us sink beneath blimey deep." Selly eagerly ran over to his Captain for hugs. "Yikes! I heard my wife nagging me from beyond. Oh, thanks a million, Captain!"
He glanced around once again. But this time, he didn't notice anything. "The Goddess? Where is she?"
Fwip! Fwip!
"Also, Lady Bree and Pea?"
"Are all these questions a side-effect from the pinch, Baba?" Livie pointed at the famous little red crab.
"Don't blame him for this, Capt'n." Baba replied. "De man dem just talkative."
Livie took a glimpse at Selly and the sailor. "Eh, fair enough. Take it along in case the rest needs awakening."
"Aye, Capt'n," Baba voiced in joy.
Selly now had a few minutes to clear his head. He, at last, noticed the odd one out at the reunion.
A man laid on the sand with blue eyes and short brownish hair dressed in a sailor uniform. Selly loudly whispered, "Uh...? Who's the tied-up bloke?"
"Oh, he's...!" Livie got his lips pulled while answering.
"B…Bloke! I am not your bloke, you unschooled potato. I am a part of the Royal Navy. And I, Sir, demand respect. For you fools see...! Um!?"
Livie took the same cloth he used to cover his eyes and shove it in his mouth. It helped to shut him up, so that was nice.
"Apologies, mate. But he's a special guest to our crew."
"Po... tato?"
"Give me de word, and I goh let Shelly snap off his lips, Capt'n." Baba waved the violent crab in the sailor's nervous face.
"Nay, we need him singing like a canary later. So, tarry a moment."
"Yuh, get off de hook, sailor." Baba slowly pulled the crab away from him.
"Gulp!" The sailor wasn't fond of that idea, though.
Anyways, Livie had a thorough look around the beach.
Squawk! Squawk!
To his right, there was chalk-white sand and seaweed as far as the eye can see. Twist to the left to see large rocks that seemed to make caves on the other side.
In front of him was a restless ocean pushing wind like a massive fan with seagulls galore. To the back was green like a rainforest with coconut trees and various sultry plants.
"Where should we leave our steps, Captain?" Selly asked.
Livie turned back to his right once more. "Let's journey along the beach shores. We might be able to find their trails or something that suggests they're here. Savvy?"
"Aye, Capt'n."
"Baba, carry the sail...or?"
"Aye, yuh name is Shelly. Hehe...! Yuh like it, ent?"
Livie's orders got hindered by a Baba who's jokily playing with the crab. "Ah, never mind. Well, sailor, you're with me."
"Hmm! Hmm!" The sailor noisily hummed when Livie approached to pick him up.
"Up ye go." He placed him on his broad shoulder. "Alright, let ye legs step lively, mates. It's a walk for the ages."
"Aye! Aye! Captain!" Baba and Selly uttered.
They began their walk along the seashore in search of their crewmates. The sailor was anything but pleased with it, though.
"Mmph! Mmph! Mmph…!"
"Oh, shut yuh face hole, mon."