Morning dawned bright and clear as the Red Hair Pirates' ship cut through calm waters. Xiao Yan stood at the bow, watching the sunrise with his typical serene expression. Behind him, the sounds of the crew going about their morning duties filled the air – along with the occasional crash and yelp as they discovered what his companions had been up to during the night.
"YOUR PHOENIX REORGANIZED OUR ENTIRE AMMUNITION STORAGE!" came a cry from below deck.
"By color or by size?" Xiao Yan inquired calmly, not turning around.
"BY HOW SHINY THEY ARE!"
"Ah. Xiaojin does have particular opinions about aesthetics."
The phoenix in question sat proudly atop the crow's nest, pretending not to hear the commotion it had caused. Though its satisfaction was evident in the way its flames flickered with smug golden hues.
"CAPTAIN! THE DRAGON'S BEEN TEACHING THE YOUNGER CREW MEMBERS HOW TO MAKE LIGHTNING!"
Shanks emerged from his cabin, taking in the sight of several apprentice pirates sporting impressively spiky hair. "Well, at least they're learning something useful!"
Xiaolong, coiled around the main mast, made a sound suspiciously like snickering. Small sparks danced between his whiskers as he watched his "students" attempt to fix their new hairstyles.
"And where's the turtle?" Benn Beckman asked, approaching with an air of resignation.
A loud crunch from the direction of the navigation room answered his question.
"I've been meaning to ask," Shanks said, joining Xiao Yan at the bow, "about your training methods. They're... unique."
"Bold of you to assume I had any part in training them," Xiao Yan replied, watching as Uta emerged on deck and immediately began teaching Xiaojin a new song. The resulting melody sounded like a cat fighting a particularly musical thunderstorm.
"SHAHAHAHAHA! Fair enough! But speaking of training..." Shanks' eyes took on a keener glint. "How about a friendly spar? The crew could use some entertainment that doesn't involve electrical hair care."
Before Xiao Yan could respond, a shout from the crow's nest interrupted: "Marines! Three ships approaching from the east!"
"Perfect timing!" Shanks grinned. "Now you can see how we handle things in these waters."
The Marine vessels drew closer, their white sails stark against the blue sky. Cannons were already being positioned, and orders could be heard carried on the wind.
"Interesting," Xiao Yan mused, watching as the crew prepared for battle with practiced efficiency. "Though perhaps we should move Xiao Gui away from the ammunition storage first."
The turtle had indeed made its way to the gunpowder barrels, examining them with what could only be described as culinary interest.
"Red-Hair!" a voice boomed across the water. "Surrender now and – IS THAT A DRAGON?!"
Xiaolong, delighted at being noticed, performed what he clearly thought was an intimidating display. It might have been more impressive if he hadn't gotten his tail tangled in the rigging.
"And a phoenix!" another Marine called out. "What kind of crew are you running, Red-Hair?!"
"The interesting kind!" Shanks shouted back cheerfully. "Care to find out how interesting?"
The Marines' response came in the form of cannonballs. Xiao Yan watched with mild interest as Shanks's crew moved to intercept them – only to be beaten to it by Xiaojin, who had apparently decided this was a game.
The phoenix darted between the projectiles, its flames turning them to molten slag before they could reach the ship. Not to be outdone, Xiaolong finally untangled himself and began catching cannonballs in his mouth, spitting them back charged with lightning.
"Efficient," Xiao Yan commented, as several Marines dove for cover from their own electrified ammunition.
"Your companions seem to be having fun," Shanks observed, casually deflecting a stray cannonball with his sword. "Care to join in?"
"I suppose I should ensure they don't get carried away." Xiao Yan stepped forward, his movement so smooth it seemed almost casual. With a gentle gesture, he caught an incoming barrage of cannonballs in mid-air, arranging them in a neat pattern before sending them back with just enough force to disable the Marines' weapons without causing serious harm.
The Marines' jaws dropped collectively. Even Shanks raised an eyebrow, though his grin only widened.
"Fascinating technique," Benn commented, picking off stragglers with his rifle. "No Devil Fruit?"
"Simply a matter of understanding force," Xiao Yan replied modestly, while simultaneously preventing Xiao Gui from eating a Marine ship's anchor chain.
The battle, if it could be called that, ended quickly. The Marine ships retreated, their crews looking thoroughly confused about what had just happened. Several were still trying to fix their lightning-struck hair.
"That was the most polite dismantling of Marine forces I've ever seen," Shanks laughed, clapping Xiao Yan on the shoulder. "You didn't even break a sweat!"
"Breaking sweat is inefficient," Xiao Yan responded, though his eyes held a glimmer of amusement. "Though I can't say the same for their pride."
From somewhere below deck came a muffled explosion, followed by Lucky Roux's voice: "Uh, Captain? The turtle found the experimental ammunition..."
Xiao Yan sighed. "I suppose some chaos is inevitable."
"SHAHAHAHAHA! With companions like yours? I'm counting on it!" Shanks grinned. "Now, about that drink I promised..."
As the crew celebrated their unusual victory, Xiao Yan watched Uta trying to teach Xiaojin a victory song, while Xiaolong showed off his new lightning tricks to an amazed audience. Even Xiao Gui had emerged, looking suspiciously satisfied and trailing gunpowder.
It was, he reflected, turning out to be quite an interesting journey indeed.