Set Adrift

Chapter 1:

It was a beautiful day on the open ocean. If anyone was to wonder what slice of the world this beautiful day had decided to appear in they wouldn't be too surprised to find it somewhere in the middle of the East Blue.

All manner of ocean life was teeming just beneath the water's surface while the sea birds above flew back to their nests or searched for a meal. The sun beaming merrily after a brief squall was bright and warm, reflecting light sparkled off the briny waves of the sea. The air was salty and sky was clear, there was not a ship or island in sight. This was the ocean's natural beauty at its finest.

As it happens there was someone amidst all this wondrous nature to appreciate it. A young man with blond hair, blue eyes, and skin darkened from sun. He hadn't noticing the splendid panoramic view. Seeing as he was too busy puking his soul into the brackish water.

His sea fairing vessel which was not really a vessel and more of a mount, very much hoped that it was not spewed on and really wanted their current rider to have better aim. Also he was less of a mount and more of a friend doing another friend a really huge favor, which would require an inordinate amount of compensation at a later point in time. Explicitly something that most probably humiliating and painful for said gagging rider.

His name was Gamakichi (the friend transporting his sick buddy) and he was a giant toad and also something of an awesome ninja. Why you're a giant talking ninja toad you say, yes talking too, well what are doing ferrying someone too sick to tell you his name across the world's most eastern ocean?

Well, it was a long and action packed story filled with impossible feats of bravery and strength performed singlehandedly by Gamakichi himself. With many love interests and an intense rivalry with his dimwitted brother Gamatatsu, and also learning to take up his father's mantle as the boss toad, and many more improbable but absolutely true things that really did happen.

But really what the hell was he doing swimming in the middle of nowhere to who knew wherever the heck he was heading, in the freaking open ocean! The salt water was murder on his sensitive toad skin and all this reflected sunlight was giving him some seriously dry cotton mouth (do you know how god awful that feels when your mouth takes up half your head) since he couldn't drink the water. No wonder the ocean was called a wet desert. This place sucked.

It must have been weeks since they had had to flee Hi no Kuni, and even that hadn't been enough to give them a clean enough get away. They went ahead and left the elemental nations all together. He must have gone temporarily insane to have agreed to take this stupid idiot freeloader on his back even as far as they had already gone, and the jerk hadn't stopped spewing since Mizu! When was he going to get his sea legs, or toad legs, or whatever?

Apparently Naruto, the stupid puking idiot on his back, was able to choke back enough vomit to tell him that there was a small ship sailing up behind them.

"Hey Kichi, there is a, hurgh, a sh...shi...it's a boat."

"Yea I can see that Naruto, why don't you button your lip and let me do the talking before your gross scares away the only people we've seen in weeks."

"Blurgh-yea, thas prbly a goo-humph, blegh..."

"I'm beginning to hate you Naruto."

As the duo spoke Gamakichi had begun to tread water to let the vessel get near, hopefully they could get directions to the nearest land mass. When they were close enough to make each other out the apparent crew of the ship just stared at him, but that was ok with Gamakichi since he was an extremely handsome toad.

"Hallo beastie, Ahoy there!"

Some guy about Naruto's age with a red bandana tided around his head yelled out to them. So he waved and answered back for the both of them.

"Yo!"

"How be ye on this fine day my fair marine creature."

Gamakichi liked the captain of this ship already, or at least he assumed he was the captain since he hadn't batted an eye at his appearance while the rest of the gang on the ship looked like a strong wind would blow them over. Actually that would be pretty funny, and he hoped the wind started picking up.

"I'm doing pretty well for being lost at sea, the name is Gamakichi and I'm a freshwater toad buy the way. And this guy with the green face is my father's number one underling and my good buddy, you can call him Naruto or stupid, it doesn't really matter to me."

"Well Gamachichi call me Jackie. I am the captain of this fine nautical vessel, and we are pirates born and raised setting out on our first great adventure out on the open sea. Out looking for treasure and fine booty to plunder and sailing free under the clear sky."

"This my crew for the Barnacle who I will now list in order of apparent terror of yourself: Bell my first mate and number one girl, Dalton our noble gunner, Tumen a former slave now our musician, Jean the short one, and his sister-turned-cat-from-a-curse Constance."

The self-proclaimed captain shielded his face with his hand and spoke with a stage whisper what wasn't fooling anyone.

"Constance the cat catches the rats on the ship and doesn't drink any ale. So she gets to be deputy captain when-ever I am incapacitated or otherwise not available for giving orders per the Pirate's Code of animals leading the ship while captain of said ship is drunken, inebriated, or else being in a state of unconsciousness due to excessive rum consumption."

The ninja toad sweat dropped, not really knowing what to make of that. "Ah...yea that sounds about right, I guess?"

Jackie the Captain looked around a saw that his crew was just gawking at the large amphibian and that was not how he ran a ship.

"WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING?! BACK TO WORK FOR THE LOT O' YE OR YOU ALL WILL BE KEELHAULED!"

The voice their captain shocked the assembled crew the Barnacle back to their senses and back to working on the deck. While their captain turned back to Gamakichi.

"Now, Gamamichi was it?"

"No."

"Whatever, how about you and I share tea in the galley and you can regal me with all the stories a wondrous aquatic monster such as yourself may have had the good fortune of living through before your encounter with my glorious captainy self today, savvy."

Gamakichi wasn't too sure that was a good idea since the guy seemed like he licked the wrong end of a bad toad one to many times, and he did in fact take offense at being called a water monster. Also their ship looked beat to hell, and he had the vague feeling that it might have been stolen.

Still, he could tell they were good people. The kind of people he and Naruto would probably get into a fight with then end up being good friends anyways like they always did when meeting kindly strangers. So he hopped out of the water straight onto the deck of the Barnacle to get better acquainted.

"-so you're a' telling me that after all o' that you threw your best mate onto yur back and swam way, knoin' you might be hunted and likely slain if discovered. All so you could ensure him continued being among the livin...sniff tha' is so beautiful!"

"You-your tellin' me Jackie. I fully espect a damn medal whenever it is that I get home."

"As you rightfully should mate, you've earned it. And on another note we've now seemed to 'ave run out of drink."

"OH GOD NO! Where has all the ale gone!"

"Do not fret my slimy compadre I'll handle this crisis promptly."

"~Oh Bell~" Jackie sang out.

...

"~Oh my lovely Bell~"

An attractive young woman with a sour look just for her captain approached slowly. Her short heels clacking dully on the wooden plank floor of the galley before she stopped short of the table.

"Could you be a dear and get your captain and his new amphibianonic friend here a...ah...I seem to have forgotten. But I'm mostly sure it was of great importance, probably life or death."

"My toads senses tell me it may well have been." Gamakichi interjected unhelpfully.

Arabella, the first mate of the Barnacle, was more than just red curls and a pretty face with lovely curves; she had a rapier wit and a knife edged tongue. She was helping the sea sickness stricken Naruto while her captain and the big frog made fools of themselves from too much drinking. She knew just how to deal with those types from when she used to work at her father's tavern. That is, before she decided to go on this ridiculous adventure with her idiot best friend. She still couldn't believe how he had talked her into thinking it was a good idea, the handsome nitwit he was.

"Let me guess. Ale, ale, ale and...oh, probably another ale?"

Captain Jackie has stars in his eyes. "Why my one and only and most beloved if you would only be as kind as to supply us with more..."

...

"Please?" he begged.

She sat a wobbly legged Naruto down and picked up another pitcher of ale as she sauntered back over to her captain. Captain Jackie beamed at his favorite girl as he reached out for the brew in her lovely hands, doing a wonderful impression of a thirsty infant. When she was close enough to hand him the pitcher Bell stopped and smiled beatifically at him.

Then dumped the whole pitcher over his head and slapped him in the face for good measure. The hilarity of the scene caused a tipsy Gamakichi to fall over himself laughing at the stunned face of his newest drinking buddy.

"There's your ale captain I hope ye enjoyed it."

The thoroughly soaked in ale captain of the Barnacle could barely reply. "It was very inundating my dear, thank you."

Bell went back to a bedraggled looking Naruto took his arm as she led him to the stern where it was quieter. He was in bad shape seeing as he needed to lean on her heavily to even walk, but Bell didn't mind. In fact from the smile on her face she may have even enjoyed the closeness of his hard body pressed against her soft one. She stopped when they were in front of the wheelhouse.

"Thanks B-b-bell but I'm alr-"

"Sh, sh, sh, just do as I say and your bad stomach will be right as rain in a jiffy."

"Hurm! O-ok."

She took his arms in her hands and placed them on the wheel, gently sliding her hands over his before slowly pulling away.

"Yer sick cause your head and yer body are all confused from the rocking of the ship on the waves. It doesn't know if your comin' or goin' or toin' or frownin' or nowhere at all. You should instantly feel better just from holding the wheel."

As Bell spoke Naruto realized that she was absolutely right. He did feel a bit better than before holding the wheel and nodded in confirmation.

"Just sit tight here while I head back to the galley for a cup o' ginger to help gets rid of that queasy feeling in yer gut."

The sick feeling was going away, but now his heart started pumping harder and he started feeling hot as he watched Bell walk away. She picked up the supposedly cursed cat Constance as she headed back down, and Naruto couldn't help but gulp as she slowly bent over. That fluttering in his chest whether it was due to the swaying ship or from her hips he didn't know, so Naruto decided to keep his sensations to himself.

For ye scurvy land lubbers this be a tune to pass the time on a long sea voyage until we make port and next we meet. All hands on deck, bring out the strings, the pipes, the flutes, and the lutes; Bring the pots the pans and all the deck hands! It's time for us to sing in the sand! The tropical islands the sea and me crew will sing a jaunty jig for you!

Sea Shanty Corner

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
We pillage and plunder, we rifle and loot.
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot.
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

We extort and pilfer, we filch and sack.
Maraud and embezzle and even highjack.
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
We kindle and char and in flame and ignite.
We burn up the city, we're really a fright.
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

We're rascals and scoundrels, we're villains and knaves.
We're devils and black sheep, we're really bad eggs.
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

We're beggars and blighters and ne'er do-well cads,
Aye, but we're loved by our mommies and dads,
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.