I hope you like the new title and summary! In light of this new plot-thing, I figured a change in things would be good.

The seagulls were singing, and the winds were blowing gently on a couple in a boat. The sharp tang of salt water filled the air, the smell setting alight a rather romantic mood.

The two were draped across each other, smiling happily in their sleep as they no doubt dreamt of the once next to them. A soft sigh escaped from one's lips, and he sat up, rubbing his eye with one fist as he looked around at the beautiful atmosphere. He made to stand-somewhat frantically, for whatever reason, but couldn't. Puzzled, he looked down to his legs.

A horrified scream ripped through the air, completely dispersing any thoughts of romance.

The man kicked the other off of him and scrambled to the other end of the small boat, breathing heavily. That wasn't exactly what one did to a lover, and his reaction was, in fact, quite justified.

For, on closer inspection, it was not a couple at all. More two enemies-although, the rivalry almost completely rested on the red-haired one's side. It wasn't hard to tell, and one had to wonder how the mistake was made in the first place. Perhaps it was the red-haired one's make-up?

"You bastard!" Kidd stood up and wrapped his fingers around Dave's neck. "This is your fault, isn't it?"

Dave clawed at the fingers, face turning blue. Being the idiot he was, he couldn't resist throwing in a come-back. "If you recall, Captain," he practically spat the word, "you're the one who hurtled off the freaking ship."

"Oh, and I'm sure that you're completely innocent." Kidd crossed his arms, large black coat adjusting to the position.

Dave took a moment to wonder how it stayed on the pirate's shoulders. This led to the inspecting of the rest of the man's outfit, especially his strange yellow polka-dotted pants. Sufficiently distracted, his temper fizzled.

With a quick look around, he could tell they were in the middle of nowhere. And if the marines had taught him anything, it was that getting lost in the New World was just short of suicide.

"It doesn't matter who's innocent or not," Dave said, pinching his nose. "We're lost, Kidd. And as much as I hate to admit it, we're going to have to work together on this."

"Like hell I'll work with you, marine dog." Kidd seemed to have regained his composure, but it certainly didn't keep him from making biting remarks.

"Kidd, this isn't the time for games! If you're going to act like a child, so be it. Just co-operate."

It was a little known fact that Dave was actually able to enter the marines for a reason. Most just assumed it had to do with his father, who was a note-worthy marine, if not an astounding one. But his father had always been a little too honorable for his own good, not even bothering to teach his son how to be a marine, as it would be giving him 'an unfair advantage'. And so, Dave was stuck with the job of getting in with - and developing - his own talents.

He learned during the physical exam that he could barely do thirty push-ups, much less two hundred. It was expected; he hadn't trained much, not really.

He learned during the knowledge exam that he had little to no idea how a ship worked. He hated doing labor, and he was almost proud about failing. It showed how dedicated he was to not getting into the marines; after all, his father had pressured him, and even if Dave wanted to help people, he didn't like being told what to do.

It was during the practical exam that he finally got a good score. Unlike so many other marines, he had common sense. He stayed level headed in the tougher situations, and dropped the booze when things got serious. That trait alone made him invaluable. And when he got serious, it was so different from his usual behavior that everyone had to listen.

"I'm not asking you to like me or anything," Dave snorted, "I certainly don't like you. Just listen to me, alright?"

Kidd stared for a few seconds before reluctantly backing away, each step looking more hesitant than the last. "Fine." Kidd turned up his nose. "I wouldn't want to stay with a filthy marine any longer than I need to anyway."

In that beautiful moment, a tentative truce was formed between the two, and to seal the pact, they shook hands.

It was unfortunate that the truce didn't last very long.

In less than an hour, Kidd was at Dave's throat for "looking at him the wrong way". Poor Dave simply gasped for air once again, face rapidly changing hues.

"I-I thought we agreed-"

"Until you glared at me, as if you're superior!" Kidd's face matched his hair, which was quite a challenge. The two stayed in the position for a moment, until a metaphorical light bulb appeared over Dave's head.

"Do you know where we are?" The question did the trick; Kidd's grip loosened, and Dave was able to back away.

"What about it?" the pirate snapped.

"Well…I do. This place has some very obvious landmarks, and it's around a place I know very well." At Kidd's expression, Dave gestured at the tall, cylinder-like rocks that poked from the water. Kidd just grunted. "And you're going to want to keep me alive, if you want to get off the water any time soon. Unless you want to…" Dave paused, head tilted, with an innocent smile; he always did like dramatics, "swim?"

All of Kidd's teeth showed in a delightful sneer that stretched and pulled at his face. "I have a log pose." Although he wouldn't admit it, it was painfully obvious he had forgotten about the thing until that very moment.

"That's broken." Dave returned the sneer with a smile of his own. And sure enough, it was. The globe was shattered to bits, and the compass portion was broken in half.

Kidd's jaw looked like it was working furiously not to drop. "You'll be dead when we get to land." He 'humph'd and crossed his arms, like a child who hasn't gotten his way. There was even a little pout on his lip.

"Good. Hand me the oars." When Kidd didn't budge, he sighed and grabbed them himself, and stuck them into the water. He would have had Kidd row, but then he wouldn't be able to find a place he did recognize. The place looked vaguely familiar, but it was still a risk he couldn't afford.

Despite the perilous situation, he grinned.

Blackmail was a wonderful thing, if morally ambiguous.

I'd like to give a big thank-you to my anonymous reviewer, The AnonyMouse. You really lifted my spirits, and thanks for the correction! I was definitely not traumatized; I loved your little rant…thing!

And to the rest of my reviewers, what are your opinions on the new title? Please tell me in your review!