Call Me Daddy!

"Few days without land..." He thought, rising and falling atop the ocean's gentle wave. His lowered eyes watched white clouds shadow the world. "How far did I go this time?" Salazar sighed, turning over in his small rowboat, which he named Señor HappyFace. "I"m so hungry I can eat a Sea King-My oar!" He exclaimed. A sudden memory of a weird yet vivid dream he had. A giant monster rising above the waves. Almost without a second thought, he grabbed a wooden stick and combatted the inhuman challenger. Victory! yet the demon of the sea managed to steal his weapon before swimming off. "This sucks." But he had a sudden jump. Almost as if lightning stuck or a magnet pulled Salazar side of his personal boat in an attempt to peer into the vast and empty sea. Squinting behind such small glasses created a rare occurrence of seriousness on his visage. "Someone's coming."

Three hours had passed before even the slightest sign of a Marine flag climbed over the horizon. By then, Salazar was already waving his white cloak in the air for assistance. "Let this be a patrol ship...let this be a patrol ship." Salazar prayed. And joyed he was when he saw the low ranked officers manning the ship.Once they came to a full halt, the man of black skin climbed up their ladder after tying his small rowboat to their ship.

"Who are you?" The caption asked. "Are you a pirate or a passerby? Don't look like a marine."

"I'm-" Salazar started.

"What happened?" A young marine interrupted.

"Heh, I was sorta making my to...uhh...somewhere...but either way one minute I took a nap, the next I was here."

"You slept through the storm...in that little boat?!"

"Yeah." Salazar yawned. "Still could get some rest. Thank you for rescuing me, I'll definitely repay your troubles." He started walking towards the living quarters, leaving his saviors with gaping mouths at his mysterious atmosphere.

Lunch was surprisingly fulfilling for a ship out this deep in the Calm Blue. Salazar knew only marines could afford to eat so well in such a desolate place. But the marine life lived in bulk in this area. The discussions were also lively. And the mysterious dark skinned man listened intensively. "So you guys were heading back to Mariejois?" Salazar asked.

"Yeah. We were originally patrolling the edges of the Grand Line for sporadic Sea King behavior but escaped to the Calm Belts at first sight of that storm." Rocky answered. "I'm just glad we made it. I can't die anytime soon, my daughter is getting married next month. This job is my last before I can take a few weeks for my family."

Salazar smiled. But he lost the sensation of spending time with family. Or perhaps he never experienced such a foreign emotion. He spent a majority of his life working or training. Bettering himself over truly living for others. "I'm sure you'll make it." Salazar replied. "These waters aren't that dangerous."

"Actually, we've notced an increase of pirate activity recently." Roger, a young marine of blonde hair, intercepted. He brought three plates of food to the hungry Salazar who only looked on with gratitude. "And plus, there's usually a Shichibukai here."

"A Shichibukai? Here? In the Calm Belt. Dogs." The marine barked. "Those marines are able to do whatever they want simply because they accept chains around their necks. While we're forced to do the dirty work and risk our lives day in and day out!"

"Yeah but don't let them hear you say it."

"Which one is this anyway?"

"They call him the Ebony Swordsman. Heard he's some kind of swordsman from the Island of Darkness." Roger started. "Eight feet tall with two swords tied around his back. A God of Savagery made into man's image."

"I heard of him. I thought he was 4 feet but as quick as darkness when the sun falls?" Rocky intercepted. "He scours the Calm Belt challenging those who wish to enter the Grand Line. Like some sort of troll."

Meanwhile, as Salazar stuffed his face, the marine ship approached a mysterious island filled with wildlife. One which rested peacefully on the Calm Belt yet was monitored deeply by the World Government. Amazon Lily.