Chapter Text
It was well past midnight when the Antelope finally reached Ishport. Red guided Valentine around the island, which seemed to be much larger than Whitecliff. They rounded a cape, and a collection of houses huddled against the shore. It had a harbor with a collection of small fishing boats, though Red explained it was too shallow for the Antelope to dock, and they’d have to dock at the King’s Manor.
“You’re taking us to the governor? Are you dense?” Valentine said, “We have bounties, if you’ve forgotten.”
“Ishport doesn’t recognize the authority of the World Government. Their bounties mean nothing here.” Red said.
They circled past the town, around the island. Only a few miles from the town’s outskirts sat a large manor on the sea. It had a sprawling layout that was larger than any house Valentine had ever seen, with a white wall bordering the grounds, keeping in a cluster of outbuildings and sprawling gardens.
“Some fortifications…” Aria whistled.
Red took the helm from Valentine, easing the ship into the harbor. They passed by an open sea gate--smaller than Elder Fall’s and made of cables instead of stone--and pulled into the small harbour. Red slowed the ship down expertly and guided them to rest alongside the dock.
Before Red could tie the ship, the water beside them erupted, sending a wave of spray across the Antelope . A massive figure landed on the deck, creaking the boards dangerously. It took a moment for Valentine to perceive him in the dim lantern light.
He was over seven feet tall, with strange proportions and biology that could only have make him a fishman. Rows of foot-long scales covered his pear-shaped body, and robbed him of any semblance of a neck. He was pudgy and green, and smelled of seaweed.
“Puff .” Red’s throat grinded out the name like a millstone.
When he spoke, nostrils appeared between his eyes and he puffed out a stream of warm air over Red.
“Asada Redwin, in my harbour again.”
“Just Redwin, actually.” He corrected.
“I thought we’d seen the last of you. Why you here? Sneaking in to see Lady Everett?”
“Risette is expecting me.” Red lied. “There’s no need to disturb Leon at this hour.”
“We’ve been too soft on you, that’s what I tell Crab. Asada be damned. If it were up to me, I’d have sunk you a mile from harbour.” He puffed out his chest. Puff’s mirror-coat eyes reflected the lantern light, creating twin rings of orange studying Aria and him. “Who are these other two, anyway?”
“This is Aria and Valentine, my crew.” Red said.
“Crew?” Puff’s body inflated and his scales turned, making him a giant cactus balloon. He let out a grating, honking laugh that used all of his stored air. A pufferfish, Valentine noted. “Thought you were a lone gun, Asada?”
“Just Redwin,” he corrected again.
Puff took steps towards him on his short thick legs, not unlike an elephants. He towered over Val, easily twice his size.
“You’re Valentine, eh? I heard the Marines are looking for someone named Valentine.””
Valentine lifted his chin and stared down his glowing-eye gaze. He methodically hid his fear, washing it away until he could stare the fishman down with deadly calm. He wouldn't give this fish the satisfaction of intimidating him.
“You suck Marine cock now?”
“I vouch for both of them, Puff.” Red took a step between them. “You know it’s not an issue. Think about what happens in the morning, when Risette finds out you turned me away? She’ll tell Crab, and Crab will fillet you for griefing her.”
Puff scowled. He flared his nostrils again and showered Valentine in a stinking cloud that smelled like a dried lakebed. “You may dock in the harbour tonight. But you are too late, the grounds are closed for the night. Wait in the guest house until morning.”
“Fine.”
With one last scowl, Puff leapt off the deck and slipped back underwater.
“What in the flying-fish fuck was that?” Valentine asked.
“Don’t worry about Puff, he doesn’t know his mouth from his blowhole. Of the three brothers, he’s the least of your concern. Make yourself comfortable in the guest house, we’re safe here.”
A minnow fishman butler waddled down the dock and onto the Antelope. He started packing up their meager personal belongings and carrying them away.
“Shiner will take care of your things, I’ll show you the house.” Red said. He clearly familiar with the place, and brought them to the large stone building.
The candles were already lit and a fire roared in the hearth. A common area basked in the orange glow, with fur rugs laid across the floor and bookshelves lining the walls. Valentine made for a lounger by the fire. While he reclined and warmed his feet by the fire, layers upon layers of fatigue washed off him. Aria sat opposite him and fingered through the libraries.
The butler Shiner carried their things to their respective rooms, and prepared the beds. Upon returning he procured a butcher knife, and diced vegetables on the hefty kitchen table with his scales shining in the firelight, true to his name. In minutes, a bubbling stew sat upon the fire and filled the room with fragrance.
“You two sit tight, I’m going to bring Risette here,” Red said, “You’ll love her.”
Valentine could read it on his face. “She’s your girlfriend, isn’t she?”
“Guilty.” Red said. “How’d you know?”
“Just a hunch.” The truth was, this was the first time Val had seen Red smile. “Didn’t Puff say everything was locked?”
“He did, yes.” Red donned his coat, and a pair of leather gloves. “I’ll be gone for a few hours, getting in isn’t easy.”
In a few minutes, Red made it to Risette’s balcony. He snuck to the doorway and executed a practiced pattern of knocks.
In a few moments, the door flung open and Risette stood in the doorway, beaming. The minnow fish-woman looked the same as when he saw her last, nearly a year ago. Her wide eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight. The fin on her head hung like a ponytail.
She kissed him, and hugged him fiercely. “You’re a sight for sore eyes, darling. Are you on leave? What happened to your hand?”
“May I come inside, Princess?”
She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him inside her room . “Get in here." It was lit by a hanging candelabra and a roaring fireplace. It was a large comfortable room, unchanged from when he saw it last. The four-poster bed called out to him, after sleeping in hammocks for weeks.
“I’m sorry I haven’t written, a lot has happened,” Red said.
“Shiner just finished drawing a bath. Why don’t you tell me all about it while you soak?”
She gestured to a large bronze tub filled with steaming water. The hot water was laden with rose petals, and a plate of perfumes and ointments sat nearby.
“Rose petals?” Red raised an eyebrow.
“It was for me. You aren’t supposed to be here with me, you know.” She teased. “Just get in the water.”
“Do I have to bathe now?" Red groaned. "Let's lay down together.”
“My dear, you’re overdue for a bath.” He relented, and shook off his clothes. When she saw him struggling with his injured hand, she stepped in to help with the rest. “Red, you’re filthy. Where did you get these cuts? And all of these bruises?”
“I’m fine, I made it here safe and sound.”
“Barely!” She pulled on Red’s eyelid, letting it snap back into place. “You’re exhausted. When was the last time you had proper rest?”
“Too long,” Red admitted. Risette encouraged Red into the tub. He settled in amongst the rose petals. Risette poured matching cups of tea, handing one to Red in the tub.
“Then rest .”
Hours later, Red and Risette lay in the tub together. Her hair-fin wrapped around his chest, and she hung off his neck with silver-scaled arms.
“I left CP4.” Red said.
“What? What happened?”
“I also brought two friends, they’re staying in the guest house.”
“What? And you’ve been making them wait?”
“It’s been a year since I saw you last.”
“And in all the time I’ve known you, you’ve never brought someone with you to see me. We should return to them, but first Cipher Pol. Why did you leave?"
"It wasn't on good terms. I learned something that filled me with so much shame, I couldn't stay a moment longer." Red squeezed her hand. "Please, I don't want to speak of it now."
"I won't pry, dear. But we should get back to your friends before they're asleep."
Red groaned. “But I don’t want this moment to end.”
"There will be more where that came from. Come, lets dry off."
Val and Aria were dining on stew when they heard the soft padding of Red’s Geppo footsteps.
In moments the door was open, and Red walked in with a fish-woman.
“Aria, Valentine, this is Risette. These two are my traveling companions. My charges, if you will.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” Risette executed a perfect curtsy. “Any friend of Red’s is welcome in our home.”
“She’s the Princess of Ishport, and she plays a thousand instruments.”
“Thanks for having us, Risette,” Val said, “do you want some stew?”
“I would love some!” Risette sat herself at the table. Together, they broke bread and ate their fill. They told Risette of their journey together. From Red and Val’s trip on the passenger ferry to their boarding, Val’s poisoning, and their search for a doctor that lead them to Aria.
“You saved his life! That’s incredible !” Risette said.
“Oh, it was nothing.” Aria blushed, fiddling with one of her gold rings.
They told the rest, how the Cobra Pirates and villagers joined forces to attack them. She hung on every word of their unlocking of the Sea Gate, the revival of the Antelope , and their daring escape.
“What did you do with that black pearl?” Val asked. “The one that held up the seawall.”
Red reached into his left pocket and placed the black peal on the table. It was the size of a walnut and perfectly round, but the firelight never gleamed on the polished surface. Val took it in his hand, and it was startlingly cold to the touch. It was colder than ice fresh from the freezer, colder than anything Val had felt before. Deep in the jewel’s dark reaches, Val saw a faint green glimmer.
Something about the pearl upset him, in a way he couldn’t quite place. When he handed it back to Red, he was eager to be rid of it.
“Best to sell it,” Val said.
“So the ship you sailed on doesn’t have sails?” Risette asked, flinging her spoon around. “How is that possible?”
“We have no idea,” Val said, “it’s as if the ship has a life of its own.”
“I’ve never heard of anything like that before! I wonder if there’s anything about it in the library…”
“Risette is the fastest reader I’ve ever seen,” Red said. Val rolled his eyes.
“I’m heading to my room for the night.” Val sat up.
“Risette just got here, can’t you stay awhile?” Red asked.
“After what we just went through? I’m exhausted .”
“Whatever, I’ll wake you up for breakfast.”
Valentine sat cross-legged on the fur rug before the fire. His face was blanketed by heat, and the smoke had started to sting his eyes. Three quiet knocks came from his door.
“Who is it?” He asked.
“It’s Risette, can I come in?”
“What do you need?”
“Oh, I was just checking on you, to make sure you were comfortable. If I’m bothering you, I can go…”
Valentine cursed. “Come in.”
Risette opened up the door and entered in her night clothes. Valentine was still wearing his usual gear, even his coat, despite the late hour. Wordlessly, she sat beside him before the fire.
“How do you like the room? I’m sorry we couldn’t do more on such short notice. Tomorrow, we should have better lodgings for you!”
“The room is fine, thank you. However Red intends to pay you, I’ll ensure we see it paid. I understand that we are asking a lot of you without any warning.”
“Pay me?” Risette tilted an eyebrow. “Red isn’t paying me anything. I’ve known him since he was just a kid, I’d never take money from him.” She beamed, her disc-shaped eyes gleamed with firelight. “A friend of Red’s is a friend of mine, so I won’t accept a single berry from you either.”
Valentine chuckled. “You’re far too kind to trust me like that.”
“Don’t worry, Red told me that you all had bounties.” Risette’s eyes joined his in the fire.
Valentine watched a ruby coal roll from the fire, coming to a rest and slowly cooling gray. His mind ran in circles. He didn’t know how much Red knew of Niramor, and his imprisonment by her. Would a pretty face be enough for Red to expose his secrets?
“And what did he tell you?”
“Just that you and Aria had bounties. He said I’d have to ask you anything else myself. So, here I am.” So Red kept his promise , Valentine thought.
Valentine laughed. “I could have a bounty for murder and rape, and you still came to ask me yourself?”
“I don’t think you’re a murderer, or a rapist.” Risette’s eyes turned to his. When he met her gaze, she smiled. “Your eyes are too kind.”
Against his will, Valentine felt his face get hot. His lungs struggled to work properly, and he only managed a stiff response. “Too... kind?”
“You just seem like a nice guy, that’s all. Lots of people have bounties that aren’t their faults. I’m sure you have a good reason.”
Never in Valentine’s entire life had anyone called him kind. Compliments, he learned, were venomous things laced with pain and lies. When Risette smiled at him like that and gave him the benefit of the doubt, she reached past his walls and played his heart like an instrument, telling it to flutter and swell.
No, impossible. She couldn’t be trusted. She was only being kind to trick him. He couldn’t let his guard down. She didn’t care about him. Valentine’s mind ran like a wild animal.
Risette must have seen the change in him. Her face grew long with concern, her beaming smile disappeared. She lifted a hand to reach out to him. A fatal error, though she didn’t know it at the time.
Her hand brushed against Valentine’s skin and he gasped. He darted a few feet away from her on the floor. It was an instinctual response, like a hand pulling away from a hot stove.
The only times Valentine had ever known such kindness was after sessions with Niramor. It was a reward of sorts, for enduring the pain. The promise of it was enough, he had grit his teeth and survived it every time. It was the only time he had to truly relax and connect with her, despite its painful association.
The flood of positive memories tangled with recent traumatic memories of the Buster Call. The two thoughts contradicted each other, and the resulting confusion gave him a splitting headache. His vision blurred and nausea rose in his gut. The discomfort clouded his judgment.
His life had been a constant cycle of long periods of pain, broken by brief reprieves of peace and comfort. Now he had a warm bed and a safe place. He was feeling so warm and calm, after so much pain. Was this his reward, a time he could be safe and comfortable? His thoughts inflated until they were too big for his own head. He found his mouth opening to release the built-up pressure.
“I’m a prisoner. Well, an escaped one.” Valentine spoke. When he finally answered her question, Risette looked up at him with a glint of hope in her eyes. “I got caught up with the marines, from no fault of my own. The warden was a Marine Captain, Captain Niramor.” when the name echoed off the stone, Valentine shuddered. “She…” Valentine’s eyes fell to the floor, suddenly overwhelmed with shame. He turned his face from Risette, mouth frozen shut.
She placed her hand atop his. Val’s nerves went cold, but he didn’t move away.
“That’s horrible, you didn’t deserve that treatment.” She looked down at the hand under hers. “Is… is that what happened to your fingernail?”
Val looked down at the ring finger of his left hand. The nail was gone, replaced by scarred flesh. He saw no reason to lie to her.
“Yes, Niramor pulled out her sword, and the next moment it was gone. I shouldn't have tried to run.” Risette’s fingers began to shake, and she gripped his hand tightly. “Is it true, that there’s no marines on Ishport?”
“No! No, of course not.” Risette waved her hands. “The World Government has no sway here. You’re safe with us Valentine, I promise.”
“That is a relief…” Val sighed. Niramor’s letter was a lie then, another strand in her web of manipulation. Somehow she knew he was here, and was toying with him.
“Val… May I sing for you?”
Valentine was so taken aback, he couldn’t think of a reason to say no.
“I… don’t see why not.”
Risette carefully took his hands in her own, and lifted her voice into a haunting song. At first Val didn’t recognize the tune. He paid close attention to the melody, and the angelic words that soon followed. He soon realized the song was made just for him. She weaved a song out of the stories he’d told her, with melancholic beginnings and climactic highs. He felt every note in his soul, and could feel every beat before it came.
Hearing it all out loud was like a weight off his shoulder. As Risette continued to sing, Val’s eyelids began to feel heavy.
When Risette eventually left, Val fell asleep in minutes to his first restful sleep in what felt like ages.