[The writing is steady, but there are some strange blots here and there and the ink seems to be running.]

Two questions.

Who among you has been here the longest?

Who fought directly with Navy last month?

[ACTION ETA FOR CREW: he's sitting on the water by the ship, periodically dipping the journal into the ocean. For science.]

Blue water everywhere
Sails crackle high over head
Joker stuck again

Lanterns frozen light
Ice glinting off of rigging
Garrus is cranky

Since we haven't made land yet because we haven't learned how to sail a ship that's been out of date for nearly 2000 years, I'm getting a large collection of Haiku poems. Really though, we could use some advice about sailing, other than that the idea is to go with the wind.

So, a new year is about to start. That certainly makes it feel as though we've been here for a long time. In all the chaos we'd had, I almost didn't realize how much time was passing. None of us have been here a year, and I'm still holding out hope that none of us will be, but those of us remaining from the first group have been here nearly four months, and it seems clear that we're in this for the long haul, so to speak.

Now, during that time we have accomplished some rhings. We've found one piece of the Piedra Roja, we've learned the schedule for new arrivals, and we've successfully fought off the Navy and kept Isla Empieza as a friendly port. Obviously there is a long way to go, but given that we did all this while having people constantly appear and disappear around us and in many cases while we were still learning how to sail, I believe it's fair for us to feel proud of what we've done.

Some points of order:

• It would appear that new arrivals appear on a regular schedule, as we suspected. Given this, it would be prudent for us to ensure these newcomers are informed quickly of the situation, to avoid incidents like the one that prompted the Navy blockade in the first place.
• Scurvy Dog has implied that the Navy is working on something to use against us. Details weren't given. We need to find out what this is.
• Related to both of the above, we need to establish a method of preventing, well, stupid questions from being asked. The individuals involved are gone now, but in September there was a proposal to plan questions for Scurvy Dog in advance and vote on one to ask each week. I suggest reviving this plan.

New Year's is almost upon us now. It's an odd feeling when you don't even know what the year is, but I'll take any excuse to have a bit of a party. Without a doubt, one of the most pleasant things about sailing is the discovery of new places and things, but we're all awfully rag tag ourselves, from all over the place.

We must have a lot of traditions.

So how do you celebrate the new year? Honestly I just eat, drink and be merry. Do some singing, play some dice... but I always want to do something to spice it up.

A new year approaches. The year of the peridot, if sources are to be believed. In my world, the peridot traditionally symbolizes purity and morality, though a dream wherein peridot is present is believed by many to foretell impending danger. I suspect the latter interpretation will prove a bit more accurate, though both seem a bit too superstitious to be entirely dependable. Still, it'll be an adventure.

Speaking of mysticism and spells, what would a holiday be for pirates if there weren't an abundance of alcohol? I've got it in my head to celebrate, and a couple of bottles to help. Will that be sufficient to conjure a bit of company, I wonder?

Nico Robin