The dead seem to be rather lively as of late, but I wonder how the living are faring? I certainly hope you haven't run into someone you used to know. It'd be unfortunate to finally be reunited with someone you lost long ago, only to have to brutally murder them with your own hands.

Is anyone planning on attending the Great Race this year? It's quite a spectacle. If last year is any indication, you'll even get a chance to pay Davy Jones your respects in person, maybe prepare a thank you gift for his generosity in allowing us so many visitors as of late.

[Robin giggles at this, the horrors of the night seeming far away in full daylight.]

Let's make up a wishlist, perhaps if we all work together we can manage to send a message. If you could give any gift to our undead benefactor, what would it be? I think a knife through his blackened, beating heart would adequately show my gratitude. What do you think?

It's been a bit. Can't say as I don't apologize. Got a lead but it hain't lookin' like a good one. I think perhaps I hae to start trainin' up a new protogee but that's how it goes on these rough seas sometimes. Got some booze ta see me through anyway and a treasure map'll be wi' Margie fer the one what sent it. I'm apt ta need it.


News

Hain't been keepin' up wi' it so I can't tell ye much. Be on yer guard as always. Not much stirrin' in these seas. The big meetin' o' all th' pirates that aren't ye lot'll be on th' 16th and I hear they got some high class prisoners ta show off so that'll rile up th' seas, ye can be sure o' it.

Cloud Islands'll be untethered next month, includin' Li Yu Tao surprisingly. If I don't see ye afore then, won't be a bad idea ta visit their Dragon Festival th' last week o' May. I went three years ago and it took me since then ta get over th' hangover, heh.

Also Tartle be hangin' round Empieza for a week or two in th' beginnin' o' th' month. Tis a supply run so I gather so if ye want goods cheap it's a good time fer it.


Weather

North: Expect a lot o' rain. Should be buckets throughout th' week and thunderstorms too, if I hain't mistaken. It also be Bore Shark time once again and they've been gettin' a wee bit hinky so watch yer hulls.

West: Hot 'n dry wi' low wind. Good doldrum weather so break out those oars if ye want ta get anywhere in a hurry. Temps reachin' up to 100f (37c) sometime mid-week so try ta keep cool and don't drink th' seawater.

East: Pretty mild all around. Should be a bit rainy in th' early part o' the week but that'll be spotty and'll clear up soon enough.

South: Windy and wild so hang on ta yer hats. Try not to capsize either and if ye be usin' a typhoon grip ta get down from anywhere take care ye don't catch a tailwind. Tis a long way ta th' sea.


That's all fer me. Ye get one question as usual and I hain't much in th' mood fer bullshit. Fair warnin'.

[Robin's voice is a bit slow, her words perhaps a little slurred, like someone coming out of anesthetics.]

Real, this time? Touches like pages. They go swish too. And sounds. Voices. Need them.

Water!

[There's a bit of indistinct shuffling around, then some small splashes as Robin drinks from her hands. She takes a moment to breathe, already beginning to feel her head clear. Her speech at least clears up significantly.]

The last I can remember clearly was... a rogue wave. Came out of nowhere, straight at the ship and then... here. Scorpion... something. Scorpion's Reef? Mm, that sounds right. Their sting doesn't kill so that's good, but it's how loose in a- wait. That word doesn't make sense. Word for seeing things that aren't there. Hear and smell and touch them too. Movement and colors. All there.

Not dreams.

Need to get off the island but there's no more boat. And I can't swim.

[She giggles.]

Ridiculous. Pirates that can't swim. But it's true. No swimming for me. Maybe I used to, but I don't remember. Someone said the sea is jealous. I have something it wants. I say, if it wants to keep it then it shouldn't spit out fruit for me to eat. It's quite rude to give a gift then demand it back. Bugs swim better than me. Scorpions. I think they're leaving me alone now. Perhaps I'm boring to them. But the sea will always want me in its depths.

Who am I talking to? Is someone there?

I am, generally speaking, loathe to spread damning, one-sided and poorly verified information about a single person which could result in an ill-informed manhunt. I have learned a few things recently, however, which have convinced me that perhaps, in this particular case, the information is better known and debated than unknown.

Reasons:

Happy New Year, I suppose. It is not very happy for this Meep even if it is, indeed, new. I'm sure you haven't noticed much in the way of parties or festivals or even fireworks. I have only noticed my poor Meep hands which have tended my Mistress these long days. For those who aren't suffering and enduring their most treasured person's long illness, it is the year of the Sapphire. It is considered an unlucky year, generally speaking, and so rarely celebrated. Or if it is, with tones of somber reflection.

I hope your reflections are less somber than my own and your journal pages undamp with tears. I do believe otherwise that something is stirring. Something is always stirring. With Hawtrey that demon. That devil. And my poor Mistress laid up as she is all asleep and far away. Oh what am I do to do? My gut says it is unlucky and dangerous indeed but fortunately you are not without guidance. Not from me. Mistress used to say I couldn't lead a flea off a dog and I believe her. So now I must merely wait.

If you have questions, I am here. If you do not, I suppose I remain still.

Yours Humbly,
The Poor Pitiful Meep

P.S. I have heard of a poor sad lonely shard left behind where the entire crew has been whisked from the sea. I pity it. Don't you?

To the Crew of the Triton's Mistress,

I hope this message finds you well. It seems as though several of your members have shown interest in the proposed meeting by L-Elf, set to occur in a few days. Is that still the case? And is your crew actively sailing for Breakneck Cay? If so, would you mind an extra hand for the voyage?

A fair wind in your sails wherever you're headed, if it is not the above.

Nico Robin

The Mistress remains asleep. She will not wake and she won't be moved. I can't be sure why, but for the time being all you have is this humble saddened Meep. I did hear there was going to be a lot of rain next week. Oh, and something I must warn you of, but I've forgotten what it is. When the sun ceases to shine, how can you remember the color of your own shoes?

In either case, I shall be here to answer your questions if you have any. If I can remember the answers that is. If I can even read or hear the questions with the sadness that weighs down my heart like an anchor, dragging along the bottom of a sea of sorrow. Yet without the anchor I would be adrift and wondering like a sad spent star, looking for a place to call home.

My poor Mistress. My sweet Mistress. Whatever shall I do?

Oh, and perhaps you may notice the Naval presence is rather guarded around the more populated islands and expect to receive many stiff looks should you visit Empieza. They are not taking any chances, or so I've heard.

Well--ah ha ha rather spooky isn't it, lately? I do so hate this time of year. I really do. I would rather hide in the villa, if you must know, though I do get ridiculously dehydrated and the...the beings seem more than willing to go further inland and even to protected spaces!

Well--the fact that the villa is no more certainly doesn't help and my mistress... well she is beside herself. I don't know why except that she was touched by one of the...beings and now won't stop screaming.

It's very unsettling.

This humble Meep is quite properly terrified.

There ah...also seems to be...something bubbling out of the sea. I can't say for sure what it is but it's quite massive and wreathed in black mist. It may even be the source of it. I'm unsure. I don't want to go near it. In fact if I could go to one of your worlds, I almost think I would prefer it. This soft fragile Meep doesn't do well with nightmares. Or terror of any sort.

I wish the mistress hadn't meddled. I surely do. But now that she has well--

Let's hope the consequences end at this.

I don't think my constitution can bear it otherwise.

At any rate I am here for questions as long as I can stand it.

I suppose I could tell ye plenty 'o things as there are plenty 'o things goin' on. Includin' mind, th' location 'o the frigate and just what devious plans are involved there. I could tell ye the tempestous comin' weather or the flash I got from this year's time 'o the night. But I hain't goin' ta.

Nay.

I don't think ye lot deserve it.

But if ye wish to know, or wish ta know anythin' else fer that matter, come in an' entertain me wi' yer idiocy. Ye might just get a surprise in th' bargain. But if ye don't like yer surprise, well, don't say I didn't warn ye.

Ah, hello! Greetings! It is I, your faithful Meep.

My dear mistress, it seems...has forgotten...quite a bit. I'm not entirely sure why but if my calculations are correct, it may have something to do with the mist. It is quite strange and I'm not entirely sure of why it is here or from whence it comes-- other than-- well what Mistress was doing. I asked her about it or tried but she doesn't seem to know who I am! And I her most faithful Meep. It's most distressing. Most most distressing.

Ah, but I do have news for you which may be somewhat distressing. Hawtrey aka the Corpse King and one time fiancé of a Miss Elissa Cousland...or is it ...Kenway, now? It's so hard to keep up with engagements you know. My sister's friend's cousin's uncle's great niece who is also my step aunt got married once and I completely forgot the invitation until the last minute. I had to arrive in a cravat that went out of fashion two seasons ago. It was quite horrific.

Oh, yes, but as I was saying he seems to be building a small armada for himself. Two ships are already under his banner and is is rumored he is going to attack the imperial frigate as it makes a pass on the Great Western Current. It is the frigate that carries one of the shards, you see, or is rumored to. Not the biggest one the Navy has in its collection but certainly worth while. Though I'm not sure if I'd want to have it toward the end of next month as the resonances tend to compound upon one another and get increasingly dangerous during certain times of the year.

I wouldn't recommend going after him or the frigate as I can see in your minds, but if you are daring enough, I suppose you may. Approaching the Great Western Current may be difficult, however the frigate will have to pass through the the waters between Turvey Top and Ebony & Ivory to meet its final destination. So if you do wish to mount an attack, this would be the best place. I however advise you don't take this lightly as the Navy will not hesitate to use extreme force.

And of course Hawtrey still has access to these journals despite my Mistresses' best efforts. Frankly I am surprised they are still in operation! But perhaps she remembers the important things. Even if it is not her most precious and loving Meep.

If you have any questions at all, I am here for a while so feel free to ask-- though I must admit I'm slightly distracted. If I were a drinking man I would be in, as they say, my cups.

[the script is written in a scrawling, quick hand, courtesy of a quill. many words are spelled as they were circa 1700, such as "to-day." I haven't spelled them as such because I'm merciful and love you. you're welcome]

Strangers in a strange Land, what do ye do? Quit bein Strangers. Cures Boredom, too, which'd be a Godsend right bout now.

So. You've a Dream? A Goal, a Code? I've a Creed myself, and learnin the Beliefs of Others can be interesting. Let's get to know each other. (Wink)

Hello, me wee beasties.

Interestin' ta think ye been a year here now and look at all ye've accomplished an' all the shards ye've collected. Oh an bein' manipulated by a sea witch. Good job on that one. For a moment I actually thought ye had it all together! We won't even mention the fact that one 'o ye idiots decided to wreak havoc on Empieza just because they were dropped here just like everyone else and someone stepped on his wee little toe.

At least th' rest 'o ye didn't go about antagonizin' the Navy, settin' islands ablaze, punchin' princes in their faces, impregnatin' goddesses and otherwise causin' chaos in this world.

That'd just make ye morons right?

Right.

Hain't got much fer ye this time around. Some news is brewin' but I'll be sittin' on that fer now--other than it's 'bout time fer kraken activity ta be pickin' up in th' south so be careful 'o that. They're vicious this time 'o year. Tartle will be in th' North from about th' 24th til th' end 'o the month.

Also Dog's been keepin ye in her thoughts and has a little surprise comin' up fer ye in just a handful of days. A little anniversary present if ye will. I'm sure someone'll get a kick out 'o it.


Weather goes as follows:

North: Definite chill in th' air fer th' next two weeks. Watch out fer mornin' frost an' evenin' chills. Be expectin a cold snap about mid week where I don' think a scarf'll do ye.

East: Cool an' balmy, expect some storms but hain't much excitin' goin' on wi' the weather or much else there. Ye might expect ta see th' Maiden's Hair comet there startin on Sunday if ye look toward th' midpoint 'o the sky. Supposed 'ta be good luck so take as much as ye can get.

West: Hot an' windy. Ashy, too as I hear a volcano erupted on one 'o th' sequestered islands. Most got out alright except for a bunch of jailed bastards who were pirates just like ye. Also I hear Crazyface be patrollin' and somethin's got his hackles up as he's bein' pretty aggressive.

South: Wind, rain an' krakens as far as th' eye can see. Try not ta get dead.


Ye lot hae one question as usual.

Ah, well I am just writing to say congratulations! Er-- well I suppose it's due, isn't it? It has been a full year for some of you and we're... well we're certainly closer to finding the shards and completing the Piedra Roja than we were before, so good on you! I don't know how you're going to manage to take the final pieces from the hands that hold them but we'll run screaming across that burning bridge when we...ah...run to it.

At any rate, though I am a humble Meep who hasn't been with you this entire journey-- Well, I have just that you haven't noticed because Mistress quite enjoys the verbal sparring from time to time-- It's still been a great journey and I would like to thank you for all your incredible hard work.

I... Just wish it hadn't come along with causing so much widespread devastation.

...So I am proud of some of you?

At any rate, Mistress has been cackling over some kind of 'Anniversary Gift' that may manifest in week or two so...be warned, I'm afraid. Not that she doesn't have good intent--

Well her intentions aren't neccessarily evil.


Until said time, keep sailing on, my friends!

And try not to destroy anything....

Please


Humble Love and Regards,
Marshall Evans Earnest Persimmon II (aka Meep)

Ah, I seem to have found my way back to these seas again. I wonder what they call this place, anyhow? Is it also Vearth? Surely the natives do not wish to associate their entire world with Davy Jones. Perhaps we ought to come up with our own way of referring to it. How about... [Robin pauses to consider a bit.] Void World. [Feel free to groan, Robin's not so great at the naming thing.]

In any case, there was... a race, wasn't there? If someone wouldn't mind telling me how much time has passed since the end of that race, I'd appreciate it.

Well, I see that everyone is still alive. Yes, good. Excellent.

Unfortunately, I am rather too preoccupied to talk, even to know what day. We seem to have a bit of a situation with things. It’s under control, under control perfectly but there might be some changes coming soon, just so you know. It’s certainly not the natural order of things, at least not so long as I have been working for the Mistress, but everything must change a little, mustn’t it?

I can answer what questions I may, but I really must deal with this [scribbled out word] situation.

To whom it may concern, currently en route to an island known as Marble Tear:

I have it on good authority that the island is inhabited by a singular entity of living stone. This creature moves inhumanly quickly, and has developed a taste for living flesh. I have the capability of neutralizing it indefinitely, and will do so for the duration of four hours after the arrival of my crew to the island. Those seeking the token must find it within that time frame, and any subsequent altercations or treasure hoarding must be concluded by the deadline as well. I will not guarantee anyone's safety from the indigenous predator after the four hours are up, so if you and your crewmates are not off the island by that time, I suggest you don't blink.

Regards,

Nico Robin.

Hello, everyone! Meep here as promised. Goodness, what a way to start the race. I was there, of course, cheering you on from the apartment behind the sofa. I am not overly fond of Mr. Jones' annual appearance to the race. I'm not sure why he does it or where he gathers the energies to do it-- though I suspect it's due to the fact that his birthday comes at the conjunction of two major planets in the Great Horns Constellation which always, they say, leads to increased levels of psychic energies-- besides which, of course, the natural inclination of a poltergiest to appear where emotions run high.

And they were quite high this year! Nearly thirty percent of your competition never made it which is both good news and bad news of course. There is less to worry about, certainly, but those that have survived are among some of the strongest the world has to offer. I wish you luck.

In related news I've heard the Corpse King has pulled ahead of the pack. Though of course he must collect the tokens in order to proceed, he'll certainly have more time to do it. Very interesting man, that one. Very interesting indeed.

Unfortunately I don't have much else in the way of information, except to tell you to expect bizarre weather patterns and other phenomena as you make your mad dash across the sea. The Mistress will be rather preoccupied with racing details to provide you with details but--that is part of the charm, I believe. The sense of adventure, if you will.

As for myself, I am bade to answer one question and one question only or she will--er-- well it's actually very unpleasant the situation she described and I'm almost quite sure she doesn't mean it as...harshly as it turned out so... Please use your discretion.

This is Kuzan. Better known as Aokiji to pirates in our world, because like most logia users, he has a signature fighting style that is based on his attacks.

Don't let the almost awesome afro hair fool you, however, he's as torpid as they come.

You see this fearsome would-be marine has a ten-speed bike he rides around over the ocean like the worst kind of MC loser there ever was. That's right. A ten speed bike. What the hell does it use ten speeds for? The only one he ever uses is a slow cruise that is like watching ice cubes thaw! It's not even a motorcycle! That's how useless it is.

He's got the gloves and boots like a real rider, but on a bicycle, he might as well just have the gear to deal with the cold.

So uncool.

He does make a mean ice cream though. So you know, if you're anywhere near the Friend Ship or Justice Penguin, get some. Unless you're a pirate. Then you're even more of a loser than him.

[Yup. That's it. This is a public service message brought to you by: Smoker, the worst friend ever. Carry on.]

My, that was [teehee!] quite a storm, wouldn't you say? Even Aqua Laguna didn't have winds so fierce. [Ufufufu!] It'd be a shame if someone's mast got blown away. [Lolol] I wonder if the currents here are [snerk] steady enough to wash a ship to land before- [giggle] before everyone on board died of starvation?

[There's a long moment while Robin continues giggling as if she's tipsy. Then silence for a few moments.]

I believe I have successfully concluded [fffffff] that this laughter [haha!] is not natural. [More giggling. And then:] Do be careful out there.

[Robin takes a deep breath, as if relieved to be done, then dissolves into another giggling fit and cuts the feed.]

[sitting on the inn roof at Empieza and he's decided himself a thing]

I wanna kiss as many people as I can. [doom!] But it's hard to figure out the rules! So if you wanna kiss someone then we should definitely meet up!

[and it's the perfect solution. Because if someone wants to kiss someone as much as he wants to kiss someone then they can just kiss and it's simple]