Octavius was a little surprised he had slept through docking, but wasn't terribly worried, since he was armed and dangerous now. Someone approached him immediately, referring to him as captain. Cuttlam failed to correct the man, smiling instead. "I'm not surprised. Yes, I'll be going to the Grand Line. I don't think it'll be with this boat, but we'll see. Regardless, I'm going, and Ceres is coming with me, so if you don't want to come along, you'd best grab your things. I wouldn't advise coming along. It's a fool's errand we're on, but that's my favourite part..." the warlord laughed and slipped past the man in front of him, heading for the gangplank. He recognized this place, and had no fear of it, or its inhabitants. They had no power here. so the pirate lord strode boldly into every tavern he could find, announcing his return. Few recognized him, a couple cheered, and most gave him a disgusted look as he left. They would remember, though, and they would pay. He was grinning the whole time, just waiting. It was all a matter of time, now. After the eighth tavern, it happened. A band of drunk marines piled out of the place after him, convinced they'd get a pretty penny or two for his head. There were four of them, and six shells in his scattergun. Not even a challenge. They fanned out and produced knives and pistols, ready to take out this notorious pirate captain. But the criminal moved so fast not one of them could get a thought off between shots.

In an instant, Octavius had spun, his momentum whirling his shotgun around and into his hands. The first blast went off the moment his fowling piece reached his hands. He squeezed the trigger and sent a salvo of number four buckshot into the gut of the rightmost marine. Then he held down the trigger as his left arm went to work. He slammed the slide back violently, and with a speed to rival the lead he had just sent downrange. The forward motion of his arm that followed, jerked the weapon in the direction of his next target, and as the bolt closed on a second shell, it fired immediately, this man behind struck in the chest. He died as he fell, but not before the man beside him fell too. The third marine had been given a little time, but not enough, and he couldn't quite get the hammer back on his revolver before a third hail of shot tore out his throat. The last man had given up upon seeing their quarry fell the first soldier quicker than many could think, but hadn't managed to turn around so he could run before a final shot rang out, and more than a score of twenty-four calibre balls of lead ripped through his skull. All four of them fell one after another like a set of dominoes. As the four marine collapsed, quite dead, he let his left arm pull the slide back more slowly, popping the empty cartridge out of the chamber. It tumbled to the ground, bouncing twice before settling. After letting the smoke clear for a moment, he locked the slide forward once more, and the man left standing took a bow. The people around him immediately believed. There was no one faster with a scattergun.

Of course, the first man was still alive, having been hastily shot to put his enemies on the back foot. So the merciful pirate approached, knowing no one could help this man, except for the man who wouldn't. So there was only one thing to do. He let the muzzle of his weapon rest just over the man's head, and he pulled the trigger, solving the problem by removing it entirely. "I have returned." he announced to those around him, chambering the last shot in his fowling piece. It was the work of a moment to top it off, before he collected the spent brass and moved along, the bodies were left as a message. He was not to be trifled with. I need, he was determined to prove this, and he headed for the most expensive part of town, wondering if cutting down a few more marines might do the trick. It seemed that wouldn't be necessary though. He walked down the street, and didn't see a single soldier of any kind. Instead he spotted something much more exciting. An old member of his crew. This one hadn't been on for long, really. Just long enough to get to know everyone, before bailing. Piracy wasn't for him, and that was fine, but he might know a thing or two. The Shotgun Preacher marched up behind the man and slipped his free arm around the man's shoulders, his shotgun trailing by his other side.

"What's a man like you doing in a place like this?" the warlord asked. The man he was speaking to jumped, realizing who was beside him.

"Uhhh..." he was at a loss for words, unsure what was going on now.

"Made out like a bandit, I see. Well done. Any word on the boys? Been out of touch, looking to get them together again." it was almost like nothing had ever happened, the way Captain Cuttlam was speaking. Clearly his old friend didn't think so.

"They're all along the Grand Line now. Cyrus is running with the [i]Powder Keg[/i] and Luther and Griggs are on the [i]Simurgh[/i]. That's the last I've heard, and all I know." the information was coughed up quickly and easily, and the captain was more than satisfied.

"Thank you, old friend. I wish you luck, in your banditry." the captain chuckled and headed for the waterfront, saluting his old crewmate with his shotgun before slipping off to find himself more sailors to get him where he needed to go. "The [i]Powder Keg[/i] is easy to find... It'll be a feat to catch the [i]Simurgh[/i] though..." the pirate lord muttered to himself as he headed for the most likely places to find volunteers. "We'll need a faster ship." he decided, figuring it would be simply enough to steal one and be off with his volunteers, after emptying out their current ship. He liked the caravel, they just needed a different one. One with a little more rigging, and a little less in the water. For now, it would do, he supposed. But not if they wanted to catch the [i]Simurgh[/i]. It was settled then. They'd start with the [i]Powder Keg[/i]. "That was easy..." Octavius chuckled as he kicked in the door of a tavern and invited all comers to the Grand Line. Two men stood up, and he headed for the next place, to fill out his crew until he could get the men he really wanted...