The skies were as clear and blue as the ocean itself, gently rocking to and fro wave after wave as though the water itself were some retired old man in a wooden chair. Days as peaceful as these were few and far between in the North Blue, and while some might wish for more action, one man was enjoying the peace and calm. The Guppy rolled along the wind currents, not a care in the world. Her crew were each engaged in a different activity. "Trickshot Jo'" swung lazily in her hammock setup in the crew quarters. "Malpractice" Doctor Ken sat in the mess hall, sewing his sleeves into his wrists, his drunken stupor dulling the pain. First mate "Flying Ninja" Smith Smithington III sat cross-legged atop the mast, keeping a lookout while practicing his balance. At the front of the ship stood the man that had brought everyone together, Captain Bartholomew K. Runch, the "Cereal Killer," though from his pose you might guess his name was Captain Morgan first. 

Runch took in the salty air of the sea and gave a heavy sigh of joy. The wind stung against his face in the most invigorating of ways. A glance down and he noticed a school of fish traveling by the Guppy. The cap'n outstretched his left hand, keeping his right firmly attached to the weapon lashed to his waist, and made use of his bori bori powers. Small pellets of cereal flowed from his skin like an open box, dropping into the sea. The fish began to gobble it up in earnest, while Runch smiled to himself. Smith told him that a recipe made for fish would be... What was the phrase he had used? Oh yes, "self-indulgent." Well ever since he had come up with this recipe, schools of fish ollowed the Guppy everywhere, making fishing the easiest chore of the day! As much as he'd like to, it didn't matter how many different recipes with different nutritional values he invented, the crew couldn't eat cereal for every single meal.

"Cap'n," a soft but firm and low voice spoke from behind, startling Runch.

[color=turquoise]"GAH!"[/color] he yelled out, losing his balance and leaning overboard. The man comically flapped his arms around and spun circles on a single heel before he was able to throw his body safely back aboard the deck of the ship. Blinking, Runch's eyes refocused on the person who had nearly sent his heart overboard. The sun cast this man in shadow, but his tall body and lean form told Runch everything he needed to know about his accidental assailant. [color=turquoise]"Hachiro, what gives?! You nearly tossed me in the ocean with the fish! What woulda happened then? It's not like you'd be able to come in after me! We all know you take to water like a cat. Omnomnomnomnom!"[/color]

The slim figure of Hachiro "Beast King" Hachiro, ship navigator, failed to change his expression as he offered a hand for Runch to take. A man of few words and fewer expressions, he did not acknowledge his captain's obvious joke. "Cap'n, I would like your help training."

Runch could only chuckle in response to that. It was just like good ol' Hachiro to scare the bajesus out of him then follow it up with a request for training. [color=turquoise]"Alright ya spoil sport, I'll help ya out. Omnomnomnom!"[/color]

Hachiro gave a rare smile, then dropped on all fours, whereupon he began performing push-ups on the spot. Runch, shaking his head in that humorous disbelieving way, hopped up and perched himself on his navigator's back. Despite the extra weight Hachiro didn't budge or slow down even a little. This was certainly to be expected. After all, of all the crew Hachiro was physically the strongest. So how would the captain make this task legitimately difficult for the crew's hand to hand fighter? Pour on some extra weight, of course! Runch visualized the cereal he needed to make, a standard recipe nothing inherently special about it, but the physical properties, ah that's where the magic would happen! Pellets streamed down from the captain's hands, landing on Hachiro's upper back and shoulders, pelting him like rain. Unlike Runch himself, these had a noticeable affect on Hachiro's ability to continue his pushups, and it was little wonder why. Every single pellet, no larger than a marble, had the mass of a cannonball crammed into it. As dense as they were this cereal was harder than steel and exceptionally heavy.

Not the least dissuaded, Hachiro kept pushing himself up and down, fighting through the pain as this balanced breakfast kept pelting him continuously. It wasn't long before there simply wasn't any room left, so the cereal rolled off his back and onto the deck of the ship with an audible [i]thunk![/i] The little marble-like substances rolled off the side and into the sea, but the captain continued to rain his grain down on the navigator without letting up. Eventually Hachiro exhausted himself, and Runch was forced to let up.

[color=turquoise]"Bloomin' blueberries, you set a new personal record. Just a little over two hours!"[/color] Runch and Hachiro both brushed themselves off of wheat and grain particles, though the navigator had a more difficult time with all the residue caked on by his sweat. Breathing heavy, he gave the captain a nod. [color=turquoise]"Oh, it's just about dinner time, ain't it?"[/color]

The captain bellowed out loudly enough so that the entire crew could hear his announcement, regardless where they were on the ship. [color=turquoise]"Soup's on, everyone! Time to eat!"[/color] With that both captain and navigator strolled across the deck of the ship and into the mess hall, followed shortly by Smith. Inside Doctor Ken was already present, pouring whiskey onto the holes he had sewn into his own skin. A few moments later they were all joined by Joanne Schrodinger.

"Cereal again?" Joanne complained, sitting up in her high chair. "Man ain't you got somethin' else for us today, cap'n? I mean come on, I know it's infinite but don't we have fish or somethin'? Don't be a little bitch and hold out on us."

"Ish a'right, hic!" retorted Doctor Ken, as he poured a bottle of grog into his bowl. "Ish nutri... Nutri... Nutrititicious, y'know?" The drunken doctor quivered and swayed in place for a moment, his eyes clearly out of focus, before face planting right into his bowl of cereal. The layman might have assumed he had passed out on account of his drunken state, but he was in fact eating his food face first. The others paid him no mind. The doctor was [i]always[/i] drunk. 

[color=turquoise]"Well I might have been able to prepare somethin' else for you all if Hachiro didn't require my help training, omnomnomnom!"[/color] The captain bellowed a hearty laugh as he sat down with his own bowl, ready to eat. He had noticed that Smith had already finished. There sat the ninja, covered head to toe in black cloth, even his face a complete mystery. How had he eaten his food? Why was there nothing spilled? Smith never gave any explanation to this beyond "ninja tricks." A twinkle in his eye, the captain refilled Smith's bowl. The first mate was always happy to eat up.

[color=turquoise]"How long until we reach Reverse Mountain, Hachiro?"[/color] the captain asked.

"About a day of sailing," the navigator replied through a half-chewed mouth full of cereal. "Sunny the whole way through."

"Youshure about 'hat?" Doctor Ken gurgled through his bowl. Hachiro raised an eyebrow and glanced up to the nearest window only to find it completely clouded over. Something was definitely wrong about this.

[color=turquoise]"How far off course are we?"[/color] Runch asked, standing up and heading toward the door. The others all stood up with him (except for Doctor Ken, who was limbo-walking with a bowl still over his face). The navigator didn't answer, and he wouldn't until he could get to the helm and get their bearings. 

The fog was so thick is could be cut by a cliche trope knife. Out on deck everyone took a separate position, with Hachi and Runch heading for the helm, Joanna taking position atop the mast, and Doctor Ken keeping his ear to the floor, literally, listening for any signs of trouble. Smith simply disappeared, doing what he did best. After a few moments looking over the compass and charts, Hachi turned to the captain with a furrowed brow.

"We're not."

[color=turquoise]"What do you mean? We're not off course?"[/color] Hachiro shook his head no, then turned back to the helm.

[color=turquoise]"Hm. Curious. Could our weather reports be wrong?"[/color]

[color=red]"Oh, don't worry about it! That's just us!"[/color] called out a rather chipper and youthful female voice from deep within the fog. Two clicks could be heard as Joanna pulled back the hammer on each of her revolvers, focusing them on a small source of light slowly emerging from the mist.

Two figures came into sight, one a rather tall Hispanic man in his late thirties with a full beard. He had the look of someone that loathed nonsense and the whimsical. His partner was a shorter female with red pigtails and fair white skin, likely in her early twenties. Her green eyes shone bright with the joy and exuberance of youth.

[color=red]"Oh no, please don't shoot! We're fellow adventurers, arrrrr!"[/color]

[color=lightblue]"We're not adventurers,"[/color] the man cut in rather dryly.

[color=red]"I'm Stormageddon Jones-"[/color] [color=lightblue]"Nancy Czevizch,"[/color] the man cut in. [color=red]"And this is my first mate, Grumpy-eye Pete!"[/color] [color=lightblue]"Rene Rodriguez."[/color] [color=red]"And we're here to offer you the chance of a lifetime!"[/color]

The crew looked from Nancy over to Rene, as though expecting something. [color=lightblue]"Ah, yes, she's right about that one."[/color]

"Shall I dispose of the trespassers, cap'n?" echoed Smith's voice through the fog. To the keen observer, the ninja had suddenly appeared behind the two strangers, blades extending from his wrists less than an inch from Nancy and Rene's necks. 

[color=turquoise]"No no no, not at all!"[/color] the captain cried out. [color=turquoise]"These two strangers are our guests, don't you think we should treat them with respect and hospitality?"[/color]

"I'd rather treat them with a cap in their ass," Joanna muttered. Smith retracted his arm blades, bowed for his captain, then once again vanished amidst the fog as though he were some intangible spirit. The strangers, for their part, took this quite well. Rene rolled his eyes at the antics about, while Nancy trembled with excitement.

[color=turquoise]"We were just in the middle of dinner. Come, friends, eat and be merry! Tell me, what are your favorite fruit flavors? I can whip up a tasty treat that'll explode with flavor in your mouth!"[/color] Runch gestured for everyone to follow him back into the mess hall, then held the door open like a gentleman. The crew entered, some complaining more than others, as the strangers approached, lantern in hand.

[color=lightblue]"I'm afraid we have no time, Captain Runch. My associate and I are from-"[/color]

[color=red]"Orange banana strawberry mango cran-apple kiwi delight please!"[/color] Nancy cried out, running straight past her peer and the ship captain. 

Rene groaned in frustration and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was looking like they'd be here for a while...

[hr]

[i]2 hours later...[/i]

[color=turquoise]"Amazing. A tournament to use a machine... That can grant wishes? Well blow my berries down!"[/color]

"Cap'n, that sounds really obscene."

[color=lightblue]"Yes. Your name came up in the ledger, so we are here to invite you."[/color]

[color=red]"It'll be the adventure of a lifetime, fraught with danger beyond imaginings! You never know what could happen!"[/color]

[color=lightblue]"Indeed. So if you want a ship that can take you anywhere, you'll want to come with us."[/color]

Captain K. Runch mused for a moment, stroking his mustache with one hand and scratching his chin with the other. After a few moments he agreed. [color=turquoise]"Aye, I'd be glad to come and join this competition."[/color]

"Cap'n, yer life'll be in dan... Dan... Ger. Danger. Ash  ship'sh doctor, I'll advise... You kick shome ass."

[color=turquoise]"Omnomnom, right you are, Doctor Ken!"[/color]

"I volunteer to battle in your place," Smith interjected. "I'm stronger than you are, and a better fighter. Besides, it is my duty to throw my life down to protect yours."

[color=red]"Oooooooooh, eeeeeeeh, um, you see, that is,"[/color] Nancy began, biting her lower lip. [color=red]"Only the people that were written into the ledger can participate. It's kinda some advanced sciencey magic stuff."[/color] She then mouthed the word "sorry" to the ninja.

[color=lightblue]"Actually, there is another one of you that is to participate. The one known as 'Trickshot Jo'."[/color] Rene turned his gaze to the honey badger sitting up on the table, eyeing them with attitude.

"No problem, honky. I'll get involved and kick some ass too. Just tell me whose ass to pop a cap in and it'll be done in my sleep." The little badger adjusted her hat while thumbing the hammer of one of her guns.

[color=lightblue]"I'm Hispani-"[/color]

"I don' care if you're a reindeer, I'll call you what I want, you don' own me honky!"

A few chuckles circulated around the room, though Rene wasn't laughing. He bit his inner lip out of irritation, then stood up. [color=lightblue]"Very well then. We will be arriving momentarily. Captain K. Runch, Joanna Schrodinger, prepare yourselves. Everyone else must stay behind."[/color]

"What if'n I-hic-run outta booze?" the doctor asked from a slumped position on the floor.

[color=turquoise]"There'll be none of that attitude, doctor. Let's make sure we follow the rules, alright? Everyone else stays on the ship.[/color]

The doctor gave no indication that he had heard Runch's order, nor did he give any indication that he was even breathing. All the same, everyone stepped over the ship's physician as they followed the two strangers out the door and onto the ship deck. The fog began to lessen, gradually at first, but the air became more and more clear around the lantern carried by the strangers. Rene placed the lantern on the bow, and in moments all visual impairment was gone. Before the Krunch Pirates sat a great and magnificent city beyond what any of them had ever known to be possible. The Guppy came to a halt all on its own, no guidance required, on a dock at the edge of the city. 

[color=red]"Welcome brave souls, to the City of Echoes!"[/color]