[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/3iywwTz.png[/img]

[h2][color=black]Balthier D. Sydney[/color][/h2]

[b]Alabasta Bar by the Docks[/b][/center]

Disaster adverted, at least for now. The old man with an eyepatch spoke up, saying much the same thing. From the way their crew, even the fop who called himself captain, listened, it was clear to Balthier who the real person in charge was here. He squinted at the man. His mug was familiar. Balthier probably had seen it on a wanted poster somewhere but he couldn't put a name to the face.

No matter, the bar was intact and it seemed like the trouble makers were heading out. He could claim his reward now.

However, the dragon man's sharp ears heard something that sent shivers down his spine. As he stepped out the door, the pink-haired captain was speaking to someone over a snail. 

Detonation. A bomb? 

Seven days. Demands. Next stop in Water 7.

That defiantly didn't sound good. Whatever that man had planned, Balthier suspected that Alabasta was not the place to be in a week's time.

The Golden Lion. Now that was a name he recognized. The legendary pirate, Shikki's ship. Balthier had heard through the rumour mill that Shikki had a son, who was currently wreaking havoc from the East Blue to the Grand Line. The burning of Loguetown was new, but it fit with the descriptions. 

In a flash, he remembered the name of the man with an eyepatch. Shigeuchi, former member of Shikki's crew. Which meant that pink-haired fop was Nikko, himself, the son of Shikki.

Well. That was certainly an infamous pair. From just first impressions, he wanted to punch 'Red Lion' Nikko in the face. Shigeuchi didn't seem too bad.

Balthier dropped the drunken act and shook his head as he muttered after them. [color=black]"Well, that's that then. Pleasure meeting ya too, ya bunch of stuck-up barnacle-covered keisters."[/color] He waved a lazy middle finger at their backs. Then he paced over to the two girls who had been trash-talked by the gang and held out a friendly hand. [color=black]"Are you all right misses? Don't let pirates like that get you down. They are much like a far off storm. Full of bluster and thunder, but perfectly harmless to any experienced navigator. Sooner or later they'll blow themselves out and we'll be the ones laughing."[/color] He paused and studied them. [color=black]"The name's Balthier D. Sydney, and I'm the leading man. Who might you two be?"[/color]

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