Missing Piece

Chapter 2

Penguin pulled out a map of the island from inside the bubble, flattening it across his lap. "The coating shipyard is located in the 50 Groves zone. We can cut through to there if we keep going through the Groves in the 10s." He glanced up at the grove next to them. The numbers 18 painted in white clear on the root. "We should start heading east." He added and glanced back at the map and frowned. "The Marine Headquarters are in zone 60."

"What?" Shachi shouted, pedaling next to his buddy and peaking over at the map as well. He frowned too, slightly nervous. "That's really close... Captain, what should we do?"

"We'll find a coating mechanic in the north side of shipyards." Law replied simply at the same time that Bepo leaped forward, blocking an incoming attack with a kick.

"Captain!" Shachi and Penguin shouted, jumping off their vehicles and rushing to their Captain's side. The three of them stood around their captain, stances ready as they stared at the red staff wielding attacker with long sideburns and pointed hair. "Are you... a monkey?" They eyed the thin tail trailing from his backsides.

"I am the leader of the Coffee Monkeys!" He announced proudly and as if on cue, more bodies stepped out from their hiding spots in between the roots and tree trunks. Each of them sprouting a similar brown and green jersey jacket, red staff and monkey tails.

"They really are monkeys." Shachi pounded his fist into his palm, while Penguin turned towards their furry friend. "Do you think they're part of the Mink Tribe too?"

"You're pretty relaxed for someone who is about to be kidnapped!" Their leader grinned as his subordinates jumped the group. "Get the bear! He's part of the Mink Tribe!"

Shachi and Penguin snapped their head towards their furry friend. They're after you?

"Bepo." Law called and the bear turned away from the incoming attack at the call. "Stand back." He ordered as he stepped out from behind the large bear's shadow.

"Aye, aye, Captain!" With that the bear took a back seat and a blue film spread out dividing the space between him and his captain. In moments, the kidnapping monkeys were left in a panic as their body parts were chopped off and left to float around and sticking to whatever they touched next.

"I thought... we could get him..." The leader muttered in defeat. His hands automatically went to hold his hanging head, though neither of the appendages were attached or nearby. He ended up grabbing another monkey's tail who screeched at the sudden touch. "...I thought that with his bounty it was doable..." While the Coffee Monkeys were a formidable group, but after their last delivery of a giant, they have been struggling, especially now with the several high bounties on the islands. They've been taking blow after blow to their pride.

They had decided to target low this time. To help with their self-esteem.

Bepo's bounty was only 500 beris

It was just a bonus that Minks sold more than humans in a human shop.

"Hey Bepo!" Penguin called, waving a sheet of paper that had fallen out of one of the monkey's jacket. The sheet of paper was a strange one with beri prices listed next to each race. "Look here, it says a Mink is worth at least 700 hundred thousand beris."

"Oi, that's a lot more than his bounty!" Shachi chimed in. He patted the furry bear on his back. "See it's the bounty that's wrong." He reassured, remembering how when his wanted poster came out with their Captain, the differences in value was like a canyon.

"Captain's worth Market Price!" Bepo announced with great pride welling in his chest. "I wonder how much Market Price is." The other two simply laughed at the innocent bear's response. Here they were trying to cheer up the bear who could only think of their Captain.