Paradise, Horseshoe Island
'Hi mom, hi dad... It's my birthday today. These past years I've practiced a lot with the rifle and pistol you left me 4 years ago for my 4th birthday. I've been keeping up with taking care of my hair, mom. I even cut it every few weeks so it doesn't get in my eyes anymore... I miss you guys...'
As the morning sun rose, it shined its light upon the top of a small hill, illuminating a single gravestone, its engravings read:
"Here lies Thomas Strong and Callisto Morning, Husband and Wife, doting parents, and brave residents of Blackwater..."
Wiping his parents' gravestone of dust and dirt, the young boy rose to his feet, picked up his bag, then made his way down the hill away from the light.
As he descended further and further down the hill, the morning light appeared to chase him as if trying to catch him, but the boy moved too fast. Now bathed in sunlight, the whole hill was illuminated, showing the hill entirely covered in graves.
Arthur took one glance back at the graveyard before continuing on his way into the ruined remains of Blackwater, though its new residents have taken to calling it the Hollow.
As he entered the once thriving city now renamed Hollow, he made his way down the main street, brief memories resurfaced in his mind as he compared its current condition to the one in his memory. The difference was as wide as heaven and earth. The street was littered with rubble, broken signs, shattered glass, and even dried-up blood.
In the streets you could see thugs tormenting the weak while in the alleys you could see the weak drinking their life away or drugging themselves as they escaped reality.
Arthur took no heed of them, not even bothering to glance towards their general direction, but a group of thugs, part of a different group than the ones from earlier, cut him off.
The biggest of the thugs was the one to speak, but Arthur paid no attention to him. He simply analyzed the group, checking out their numbers and weapons.
'Only six, two of which have flintlock pistols and the others a mix of pipes and clubs.'
As Arthur deemed the group of low-life's a low-level threat, the thug that was doing the speaking for the group turned red.
"You got a death wish, don't you kid? How dare you ignore me!!!"
The thug reached for the flintlock pistol on his waist but before he could even touch his pistol.
*BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG*
Six gunshots thundered through the air, each lodging itself within the skulls of the group of thugs.
Arthur blew the smoke coming out of the barrel of his Cattleman revolver and reloaded before putting it back into his holster that sat low on his right hip.
'Waste of bullets...'
Arthur thought as he stepped over their bodies and continued walking towards his destination. After around 15 more minutes of walking, totaling around an hour, he finally arrived at his destination.
Before him stood the mostly ruined remains of Blackwater port, now known as Hollow port. Most of the docks were broken, preventing any ship from being able to dock, but there was one dock that remained in barely good enough shape that could actually still function.
This dock was his goal since this is where he has been living ever since the bar had burned down 4 years ago. Recalling that day only served to harden his resolve. Placing his bag, which was filled with bullets, supplies, and some mementos.
Arthur untied the rope keeping his ship from floating back out into the sea. It was a small, single-mast ship. Taking one last glance towards his home, raising his hand and forming a fist over his heart, he declared:
"I vow to you...mom...dad. I won't return to the island until I've brought that bastard Harold to his knees and brought back his head!!!"
Sounds of thunder and heavy rain fell as Arthur spoke his vow. The sea roared almost as if feeling the anger within him. Large waves formed as the wind picked up in speed but broke apart just as quickly.
It took Arthur a full three weeks at sea as he navigated his small boat through the deadly seas of Paradise using an eternal log pose left to him by his father. His boat nearly capsized multiple times, taking on water more times than he could count, but he finally made it.
Karate Island, known as the holy land to all martial artists and as one of the seven most famous places in the world.
'Finally, it took me three weeks to get here. I knew the voyage would be long so I made sure to pack extra supplies, but I was starting to get worried I didn't pack enough...'
Stepping onto the dock, Arthur tied the rope connected to his ship to the docking post. After ensuring he tied it properly, he equipped his side-arm holster and swung his rifle over his shoulder and began making his way towards the town.
However, just then a voice called out to him, "Hey kid, if you're planning on leaving your boat here then it'll cost you $25,000 berries per day. You'll also need to sign some papers which essentially mean you've read and understand that breaking any laws will result in a punishment depending on which law you broke. Where are your parents, kid? I need to explain this to them."
"They're dead..."
Hearing this, the dockhand sighed. 'Poor kid, he seems young, probably even younger than my son based on his height. It's a miracle he managed to survive sailing over here, the closest island to here is Horseshoe, and that's a 3-week voyage minimum.'
"I see...tell you what kid, I'll cut down the docking fee to $15,000 berries. It's the best I can do, and if you're looking for a place to stay then I suggest checking the Red Dragon Inn. You'll get the most out of your berries there and here, these papers are the laws of the island so read through them and drop them off at the port master's office. It's at the entrance to the town so you can't miss it."
While the deckhand took his time explaining the rules and laws of Martial Arts Island, Arthur paid close attention to his body language, searching for any indication that the man before him might be lying or harboring some ill intent towards him.
Finding neither, he pulled out $450,000 berries and handed the cash over to the man. The deckhand proceeded to count, ensuring the full amount was there, and then handed him a plaque. "This is your proof of payment, I'll head to the port master's office and let him know that Dock 67 is taken. Take care kid."
With that, the deckhand left and Arthur stuffed the plaque into his bag with his other belongings and read through the stack of papers he was handed.
Quickly reading through the stack of papers and noticing nothing of note, he signed the papers and made his way towards the entry area of the port. Once he arrived there, he waited in line for a few minutes before turning in his papers and finally entering the town.
Looking around for a bit, he found a map posted on the town board which gave details on the island's and town's important districts. There seemed to be five total, with four located within the town and the other outside it.
The four districts within the town were called Dojo District, Quarter District, Market District, and the Martial Arts Arena District. The one located outside of town was simply called Death Forest.
The Dojo District, located in the northern part of the island, is where all the dojos were located, with over a hundred different martial arts dojos being located there.
The Quarter District, located in the eastern part of the island, is where the Red Dragon Inn was located, with the district serving as the primary resting area for weary travelers.
The Market District, located in the western part of the island, is where all the vendors and merchants set up to sell and buy goods.
The Martial Arts arena was located in the center of the island and that where all the tournaments and duels are held.
The port where he docked his boat served as the main port for the island and was the biggest out of all the ones currently operating due to its location connecting it to both the Quarter and Market Districts.
Since the sun was starting to set, Arthur decided to make his way into the Quarter District to purchase himself a room during his stay. Following the deckhand's advice, he ignored the rest of the inns and made his way towards the Red Dragon Inn.
After a few minutes of searching, he finally stumbled upon an inn with a sign over its door that read:
Red Dragon Inn
Confirming that this inn was the one he was looking for, Arthur slid open the door and stepped inside. He was greeted by an Edo-era Japanese style inn and by the dining area which was rather simple with multiple tables and mats laid out for guests to use while they ate.
"Why hello there little one, my name is Baela, are you lost? Where are your parents at?"
A short woman spoke. She had long brown hair and a practiced smile on her face.
"They're dead... I'm looking for a room to stay in and food plus a bath. I plan on staying for a month if that's okay with you."
Arthur said with a stoic look on his face, surprising the lady, but in a world of pirates an orphaned child like Arthur was nothing rare.
Regaining her composure, "Yes sir, that's perfectly okay with us. We charge $8,500 berries a night which includes three free meals a day plus access to the bathhouse. Since you're planning to stay for a month we can apply a discount on your purchase which is 10%. Your total would come out to be $229,500 berries."
Seeing that her body made no indication of lies or any other bad intent, Arthur nodded, confirming he was satisfied with the price, and pulled out the amount from his bag, handing it to Baela.
Baela proceeded to count the amount and after confirming it was all there, handed it to another worker who took it to the back and returned with a key, which they handed to Baela.
"If you'll follow me sir, I'll lead you to your room."
Baela led Arthur towards the stairs, taking him to the second floor and then all the way to the end of the hall where his room was located. She opened the door and made way for Arthur to be able to enter and inspect the room.
The room was pretty basic. It had mat flooring with a single futon in the center of the room, a low wooden table for meals, and a zabuton (floor cushions). There were some decorations, but nothing worth noting.
"This room will do. I'd like to have dinner in my room. Just rice, meat, and vegetables will do."
"Of course sir, I'll let the kitchen staff know your order, I'll be back in around 15 minutes with your meal. If there is anything else you need please just let me know and I'll do my best to assist you in any way I can."
With that Baela left and shut the door, leaving Arthur to get settled in. Dropping his bag in the corner of the room and taking off his boots plus his hat, he laid down on the futon and planned his next move.
'I've secured my basic necessities... Now all that's left is to find dad's dojo.'
Chapter 3: A Vow and A Path