Screw It, I'm Going Out to Find It!

Chapter VI: To the Grand Line!

It had been less than twenty minutes and The Bucket had become the ship's official name. They all had seen it coming from a mile away, but it only became official after a majority vote due to Blake's mild, but frequent, complaints. From there, Jaune christened their ship, and no one could deny the captain's orders.

The common area, which consisted of most of the vehicle, had a lighthearted atmosphere to it. They no longer felt as though Beacon, and in association Vale, was at their heels if only because they could not see them anywhere on the horizon. Then there was the relief that Jaune's motion sickness was miraculously gone; Neo had made a show of dropping to her knees, looking skywards, and silently thanking whoever was watching over them. Despite their antics, Jaune was the most relieved for the news. The turbulent waves that once filled his nightmares now relaxed him deeply.

The final aspect of their high spirits was the excitement. Ruby could hardly wait to get out there and save people! She had this growing feeling in her chest that what she was doing would make her mother proud. If only she could convince Yang and her dad of that. Blake was ready to live through one of her novels. The thought alone had her cheeks threatening to blush, and she kept having to distract herself. Cardin was ready for fights. His main reason for joining Jaune was so he could be at the helm of this new age. If Arc was the one who would turn the world upside down, then there was no better place to look for a good fight than by his side. Ren was ready to help a man he saw as a brother fulfill his dreams. Jaune's dreams were as clear as day to any who would listen. As for Neo, she was excited for whatever she decided she wanted at any given moment.

Blake made good work on distracting herself. It was almost too easy when she drowned herself in cartography, a skill she had just learned. On a makeshift table, she had laid out a bundle of maps, various logs, a compass, and a sextant. It was becoming increasingly obvious that navigating without a map was pure torture, as it required more than just the skills of keeping the ship on course and knowing how to find said course. Without a map, she would also need to be able to spot signs of land and from distances that already frustrated her just written down. That made the fact she could not find a single map of the Grand Line all the more irritating. It almost made her wish she had stayed behind, but the draw of literature was too much for her to deny or regret. Not that it was part of her original choice, but it made her more determined in her decision to imagine Ruby out here without anyone to guide them along.

Jaune and Ruby were busy discussing what their plans would be. Ren would have joined, but he was busy inspecting their supplies and making a routine for himself and the others. He knew they would need to monitor rations, keep watch at night, and Neo could not keep piloting them the entire time — she was only human. In his place, to Ruby's surprise, Cardin joined in. It was not exactly that he wanted a say in their plans that surprised her, but how calm and supportive he seemed to be. It was a far cry from his behavior at Beacon, even if Ruby was still able to see it in him.

"You're weak, Arc." Cardin was blunt, and more than willing to insult even his captain; however, it lacked the arrogant attitude he once had. Now, the words felt more like a statement: they were a simple truth. He was not wrong either, their captain was likely the weakest of their crew. The only edge he had were his aura reserves and new powers courtesy of his devil fruit. The latter meant nothing though, since he had no training at all with them.

"You're right, Cardin, I am." Jaune was prepared to take on the world now. If that required admitting he was weak, so be it. "I'll need to start training asap. We don't have time for me to be sitting on my butt, do we?"

Cardin smirked. "Not at all, Captain; this isn't a cruise. I'll help you train when I have the time. With that out of the way, what are your goals for the Grand Line?"