The air inside the shop was thick with the scent of old parchment, salt, and brass. Shelves lined the walls, stacked high with aged scrolls, maps rolled into tight cylinders, and compasses of various designs—some rusted and worn, others polished to a fine gleam. Hanging from the ceiling were ship wheels, barometers, and strange nautical tools whose purpose Mk couldn't even begin to guess.
"Whoa…" Mk murmured, eyes darting across the countless artifacts.
Gego, perched on his shoulder, let out an excited chitter before leaping off. The small monkey scurried up a shelf, poking at different objects. He grabbed hold of a brass sextant, inspecting his reflection in the polished surface. Then, losing interest, he moved on, snatching up an old telescope and peering through it.
"Gego, don't touch—" Mk started, but the monkey had already swung onto another shelf, knocking over a pile of compasses with a loud clatter.
"I—uh, sorry!"* Mk winced as he rushed to fix the mess, hastily placing the scattered compasses back in their spots.
Meanwhile, at the front counter, Jack stood impatiently, slamming his palm against the small brass bell over and over again.
"Oi! Anyone home? Service? Hello? Someone steal the shopkeeper or what?"
The bell rang incessantly until finally, from the shadows of the back room, a figure emerged.
A hunched woman shuffled forward, the floor creaking beneath her steps. She wore a thick, ragged coat that draped over her frame, and her face was mostly obscured by wild, graying hair. A single round glass lens sat over her right eye, magnifying it unnaturally large, while her left socket was empty, covered only by a scarred patch of skin.
Jack, mid-ring, froze. For a brief second, he took a step back. "Well… that's a sight."*
The woman's enlarged eye squinted at him. "You callin' me ugly, boy?"
"No, no!" Jack quickly grinned. "You look good, sir."*
A heavy silence.
The woman's brow twitched. "Ma'am."*
Jack coughed into his fist. "Er—looking so strong, you might as well be a sir. Haha!"* He leaned casually against the counter. "Say, got a good map and compass I can use?"
The woman didn't seem amused but reached under the counter and pulled out a worn wooden box. She flipped it open, revealing an assortment of compasses, some gold-rimmed, others scratched and dented from years at sea. Rolled maps were stacked beside them, their parchment edges curled with age.
Jack let out an appreciative whistle. "Now that's a treasure chest."* He leaned in, scanning the options. "I need a drift compass and a drift map. Most updated one you got."*
The woman didn't hesitate. She reached into the box, pulling out a dark-wood compass with faint carvings on its lid. Then, she grabbed a map from a side drawer, unraveling it slightly to reveal fresh inked markings of islands, currents, and dangerous reefs.
"500 rubies," she stated flatly.
Jack pulled out a small bag of rubies, weighing it in his palm. But before handing it over, he leaned on the counter, smirking. "Now hold on a minute, ma'am. Five hundred's a bit steep, don't you think?"
She raised a brow. "Not for a map that won't get you killed."*
"Fair point," Jack nodded. "But let's say, I don't need the freshest ink—maybe I like a bit of an adventure, figuring things out for myself. That oughta shave off a hundred, yeah?"
"And maybe I like charging extra for mouthy customers," she shot back.
Jack chuckled. "A sharp businesswoman, I respect that."* He drummed his fingers on the counter, pretending to consider. "Alright, alright. Let's say I buy two compasses, would you cut me a deal?"
"No."*
"What if I—"
"Price just went up. 600."*
"Now, now, let's not be hasty—"
"750."*
Jack blinked. "…Wait, hold on, that's more than before."*
The woman crossed her arms. "Didn't say I was lowering it."*
A beat of silence. Mk, from the background, peeked over at the counter, watching in mild amusement.
Jack exhaled, rubbing his temples. "You're good at this."*
"I know."*
With a defeated sigh, Jack tossed the entire bag of rubies onto the counter. "Fine. Take your winnings."*
The woman smirked slightly before taking the bag and handing over the map and compass.
Jack took them, examining his new purchases before shaking his head. "Got robbed and I paid extra for it."*
Mk walked up, arms crossed. "So… how much did you actually need to pay?"
"Five hundred," Jack admitted. "Somehow, I ended up at seven-fifty."*
Mk burst out laughing. "You tried haggling and paid more?"
"Shut up," Jack grumbled, rolling up the map. "Let's go before she decides to charge me for breathing."*
With a chuckle, Mk followed as they made their way out, Gego scampering after them, clutching a stolen brass trinket he had swiped from the shelves.
As they stepped out of the shop and into the lively streets of the Pirate Isle, Mk stretched his arms and exhaled, assuming they would head back to the ship. But after a few steps, he noticed Jack veering off in a different direction.
Mk furrowed his brows. "Uh, Jack? The ship's that way."*
Jack, without breaking stride, simply waved a hand. "Aye, I know."*
"Then where are we going? We got the map, we got the compass—what else is there?"
Jack glanced over his shoulder with a grin. "Oh, that? That was just an errand. The real reason I came here? I'm looking to find myself a formidable crew. At least a good navigator and a swordsman."*
Mk raised an eyebrow. "Ahh, I see. And this place—full of pirates—should have just that."* He looked around at the bustling marketplace, where pirates of all sizes and shapes bartered, drank, and haggled over stolen goods. "But… won't the good ones already be taken by the bigger crews?"
Jack shrugged. "Probably."*
"Then what does that leave you with?" Mk asked, skeptical. "I mean, no offense, but you don't exactly have a name out here. What's your bounty, anyway?"
Jack blinked. "Huh. Good question."* He scratched his chin as if it had only just occurred to him. "I still haven't been properly listed as a pirate by the Meridian Fleet, so… basically, I'm a fresh pirate. No bounty yet."*
Mk stopped walking. "Wait. So you're telling me—"
"Aye."* Jack smirked, puffing out his chest. "Untouched by the law, an unmarked rogue of the seas. A free man!"*
Mk pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're a nobody."*
"*A pirate in the making,**" Jack corrected. "Big difference."
Mk exhaled, shaking his head. "So, our plan is to pick up whoever isn't wanted by someone bigger and hope they're actually good?"
"Exactly!"* Jack grinned, striding confidently down the road. "Now let's go find ourselves a crew."*