As the sun shone upon the face of Matsuo Taiki, a former Fishman cook who resided on Fishman Island. He specialized in culinary cuisines, and his favorite dish to create is Takoyaki covered in soya sauce, or baked in teriyaki sauce. He started to cook when he was about 5 years old, and then from there took over the family business, and became the head chef of “Taiki Supreme!” and from there became the best cook in all of Fishman island. But this isn’t about the history of Matsuo; this is about the day that would change his life forever.
Matsuo Taiki woke up at the same time that he would any other day. Just early enough to see the sun rise, and the birds to come out chirping as well as to get the fresh sun that shown throughout the city of Fishman City, the main city of Fishman Island. He got out of bed, and removed the covers from the bottom part of his body, and then sat up, turned his body to the left, and jumped out of bed, with his pale-greenish arms stretching wide out, as he was immobile for the last 7 hours sleeping. He turned around and faced the bed, and started to make it, fixing it back to its former glorified image. He then turned around at a 180 degrees angle and his face was looking at the back of his door, he walked forward and received the towel off of the hook, as it was time for him to shower. When he was done his shower, he came back outside, and walked to his mahogany colored dresser where he had packed the same outfit for every day of the week. He took out his simple white undershirt made up of cotton, and over top of that he put on his black cross hatched chain mail made up of refined steel. On top of all of that, he put on his normal red and white and blue tunic/cloak that flowed down to his knees. His shoes are the old Japanese styled 2 prong wooden sandals, and he wore his black baggy shorts that rumpled their way down to his green colored ankles. The last thing that he put on was his father’s apron that had been passed down through the Taiki family for generations. It was amazing that such an apron could not have any tears or rips in it, but it did have the odd spillage and color of red on it, but that was only natural as his family had owned a restaurant of sorts. He turned off the lights to his room, and walked out of the small wooden cottage that he had lived in.
As he walked, he could feel the mildew from the previously rained on grass from the night before, and walked for many miles until he came upon the old beaten down shack that was called “Taiki Supreme!” He unlocked the front doors, and changed the sign to open, as well as turning on the lights, and lightning the odd candle. He set all of the tables, and restocked the cash register with change, and took the old money. He emptied the tips jar and un-stacked all of the chairs back to their respectful places, and that was when the customers where rolling in. It still amazed Matsuo that they could get customers as old as his restaurant was, Matsuo was the best chef on the Island but there were still few problems in being a chef, for one a chef didn’t make that much money, instead Matsuo had a hard time not getting evicted from the small home that he owned, he had to sell a lot of his things to stay off the debts list from the government.
Halfway through the day, as the customers started to slow, and Matsuo started to pack up some things sighing as he knew it was any day that he could get evicted, and they weren’t just going to get rid of his debts because he was a renowned cook. So, Matsuo packed up half the restaurant, and packed up most of his supplies in the back room. He was almost done when he heard the ringing of the doors chimes as someone had walked in and triggered the annoying sound.
”Oh! A customer!” Matsuo said, excited as he started to leave out certain items that he would need to cook for this customer.
”Oi, who the hell runs this shit hole? I’ve heard that you owe us some money! Show yourself you stupid fish!” The mysterious man yelled and cussed at the restaurant.
Matsuo’s heart sank, as he started to pack up most of his things and walked out to the front with a proud face, and a chest that stuck out for miles. He looked at the man, and he was huge, but not fat, bulky as if he had trained for 10’s of years. But the thing that scared Matsuo Taiki the most, was the red stained hands that where constantly dripping on the table top where the cash register resided. Matsuo looked behind the man, and there were some customers that were lying, not sleeping, but lying in their own blood. Matsuo started to sweat, and the last thing that he could remember was the bulky man picking him up as well as taking today’s earn from the cash register. Matsuo thought that he was as good as gone…
Matsuo woke up in a smelly dark sewer, although calling it smelly was probably a hypocritical statement, as it smelt like fish, but as he was of the fish, well toad, species he was around this smell thought the later years of his life. But this smell was that of rotting fish, almost smelling like Fish that was thrown up, and the rotting skin of the fish. Oh how it burned his nostrils. Whatever he was sitting in, it wasn’t cooked right, and it smelled like death.
Suddenly a square opened up and from that, a ray of light shone in threw it and beamed Matsuo in the face. He had to close his eyes slightly and when he finally got adjusted to the light he looked down to what he had been thrown on, and it basically destroyed him. As Matsuo looked down, It made him immediately puke, it was certainly dead fish, but he didn’t know until the light that all of his close friends, customers, even strangers, filled the black cavern on what looked to be like the bottom of a ship. He had been sitting, sleeping, living in a ship full of dead friends. The worst fear anyone could have.
”Get him up here!” The hulky mans voice reappeared in Matsuo’s head.
Two men threw down a wooden make shift ladder made with skinny planks of wood and rope tying the whole shebang together. Two other brawny men came down, not as bulky as what looked to be their leader, but still big and strong. The two men came down, and threw Matsuo onto the deck, of what looked to be a military ship. As Matsuo stood up he could hear the clicking and clacking of the guns being cocked and aimed at him. The leader, or more called Captain came down the stairs which lead to the upper part of the ship, and confronted him.
”So, you are the one called, Matsuo Taiki. Correct?” The captain questioned.
Matsuo looked down and saw that none of his attire changed, but there was a new red smear stain of blood that clung to the apron from generations. It was from one of the dead bodies. Still he was happy to see they hadn’t stripped him naked and embarrassed him.
”Yes! I am the one named Matsuo Taiki, owner of Taiki Supreme, and best chef on the Island. Please, tell me what and why you have done this-“ Matsuo said as he was rudely interrupted by the captain.
”Chef? Boys! Looks like we have a… Part times cook for our ship ride home. When we get back though, you guys can finish him off. Let him fear the fear of those who do not pay up to the debts of the World Government!!! The captain yelled and all of the pirates responded in cheers.
That was it, this was the rest of Matsuo’s life, he was to be worked to death, and then finished off till the end, all because of a lousy debt. All of his skill would be wasted, and everyone would forget about his name. But worst of all, he could not fulfill his dream, his ambition that he longed to so hard for, to be the best chef in the pirate world.
Throughout his stay on the ship, they beat him, and threatened to kill him many times. He was to never sleep, and if he looked at anyone in the eyes, they would surely hit him, as he being a Fishman, was only able to look at the ground. Like a dog, who had an abusive master, no whining, no asking, stealing what little food he could to survive. One night Matsuo tried to commit suicide by cutting his wrist with a knife, but he was stopped and was told that they would get rid of him at the end of their journey, instead he was brought outside and tied to the mast upside-down for two days straight, getting whipped every 4 hours.
They where finally 12 hours away from shore, from his death, as they lurked forward to the military base when Matsuo was rudely awakened from his 2 hour break time; the time he used for sleeping, by a loud explosion, followed by the cries of many of the navy men aboard the ship. They were being attacked.
Matsuo was ordered to get his act together and help fight on the front lines, they didn’t care about him helping, they just needed the extra man power to fend for their lives. Matsuo contemplated whether or not he should proceed with the order and go up to fight for the last minutes of his life, or just to stay down there and receive the punishment he would get for not helping anyone. For this was not the first attack that they had been through, and little by little, the cage where Matsuo was kept was slowly being filled up as they emptied it little by little. Then a ray of hope peered down at him and an idea so crazy that it just might work struck his mind. Matsuo got up, and charged out of the basement level, and was going to head on ask the pirates who were attacking, if he could join them.
So, Matsuo hurried, ran to the kitchen and grabbed everything that belonged to him. Including all of his special knives and other cooking goods and ran out. The second he got outside, he was approached by the captain, who was covered in blood. Matsuo really needed to hurry, however long it was, he wanted to get out of this ship, and fast. He took out his meat cleaver and quickly swung at the blood drenched captain, hoping to pierce some part of his bulky body. The knife bounced off of his enraged skin and the captain just laughed. As he went to strike Matsuo, he let out a pain filled screech and he froze in his attacking position, ready to deal the final blow. He then keeled over, and behind him was a man with a gun that was smoking.
The man raised the gun to his mouth and blew the smoke away, leaving it to curl into the atmosphere. Matsuo explained what had happened while outside the marines where being wiped out. He then told the man who was his savior his cooking abilities and then the man told him something.
”Best on the Island you say? Well, if you work for us, you will definitely be treated better here, and in turn I will spare your life. But you will have to become a pirate.” The captain said.
Going over this in his mind, Matsuo didn’t even need to second guess. He could easily fulfill his goals, as well as get revenge on the marines who had done this to him. He could become the best pirate chef in the world, and at the same time, part of the best crew in pirate history. He gladly took the job as head and only chef of the ship. He just needed to ask one question.
”Pirates you say? What is your crew called?” Matsuo asked with such curiosity, and as he said this, a cat fell off the upper drawers and died.
The man could only laugh and then he finally managed to say.
”Why, we are the Anubis Pirates. Here to bring everything to terror! And become the most feared pirates on the grand line!!!”
As the marine ship was sinking, Matsuo had already boarded the Anubis ship, and went straight to the doctor for he had been diagnosed with extreme malnutrition and needed to eat right away. Even through all of the terror that had happened, this was the happiest day of his life. And so the Anubis pirates with their new comrade and cook sailed the seas, awaiting more adventures and hopefully to become the best pirate crew who had sailed the seven seas. This is the story of how Matsuo Taiki had become a pirate.
Done
2258 words. 1 hours and 34 minutes.
Thu Jul 08, 2010 3:07 am