"So, you truly say that my music has spread so far?" The skeleton asked as he rested good large hands on the table. It was a lucky moment that the doors and ceilings were all large enough to accommodate him comfortably
"I know that there were some copy cats but they all called metal something else. Adamant on making it their own."
"Well i also had some writers over the years to help with riffs and songs…oh pardon" He caught himself in the middle of a tangent. His icy eyes seemed to 'blink' every so often. The brow above his sockets slightly lowering as the orbs within went out for a moment before coming back
"So—" Leroy began "Where are you from? And why have you been out here for over a hundred years?!" He said biting a hotdog with a cup of water in the other hand (Without the Bun)
"I grew up in the North Blue. It was cold, poor and miserable." Eddie began as he interlaced his fingers. The North Blue was currently infested and run by feudal kingdoms that ran rampant with power and garnered their wealth through endless streams of warfare and plundering. Mercenaries for hire do the bidding of monarchical warlords to conqueror more land while their citizenship gets poorer. After all, why rely on a body of people to get you rich when you can and a smaller group can get way richer from their exploitation of them and opposition?
But when Eddie was younger, before the 50 years war in the South Blue that caused a large majority of its Monarchies to move to the North, it still had its kingdoms and it's fighting. But it was far more on the brink of collapse. With everything frozen, no crops could be grown, the earth hard to mine through for resources, and even those that tried to explore the Northern Ice cap never returned
"On the Island of Ground Frost, I lived out in a small hamlet. About–" He gestured with his hand, tilting it from side to side like a scale "300 people? We were just one of the many that lined the kingdom. Serfdom I'd later learn it to be called."
"When I was 16 I made enough money after years of saving up to buy passage to the Grand Line. The Voyage took 6 months of traveling to different islands for supplies and stopping for work. Didn't even take Reverse Mountain to enter. Theres a single spot on the Red Line where ships can be brough up and over for a hefty fee. It's far away from where the Gods Lie."
"The Celestial Dragons you mean." Leroy asked. "Yes. The Gods. Now– I'll be honest. I never really believed in gods and all that. But given the situation of my appearance. Maybe the Holy does exist…"
"There no more human than you or I, I think." Leroy said. Those flashes of Wringly through his mind. "Even they're gods. It doesn't matter. But– Keep going."
"It's barren, basically flattened. And from what I heard, the person that lives there and allows ships to cross owes immense tithes to the Gods– Er Dragons. They also weren't allowed to pass a certain point lest it mean their life was forfeit."
"I guess it's because of how cold it was at that spot they didn't care. So close to the Ice Cap." Eddie explained, only for Noir to pick up "Or because they found it enjoyable to watch them freeze."
Eddie began again "There was a lift that could bring entire ships up out of the water and hoist them up from complicated levers and pulleys operated by dozens of men that pull the ships up and then haul them across the thin stretch before being let back into the other Sea."
"The– Uh…" He wiggled his boney fingers thinking, eye sockets squinting. "Director of Everything said that the Red Line was thicker in some places and thinner in others from what he had heard and read from a few geologists that were allowed to do research and publish their works."
He certainly seemed to enjoy going on tangents. But again, he refocused himself "But we landed in the East Blue at an Island Known as Thaw."
"Oh! Thaw! I've been there before! They've got awesome hotels and cool scenery!" He said with a hand in the air
"Oh! Are you from The East?" Eddie Asked "I think a good chunk of us are…Kale, Noir, Jeanne, Me and Leroy" Kirk said
"I'm not from the East Blue. I was born in the North." Noir corrected with a huff from his tobacco. "Oh sorry.." Corrected Kirk
"Fascinating! What a coincidence that over 100 years since I was in the East Blue, that the First People I talk to are from that very place…I'd expect the possibility of one let alone 4!"
"Well, I traveled through the East Blue, and then from there I departed through the Calm Belt. I never got a solid answer as to how we were able to pass…But in under a few days we were in the Grand Line."
He waved his hand dismissively "It was another few years after that of Hopping around from Place to Place. Did some Odd Jobs here and there. At that time I had already been a Musician for many years. Different Islands, I would play different instruments."
"Then I came across a girl that could play the Drums Like none other…" He said with longing eyes, despite the lack of muscle and skin, the emotion was palpable
"We sailed together, but times were tough no matter what we did. It seemed like our only choice was to settle for less than what we sought after. But I just couldn't have that." His back straightened, even as he sat on his knees he loomed over the others.
"I decided to take on a Life of Piracy. Despite all that had been said growing up. All the horror, all the crimes. I wanted to live a life I could call my own. Sailing the seas freely and taking what I wanted."
"I never stole from those that weren't deserving. But I made many a mistake. And I think the greatest sin, was sailing into these waters. I think even now I am paying for that sin…." His eyes dimmed solemnly
"And what was that?" Dezzi asked, leaning on the table. Eddie's eyes went out. Leaving the air silent for many moments. "Perhaps I shall tell you. But I hate to ask a favor after you all accepted me on board despite my ghoulish entrance."
"What do you mean?" Leroy asked. "Well, I've been on that plank for years…I don't know. Honestly I just gave up trying to count. So your finding of me out there. In a way perhaps you saved me."
"Which is why I would like to ask, could you take me back to my Ship? I'd like to return so that I may continue to rest in peace."