New Yurk Stock Exchange [Video Post]

[justicereigns]

I don't know what to make of this place. It's got moments of dead quiet and then-- [Cut off by a sudden stampede. Bears and bulls go running by and Smoker just dodges out of the way and climbs onto some high rocks and lets the laptop camera take it in. And then there's more of the stampede with men in business suits carrying briefcases and running desperately out of breath chasing the bulls and bears.] This is completely nuts... shit wait for it. [And then they all come running back again in the other direction they originally came from, the businessman running away from the rampaging bulls and bears.]

[Waits for the dust to settle and sighs.] So I guess the bulls are supposed to be on the stock exchange? In exchange for money or bears I don't know. But apparently something happened and it's all gone to hell. And anytime I lasso those men in suits away from their herd they just babble about needing to chase the bears and bulls and "dollar signs." I have no freaking clue what a dollar is supposed to be. Unless they use sand dollars for currency? I guess I could go dig some up to try to bribe one of them for information.

This is ridiculous. If this is supposed to be a punishment Sengoku, you made your goddamn point. Can I have a real assignment? They don't even have a boss to talk to. Tch. Who the hell wears a tux to deal with bulls? Stupid...

[Walks off back to shore and in the background the stampede starts up again.]

Oh Tsuzuki. Happy Birthday. Is the color okay?

[[ooc: reminder to Smoker's crew to check out the MM_SS crew post so you know what islands we're at. And SUPER EXTRA IMPORTANT REMINDER OF THE 7 SINS PLOT!]]

Comments

[justicereigns]

You did?

[needs-a-plan.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Encierro de Toros. Every summer, when farmers transport their cattle to the market, they run them through the streets to get them there faster, and a bunch of idiots jump out and run in front of them. Kind of a daredevil stunt.

[justicereigns]

Sounds exciting. Anyone ever die? Maybe the bears are just to make them go even faster. Except... they're not going anywhere. Just back and forth across the island.

[needs-a-plan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, people died sometimes. Their own damn fault, if you ask me.

Have you ever run from a bull? You don't need incentive to go faster.

[justicereigns]

I take it you've never had the guts to do it yourself.

Not the men in suits, the bulls.

[needs-a-plan.livejournal.com]

...No, I've never had the "guts" to risk my life pointlessly for no reward. I'm such a wimp, not wanting to die like an idiot in the course of an activity women don't even find attractive!

Hmm. Maybe, but I don't see why. It's not hard to get a bull to run.

[justicereigns]

Tch.

No idea what the bears are for then. Percy mentioned something about a metaphor.

[needs-a-plan.livejournal.com]

I guess that kind of thing is right up your alley, though.

Did he? Hm.

[justicereigns]

I have other thrills, I don't have to go for the cheap kind to prove anything.

Right. In New York with 'o' instead.

[needs-a-plan.livejournal.com]

Right. And I do, in your book?

Yeah, I went and read it. Bizarre.

[justicereigns]

Yes. You don't building jump or hunt pirates instead.

Grand Line. I've seen weirder. This is more annoying than anything else.

[needs-a-plan.livejournal.com]

Right. Those are both completely sane activities.

Good luck with that, then.

[justicereigns]

I didn't say I have sane thrills. I said I have other ones and I don't need to go for the cheap ones.

[needs-a-plan.livejournal.com]

...Okay?

You know what, I have a new policy. Every time I talk to you, I'm going to imagine that you make sense and respond accordingly. We'll see how that works out.

[justicereigns]

Probably better than currently.

[needs-a-plan.livejournal.com]

I sure hope so, if you plan to keep talking to me.

[justicereigns]

You do realize this is my journal, and thus you talking to me?

[needs-a-plan.livejournal.com]

Nooo, I'm talking to you too. You're also talking to me. Besides, you commented to my post.

[justicereigns]

I was keeping tabs on the situations with the Straw-Hats. I'm not even sure what you're here for.

In any case, you seem to be the only one to find me nonsensical. Except the leopard bastard who doesn't count. So, I'm pretty sure it's you.

[needs-a-plan.livejournal.com]

Okay, let me explain something to you.

This internet thing? This is new to me. I've just discovered an expeditious means of communication that connects me to someone halfway across the world, transmitting messages back and forth between the two of us at speeds unreachable by any means where I come from, let alone technological. Now, at least by the standards of my world, I'm a pretty smart guy. That means I'm frequently a pretty cautious guy: I'm pretty good at sizing a person up and evaluating quickly whether they can hurt me, and what the chances are that they'll try. I can tell when someone's going to get in my way, ruin my plans, or attempt to run me through with a sword. I've been doing it for my whole life.

You, sir, are a high risk suspect on my list. I have no doubt in my mind that you might fly off the handle and attempt to kill and/or arrest me were we acquainted in person. The beautiful thing is, we aren't. I'm over here, and you're all the way over there. Judging by your complete and utter lack of motivation to actually capture any of the pirates you're after, you're going to be all the way over there, on the other side of the internet, for a good long time.

Another thing about me is that I lie. I lie a lot, sir. It's what I do, and it serves me well. But when I feel that I'm not at risk? I can be brutally honest.

When I talk to you, like this? I'm not at risk. And I don't like you very much, and that means that I like to piss you off. The best way to accomplish that, nearly always, is not to tell someone you slept with their mother or that their ears look funny. No, the most efficient way to piss someone off, Commodore Smoker, is to tell the truth.

All of this adds up to one thing: I have every reason to be honest with you. Every reason! You can't hurt me, and I like to annoy you! Do you see what I'm saying?

What I'm saying is that maybe it's not very smart of me to be evaluating you as someone very far away, because no one else seems to be doing that - and I can tell. Maybe I should be keeping my mouth shut and lying through my teeth.

But I'm not.

You're just a fucking nutball.

Have a nice day.

[justicereigns]

First of all, I am hunting you crew. Unfortunately, as both me and my boss know, I need a strong crew just to handle your crew's inherent idiocy. Furthermore the only times I can catch up to Straw-Hat are not directly on his tail, but getting ahead of him and waiting for him to show up. I've done it 4 times, I can and will do it again.

Secondly, I'm very good at discerning criminal's lies. Maybe you haven't noticed, but between all the idiocy, paperwork, and errand running, that is actually my job.

Now scram.

[needs-a-plan.livejournal.com]

Okay, now you're telling me all these things you do that you don't actually do. Never mind, it's fine. Don't worry about it. I'll talk to you later.

[justicereigns]

I do all of those. And in the last six months I've accomplished more than you have probably in your entire life.

[needs-a-plan.livejournal.com]

Okay. I want a list.

[justicereigns]

Go back through the journals.

I've taken down 2 crime ring organizations, protected 3 islands. Arrested 7 or 8 pirate crews, and I filled out my crew's ranks much better including a Bookman, 3 guns specialists, and a couple of secret weapons I'm not giving out information out about.