The captains of the sunset wind.

Jamess Pov

As my old friend nodded I wrapped my arms around him, remembering how just yesterday I thought I would never see him.
"So you got fed up with the Navy too?" He muttered in my ear, his usual snarky tone carrying not quite the same weight it usually did. "It's not exactly like that. I had to make sure you weren't dead, you bloody idiot." After that I let go, grinning at him as if we were just kids again. As if we both hadn't committed high treason to the Navy and became pirates.
"How are you, my friend?"' John asked with a brief chuckle entering his voice. I smiled at him slightly. "I'm doing just fine. Looks like you got yourself a boat!" He turned back to face the stolen Navy ship. "Looks like you got yourself a crew!" He shot back. "One up-ing me already?"
"Wait, how do you know each other?" The man who had introduced himself as Chip asked, confusion peppering his usually cocky tone. "James is one of my oldest friends. We were separated after I left the Navy." John placed his hand on my shoulder, right on top of the burn from the explosion in the town of Zero- Which even though it was healed, still burned from time to time. I winced sharply. "He must've missed me, huh?" John patted me on the back, something he knew I didn't like. To be honest it was one of the things I hated most. I could try to ignore the feeling, but not this time. Instead, I held out my hand for that same handshake we've shared since joining the Navy. He grinned and grabbed my arm, pulling me in for another brief hug before letting me to my space.
"Oh. So, you were a Marshal-turned-pirate as well?" A red-haired girl asked. Upon closer inspection, she looked somewhat familiar. Probably a relative or something. "I guess so," I said gruffly, not sure what else to say. It was far more complicated than that, but I wasn't one for stories. "You wouldn't believe how I've found here, James! And how fortunate that the both of us became pirates, then met here! I'd dare to even call it... Destiny!"
"Yes, John! It was your destiny!" A fish-looking man wearing a respectable amount of armor shouted, beating his chest plate. I recognized him as the man who had bested not one, but both of my captains. Bested is putting it politely. He's nothing if not reckless. "Yes, Gillion! I believe this was destiny!" John nodded, patting his back. "Oh no... not you too John. He's never going to stop talking about destiny if you enable him..." Chip sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"HEY!" A voice above us called all of us to look up. I saw a man from atop a crimson-planked boat scowling down at us. "STOP YELLING, YOU DIMWITS. I CAN'T MAKE JUICE WHILE YOU ALL ARE MAKING SO MUCH RACKET." The old voice continued. "SORRY, EARL!" The red-haired girl shouted back, making him huff and stomp away.
"Are you really sure that guy doesn't want to fight?" Ari folded her arms in a very passive way, but as someone who knew what that meant, I was prepared to try to reason with her to not go up there right this instant and fight that man. "Earl's not gonna hurt anybody, we just need to be... a bit more gentle." Chip talked as if he were talking down to a baby. I clenched my fist, trying my hardest to not get angry at every word he said.
"Can we see your boat now?" Ari shrugged and changed the topic. "Oh, right." Chip sauntered over to the rope ladder and began climbing up it.