The stone-gray meeting room seemed to grow colder and more distant in that moment, so unlike its usual disposition, if an inanimate room could have a disposition. The featureless walls and narrow windows seemed to expand and contract at the same time, getting closer, yet further away as Shijo attempted to process the information before him. He let out a sigh, before moving closer
"Let me get this straight? You want me, no, all of Gibraltar, to kill the Yonko Kaido?" Shijo finally looked up from the bounty poster with the aforementioned's name on it to stare quizzically at the two World Nobles sat across from him.
"Not only that, but you came, in your little bubbles and all, to the center of the New World? And you weren't somehow captured or killed? I'd say you have all the resources to carry out your dirty deed already." Shijo leaned back in his seat, finally allowing a small grin to cross his face at the annoyed and flustered looks on the faces of the World Nobles.
"We do not see the need to dirty our hands personally. That is what mercenaries like you exist for!" The first World Noble, Charleus, exclaimed angrily. "And for the record, we hired mercenaries to escort us here. We have more than enough money!" Charleus seemed to realize the intensity of his outbursts and slowly reclined back on his seat.
"We are prepared to offer 5 billion Beli per person, for a total of 35 billion Beli. That is 1.5 billion more than what the World Government is offering." The lady companion, Moirajane, said calmly.
"4 billion Beli? And what exactly has Kaido done to warrant seeking out a group of New World mercenaries?" Shijo questioned. The grin slipped off Shijo's face when confronted with the price tag for the proposed mission and he leaned forward yet again, fingers curling together into a resting place for his chin.
"Our family owned a number of hidden islands in the New World. Rare treasures, ancestral homes, ancient tomes, you get the gist." Moirajane waved airily, though the hard look in her eye betrayed her seemingly lackadaisical attitude. "Kaido somehow found them. It took him less than a day to raid everything and destroy all that was left afterwards. Some of the islands… he sunk them, presumably on a whim." Moirajane's voice became increasingly angry, although the volume didn't rise, the longer she spoke.
Shijo appraised the two of them once more. Moirajane had calmed down slightly, and while she refused to meet his eyes, her expression, a mix between sadness and outrage still rested on her faces. Charleus was alternating between comforting her and sparing angry, yet ineffective glares at Shijo.
"You understand, I'll need to consult the rest of my members on this since you want all of us?" Both heads across from him nodded furiously. "Then we're understood. One week from today, one of our members will be waiting at Tree #7 at the Sabaody Archipelago at 9am. If they aren't there, then we aren't taking the deal. I assume you can find the way out." Both World Nobles stared at Shijo in shock at his casual dismissal. Shijo merely waved his hand at the entrance to the stone meeting room. Composing themselves, although their outrage never fully left their eyes, the World Nobles exited the room, their paid mercenaries, who had been posted at the door, following closely behind them.
Sighing once more, Shijo stepped out onto the balcony overlooking Hercules Island. The island was actually a set of twin mountains facing each other, with a river-like lake separating the left mountain, Calpe Mons from the right mountain, Abila Mons. Gibraltar's headquarters were built into each mountain, with a crossing to link both sides. The balcony contained a staircase to access the collective mountain peaks, the Jebel Musa. It was these very same steps that Shijo began to walk on, starting the long ascent to the top.
"35 billion Beli…" Shijo mused as he continued with his walk along the winding staircase. Shijo paused when he heard a sonorous, echoing caw. Grimacing, Shijo shook his left arm loose, preparing the abilities of his Nenshō Nenshō no Mi. Suddenly, breaking through the clouds surrounding the peak was one of the island's native residents, the Hercules eagle. Adorned with blue and gold feathers and talons sharp enough to cut to the bone, the giant bird with a wingspan of over 20 ft began a sudden dive out of the clouds, directly towards Shijo, sensing what it thought was going to be dinner.
Shijo braced himself, then extended his left arm, palm open. A faint, yet sharp whistling in the air was heard, before a medium size explosion occured, right as the eagle flew within grabbing range. With a garbled cry, the broken bones and flaming feathers of the Hercules eagle could no longer serve their purpose and with one last despondent caw, fell into the valley below. Shijo grimaced once more, before adopting a brisk walking pace; he was almost at the peaks.
Shijo broke through the clouds and walked onto the stone platform that connected the two peaks. Named the Pillars of Heracles after legends from another world, the two peaks had a unique property of being able to project sounds made hear across the center of the New World. Hercules Island was at the centerpoint between the territories of the four Yonko, which probably contributed to the properties of the peaks. Shijo stood in the center, arms extended heavenward and took a deep breath.
Shijo fired off one explosion and then paused, before firing off 5 rapid fire explosions. Taking another pause, Shijo let loose one last explosion. In spite of all the information he had learned today, Shijo grinned. It had been sometime since all of Gibraltar had been together.
Vapor stood on top of a forested outcrop overlooking Marine Base G-5. Leaning against a tree, she noticed dust swirling around her lightly. Doing her best to bring the torrent of emotions within to a standstill, Vapor looked once more at the G-5 base. Suddenly, Vapor heard a series of seven explosions in distinct pattern. Dust began circulating around her in increasing quantities and speed, her Hoko Hoko no Mi abilities in tune with her nature. Noting the outpour of Marine from inside the G-5 base, Vapor turned on her heel and disappeared into the forest, heading for the coastline.
"A full on summons, huh. Wonder what caused this…" Vapor muttered to herself as she dashed through the forest. "That Kirigaya Shijo sure does make things interesting...:"
Cecil Barnes exited the ancient, decaying ruins, scroll in hand. Despite his usual gruff appearance, brought on by years of Marine experience, he could barely contain the grin threatening to appear. A sudden gust of wind caused Cecil's Marine coat to flap roughly in the wind, the JUSTICE logo on the back with an X through it seemingly undisturbed by the wind. A series of explosions startled Cecil from his thoughts.
"A summons from HQ? Gotta be big…" The sun's rays broke through the clouds, shining directly on Cecil. Finally, the grin appeared on his face.
"Looks like we're in for a treat!" Cecil exclaimed as he made his way toward his ship.
Hariken Kibe and Kanagi Isoko dropped the body of a dead bandit on the floor of the office. The mayor of Garamond Island looked up, startled.
"Here's the leader. Bandit tribe is dead. They'll bother you no more. I assume our money is somewhere in that desk?" Isoko spoke softly, but firmly. Kibe merely backed up and took a seat on the old wooden chair against the wall, staring off to the side with a bored look.
"Ah, y-yes, it's right h-here!" The mayor reached into the desk and pulled out stacks of Beli, counting the bands. "Yes, y-you have it all r-right here, 500,000 Beli as p-promised!" The mayor began sweating profusely, alternating between looking at the dead bandit and avoiding Isoko's eyes.
"Have you never seen death before? Did you expect us to leave them alive? You asked us to get rid of them, what did you think that meant?" Isoko questioned the mayor angrily. Before the mayor had a chance to answer, however, seven distinct explosions were heard. Isoko grabbed the money, stuffing it into her clothes. She slammed her hand on the desk, activating the power of her Dōka Dōka no Mi, the wood slowly traveling over her body, before dashing out of the room, Kibe right behind her.
Isoko burst through the main entrance, her body now completely wood. Kibe ran out right behind her, the beginnings of a localized storm forming around him as he activated his Taifū Taifū no Mi. Seeing nothing damaged outside, a grimace formed on Isoko's face as she turned towards Kibe, who had come to the same realization. Wordlessly, Kibe extended the range of his storm to encapsulate her, and with a gesture, they rose off the ground. Rotating slightly, Kibe and Isoko suddenly lurched forward at increasing amounts of speed, heading for the center of the New World.
Hissing slightly, one snake-like head, although it was far too large to actually be one, emerged from the deep forest. One after another, making no noise other than a slight hissing, six more heads emerged as well, all attached to one, large quadrupedal beast. One head turned around to survey its cargo.
"Yakssshi. Wake up. We do not have time to dawdle." Seere Raisa's seven headed glared at the apparently sleeping man on her back.
"You don't have time to dawdle. You could've just left me in a tree, i'd have been fine." Yakshi, eyes closed, waved his hand at the ground, activating his Tsurī Tsurī no Mi. Four posts of wood rose from the ground, then began intertwining and layering itself until it resembled the shape of a four post bed. Sliding off of Seere, Yakshi began making his way to the wooden bed. Letting out some weird combination between a grumble and a hiss, Seere began transforming back into her human shape. Her heads and scales began retracting into her, hind legs and tail being absorbed into her tailbone. Her long hair began tumbling down, and soon Seere was fully human again, save for her snake eyes. She glared over at Yakshi, who had apparently gone back to sleep.
"Wake up, you idiot! You heard the explosions, you know what that means!" Seere continued to glare at Yakshi.
"I know what it means, but I really don't feel like moving, you know what I mean?" Yakshi, eyes still closed, assumed a more comfortable position in the wooden bed.
"You dolt! You are my only way off this island. At least get me back, Shijo can burn you to a crisp without me being here!" Seere said, exasperated.
"Fine, fine, I'll get us back, as long as I can sleep on your tits on the way back?" Yakshi swung his legs off of the wooden bed halfheartedly, eyes finally open and staring at Seere's chest.
"Do that and I will roast you myself, Shijo be damned! Build the damn ship!" Seere began walking towards the shoreline, away from Yakshi's guffawing. In front of her, wood burst out of the ground, twisting and curving in magnificent ways until shortly, a basic pirate ship stood in front of her. The last thing to materialise was a wooden ladder, directly in front of here. Seere climbed aboard, sparing a glance at Yakshi, who was propped on his side on the wooden bed, grinning up at her.
"Get up here before I drag you up here, you insufferable fool!" Seere turning on her heel, waking to the fore of the ship. She gazed across the horizon, stopping in the direction she knew the center of the New World.
"Gibraltar, I'm coming home!"