Huge Revolution: Black Whirlwind
An LLS Production
Prologue: Black Thunder
"Let us now observe a moment of silence for him."
The third World Racing Grand Prix was being held in Rome, and though it was the height of the Italian summer, Crow Hogan, second strongest Duellist of the Riding Duel leagues, still felt chills at the phrase.
"He was a great Duellist, and the Duelling committee will never forget his legacy," the MC announced once two minutes of deathly silence were up. "The memory of Yusei Fudo, shall never be forgotten."
No kidding. Mourning still went on during the anniversary of the accident, when the Momentum building would become flooded with mourning wreaths and flowers and solemn faces for one day of the year in Neo Domino City. Even Jack reserved a black armband for the day.
Despite Crow's objections that Yusei was still alive and potentially amnesiac somewhere, two years had passed and the chances were fading. Fakes that tried to crawl out of the woodwork soon faced either his own fists, or Jack's, or worse, the entire city of Neo Domino. Neo Domino had recovered due to its saviour and were not about to let anyone tarnish his memory, as evidenced by the only known series of lynching done within the Japanese islands in recent memory. Each day that passed brought back the possibility that Yusei was... never coming back.
"When we split up, we thought we would see each other again," Crow murmured quietly as he got ready to race, the Blackbird ready as ever. "We did... at your funeral... Yusei... that dragon took you... but I know that if you're alive... give us a sign, please..."
"And... start!" The MC announced. "There goes Crow the Bullet, twice as fast as ever on the track! The only one faster must be Jack Atlas, but then even he's hard-pressed to keep up with our very own Blackbird!"
The emcee was spared the next few words as tremors shook the ground. "Oh my, an earthquake. Everyone please evacuate the stadium in a calm and- Riders, please stop!"
The Blackbird swerved as it turned a corner, almost colliding with the upcoming wall.
"AAHHHHH!" Crow screamed, though he would probably argue it as a manly scream completely warranted by the situation. "I don't wanna die-!"
A flash of eldritch red, the roar of an otherworldly being, and Crow found himself hurtling through empty space and darkness.
"Yuseiiiiiiiiiii!"
Said mechanic and handyman of the Straw Hat Pirates, Fudo Yusei, froze, in the middle of the reparations of the Thousand Sunny's Kurosai FR-U IV. "Y- Yes?"
Feared captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, bounty of four hundred million Beli, infamous rookie pirate as the only one known to break in to the Underwater Prison Impel Down and live to tell the tale, 'Straw Hat' Monkey D. Luffy, poked his head under the giant black motorcycle in question. "Come on! You have to show us more of the cool monsters!"
"Luffy San," Yusei sighed, dragging himself out from under the giant motorcycle. "I-"
"Rose Tentacles, sic'em!" Aki's voice called as explosions sounded from the deck.
In the engineering room, the wrench in his hand dropped with a clatter. "What was that?"
"Dammit, you crazy woman!" a male voice yelled. "Quit throwing those petals at me!"
"Oh, it's Zoro versus Aki!" Luffy cheered. "C'mon, let's go see!"
"Stop wrecking Sunny!" the shipwright of the Straw Hats -although considering that he was a man of many building talents, perhaps engineer was a better term- 'Cyborg' Franky, was yelling at both sheepish contestants and one Rose monster. "Repairs don't come free, ya know!"
"That monster's strong," the swordsman and unofficial first mate 'Pirate Hunter' Zoro growled, hefting all his swords. "Come at me."
"He asked for it," the red-haired beauty of the second doctor and Yusei's friend, 'Black Rose Witch' Izayoi Aki was unrepentant.
"Ah, Yusei," the navigator 'Cat Burglar' Nami called as the mechanic walked out of the workshop onto the deck with the captain in tow. Papers scattered around her as she scribbled with a quill pen onto paper. "Are you sure that this island exists? I can't find any records of it, and Ace doesn't remember an island like that either."
"The New World isn't fully explored, but who knows," Portgas D. Ace, infamous pirate known as the 'Fire Fist', brother of Luffy, sat across the Straw Hat navigator, feet on the table between them and currently halfway through a large sandwich Yusei supposed was a speciality food of Sanji's to keep either D brother occupied. "Still... how do you know it exists?"
"Ace San, you followed me for two years around the Grand Line to find monsters," Yusei replied. "I found out from one of them. Still, if Nami San can't find a way to Kurohane Island it's fine."
"Kurohane Island?" the sniper 'Sogeking' Usopp echoed, in the middle of tinkering with some device. "What exactly is there?"
"Where is it?" the first doctor and food supply 'Cotton Candy Lover' Tony Tony Chopper followed up. "Why do you want to go there?"
"Oi, marimo, don't harass a lady!" the cook 'Black Leg' Sanji kicked at Zoro. "here's your drink, Aki-sensei~! Please don't hesitate to call for this knight of love! Nami Swan~! Your tea with the sweetness of my passion~!"
"Yes, yes," Nami sighed. "Bring some to Robin as well, will you, Sanji Kun?"
"Nami San is so caring! Robin Chwan~!" Sanji sang, spinning off to to find the archaeologist 'Demon Child' Nico Robin in the crow's nest.
"Yohohoho! Yusei Kun has a place in the New World to visit?" the musician and skeleton-with-afro of the crew 'Musician' Brook chuckled, the trappings of his stint as a musical star still with him.
"Well, amongst the spirits we found, we heard of a place where they're all centred at in the New World," Yusei elaborated. "That place is an archipelago of interconnected islands, Messiah Draconis. On that archipelago where humans cannot go, maybe... I can find something there."
"Messiah Draconis?" Nami echoed. "I've never seen that on my maps... I've never even heard of such a thing!"
"First time I've heard of this too," Aki replied, folding away her DuelDisk. At her feet lay Zoro, tangled up in rapidly dissolving rose vines. "So, we're going to Messiah Draconis?"
"I've finished my shift," the archaeologist climbed down the mast of the crow's nest, a tray of empty dishes and cups balanced on a third hand sprouting from the mast and being handed down to a whole series of hands below it due to her Hana Hana powers. "Messiah Draconis?"
"Robin, have you heard of it?" Nami turned to her.
"Yes. It's a mystical archipelago said to drift between dimensions," Robin answered. "Old folk-tales say that Messiah Draconis is an island where spirits seek sanctuary, and this haven is jealously protected by a large red dragon and its servants. Folk-tales say that no humans are ever allowed on the island, save for a special privileged few chosen by the spirits themselves or by fate."
"Aside from those few, others, be they human, Fishman or otherwise..." Brook loomed. "They will be killed and dragged into the spirit world forever!"
"EEEEEHHHH!" Usopp and Chopper shivered.
"I suddenly have that 'I can't go to Kurohane Island' disease..." Usopp whimpered.
"Eh? Really, Usopp?" Chopper exclaimed.
"Sounds fun!" Luffy grinned. "Set sail! For Kurohane Island!"
"Don't anyhow decide our course!" Nami punched the captain.
"Yohohoho, Messiah Draconis..." Brook considered. "It's a name in an old language, right, Robin San? By the way... may I-?"
"Messiah Draconis is indeed words of an old language," Robin agreed, interrupting the musician's request. "It means 'Saviour Dragon', from an old civilisation that believed themselves on the brink of destruction but were saved by a dragon."
"A dragon..." Usopp murmured.
"Cool!" Luffy yelled. "I wanna meet the good dragon! To Kurohane Island!"
"Oi!" Nami hit him again. "We don't know where it is! How are we supposed to get to it?"
"Heh, meanie," Luffy muttered. "Hey, Yusei! Maybe Stardust knows where it is!"
"Stardust? You mean that huge white dragon that barged into Marineford behind Yusei?" Franky asked.
"No good, the New World is too confusing to Stardust and they can't identify landmarks," Yusei shook his head. "It's okay if we can't go there. After all, sailing into another world isn't very fun."
"No way!" Luffy insisted. "I say we're going there, so we're going there! Yusei wants to go there, so we're going there! Captain's orders!"
Nami slapped her forehead. "If we could, we'll be on our way already! It's not like someone's going to fall from the sky!"
Usopp, already bored of the navigator chewing out the captain, aimed a pellet at the tiny dots in the sky that meant birds. "Hissatsu: Pachinko Boshi!"
The thing hit true... and Usopp realised that the dot was getting bigger, enough to see the outline of wings, claws and... arms?
"Something's falling from the sky!" was his yell before it landed on him.
Far above in the skies, large wings spread and rode the winds as two beings conversed. "You sure it's them, caw?"
"Ra if I know!" the other winged being answered. "Oh, look... that shiny, shiny aura... starlight...?"
"Shiny... that's Yusei-sama! It's the right ship!" It dived down as it spoke, the other following along slowly. "And that ship's got the Hunter!"
Aboard the Thousand Sunny, the crew froze as giant bird wings fluttered around the human pile. Black and white feathers dropped onto the deck and the Adam Wood squeaked as claws and talons on the end of human limbs scratched and clacked on the deck. The newcomer was wearing a gold Venetian mask with feathered edges over a curiously skeletal face, and a curved knife hung from his belt over a sort of wrap.
"Ow..." the hybrid bird-man moaned as he propped himself up. "Oh?" He looked down at the crushed Usopp. "Pinocchio?"
"I'm a human!" Usopp sat up, quickly retorting.
"Ah, sorry," the hybrid calmly replied. "I've never seen mortals close before, and I thought you were a sort of puppet, since I always thought that humans should look normal."
"...News Coo?" Nami murmured.
"Caw, caw," the hybrid said.
"..."
"It talked!" Luffy and Usopp screamed.
"You're not human?" Chopper retorted.
"Eh, no, although I'm surprised that a reindeer can talk," the bird-man shook his head.
"He can tell!" Luffy, Usopp and Chopper exclaimed in shock.
"He didn't think I'm a tanuki..." Chopper murmured, touched.
"I've seen real tanuki before, so it's nothing," the being shrugged. "Also, I differentiate by aura. Ah, yes, I forgot to introduce myself, my apologies. May I know who you people are?"
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy, a pirate! You're on our ship!" Luffy grinned.
"Ah, so I'm on a mortal pirate ship," the being nodded. "I see. In that case... I am the Darkness Hunter, and my chosen name is Tenjou. Remember this name well... because it shall be your last memory."
Wings flared out as the being dived towards them, knife unsheathed in hand.
Zoro blocked th knife with one sword. "Don't fight what you can't handle."
"An enemy?" Usopp and Chopper backed away.
"Gigantic Cephalotus!" A giant plant monster that looked like a pitcher plant with teeth on legs clamped down on Tenjou. "Darkness Hunter... is another name for the Hunter of Black Feathers. You're not a human of this world... you're not a monster of this world."
"...it's been a long time since I've been called that," the being said after a long silence. "Lady spirit-caller, I bid you to let me go, and I shall not harm anyone."
"Spirit-caller?" Nami echoed.
"You... are a Duellist..." Tenjou murmured. "And we spirits are bound as such, so I swear."
"So you promise not to lay a hand on any of us, as long as you remain in our hospitality?" Aki persisted.
"Yes."
The teething monster let him go, disappearing into shards that faded into dust.
"My apologies for attacking you," Tenjou bowed on his hands and knees, forehead touching the ground towards the entire crew. "Had I known that a spirit-caller was amongst you all, I would not have acted out of hand. Indeed, please accept my deepest... apologies..."
"Eh?" Chopper exclaimed as the figure collapsed, running over. "He's injured! And badly! Quickly, get him to the infirmary!"
"Spirit-caller?" Luffy echoed as Zoro and Sanji hauled the unconscious bird-hybrid on Chopper's directions.
"Tenjou, as he says, is not human," Aki replied. "He is like my monsters, like Rose Tentacles, Black Rose Dragon... and Stardust. He is a Duel Monster, a spirit made flesh by some power."
"Eh? Cool!" Luffy's eyes sparkled as he yelled.
Back in the infirmary, Chopper was paling as he scanned the wounds and bruises hidden under black and white feathers.
"How horrible..." Chopper murmured under his breath. "How... how did he remain flying after such injuries?"
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