It was another beautiful, sunny day at sea.

Adonis stood up, wiping the sweat off his brow as he analyzed his work. It wasn't exactly the work of a shipwright, but at least he repaired the Fallen Angel a tiny bit. "Yo, Vlad, how are things on your end?"

The banging of a hammer was heard. "Just a few more. . . . And there we go."

Adonis walked over to see his First Mate's work. "Hm, about as good as my work."

"It'll have to do."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT MY COOKING, SWORD BITCH?!"

"I SAID IT TASTED LIKE SHIT, YOU SLUTTY COOK!"

A loud explosion was heard.

Adonis and Vlad looked towards the now smoking kitchen, their eyes blank. "We need a shipwright," the two said in perfect unison.


Adonis was lying on the raven figure head of the Fallen Angel, a depressed cloud over his head from his precious ship getting damaged after he and Vlad spent pretty much the whole morning trying to fix her. Then, he saw something.

"Hey, Vlad! I can see an island!"

The First Mate was sitting on a chair, staring at the sky, depressed for the same reason as his captain. When he heard what Adonis said, he got up to see for himself. When he saw the island, he took out the world map book Nami gave him, scanned through it, and found the island. "It's inhabited. There's a fairly decent sized town on it. We can make a supply run."

Adonis gaze Vlad a neutral look. "Meaning more wood?"

Vlad gave Adonis the same look. "More wood."

An explosion was heard, followed by the usual, violent banter between Pearl and Nora. It caused the only two men on the ship to sigh.

It didn't take long for the ship to drop anchor at a beach. When it did, Adonis called everyone on deck. Tina was the only one who didn't show up. She was probably making more medicine. Once she gets in the zone, it's hard to get her out. It's usually just better to let her finish.

"So, anyone need anything on the island," Adonis asked.

"Well, we are running low on meat and vegetables. Guess I'll go for a grocery run," Pearl answered.

"Elder Brother?" Adonis looked towards Dahlia. "Our supply of fruit is also running low. Could I also go and buy some?"

"Sure. You and Pearl can-" Adonis then stopped to think for a bit. "Actually, on second thought, Nora, could you go with Dahlia, and help her with the fruit?"

"Sure," Nora answered with no argument. She knew the reason for why Adonis thought it would be a bad idea for Dahlia and Pearl to be together. Pearl would always go where ever there are men, and Nora knows about Dahlia's mild case of androphobia.


She found it hard to believe when she first joined the crew. Dahlia was almost always at Adonis's side. She would usually sit next to him when they ate dinner together. There were even times when Nora saw Dahlia sitting on Adonis's lap when he was on the figure head. This was all before Nora was finally told the two were brother and sister, but Dahlia also had a pretty good relationship with Vlad. It wasn't as emotional as with Adonis. It was more like two coworkers, or schoolyard pals.

Then, she finally saw it.

It was when she, Adonis, and Dahlia were buying fruit. Adonis was busy being bothered by some women. He thought they were trying to sell him something, when instead they were flirting with him. Some of them were even trying to trick him into getting into bed with them. Nora got pissed at that point, and was about to teach them a thing... or three.

Then, some random guy came up, and started to flirt with the two girls. He had the type of face that Pearl would swoon over, but Nora wasn't impressed. Dahlia looked a bit frightened. Since neither of the two girls were interested in him, and wanted to get to Adonis as soon as possible, they just turned away. Then, the man made a fatal error. He grabbed Dahlia's shoulder... and rather aggressively at that.

It scared the poor girl half to death. She then proceeded to use a judo throw on the man, and slammed him onto the ground while screaming in fear. But that wasn't the end of it. She slammed him hard enough to make a crater twice the size of the man, and caused the entire island to quake, freaking out many of the inhabitants. It was even powerful enough to make the women bothering Adonis walk away, their faces deathly pale.

The quake was powerful enough to grab Tina's attention. If it were not for her and her medical expertise, the man that tried to flirt with Dahlia would have surely died. With Tina's diagnosis, the status of the island, and the sight of the incident, the crew discovered the obvious truth: Dahlia was just as physically strong as Adonis himself.

Ever since then, Nora knew it would be a fatal mistake to leave Dahlia with the man-hunting chef. No way would she leave someone as strong as her captain be anywhere near her worst fear, unless of course they were in a battle.


"Thanks, Nora." She just nodded. "Hey Tina! You need anything?!"

The doctor came out of her office. "Plenty of things. I'm running low on medical herbs. I'll just go to the market with Pearl. Plus, I might see some unique herbs and plants there that I could use for medicine."

"Alright. I guess we have our pairs. Pearl and Tina will be one pair, and Nora and Dahlia will be another. Guess that means I'm paired with Vlad."

"Actually, Adonis, I think it might be a good idea for you to stay on the ship."

"Huh? Why?"

"It's not a good idea to leave a ship unprotected, especially in an unknown area. Besides..." Vlad then pointed at the hole at the side of the kitchen.

Adonis sweatdropped. "I'll... use the remaining wood to fix that."

Vlad nodded before jumping on the railing. "I'll be sure to bring some more. Might take me a while. I need to get new material for my guns, maybe visit the weapons shops to see what kind of guns they have. Try not to cause to much trouble while we're gone, captain."

"Hey!"

"Later." Vlad then jumped off, followed by the two pairs.

Adonis walked over to the railing, and watched as his friends walked towards the town. When they were out of their sight, he just released a sigh as he patted the ship's railing. "Looks like it's just you and me, girl. Let's get you.. relatively fixed up."


It took him about half an hour, but Adonis fixed the hole to the best of his ability. It wasn't pretty, but what do you expect from someone with literally no knowledge about being a shipwright. He was tired, and slightly sweaty. He just wanted to relax, and wait for his crew to come back. With that in mind, he sat down at a chair, and began to fan himself with his own hand.

"Hey, this is a nice ship."

"Thanks."

"Hm. Though, she seems to have received quite the beating."

"That she has."

"Least you tried to fix her. Though, it's not exactly good."

"What do you want from me? I'm not a shipwright." Adonis's eyes then popped open. He looked to see a girl with long blonde hair squatting down, analyzing one of the spots either he or Vlad fixed. "Um... who are you?"

"Hm?"

The girl turned towards Adonis. She was kinda pretty. She looked no older than Dahlia herself. She had sky blue eyes, and a fair skin tone. She was on the slender side, and seemed to be in pique physical condition. It also seemed like she didn't have any unnecessary body fat, and had a healthy pair of breasts. They weren't as big as Pearl's or Nora's. She was more in line with Tina and Dahlia. Her clothes were fairly simple. She wore a black shirt that exposed her belly button, a pair of grayish brown gloves, yellow shorts that went down to the midsection of her thighs, a grayish brown belt that had pouches attached to it, and a pair of grayish brown boots.

"Oh, sorry about that." The girl stood up. "Name's Terra. Nice to meet ya, Adonis."

"You know who I am?"

Terra giggled and raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? You're one of the most famous pirates in the world, right up there with your dad. Who else besides you two have been able to challenge the entire Navy, and win? I mean, you yourself beat them twice. It would be weirder for someone not to know who you are at this point."

"I-I see. Anyway, what are you doing on my ship?"

"Sorry. Couldn't help myself. I'm really into well-crafted ships. This is one of the best I've ever seen."

"Really? My First Mate's dad made it. She's been my home since my journey began. We've been through a hell of a lot together."

"Sounds like you really care about her."

"To a point where I can't even imagine traveling the seas without her."

Terra smiled. "She's well loved. Mind if I take a look at her?"

"Huh?"

"Don't worry, big guy. I'm a shipwright."

That caught Adonis's attention. "You are?!"

"Yup. Self-taught."

Adonis excitement didn't go away. "Self-taught? Like Uncle Franky before he met his teacher."

"Ah. Cyborg Franky." Terra giggled a bit. "He's the reason I wanted to be a shipwright to begin with."

"He is?"

"Yeah. I mean, he's the man who built the Thousand Sunny, one of the greatest ships in history. Hearing about how he made his first ship by himself inspired me to try doing it myself. Turns out, I was pretty damn good at it, too. The first boat I ever made helped me get away from a dump of an island. Though, on the next island, it ended up getting stolen. Most of the ships I've made have."

"Most of them? How many have you made?"

"Hm... about... twenty? I stopped counting after the fifteenth one got stolen by a masked freak."

"Huh?"

"Yeah. Some guy with lavender hair and a weird face mask stole my ship. Pasty looking guy. He was running away from someone. I still remember what he yelled at the guy. He yelled, 'I'll get you next time, Nico Saul!' Then, he ended up getting hit right in the face by a rock. It was hilarious. I actually didn't even care that he stole my ship."

"Ah. Spandam."

"Who?"

"Some CP-0 guy who's had a grudge against one of my stepmothers for years. Actually, he hates my dad, too. He also doesn't like Uncle Franky. Apparently, he's the reason Spandam wears that mask in the first place. Smashed his face in with the butt of a rifle."

"That's awesome."

"Isn't it?"

Terra giggled. "Well, let's see how the old girl is doing on the bottom." With that said, Terra jumped off the railing.

Curious, Adonis followed her. When he landed, he saw her stretching. "Been a while since I've done this." After she finished stretching, Adonis saw her eyes glow yellow. He then saw something incredible. Terra manipulated the sand underneath the Fallen Angel, and used it to raise it into the sky.

"WHAT?! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! CRCODILE IS STILL ALIVE! I JUST SPOKE TO HIM, FACE-TO-FACE, LAST WEEK! HOW DO YOU HAVE THE SAND-SAND FRUIT?!"

"I don't."

"Eh?"

Terra smiled at Adonis. "I ate the Earth-Earth Fruit."

"Pardon?"

"I can control the earth. Rocks, stone, dirt, soil, and even sand. If it's a part of the earth, or is covered in earth, or even an element of earth, I can control it. Though, I have to admit, it took me a seriously long time to realize I could control sand. It is technically a kind of soil. Still, it was way easier to find that out than learning I can control metal."

"Huh?!"

"Yeah. Metal is nothing more than purified and reformed earth. Once I discovered that, it was a simple matter of getting used to it. But the coolest thing I've been able to do so far was control lava."

"La-?!"

"Hey, it's molten rock, dude. Of course I'd be able to control that, once I learned how. I can control everything involving earth. I could make an entire town my weapon, if I wanted. Got much easier after I Awakened."

Adonis's eyebrow twitched. "You... have a seriously overpowered Devil Fruit."

Terra smiled at Adonis with a raised eyebrow. "Says the guy who can literally become the Devil himself, create energy blasts powerful enough to destroy entire islands, and send the Navy's strongest attack running with it's tail between it's legs."

Adonis gave a neutral look. "Touche."

Terra kept smiling before turning back to the ship. She then noticed something. "Whoa. What happened here?" She brought the ship closer to her.

"Oh, that? We were attacked by fishmen on time. Remnants of the Arlong and New Fishman Pirates. They tried to sink Fallen by attacking her from below. Vlad and Pearl took care of them, and Vlad had to repair her virtually by himself."

"Hm. Well, you guys were lucky."

"Huh?"

"See right here?" Terra pointed at some patchwork. "If this had been any lower, it would have hit the keel."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Yeah. The keel is pretty much the backbone of the ship. If it had been damaged, your ship would have been done for. She would have probably broken completely in half before you reached the next island." She noticed how Adonis's face paled when she said that. Terra then lovingly patted the ship. "She's a lucky and tough ship. It would be a waste for her to fall."

The two were silent for a bit, before Adonis saw Terra smile. "You know what? I'm gonna make sure that never happens."

"What?"

She then smiled at Adonis. "I'm one hell of a modifier. It's how I make my ships so high in quality. I start by building it, and then gradually upgrading it with whatever material I might find. I've never once been able to finish a modification, though. My ships always get stolen before I reach the halfway point. That Spandam guy stole the closest thing I had to a magnum opus. It was seventy-five percent finished. A few more mods would have made it perfect. Still, my ships are pretty damn tough. I'm positive I saw one of my ships in Yonko Kid's arsenal. I also saw one of them in a Navy battalion."

"Wow. Your ships are good enough to be used by Yonkos and marines, huh?" Terra smiled in pride. "So, how are you gonna modify Fallen Angel?"

Terra turned towards the ship. "She's an amazing ship. She's strong, well-crafted, loved, and the ship of the most powerful Pirate Prince. There's only one way to fix her up. I'm gonna need some Adam Wood."

"Isn't that the rarest wood in the world?"

"Mhm."

"Where am I gonna get that?"

"You can steal it from my boss."

"You're employed?"

"Yeah." Adonis then noticed how Terra seemed to get a bit depressed. "Though... not by choice. . . . Not anymore, anyway."

Adonis was silent for a bit. "You... don't like him much, do you."

"Hell no." Terra looked up at the sky. "He's a bastard. Ruthless, vicious, and cruel." Terra crossed her arms, and tightened her grip on her shoulders. "I hate the bastard." Adonis didn't respond.

Then, Terra sighed. "You know, he wasn't always like that. He was actually pretty cool in the beginning. Sure, he was strict, but he was also kind. He's the one who helped me Awaken in the first place. I'd probably still be only manipulating just dirt and rocks if it weren't for him. Then, everything changed after a job."

"He was contracted to kill a Vice Admiral. Vice Admiral Brucie."

Adonis raised an eyebrow. "Brucie?"

"Weird name, right? The guy himself was even weirder. Had a thing for bats. Customized his battleship to even have a bat figure head. Dude didn't even have a bat Devil Fruit. He didn't have a Devil Fruit at all."

"What? Then what was with the bat theme?"

"Apparently, he uses it to scare pirates. Pretty damn effective. It's why some underground crime boss wanted Slade to kill him in the first place."

"Slade? Is that your boss's name?"

"Yeah. He's known as one of, if not the greatest mercenary in the entire world. Even World Nobles contract with him. He's known for always getting his quarry, no matter how long it takes. So, he wasn't too upset... when he lost to Brucie."

"It was an awesome fight. I've seen Slade take down Paramecias, Zoans, and even Logias. It's why I was so amazed to see some regular marine match him in battle. He countered all of Slade's moves, techniques, weapons, and gadgets. He even broke off parts of Slade's armor, which I've only seen Logias ever do. Then, before Brucie knocked him out, I heard Slade ask a question I've never heard him ask, or ever ask since:"

"What are you?"

"After a few years, Slade got the chance to go after Brucie again."

"Why didn't he just go after him after he woke up," Adonis asked.

"For two reasons. One: Brucie placed Slade in jail, but I used the rest of my own money to bail him out. Two: the underground boss that hired Slade in the first place was taken down my Brucie himself. Slade would never do anything for free, so he had to wait for the next opportunity."

"The next opportunity came. Slade prides himself for being able to kill his target the next time they meet... which was why he was so furious after he lost to him again. He even vowed that he would kill Brucie for free. He's been hunting him ever since."

"It was after that second battle that he changed. He got angrier, more aggressive. . . . More abusive. If I would disobey just one tiny order... he would have beaten me like a drum. The worst part, his previous training toughened me up to superhuman levels. I... can't even get knocked out. Every punch. Every slap. Every smack from his staff. I get to experience the full brunt of it... and can't even rely on the sensation of unconsciousness to save me."

Adonis was starting to get angry. His powers allowed him to see the truth in someone's heart. He was the perfect lie detector. He could tell that everything Terra was saying was true. It was making Adonis angrier and angrier... which was making him stronger and stronger. "Terra, why didn't you ever try to just run away?"

She gave a humorless laugh as a first response, before looking at Adonis with wet eyes. "You make it sound like I haven't." Adonis's eyes widened a tiny bit. Terra gave a sad smile. "I've tried to run away. Countless times. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, no matter how far I ran, no mater how well I covered my tracks... he would always find me. After a while, I gave up running away. So, I tried to fight back."

"I once tried to kill him in his sleep, but that ended badly for me. I don't know if it was his insanely advanced Observation Haki, or his natural reflexes, but he was able to easily dodge the giant boulder I tried to crush him with. He looked at me, and said these words to me: 'That was vicious, dishonorable, and ruthless. Excellent work. You're becoming more like me as the days pass by. However, you still have far too much to learn. Since you failed to kill me, you need to be punished.' That's when he proceeded to beat me like a sand bag."

"Then, I tried attacking him head on. An even worse mistake. Nothing I did could even scratch him. I sent countless shards of sharpened stone shooting at him from literally all directions, and he was still able to dodge them all. I tried to crush him, capture him, bury him, and even tried to use his own martial arts against him. NOTHING WORKED! He would always dodge, counter, or overpower all of my attacks! I never stood a goddamn chance!"

Adonis didn't say a word. He just watched as she kicked the sand, panting... with some tears falling down her cheeks. She then took a deep breath to calm herself down, and wiped the tears off her face. "You have a crew, right?"

"Yeah. They're all seriously powerful."

"Good. You're gonna need their help if you wanna take down Slade. He's tough, even for a guy like you. If we want that Adam wood, we need take make sure we have all the cards. When will they be back?"

"Not a clue. It's barely been even an hour since they left to get some supplies. Might be a few hours before any of them come back."

"Damn. Well, I guess I'll try to repair your ship. You've got some wood, right?"

"Yeah." Terra turned to look at the ship. "Hey, Terra, where is the Adam Wood, anyway?"

Terra pointed to her left. "There's a cove about halfway across the island from here. There's a cave in the area. Slade keeps it at the very back of it. Unfortunately, it's also where he's camped at."

"So we couldn't just steal it, huh?"

"Like it would be that easy."

"How long will he be there?"

"We didn't need to deliver the wood until tomorrow at noon. Since we had time to kill, Slade actually let me roam the island. Bastard probably thought I wouldn't be able to get to far. Bet he's either counting his money or sharpening one of his knives right about now."

"So, he's still there."

"Yup. Hey, Adonis, mind if I look around your ship? Need to get a good feel for her, you know, so I can get a better idea of how I'm gonna modify her." Terra didn't hear a response. "Adonis?" Terra then turned around, and saw that Adonis was nowhere in sight. "Adonis?" Terra's eyes then widened in shock. "He wouldn't."


Because of Adonis's powers, it didn't take him long to reach the cove, let alone the cave. He just started to walk in, no fear or doubt in his heart, whatsoever.

The cave was deep. It probably stretched on for miles. Adonis's powers gave him night vision, so he could see in the cave as easily as seeing in the day. He also used his powers to quicken his step, so he could reach Slade faster. In a manner of seconds, he saw light. Candle light.

He started to walk at a normal pace, and prepared himself for the battle ahead. The light got brighter, and brighter, until he saw someone.

A lesser person would have seen an old man with an eye patch, but Adonis could tell this man was powerful just by looking. Though he was sitting down, Adonis guessed that the man was only slightly taller than he was. He had the air of a veteran, and a powerful one at that. At closer inspection, you could see the muscles Slade had. His armor had a few scratches... but only a few. It shows how difficult it is to so much as scratch this man. Adonis knew that Slade noticed he was there, but all Slade was doing was cleaning and sharpening a combat knife. It was like he wasn't afraid of Adonis at all.

"I take it you are Slade?"

"I prefer to go by Deathstroke." Even his voice sounded powerful. "Prince of the Pirates, Dark Prince Adonis, correct?"

"Yeah."

"You are quite the quarry. What business does a man of your value have with a mercenary like me?"

"Two things, actually. One of which is to take your Adam Wood."

Deathstroke chuckled. "Sorry, boy, but that's already payed for. I even got the pay in advance. I take my contracts very seriously. Since I got payed, I don't plan on giving the merchandise to anyone other than my employer. If you want it, then you're going to have to prove your worth as the oldest Prince of the Pirates, and take it from me."

"And there's reason number two." Slade turned his head enough to look at Adonis with his eye. He watched Adonis smash a fist into his palm, creating a shock wave powerful enough to make the cave shake. "I'm here to beat the living hell out of you."

Slade didn't answer. He just kept staring at Adonis. Then, he threw his combat knife at Adonis's head. It flew at bullet speed, maybe even faster. It flew so fast, that the tip was close to piercing Adonis's eye.

Yet, he was still able to catch it. Adonis expertly twirled the knife around, and got into a fighting stance, imbuing the blade with Armament Haki, turning it black.

"Hm. Impressive." Slade then stood up, and took out his staff. "The Dark Prince of the Pirates, Monkey D. Boa Adonis, with a bounty of over six billion berries. You will be quite the magnificent prize."

"Bring it on."

The two just stared at one another, both in a battle stance. The cave was deathly quiet. Then, a water drop fell from the ceiling. As soon as the water hit the ground with a quiet plop, the warriors charged towards each other. The clash between a haki black knife and haki black staff caused the cave to tremble. Then, the battle began.

The two fighters were parrying the others attacks at blinding speeds. It was impossible to follow their movements with the naked eye. It was more than likely difficult to even follow them with observation haki. During the exchange, the two clashed once more, their weapons sparking against each other.

"It seems you have some skill in the way of the blade."

"You can thank my Uncle Zoro for that."

"Ah, the World's Greatest Swordsman, Pirate Hunter Zoro. If I remember correctly, his bounty is higher than even yours, nearly matching your father's."

"Yup. Trust me, he deserves that bounty. My uncle is a badass among badasses. I've had plenty of sparring matches, and I've never once won, not even with my powers."

"Is that right?"

"It would always end with either him kicking my ass, or one of my stepmothers putting an end to it for us causing to much destruction. Still, it's thanks to him that I know how to fight with something other than my axe."

"Hmph. That's good to know." The two then separated, only to charge at each other again for another barrage of exchanged blows. Then, their weapons clashed once more. "This isn't the full power of the man who defeated the Navy. You're holding back."

"Of course I am. If I went all out from the get-go, the fight would be over too quickly. Where would the fun in that be?" That made Slade glare at Adonis. The two then separated again. Adonis then began to twirl his knife around, a toothy smirk on his face. "Besides, this fight is going a lot smoother than I thought it would. No wonder you lost to that Vice Admiral so many times. How does it feel to get your ass handed to you by a guy who was actually named Brucie?"

Adonis actually heard Slade's grip on his staff tighten. "You're going to suffer for that, boy."

"Hm. Go ahead and try, old man." Adonis then sped towards Slade at breakneck speeds, preparing to slash him. However... he missed. Slade was nowhere in sight. And yet, Adonis wasn't surprised. "How many marines did you kill before Brucie?"

"Enough to learn some of their interesting trick. Shave is one of their more useful techniques. Finger gun is another interesting one. However, their Tempest Kick was one of my favorites. I couldn't help but improve upon it." Curious, Adonis turned to look at Deathstroke, who was holding his staff in a certain way. "Tempest... Staff."

Deathstroke swung his staff upward, and created a giant blade of wind. It sliced through the floor and ceiling of the cave, making it impossible to determine its size and strength. It was also to large for even Adonis to dodge, so he just tried to defend against it.

His knife clashed with the blade of wind, the force pushing him back. He was actually struggling. The power was incredible. He almost couldn't believe that this wasn't a Devil Fruit power. Just pure martial arts. Still, he wasn't known as the strongest Pirate Prince for nothing.

With a mighty push, he destroyed the wind, which greatly impressed Slade.

Adonis sighed, a bit winded from the attack. "I guess Terra wasn't kidding when she said you were tough."

"Terra." Adonis jolted a bit, mentally punching himself for saying her name. "So she is the cause of all this. That ungrateful little bitch."

Adonis then got angry. "Ungrateful?" He stood back up, glaring at Slade with red eyes. "She told me everything. How you would treat her. Should she be grateful to you beating her?"

"Yes." Adonis's eyes widened in shock at how quickly Slade answered. "My methods are making her better. Stronger. Bringing her closer to her full potential. I am the reason she has Awakened. The reason she is as powerful as she is now. Yet, look at how she repays me. She runs away. She tried to kill me when she is still immature in the ways of combat. Worst of all, she's relaying on you to defeat me."

"It's because of how you're treating her! She used to idolize you! Respect you! Love you! And yet, after you got your ass kicked by one Vice Admiral, you start beating her like a rag doll! Are you really proud of how you're treating her?!"

"YES!" Adonis was shocked once more. "That girl is the wielder of one of the most powerful Devil Fruits in the world. She has the power to destroy islands, a feat that only you and the Navy have been able to achieve."

Adonis's eyes widened. "How do you... know that Terra can do that?"

Deathstroke... smiled. "We were contracted to murder a group of pirates who were using an island as a hide out. Terra was hesitant at first... because the island was already populated by people who were not pirates. But the contract clearly stated that the island must be destroyed, along with the pirates. The contract must always be fulfilled."

Adonis was shocked. "You... You're making her into a weapon."

"I'm showing her how to use her full potential. Soon, she will be truly unstoppable. Not even you will be able to defeat her."

Adonis's eyes were shadowed. At first, he gritted his teeth, before he took a deep breath. "You know, Slade... I should thank you."

"Hm?"

"For the longest time, I thought the only thing I had in common with my father was his face. I have my mother's eyes, her personality, and even my fighting style is based off of hers more than it is my fathers. However, you're the type of guy he hates the most." Adonis then glared at Slade, his eyes fully demonic. "And you're definitely the type I hate." Adonis's knife then ignited, the blade extending with black flames. "So, I'm definitely going to kick your ass!"

Deathstroke chuckled, making his staff black with haki, and pointing it at Adonis. "Bring it, brat."


Terra finally reached the cave on the rock she was flying on. She immediately jumped off and ran into the cave. She could only think of one thing: "Please, don't let me be too late."

Terra ran into the cave, not wanting to use her powers, for risk of causing a cave in. Then, a quake occurred. It was powerful enough to make even her stumble. "What in the- Adonis!" She ran faster.

As she got deeper, she began to see sparks. She quickened her pace, and saw black flames. Finally, she saw Adonis clash with Slade.

She watched as the two glared at the other, their weapons sparking. Then, she saw something incredible.

The two were parrying the other. Adonis's knife deflected all of Deathstroke's strikes, while Deathstroke's staff defended against all of Adonis's slashes. The two were going impossibly fast. In fact, some of their attacks left afterimages.

Terra has only seen one other person fight Slade at such a level: Brucie. It was an awesome fight. Terra was beyond amazed. She had heard how powerful Adonis was, and watched the videos of him taking on the Navy twice. Still, she had no idea he was strong enough to take on Slade... without hardly using any of his powers. Then, something horrible happened.

Slade was able to land a hit.

He struck Adonis at his left temple, disorienting the Pirate Prince enough to make him stumble and even drop his knife. It was Slade's chance. He began to beat down on Adonis, his attacks practically untraceable. After countless strikes, Slade finally slammed his staff onto the top of Adonis's head, smashing him into the ground.

He looked down at Adonis, the Pirate Prince groaning as he struggled to get back up. Slade positioned his staff over Adonis's head in a position that Terra was all too familiar with. "Finger Pistol: Cue."

She knew that would immediately kill Adonis, and her eyes widened in horror at the thought. "NO!" She then tried to crush Slade using her powers. She watched as the earth around Slade clasped together like a Venus Fly Trap. Terra was panting, accidentally using too much energy, but she didn't care. She just was glad to finally be rid of Deathstroke.

Bang.

Terra then fell on her butt, a horrible pain in her left thigh. She looked down to see a bloody hole in it. She looked up, and glared at the bastard who caused it.

Slade was looking down at her, a cold eye glaring at her, with a smoking gun in his hand. "I'll deal with you later." Terra's glare never faltered.

However, when Slade looked down at Adonis, who was now on his hands and knees, her glare vanished. It was replaced with a look of despair.

"Monkey D. Boa Adonis. The man worth over six billion berries. Even without use of your powers, you've proven to more than worthy of such an extraordinarily grand prize." He then positioned his staff over Adonis's head again. "You will be one of my greatest trophies to date."

Terra was horrified. "No. . . DON'T DO IT!"

"Finger Pistol: Cue."

Terra 's eyes widened, her eyes going blank. It seemed as if time actually slowed down. Even though Slade's staff was moving at bullet speed, it looked to be moving at a snail's pace. She could almost see it. The staff going right through Adonis's skull and smashing into the ground, the blood everywhere. However, through her fear and horror, there was one thing she didn't see.

She didn't see Adonis... smile.

In that split second, Adonis grabbed the staff, and slammed it into the ground. Slade was shocked. It was enough to distract him enough to not see Adonis's next move.

Adonis slammed a heel into Slade's face, disorienting him. Before Slade could recover, Adonis got into a handstand, and took another page from his mother's combat handbook. He started to do the same handstand spin kick his mother uses when she performs Perfume Femur. However, he added his own spin to his mother's signature technique. He ignited his leg with black flames. As he spun around Slade, kicking him all the while, the black flames were burning the mercenary. Slade's screams of agony were proof of how effective the attack was. As he spun around Slade, Adonis couldn't help but yell out a name.

"Black Fire Whirlwind!"

After about a minute of spinning, Adonis jumped onto his feet, and lifted a still flaming leg. Then, with all his strength, he kicked Slade in the stomach, smashing him into the wall of the cave. One could almost swear an image of his mother appeared behind him, using the same technique her son was imitating.

The flame went out. Adonis then put his leg down, panting from physical exhaustion. "I really do love my mother's techniques. Let's see you get up from that, Deathstroke."


On Amazon Lily:

"SISTER," Sandersonia yelled out while covering her eyes.

"YOUR RADIANCE IS EVEN MORE BLINDING THAN USUAL," Marigold yelled out, also covering her eyes.

Hancock was smiling, literally glowing as brightly as her husband when he saw the Lion Cannon for the first time. Actually, she was glowing even brighter than that. She was illuminating her entire castle, turning it into a shining beacon. Some of the Amazons outside even bowed, thinking their Empress had finally ascended to godhood, like they all believed she would.

"SNAKE PRINCESS," Elder Nyon yelled, struggling to get closer to the shinning beauty, even while covering her eyes. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!"

"I am happy."

"YOU'RE SHINING OUT OF HAPPINESS," all three women yelled out of astonishment.

"Yes. I can sense it. My beloved son used one of my techniques. Not only that, he also said that he loved his mother! Kya!" Hancock squeaked the last part in an adorable manner, but it also caused her to shine even brighter. Salome even had to put on sunglasses to protect her own eyes.


Back with Adonis:

Adonis was able to catch his breath, thinking that Slade was totally beaten.

With that in mind, he walked over to Terra, and knelt down. "You alright?"

"Huh?" Terra was so stupefied by Adonis's last attack, that she pretty much shut down. His question woke her up. "Oh, you mean this." She looked down at the bullet wound on her thigh. "Trust me, I've had worse."

She then heard a rip. She looked to see that Adonis tore off a piece of his shirt. She blushed when she saw the man's body. It's not that she wasn't attracted to his face, it's just that she's WAY more into rock-hard abs and chiseled bodies; and Adonis had the most perfect body she had ever seen.

Adonis then wrapped Terra's leg. "It's not much, but it'll do for now. I'll have Tina take a look at you later."

"Tina? Your Mink?"

"Yeah. She's the doctor on my ship."

"Huh? You're kidding, right?"

"Nope. She's honestly the doctor of the Rapture Pirates, taught by her father, the doctor of the Straw Hats." Terra looked genuinely surprised, which made Adonis chuckle. "It's amazing how many times I get that reaction when I talk about Tina. Anyway, don't let her looks fool you. She's every bit a skilled doctor as she is an adorable crew mate."


Pearl was analyzing a radish when she heard Tina giggling. She looked to see the reindeer mink wiggling around, a blush on her cheeks, and a smile on her face. Pearl raised an eyebrow at her crew mate. "What's up with you?"

"I had the feeling that someone called me a great doctor and said I was adorable." She then proceeded to dance in an adorable way that definitely made it obvious she was Chopper's daughter. "But that doesn't make me happy at all, you jerk!"

Pearl sweatdropped at the sight. "Whatever you say." She then went back to analyzing the vegetables.

As she did, and Tina continued to dance, the two crew mates didn't notice how everyone was staring at Tina. Men, women, and children alike. They were all blushing at the sight of the dancing mink. They all had the same thought: "So cute."


Adonis placed Terra's arm over his shoulder, helping her on her feet. She hissed in pain a bit. "Ow. You'd think I'd be used to getting shot by sea prism by now."

"I'm pretty sure no one can get used to that, no matter how many times they're shot."

Terra giggled a bit. "Guess you're right."

Adonis looked behind him, and saw the piles of Adam Wood. There was more than enough to repair the Fallen Angel. Actually, there was enough to completely replace her wood. "Guess I'm gonna have to come back for that later."

"And what makes you say that?" Adonis looked at a smiling Terra. She raised her hand, and used her powers to make the stones beneath the wood float. "How'd you think we got it in here in the first place?"

"Wow. Though, it looks like you're having a bit of trouble." The stone was shaking a bit.

"It's easier to do it with both hands."

"Oh, in that case."

"Hm? Whoa!" Adonis was now holding Terra princess-style, which seriously embarrassed the girl. "W-W-W-W-W-What are you doing?!"

"You can use both hands now, right?"

Still blushing, Terra realized that Adonis was right. She then used both of her hands, stabilizing the stone. With a smile, Adonis began to walk out of the cave.

However, he wasn't able to get far.

An explosion was heard. Adonis and Terra looked to see Slade ripping himself out of the hole, bleeding heavily, his armor covered in burn marks, a furious look on his face, and a sword black with haki in his hand. "Damn you."

"Holy crap, this guy is tough."

"Now's not the time to be impressed, Adonis!"

"ADONIS!" Slade then charged at Adonis.

Adonis was in a tight spot. He wouldn't be able to dodge properly with Terra in his arms. He can't even defend while holding her. At the speed he was going, Slade would probably reach him before his Evil Shield would be activated. Even with the shield, the haki in Slade's sword would probably cut right through it, killing both him and Terra. He literally had no options. It was more evident when Slade swung his sword downward. It looked like he really was about to kill Adonis.

Then, Slade got slapped across the face.

Terra was confused. She definitely saw Slade get slapped by something, but she didn't see where the attack came from. Then, Slade got slapped some more. It almost looked like he was being hit by some kind of black whip. The slaps got faster and faster until Slade's face became a blur. When the slapping stopped, Slade's face was covered in red marks, and he was staggering a bit, looking like so much as a poke from a feather could make him fall. Then, Terra saw the black whip appear above Slade, and slam him into the ground.

She looked down to see Slade, motionless on the ground. Then, he began to struggle to get back up. However, Terra looked up again to see the black whip positioned above him. She was then freaked out to see the whip grow in size. It looked like the tail of a giant anaconda. Finally, the whip slammed down onto Slade, burying him in a crater of rock. His body was actually steaming from the impact of the attack.

Terra blinked at the steaming, unconscious Deathstroke. She couldn't believe her eyes, and just kept blinking, thinking she was imagining it. "W-What just happened?"

"Sorry, Nyx. I didn't mean to wake you up, girl."

"Nyx?" Terra looked up towards Adonis, and saw him rubbing the chin of a sleepy looking black snake. "Wait. Nyx? . . . AS IN WORLD SERPENT NYX?!"

"Yup. This is her."

"She-she-she-... SHE'S GOREGOUS!"

"Isn't she?"

"I thought that was just some awesome necklace around your neck."

"I get that a lot. One guy even tried to steal her off my neck. Ended up getting bitten hundreds of times. You don't wake up a Black Mamba, let alone try to take her from her favorite resting spot."

"B-Black Mamba?" Terra then looked at Nyx, who yawned in an adorable way before laying back down on her master's neck to sleep a bit more. "Isn't that one of the most venomous snakes in the world?"

"Yup. Don't worry. Nyx gave Tina some of her venom so she could make antidotes. If she were to somehow bite you, we'd have the cure."

"T-That's... reassuring?"

"What are you so worried about? Nyx already likes you."

"Huh?"

"After all, she hasn't tried to bite you once. Nyx is a bit overprotective of me. The only people she lets near me are my family members, close friends, or crew mates."

"Huh? But, I'm not any of those."

Adonis smiled. "Let's change that."

"Pardon?"

"Terra." Adonis gave his Monkey D. smile. "Join my crew as my shipwright."

"What?!"

"I need one. You saw the state Fallen Angel was in. You're the only one who can fix her, and keep her in shape. Besides, who else would I be able to find who can work with Adam Wood? I really need you. Fallen Angel needs you. What do you say?"

Terra was quiet for a bit. She then looked down... at Deathstroke. "He'll come after me, you know." Adonis didn't respond. "He hates to lose. He would never let anyone take me away. Some marines actually tried, and he slaughtered them all. Pirates tried the same, and he killed them as well. If you take me, he'll hunt you down."

"And?" Terra looked up at Adonis in shock. "Terra, he's the type that seriously holds a grudge. He's gonna hunt me down anyway, since I beat him. Plus, since I have one of the largest bounties in the world, he'll always have an excuse to hunt me. Besides, I took him down without hardly using any of my powers." Adonis then looked down at the mercenary. "And he knows that. He knows that even without using my powers, I'm stronger than he is. You're the safest with me, without a doubt." Terra blushed at those words.

"Besides, I'm a pirate. I take what I want, and I want you. I'm taking you, no matter what."

Terra's blush brightened. "Did you have to word it like that?"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

Terra sighed. "Nothing. Let's just get back to the ship... captain." Adonis smiled, and ran like hell, carrying Terra, who was willing the Adam Wood to follow them.


It didn't take them long, and as soon as they reached the Fallen Angel, Terra asked to be put down. Adonis did as he was asked.

"You sure you can walk?"

Terra was doing some stretches. "Yeah. I'm fine. Anyway..." Terra then activated her powers.

Adonis heard the sound of creaking, and looked up to see nails popping out of the Fallen Angel. It then began to fall apart. Before the figure head could fall, Terra used the sand around the ship to catch it. She used the sand to gently place the figure head and the wood onto the ground. Then, covering the Adam Wood with sand, she lifted it into the air.

She used the sand to carefully cut the wood, and placed it onto the ship. Using her control over metal, she placed the nails back into the Adam wood, faster than even Franky with his hammer could do.

After finishing the outer and inner sections of the ship, Terra used the sand to replace the figure head back into its rightful place, and nailed it back where it belonged. She even cut some of the Adam Wood into a new mast. She finished weeks worth of ship building in just a manner of minutes.

She wiped the sweat off of her brow. "Phew. Been a while since I've done that. I think it came out pretty well. Needs to be modified a bit more, but I don't have the proper equipment for those yet."

Adonis's eyes were wide open. "She looks new! She looks exactly the way she did when Vlad's dad gave her to me! Except for the figure head, of course."

"The figure head is a mod?"

"Yeah. It used to be a mermaid, but I was lucky enough to find a raven's head on an island after the first figure head was shot off. She also used to be called Hell's Palace, but Pearl convinced me to change it to Fallen Angel after we found the figure head. I think it suits her."

"I have to agree with you." Terra looked up at Fallen Angel, a smile of pride on her face.

Adonis walked up to his ship, and lovingly patted it. "Looks like you're stuck with me for a bit longer, girl. I'm glad. I can't imagine sailing my dad's seas on another ship."

"I'm happy."

"Hm?" Adonis turned towards Terra. "You say something?"

"Hm?"

"I'm glad I get to sail with you a bit longer, captain." Adonis then looked up. He realized the voice was coming from... the Fallen Angel. "I want to go on more adventures with you. To be able to carry everyone. I'm glad I get to do that."

Adonis was quiet for a bit, surprised that his ship was talking to him. Then... he smiled. "Well, don't be too happy. Remember, Nora and Pearl really like to fight in you, which destroys a lot of your rooms. Plus, I'm still gonna be hunted by some pretty powerful fighters. You might get hurt."

"I don't mind. I'm the ship of the strongest rookie in the world. The Eldest Prince of the Pirates. Besides, I'm the home of the Rapture Pirates. I can't let anything happen to you." Adonis smiled. "Besides, you and Vlad always took care of me."

"We sucked at it."

"Still, it made me happy. I'll keep sailing, for everyone's sake."

Adonis smiled... without realizing that he was also crying a bit. "Yeah. Thanks." He then patted the ship. "We're counting on you... now, and forever more." The wind blew, and the sun shinned even brighter. It was as if the world itself was blessing the Fallen Angel.

"No way. They actually exist."

"Hm?" Adonis looked at an amazed Terra. "What does?"

"A Klabautermann. Every shipwright knows about them. They're fairies that take refuge in a ship that is well loved and cared for. They're said to only appear when they need to warn of a ship's danger. Some say they even appear to repair the ship they possess with a wooden mallet. They're legendary, even compared to the Devil Fruits. I've never seen a ship possessed by one before."

"Hm, so my ship is possessed by a fairy." Adonis smiled at his ship. "That's beyond awesome."

"Damn right, it is. Now I'm seriously glad I joined you. I swear, I'll make this ship ever greater than she already is." Terra then felt a warm, comforting sensation run through her. She almost could have sword she heard the words: "I'm in your care."

"Adonis!" The man and the new crew member looked behind them to see Vlad walking towards them, carrying a bag full of materials that were obviously for him. "Looks like we have a bit of a problem. This island doesn't have any ship quality wood for sale. A merchant told me only the shipwrights of the island were allowed to use it. Let's just hope we have enough wood to make sure Fallen Angel can make it... to... the... Eh?"

Vlad saw his father's ship. It looked as good as the day his father made it. Then, he saw Terra. The girl waved at him. "Yo."

"Hey, Vlad."

Vlad's golden eyes were blank. "Um, Adonis? Who is she?"

"She's our new shipwright. Her name's Terra. She was the one who repaired Fallen Angel."

"I-I see. . . . Um, where did she get the wood?"

"Oh, I stole it from her mercenary boss."

"WHAT?!" Adonis then told Vlad the whole story. At the end, Vlad was slumping over. He sighed in depression. "I should have known. I can't leave you alone for a damned second, let alone a few damned hours."

Adonis rubbed the back of his head as he laughed sheepishly. "But hey, our ship is now made of Adam Wood."

"Whoa!"

Adonis had picked up Terra, bridal-style. "And we now have an awesome shipwright. It all turned out well in the end, right?" Vlad just sighed.

"Oh, captain," Pearl yelled in a sing-song tone. "I have finally re... turned?"

"Hey, Adonis," Nora yelled out. "Dahlia's got her fruit. No dumbass guy tried to... touch... her."

"E-Elder brother?"

Tina's antlers fell off, her eyes wide, and her jaw hitting the sand.

"Um, Adonis? You can put me down, now."

"Hm? Oh, sure."

"A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-Adonis?"

"Yeah, Pearl?"

"W-W-W-W-W-W-W-Who is that?"

"Our new shipwright."

Pearl was struck by lightning. "B-But she's a woman."

"Mhm."

Pearl was then smashed on the head by a boulder, which caused her to fall to her knees. "Oh, god. Another rival." She then started to pound the sand while crying like Sanji. "Why couldn't it be a hot guy instead of a blonde, blue-eyes hussy?! This crew already has a blonde, blue-eyed beauty in me! It doesn't need some twerp!" Terra grew a tick mark.

"Please, she's pretty damned adorable compared to a whore like you," Nora said with her arms crossed and eyes closed.

Pearl warped in front of Nora, her visible eye shining with a literal fire. "You wanna go, Sword Bitch?"

Nora opened an eye to glare at Pearl, unsheathing one of her swords a bit. "Any time you're ready, Slutty Cook."

Terra's eyebrow twitched as Adonis laughed and Vlad sighed in aggravation. "Your crew is nuts," Terra said to Vlad.

"I know. . . . But, it's our crew."

Terra was surprised. "You... already trust me?"

"If Adonis trusts you, I don't see any reason not to." Terra blushed at that. No one has ever been so... accepting of her so quickly. "Well, is everyone ready to go?"

"I am," Adonis said.

"I'm ready," Tina said. Her antlers were back on her head, with her jaw back to normal.

"I'm ready as well, Vice Captain Vlad." Vlad sighed at Dahlia's overly formal response. He knows it's out of habit, but he really wished she would break that habit already.

"I need to kill this Slutty Cook first," Nora answered without looking away from Pearl. Her aura was flaring.

"I need to fillet this Sword Bitch," Pearl answered without looking away from Nora. Her legs were already ignited.

"Whoa," was what the two girls yelled as Adonis picked them up and placed them on his shoulders.

"You two could fight for days. Save it for some other time." Nora blushed but looked away, not wanting Adonis to see her in the state. Pearl, on the other hand, hugged Adonis's head, loving the situation.

The captain carried his two, arguably strongest female, crew mates onto the ship. With a sigh, Vlad followed. Tina jumped onto the ship out of habit. While jealously staring at Nora and Pearl on her precious brother's shoulders, Dahlia walked up the plank onto the ship, an adorable pout on her face the whole time.

Terra watched them, especially Adonis. She sighed when everyone entered. "I just joined a seriously crazy crew."

"Terra, what's wrong? Aren't you coming aboard?"

"Coming, Adonis!" With that, Terra used her powers to spring her onto the ship.

"Set sail!" With that, the Fallen Angel left the island, sailing even better than ever, towards the next adventure.


Omake:

Everyone was now asleep, except of course for Nora on guard duty, and Dahlia.

Dahlia knew that Nora could sense her movements, but she also knew that as long as she didn't cause any trouble, Nora wouldn't bother her. Still, she made sure she was out of earshot before calling her stepmother.

The snail rang for a bit before it was answered. When it finally was, Dahlia had to cover her eyes, since the snail was actually glowing brightly. "My eyes!"

"Good evening."

"Stepmother Hancock?"

"Ah, Dahlia. How are you, dear?"

"Dear? Stepmother, did something pleasant happen?"

"Ah, your elder brother praised me once again. I could sense the love and pride he had for me. Nothing can ruin my good mood." Dahlia shook when Hancock said that. "Now then, love, what was it you were calling about?"

"Y-Yes, stepmother. Elder brother recruited a new member."

The light never dimmed. "I see. Who is he?"

"Um, stepmother... it isn't male."

And there goes the light. "Another unworthy woman?"

"I-I am afraid so."

"Did she show any obvious signs of attraction towards my son?"

Dahlia remembered how Terra stared at Adonis as he carried Nora and Pearl onto the ship. "Yes."

The snail was silent for a bit. The tension was literally crushing poor Dahlia. Then, the snail... sighed. "It's all my fault."

"Pardon?"

"I made my son far too irresistible. It's bad enough that he inherited his father's handsome face, but he had to inherit my beauty, and turn it into his handsomeness. Oh, my beloved child, can you ever forgive your sinful mother. Indeed, I gave my gorgeous children a heavy burden." The snail then began to sparkle. "Beauty is... such a sin."

Dahlia sweatdropped. "I-I see."

"Dahlia... take good care of my son."

Dahlia smiled. "Of course, stepmother. You have my word."

"Very well. Good night, young Amazon." With that, Hancock hung up.