AN: Sorry for the delay. Kamikashi needed new glasses and so couldn't use the pc for a week and a half (KK: I have astigmatisms – lenses for that take a while to be made!).
Japanese!
hidoi – (1) cruel; heartless; hard; harsh; severe; (2) violent; intense; strong; heavy; extreme; (3) (uk) very bad; terrible; awful; (4) excessive; exorbitant; unreasonable; outrageous; unfair; unjust. Apparently, it's the adult Coby's favorite word if dealing with corruption and general bad tidings (I lost count how many times in this ep he said it).
Thanks to all who favorite and an extra thank you to Lover of OP and Anime Fan for your reviews. To Anime Fan, your question will be addressed next chapter :)
Just a matter of curiosity. With this chapter, we've cracked the 1.5 million characters mark (which is the absolute ceiling for Google Docs) – this chapter is therefore a new doc! X_X
Chapter 29: Coby's Chapter
I'll keep you by my side with my superhuman might; Kryptonite! – 3 Doors Down, Kryptonite
-MF Shipwreck Isle, Captain's quarters-
"Commodore, sir. The new replacement for our navigator you requested is here," Helmeppo intoned, letting Coby look up from his papers.
"You don't have to be so formal, Commander Helmeppo," the ship commander chuckled. "So where is he?"
"She has been working her ass off so she would one day serve with you, sir," a cheeky voice interrupted, causing the duet to double-take. Before them, the not-so-little Rika stood, dressed as a Marine junior officer, complete with the non-epaulette coat one actually wore. She stood to attention and saluted. "Lieutenant junior grade Rika reports to duty as requested, Commodore, sir."
Coby quickly retrieved the paperwork he had on his latest navigator before realizing that Rika indeed was the newest addition. "And you even have a few recommendations as well. Impressive. It's a long way from East Blue to the New World, Rika-kun."
"You are the one who came a long way, Coby-san," Rika corrected laughingly. "You're a flag officer already. Rumors say you are about to get promoted again."
"And who told you that?" he wondered as he looked around carefully.
"Vice Admiral Luna," Rika shrugged. "And she is the chief of the navigator's school. Anyway, here are our newest orders from Sengoku-sama, sir." She handed him a folder.
Coby did what any good student of Garp did in that situation – skim the orders and then hand them to his right-hand man. "Hand Island?"
Helmeppo studied the papers intently. "Looks like some idiot is into imitating my good-for-nothing father," he stated blandly, pocketing a letter from the folder. "I can make an educated guess why this has not the Vice-Inspector's seal – she'd have turned it to dust."
No-one commented on this, as Flynn's temper and paranoia concerning corruption were as legendary as her devil fruit. Coby shook his head. "What is it with people getting delusional with rank… Lieutenant Rika. I trust you have come with an Eternal Pose for Hand Island?"
"Of course. It would be unbecoming of a navigator to show up with moving orders and be unprepared, wouldn't it?" She smirked. "Orders, sir?"
Coby grinned back. "Set course for Hand Island, lieutenant. We're going to pay Bilić a little visit."
Rika snapped to attention, brandishing the pose. "Aye-aye!"
-Thousand Sunny-
Let it never be said that Usopp didn't have his fair shares of crazy party game ideas – showing off their newest wardrobe in a makeshift fashion show was a few ticks off the rocker for sure. Especially since the chronic liar was the one holding it. "Okay, everyone ready?" he yelled into Xian's Den Den Mushi, which he had connected to a speaker.
"Yeah!"
"So, let's get started! I proudly present the Straw Hat Pirates… Fashion Show!" Behind him, his captain and the doctor ran a banner with exactly these words across the deck. "Since I am the moderator, I have to say that to me, it all looks great! After all, I am a man's man! The king of snipers in the New World, bounty being thirty million Berry…" He struck a pose with his Black Kabuto, showing off the lavender jacket, blue shorts and white shirt he had bought. "Usopp!" Pocketing his weapon again, he continued, "And here he comes with his afro, showing off his new blue suit… the user of the Yomi-Yomi no Mi, the extravagant musician-swordsman, bounty 33 million… Humming Brook!"
"Yo." Brook was accompanying the entire hilarity with a bass, and was indeed dressed into something of a uniform mockup. "Yohohohohoho!"
"Well, and now I am very proud to introduce our special model… one hot, sexy girl that melts the heart of nearly every man alive! At a bounty of 16 million Berry, our smart, curvaceous navigator…" He waved to the side. "Nami."
Given Nami's eclectic, provocative tastes that bordered on indecent exposure, this new set was fairly modest – a low-cut miniskirt, a grey turtleneck that was cut off just above her navel and frilly brown leather boots. "My wanted poster does not do me justice any longer."
"Nami-swaaan!"
"May I be allowed to see your panties?!"
"Never! They're way too good for you!"
"Ego…"
"And this nonchalant statement introduces our newest member, one regal and cool beauty… She is a treasure hunter who wants to find the great City of Brass, the princess of the Red-Hair Pirates, and the user of the Hai-Hai no Mi…" Usopp grinned from one ear to the other. "At the scary level of a bounty of 210 million Berry, the Red Ash Scourge, Xian Read!"
A miniature ash tornado, and Xian materialized at the bottom of the stairs, dressed into an all-black leather jacket-and-pants ensemble (safe for a black cotton shirt), a studded belt around her waist and a studded collar decorating her neck. Metal-plated boots completed the rock music image. What remained of her normal outfit was the unavoidable cape. "I'll find you all the treasure in the world you want, just get me there."
Zoro chuckled. "More in for the hunt than the goal, huh?"
"You bet."
Sanji had a hard time restraining himself from flipping out. "Nice outfit, Xian-san," he finally managed. "Very cool."
"Why thank you."
"Taking that prompt, here he is, the man who loves all women… our 77 million Combat Chef, Black-Leg Sanji!" Sanji had switched from his usual black suit to one in purple and white, and kicked into the air. "What do you wish for dinner, ladies?"
"A dose of extra restraint and some hummer risotto," Xian deadpanned, causing Zoro to snicker at Sanji's crestfallen expression.
"Next, our kind-hearted shipwright made of steel, at a bounty of 44 million Berry, the Cyborg… Franky!"
Franky struck his usual "SUUUPER!" pose, and given he wore short black leather pants on suspenders and a brown leather jacket, one had to wonder if he had gone to the same store as Xian. Nami asked as much. "Did he tag along with you, Xian?"
"Despite him running about in a Speedo, he has surprising taste if it comes to other people's outfits," the ginger confirmed with a grin.
"Who'd have thought… but then again, you both like rock music."
"Play it loud."
"And now, here's this person… well, as much as you can be one as a reindeer who ate the Hito-Hito no Mi, Model Sage… a mean mouth, but a soft core… our super doctor, Tony Tony Chopper!"
Chopper had gotten himself a cream coverall with pink polka dots, and was doing his old-man-dance routine. "It doesn't make me happy if you compliment me, you lying idiot!" (Naturally, it actually did.)
"And now, this amazing, relentless and merciless swordsman…"
Zoro proudly strode forward despite the outfit that he was slightly annoyed at. He was given no choice however. They had forced him into his new clothes, being black trousers and a dark green biker jacket.
"The only problem he has is that he gets lost even in a straight corridor… He seeks to become the greatest swordsman in the world, our 120 million First Mate, Lorenor Zoro!" Usopp yelled.
"Do that again and I'll cut you to pieces, you sea-forsaken liar!" he growled, drawing Mahiru and Sandai Kitetsu, ironically earning even more cheers.
"Naturally, the man who finishes the show, the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, the user of the Gomu-Gomu no Mi!" Luffy walked down the stairs in a similar suit as Chopper, only in red with a hood, and struck several poses only possible through his devil fruit. "He wants to find the great Pirate Treasure, One Piece and become the Pirate King but at the moment, a plate of meat on the bone wouldn't go amiss either. Wanted dead or alive at 450 million Berry… Monkey D. Luffy!"
In answer, Luffy catapulted himself up to the roof of the Crow's Nest, yelling, "I will be the Pirate King!"
"No matter the fashion…" Nami chuckled.
"Luffy will stick to dad's straw hat, yeah," Xian grinned. However, the party was rudely interrupted by a couple of cannonballs hitting the water around the Thousand Sunny. "Trouble time."
A small strike fleet of marine ships was coming from the left. "You can play around, I'll take them down," Zoro smirked.
"Get back in line, Mister First Mate. You're the first mate, I'm the first scourge. The one who sinks more ships gets the other's booze ration for a week," Xian dared.
"You're on!"
Unfortunately, their little bet was soon to be interrupted by a truly gargantuan cannonball dropping out of the sky onto the Sunny, even larger than the ginormous giant ball-and-chain Garp had tried to haul at them, but the method of escaping was the same. "Coup de Burst!" Sending the entire ship flying, it soon became apparent that they had miscalculated the trajectory and amount of power for the emergency acceleration, for the ship was headed straight for an island… shaped like a giant human hand! "Landing… complete…" Franky stated lamely as they finally stopped, the ship standing on its bow. They had crashed straight through the jungle, and only the ship being made of Adam Wood had saved them from crashing completely.
"You call that a landing?!" Sanji yelled, still clinging to the mast.
Xian landed outside the ship, rematerializing. "Pretty green and tranquil here. But I wonder…"
"What is it? Do you know where we are, Xian?" Nami asked carefully. "I mean, you are a New World pirate. These are your home waters."
"True." The logia floated up to the navigator, her legs being turned into an ash cloud. "Well, this part of the seas used to be the very edge of Whitebeard's territory, but Marco-san retreated a good deal behind the lines due to the heavy losses from the war. Ever since then, there has been fighting over islands in this area – Newgate had quite a few gems under his flag. So we should be careful, there could be some enemy pirates around. The only other Yonkô in this area though would be Big Mom, and if I remember correctly, Luffy-san wanted to kick her ugly fat ass anyways."
"Oh yeah! Where is she by the way?"
"You would never reach her alone, captain. You have to conquer her allies first."
Luffy sweat-dropped. "I know that. I asked about that after all. But would she be around here?"
"Unlikely."
"So where are we?" Zoro wondered.
As if on cue, a pair of small kids had run up the side of the ship. "Ne, you two. What island is this?" Nami asked.
The pair shot each other a look. "Hand Island," they chorused before running off. "Pirates have fallen out of the sky!"
"Hand Island, huh?" Luffy wondered.
"Well, that's Newgate's old territory alright." Xian shot Zoro a smirk. "Oh, and since I actually sunk a ship and you didn't, this means you're off booze for a week."
"How did you do that anyway?!" To know she was a logia was one thing, but to see her smash a ship to the waterline was something else, especially since she was made of ashes. But come to think of it, she probably doesn't use hot ashes for training.
"Well, pyroclastic flows are hot volcanic ashes after all." She shrugged. "Burning a really big hole into the ship isn't that difficult. All I have to do is kick."
Luffy could not help but briefly think of Ace for a moment, especially as he had seen Xian's attack – a red-and-black glowing ball of hot ashes, fired from her foot, not unlike his aniki's Hiken. "She's got you there, Zoro. Well, let's check if everything on the ship is still okay."
"Okay!"
-MF Shipwreck Isle, aft deck-
"Sir. We've arrived at the Hand Island branch, sir," Rika reported to Coby. "The port command has given permission to dock."
"Very good, proceed." Coby shot his 2iC and best friend a look. "Now let's see if what people reported is true."
"That cannon on top makes me uneasy," Helmeppo frowned. "Was this not planned to become a proper fortress base eventually?"
"Yeah. It is a bit intimidating," Rika murmured quietly. "Makes me think of that base where we all met." Giving the appropriate orders to the SNCO, they docked. "We'll be waiting for you here."
"Thank you, lieutenant," Coby nodded, proceeding to the reeling.
"What a bizarre place," the blonde remarked, taking in the odd design of the base. "Even considering that the base for it is just a reef…"
"Please be more careful with what you are saying, Helmeppo-chûsa," Coby chuckled.
Hearing the mild reprimand, Helmeppo snapped to attention. "Forgiveness, sir!"
"How many times do I have to tell you that you don't have to be that formal with me, old friend?" the rose-haired teen chuckled. Yes, I am a Dai Senmei, but… we've scrubbed floors together for kami's sake.
Having his daily dose of protocol out of his system, Helmeppo relaxed and waved at the stairs. "Well, shall we go then, Coby-junshô?"
"Yes."
On the dock, a seaman recruit awaited them. "Please follow me. Commodore Bilić awaits you in his office, sirs."
Taking the paternoster-like lift mounted on the various round discs on the side of the tower, they quickly made it to the highest point of the base, Bilić's office. There, the two young marines saluted the base commander. He looks like a bad caricature of a marine. Every desk jockey, scratch that, every chore kid in Marineford is in a better physical shape than him… "I am the commander of the Shipwreck Isle, Commodore Coby. We are from the Third Contingent."
"And I am the XO, Commander Helmeppo." By the gods, not even I ever looked that stupid, and given I used to wear an onion haircut, that says something. And oh-oh. He's annoying Coby.
Coby took out a sheet of paper. "I'd like you to please sign these transfer papers so we may patrol these waters."
Bilić accepted the contract, picked up an old-fashioned quill and started signing the paper blindly. "So, how is Kizaru – I mean, Admiral Borsalino these days?"
"Huh?" Coby was taken aback by the question. What the hell?
"I have always been a great admirer of Admiral Borsalino. Please, when you get back to headquarters, relay my best compliments," he answered, handing the papers back.
The younger commodore shook his surprise off and checked the papers, suppressing a scowl. He can't even sign red tape properly. "Sumimasen."
"What is it?"
"I have your signature, but it is in the wrong spot." Seeing the fat man grimace in shock was absolutely worth acting as a pedantic Internal Affairs officer. "Please sign here."
"But-but I only missed the line," Bilić complained.
"I cannot decide that. These are the rules," the rose-haired marine shrugged nonchalantly, handing him the papers again.
Annoyed, Bilić erased his earlier signature and signed at the designated spot before giving it again to Coby. "Is it better now?" he asked sweetly.
Coby checked it again, and could find no fault this time. Save the tone, bastard. He bowed curtly. "Thank you very much. Have a nice day."
"Have a nice day!" Helmeppo echoed, following him outside. "What now?"
Coby didn't answer, focusing his Haki outwards, through the closed doors into Bilić's office, and listened to the delusional man holding a lengthy soliloquy with the snake puppet he had noticed earlier on the other commodore's arm. So you think I am stupid, huh? You think you can kill me, asshole? He balled his fists, his aura flaring angrily. The one who's in for punishment will be you if I have anything to say about it!
"Eh, Coby?" Helmeppo began tentatively, knowing that using any of his friend's titles in this case might not ebb away any of his anger. "The sooner we begin, the sooner we can find out what's going on. Reel it in, please… you're going to suffocate someone at this rate."
Shaking himself, Coby forced himself to his usual equilibrium. Damn it. I forgot just how high-powered my aura has become these days. But that idiot's soliloquy just proves the rumors. "That man… the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew he was hiding something absurd."
"Did you just use your full Colors of Observation?"
"Yes. We need to check this base."
Well, that explains why he's so pissed. Assholes put him on edge like nothing else. "True. Our real reason isn't patrols anyway – it's this letter of inquiry I found in the file from Sengoku-sama."
"Then let's get to work. This place gives me the creeps."
"Yeah."
-Hand Island-
After barely stopping Luffy from eating wax imitations of fresh fruit (how he would have managed to eat melons with the skin was anyone's guess), Xian and Luffy sat down for dinner with Diego, a master wax sculptor, that is, after apologizing for plowing through the upper part of his house. "I thought I knew those faces of yours. But I wouldn't have thought you two are Straw-hat Luffy and Red Ash Scourge Xian Read. Thanks for the hot ashes-massage by the way."
"No problem. My grandfather has the same problem, so I thought I'll help."
"Your food is delicious, old man," Luffy munched, not stopping when Diego pulled at his rubbery cheek.
"I can do also real food, not just copies, boy." The sculptor smiled. "You are pretty interesting. But say, where in the world did you get that straw hat?"
"That's my dad's hat," Xian answered sourly; the whole subject how Luffy exactly got the hat was not something she liked to think about despite the value of it to her captain. "And if you know about who that hat used to belong to, you know about me then."
"Would I?" he replied, frowning. "I fail to remember."
"That hat was given to me by Shanks a very long time ago. It's my treasure." Luffy took it off his head and smiled fondly.
"I knew it."
"Old man, you know Shanks?"
"Kinda. Anyway you two, since you've been so nice, I'd like to show you my greatest treasure," he grinned. He slowly led them down the stairs to his cellar. "Look ahead."
Luffy stared hard into the darkness of the long cellar. "Wow…" He practically dashed to the first statue he saw before almost choking up in a mixture of horror and shock. "Rayleigh? Why are you here?! How did you escape that admiral–"
"Captain-kun." Xian placed a hand on his shoulder, sadly shaking her head. "This isn't your sensei. Feel him." Seeing his shoulders sag, the redhead turned to the sculptor. "You are quite the artisan, Diego-san. To make a wax sculpture so lifelike someone trained in Haki would be fooled by it is quite the feat."
"Thank you. Rayleigh Silvers is actually the first statue I made. The first mate of the Roger Pirates," Diego smiled and pulled a light switch. "I got more." Immediately, the rest of the cellar lit up, revealing a veritable wax museum of famous pirates, showing mostly the Whitebeard Pirate division commanders and allies, as well as Montblanc Cricket and… "These statues are of famed pirates I have met in my life. Edward Newgate. He dominated the New World, and Hand Island was his territory."
Luffy descended slowly into this wax-frozen realm of lifelike facsimiles. "They're all looking so real…" Looking around, he saw something that looked a bit odd amongst these pirates – a small, red-haired girl standing at the side of Shanks. "Shanks…"
"Akagami no Shanks," Diego confirmed, smiling. Shanks's likeness stood in between Lucky Roo and Benn Beckman, the right hand on the little girl's shoulder while his left stuck in his sash. "He's a great man. Your wish to live freely reminded me of him. But you, young lady, remind me of his sense of responsibility, and that little girl the entire crew treated like a princess."
At that, Xian couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, probably since the little girl from back then is yours truly, Diego-san. And dad is indeed one hell of guy, and I'd like to think I've inherited more of him than just his Haki and his red hair."
"You…"
"What about me?" Xian snickered as she looked at the little statue of herself and took on a similar pose out of amusement. "Surprised to see me all grown up? Or surprised that Shanks is my dad?"
"I suppose I shouldn't have been. People do not stay like these wax figures, never to age or change. And you act a lot more like Ben Beckman for your captain, but I suppose that comes with the territory," Diego laughed. "He's a lot sillier than your honored father."
"Tell me something I don't know," she mock-lamented. "Why all the pirates though?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I always admired the freedom of pirates. Their free spirit, and how their names live on through the ages." He smiled. "This freedom and ambition inspired me in my work, always."
"Then why do you have the two grimmest of Marines in your collection?" she asked with a frown, waving at a rather dramatic duet sculpture of the current Fleet Admiral, Aokiji, and Admiral Shirotatsu that stood in the corner, in this depicted both in an icy combat stance (him going high with a spear while she went low with her katana). With its position in a corner, it looked like the two were about to take on all these pirates, with the winner uncertain. "They are the children and lords of true justice, the very standard the Navy holds itself to." She snorted. "Although, I admit that there aren't many people who can project that much sheer awesomeness – daddy's one of them. Still, why?"
"There are some things that I value that these two marines displayed, despite me enjoying the freedom that pirates represent. Their honor, their valor. The keen eyes that promise you true justice, and the unbreakable spirit and resolve they display. Like 'Black Ships are coming'. And it's as you said. There is just something about them and their resolve that makes you stare in pure awe and be inspired, something legendary," the sculptor chuckled. "And it doesn't hurt that they were the ones who pushed the rivaling pirates off Hand Island after Whitebeard's death, declaring that enough was enough. Not to mention that Shirotatsu-taishô is beautiful, in a very militaristic way."
"True. They are one striking couple."
"Are there any other marines you ever considered?" Luffy wondered, thinking of his grandfather. Despite wanting to be a pirate king, he did feel a certain pride that only family could have for each other.
"I won't lie, I did consider some others. Certainly the Three Naval Demons – Garp, Sengoku and Tsuru – would be impressive ones too, but I never had the honor of meeting any of them, so the statues would be too generic for making them memorable. And that is unacceptable for any artist," Diego mused.
Just then, Usopp and Chopper entered the cellar. "Luffy? Xian? Are you here? Huh, what's that?" The sniper was astonished at the collection.
"Who are they?"
"They are our comrades, our crew," Luffy smiled. "Hey everyone. This old man is amazing. It all looks real."
"I can see that," Usopp gaped. "Awesome."
-Hand Island Marine Branch-
"This place is well-managed from what I can see so far," Helmeppo mused. "I already wondered how such a weakling could have become Commodore, but it seems he's a master administrator, something that is prized in the Science Division." Under the rouse that they wanted to restock the Shipwreck Isle, they were currently going through the books of the base.
"True enough. But something about these numbers doesn't add up. I mean, there are a lot of workers here, but I don't see any mentioning of pay for them," Coby frowned, putting away the files they had already read. "And the expenses for food should also be higher. Instead, there are astronomic expenses for projectile-grade iron and our new smokeless, waterproof powder and no-rust primer. The academy has less expenses for powder than that and we need it for target practice."
"Yeah. I think we should check the storehouses," the blonde suggested, standing up.
"Agreed." Leaving the archives, the duet made way for the stockpile at the base of the tower, undetectable as ghosts. There, the next inconsistency quickly became clear. "That's…more powder than food. Isn't it supposed to be the other way round?"
"With the way marines eat? Definitely."
Coby's eyes scanned the stores of food, both from what he could see through the window in the cold storage and the sacks and crates with non-perishables. "Strange. With the number of workers around, there isn't even nearly enough food. Is he letting them work under unacceptable conditions or what?"
"Now that's even more suspicious."
Just then, a pair of recruits – judging from their auras, literal grunts – passed by the storehouse. "Did you hear the news? Looks like Regis is still in that cell."
"How stupid can someone be? To go against Bilić is deadly," the other muttered. "He's like that stubborn father of his."
"You mean that famous wax sculptor, huh? Diego? Yeah. He shouldn't have become a marine and become a sculptor instead."
"True enough." The laugh the two shared as they left was humorless.
Coby's face was grim. "Does that not remind you of anything?"
Helmeppo nodded, knowing what his friend meant. "Shells Town. The garrison would also laugh like that at such situations when Morgan was in charge to hide its fear. It fits with the number of filed corporal punishments I found. I bet he kills sailors who disobey him too." His face was slightly red as he thought on how he used to be like and what behavior he used to find acceptable or at the least, tolerable. "Let's find that Regis. If he protested against Bilić, he would probably know something."
"Yeah." Casting out with Haki, they found that the entrance to what they sought was unusually placed. "Outside the tower? Why do I have the feeling I am not going to like this?" the commodore murmured as they made way for a level above said entrance.
"Because unfortunately, you are usually right when it comes to people who are jerks," Helmeppo sighed as they stopped at a window above the cell. "And not everyone gets the truth pounded into themselves like Sakazuki-san or I was privileged to. Quiet now. Said jerk is on the way."
The following conversation between Regis and Bilić showed just how delusional and bipolar the latter was, first speaking as sugary as he had when they had been face to face with him, and then flipping out as soon as Regis insisted that Bilić had no right to whatever he was doing and was wrong. (Honestly, just how high can someone think of oneself?) But the topper was what Bilić did when he left, without the apology he so desperately wanted to confirm his over-inflated ego: Starting the paternoster, he had the cell submerged, and consequently, Regis. "A cell on a water wheel?! That's just terrible," Coby muttered.
"What now? It's almost time to leave. We're running out of excuses why we are here."
"First, let's stop that."
"Agreed, but still. What then?"
"Before we return to HQ, I'd like to look around a little longer."
"Huh?"
"I'll go to Hand Island and talk to the islanders directly," he stated grimly, leading them to the wheel controller. "Stop that nonsense immediately," the rose-haired teen ordered.
"Sir?" The petty officer was confused to say the least, but at seeing the gloom surrounding the young officer, he gulped. "Right away, sir…" He hit the stop button, leaving Regis's cell out of the water.
"That wasn't so difficult, was it?" Helmeppo stated cheerfully before glaring. "You think it's bad if you piss off Bilić, don't you? There's something worse actually. Not thinking for yourself is what pisses Dai Senmei like Coby-san off, and frankly… do you really think what that fat idiot does with you and that island is right? Don't you have your own justice that you can follow, or has Mr. Brain long since departed?" He paused for a moment before deciding to add more to this. "You should be lucky that it is the two of us here and not Flynn-sama. And… if you know what's good for everyone, you are going to let this be between you and me… or I let him have a piece of you."
"Aye-aye," the petty officer stammered as the duet left. Bloody hell! Bilić isn't even nearly that scary… so that's what Navy HQ officers are like…
-Hand Island, next morning-
Docking the Shipwreck Isle at Hand Island's main port, Coby refused anyone accompanying him. "I'd like to see this through myself."
"But commodore…" Seeing his commander glowering again, the words died on the lips of the Master-at-Arms. "Yes sir. But please be careful sir."
"I second that Coby-junshô," Helmeppo added. "Even I sense some hostility here. And don't tell me you always are – you are the aggressive one of the two of us."
With a wave and a chuckle, Coby left his ship behind. He didn't have to go far – the main plaza of the town was completely trashed by several shots fired from Josephine. It was a terrible sight. "Hidoi," he whispered, turning away and heading into town. There, Helmeppo's prediction about hostility turned out to be very true, as the remaining citizens – old people, children and women who likely weren't artisans – glared after the young Dai Senmeibukai. Is it me? No. It's the uniform. The feeling in the air… it's not just anger, it's betrayal. According to Regis-san, his father lives up the hill, outside the actual town so he can gather the oils for his wax. Quickly passing through the town (and somehow managing to get directions by an old woman), he came to what he supposed to be Regis's old home. Before it, an old man was exercising. "Forgive me if I am interrupting, but… are you Master Diego?"
Diego stopped, taking in the young man before him. A marine officer, huh? And in full uniform no less. When was the last time I saw that… oh. Shiroyoru dresses like that too. But pink hair and a flower bandana? You have a weird sense of expressing yourself, pretty boy. "Yes, I am."
"Would it not be too much trouble to spare a moment of your time for me? I would like to talk to you about Regis-san."
"Regis?" At that, Diego looked up in surprise. "Really? Them come in."
But what Coby saw after following the wax sculptor in left him gaping, as the entire rear half of the house was missing. "Was that also the Navy's fault?"
Diego grimaced. "If that damn cannon had been responsible for that, the Navy would have paid bitterly, I promise you that. The Straw Hat Pirates crashed through here, so you don't have to worry."
"That was Luffy?" Always a flashy entrance, huh?
"You sound like you know him."
Behind Coby, a pair of kids emerged as he threw them a glance, and then a smile. Busted. Don't think I didn't notice you two following me. "I owe Luffy a lot. Nearly as much as my teachers and my senpai." He chuckled. "You see, four years ago, I was not even a free man, let alone a marine. I was a slave for the Alvida Pirates – the unwilling chore boy who feared getting trounced by Alvida's damn iron mace. All because I got on the wrong boat. But then, we fished out a barrel one day. Long story short, the barrel contained Luffy, who made short work of Alvida – after I finally stood up to the ugly fat hag. The one thing Luffy taught me is that no matter what happens, you need to have faith in yourself, and fight for what you believe in. Even if it means your death, it will not be a wasted life. And so I joined the Navy as a chore boy, while Luffy became a pirate. Now I am a Marine Commodore… and Luffy is quite an infamous pirate." Coby smiled. "We spent a short time together before our paths diverged, but thanks to Luffy and my teachers, I found the right one for myself. He's a great friend."
Deeply moved by the story and the young man's politeness and honor, Diego could not help but outright bawl. With the tears still running, he grabbed the tall marine by the upper arms. "Y-you're such a great guy. I'm so glad there are people like you in the Marines…"
Coby smiled sadly. The reaction was somewhat typical for the New World, where the brutality of many pirates bred an equally vicious response from many a marine due to the cardinal rule of military might. There was a reason why most STOC stations were in the Shinsekai (and it wasn't their super-elite status – it was their morality). "Do you hate the Navy?"
Diego collected himself a little. "It is just that I do not believe in the type of justice Marines believes in, nor do I understand it."
"But why did your son then become a marine himself?"
"That… I also do not understand." He shook his head and let the commodore go. "Come on. I still have my cellar." Leading the young marine downstairs, he leant against the balustrade dividing his workplace and the pit with his sculpture collection. "I wanted him to become a wax sculptor, so I taught him everything I know. But then out of the blue, he said he wanted to join the Marines." He sighed. "We had a fight about it. In the end, he did not even take the puppet of Whitebeard he made as a child with him. Maybe, if I could understand what drove him to justice, I could see eye to eye with him again… but I do not, and my heart hurts even thinking about it."
"Right now, Regis is in prison. The situation is terrible to say the least."
Surprised, Diego looked up. "How come he is in prison?"
Coby sighed. "He did what a proper marine would have done and spoke out against that man who shames the Navy for his treatment of the island and its inhabitants. I believe he followed Lord Kuzan's call to arms and joined the Navy to defend his home."
"You really believe that?"
"Many who are marines today joined for similar reasons, so I would think this is the most likely reason. Our fleet admiral became a marine because one man alone could not help everyone."
"Maybe… yes. It makes sense." Diego sighed again. "Maybe I was too hard on him. But if he chose this road for the sake of the island and his conviction is strong enough, then I am sure that his choice was the right one." He threw his head back and laughed. "Hahaha! That's my boy. He'll be fine in the Navy."
"In the long run, I am sure he will make his way," Coby nodded before scowling, his Haki leaking. "But first, I will have to deal with that abomination of a dog."
Sugoi… Diego was awed by the young man's aura, even though it was an angry flare. Like the lady admiral and the fleet admiral… something incredibly noble and ancient that makes you want to follow him… "If it's not too much trouble to ask, would you mind if I make a wax sculpture of you later?"
A little surprised, Coby shook his anger off. Get a grip, boy! Save the anger for punching the idiot! "Under one condition. You make it a trio. I have two subordinates who will follow me to hell and back," he grinned.
"You mean like your admiral and fleet admiral?" The wax sculptor smiled. "Sure. What's with them anyway? I've never seen anyone so synchronized in battle before."
"They're married to each other. And before, they were on the same crew, with the same teachers as myself. But now, I need to get back to my ship. This farce has been going on long enough."
"I'll come with you. I want to see him again." Diego stopped for a moment. "I'm sorry, I never got your name, young man."
Coby smirked. "Commodore Icchi C. Coby, at your service, sir."
-MF Shipwreck Isle, Captain's quarters-
Unfortunately, the Straw Hats had by now busted Regis out of prison to deliver the Whitebeard wax figurine to him, and were now assaulting the Navy base, causing Bilić to fire cannonballs at the town. (He had not considered that Zoro stayed only lost as long as there wasn't something to fight against, and giant cannonballs definitely qualified.) In answer, Coby had his crew cast off stante pede. "Helmeppo. Do we have special authority by HQ with the orders or do we have to request it first?"
"We are an Internal Affairs unit, remember?" Helmeppo quickly perused the folder. "We have the authority of the General Inspector, which is equal to that of the STOC. Why? Want to punch Bilić's lights out that badly?"
"If I don't, I am going to lose it, my friend, and we cannot have that, can we?"
The blonde swordsman shuddered and nodded quickly. "Let's end this."
"Commodore!" Rika's voice rang through the voice pipe that reached from the aft deck to Coby's rooms. "We have arrived at the base, but it seems there is a commotion!"
"I know." Without further ado, he left the cabin, and, at sensing one of the paternoster discs being about to run one of the enslaved artisans over (destroying the cannon had blown up a good portion of the main tower), he raced forward with a Soru, first shattering said disc with a single punch, and then catching a major piece of it that was about to fall on the fallen artisan. "Are you okay?"
The man nodded numbly. "T-thank you, marine-san."
Dropping the block of metal to the side, he smiled grimly. "All part of the job. Now, let's deal with a certain blemish on the Great Blue." Walking towards the rubble of the tower, he waited calmly until Bilić reemerged from it and yelled at Regis about the destruction of the cannon. Just as he was about to burn the young recruit's wax figurine, the younger commodore decided it was enough and picked up a stone roughly the size and shape of a standard explosive cannonball. "Bone Fist… Meteor!" he hissed, launching the stone with his bare hands, knocking both figurine and lighter out of Bilić's hands. "That's quite enough, jerk." He shot Luffy a look. Stay out of this. This bastard is mine.
Luffy gulped, recognizing the technique and the look – it was his grandfather's handwriting. "He's all yours, Commodore Coby," he stated, retreating. Man, I really need to shape up. I'm being left behind by Coby too now! Just look at the coat, and… gods. He's taller than me now! Any taller and he's going for admiral size!
"How dare you!"
"That's my line, idiot," Coby growled. "You have no idea who you are dealing with, do you. Anyway. By the authority vested into me by General Inspector Sengoku, Admiral Shirotatsu and Fleet Admiral Kuzan, you are under arrest for gross abuse of authority, slavery, plundering, theft absolue and treason. Using your garrison and the civilians like that is unforgivable."
"Unforgivable? I am the one who will not forgive you, you stupid boy!" A smoke bomb, and Bilić was gone from view. "You will not stop me from becoming admiral! You just let them destroy an important weapon of the Navy… and you do not even care!"
Coby stepped back a little as to not inhale the smoke. "Dream on, dog. The rules state that the candidate for becoming admiral must be a living weapon of mass destruction, not wield one. None of your fancy toys are of concern for the monsters of our world."
"Nonsense! I can do this. Thus. Unforgivable! It will not be forgiven that you let them do this! I'll show you what my fancy toys can do!" As the smoke stopped, Bilić emerged behind the controls of yet another cannon, this time less than half the size of Josephine. "You're dead, all of you! Elizabeth will judge you a fool!"
"Judge, execute, kill! Begone, begone!" he sang through his snake puppet.
"Try me. I bet you cannot match Garp-sensei's punches, asshole," Coby muttered, getting into stance. "Helmeppo, Rika. Have the crew get me some cannonballs."
"On it."
While the crew of the Shipwreck Isle unloaded two conveyor belts ("come on, faster"), Bilić took the opportune moment to fire at the rose-haired teen… who cut the projectile out of the air with a kick. "Rankyaku." It exploded harmlessly in midair, far away from the young man. "Is that all? I thought you wanted to kill us!" he taunted. Finally, the conveyors were placed beside his hands, and, true to being Garp's student, he cracked his knuckles. "Unlike you, I am not a pencil-pusher. Shall we get started?"
"Why you…!" Switching to high-speed exploding ammunition, Bilić fired again, this time at Rika, who was just returning with Helmeppo.
But the blonde cut it out of the air with his kukris without even looking. "Amateur."
"Bone Fist… Meteorite Rain!" Coby yelled, starting to launch his cannonballs, and was duly surprised for a moment as it turned out that the smaller cannon was mobile… and extremely fast. Unfortunately for Bilić, for a Soru user, it was nothing Coby couldn't handle. "So you want it the hard way…" Determined, he tossed his coat aside, straight to Rika. "Hold that for me, lieutenant, will you? I need to punch someone's lights out." You are not nearly as fast as senpai, scratch that, even sensei is faster than that.
Rika nodded grimly. "Watch yourself, Coby-junshô."
Much to Bilić's surprise and fear, his younger opponent had no trouble keeping up with the mobile cannon, evading or destroying effortlessly every shot he fired, even as they took to fighting on a web of steel cables high above the ground. "Why can't I hit you?! These weapons, the giant spinning tops and Elizabeth were built with the ingenuity and the sweat of the artisans of Hand Island! They cannot be defeated!"
"I don't need a cannon to sink a ship," Coby answered calmly, having found his battle equilibrium again. "I trained and worked hard to achieve my rank, and for slandering everything the Navy believes in, I will show you why exactly some people call me the Soaring Fist." Just then, Bilić sent the razor spinning tops after him… only for Helmeppo, Rika and some of the Straw Hats to destroy them (Rika turned out to be quite the sniper), much to Bilić's dismay. "Finished playing? Yes?" Nice shot, Rika-kun.
"You insolent brat! You will pay for this!" – "Kill him, kill him, kill him!"
Kami-e, Coby whispered, evading the cannon shots like a sheet of paper in the wind while continuously getting closer with Kamisori.
"What in the world is this? I can't hit him at all! Fire, fire!" Now in a full-blown panic, Bilić fired shot after shot, exhausting his ammunition by the second while missing the seemingly soaring teen every time.
But it was already too late. "Gotcha, you damn dog." With a hellish smirk, Coby grabbed Bilić by the arm occupied by his snake puppet, cocking his right fist. "Greet the stars from me. Meteor Fist… Celestial Impact!" And, with a mighty punch from above he enhanced with another, downward-directed Kamisori and Haki hardening, he sent the delusional bastard plummeting to the ground, destroying the cannon in a spectacular yellow explosion and a rain of metal shards, finally landing in an elegant crouch between his new navigator and his best friend.
"That… was bloody brilliant, commodore," Rika gaped.
"Splendid, Coby-junshô. I didn't even really need to help," Helmeppo stated.
"You don't need to be so formal with me. Anyway. Cuff him." Coby turned to address the stunned marines of the base. "Navy Headquarters has analyzed this case. Bilić is hereby stripped of his command and put under arrest to face a court martial. Enslaving the population he was sworn to protect… is not something what a marine officer should ever even think about doing." He paused to let the words sink in. "The base shall immediately cease all attacks on the island and await new orders from HQ!" At that, the troops saluted in confirmation. "I want you to cooperate with the islanders and help them rebuild their home!"
Meanwhile, the Straw Hat Pirates had used the commotion to sneak away, and Helmeppo had gotten out a pair of high-class handcuffs. With a smirk that promised hell, the blonde restrained the now former commodore, and moved him with a series of kicks towards their ship. But to Regis, that was of no consequence, as his father came down from the deck of the Shipwreck Isle. "Oyaji? Oyaji!"
"Regis." The old sculptor did not hesitate and hugged the young man.
"Oyaji, I'm so sorry… I…"
"Don't worry. It's okay now," he smiled. "You've done well, my boy. You'll be fine with the Navy."
"Dad…"
Coby however stared after the retreating Thousand Sunny. Well, Luffy-san. What do you think of me now? I know I still have a long way to go, but one day… "One day, I'll get you, my friend!"
-Thousand Sunny, open sea-
"That was a little close," Nami muttered. They had just collected Zoro. "I mean, wow. What kind of hell did your grandfather put them through?"
"Seems like the Navy experience from what I've read," Chopper said cheerily as he remembered fondly how they would use the term 'monster' light-heartedly.
"He just keeps getting better and better," Luffy said with a mixture of admiration and depression. "Just damn. I still have a hard time believing that was Coby but I suppose if Andy can go from practically dying to scary as all hell, even Coby could just dramatically change from wimp to badass." He groaned into the piece of meat Sanji had fed him. "We need to step up our game, don't we? Otherwise, all these marines will leave us behind."
The following silence was awkward to say the least. "Well, you told me you wanted to beat up Big Mom, right?" Xian finally asked. "How about we make good on your promise? We might have to take baby steps, but I told you that already. We need to take down her allies first and make her turf yours."
"She's a Yonkô, so a lot of her power depends on not just her crew but all the people that follow her, right? But how are we going to make people consider our protection instead of hers?"
"Simple. Would you incinerate an island just because they cannot deliver their tribute on time?" Seeing him shake his head, the treasure hunter continued, "Well, there you have it. The islands you protect with your flag and name would not have to fear that. Essentially, you may get them to switch allegiances simply through giving them a better deal. As for the allies, the rule in the New World is simply that might makes right. End of story. Big Mom's allies will follow you if you prove stronger than their captains. In other words, beat them up, and most of them will follow you, especially since you won't eat them. And yes, Charlotte Linlin is a cannibal." Seeing their fright, the ginger shook her head. "Welcome to the New World my friends." She then glances around for a bit of rum before giving a grim smile. "This is only the beginning of this place. And sadly, the first half of it is dominated by the two nastier Yonkô."
"The other is Kaido of the Beasts, if I remember correctly," Sanji stated. "But Kaido is said to be comparatively reasonable if one takes Big Mom as measuring stick… where do we start?"
"Yeah. What's the best place to start, Xian?" Luffy asked grimly.
"Actually, the next island – Xylst Key. It's home to the Unplugged Pirates. I suggest some earplugs though. The captain sings very badly."
"Can't be any worse than Usopp, Luffy and Chopper singing to Brook's songs," Nami chuckled slightly.
Xian made a face. "The Unplugged Pirates fancy themselves to be a Heavy Metal band, including the fact that for that, the lead singer slash captain doesn't have to look good and is unable to sing properly."
Luffy snorted. "We can't have everything. So, next stop is time for some asskicking! Set in course for Xylst Key!"
-MF Shipwreck Isle, later-
"Commander Helmeppo?" Rika approached the blonde carefully.
"Even if it's hypocritical of me, you don't need to be so formal with me, Rika-kun. Helmeppo-san is fine," the swordsman chuckled, pouring himself another cup of coffee. He was heading the night watch and needed every bit of caffeine he could get.
"Sorry. Helmeppo-san. What happened to Coby? I mean, I was not very happy with what that fatso did, but he seemed ready to rip him a new one." The young navigator shook her head. "I mean, it was awing and inspiring, yeah, but it was also terrifying. He used to be always the nice guy, but now…"
"He's something fierce, isn't he?" Rika nodded slowly. The swordsman smiled. "But he's always had that. He just needed a good reason to be that way. Also, there is something you need to consider. When we came to Marineford, it turned out he's a Dai Senmeibukai. A military noble, and by now, he's truly acting the part. What Bilić did is simply an unthinkable slander to him and needs to be punished appropriately."
"What else will be done?" Rika asked quietly. "Is there going to be any further investigation?"
"We have all the evidence we need for a court martial. What Bilić did will earn him a cashiering and the hangman's noose at the worst, a life sentence in Impel Down at the least," Helmeppo answered darkly. "And with Kuzan-gensui in charge, he has a snowball's chance in hell to get out of it."
"Seems like it'd be political suicide for any marine to help Bilić out of his mess. Not that I think anyone would. I've never seen a marine who thinks he can bypass the rules of personal combat power and is so disrespectful of those who work hard, not even Morgan did that. And slavery… I bet he's the kind of asshole who caters to the Tenryûbito's whims," Rika muttered. "And I know I shouldn't say that word around Coby. So basically, he can't stand assholes?"
"That's it in a nutshell. Bonus jerk points if you're a self-righteous one." Helmeppo smiled gently. "Now here's the question. Do you follow our rose-haired warring lord of the seas… or turn away? It should be clear what I chose, but what about you?"
Rika glared first before chuckling. "I'm here, am I not? I didn't work myself into the ground just to run away. Besides, someone has to do the shooting for you, and once we hit home, you're short a navigator, that's why I am here after all."
"And I'm glad you are with us. Even on an unusual mission like this. Seriously, with a mission like this, I'm happy we were enough to handle it. There could have been so much to go wrong but they matched us with a good indicator of our ability. I wonder who assigned us this in fact. Feels like there is a sense of humor going on." The blonde shook his head and chuckled. "If Coby was up, he'd say that the Gods are entertaining themselves… and I am not sure if he would not be right."
The junior lieutenant snickered. "I think we both agree that we really don't mind as long he's our friend at the end. Lay on."
-Meanwhile-
As the paint finally dried on the first piece being made, Diego gave a smile as he referred to the sketches he had made earlier. To see one of my prior subjects actually grown up… What a wonder! He was glad in the end that he still had the perfect color for Xian's hair but now had to look into mixing in a few other colors. Lorenor Zoro's lime-green hair had been easier to shape and paint than the young woman's knee-long mane. "Perfect…"
The wax statue looked so lifelike and the artist was pleased to have captured the expression on each of his subjects in the sketch but now he just had to translate it over to the wax medium. He always would go initially fast before slowing down to work out the minute details like any proper artist should. He made sure that each trait of his subjects should compliment each others despite being on opposing sides. To think that I am making another sculpture of a bunch of Marines… heh. That boy was something else. They all were truly extraordinary in their own ways. Seeing that the trio of marines had hardened, Diego picked up his brush again. Well, while my pirates dry, I might as well get started on you three, he grinned eagerly. This needs to come out perfect. I wouldn't accept anything less. They deserve the best; even if the only way to thank them is to honor them this way. These truly need to stand the test of time and for good reason. They will truly be an inspiration for the future… And not just for pirates and marines either.
-Meanwhile-
Luffy sat on the figurehead quietly for a moment in an attempt to gather and sort out his thoughts that did not involve food in them, but then again, they were heading to the next island for the express purpose of going into battle and conquering the place. Thinking about a BBQ would be much later. His fist clenched as he felt so weak but yet determination was within his grasp. I wonder if this is what Andy felt… Being surrounded by such overwhelming allies. It is cool but sucks at the same time.
"Berry for your thoughts?" a calm voice sounded, snapping Luffy out of his brooding. "It seems as if I would require Nami's entire stash to hear them all out."
Luffy snickered for a moment before sighing. "Nah. She could buy it out several times over and still be set for life. But I do need to think on this. We can't just go in swinging like before. We've been lucky this far but damn it… Damn it!" Luffy let his arms droop off the figurehead before he continued. "It feels weird seeing so many people I thought were weaker than me advance so much. Like am I going backwards?"
Xian sighed for a moment as she sat next to the figurehead. "We're all progressing but at our own pace. Things change that. Situations arise. But we can't let that get to us. Otherwise, how can we dream? Scratch that, how can we even live?"
"Another thing that reminds me of Andy. Wherever she got that determination from, it certainly made her stronger and livelier. But in a way, also much sadder." Luffy shook his head and set eyes on the horizon. "But both she and Coby are right. It's time I took this serious… after all, I came to the New World with people like Big Mom in my sights from the beginning."
Zoro had joined them on the bow. "Same here. Anything specific about our next enemy?"
"Please silence the captain. He's an insult on the word music."
"Land ahoy!" Usopp yelled from above.
"Time to send someone flying," Luffy grinned.
AN: The next chapter is an omake, designed to answer your questions and give you a nice little reference chapter for whenever something pops up. So, review and ask away!
