The group headed downstairs to one of the lower levels. It was a lounge or rest area, with chairs and sofas; and a big clock standing against one wall.
"Alright… suppose I should start from the beginning," Wiggins mused. "Oi, Amanda."
"Yes sir?"
"Fix up some tea… and use our best brews. Least we can do for his Majesty and his guests."
The girl saluted, and trotted down the stairs. Bach remained standing, but Lawson sat down, and nodded at Izuku to do likewise. He did so, taking a seat on one of the softas. Yamato sat down only for the sofa to start tipping up.. Blushing, she shifted to the middle, right next to Izuku, who blushed in kind.
"I was doing my first watch, gazing out down to Alderport to see if anything's changed, or if anyone's comin…" Wiggins said. "We're the only watchtower with a view of Adlerport, so it's been a constant duty for us. We switched in for Thompson and Maribelle several nights ago, that we did… constant watchin'. Vigilance. And then… I saw it. The lighthouses turning on one by one… and then.." He smiled ruefully. "Four Marine warships, with Scotyard's flag brandishing his title, with him at the bow leading the way. ODP."
"ODP?" Izuku asked.
"Order of the Doyle Protectorate." Lawson explained. "It's a title bestowed upon those who win the Midsummer Knight's Festival."
"What's a Knight?" Yamato inquired with the tilt of a head.
"A knight is a title bestowed upon one for chivalry and noble deeds. I will be happy to elaborate later, Miss Yamato, though I suppose you could consider them the equivalent to Wano's samurai, if my reading on past samurai is of any indication…" Lawson added. The white-haired girl nodded, looking positively elated at the idea.
"Anyways… Scotyard was sailing in… and to my luck, he was able to get to the harbor. How he turned on the lighthouses though is beyond me…" Wiggins mused.
"Scotyard leads a handpicked brigade of Marines who excel in maritime warfare," Bach cut in. "It would have been a simple matter for them to secure the lighthouses and turn them back on. Scotyard was born in Adlerport, and he knows the waters and shoals better than most."
Izuku looked at him. He was staring out of the window, his face expressionless, his eyes grim.
"Ah, well, that might be the case, your Majesty," agreed Wiggins. "In any case, I saw Scotyard's ships reach the harbor…and then I saw'em."
Wiggins took a deep breath.
"They just leapt, right off the harbor, and onto Scotyard's ship. I've never seen the like. Then there were pirates on the docks, shooting at the ships. Cannons too, hidden like."
He trailed off, breathing hard. Izuku pictured it in his mind; the four ships, sailing serenely into the harbor, the pirates hiding themselves on the docks or in the ships, ready to move.
"They must have seen the lighthouses being turned on and knew something was wrong," he mused.
"The only reasonable explanation," mused Bach. "The Finalem Brothers aren't fools. Even if they left no one in the lighthouses, they would have kept a close watch on them."
He turned to the window and stared out, tight-lipped, breathing through his nose.
"They must have known, or assumed, that someone would come. The moment the lights turned back on, they had their warning. They needed only to keep men in readiness to make their move. Then wait, until Scotyard was too far into the harbor to retreat. He didn't even know he'd signed his own death warrant."
"I knew the man…" said Lawson. "He loved his kingdom. It's why he joined the Marines after he won the title of ODP ten years ago. It was his efforts that enabled us to get a G-base here."
"And the raised taxes…" Bach sighed with a bitter edge. "Forgive me Sergeant. Continue."
"Yes your majesty. Well, they fought. Scotyard fought the younger of the Brothers…oh, uh…"
He paused, then headed over to a bulletin board; which Izuku saw contained Wanted posters. He recognised "Black Train" Diesel and "Fire Fist" Ace from back in Ludeterin. But Wiggins was gesturing at two others.
WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE
"SALTQUAKER" FINALEM HANDSOME
444,000,000 BERRIES.
WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE
"QUICKSILVER" FINALEM BANDSOME
420,000,000 BERRIES.
Their faces were quite the sight too, enough to make Izuku feel uneasy. Handsome had a plump face with a long nose, pronounced dimples, a small double chin, eyes ringed in yellow and a captain's hat atop it all. His mouth was spread in a wide, malevolent grin.
Bandsome's face was narrow, almost gaunt; with neat black hair topped with a beret of sorts. His eyes were hidden behind black spectacles, and his thin mouth formed a cocky smirk.
"Scotyard, by jove he and his men fought but it was so quick. A sword against Bandsome's blades; like fighting a storm of swords. But by heaven, he fought them off!"
Wiggins sighed, in mingled sorrow and reverence, already aware of the outcome.
"He must have been very strong, fighting off a pirate worth 420 million." Yamato commented.
"He was… I could hardly breathe. It was like seeing him at the festival, in the Hundred Man Melee."
He took a draw on his cigarette.
"And then Handsome stepped in. It was…well…like white arms, reaching out of the sea itself."
"The sea itself? White arms?" Yamato asked, cocking her head.
"Aye… they're both Devil Fruit users, those brothers. The blades coming out of Bandsome were like metal whips… cutting anything in his way, and bullets had no effect. I saw one Marine blast him with a flamethrower…Him and his men started choking, and then fell like puppets. Then there was a giant…"
"A giant?" Izuku asked, nervously.
"Not like the ones we know, Izuku," Yamato cut in quickly. Izuku sighed with relief. According to Oden's journal, giants were remarkably civil. Not like the Numbers.
"Aye… the Marines take giants. Hell, they'll take almost anyone really," confirmed Wiggins. "Anyhow, I saw her come at him with a great hammer. She smashed him with it, crushing that Handsome into a white mist. Then he was back again, his hand, like it was made of snow or something…it grabbed her round the throat, choking her and…"
He trailed off. He was shaking, and he looked like he had seen a ghost.
"Then…next thing I know…she was a mummy!"
"A mummy? She became a mommy?" Yamato looked thoroughly confused.
"No… she was mummified. Had all the water drained from her body, leaving a shriveled up husk," Bach glowered. "We have heard of similar happening to those who crossed Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords."
He turned towards Izuku and Yamato, his expression dark.
"They're both Logia Devil Fruit users," he went on. "Handsome with the white arms from the sea consumed the Salt Salt Fruit, becoming a Saltman. While his brother Bandsome ate the Silver Silver Fruit, becoming in his case…well…a Mercuryman."
"Salt… and Mercury?" Izuku said aloud.
"Explains their epithets. Saltquaker, and Quicksilver? Quicksilver is another name for mercury." Hikage said in Izuku's ears.
"And they're both related to elements in the Periodic Table too. Fits with Logias being 'elemental' Devil Fruits, but I was under the impression that it was more Fire, wind, water and that sort of thing," Nana added.
"Seems these Devil Fruits play fast and loose with what they consider elements. Can't even imagine what isn't possible with Paramecia types if that's the case," En muttered, mulling over this new information.
"Devil Fruits are Quirks with an allegory to Forbidden Fruits it seems." The Second User mused. "We should keep listening to him. The sergeant."
"Yes, dangerous Logias indeed," Bach went on. "Salt can dry anything it comes in contact with… and Handsome's power over it is higher than expected."
"Not bad," Yamato mused, her brow furrowed in thought. "But not the worst I've seen."
She looked up, and saw everyone staring at her. Izuku's stomach churned in embarrassment.
"What?" she asked, unsettled. "What did I say?"
"Our friends here have come from Wano," explained Bach. "They have escaped the power of Kaido, King of the Beasts."
Amanda blinked in surprise, and Wiggins somehow managed to look even more haunted.
"She went dry, like a corpse," he went on. "He clenched his fist, and she was dead. Then he moved on to the others, sweeping over the deck; like a tornado made of salt, turning 'em into hamburger meat."
He was shaking again. Yamato stared at him in amazement. Izuku shuddered, as a vision of the slaughter rose unbidden in his mind.
Fortunately, Amanda returned with a tray of tea cups. Any distraction was welcome by that point.
"I have some Earl Gray if anyone wants it. Your Majesty?"
She flinched as Bach turned to face her, his face sour. Nevertheless, he took a cup.
"Thank you," he uttered, sipping as Lawson took one as well.
"Likewise," he added, as Izuku and Yamato took a cup each.
"Thanks for the tea," Izuku said. The girl gave him a sad, tired smile, as Wiggins blew out some smoke.
"By then the pirates were boarding; coming over on those big white arms. I saw Scotyard fall to his knees and…he screamed, and the brothers' lackeys just fell over."
Yamato perked up. Izuku quirked an eyebrow. Fell over? "How did that happen?"
"Don't know how it happened," Wiggins went on. "But the brothers went for him, hard. Desperate even. And there were things flying out of the sea and out of thin air. Swords, spears, hammers, all in white. Must have been Handsome's doing. But they just kept wailing and wailing at Scotyard and the ship. I saw Scotyard charge in, but then these massive arms just came out of the sea, all sawing and slashing, hacking the ships to pieces."
"The salt, again," sighed Bach. "He controls it, as all Logias control their elements. He can draw it from the air and the sea, from anywhere it happens to be, which is beyond even the scope of Logias I know of." Bach's grip on his cup tightened, almost threatening to break it. "He's even more dangerous than that marine girl let on."
"A survivor?" Izuku perked up. Lawson turned, nodding.
"In due time…"
"The ships just fell apart. And the magazines blew. Those two leapt back to the harbor, but I couldn't see Scotyard anywhere. I saw one of the arms get him, knocking him down into the hull…but then his ship exploded. Must have been…about five minutes ago."
"Five minutes…" Yamato uttered, and Izuku felt sick.
"Your majesty," Izuku asked, a horrible thought hovering at the back of his mind as Bach turned towards him. "How many people does it take to man a Marine warship?"
"A full crew and complement, for a Grand Line Marine warship of that size…over a thousand." The blue haired man replied.
Izuku's blood ran cold. A thousand. Four thousand plus all told; coming to save a country from pirates. Four thousand, dead within minutes.
He could have saved them. He could have been there, if he had flown faster, if he had known.
"All those dead… murdered…." Yamato uttered, her teeth barred and fists clenched. "Unforgivable!"
She leapt to her feet. Izuku did the same, anger driving away the shame and the weariness.
"Yamato, we're going down there." Izuku, he said. Yamato nodded, downed her tea in one gulp, and handed the cup back to Amanda.
"Right!" Yamato didn't hesitate. And Izuku wasn't tired any more. How could he be, with thousands lying dead in the harbor, and their killers celebrating?
"Now hang on just a minute!" Lawson protested, running over and standing between them and the window. "You can't go down there! I know you can fly but-"
"We have to stop them!" retorted Izuku, hard. "They killed all those Marines! If we can just get down there…!"
"The townsfolk will die, as will the Marines," retorted Bach coldly.
"What!?" Yamato bellowed, rounding on him. Izuku stared, his mind in chaos. What did he mean?
"The pirates have taken the G-12 base and the entire town," Bach explained. "They have threatened to destroy the town and kill anyone in it, including the captured Marines, if anyone attempts to approach them."
"Hundreds of good Marines… and ten thousand people…" Wiggins cut in. "All of them hostage… for the last three weeks."
Izuku's stomach churned. Three weeks. The townsfolk trapped in their homes, the Marines in their own cells. Three weeks, with food and water cut off to a trickle.
Yamato glowered, gritting her teeth, fists clenching and unclenching as her soul warred with itself. For the briefest moment, her teeth morphed into fangs before her control over her emotions was regained.
Was that… her Oni lineage showing there? Izuku pondered to himself. Still, Izuku felt a strange, familiar calm settled over him. This was a classic hostage situation, just like they had taught him back at UA. This was something he knew how to deal with.
"Yamato, his Majesty is right," he said, forcing himself to sound calmer than he felt. "We have to wait."
"But…they're down there!" protested Yamato. She looked ready to charge down there all by herself. "Those…pirate scum!"
"If we go, they'll kill everyone in the town!" insisted Izuku, his heart aching. "I learned about this back home! The minute we do something, they'll start killing! By the time we get to them, people will be dead! Lots of them!"
"But…!"
Yamato squeezed her eyes shut. Izuku could tell that she understood, that she knew what sort of people she was up against; people who would kill out of sheer spite.
But it hurt her. How it hurt her, to see such wickedness and leave it unanswered. It was the same for him.
"We need to take control of the situation, and come up with a plan," said Izuku, his Hero training taking over. "Your Majesty, have the terrorists been in contact?"
He faltered, realizing what he had just said.
"They took over the G-12's Transponder Snails," replied Bach, apparently unperturbed by the word terrorist. "They used them to issue demands, and to…provide commentary."
He pulled a snail from his pocket and held it up. There was a Marine emblem on it.
"Commentary?" asked Yamato suspiciously.
"They like us to know what they're doing," Bach said. "They do it with the snail active so we can hear, and send photos to our fax just to make sure."
Izuku's stomach clenched.
"How many so far?" he asked, his stomach churning, already dreading the answer.
"Just one, so far. I suppose they don't need to kill any more. Thanks to the Horned Snails, we cannot call for aid and they know it."
"Can't I just remove the Horned Snails? That will remove the jamming array."
The blue haired king shook his head.
"Not without them noticing. Snails must be fed and cared for after all. At the very least they will have rotating crews attending to them. It's a chance we dared not take."
Izuku looked down, forcing down his frustration. Of course they would pay attention to their jammers. Like any halfway competent terrorist, they would have all possible angles covered.
"Aye…" Wiggins sipped his tea. "I thought for sure our country would be liberated… the embargo lifted… now… I'm not so sure anymore."
He looked down, his shoulders slumping. Amanda did the same. They both looked so tired…no, worse than tired.
Hopeless.
"You've done your duty Sergeant…" Lawson patted Wiggins on the back. "Keep it up until your shift change. Shall we depart your Majesty?"
"Yes, we can do no more here." The blue haired man looked to Izuku. "Come Master Izuku, I will explain everything back at the palace."
Izuku glared down at the harbor, and the still-burning ships. A part of him still wanted to fly down there, to fight those villains there and then.
"You cannot fight Logias. Only Yamato can with her Haki power," the Third User spoke. "As we are now… best we learn everything we can before charging in."
"You said so yourself, we need a plan," added Nana. "I know how much you want to save them Izuku… but we need to think it through first."
"I don't like it any more than you kid, but getting yourself killed ain't gonna do anyone any good." Daigoro muttered, despite his fists clenched in anger.
Izuku sighed through his nose. His mentors were right, though he hated to admit it.
He glanced up at Yamato. She too was glaring down at the town, or rather at the pirates. He knew she felt the same way. After all, Oden would not let such injustice go unchallenged.
He'd like to imagine All Might would have gotten along well with Kozuki Oden. They were of a kind, those two.
"It's the same…" she muttered. "It's like I've never left!" Yamato hissed.
"We'll figure something out, Yamato." he said, taking her hand and squeezing it. "We'll go back to the palace and think this through. We'll find a way."
The oni girl squeezed back, so hard that it hurt. Izuku endured it silently, knowing the anguish that drove it.
"Right," she sighed, sheathing Takeru in her rope belt as she let go.
The four left the watchtower, and began their quiet flight back to Londinium.
(X)
It was still night when they landed in the palace gardens.
Yamato glanced from one to the other of her fellow passengers, and Izuku. His face had been a constant scowl all the way back; his flight careful and controlled, without the joy she had come to know. He was angry, and wanted answers, and Yamato didn't blame him. She knew, only too well, what Adlerport was enduring, at the hands of those pirates.
Pirates who had destroyed four Marine battleships in a matter of minutes.
Lawson was more solemn. He had seemed calm enough, but Yamato could tell he was worried. And Bach had just glared, jaw tight, in a grimace not much different from Izuku's own. Infuriated by his own helplessness.
"Thank you Mister Izuku." Lawson said lightly.
"We need answers. The complete picture." Izuku replied, turning towards the two. "Please, your Majesty."
His eyes were still burning, but Yamato could tell that he was tired. Flying from that sky island to Ludeterin, and barely spending even an hour there before taking off again for Doyle… he must have been exhausted.
"We owe you that much," replied Bach. Even his regal countenance seemed faded and frayed. "Come, let us retire inside. You need rest, Master Izuku."
Izuku looked like he was about to object. But he said nothing, and followed Bach and Lawson into the palace.
"Wherever could they be!" echoed a voice down the empty halls. All at once Judith appeared, followed by a group of maids. Bach took a deep breath, hand going to his forehead.
"The coachman," he whispered. Izuku winced, and Yamato remembered. They had left in a hurry, without telling the coachman he was no longer needed. She gave the green haired boy's shoulder a quick squeeze.
"Your Majesty! There you are!" Judith called out, walking forward with the servants. "We've been looking everywhere for you and Lawson, do you know what happened?"
"It's quite alright. I was with Bach the whole time," Lawson assured the blonde haired woman. "We were just going to his Majesty's chambers."
"But, what about going to Gloria Tower?"
Bach and Lawson looked at each other, and Izuku had his eyes to the ground.
"We… got a call from them. We do not need to go." Lawson assured. "It will be quite alright Miss Judith. We won't be disappearing on you for the night." He smiled, and patted her on the shoulder.
"Well… at least you're both alright…" she murmured, her hand atop of his own, before huffing, her hands on her broad hips. "But don't go and vanish on me like that again! Especially you, your Majesty." She wagged her finger at them both, and Yamato felt like this wasn't the first time either.
"It won't happen again" Bach said with a wry smile and shrug.
"Hmmph, say that yet you'll always go to the Police Station on your 'nightly' outings, much good you do for the people with your 'consultation and investigation' but still! I worry you know," Judith murmured, looking over to Lawson pouting all the while. "And you keep encouraging him, going out with him too. You both must remember your stations!"
Lawson offered nothing but shrug, and Judith sighed. "Well, I made those crumpets but I didn't want them to get cold, so I fed them to our guest. Shall I make another batch?"
"Please do. I imagine you made them with love and care," Lawson replied. In spite of everything, Judith smiled and chuckled.
"You're lucky I've known you for such a long time, Prime Minister," she said in a soft tone before turning towards the blue haired man. "Shall I have the coachmen retire for the night?"
"Yes, thank you," Bach replied. Judith nodded at one of the maids, who curtseyed and hurried away.
"Come then, let us retire to the solare." He nodded at Judith and the maids, who curtseyed and withdrew. Yamato fell in behind the three men as Bach led the way; wondering what these crumpets were.
Their route took them back the way they had come, up the grand staircase and through the palace corridors. Yamato could not help but look around; marveling at the exquisite decoration. Just about everything seemed to be covered in gold, and finely carved into wondrous shapes. There were silk curtains and rich carpets; as beautifully embroidered as anything in Wano. The doors were all of thick, gleaming wood, also decorated in gold.
Then as they passed through a foyer and cross-corridor, her eyes fell on something special. It was a suit of armor, set on a dais by the wall, with a set of weapons hanging around it.
She paused, and looked more closely. It wasn't like the armor used in Wano, which was made of metal strips tied together with silk strings and lacquered in bright colors. This was made of metal, polished to a sheen, and shaped to fit the body. She could see how the plates were made to slide over one-another, keeping the body protected no matter how it moved. The armor itself was decorated in gold, with rich scrollwork and filigree patterns, and…
She realized she was alone. She looked up, and saw her companions disappearing down the corridor. Embarrassed, she scurried after them, catching up before they could vanish from sight. She fell in beside Izuku, and saw his face.
It was fixed, ashen, eyes to the ground. She remembered that face, on the Live Floor, when her father had executed those people. Her heart ached, for she knew what was behind it. He was thinking of Adlerport, of the hostages. Trying to come up with some plan to help them. All those people he had the power to save, yet dared not try to save.
These people were total strangers, and yet he wanted to save them. He bore such guilt, such shame, for people he didn't even know; whose countrymen had, only hours ago, shown him little but hostility.
What a heart beat within that chest of his. A heart that was suffering. A heart she had to soothe, to strengthen in any way she could.
"It's going to be okay," she said, smiling down at him as she remembered his words to her. "We'll think of something."
She didn't entirely believe it. She couldn't think of anything herself, at least not right away. But he looked up at her, and that stoney face split into that old warm smile that brought her comfort in her darkest moments. At least she had made him feel better, if only a little.
She looked up as they reached the golden doors, and the waiting servants opened them. Lawson was glancing back at them, a strange, almost knowing look in his eyes.
They reached the solare, and the doors were pulled shut behind them. There was a pause as servants took their outdoor clothes, and then withdrew; leaving them in silent privacy.
"Okay then," Izuku spoke up. "How long have those pirates been in Adlerport? And what did they mean by one week remaining?"
Bach stood by the sideboard, resting his hands upon it.
"They arrived three weeks ago; shortly after Admiral Aokiji came to collect our payment of the Heavenly Tribute," he replied. "They came in the middle of the night, taking the lighthouse sentries unawares. The Marines at the G-12 base were overwhelmed, as were our own guardsmen at the port. Those remaining laid down their lives to keep the pirates from the lift until it could be sent up out of reach. Only one survived."
"How many of them are there?"
"About a thousand or so," Lawson said. "Experienced pirates, veterans of the Grand Line. Only those who serve the Four Emperors and a scant few are more dangerous."
"With the lift in the up position, the pirates are stuck in the port," Bach went on dourly. "But for that, our heads would all be on pikes; and they know it. They are content to blockade us instead, knowing full well we can't hold out forever."
"Our land is rich and fertile," Lawson cut in. "But our people have grown numerous, and we can no longer feed ourselves. We export manufactures and mineral ores in return for currency, with which we buy food with neighboring islands and pay the Heavenly Tribute."
"With our trade cut off, we have neither food nor additional currency," Bach continued. "We have been forced to ration what food we can produce. We have also introduced tax relief and stimulus packages to prevent inflation and keep the currency circulating."
"All this serves to drain the treasury, already shortened due to the Tribute," added Lawson ruefully. "And despite the rationing, our food stocks are running low."
Yamato gritted her teeth. She never thought she would think well of her father, but he would never have resorted to such vicious cowardice. He would have conquered Doyle honestly, if it cost him a thousand pirates or more. Barbaric yes, but honest nevertheless.
But not these Finalem Pirates. They were content to sit around Adlerport in comfort; with all the food and drink they could want, and hapless hostages to torment for their amusement. All while the people of Doyle waited and waited; hungry, frightened, despairing.
"But why?" asked Izuku. "Why force you to starve? What do they even stand to gain from all this?"
"Because…"
"Ring ring ring ring! Ring ring ring ring!"
Bach fished in his pocket, and drew out the Transponder snail. His countenance darkened as he clicked on the shell, and the blank face of the snail began to change.
"Gwahahahah!" cackled the snail. Its eyes were yellow and ringed, its face twisted into a vicious grin. "Good evening your Royal Majesty! You will not believe what has just occurred!"
"You slaughtered four thousand Marines," Bach replied, with a sang-froid that belied the look on his face.
"Ahhh, the watchtower told you? Well that just ruined the surprise. Oh well." The snail sighed, and then smirked again. "So, have you accepted our terms yet? Your great hero couldn't beat my brother Bandsome and I. I'd hope that'd been enough for you to see reason, smart as you are."
Bandsome…so this one was Handsome. Yamato glared as she remembered the Wanted poster back at Gloria Tower. The fat one, with the long nose.
"We will not be bowing to your demands," replied Bach, with the same, almost sickening calm. "This country is not your plaything, nor will it ever be."
"Oh, you're welcome to try, Bachy-boy," the snail oiled, still grinning. "But I think the thousand Marines jam-packed in the dungeons, and the thousands of very hungry townsfolk, might feel a little differently. How's the food supply up there? Getting a little thin these days?"
"I think Marine HQ will be wondering what happened to Scotyard," Bach growled. "The Reverie is in a few months too, and they won't want pirates such as yourselves cluttering up the sea."
"Oh I'm sure they don't!" drawled the snail. "Only…Marine HQ is kinda on the other side of the Grand Line. It might take them a little while before they get off their butts and send somebody. It would have taken your hero several weeks at top speed to get here. Can your people hold out that long?"
The snail's smirk turned into a glare.
"And even if they can, your deadline is up in a week. Either let us in and give us what we want…or the hostages will answer for it. We could flood the dungeons with my salt, turn them into beef jerky…or maybe ground into hamburger meat…" Handsome sighed wistfully. "decisions, decisions."
"You…" Bach's voice came out as a hiss. "Black-hearted cur…"
"Well, your Majesty, when one aims to be the Fifth Emperor of the Seas, one must do what one must," commented the snail. "The other Emperors left mountains of corpses behind them. I'm merely following their example."
Izuku breathed hard through his nose. He was glaring at the snail, almost as hard as Bach was.
"Of course you might not care about those Marines," the snail went on. "I know I don't. But your subjects…will play a little game with my brother and me." His yellow eyes alight in sadistic cruelty. "We call it, Wheel of how we kill dozens of people at once. I'll even have one of my men carve and paint up a wheel for the occasion! Smash them flat under my fists? Dry them all out? Slice them into ribbons? Drown them all? And many, many more. I'm quite creative when given the chance."
The snail's eyes bulged.
"We'll start with the children, of course. Their bellyaching's kinda getting on our nerves." He commented off to the side as if musing on the weather.
"If there is justice in this world," hissed Bach, glaring hard at the snail. "Doyle will be your grave."
The snail sighed and tutted.
"Justice, Bachy? You see, that's your trouble. You put your faith in the system, going on about the Reverie, thinking the World Government cares about this place. Well it doesn't, Bachy. Scotyard had to come here by himself I bet, and now he's giblets. If you'd looked to your own defenses instead of trusting the system, relying on weak Government dogs in the process, and surrendering most of your country's wealth to line the Government's pockets, you might have fought us off by yourself. But you didn't. You thought your precious hero Scotyard was going to come and save you. As if there are any heroes in this world."
The snail chuckled.
"Well, I've said what I wanted to say. You know the score, Bachy. You make me and my brother 'protectors' of Doyle and rule together with us, everything becomes hunky dory. And don't get any funny ideas about attacking us. You know what happened the last time…ah! Oh! Stupid rain!"
The snail winced, as if in pain.
"Must be going! Watch your fax for all the lovely pictures I'm sending! And remember, one more week! See you then!"
The snail clicked, and shifted back into its normal form. Bach set it down, then grabbed his pipe and lit it up, striding over to the window with a march of an angry and frustrated man at the end of his wits.
Yamato glared at the snail. Finalem Handsome… brutal, cruel, and only with aspirations for power, no matter who he stepped on. He would have been right at home in the bowels of Onigashima, assuming her father didn't smash him flat for his cowardly tactics.
"I think you see our problem," Lawson said solemnly. "Either we give in and let piracy rule this land, or thousands will die. And that's assuming our own citizens don't revolt over the food shortages."
"And if we go down there… they'll kill the hostages? The Marines and townsfolk?" Izuku asked, looking as cross as she knew Bach was.
"More or less." Lawson added. "Scotyard was our only hope… the strongest member of ODP this country has ever produced, and our pride and joy in the Marines. He was our valiant knight…" He sighed, looking to the ground. "Yet it wasn't enough."
He looked towards Bach, a terrible sadness in his eyes.
"Your majesty, you are not wrong," insisted Yamato. "Giving in to pirates rarely ends well. Whatever you give them, it will not be enough."
"Yes, for all the good that has done," grumbled Bach, looking out the window. "But for that damned Heavenly Tribute, we could have held out longer for Marineford to respond. But now? We're hanging from the gallows, a creaky stool under our feet."
He drew hard on his pipe, making the bowl glow.
"The people can bear no more. I've seen it among the townsfolk on our outings. And the reports are coming in. There are riots in Morantown, and Minktown has come under attack from vagrants and Moranites. Mycroft Heights is hiring an army of muscle to prevent thefts, and the Police Department are spread thin."
He stepped away from the window, and sat down in the high-backed chair. He looked so very tired.
"Then let us help. We can fight them!" Yamato exclaimed.
"That's right. There has to be some way we can!" Izuku added. "I can't stand by and let them have their way! We can think of a plan!"
"Did you not hear!? They'll kill the hostages!" retorted Bach. "And there's Handsome's Salt Salt ability. He's in the perfect environment to use it! Four Marine ships, fitted to navigate even this wild half of the Grand Line, sunk in minutes! A Vice Admiral and veteran warrior of this nation, killed in that same amount of time. How can you honestly believe either of you can make a difference?"
Izuku winced, looking away. His teeth were gritted, but his eyes were tired.
"Lady Yamato, Master Izuku, I appreciate your willingness to help," Bach said, sounding all the more tired. "But this is not your responsibility. You owe us no service, nor to Doyle. Nevertheless, you are welcome to remain here as our guests."
He looked up at Lawson.
"Lawson, would you mind arranging rooms for our guests?"
"Of course, your Majesty," replied Lawson sadly. "Come along Lady Yamato, Master Izuku."
Izuku looked like he was going to cry as he bowed and turned to follow Lawson. Yamato glanced at him, and again at Bach. He seemed so small compared to that high-backed chair.
"Good night, your Majesty," she said, bowing. "I…I hope you had fun tonight, flying."
She felt foolish for saying it, for treating him like a child. But she couldn't bear the sorrow any longer.
"Good night, madam," replied Bach, without meeting her eye. He stood up, and stepped over to where his violin waited. As she fell in behind Lawson and Izuku, the somber tones followed her out into the foyer, until the doors clunked shut.
"He's lost all hope," Yamato murmured. "He reminds me too much of…of the people of Wano."
"Yes, I heard that Wano is a domain of one of the Emperors," Lawson mused. "Of Kaido, King of the Beasts. You did well to escape, though I fear Doyle's fate will be like Wano's before long. No help will come from Marineford in time, and our people can bear no more. Hunger can make slavery seem pleasant, until the chains are locked."
Yamato shuddered, feeling the weight of her old seastone cuffs as she rubbed her wrists, and remembering the faces of the slaves on Onigashima. It made the anger bubble back up.
"We have to do something." Izuku snapped, diverting her attention. "I refuse to stand by... and let those villains have their way any longer!"
He took a deep breath, looking off to the side. As if he was listening to someone whisper in his ear.
The Vestiges perhaps?
"I appreciate your willingness to help," Lawson said. "She chose wisely when she sent you here."
He drew a pipe from inside his jacket, and lit up.
"I am in complete agreement," he said, turning to face them. "But you two must rest. You've had a long day and exhaustion will only hinder you further. Come, the guest rooms are this way."
The mouse mink led the way down the corridor, Yamato and Izuku following on.
"Were they asking you something?" Yamato whispered as Izuku looked up.
"Hmm?"
"Your inner… musings?"
"Oh, yeah." Izuku sighed. "They were telling me to calm down… sorry for, well… acting up."
"Don't be. You want to help." Yamato replied, beaming. "If it hadn't been for that heroic nature of yours, I'd still be trapped back on Wano."
Izuku smiled back, and Lawson smiled too.
"And here are the guest rooms," he said, as they came upon a long corridor. Izuku stared in amazement, and Yamato couldn't blame him. There were dozens of doors!
"Please use these two suites," Lawson went on, gesturing to the two nearest doors. "Each one has its own bathroom, and its own Transponder Snail. Feel free to freshen up and relax. If you need anything, please use it to call…ah, Ensign!"
Yamato looked up, and saw a girl strolling down the corridor, wearing what looked like a bathrobe. She had black hair in twintails, long eyelashes, and brown eyes with a downcast look to them. Around her neck was a spiked choker, which reminded Yamato of the Beast Pirates. There were tattoos on her arms, but Yamato couldn't quite make them out.
"Hmm…who are you guys?" she asked. She looked to be in her mid twenties, or thereabouts.
"Ah, these are guests of his Majesty," Lawson surmised. "Just finished dinner I presume?"
"Yeah. That Judith makes some nice crumpets and Beef Wellington…" She replied, tone dull. "I'm going to bed. Thank you again for everything, Prime Minister sir."
"Not at all Ensign, just get your rest." Lawson spoke as the girl walked past, eyes curiously looking up to Izuku, and again to Yamato. The white haired girl saw Lawson perk up.
"By the way Ensign, are you free tomorrow?" He asked, the girl looking back with quirked eyebrow.
"Yeah, I'm just either in the library or in the guard barracks. What's up?"
"You see… my two friends here are in need of assistance. If possible, would you accompany them into Londinium for clothes shopping?"
"You don't have to go that far sir," Izuku spoke up, embarrassed.
"Oh it's quite alright. The ensign here is a resident of Londinium, and I'm sure some fresh air will do her good. Plus, I imagine you will need new attire, since you came from the outskirts."
Lawson smiled, and Yamato glanced down at herself. Yes, they stuck out like sore thumbs, dressed as they were. A change of clothes was needed.
"Sure thing I guess. Got nothing else to do." The girl offered a hand to Izuku. "I'm Ensign Doll of the Marines. Nice to meet you both…"
"Oh! I'm Midoriya Izuku." The boy took her hand and shook it.
"And I'm Yamato," Yamato added, feeling uncertain. This girl was a Marine?
Then her mind clicked. The sole survivor, the only one to make it up the lift. She glanced at Izuku, and saw the expression on his face. He had figured it out too.
"Splendid. I'd come along as well, but I need to tend to my work. By the way, I'll have your belongings dropped off here as well." Lawson turned towards the duo. "Those backpacks you had."
"Oh right! Thank you." Izuku declared, bowing.
"Now then… all of you should get your rest. I'll call up Miss Judith and she will bring those crumpets of hers to you both. And some of her Beef Wellington too. I need to be off." Lawson bowed, and turned to leave.
"Prime Minister, sir…" Izuku said, and the mouse mink paused.
"I…I want to help this country!" Izuku went on, his face red. "Not just for our agreement! I want to prove that villain wrong! There are heroes in this world!"
"I feel the same!" Yamato added, her heart pounding. "I want to do all I can! I want to, because it's right!"
It was. She knew it. It was what Whitebeard would have done. It was what Kozuki Oden would have done.
Lawson turned his head to regard them, with a strange look in his eyes. And then he smiled.
"Yes," he said. "For some strange reason, I believe in the two of you. Would it please you to come visit me after your shopping trip tomorrow? There's something I would like to discuss with you."
"Of course!" said Izuku. Yamato nodded in agreement.
"Good night then, Lady Yamato, and Master Izuku." Lawson bowed one last time, turned, and strode away.
"What was that about?" Doll asked, looking confused.
"We plan to help this country however we can… country bumpkins we maybe." Izuku stated. Doll quirked an eyebrow, and nodded.
"Right then. Meet me out here when you're ready, tomorrow morning. I know some of the best clothing stores down Gregson Lane."
"Thank you Ensign, we're in your care." Izuku nodded, the girl nodding back, then retreated to her room.
"Let's get washed up first before we call up dinner…" Izuku said. "And if the bathrooms only have a bath I'll… stand outside the room, with my Black Whip."
He fidgeted, blushing. Yamato could not help but smile.
"Thank you Izuku." She pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The room was very large, as large on its own as her rooms back on Onigashima combined. It seemed to be a lounge, with sofas and chairs arranged around the middle of the floor. Directly opposite the door was a wide window, offering a fine view of the mountains beyond. To her left was a set of double doors.
"This…" gaped Izuku. "This is…bigger than my dorm room…"
"So…is this the bedroom?"
Yamato strode over to the door and opened it. It was indeed the bedroom, with an enormous bed in the middle of the opposite wall, and a large desk set into the wall to her right. To her left there was another door, and next to it a set of smaller doors set in a row.
"So…huge," gasped Izuku. He was clearly impressed.
"And could this be the bathroom?" Yamato wondered aloud. She stepped over to the door and opened it. It was indeed the bathroom, with a very large bath set into the marble floor. Yamato stepped forward, looking it over. It was big enough for many people to sit inside at once. Frankly it'd be more appropriate to call it a pool than a tub.
But her eyes fell on something set into the wall. It was a brass panel, with a set of round handles set into it.
"Oh, a shower," Izuku said, stepping up beside her. "Think you can try it? Have you been under any rain and felt unwell?"
"Not really. Let me try it out."
She turned one of the handles. There was a whoosh, and water came down from the ceiling, almost splattering them.
"I'll just wait out here," Izuku said, stepping outside and closing the door. Yamato looked around once again. This bathroom was as lavish as the bedroom. The walls as well as the floors were of marble, with great mirrors edged in gold set into them. There was a basin for washing, and a toilet, and racks of fluffy white towels and bathrobes.
Yamato supposed it shouldn't be a surprise. This was a royal palace, and no King would want his guests to lack for anything.
She set down Takeru, then shed her rope belt, sandals and clothes, before stepping back into the bath. She turned the handle, and the water came down again. Yamato stood for a moment, letting the icy water wash over her, then started playing with the handles. She felt the water warm up, until it was as hot as a hot spring.
"Wow! The water itself gets warmer and colder too!"
"You feeling okay?" Izuku called from behind the door.
"Splendid actually!" Yamato stood there, enjoying the steaming water. "And I don't feel weak at all… haaa… this water is so nice… what is this?"
"It's a shower! Back in my world, they have those everywhere. It's a nice alternative to baths." Izuku replied.
"Ohhh… I could stay in here all day…" Yamato sighed, feeling all her muscles relax amidst the warm water. "I think I've got this covered!"
"Alright then! I'll go take my shower, then call up some food!"
Yamato smiled, and let the hot water wash away the sweat and dirt, and her weariness.
(X)
Doll sat in the very large and very comfortable bed. In her hands was a book, describing the founding of Doyle. She read in silence, trying to lose herself in the words, in the events as they played out in her mind. The glorious ancient days, eight centuries ago, when the House of Reichen had built its fortress upon this rock, and around it built a mighty kingdom.
Better those ancient days than these days. Better that glorious memory than the memories she had acquired three weeks ago. The memories that would never entirely leave her.
"So yummyyyyyy!"
She looked up, wondering for a moment where the sound had come from.
Then she recognised it. It was that tall woman the Prime Minister had brought in, the one he called Lady Yamato.
"Hey, quiet down Yamato!" came another voice; almost certainly that boy named Izuku. "You'll wake the palace up!"
Doll sighed, and turned her eyes back to her book; but she couldn't settle down. What was going on? Why had the Prime Minister brought those two foreigners into the palace? What did they mean about helping the country?
Did they mean to face the Finalem Brothers?
"They can't," she whispered. "They're monsters."
She hugged the book to her chest. Her comrades were trapped. The whole country was trapped, held hostage by the Finalem Pirates. Her commander was trapped down there too.
The memories flooded back. Her commander, fighting with all his might, roaring at her to run for the lift. Her fellow Marines in their proud white and blue, the Royal Guards in their red tunics and white pith helmets. Muskets blazing, bayonets glittering, swords flashing. The enemy falling by the dozen, and still coming.
She took her wallet from the bedside table. Inside it was a photograph, taken on the day she was assigned to Adlerport's newly-built G-12 base. There she was, in her pristine white uniform, face bright with pride; and there was her commander, wearing a fatherly smile.
How different it had been then, when they were setting out. How proud they had been as they set sail for Doyle, their homeland, eager to defend that great kingdom from all who would harm it.
All for nothing.
"Please be safe… Commander Baker…"
She hugged the photo to her chest, eyes wet with tears. She was in this soft bed, while he was trapped in his own dungeon. She had food to eat, while he would surely have none. She was safe, while he was in the hands of pirates; a sheepdog at the mercy of wolves. She thought back to that laughing woman with the horns and the green haired boy beside her.
How could those two be so happy? How could they enjoy themselves when all this was happening? How could they be so sure of themselves!?
She drew a long breath, trying to calm herself. Whatever else had happened, she was still a Marine, an officer! She had a duty, and this country needed a hero!
But…what could she do? She was just one person, just an eighteen-year ensign who had barely gotten out of there with her life. She wasn't a hero, she was a weakling! A coward!
She shook her head. No, not a coward. Her commander had ordered her to run, and he had a good reason. Someone had to reach the lift. Someone had to get it moving, to get it up and away. Her commander had ordered her, and she had obeyed. That was her duty.
But what was her duty now? To take those strangers to shop for clothes? Was she a tour guide now?
She shook her head again. He was the Prime Minister of a World Government tributary kingdom; a kingdom the Marines were bound to protect. Her kingdom nevertheless.
To order her was his right, and to obey him was her duty; as the Celestial Dragons had ordained, and as Commander Baker had taught her.
Besides, it wasn't as if she had anything better to do. It wasn't as if she could do anything about it by herself.
She set the book and her wallet on the bedside table, and slid down the bed. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe she could get to know them, see if they really wanted to help. Maybe even find out why Lawson was so interested in them.
At least she would be doing something halfway useful.
She closed her eyes, and willed herself to sleep.
And there you have it. The introduction to one half of the main antagonists of this arc, complete with the picture of what our heroes have to do. Quite the pickle Izuku and Yamato are in. How will they save Doyle when it's at gunpoint like this? Along with the introduction of a OP canon character, but not quite who you expected didja
Big thanks again to Juubi-K , IKnowNothing and WildJoker000 for their help, as always.
And now I'm going on vacation. Juubi will be handling the next chapter in a One for One but I won't be back until November 5th or so. So don't expect any omakes from me.
I am nevertheless intrigued by canon OP and Egghead as a whole, but not big on CP0 being super stupid in bringing Seraphim Kuma when, you know, Vegapunk will have a failsafe for this creation. And the recent MHA chapter with Shouji and Kouda vs. SpinnerZilla is absolute kino.
Hope you all enjoyed this one, and we will see you in the next one.