There are two ways to win at cards: with a fair hand or a good bluff. Neither matters in a pirate's case since they'll cheat even when the odds favor them.
~From the Logbook of Bard "Quill" William.
ON THE DECK OF THE RED FORCE
Beckman caught the letter. The poor bird, a tawny hawk that did not belong to any island near them, trotted on the deck. Lucky sent for a bowl of water and meat from the kitchens, letting the hawk rest by him.
It was hard for anyone to find them, let alone get a letter to them, but Beckman knew who had sent it. He tore open the letter and read quickly, pulling his cigarette from his mouth. A smile tugged at his lips.
"It's for you," said Beckman, pulling a chair by Shanks. He sat, leg folded in his lap and slid the letter over.
Shanks, who was frowning over the morning paper, skimmed the page. Rockstar edged down the stairs, listening with eager ears.
"An S.O.S?" Shanks' eyes popped out of his head. His elbow slipped off the table and spilled the open bottle of sake. "Her ship sunk?!"
Beckman sighed. Rockstar decided to keep busy. Benn Beckman's sighs usually spelled trouble, and Rockstar liked rules too much to break them, especially in front of his commanding officers.
"Don't joke," scolded Beckman lightly.
Shanks turned severe, "Penny stuck to him longer than I expected."
The utterance of this name had some sailors straining their ears. They were curious, but Beckman hadn't found someone brave enough to ask for the truth. Many joined the crew after Penny had left, but the few who knew her found too much joy in scaring the others with rumors.
Beckman nodded. Ace's only encounter with them left an impression that hadn't dulled. "Kids like Ace burn through life trying to make their name known."
"I thought it'd be easier to calm him with someone in his generation…a friend…."
"You weren't wrong, but do you think a guy with pride like his could handle hearing someone rip his decisions to shreds?"
Shanks huffed, near laughter, but stopped by the look on Beckman's face. Shanks folded the letter neatly, tucking it away, and stood. His good humor faded. "I should've told her to come back with us instead."
"She'll only get stronger on her own."
But Beckman understood Shanks' genuine worry. Penny approached her problems with good humor and infinite faith that things would work in her favor. Her true anger displayed itself in those rare moments, followed by wild, reckless action.
It was not the same burning rage they had seen in Ace, which sought destruction for the sake of a glorified name. Penny held the wrath of a storm not yet tempered into maturity. Slow brewing and proud, but one that swept others into its orbit.
He had asked Penny once what kind of story she wished to tell, reminded of Shanks' words…echoed from Gol D. Roger…. "Legends that endure in the future...were events that took place in the distant past."
Penny responded eagerly, eyes bright with excitement. "A happy ending! It has to have a happy ending." Penny said this as if it was more important than anything. "All the best stories do!"
"What kind of happy ending?" Beckman asked.
"One where we can make lots of friends, go on adventures, and make new stories!" She smiled shyly. "And you're all there."
"What if we're not?"
"People die." Soft. Knowing. Shanks refused to ask about her past out of sheer stubbornness. Out of the pain he still felt about Gol D. Roger. Beckman knew without knowing what might have happened. Where she might be from. He saw no benefit in bringing up war stories. There were some pains too raw for speech.
"Nothing can change that," said Penny, fiddling with her fingers. She looked up, eyes bright, "but if you're strong, then you can stop it from happening. You can protect the happy ending."
Many people knew how to fight, but very few understood when to fight.
Beckman understood the dream Penny carried too well to worry that she would lose herself to the world's chaos, but that did not mean she was protected from it. Wherever she was at that moment, he hoped there were people she trusted with her.
GATE OF DECEIT
SMOKER
"Let's start," said Dolos. The world around them came alive. Creatures crawling from the trees, from the ground. Spiders bigger than his torso. Worms the size of a basilisk. Mushrooms with sharp fangs and pulsing sports. She swung her legs, laughing. "Figure out what's real and what's a lie, and the next gate will reveal itself."
"Why should we?" snapped Leon.
"It's the only way out. Either you play, or you die."
Smoker exploded, flooding the area with smoke. He grabbed his jitte, pinning the woman to the tree and aimed the sea stone tip at her throat. The creatures flickered as did the deep darkness, nearly revealing light.
She glimmered and disappeared.
An illusion.
"Stay focused," called out Smoker, returning to the crew. "She's got a Devil Fruit."
The beasts moved without an apparent signal. Smoker and his crew were enveloped and surrounded by several creatures. They moved at once. Leon lifted a rifle up, shooting with a precision that few held. One of the beats dissolved into a thin mist, and the bullet ricocheted off a tree, the shrapnel flying. Smoker rose in a plume of smoke, grabbing several creatures with him and then dropping them down. Tashigi cut without mercy, but it was…for lack of a better expression…like fighting smoke.
"Forget them," ordered Smoker, racing forward after the laughing woman. "Get her.
The air exploded as Leon chased after them. Americo shouted, grabbing Leon and shoving him back. "It's rigged!"
The illusion wavered, showing the trip wire they had set off.
"Real or not real?" called Dolos. Something ran toward them—the same tree-like creature that had pulled them from the sea, but smaller, younger, more wild. It shook furiously, crashing left and right. Smoker caught sight of a figure on its back and cursed.
Pirates.
Not just any pirates, but the Kidd Pirates.
"She's mine," said Killer, racing forward to grab Dolos by the throat. The beast he rode fell, revealing more of his crew.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" shouted Killer. He cut wildly at the beastly-tree figure. A terrible groan sounded as it twisted and flailed, trying to shake him off. Another tall man was with him, aiding the attack with a three-pronged trident.
"There you are," snarled Killer, the first mate of the Kidd Pirates. "Thought you could run?"
"M—master Morus won't let you—"
"What'd you do to Bubblegum?"
Dolos shook and breathed out, encasing him in a thin blue mist. It took hold long enough for her to free herself and run away, but it left them with the glaring problem of new enemies to face.
Leon ran forward after her. The forest dropped away like a sheet blowing in the wind. The false landscape fell away, revealing that there was no ground for him to stand on but empty darkness and the edge of a cliff.
He fell. Smoker rushed forward, but the world changed again. Everything they saw and heard…smelled, tasted…everything was fake, but the brain couldn't dispel it, so Smoker caught nothing.
The world returned to what it was.
Leon's jacket was caught in Killer's hand. He pulled the boy back and threw him forward. "I don't have time to waste on any of you."
"What's going on?" asked Tashigi.
"We're in the mountains—beneath the Elusion mountains. The gates lead up to the surface, but these bastards are guarding the gates. There's some nutcase leading them who thinks he can cure civilization," said Wire shortly. "Not our problem, but if he's picking a fight first, we'll kill him. That's alright with you?" The words had a sharp edge, sarcastic.
"Forget them," said Killer, shaking his head.
Tashigi moved forward, glasses falling down her nose's slope and cutting the air. The crunch of bones sounded, and the air shimmered, mist rising to reveal the beetle-beast hidden in it. "There's more coming."
"How'd you see it?!"
"Maybe it's womanly intuition or something," suggested Leon with a grin. He caught himself staring at Killer and then hurried back to their group.
"The air wavered," said Tashigi, picking up her glasses. She looked through them and then showed Smoker. There was a slight refraction.
"We'll kill her, so stay out of our way," said Killer, crossing his arms over his chest. He moved out of the way, but Smoker grabbed him before he could. He stared down heavily at the kid, no older than some of the soldiers under his command.
"I'm not risking my crew for a pirate's stupidity. We'll deal with you when the time's right."
"Don't get in our way. It'll be easier to move forward if we're not bogged down by cripples and a fool," said Wire, gesturing toward Tashigi and Leon.
He grit his teeth. The truth was they were at a disadvantage. Tashigi's injury from Alabasta had yet to heal. Leon would bleed out without proper medical care. Pan was missing, and he knew the man would be useful.
"I'm not a cripple," said Tashigi, snapping out her knee. It gave a sharp crack, but she hid the pain well. "I can fight, and we won't work with pirates."
"It'd be easier to just kill them," suggested Wire.
"Go ahead," said Killer with a shrug. "The Captain won't care."
A scream echoed. Leon moved, grabbing Hakim's arm as an invisible force attempted to pull him away. "It won't let go!" he grunted.
"Don't move!" shouted Americo, aiming his gun.
A shot went off.
Leon shouted, groaning in pain. The air shifted, the illusion breaking, and the beastly thing snatching Hakim revealed itself. Its fangs stretched out of its mouth, segmented tail lashing out. The scorpion swung wildly, catching Leon's grazed shoulder and Hakim's arm. Smoker moved, crushing it to pieces, but it was too late.
Tashigi was gone in the madness, and a sickly blackness spread into the wound Leon was now clutching.
PENNY
Penny knew someone like Kidd wouldn't let her escape so quickly, but she didn't want to damage the ship. Running through the graveyard of lost things, she got to the forest edge and slipped between the knotted trees. The darkness was even deeper here and quiet. Lovely. She wanted a campfire and people and singing, but the only song she heard was the wild beat of the Kidd Pirates as they surrounded her.
Penny stopped running and turned to meet them head one. There were seven members—very few of them with bounties matching their Captain, but Penny made it a point to stay somewhat informed about the actors in play on the Grand Line.
Heat. Quincy. Hip. Emma. Hop. Moai. Kidd.
Three guys, four girls. Kidd being the most dangerous of them.
Penny caught Hip first, slamming the woman down into the ground and hitting the back of her neck with the side of her hand. She slumped unconscious. The others cried out and sped toward her, but Kidd was at the front of the pack. Angry and snarling like a wolf.
Penny was moving so fast that he saw nothing until it was too late. Penny stole his gun, spun it in her hand and raised it. She might not like them much, but she had been a student to many on the Red Force.
Penny shoved the gun beneath Kidd's jaw, gripped his hair tight, and pushed him against the tree. "I don't normally point guns at people. It's not polite."
"You think I fuckin' care what some navy shit thinks? How the fuck did you move like that? How many of you are there?"
"Just me."
He jerked forward to strike her hard across the face with his forehead. Penny's jaw rippled, teeth scraping the inside of her cheek, but she didn't flinch or move from the blow. A trickle of blood formed where his head met hers, running down the side of his temple.
Her fingers curled and uncurled in the air as she breathed out lightly, anticipation building. A laugh escaped her. "I'm a bit of a sadist, I think. It's not good when I meet people like you." Penny loosened her grip, twisting the gun in her hand, "Let's play a game."
She emptied the barrel of all but one bullet, spun the revolver, and fired a blank shot near her temple. "Death only works as a threat if you fear it."
"Psycho bastard," spat out Kidd.
Kidd lunged to grasp her by the hair, but Penny was faster. Her leg wrapped around his elbow, pulling it toward her. His joint locked between her thighs as she brought him down.
She clicked the safety off and aimed.
A shot was fired.
Blank.
"One for one."
She handed the gun back to Kidd and climbed off him. "Look, between us Captains—" Penny emphasized it firmly, "—working together is mutually beneficial. There's a nefarious plot at play, and I'm investigating."
Confusion set in. Kidd clutched his gun in his knuckle-white grip. He looked at her and then took a step closer, disbelief evident. "You're crazy," he breathed out. His mouth pulled into a wild grin. "You've got some guts to fuck with me like this."
"If we had met at sea, I'd give you pirates my usual greeting," said Penny, excitement lighting as her voice went up a pitch, smooth and airy. "You know—a proper battle—but I got caught up with some old friends, and then Smoker-san and Tashigi-chan really grew on me. Things get hectic on the Grand Line."
"Shut—shut up!"
"You're terribly rude. It'll be a hassle to offer you advice, so I won't. Just know I'm rooting for someone, and it's not you!"
And then Penny struck him as hard as she could in the face because she wouldn't let him get away with trying to kill her. He shot past the trees, colliding with a lightning crack sound against the ground.
Kidd raised his head slowly, wiping the blood on the corner of his mouth. A dark grin pulled at his cherry-red lips. What lipstick brand was it? No, wait, the red hair and brightly patterned pants reminded her of someone. Where was Kidd from? More importantly, how old was he?
"You wanna fight? Let's fucking fight."
"Really?" asked Emma, desperate for the fighting to end.
"You guys stay out of it," snapped Kidd, glaring at his assembled crew. They all sported various injuries, the most serious being Heat's broken nose and the bullet which had scraped Quincy.
"Captain," said Heat in a low voice, urging caution in Killer's place.
"Anyone got a problem with it; I'll fight you after!" This effectively silenced them all.
Penny stretched her arm over her chest, shaking her shoulders to loosen them. She wanted her sword and nearly thought of asking to borrow one of their crowd of spectators. Having an audience made the task of fighting all the more fun, especially one that was so staunchly against her victory.
She felt like half a child standing near Kidd, who reigned nearly seven-feet tall, but Penny was used to bigger opponents. He had a Devil Fruit, she recalled, one he had not yet used. She did not move to strike first, waiting patiently as a snake did.
The strings of gold and pearls she wrapped around herself from the treasure chest tightened as Kidd activated his Devil Fruit. The weapons and discarded bullet she had thrown out of the gun floated ominously in the air.
The necklaces tightened further, making Penny gasp as her airway squeezed. Magnets. Devil Fruits were a true wonder.
"Too easy," scoffed Kidd.
Not easy at all. Devil Fruit had a universal weakness that Kidd hadn't encountered yet but would learn today.
Penny tore the necklaces off, scattering the pearls as the chain snapped.
When he attacked, he did so brutally. Pure strength. Nothing holding him back. Each attack was backed by the full extent of his power. Penny wanted to tell him to slow down, realizing for the first time with absolute clarity that Beckman had kept her safe in more ways than one growing up.
"Repel." The metal floating exploded outward, racing toward her in a fury.
Penny slid down, dodging the incoming weaponry. She darted up, catching Kidd's jaw with her hardened fist. He went reeling back. More blood spewed. Penny hit him again, pressing hard against a point in his arm until she was sure he would grow numb. The silver-black retreated from her hand.
Shock crept onto his face. He appeared surprised that she had dodged. And then, in the next instant, Penny saw a gleam enter his eyes, and the look on his face changed to hunger. "So, you're not some rookie with a big mouth."
"A rookie? No, but I do have a big mouth."
"Don't fucking hold back."
"I won't," promised Penny unwittingly. Perhaps, he held a true fighting spirit which she had found to be lacking in Crocodile. Where Crocodile doubted himself and turned to mythical weapons and plots, Kidd only had his faith in himself to back him.
Like Luffy.
The thought surprised her and brought out a laugh. "You know what, don't hold back either."
His deadened arm didn't seem to bother him as metal wrapped around it, creating a beastly arm nearly as large as the trees around them.
"The trees too," whispered Penny, eyes tracking how they moved ever so slightly to avoid the collisions between her and Kidd. Alive.
They traded blows, getting a sense of the fight's danger and stakes. Penny blocked, not allowing herself to undergo the same foolishness she did in Alabasta. Crocodile-san…well, that was a story for the future.
His frustration mounted as she blocked his punches, but he caught on quick, relying on instinct rather than intent. He was smart, she thought. When Shanks attempted to teach her the same thing, she endured weeks of getting hit before she understood how to counter.
Wait….
"I need to ask you something!" said Penny quick and fast. "What's your father's name?!"
"What is wrong with you?" yelled Quincy from the sidelines.
"It's just—the red hair and the pants and the hairless chest—it's too much of a coincidence, and if it's true, then…then…I'm going to throw up!"
"You think I'm Red-hair's kid?" asked Kidd bluntly.
"Yes," squeaked out Penny.
Penny was too distressed to avoid the next blow. Kidd caught her cheekbone with his knuckles.
"Just say it's not true!" said Penny, catching his next blow in her fist. "It's important!"
"WHY THE HELL WOULD THAT BE TRUE?!"
"ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION!" snarled Penny back.
"He's not!" yelled Moai from the sidelines. "He's only 21. Akagami is 37."
"That's…" More than ten. Penny let go of Kidd to raise her fingers and count the difference. "Wait, I'm older?" Penny grinned, forgetting about Shanks. "You're just a kid!"
The pun was on purpose and went unappreciated.
The gut-bruising punch she received afterward was not. Her organs would be rearranged if she didn't focus. Metal flew toward Kidd and warped, creating a giant's arm. She half wished her Devil Fruit was as valuable.
The world slowed. Penny weaved around the arm, running down it until she reached the point where it melded with his shoulder. Coating her fist, she reared back.
Light spilled, invisible to those who could not see the world as she did. The first crack was always the hardest, but Penny didn't need to hit hard when he had no Haki to counter her.
Fissures formed down the metal arm and then exploded outward in a fury of metal projectiles. The black creeping down her hand faded away.
The blowback from the attack caused the ground to shake and the air to splinter around them. Though Penny remained on her feet, Kidd skidded back, his metal arm destroyed but reforming in an instant.
She inhaled deeply, smiling widely.
She pulled back, copying the air at the tip of her finger before flicking it forward. The impact hit Kidd all at once, throwing him through the air. He fell. Got back up. It was an endless dance of attacks traded between them, but it became clear which of them was struggling.
"I'll kill you," snarled Kidd, coughing harshly before picking himself up by sheer will and standing to face her again. "Right here. I'm not walking away without winning this. I won't lose to some bastard." His hands shook, anger splitting his face with an ugly rage. "I'll kill you once for everything you've done to them."
She thought there was nothing of value to Kidd's endeavor. He was cruel, angry, and vicious, but if he fought for his crew, she could respect that. But, he had yet to learn that the race for the One Piece was not a fight like the ones he had been in before.
He wouldn't win, not at his current strength and without a single drop of Haki backing any of his attacks.
Haki was beyond explanation, but to her, who felt the protection it offered coat her at every moment, it was like telling the universe that she was there….that she would always be there until the time came when she was ready to leave. Nothing could move her toward death.
Kidd growled, swinging at her. He was fast, quick, vicious as a sea king, even without his Devil Fruit. Penny hooked her leg around his, upending his balance. He caught himself against the dirt and charged. He had the advantage due to his size, but Penny felt the impact against the invisible coat of Haki beneath her clothes.
A cracking sound burst in the air. Kidd let out a low grunt, squeezing her tightly, attempting to crush her as metal weaved around her body. Penny broke the hold and rammed her knee between his legs.
Like a serpent, she weaved in and out, feinting low, jabbing at every part of him she could reach. She circled, kicked at him hard, then darted back again, forcing him to turn and turn again. Though she felt like laughing at the fluidity of it, at the thought that they were dancing now more than fighting, she held the urge in.
It went on that way for a long time. Back and forth, round and round in spirals, Kidd lashing out with big, furious blows while Penny slipped in the gaps, striking at arm and leg, bringing him down and letting him rise again. He was slowing down as she grasped at more and more Haki with every blow. Kidd would curse the whole while, but Penny remained silent, focused.
The voice of their battle lingered in her ear.
"What the fuck is that?!" demanded Kidd, unrelenting even when faced with the unknown. She felt sorry for her earlier dismissal. He would survive the New World. "Tell me!" he demanded.
Penny parried his next blow with a swipe of her leg. Kidd caught her ankle in his grasp. "Devil Fruit? Some sort of Marine Technique?"
She brought her other leg up, hooking around his elbow and threw her body weight forward to flip them toward the ground. Marine Techniques? She forgot she was wearing a costume, playing an act. Maybe she should use some.
"I'll take you back to our ship. Cut you up until you're ready to talk again."
"Tempest Kick: Justice." There. That sounded like something a Marine would say. Her leg swooped in an arch, savagely pushing the air forward and cutting Kidd's torso as easily as a sickle cut grain.
"You're cruel for no reason other than you can be," said Penny at last.
"I'm a pirate," spat out Kidd. He sent a shard of shrapnel toward her. Penny caught it and threw it back so fast that Kidd could barely flinch before he dodged.
"You've killed civilians." This was something Penny could not understand. In her anger, she caught a blow across the face and answered back with another cut to his torso.
He tore fiercely sideways and down, scraping against one of the trees as Penny avoided the swing of a knife he pulled from his waist. Bullets burst against the trees. They groaned and withered.
"You hurt people. You crushed their towns. You stole away their dreams."
Now, she was growing furious. Pirates were the thing of nightmares to the average civilian, but the world Penny was born into told a far different story. She was hurt and horrified when she first understood the reality.
She caught his throat in her hand. "What do you think would happen to a child who wants adventure but instead meets you?"
"Why the hell would I care?" He tugged and hacked at her arm, but the blade broke against her Haki. Penny hit him hard and then hit him again.
"Then why do you expect anyone to care about your dreams? You want to be Pirate King—they'll laugh at you even if you do it. You can't cut laughter down. You can't beat it with a fist. You can't kill it."
"SHUT UP!" Kidd charged headlong, slammed into her side, and threw her into a tree with a mighty force, throwing them both down the hill. They rolled toward the bottom, scratched, and prodded by the roots rising up to strike them in their fury. Kidd was on top of her at once, knife pulling against the skin of her cheek. His crew thudded down, calling after him.
Heavy, thought Penny, lifting her hips to try and throw him off. Her hand gleamed black and silver—though they called her Akahime, Penny's Conqueror's Haki did not hold the same reddish hue as Shanks'. Haki raced down her arm, warm and bright, and lashed out toward Kidd.
An ear-splitting crack filled the air. Kidd was sent rearing. Penny followed, hitting him with another blow. Kidd's headhunt turned into a backward crawl of defense until, finally, Kidd dropped down.
He remained there and then moved forward, crawling as the damage wracked his body. Penny watched, unmoved by his struggle. Quincy reached them first, a cry on her lips as she tried to pull him to his feet. Kidd shook her off with a wild roar.
Kidd wavered. He was moving on pure instinct. Any conscious thought was gone as his mind fell into the abyss of defeat.
"Eustass-san," said Penny very calmly. She stepped forward, pressing the heel of her foot against his hand and freezing him in place. "If you die here, what happens to the rest of your crew?"
Kidd cursed heavily, rage so thick they could taste it.
Caught.
"There's only a few of you. I might be alone, but I assure you that the Navy will bring them all to Impel Down if they're caught. That's what the Navy's justice looks like."
"Eat shit." He lunged.
Penny kicked him hard across the face. Lightning crackled over her skin, silver white. The air around them shattered. Every muscle in his body locked rigid, and he fell back with a dull thud. She took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"I hate playing the bad guy," she groaned. Penny tugged at her hair and let out a loud scream of frustration. "Man, this is such a mess! Why'd you people have to turn up here?!"
What should she do? Leave him? That seemed cruel and wholly unlike her. Beckman would say to turn this situation into an advantage. If she wanted to get into Marineford, then there could be no doubt of her position as a Marine.
Marineford didn't only hold information regarding Devil Fruit, but the secrets of the Navy's intelligence units, data on the criminals and pirates in Impel Down, and…Penny left her past behind her, but…if there was a chance…she had to take it.
There was no going back. Penny committed crimes other pirates were too scared to even think of, let alone act on. Even Death's cold grip would turn warm for her if she willed it.
Maybe, it was the fact that she nearly died once, in such a small corner of the world, that drove her forward, endlessly chasing a better summit to fall from.
No time to dwell, she thought, placing her hands on her hips as she examined Kidd's unconscious body. He looked solid—scary, whispered a voice in her mind. Scary, indeed.
She tied him up quickly and dug a pair of cuffs out of her uniform. He was adequately trussed by the time he awoke, hands wrapped in the sea stone cuffs she was forced to carry as a Marine.
Kidd turned into a rabid animal when he saw that most of his crew was also tied up and in various states of consciousness. He shouted like a madman that he would flay her alive and then boil her bones when he escaped
"That doesn't sound pleasant at all," worried Penny. "Couldn't we just be friends?"
"You'll be begging for mercy when I'm through—"
"If you truly manage to put me in such a state, I'll applaud you for the effort. I want you pirates to make their mark on this era." Penny held a finger to her lips and smiled, "But, for now, keep your mouth shut, or I'll have to gag you."
"You think I'll fucking listen to a crazy bastard like you?! I'm going to string you up on my fucking ship and leave you to rot."
"At least burn the body or mummify me or something. Rot is best left for food."
Kidd let out a stream of curses that irritated her more than his snarling. At this point, he was less of a rabid dog and more of an injured one. His pride couldn't handle the defeat. Penny rubbed her temples and then decided it would be best to shut his mouth tightly.
She dug in her pockets and pulled out a needle and string. "There's a story about this, you know? On Elbaf. You're not nearly as quick-witted as that giant."
If she had been paying attention, she might have clued into the fact that Kidd would not sit still while she sewed his lips shut. Instead, he latched onto her forearm with a crushing force when she was close to him. It seared and ached all at once, reminding her of the snake that nearly took her life.
His teeth cut through flesh and might have torn some off. Penny hooked her finger into the space on the side of his mouth and pinched his tongue hard between her fingers. His grip loosened. She yanked him off, staring at her arm perplexed.
Her brow pinched, her hand shaking from the pain. Anger sparked. Penny kicked his temple with the heel of her boot. "Who do you think you are to feast on my flesh?! I'll take your head for that!"
"Captain," said Heat quietly. "We're not—think of Killer…and Wire."
Kidd's eyes burned. "I am."
"What about them? Where are they?" asked Penny.
Quincy moaned softly and leaned forward. "We came here—"
"Don't say a fucking thing!" ordered Kidd.
"I'LL DO WHAT I WANT!" shouted Quincy back, heaving in anger. "We're wasting time! They could be dead for all we know!"
"Why? What's happening?" asked Penny sharply.
"We only heard whispers," said Hop, shivering as Penny's gaze wandered to her. "There's this madman here putting on some sort of game. We came from Port Town, they said everyone's been hunting for this treasure for hundreds of years, and we…we listened to them. The Fountain of Youth! Everyone's heard of it, but no one's ever seen it."
The map in Penny's pocket burned.
"And?"
"We went after it and got pulled here."
"How?"
"We were in the mountains on Elusion and then fell into this pit."
"We didn't fall—the Captain jumped!" said Hip, jutting her chin toward Kidd.
"We fell," said Heat dully.
Quincy nodded.
"Then how did you get separated?"
"The tunnel split. Killer found the first gate with the others. We learned everything from the Den Den Mushi he had, but it cut off, so that map you found…it's our only hope of saving them."
"You should've said that from the start," hissed Penny, shaking her head. "There's no point hiding your intent when a friend's life is on the line."
"You're a Marine," pointed out Moai, a large and nervous man with a bandana around his head. He, like the rest, put up a good fight.
"Which is why you should absolutely trust me to be a beacon of moral goodness who would've helped you to save your crewmates."
"M—maybe, we should…." suggested Hop shyly. She shot Kidd a look that drew a scoff from him.
"Maybe you should shut up," snapped Kidd.
"Captain, we're stuck in a pretty bad spot," complained Hop.
"I don't want to hear it!"
"Where's the Den Den Mushi?" asked Penny.
The women averted their eyes, but Moai's gaze jumped for a brief second to Quincy before he was knocked over by the heel of Heat's foot. Always trust a man to be dumb enough to give away a secret.
"Don't mind me," said Penny, approaching Quincy with a smile.
Kidd struggled against the knots, which only seemed to get stronger as he moved. "Get your filthy fucking hands off my crew!"
Penny leaned in close, searching Quincy as quickly as possible without making the woman uncomfortable. Quincy's eyes widened. "Huh? You're a—"
"Shh," whispered Penny by Quincy's ear. "That's between us girls."
Quincy let out a small laugh which set Kidd's temper aflame. She wondered if he had ever taken a joke lightly in his life. Perhaps, he had a childhood devoid of happiness.
Penny took the snail out. The poor thing gasped for breath, blinking slowly. The transponder fell off its shell, bouncing from the coil it hung off of.
"Den Den Mushi only go out over long distances or if something happens to the transponder. They're telepathic. Killer-san must've broken the transponder, but Smoker-san's pretty careful. Hopefully, the ship survived, and we can all get—"
"You talk so damn much!" snapped Kidd.
Penny ignored him in favor of dialing a number few knew. The signal probably wouldn't be able to go through, given they were deep underground, but she tried for the hell of it. It rang and rang and rang. She stopped the call and dialed the number she learned while on Smoker's ship.
"Wendy, here!"
"Give it," commanded Smoker. "Where the hell are you?" grumbled Smoker, sounding agitated. There was a soft, muffled sound behind him.
"Is Tashigi-san crying?"
"Not her."
"Who?"
"Leon's hurt." Smoker sighed, and then his voice dipped, "More than hurt. He's—"
"Dying?" asked Penny softly.
The world tilted.
"Listen to me," urged Smoker quietly. "You need to contact Navy Headquarters and tell them we need backup."
"He has a girlfriend. She's a Sora the Sailor fan like him. I—I—" Penny had said she would rather be dead than ever admit to that. She had teased endlessly that his girlfriend was likely blind. There were better things to bond over than Marine Heroes and evil organizations.
Penny felt her throat contract. A pain set in behind her eyes and nose, but she couldn't cry. A calm settled over everything. Penny could feel the world around her pulsing with life at the beat of her heart. Her sanity hung, swaying on a thin, fraying thread.
This wasn't her crew—this wasn't Shanks and the Red Hair pirates who could handle her absences without consequence. This wasn't her fault. She had to believe that, but deep down, she could've defeated whoever hurt them if given a chance.
"I know," said Smoker, reading her silence. His voice was deep and low. "I know. It's my burden to bear as the Captain, not yours. We won't let anyone die."
Smoker explained that they were trapped in some deranged obstacle course and what had happened before they ran into the other half of the Kidd pirates. Penny kicked at Kidd, who nearly opened his mouth to speak. She listened through a thick web of cotton.
"It might be hard to hear, but you're more use out there than with us. Get us back-up."
Penny shook her head, mouth dry. Her words cracked, natural voice coming out in place of the false one she used. "No, I'm coming."
The line cut off.
All was still. The trees wayed pressing closer as a whisper filled the air.
Penny raised her eyes to Kidd. "You're good at killing things, aren't you?"
Kidd's gaze didn't waver. "I am."
Penny steeled her heart. "I am too."
Picking up the knife Kidd dropped during their battle, she cut the cords holding him and unlocked the sea stone cuffs. A hard look entered his eyes. Penny's veins strained against her skin, mouth tight, but neither moved to attack. He might have known that she would've cut him down if he moved then with no mercy.
"After," swore Kidd.
"After," she nodded.
GATE OF DESTINY
HALLS OF MORUS
"They're moving," reported Marigold, gaze pinned to her feet. She was demure, soft as a cloud in her manners and will. Morus loved how moldable she was.
"Again?"
Her eyes fluttered about. Though the people who once lived in Myrkur called it Engan, Morus knew it to be Color of Observation Haki. They were a simple folk, who died quickly or succumbed to their nature to escape. Most slept through his reign, but now they were awakening. Slowly and all at once, as they had when the giants arrived. It would cause trouble if he didn't find the source and destroy it.
"Yes. They're angry. Terribly angry," murmured Marigold. She flinched when he stood.
He wandered over to his book, pressing a pen into his arm and collecting the blood that pooled. "Their names?"
At first, it seemed almost as if she would disobey, but he repeated the question, and she returned to her quiet, passive self. "Eustass Kidd. Quincy. Heat. Emma. Hip. Hop. Wendy Pan."
The Name Name Fruit turned him into a naming-human centuries ago, allowing him to control a person's lifespan and mind so long as he knew their names. Morus kept careful track of all that had come to pass in his ears.
"What do you want with them?"
"I'm waiting for someone worthy. I almost…all those years ago…the world above is full of horrors. Hatred. Anger. Destruction. Humans can be created without these traits, but they're stubborn. They fight and call it freedom. They die for their passions. They kill when they're afraid. I want to cure them."
"Why?"
"Because I can." He laughed. "Wouldn't you help someone if you could?"
"None of them have—"
He slammed his hand on his desk. Marigold silenced herself. "Do you think I care about some hapless fools failing my experiments? I expect it."
The objective was simple. Behind each gate was a danger that would cleanse the players of the ugly aspects of humanity that created war and bred violence.
Deceit was ruled over by Dolos, whose illusions and lies could turn friends into enemies. The majority died there. Those whose names he stole were reversed, turning their life span back to a time when they might absorb the lessons better. They were forced like puppets to repeat the trials until they succeeded. The others went on to Bis, who ruled Desire—a fanciful world where every want was met. Many stayed there and died gouging themselves with pleasure.
Past the Gate of Dream, Hypnos slept, and all slept with him where they suffered for nothing and relived their lives in a realm of pure peace. Few had made it to the Gate of Dread, where their fears were laid bare to fight and even fewer to the Gate of Destiny, where he would give them their final lesson.
Five levels to clear, perfectly designed to push the human psyche to its limit.
"Look at them," said Morus, gripping Marigold's jaw and directing her to look at the screen. A cavern in the Gate of Dreams was displayed, but all around it were bodies. Some had decayed, lost to time and sleep. Others were aging as they slept, trapped in dreams. "Most stop there. They accept a world of dreams over reality. They're unworthy to even be called human."
Marigold turned away, bowing her head again. Morus saw her lips moving, praying in that way her people always had but no longer could. Agrokins were a race of humanoid beings born in the Hallow Earth Kingdom of Myrkur. Morus stumbled upon them and tasted real strength after seeing how easily they fell.
They were the first creatures he attempted to cure, hoping to find that it was a specifically human trait that created the world's disorder, but they resisted and, in a final push for freedom, died alongside the giants they allied themselves with.
"In six hours, I'd be surprised if three are still alive."
Morus reversed his own lifespan several times, avoiding the calamity of old age and death, but the more time passed, the angrier he got. Humanity was senseless. They progressed to become little more than apes stabbing and killing one another. Armies formed and fell. Pirates and the Navy fought an endless war.
An uneasy feeling in him grew thinking of the man who once claimed that: "It'll amount to nothing but you becoming less human and them more."
Only Bard managed to cross each gate, but Morus found that he was not cured of his humanity but infused with it. Angry and righteous and shouting drivel about how life wasn't something to be fixed. What had Bard done but died after gaining no real strength or enlightenment?
Morus was a genius, a god amongst humans, who fully mastered everything that drove them to chaos.
He intended to teach these fools too.
END CHAPTER