Italics indicate thinking

Bold is for attacks

Steve's POV

"Hmm, earlier in the story you said you were winning against Kaido's invaders." I interpreted as they told the story "But how'd you end up losing?"

Wanda and the Duke were explaining how Zou had been attacked by some guy, Jack, who worked for Kaido in their search for the Samurai.

"There was another weapon." Wanda frowned.

"Caesar's gas weapon." The duke explained.

"Caesar used to build the weapons, and then Doflamingo would sell them, usually to strong influential people like Kaido." Monet explained "He made things like that before I even worked with him."

"GRR!" Luffy growled "Caesar!"

"Quit complaining about someone who's not here." I sighed.

"Hmm…" the duke paused the story "You know rather than wallowing in discussing our defeat I'd like to speak about your hat."

"Mine?" Luffy asked.

"It suits you." He commented "A long time ago me and that cat sailed around for a bit and ran into a guy with a very similar hat, I think his name was Shanks. I hear he's become some kind of a big shot now."

"Oh that's our dad!" Rose and I commented.

"He gave me this hat." Luffy nodded.

"ZZZ!" the dog yawned.

"He fell asleep!"

"Oh it's already 6pm." Wanda noted.

"What is he five!" Usopp yelped.

"Even I stay up way later than that." Lil nodded.

"As I said before this land has two rulers." Wanda explained "And they don't like each other to the point they'd fight if they so much as locked eyes and their fights will go on for days with no winner, they always fight to a draw. To combat this, they rule on locked schedules of day and night, from 6AM to 6 PM, the daytime, Duke Inuarashi rules and from 6PM to 6AM, during the nighttime, Master Nekomamushi rules."

"That feels needlessly complicated." I said.

"It is but it's the way of things around here." Wanda yawned "Unfortunately that tends to affect not just our ruler but the rest of us to, passing on bad habits I suppose. There are uses for our flipping times though, for example when Jack was attacking, we could rotate with the night watch and fight for hours and rest while Jack and his troops fought all day and night."

This Jack guy fought for days straight and won against strong guys like this. They said his bounty was One Billion, that's more than Luffy and I combined, just what the hell is that guy, and Kaido is stronger, so how insane must he be, and Dad's on that level too? Jeez the power scale in the New World is all over the place.

"Jack really must be some kinda monster." I nodded.

"Calling him that…doesn't do him justice." Wanda mumbled.

"And he's just some underling." Luffy added.

"Fortunately Jack was unsuccessful in defeating us." Wanda said "Which is why he brought out his secret weapon, a poison gas device. The five days we had been fighting, and it was all over in a flash. The gas spread across the country in seconds, when something like that is in the air there's no way to avoid it, it swallowed up the town and half the forest, we were trapped and done for, except for those who were in the deeper fortresses. After spending the fifth day torturing us for answers and getting none Jack left a few underlings behind and withdrew."

"He just left?" I looked on confused.

"Jack died after leaving this country when he made an attempt to get Doflamingo from the marines." The Duke said waking up "I suppose we were connected before you even got here."

"After that we showed up." Nami explained.

"We can get to part two in a bit." I stood up "I need to stretch my legs for a second."

I stepped outside and Robin followed me.

"This sure is a strange place, we're wrapped up in something as soon as we arrived." I sighed.

"I agree, we likely have a tough road ahead if all underlings are as strong as that Jack fellow." Robin leaned into me.

"No need to be afraid." I smirked elbowing her playfully "I'll protect you."

"Who said I need your protection." She kissing me.

I've gotta keep working hard, keep getting stronger, I need to master what I worked on.

AN

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Till Next Time!