Chapter 14: The Seashell Fortress

-So, all of the powerful, experienced Devil Fruit users in our crew has been taken out of commision, Helmeppo looked at the sleeping Smoker and X Drake, seething with jealousy. Hina pointedly coughed.

-We don't have much time before the Cassho family discover this ship, so we need to start planning our attack, she rolled out a blueprint of the Seashell Hotel.

-Okay, we have a big problem; the Cassho have their fingers deep in the local Navy, so we won't be allowed to investigate the hotell. How do we go about taking them on?

-Cut down the cliff, taking the hotel with it! Tashigi drew her sword.

-Ask kindly! Koby naïvely declared.

-Shoot them! With guns! X Drake coughed up from the other room.

-Guys, guys! Helmeppo snapped to get everyone's attention before they got more derailed.

-I think you're missing quite an obvious solution here.

The hotel receptionist looked down at Helmeppo's passport, where black marker had been scribbled under his nose, and then up at Helmeppo himself, clad in a fake mustache.

- Vice Admiral Johnny McJohnson? The receptionist's voice was deeply fed up.

-Yes, yes, I am here on direct orders from HQ to investigate the Seashell hotel for possible drug trade! The receptionist's eyebrow darted upward so fast that it broke the sound barrier. She bent over and clicked on a red Transponder Snail, calling in a couple of Navy men.

-Oh? Here to help with the investigation? Thank you very much! They threw Helmeppo over their shoulders. The men from the G-5 drew their blades.

-Wait! Wait! Both of you! I have a message here from Inspector General Sengoku! Helmeppo pulled out a visual Transponder Snail. After setting it up, Sengoku's majestic face was displayed over the entire lobby's wall. Unfortunately, he was busy eating a sloppy sandwich.

-O-oh! Inspector General! We do apologize for the confusion! The Navy men anxiously saluted.

-What confusion? A bit of sauce fell out of Sengoku's mouth and onto one of his most prestigious war medals.

-W-well, about sir McJohnson's order to investigate this hotel! Before Sengoku could ask one of many, many questions, Helmeppo gave a quick hand signal and asked him to play along.

-Yes, let him investigate! Otherwise, I might have to take another look over your payroll!

As soon as the video conference was over, Helmeppo smugly clapped his hands.

-Well, first off all I would like to talk with the people in charge of this place.

-Don't think we're stupid, the Cassho men muttered.

-We've never had any mistake slip over to HQ, and we never have these kinds of investigations! If you want to speak with the owner, you'll have to find evidence of drug use in this hotel!

Helmeppo contemplated his words for a second, nodding his head, before walking over to the closest hotel room and knocking on the door. Koby (having Moon Walked in through the window) opened the door, holding a Lovey-Dovey mushroom.

-Oh, hi! I was just enjoying some illegal drugs! Helmeppo dramatically slapped his hands on his cheeks in shock.

-Wow, I guess we have no choice but to confront the hotel owners!

Marcus's office was massive, held up with stone pillars and with a large round window looking out over Valentina's sea. Upon seeing Koby enter his office, Marcus Cassho slammed his mahogany desk.

-This man has wrongfully attacked my dear friend Omir! Arrest him! His bribed cronies looked down at the floor in shame.

-We're sorry, boss, but we've got orders straight from HQ. There ain't nothing' we can do.

Marcus thought for a bit, before an unsettling smile spread across his face.

-But that also means you don't have to do anything if something bad were to happen to these fine folk, right? The Navy men chuckled a bit before leaving. As soon as they did, Marcus's mafioso henchman emerged from the pillar shadows, guns at the ready.

-Where's Minnie? Marcus jumped straight into business.

-I don't know who you're talking about! I am a humble navy inspector and…

Omir stepped out from behind Marcus

-Drop the bit, start talking. There are only three of you, and you're standing face to face with the deadliest weapons that money can buy.

-Beautiful Tornado Dance!

Tashigi sliced through the ceiling, performed a pirhouette mid-air and destroyed the mafioso's guns.

-What weapons? She smiled. Omir's brick wall face cracked into a subtle smile.

-I was talking about my fists.

The gangsters threw themselves to the ground. Hina shot out iron bars that Omir darted in-between, leaving her wide-open.

-Shark Bite Left!

Omir striked forward with an open hand. At the last moment, Koby blocked the attack with Iron Body, leaving a massive bite mark on his stomach. Before he could comprehend what happened, Omir dashed to the back of the room.

-Shark Shoal!

He dipped his hands into a barrel of ice cold water before delivering a flurry of punches. Using sheer force and precision, Omir formed the water into shark-shaped bullets. On pure instinct, Tashigi jumps forward with Shigure drawn.

-Flowing Parry!

Cherry blossoms emerge around her as Tashigi dices the projectiles. Though, shockingly, despite its quality and Tashigi's Haki, the projectiles begin to chip on Shigure.

-He's dangerous!

Omir begins to approach, smacking his knuckles together.

-You know, those words have been a lot of people's last! Omir begins to follow-up his one-liner, but is distracted by two knives slash across his face.

-Hey! Cassho and his men are getting away! If they reach our men in the lobby, civilians are going to be caught in the crossfire! Helmeppo screams from his hideout in the corner. Not hesitating for a second, Hina dashes after, pulling Helmeppo with her.

-Down half your crew? This is going to be easy, Omir chuckled. His smile disappears when he nearly loses his head to Tashigi's stealth attack. Distracted with dodging her, Omir doesn't notice Koby appearing behind him.

-Finger Pistol!

Omir coughs up blood as Koby's finger pierces his back. As he attempts to pull back, however, Koby finds that he's stuck.

-I'll give it to you; when you work together, you become dangerous. I'll have to split you up!

With Koby stuck in his back, Omir jumps through the room to the barrel of water and kicks it, making the water burst out with insane force. Riding his improvised geyser, Omir crashes out of the window. Realizing that there isn't much she can do, Tashigi dashes to help Hina.

Turning around the corner into a nearby hallway, she is faced with a wall of black-clad men holding guns. Hiding behind a pushed-down dinner trolley is Hina and Helmeppo.

-Take cover! At the last second Tashigi dashed through a nearby room, avoiding the gunfire.

As soon as the gangsters had to reload Hina recklessly dashed towards them.

-Dumbass! We'll pump you full of lead! The gangsters' guns clicked as they prepared to fire. Hina calmly stopped and bent over.

Helmeppo threw his knives over her back, slicing up the gangsters. For a second they stand completely still, before the entire wall of goons fall to the ground. Behind them stands an unblinkingly calm Marcus, holding a steady gun to a little girl's head.

-It would be best for everyone if you did not move.

Hina let cage bars sprout out of her hand; her poker face perfectly hiding her extreme levels of stress.

-I think we'll see who's fastest here.

-My trigger finger, or your strange Grand Line-magic? I think I know the answer.

Hina stood silent for ten seconds, before smugly kindling a cigarette.

-No, you or those guys.

Before Marcus could say "What?" he was pushed to the ground by the men from G-5.

-Wait! Hina shouted, stopping her men from attacking the man. She pushed the little girl over to Helmeppo.

-Cover her eyes and ears.

Hina walked up to Cassho, laying furious on the ground. He prepared an avalanche of curse words at her but was stopped by a nose-breaking kick.

-It seems we're slightly more even.

Even protecting himself with Iron Body. Koby coughed up blood as he hit the sea's surface. It did not, however, shield him from Omir's follow-up attack.

-Helpless Prey Pounce!

Omir hit Koby from all directions with the merciless speed of a pack of piranhas. Black dots danced in front of Koby as he began to drown. Just as he was about to slip into cold nothingness, he was pushed out of the sea.

-Geyser Uppercut!

Omir's punch pushed up an humongous pillar of water, seeable from Valentina itself, carrying Koby with him. Together they landed on the hotel roof.

-Welp, it was fun while it lasted, Omir teased. Koby mumbled something in response.

-What did you say?

-Shouldn't have given me the chance to breathe.

Koby put all of his body weight behind a Tempest Kick. Omir bent backwards to avoid it, but the tip of his nose was sliced off.

-Goddamn, calmly he wiped off the blood.

-I need to know! Koby raised himself off the floor.

-Why are you doing this? You're too powerful to be hurt by these people, and with your skills you could become an incredible Navy captain! So why are you following these outlaws!? Omir's face turned solemn.

-Because I got no choice! Omir's still mask surprisingly cracked.

-I wanted to become a Navy captain to protect people, but the local Navy refused to let me because I'm a Fish-Man! The only way I could ever become something was if I sided with Cassho! If this merciless way is the only justice that is truly equal, I'll gladly accept my role!

Koby looked down at the medal on his uniform that he had gained for his services in the Paramount War. Deep down he knew that Omir was speaking the truth.

-What you've experienced is inexcusable! I promise you, that even though I may have to defeat you, as Fleet Admiral I will change the system so that it never happens again!

-I have no guarantee that you will ever become Fleet Admiral.

Deciding to not take an argument he knew he couldn't win, Koby took a battle stance, choosing to settle it all through words. Omir flew forward, fist outstretched, but Koby nimbly stepped to the side. However, having lost his remaining energy, Koby couldn't fight back or dodge.

-Shark Pounce!

Omir carried Koby with his shoulder off the roof. By enforcing his Iron Body with Haki, Koby managed to avoid getting his organs crushed. Though, that didn't help him at all as he sank deeper and deeper into the pristine Valentina sea.

As the sunlight disappeared from above, the sea pressure grew stronger and stronger; Koby's head painfully thumped before turning completely numb. He didn't even feel himself crash up against the sea roof.

What a cliffhanger! Will Koby escape the seafloor? Will Omir learn that there is a way of justice that accepts Fish-Men outside the cold gangster world? Will X Drake be slightly relevant at all to this arc? Find out next time!