Chapter 10: Perspective

Dawn broke over Samebito Island, signaling an end to Halibel's watch. Once her relief had shown up, she made her way to the makeshift hospital tents.

"AHH!"

A short figure had walked out at the same time, bonking his head against her breasts before falling down again. Annoyed, Halibel glowered at the newcomer. Turns out, he was a Soul Reaper, judging by his black garb, which agitated her even more.

"What are doing?" she asked, frigidly.

"Umm," said Soul Reaper was utterly terrified. "Well…I was just finished up with my patient and uh…she wanted me to find her friends…and uh…"

Shaking her head, Halibel walked past him. She opened the tent to see Jinbe and Juvia sitting next to Tsuyu and Momo. The Pro-Heroes were bandaged up, and had recovered enough to sit up on her bed. Momo's arm sat in a sling. All four turned to the new arrival in the middle of their 'Fishman Karate' conversation.

"I see that you're recovering. Have they been treating you well?" Halibel questioned her new friend.

"Don't worry about me, ribbet," Tsuyu responded. "Hanatoro knows what he's doing. He says I'll be ready to fight again tomorrow." She gestured to the young Soul Reaper, who squeaked when Halibel stared at him.

Jinbe raised an eyebrow. "Do you two know each other?"

"Uh…well…that is to say…I've heard about Queen Halibel…but…" Hanatoro stumbled over his words.

"No," Halibel's tone immediately shut the young man up. "I made it a point to avoid Soul Reapers and Quincy as much as possible."

The girls' eyes widened, having been unaware of their friend's former royal status. Jinbe simply gave an exasperated sigh.

"Come on Halibel, you're scaring him," the Fishman pointed out.

The Hollow scoffed, thinking to herself that this had to be the most pathetic Soul Reaper she'd ever seen. Granted, she'd only ever seen the forces brought to bear against Aizen and Yhwach, plus the rare captain sent to check in on her.

Halibel turned to Hanatoro, who quickly stood at attention. "Thank you for treating my friend." The humble Soul Reaper was absolutely stunned as she bowed her head.

"Hoo…is this really happening?" Hanatoro asked himself. "Is the Queen of the Hollows really bowing to me? I don't know what to say…I don't know what to do…I don't know…"

"You're much more skittish than any other Soul Reaper I've met," Halibel couldn't help but point out.

"Ehehehe…"the healer nervously laughed. "Well…you're not exactly what I expected either."

The Hollow raised an eyebrow at that. "And what does Soul Society have to say about me?"

"Umm…" Hanataro paused, not exactly sure if he should be a gossip with such an intimidating woman.

"Go on, I won't bite," Halibel softly added.

"Funny you should put it that way," Hanataro mumbled before slamming his palms over his mouth, blushing in embarrassment.

"Elaborate," the Hollow narrowed her eyes, having a feeling about where this was going.

"Well…I heard that you were a giant shark-monster that drowned and devoured anyone who dared to enter Hueco Mundo…and that any male Hollows that tried to mate with you would have their…" Hanataro didn't get any further as he squeaked in terror. 'Holy Crap, she's really close now!'

"For your sake…don't finish that sentence," Halibel coolly 'advised' him. In the back, Jinbe was hiding his chuckling. The girls were shivering at the 'lovely' mental image of Halibel doing…that.

'Maybe I shouldn't have listened to Rangiku's stories at the bar,' Hanataro frantically thought to himself. 'WAIT…did the Lieutenant say that just to MESS WITH ME?'

Far away to the West, a busty Soul Reaper with long, orange hair sneezed in a bar.

"Bless you, my…bosom…buddy," A large man with a mane of long, white hair gave a lecherous, drunken giggle at his own pun.

"Aww…thanks, Jiraiya!" Rangiku slurred as she passed him more sake.

Back to the story, Hanataro trembled before he remembered the rest of that drunken conversation, with an irate Captain Hitsugaya coming in and setting the record straight.

"Wait! That's not it! You're remembered as a strong and honorable warrior. To actually bring order and stability to Hueco Mundo is completely unheard of. And camaraderie amongst Hollows…Wow! You achieved the impossible!"

Halibel raised an eyebrow at the young Soul Reaper's rambling, honestly surprised that such a positive outlook was present amongst the Hollow's sworn enemy. Plus, she'd always dealt with suspicion on the rare occasions she met with Soul Reaper captains, who remembered the battles against Aizen and the Espada.

"Ahh…I forgot…Momo!" Hanataro stumbled over to his patient, with Halibel side-stepping to avoid his clumsy walk. "The collarbone is going to take awhile to get back in shape, although I've managed to repair the torn muscles and ligaments."

"I see," Momo smiled at the healer. "Thank you for your efforts. You're really a miracle worker."

"Oh, it was nothing…just a nasty cut was all. You'd have been okay without me…" Hanatoro mumbled.

"Nonsense," another patient laughed. "Don't sell yourself short, you're a fine medic. Only the Leaf had better back in my world."

This stranger sat up, revealing himself as a Ninja. A younger Ninja who was wearing a headband that was very familiar to the Cutty Sark's crew, minus the scratch mark of course.

"Pleased to meet y'all…name's Kiri," the Mist Ninja said.

Halibel and Jinbe raised their eyebrows.

"Yeah…my parents were feeling patriotic when naming me," Kiri chuckled. "Although…I'm surprised you know enough about the Ninja World to get that."

"To be completely honest," Tsuyu interjected, "Kisame hasn't really told us that much about his home."

The Mist Ninja grimaced when he heard that name. "So…that really was him." Kiri couldn't help but shudder.

Hanataro walked over to his friend. "What's wrong?"

Kiri ignored him and gave a hard look towards the others. "How long has Kisame Hoshigaki been traveling with you?" The previous humor in his voice was completely gone.

On guard, Jinbe answered. "Halibel and I 'woke up' at the same time he did. We were all at La Entrada."

Kiri sighed. "Look, you all seem like good people, and I'm grateful to you all saving this Castle. So, I'll give you some advice. Watch your backs…and don't let Kisame Hoshigaki out of your sights."

"Why?" Halibel felt compelled to ask, though she had a feeling she knew the answer.

"Did he do something wrong?" Tsuyu asked.

Kiri gave a mirthless bark of a laugh. "Girl, that monster was the worst traitorous criminal in the Hidden Mist's history. He killed hundreds of his own comrades before he even joined those damn Akatsuki. Everyone left had either lost someone or knew someone who did. Thank God that Lady Mei was there to drive him out."

Tsuyu and Juvia were sitting in absolute shock, wondering if their new friend was truly capable of such a thing. Momo put a hand to her mouth, not trusting herself to speak. Jinbe's fists clenched, recalling that bloodlust he sensed the first time he 'heard' Kisame. Still, the Fishman reminded himself that Kisame had done nothing on their voyage to indicate untrustworthiness. Didn't make it any less concerning to hear though. Halibel looked at the closed tent flaps.

Kiri's voice rose as he continued. "When the villages united to finally stop the Akatsuki from taking over…Kisame snuck in and stole intelligence on our entire army. Thousands died because of what was on that scroll of his." The young man shook before suddenly stopping. "Sorry…bad memories." Hanataro put a soothing hand on his shoulder.

"No," Tsuyu's voice softly broke the silence. "He wouldn't."

"He did," Kiri coldly replied. "Get it through your head. Kisame Hoshigaki doesn't give a damn about loyalty or comrades…not after everything he did to his country. And if he's led you to believe otherwise…he's a liar. I'm begging you all to make sure he can't hurt anyone else."

Hearing something, Halibel started walking out. "Your honesty's appreciated," she said before exiting.

Jinbe turned to Tsuyu and Juvia, and spoke low enough so that only they could hear. "Listen, while there's obviously more to this story, this young man has no reason to lie to us." The two girls met his gaze in surprise at that. "Before either of you say or do anything to Kisame you might regret…I want you to consider this. This is still the man who put himself on the line to help us bring down Torafuzar and Ursula."

Tsuyu and Juvia looked down contemplatively. Jinbe continued. "I'm not asking you to blindly trust him or treat him with suspicion. Just keep an open mind…and trust in your own judgments." He paused, wondering how often he'd heard those sort of words about Humans before finally taking them to heart.

Tsuyu met her Sensei's gaze. "All right."

"Well," Juvia mused. "This is called the Sea of Second Chances after all."

Jinbe couldn't help but chuckle at that viewpoint. That in turn lent a small smile on Tsuyu.

After a few steps outside the tent, Halibel paused. "I assume you heard all that." It wasn't even a question at this point.

"Yeah," Kisame responded before he grinned. "Who'd have thought that the Soul Reapers had such interesting stories about you?" He chuckled when Halibel growled at that.

The Hollow sighed. "You're smart enough to know that wasn't what I was talking about…so please quit deflecting."

Kisame's grin quickly vanished as he bowed his head.

"What could I say…that the kid was right?" Kisame wondered. "I'm the Monster that the Hidden Mist always wanted. There's no redemption for what I did to earn that title."

Halibel waited, but Kisame didn't elaborate further. Admittedly, she was unsettled at how quiet he had gotten. The Ninja started to walk away.

"Wait," Halibel spoke up. "Did you think that the words of a complete stranger would be enough to break my trust in you? Do you really think that little of me?"

That got Kisame to pause. He slowly turned back to face her, surprised.

"I want you to listen to me," the Hollow stated with the utmost seriousness as she looked him right in the eye. "As loath as I am to admit it sometimes…you're my friend, Kisame."

Halibel couldn't help but chuckle at how shocked the Ninja looked.

"Huh?"

"I mean it," Halibel asserted.

Kisame gave a smile far softer than his usual toothy leer. "Thanks." The two stood there silently for a bit.

"Anyway," Halibel changed topics. "Did you come by to check on Tsu?" He nodded. "She's alright and is able to move again."

"Good to know," the Ninja muttered.

By that point, the two had wandered to the other side of the castle, where raised voices were breaking the usual tranquility of the dawn.

"NO!" Apacci's shouting could be heard.

Halibel sighed. "What now?"

To her bemusement, she saw Apacci clutching her cannon like a newborn, constantly trying to keep it out of arm's reach of Asami.

"Can I please just get one look at it?" Asami nearly begged. The inventor was just dying to know how the thing worked, fascinated at the prospect of two worlds' tech already being merged within it.

"NO!" Apacci walked back. "You're not dissecting my baby!"

"It's not dissecting," Asami insisted. "At most, I'll just make an incision and…"

"I KNEW IT! You DO want to take my baby apart!" The younger Hollow seemed beyond reason at this point as she pointed an accusatory finger.

"Korra…could you help me here?" the inventor pleaded with her wife.

"Sorry," the Avatar shrugged from her seat. "This tech stuff is all way over my head." She seemed far too amused with her wife's so-far futile efforts.

"Franky…can't you talk some sense into her?"

The cyborg didn't respond, so engrossed was he in examining one of Asami's mech suits. Usopp was walking him through the basics of the technical marvel. Sasori stood off to the side, trying and failing to seem disinterested. Giving up the ghost, the puppet master took out a notebook and started jotting his observations down, particularly interested in how such powerful electrical bursts could be manufactured without Chakra. Brook simply tuned his violin, somehow blocking everything out.

"Apacci," Halibel's stern voice came out of nowhere, causing everyone to jump, much to Kisame's amusement. "Let Asami do her examination. I'm sure she'll give it back just as it was. Won't she?"

"You have my word," Asami answered without hesitation.

Still reluctant, but not wanting to disappoint Halibel, Apacci put the cannon down.

"Thanks," Asami told Halibel before kneeling down. Just as she was about to begin…

"Excuse me," General Vulko wandered up.

Asami took a deep breath as she clenched and unclenched her fists. "Yes?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"You available to discuss our agreement? We need to iron out the details of what exactly we need to bring you back from Atlantis, on top of establishing a more permanent military presence," the general insisted.

Korra got up. "I can handle that…you just have fun with your new toy," she kissed Asami, who sighed as she got up.

"No, I need to be there. Can't have you messing up the little details," Asami snarked.

The Avatar gave a look of mock-offense. "What? You don't trust my political expertise?"

"What political expertise?" Asami gave a good-natured smirk.

"That's mean," Korra pouted. "You're sleeping on the couch tonight."

"We'll see about that."

"HMM" Vulko cleared his throat, not comfortable with where that conversation could go.

"Yeah, yeah, we're coming," Korra assured him.

"Before that though, Ms. Halibel, Mr. Kisame," Vulko called out to them. "I'd like to have a word with you and your crew."

"Sure," Halibel replied. "I'll go get Jinbe and the girls."

A few minutes later, the whole crew had assembled. Tsuyu and Momo's sides were covered in bandages, but they seemed to be moving around just fine. All of them had taken a seat, with the Atlantean at the head of the table.

"First," Vulko gave a slight bow of his head. "I can't thank you all enough for your efforts in protecting this Castle and its people. You have Atlantis' gratitude."

Jinbe returned the bow. "Happy to help."

"If you ever run across any Atlanteans on your journey, show them this and mention my name." He handed the Fishman an official-looking sealed scroll. "They'll help you with whatever you need."

"We appreciate the gesture," Halibel gave a little head-bow of her own.

"Speaking of your journey, are you truly going to head to Tamatoa's Hoard?" Vulko asked with a hint of concern.

Kisame raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, what of it?"

"If it's about the guardian," Franky interjected, "I'm sure this SUPER crew can take it down."

Vulko didn't seem convinced. "Regardless of the guardian…there's something else. What most people don't know is that a few have managed to get past the monster that lives there."

"Really?" a confused Juvia wondered.

"Granted, none of them actually beat Tamatoa himself, they did it by tricking him. But that's not the issue."

His audience waited with bated breath. "If what I've heard is true…that treasure is dangerous. Everyone who took even a piece of gold was driven mad, by what I don't know. Every single man and woman eventually went back…but Tamatoa does not forgive those who parted him from even a single coin."

Korra and Asami looked around to see the reactions to that little ominous tale. Usopp and Hanataro were shaking in their boots, while Momo, Tsuyu, and Juvia couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. Jinbe, Franky, and Brook seemed a tad apprehensive. Halibel and Apacci exchanged a look. As for the Ninjas, Sasori couldn't care less. As for Kisame…

"Hehehe…sounds fun. Now I'm even more excited to get there," the former Akatsuki gave a ferocious grin. Halibel and Jinbe gave him a look that seemed to say 'Are you serious?' before sighing to themselves. Usopp and Hanataro were slowly backing away from the Ninja.

"I'll admit," Vulko continued. "I'm just going off of rumors, but I'm a Historian, and I know when there's truth behind wild stories and tales. So, please be careful."

"Thank you for letting us know," Juvia told the General.

"One more thing," Vulko pulled out another folded up piece of paper. 'Seriously, how deep are those pockets?' Apacci asked herself. 'Are there even pockets on that thing?'

Jinbe opened it up to reveal a very comprehensive map of the Sea of Second Chances. It showed islands of varying sizes spread out in a vaguely triangular shape, with miles upon miles of sea separating them. Outside of that, it was nothing but open ocean. Jinbe was scanning it, finding Atlantis somewhere in the middle, and glanced at the far western tip of this triangle. There were two black dots, labeled Scylla and Charybdis. Vulko had drawn in a little circle beyond that, with 'Fiddler's Green?' written over it. Seeing nothing else of note, Jinbe stowed the map away.

The Fishman then offered a hand to the General. "We humbly accept this gracious gift of yours."

"Think nothing of it," Vulko chuckled as he shook the big blue hand. "Still, I know you'll be needing it." He paused, before looking back to the others. "I think that's everything. Let us know when you're departing, we'll get enough supplies for you to last til the next settlement."

"We will," Jinbe promised as he started leading the Cutty Sark's crew out. Eventually, it was just Vulko, Korra, Asami, Momo, Usopp, and Hanataro.

The Avatar raised an eyebrow at the sniper. "What's up?"

"Um…well…I," Usopp struggled with his words.

Asami gave a gentle smile. "I know you want to head out with them."

"But, but, but," Usopp stammered. "There's still a ton to do. I can't possibly leave when we're rebuilding."

Momo clapped his shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll be fine. Come on, it's your crew…your family."

Usopp was quiet for a minute. Then, he gave a grateful smile. "Thanks."

"I assure you that my garrison will protect this island. You and the crew can come back anytime," Vulko promised him.

"I…I don't know what to say," the Sniper took a seat to get it together.

Moving along, Vulko turned to Hanataro. "I have a favor to ask of you."

"Umm…" the Soul Reaper gave a weak smile. "What?"

"I'd like for you to go with them."

"HUH?! Why?"

Vulko lowered his voice so only the Soul Reaper could hear. "The way they're going, that crew is going to attract a lot of attention…and not the friendly kind. They need a healer."

"But why would the Hollow Queen and her equals need a wimp like me?" Hanataro gave a dejected look to the ground.

"Because you're better than you think you are. You're the only reason this garrison was able to fight on until Usopp and Momo dropped in. And even the greatest warriors can get hurt." Vulko's tone quickly changed. "And we both know how dangerous this sea can get. Sooner or later, they'll need help getting back up again. I know that you're more than capable of being that support." 'And I don't trust that redhead who says he's their healer,' Vulko added to himself.

The Atlantean knelt down to eye level with Hanataro. "My boy, you'll do us all proud no matter what you do."

Nearly overwhelmed by such faith, Hanataro shut his eyes to stop the tears. Not trusting himself to speak, the Soul Reaper settled with a nod.

"I'm sure you'll fit right in with that lot."

(Next Morning)

"HELL NO! We're not letting this little bitch of a Soul Reaper tag along!"

Hanataro had put himself into a Corner of Woe at Apacci's harsh words. Halibel pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation.

"Until you can learn to put someone's arm back in place…I don't want to hear that from you," the elder Hollow sternly told her junior. "And you will give your due respect to anyone travelling on this ship. Is. That. Clear?"

Apacci scoffed and stomped up to the Cutty Sark. The ship had been loaded up and was ready to go. All that was left was 'goodbye'.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Tsuyu asked Momo. Unlike the frog girl, Momo was still heavily bandaged up, with her arm in a sling. Juvia stood nearby, making sure that Tsuyu really was all right.

"Yeah…I'd only weigh you down like this. Besides, I want to help out here just a bit more." The Creation Hero paused as an idea sprang to mind. "You know, maybe I could set this up as a sanctuary for anyone from our world."

Tsuyu smiled. "That's a great idea. I hate to admit this, but not all of our classmates would make it very far in this Sea without help."

"Of course. With Atlantis' help, I'm hoping we can create a line of defense around the 'Entrance' Islands, so we can keep the civilians safe at least."

"Speaking of which…have you seen anyone else from 1-A?" Tsuyu wondered.

"Oh yeah, Uraraka came by a few months ago with this blind swordsman called Issho. Lord, this man was almost 3 meters tall. There was a Samebito raiding party…and he just squashed them flat…literally." She realized she was getting off-topic. "Oh, here…" Momo created a blank sheet of paper, and started writing down a series of numbers. "This is Uraraka's. When you get the chance, give her a call, I know she'll appreciate it."

"Umm…Momo," Tsuyu hated popping her overeager friend's bubble. "Our ship doesn't have a phone."

The frog girl was taken aback when Momo simply chuckled. "Don't worry…Asami's taking care of that."

Further down the pier, Kisame and Halibel were staring, completely befuddled. "Asami," the Hollow wondered if she should question the inventor's sanity. "Why are you giving us a snail?"

"And why is that other snail giving me the stink-eye?" Kisame asked. Behind Asami, a shorter, stockier snail was indeed glowering at the Ninja.

"Don't mind Brain," Asami waved it off. "He just doesn't like strangers. I promise that Pinky is much more friendly."

Jinbe's mouth was hanging open. "How were you able to get your hands on a Den-Den Mushi?"

"Well," Asami started scratching the snail's head, earning a look of pure adoration form the creature. "These little guys washed up from a shipwreck, just skin and bone. Their tech had been completely shattered. It took me months to figure it out and repair it. That's when I realized that the snails had a psychic connection with each other that could reach all across the sea. Apparently, my smart little boy had told every snail around that there was an island where they'd be taken care of this way. So more of them stowed away on every ship that came. And here we are."

"Fascinating," Jinbe gently picked up Pinky and the tech attached to him. "It really is a nice reminder of home."

"Wait a second," Kisame interrupted.

"You're telling me that all of the Grand Line's long-range communications was done by snail?" Halibel finished for him.

"Nonsense, snails only did most of it," Jinbe replied. "Some of it was through albatross and bats."

Kisame and Halibel face-faulted. "That's not the point!" both retorted in unison.

"HMM" Asami cleared her throat and held out a paper with a number. "If you ever want to contact us…just call. Someone will always be within hearing distance of Brain."

Not done yet, Asami held out three Baby Den-Den Mushi.

Jinbe eagerly took them, passing one to the Ninja and Hollow each. "I'll distribute these around the crew…so we'll always be in touch."

"Remember…those are only good for a few miles," she was now addressing Kisame and Halibel, who were now gingerly examining their new living accessories. "Oh…and I've already made sure there's enough lettuce for them."

"You really don't do anything halfway," Korra couldn't help but comment.

"I say that it's much appreciated," Jinbe jokingly came to Asami's defense.

"See," said inventor was gesturing to the Fishman. "At least he seems to think ahead consistently."

"Hey," Korra gave a look of mock-hurt.

Jinbe laughed at the couple. "I hope you two do well. It was truly a pleasure meeting you."

"Yeah," Korra gave a surprisingly strong slap to the Fishman's back. "If you three find everyone you're looking for, why don't y'all come back this way? I'm dying to test my Waterbending against you."

Kisame smirked. "Please…my little sharks could manipulate water better than you. You wouldn't stand a chance against me."

"Oh yeah?" Korra gave her own confident smirk.

"Really, Kisame?" Halibel put a hand to her forehead. "Can't you go one island without taunting anyone? It's like you enjoy riling people up."

The Ninja started slowly clapping. "Give the Hollow a prize, she figured it out."

Having had enough, Halibel walked up to the ship. "You know, you're truly insufferable sometimes."

Kisame turned back to Korra and Asami. "Seriously though, I'd love to fight you someday. I know you'd make it fun. So stay alive until then, got it?"

Korra grinned. "Sure!"

Asami shook her head. "I just don't get it," she mumbled.

"Come on, pipsqueak," Kisame sighed as he slung Hanataro (incidentally removing him from the Corner of Woe) over his shoulder and plopped him onto the deck.

"Well, thank you again for the shelter and provisions." Jinbe bowed again.

"Don't mention it. Just send any Benders you meet our way, and we'll call it even," Asami decided.

"I will," the Fishman promised with utmost sincerity before walking up.

With that, the whole crew had boarded. After Sasori grumbled about them 'keeping him waiting', he got to his usual position. The rest of the crew, except grumpy Apacci, waved 'goodbye'. Even Halibel gave a small wave with Kisame doing a mock-salute.

Back on shore, Momo gave a momentary glance to Kisame, and turned towards Kiri in the crowd, remembering his words from the day before. Sighing, she turned back towards Tsuyu, deciding to trust in her friend's judgment. Despite that, she couldn't quite squash the sense of unease. 'Maybe I'll share it with Uraraka when I call tonight. Shoto did say it wasn't healthy to bottle these things up.'

(Later that day)

"OH MY GOSH, TSU!" the Den-Den Mushi gained a blush and large brown eyes as it nearly screamed at Tsuyu. "How are you? I've been worried sick about everyone."

"I'm fine," Tsuyu assured her. "Hanataro patched me up real good."

"Patched up? Oh my goodness! Are you hurt? Who was it? What was it? Was it a Samebito or Fiji or animal or…"

"Ochaco…you're starting to mumble like Midoriya."

"Oh…sorry. Anyway, I'm so happy to hear from you. What have you been up to?" Uraraka wondered.

"Well…" Tsuyu walked her old friend through everything. It was hard to talk about what happened with Torafuzar, but the frog-girl lightened up considerably when she started regaling Uraraka of the Cutty Sark's adventures.

"Wow, your crew sounds so amazing," Uraraka gushed. "Especially this Jinbe guy…and he's your sensei too…that's so sweet!"

Tsuyu heard a door opening on the other end. "My, my, young Uraraka. You've been in here quite a while. Must be a real friend you've got there." The Den-Den Mushi had assumed a more wrinkled face, and its eyes suddenly lacked pupils until the other speaker came on the line.

"YES!" Uraraka shouted in surprise. "Yes, Issho-Sensei."

"Puhpuhpuhpuh! I can 'hear' how much lighter your voice is. It's good that you've found some friends from your world doing well. It'll help your focus and training."

"Hehehe…Oh! Tsu…this is my sensei, Issho. Issho, this is my friend, Tsuyu Asui."

"Ah," Issho smiled over the Den-Den Mushi. "Nice to meet another of the infamous Class 1-A."

"Ribbet, pleased to make your acquaintance."

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear from earlier. Did you say your Sensei was Jinbe?" the former Admiral Fujitora wondered.

"Yeah, he's teaching me Fishman Karate," Tsuyu replied in that matter-of-fact way of hers.

"Puhpuhpuh…seems I wasn't the only one who had the idea to train a Pro-Hero. Although, I've always wondered how effective that martial art is for non-Fishmen."

"Hold on, Issho-Sensei. You know this Jinbe?" Uraraka asked.

"Not personally. At most, we ran into each other once or twice when…" Memories of the final battles that rocked his world to the core played through his mind, when the horrible truths of the World Government were revealed to all. "…when everything changed."

His student gave a sympathetic pat to her Sensei's arm. "I'm fine, Uraraka."

Issho got up. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Tsuyu. Give my regards to the rest of your crew."

"I will. Thanks for taking care of Uraraka."

"TSU!" her fellow Pro-Hero did her best to sound indignant.

"Puhpuhpuh! Anytime, Tsu."

"Alrighty…sorry to cut this off, but I do need to get to training. Can you believe Issho-Sensei's already got me to where I can use my Quirk for half-a-day without puking? At this rate, I'll be able to keep up with Kagura-senpai any day now."

"That's amazing Ochaco. I'll call again sometime this week. How about Friday?"

"Sounds good. Maybe we'll be able to arrange a face-to-face meeting next time."

"I'd like that," Tsuyu replied. "See you soon."

"Catch ya later," the Den-Den Mushi beamed at Tsuyu before a "Gacha" and the snail fell asleep.

OoOoOoO

"HUH?!" All the Straw Hats were utterly shocked when Tsuyu told them about the conversation. Even Jinbe's mouth had fallen open.

Usopp got right in her face. "Your Friend's Being Trained By AN ADMIRAL?!"

Tsuyu put a finger to her chin. "Guess so. I take it they're strong?"

Jinbe decided to clarify things. "Tsuyu, the Admirals were THE strongest fighters in all the Marines, surpassed only by the Fleet Admiral himself. A single one of them cutting loose is enough to destroy an entire island. Even I wouldn't be able to defeat anyone who held the title. And unless they got ridiculously lucky, I doubt Kisame or Halibel could either. At best, all of us working together could bring down one...but it wouldn't be without cost."

That last bit got everyone's attention, since it gave a stark frame of reference for those not from the Grand Line. Even Kisame paused, having enough respect for Jinbe's strength and intelligence to be worried at such a bleak chance.

Tsuyu tried to process the idea of her friend under such a powerful Sensei. "What about Issho himself? What could he do?"

Jinbe brought a hand to his chin. "I heard that he ate the Stomp-Stomp Fruit, allowing him to control gravity. He's also a master of Observation Haki, and no slouch at Armament, which is quite effective when combined with his swordplay."

"Gravity huh?" Tsuyu wondered as she looked up. "Someone must be looking out for Uraraka. Her Quirk is 'Zero Gravity', meaning she reduce the gravity of anything she touches with all five fingers."

"Sounds impressive," Brook admitted.

"Yeah…but she gets nauseous if she overuses it. Still, she says she'll surpass her fellow student if she's able to get that under control?"

"Fellow student?" Franky asked.

"Yeah…I think she said her name was Kagura," Tsuyu recalled.

"Wait…you can't mean," Juvia spoke up.

"Come on, spit it out," Kisame egged her on.

"Kagura Mikazuchi was Mermaid Heel's Swordswoman," Juvia explained. "She had Gravity Change Magic. She was a dependable ally after the Grand Magic Games, but is it really her?"

"Considering this sea," Apacci piped up. "That's a sucker's bet."

"Hmm," Halibel sat in thought. "Don't you all find this pattern odd?"

"What pattern?" Usopp asked.

"Think about it," Jinbe picked up, figuring out what Halibel was getting at. "Two Gravity-wielders just happen to run into my world's master on the subject."

"Not to mention," Kisame added as he gestured to his fellow water-users. "The three of us woke up at the same island, on the same day, at near-exact the same time."

"Okay…that's weird now that you mention it," Franky admitted.

"Let's not stop there," Kisame went on. "You and Sasori just happened to wake up in a Shipyard, the most convenient place for your skills to be put in use." Said puppeteer glowered at his fellow Akatsuki for the insinuation.

"Oh, shit." Apacci quietly started putting the pieces together.

Halibel and Jinbe were now very deep in thought.

"What are you saying?" Hanataro asked, finally starting to get the courage to speak up.

Halibel had an angry look in her eye. "Someone is pulling all our strings." Needless to say, she didn't appreciate the feeling of being manipulated again after so many centuries after Aizen.

"But why this way?" Brook wondered. "Jinbe, I've seen your Fishman Karate and Haki are getting stronger. And I'm sure that's because of Kisame and Halibel pushing you. I'm sure that applies to every other group like ours. So why would this higher power put so many powerful people in a position to become stronger?"

"A blunt instrument," Kisame quickly concluded. "We're all being pointed at something."

"But what could possibly require so many different worlds' worth of warriors to bring down?" Halibel anxiously wondered.

"I've got a feeling that we'll find out eventually," Jinbe predicted.

OoOoOoO

Back at Shipwreck Cove, Burns had collapsed. His entire body was shaking. Spot was whining at its master's pain.

"SIR!" A couple of toga-wearing dock workers ran over and picked him up.

"Thank you," came the weak reply. "Can you get me back home and lay me down?"

"Sure, but isn't there more we can do?" one man asked.

"Yeah," Burns took a shaky breath. "Send word to my wife, Persephone. I don't know how much time I have left."

"Don't talk like that, Sir."

"I've used up what little power I had left," Burns solemnly noted. "But it's not enough. I need…to…keep it going."

Thanks to his influence, Burns had another pair of souls meet up. A Ninja Swordsman and his Ice-using protégé landed on an island run by one of Burns' allies. He took a deep breath. "Damn it…that'll have to do for now."

"Sir, if you push yourself, you'll die before Persephone gets here," one of the workers pointed out.

"I know. Just take me home, for now," 'Burns' decided. Spot led the way.

"At once, Lord Hades."

(A few days later)

"Hmm…so this is Old Nile," a deep voice mused as he closed in on a humble island. He could see a modest town at the mouth of a river. Beyond that, there were miles of forest and savannah. It almost seemed like his old home.

"Master Gustave!" A large jaguar called out from the ship behind him. The crocodile turned to listen. "All of us are ready to depart."

"Very good, Balam. Remember to keep everyone alive until we find Mr. Silver, we'll need to interrogate them if he's not in the town." Gustave started shrinking, with his limbs growing out.

"I'll remind our soldiers," the jaguar bowed his head. As Balam turned, Gustave finished his transformation. Now, he appeared to be a mix of man and crocodile. He carried himself like a human, but his teeth and claws were still present. Plus, his scaly skin and tail remained to bolster his strength. A long snout sniffed the air.

"Soon, I'll find the last remnant of the Heathen Gods that defeated my Master. Then, Lord Cipactli will truly become invincible. Not even Poseidon or Jones will be able to stop it," Gustave proclaimed as he stomped onto the beach, his pack of enhanced animals behind him.

(An hour later)

The Cutty Sark had halted in its course. "GUYS!" Usopp called out from the Crow's Nest, his Observation Haki going haywire.

"What'd you see?" Jinbe quickly asked.

"There's 50 monsters tearing through the town on Old Nile. And one of them…his 'voice' was strong…as strong as any of yours'." The sniper glanced at Jinbe, Halibel, and Kisame.

"What are they doing?" Hanataro wondered.

Usopp focused through the many 'voices'. To his surprise, none of them stopped, meaning that not a single soul had perished. "Half the monsters are rounding up the villagers without killing them. The other half is starting to spread out through the forest and plain." The sniper paused.

"They're looking for something…or someone," Kisame realized. "The dead don't speak after all."

Jinbe brought a hand to his chin. "And where's the leader?"

"In the center of town," Usopp observed. "Where all the people are being taken."

"Describe the Island to me." Jinbe ordered his crewmate.

"Around twenty square miles. Aside from the town, which has around 100 buildings, it's six miles worth of plains. The rest is forest.

"How are the monsters distributed?" Jinbe pressed on.

"Ten are in the plains. Fifteen are in the forests. The rest are either surrounding the town, or with their leader." Usopp informed them.

Jinbe took all this information in, weighing it against what he knew his crew was capable of.

"All right, I've got a plan," Jinbe declared as he handed Halibel and Kisame a baby Den-Den Mushi each, while also pocketing the last one for himself. "With a little luck, we'll be able to end this without any casualties."

So, the Cutty Sark prepared, ready to take on this new threat.

A.N. And Cut…I think that's a good stopping point. Come to think of it, this might be the first chapter I've written with zero action in it. I wanted to put a bit more emphasis on the crew interacting and learning a bit about the world. I dropped a lot of hints about what's coming.

I don't know why…but I absolutely love writing Kisame and Halibel's scenes. They've got such an interesting dynamic. Plus, a reviewer gave me the wonderful idea of bouncing them off some 'average folks' from their worlds, and that wrote itself once I sat down and started. Still, I wanted to make the crew at least aware of just how bad Kisame's reputation was. They'll have to come to the conclusion of if it was earned on their own.

Also, we've now got Usopp and Hanataro coming along. Good Lord, my crew's like a virus…it just keeps multiplying.

Hope you enjoyed the cameos of the other crews making their way around the world. I chuckled at the thought of Uraraka and Fujitora practicing their meteor showers. I'm eager to get to them…but that's a ways off. Also…my big reveal. Hades is the one who set things in motion by bringing all these crews together, with the act of choosing when and where they 'woke up'.

Also hope you enjoyed my interpretations of Korra, Asami, Vulko, and Momo. Don't worry; their role in this story isn't done. After all, my crew has their number.

Next Chapter…my crew will have that most dangerous of powers at their disposal…PREP TIME!

Til Next Time…Have Fun!