Chapter 24: Goddess of Spring

"Madame…you're going to want to see this," a gentleman in a toga walked into a humble verandah.

The woman was tall with flowing brown hair. She wore a green linen tunic covered by an earth-brown cloak. Her smooth and pretty face was only blemished by splotches of dirt, courtesy of her toils in the nearby garden. The patch was mostly filled to the brim with Mint. The sole exception was a blooming Pomegranate tree in the exact center.

"Over here," the attendant pointed.

Sure enough, the woman had her eyes drawn to the crowd in the distance. After all, it's not every day when blue-skinned men are being swarmed by admirers. She looked back to the article on her table to confirm.

"Please finish trimming my Mints. It seems I have the unique chance to get acquainted," the woman decided as she strolled her way down to town.

With every step, the grass under her bare feet grew. The entire plain turned into a lush green.

OoOoOoO

To say it was a surreal experience would be a severe understatement. Jinbe was honestly the only one who had experience with this 'fangirl' phenomenon. He did have celebrity status on Fishman Island after all. Kisame and Halibel weren't nearly as prepared. Their responses to the crowd mostly consisted of "Uh" and "Wha?".

The surge of people eventually stopped at the tavern, with our trio being given seats of honor at the far end of the biggest table.

"CHEERS!"

"Umm…"

"WE SAID 'CHEERS'!"

"Okay, okay!" the trio raised their hands in surrender, while taking cautious swigs.

The rest of the crew was slowly, but surely, making their way through the crowd. Irritated, Grimmjow snatched a mug from a random toga-wearing man, chugging it all down in one go. It did not help his temper in the least. Poor Sanji was almost desperately trying to get some ladies' attention, but they only had eyes for Kisame and Jinbe (and a few for Halibel as well).

Tsuyu was honestly doing the best out of the rest of the crew. Her career as a Pro-Hero meant dealing with fans for a long time, so this was nothing new. Juvia and Mirajane were also used to admirers. And parties, lots of parties…lots of drunken parties. Lots of drunken parties with unspeakable levels of property damage, but I digress. Point is, Fairy Tail was more than used to this environment. Franky went with the Wizards, always up for some good times.

Unlike her fellow Straw Hat, Nami's foul mood wasn't affected by the general merriment in the least. That MIGHT have something to do with the fact that she couldn't taste any alcohol anymore. Anyway, Brook was doing his best to cheer her up with some tunes. The effect was debatable, considering there were two guys knocked out via righteously irritated woman. Finally, Apacci and Hanataro were nervously looking around as they hung by the entrance, not quite comfortable with this many strangers at once. It was only fear of a reprimand from the others that kept the Hollow from aiming her trusty cannon.

It was honestly a miracle they hadn't brought Sasori along. He'd have poisoned the whole town if they got within six feet of him.

Anyway, back to our 'superstar' trio. Jinbe was the only one answering any questions, like 'How'd you do it?' or 'Will you sign my face?'. Plus, the crowd had sort of learned after Kisame and Halibel kept their mouths shut. Didn't stop the horde from trying to get pictures with the two swordsmen, much to their confusion. It was only Halibel's rather firm grip on his shoulder that kept Kisame from mutilating all those who dared intrude on his personal space.

"Alright, alright…I think that's enough," a female voice resonated throughout the bar, despite it not sounding like she was putting much effort it.

And just like that, the entire bar did a 180.

"Oh…we're sorry, we're sorry, we're sorry!"

The C.S. crew couldn't help but be slightly impressed at the crowd parting before this woman.

"Who are you?" Halibel asked the obvious question.

"My name is Persephone," the woman gave a slight bow of her head, a warm smile gracing her features. It was the sort of smile that could make anyone feel good about themselves.

"Oh, Persephone-SWAN!" Sanji started swooping in. "Let me whisk you away, my little flower."

You know what I said about everyone feeling good earlier, well that went away in a millisecond. Persephone immediately glared at Sanji.

"I'm married," Persephone coolly shot that down.

And that was the end of that. Sanji wouldn't normally go into the corner of shame to sulk, but something about this woman convinced him to do so.

She instantly smiled again as she approached the three 'guests of honor', extending an open hand.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you," Jinbe was more than happy to make her acquaintance, shaking her hand.

Halibel and Kisame shared a quick glance, before cautiously accepting the offer of friendship.

Persephone took a seat and poured herself some wine, offering cups to the others. Kisame sniffed, and raised an eyebrow.

"It's just pomegranate. I won't be offended if it's not to your tastes," the goddess shrugged.

While Jinbe had already drunk half his cup, Halibel took a small sip. She nodded to Kisame, who was reassured enough to be polite and drink.

"If I may?" the Ninja wondered. "What world are you from?"

"Well, I'm from this one," she gestured around them.

"Really? An original inhabitant?" Jinbe put a hand to his chin, clearly trying to grasp the implications.

"Yes." Persephone took a look around. "But before I go any further…I'd like to verify something." She slapped the paper with their faces onto the table. "Is this paper telling the whole truth, and that you managed to bring down a projection of Cipactli?"

The whole room went quiet at the mere mention of the Aztec abomination.

"Yes, it is." Halibel put it bluntly. "I blasted his vessel's remains to dust myself."

The crowd began to murmur, sounding both impressed and intimidated.

"Then, I see no reason not to tell you the truth," Persephone got up, glass in hand. "But perhaps somewhere more private?"

With a wave of her free hand, a massive tree instantly grew right outside the bar, leaves, branches, and all. There was even a door big enough for Jinbe.

"Shall we?" Persephone nonchalantly asked as she opened it up. Nodding to the rest of the crew, the three followed.

When the door shut, a green-haired toga-wearing man in the back cursed to himself. This did not go unnoticed by Grimmjow.

OoOoOoO

"Now, before I explain…I'm curious," Persephone sat down again inside the hollowed-out trunk of the tree. Funnily enough, it looked like a decent replica of a 'living room', wooden furniture and all. "Have you heard the terms 'Gods', 'Demigods' or 'Titans' in this sea yet?"

"Yes," Jinbe nodded. "You're related to Poseidon, aren't you?"

"Indeed," her smile turned into a frown. "I'm of the 2nd Generation of Gods, while Poseidon is of the 1st."

"What do you know about him?" Kisame eagerly asked.

"Let me confirm something first," Persephone looked in the direction of the shoreline. "Your ship, what was the name of the one who bequeathed it to you?"

"What does Burns have to do with this?" Halibel wondered.

Persephone giggled to herself. "Is that what he went by? Guess he never really got past that Victorian Literature phase. I only asked because his blessings were all over that ship."

"Blessings?"

"Well, Burns was merely an alias. His real name was Hades," the goddess revealed.

"Wait," Kisame recalled an earlier conversation. "You don't mean…"

"Yes, Hades as in Poseidon's brother," a smile and slight blush graced Persephone's visage, "and my husband."

The shark trio sat there in contemplation. They were more than well-aware of the kind of power behind Poseidon, even from just a single storm and one of his descendants' tridents. To think that 'Burns' was equal to that…

"Not exactly what I expected from a 'Lord of the Dead'," Kisame admitted.

"He isn't anymore." Persephone had a pretty good idea what was going through their minds. She took a deep breath. "I'll be blunt, the only reason I'm saying as much as I am is because my husband is clearly putting his faith in you three. Although, your recent victory seems to have proven him right."

"You trust him that much?" Halibel asked.

"Yes," the goddess huffed at the mere implication of not doing as such. "No matter what our fellow Gods believe, marriage still means something to him and me." This was most certainly not shade thrown at her own father, not at all.

"Now, I'll tell you how the Sea of Second Chances came to be. Feel free to tell your own crew later on, but only if you deeply trust them."

The three exchanged quick glances, before all nodding for her to continue.

"I first have to ask, who told you about my race and world?"

"A shape-shifting witch by the name of Circe," Kisame revealed. "She was a dismal fighter, but at least I actually had to work a little for a win," he chuckled to himself.

Persephone rolled her eyes. "I'm sure Ares would love to meet this one," she couldn't help but think. "And how much did she tell you?"

"She went into how you Gods were born, overthrew Kronos, and assumed dominion over your world," Jinbe explained. "But that was it."

"Whatever became of her?"

"She escaped in the chaos while we fought Cipactli," Halibel still wasn't pleased with Sasori for that.

"Understandable," Persephone sighed. "And she is a rather slippery one, but that's to be expected from a Titan's progeny."

Jinbe raised an eyebrow at that.

"Anyway, I suppose I should clarify something. This isn't technically my world of origin. What you're standing in…is The Underworld," the Goddess revealed. "This was the dimension linked to my Earth where all the spirits of the dead would be judged and given a final destination."

The gears started slowly turning in Halibel's head. Now this was something she could get her head around. After all, her own dimension had had a similar function.

"After the Titans were defeated, Hades assumed lordship of this realm. Aside from his marriage with me, he rarely interacted with the other gods. He simply did his duty and kept watch over the dead. At the time, all those who were judged were sent to three different parts of this dimension."

Persephone sipped her wine.

"The truly virtuous and heroic were sent to the Fields of Elysium. Nowadays, you mortals mostly call it Fiddler's Green."

"Wait," Jinbe's eyes widened. "You mean to tell me the last island in this sea is an honest-to-goodness 'Heaven'?!"

"Well, it's the closest this realm ever got to it. It is meant to be a place of eternal bliss and content for those who earned it, and it's been serving that purpose rather well," Persephone mused.

Kisame rolled his eyes, having long been dissuaded of the whole concept of heaven.

"Anyway, just as the truly virtuous had their own place, their opposite number does as well. The irredeemably evil are sent down to Tartarus. Plus, those that are deemed too powerful and dangerous by the Gods are imprisoned within it, never to see the light of day again."

Persephone glanced downward. "Stay away from the absolute deepest part of the ocean, for that is where you'll find the entrance to Tartarus. And none who venture there ever return…at least not without others dying in their stead. That realm itself…is evil. It has to be in order to serve as a righteous punishment to the truly wicked."

Everyone took a drink at the 'lovely' mental images.

"As for the rest of the Underworld, it used to be a vast array of plains for those in-between, at least in terms of morality. They were in a state not that different from their first lives actually," Persephone finished up.

"You said 'used to be'," Kisame pointed out.

"Yes, I was just getting to that," the goddess had a newly-sprouted branch raise the bottle and pour her another cup.

"Even us Gods have a limited lifespan, no matter how much greater it is compared to others. One by one, our family's time in the mortal plain ended."

"Did yours?" Halibel asked.

"Not yet," Persephone shook her head. "Only once every god and human from our world has reached their end…that's when Hades and I will 'pass on'. Think of it as closing the door behind us. At least, that was the plan."

The Goddess took another sip.

"For the most part, my brothers and sisters accepted that they were now permanent residents."

"But Poseidon didn't?" Jinbe saw where this was going.

She nodded. "Poseidon has always been a proud God. Can't really blame him after spending millennia ruling the Sea, constantly having to balance out that egotistical father of mine."

"Your father?" Halibel raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Zeus."

"Wait…wouldn't that mean…?" Kisame was just about to voice his realization about the relationships of that family.

"Don't," Persephone nipped that conversation in the bud. "I've heard everything there is to hear about marrying my uncle on both sides…if we could please skip that."

"Wait…that would mean Zeus and her mother were…" Jinbe stopped that thought so he wouldn't vomit.

"Anyway, Poseidon had far more difficulty adjusting to the Underworld. There were a few years where he tried to come back to life, but my husband does not tolerate those who violate the laws of life and death. Thanks to those attempts, something unusual happened. Hades and I didn't realize it at the time, but a monster from another dimension of the dead arrived in the Underworld. He had appeared before Poseidon, but since this wasn't technically a violation of reviving the dead, my husband and I didn't notice."

Halibel cleared her throat. "Was it someone from my dimension of the dead?"

"No, he was from another Earth much like my own, minus our presence," Persephone continued. "After this stranger arrived, Poseidon started spending more time away from his fellow Olympians. None of us knew what he was up to. Hades started to get worried for his brother, so he went to check on him. I was delayed since it was the end of my time with my mother back with the living."

The goddess wiped her eyes. "By the time I caught up, I was in shock at the sight. My husband had been knocked unconscious, taken by surprise from his own brother striking him down. There were five other figures evenly spaced in a circle around them."

"There was an absolutely massive burst of magic that engulfed all seven of them. When it subsided, six black lines on my husband's skin were starting to fade away. His power had been massively reduced, and his lifespan was shrunk to that of a mortal's."

Persephone finished off her wine.

"Before they left, Poseidon and the 5 strangers combined their energy in the most massive use of magic I've ever seen. It became clear to me that they'd usurped control of the Underworld itself from Hades. As their first act as rulers, the vast plains of this dimension were consumed by water. Only the highest of hills and Fiddler's Green were left untouched by the new Sea."

"Afterwards, I finally figured out who the strangers were. The Aztec Eater of Gods Cipactli, the Mesopotamian Mother-Goddess Tiamat, the Norse World Serpent Jormungandr, and the Celtic War Goddess Morrigan were all from other Earths and Pantheons much like ours. I don't know how or why they were with Poseidon, but I suppose it doesn't matter."

"That's only 5 'Gods of the Sea'," Kisame pointed out.

"That stranger that Poseidon first met, was Davy Jones. He'd served as a 'ferryman of the dead' for another God. But, he somehow had figured out a way to bind that God to a mortal body, stripping them of divine authority. While my source was able to figure out that much, they were unable to find out why Jones shared that information with Poseidon. Although, they did theorize that the ritual simply wasn't possible without help."

"But why would Poseidon betray his own brother like that?" Jinbe couldn't help but ask in horror.

Persephone gave a bitter laugh. "You know the last thing he said to me before leaving to take over Fiddler's Green? He said 'Worry not, this is for the best. You and my brother have had a long, good reign, but it's time for another to rule. When your time comes, you will both be welcomed with open arms in Fiddler's Green.'"

The crew was absolutely silent as the goddess seethed.

"By the time we learned about the other 'Gods', Hades had regained enough strength to try an idea. It was completely reckless, but we weren't coming up with anything better. It all came down to one question. 'If one dimension had the knowledge and power to send the Underworld into chaos, what if others could undo it?'"

"So it was Hades who united us?" Halibel wanted to make sure.

"Yes, we saw the raw power that each of these Gods' was capable of, what with the Underworld itself now magnifying their original power. Even if Hades could somehow get his original level of power back, he'd only be a match for one or two at a time."

She gave an almost admiring glance to her three guests. "As we gazed throughout the cosmos, we saw worlds where mortals gained powers beyond anything that the humans of our realms could ever achieve. We saw worlds where the elements themselves became playthings of skilled warriors, where willpower could manifest as a potent weapon, where the soul itself could become a transcendent being. It was remarkable."

The three listeners were admittedly confused that their own worlds had made that sort of an impact on an unspeakably powerful race like the Grecian Gods.

"So, with an absolutely massive spell, my husband opened the pathways from whatever dimensions of the dead we ran into. We decided that it'd take as many worlds as we could find. At least, those who we wouldn't lose control over. It was a fine line."

"But why didn't you just choose one world?" Kisame asked. "Or hell, why not just summon a few top dogs and be done with it?"

"The level of power required for this task is beyond what you can imagine. If we did it that way, we'd have to summon the likes of Yhwach, Madara Uchiha, and the Emperors themselves," Persephone countered. "Even now, Hades is using what little power he has left to keep those forces of nature at bay. It's not worth it to bring down one God…only for another to take their place."

The three couldn't help but agree that that was for the best.

"Did he deliberately decide to put the three of us together?" Halibel wondered, gesturing to her two friends.

"A side effect of his ritual was to draw those similar to each other together. Some people seem connected by powers, some by similar past tragedies, and others by general personality. And if you three are any indication, my husband was onto something when he made that decision. Granted, he had no idea of the specific teams and crews that would form. To be honest, even my faith in him buckled at the prospect of leaving so much to chance," Persephone chuckled to herself.

"And to think, after a time span of a mere few years…" she smiled at them, "that a crew capable of beating back a shadow of Cipactli would come forth. And it couldn't have come at a better time. All the Gods of the Sea had begun pushing towards the Entrance Islands, and I'm certain that your presence among others will stop that advance."

Persephone stood back up. "Whatever supplies and provisions you need, consider them yours. No charge."

"And what exactly are you hoping that we'll achieve with your aid?" Halibel questioned.

"Well, nothing less than the utter destruction of at least one of the monsters that hurt my husband," Persephone gave a sweet smile at the thought, greatly unnerving Jinbe.

"On that subject, may we ask you some questions?" the Fishman pressed ahead.

"By all means," the Goddess leaned against the wall of bark.

"That paper left out some details," Kisame motioned towards the clipping, "like why Cipactli decided to show up and kill off Tiamat's child."

"Do tell."

"There was an Aztec chest, filled with golden medallions."

"Ah…was it blessed?" Persephone asked.

"More like cursed," Jinbe mumbled.

"Hmm…I was under the impression that Cipactli had already destroyed everything else from his Pantheon that made its way here," the Goddess cupped her chin in thought.

"Well, I guess he was going to finish the job," Kisame sardonically muttered. "And considering he has the actual chest…"

"A chest worth going to war over…how intriguing," Persephone closed her eyes. "All I know is that every God of the Sea has made it a point to monopolize their hold on any unusual items from their home worlds."

She opened her eyes, an idea clearly forming. "I can't give you any specific details on this chest, but I think I know someone who can. He's made it his life's work to study as much as he can regarding all our worlds."

The three listeners were at the edge of their seat.

"His name is Thoth. He's a God of Knowledge. And don't worry, those of the Egyptian Pantheon makes it a point to remain neutral," Persephone reached her hand out. "Do you have a map?"

Jinbe brought out the map Vulko had given him back at White Castle.

"Very good," Persephone put a finger on Asphodel Island, and began to drag it across a few islands towards the northwest. "He's on the island of Khemenu, a couple weeks journey. The Library of Thoth should have the information you need. It'll be on the highest peak."

"Thank you," Jinbe bowed his head as he rolled up the map.

In the distance, there was a boom.

"Oh…it would seem that shape shifter got found out by your crew," Persephone nonchalantly said.

The others could only respond with, "wait, what?"

OoOoOoO

(Earlier)

Grimmjow watched as one toga-wearing civilian skulked their way around the crowd. The Hollow smirked to himself, having a good idea where this was going.

"Hey there, where you off to?" Grimmjow did his best to sound friendly. Coming from him, it was still incredibly threatening.

"Oh…just gotta head to the little boy's room," the stranger casually replied. "That last drink was one too many."

"Well, I'm curious," Grimmjow discreetly used Pesquisa on them. "When you go to take a piss, do you have to give every soul in you a turn?"

The stranger's eyes widened, and then they dashed out the door. Right when they thought they were in the clear, there was a VROOM! Grimmjow had used Sonido to appear right in front of them.

"Come on, show me what you've got," Grimmjow clenched a fist. "I could use the stress relief!"

With a flash of red light, Envy had revealed their default human form. Their face carved into a sneer as their old bravado peeked out. "You're really asking for it, you damn human."

Grimmjow burst out laughing, starting to attract the attention of the rest of the crew and all the other citizens. Thankfully, they were keeping their distance. He then lifted the bottom of his shirt.

"Does this look like something a human would have?!"

Envy took a step back at the sight of the Hollow Hole.

"And let me tell you something. There's a reason I felt all those souls inside you. Just feel this," Grimmjow unleashed a burst of Reishi that physically pushed Envy back. "I remember the feeling of fighting for dominance over soul after soul. I've consumed more souls than I could count. And I have to say, you being the closest thing these other worlds have to a Hollow…I'm disappointed," Grimmjow drew his sword. "So prove me wrong."

Envy's eyes darted around. That display of energy was all it took to convince them that they would be on the losing side from the get-go. The only presence that had even compared from their first life was their Father.

So, Envy decided they would simply play for time, at least until an escape was possible. To that end, they moved towards the crowd, their right arm turning into a green serpent. Without warning, a female civilian had been wrapped up, gasping as they were reeled in.

"BOOM!"

"GAH!" Envy howled in pain at their new stump of an arm, burned at the end.

With the civilian in his arm, Sanji's flaming foot dissipated. He was not pleased with what his Observation Haki had seen. "You were going to use this woman as a human shield."

In an instant, the C.S. crew's faces all soured. Well, except for Grimmjow. On the contrary, his smile grew even wider, because Envy's arm had grown back with a flash of red light.

"Oh, this is perfect!" the Hollow laughed. "I get to rip you apart! Again, and again, and again!"

Before Envy could react, Grimmjow had grabbed their right leg, spun them around a few times, and sent the Homunculus flying. Well, most of the Homunculus was sent flying. Grimmjow hadn't actually let go of their leg. He'd thrown them so hard that their body had ripped under his grip. Said limb was now disintegrating into dust. With a pleased smirk, he vanished with Sonido in pursuit.

"We'll make sure things don't get too messy," Sanji handed off the civilian to Hanataro.

With that, Sanji, Apacci, and Franky quickly pursued.

"Hey, when we catch up with him…" Franky began to ask.

"Better to let Grimmjow vent on someone who deserves it," Sanji coolly replied. "But we'll step in if it gets too far."

It was only at that point that the door to the tree opened up.

Halibel just needed to take one look at the scared civilians, and those of her crew who were missing. She sighed as she came to a realization. "Oh for goodness sake," she brought a palm up to her forehead.

"Aww…Grimmjow's having fun without us," Kisame hefted Samehada to his shoulder.

Jinbe sighed. "Let's just go."

"I shall accompany you," Persephone materialized a few seeds in her hands.

OoOoOoO

Grimmjow was enjoying himself. This was just what he needed after his humiliation against Cipactli and Lucci. And the best part was that no one was interfering. The Hollow was so confident that he hadn't even drawn his sword, or even considered transforming.

On the other hand, Envy was getting desperate. They were resorting to wildly flailing their transforming limbs, whether it be snakes or blades. Despite their strength and speed, their lack of experience facing equals was clearly showing.

Grimmjow just laughed as he lazily avoided the clumsy effort. Between every other attempted strike, the Hollow would appear in Envy's blind spot. He would then punch the Homunculus's midsection so hard, that a fist-sized chunk would be blasted off. Envy would try and retaliate with a wild kick or slash as the wound healed, Grimmjow effortlessly blocking with that Hierro of his. This cycle went on and on for a good few minutes.

"Damn it," Envy cursed to itself. "This bastard's toying with me. And the worst part is that there really is no way for me to win this. I can't believe the other worlds are this ridiculously strong.

Grimmjow sneered as he kneed Envy's stomach hard enough to crash them into a nearby palm tree.

"Come on, you've got to have more than that neat little regeneration," Grimmjow cracked his knuckles. "I mean, you're not really all that different from a human. After all, you're just as fragile."

That drove Envy over the edge. They absolutely would not tolerate being compared to that filthy species. "I'll show you that I'm no mere HUMAN!"

Pushed to breaking point, Envy began to change. Red lightning sparked as their body contorted. Every muscle bulged. Their skin turned a deep green as they grew. Envy's mouth elongated into a snout while their black hair draped over a now purple and black eye.

Now, Envy towered over the Hollow, at least two stories high. Six legs and massive tail completed the reptilian-like green body of the Homunculus. Then, the most unusual change. Dozens of screaming heads emerged from the gargantuan beast, each accompanied by two flailing arms.

"RAH!" Envy lifted up a massive foot, and slammed it down at Grimmjow. "You damn ant!"

"Funny," the Hollow called out as he stood on the air, having easily dodged the stomp with Sonido. "From where I'm standing, you look like the ant."

"COWARD!" Envy shrieked in impotence.

The taunt seemed to actually dim Grimmjow's good mood. Envy was tempted to start gloating, until coming to a realization. Their opponent had only ever used pure physical strength and speed. That meant they had no idea what the Hollow's more unique skillsets could achieve.

"Cero."

VROOM!

"AAAGGGHHHH!"

Envy shrieked in agony as their left side was utterly obliterated.

Watching the regeneration at work, Grimmjow smirked as he brought both fists back.

"Bala!"

And the Hollow utterly unloaded on the Homunculus. Bala after Bala crashed into Envy at the speed of a Gatling Gun. They howled in absolute agony.

Off to the side, Sanji, Franky, and Apacci had just caught up.

"Umm…did we really need to show up?" Franky asked the obvious question.

Apacci tapped her cannon. "Better safe than sorry."

Sanji was about to agree, before his Observation Haki lit off. "Franky, straight behind you, 5 seconds."

The cyborg nodded. He lifted up his left arm, and waited the appropriate amount of time.

He turned, and shouted a "Weapons Left!"

"YAHH!"

An absolutely massive man tumbled down to the ground, riddled with bullet holes.

"Owwie," Gluttony rubbed his head as the wounds closed up. "That hurt, but who shot me? I don't see a gun."

"That'd be me!" Franky did his SUPER pose. "Only top-of-the-line arms and metal in this cyborg!"

"Ooh!" Gluttony suddenly sounded like a kid in a candy shop. "Metal sounds so delicious! And Lust said I could eat you all!" The Homunculus unrolled his fat tongue, showing off the signature tattoo.

"How about no?!" Franky didn't take kindly to that idea.

The two leaped at each other.

"Strong Right!"

"RAH!"

Gluttony was socked right in the gut, creating a small crater as he crashed down. Still, even that wasn't quite enough to slow the Homunculus, who relentlessly kept biting at the cyborg.

A little ways away, Apacci and Sanji were just about to join in. Until, something very long and sharp shot at them.

As they dodged, they saw that the nearby tree had been cleanly cut down.

"Well now, must every island we go to devolve into a brawl?" an incredibly sensual female voice spoke up.

And Sanji turned into absolute puddy at the sight of such an unbelievable sexy lady. "Oh, lovely maiden! What can this lowly cook do for you?!"

"Ah…such a sweet boy," she crooned. "What you can do…is bleed for me!"

Her nails instantaneously shot out again. Due to his own principles, Sanji did not move to attack in kind. He simply hardened his own legs with Armament, lightly deflecting Lust's attack.

Apacci wasn't nearly so generous. After dodging with Sonido, she just went full ham with her Bala Cannon.

But Lust was somehow fast enough to evade all of them.

"GODDAMN IT!" Apacci roared as she was just about to shoot a full-on Cero.

"That's enough, Apacci."

The Hollow froze at the voice. Slowly turning around, she saw Halibel giving her best 'disappointed mom' look, which is honestly quite the achievement with the mask and collar on.

Down below, Gluttony managed to actually tank Franky's punch without moving too much, and was opening his mighty mouth to chow down.

"5000 Brick Roundhouse Kick!"

Jinbe utterly wrecked Gluttony, who howled in pain as he rolled away like a bowling ball at the nearby grove of trees. It was a strike by the way.

"Thanks! But I had it under control," Franky protested.

"Better to finish things up quick, we have much to tell you," the Fishman countered.

"Well, tell him that," the cyborg pointed at Gluttony, red sparks already subsiding after he finished healing.

"THAT HURT!" the fat Homunculus roared. "Just let me eat you!" Suddenly, his bottom jaw split apart. The seam went all the way down to his groin. There was a sickening squelch, and his middle became an inhuman maw, lined with triangular teeth, a grey eye in the center.

At the other end of the fight, there was a mighty "CLANG!"

"Ah, you're an interesting one," Kisame smirked. Samehada had caught all the nails protruding out.

"I could say the same to you," Lust matched his smile. "And those eyes of yours…"

"Excuse me?" Kisame raised an eyebrow.

"Such focus and blood thirst," Lust licked her lips. "It's so rare to see both in a person. You truly are a man worth my time."

"Well," Kisame chuckled. "Sorry to break it to you…"

Suddenly, a Water Clone had materialized behind Lust, stabbing her through the chest with a kunai.

"…but you really don't seem to be worth mine."

When the Clone dispersed, red lightning shot out as her wound closed. Lust gave a deep chuckle. "Now, now…isn't it a little early for you to be sticking things in me? At least buy me dinner first."

Up above, Apacci could swear she heard Halibel taking some very deep breaths.

"Well," Kisame shrugged. "I guess it's always fun to see just how much someone's regeneration can last." He slammed Samehada down, removing all Lust's nails at once.

This didn't perturb the Homunculus at all. On the contrary, Lust even seemed excited. She licked her own blood that had splattered on her lips. "My, my…it's been such a long time since someone made me bleed that fast. I think I just might like you."

Kisame scoffed. "Well, it's not really as fun if you're getting off on it."

"Hmm," Lust's nails had grown back to normal. "It'll be even better when you're the one screaming in agony."

"Challenge accepted," Kisame charged with a mad grin.

Lust got right in his face, with the most bloodthirsty grin that the Ninja had ever seen on a girl.

Finally, Grimmjow watched as Envy slowly reverted to their human form. With a malicious grin, the Hollow prepared a killing blow via Cero.

"THAT'S ENOUGH," a powerful feminine voice echoed out throughout the whole island.

In the blink of an eye, trees and vines grew all around each individual fighter. Within a second, every single person nearby had been restrained by the combination of stone-solid wood and a sheer mass of vines. Not even the fastest among the Cutty Sark crew could keep up.

Persephone coolly gazed at the three newcomers. She'd made a point to direct Gluttony facing up, so his raging belly would only be consuming air and clouds. Slowly, she released Kisame and Jinbe.

"Tell your crew to stand down," the Goddess ordered.

"Do as she says," the Fishman nodded. While the Straw Hats quickly did so, someone else loudly objected.

"HUH?! No way in Hell," Grimmjow screamed, still in shock that the botanical restraints had reached him in the sky so quickly. "This is my kill!"

"Grimmjow," Halibel's firm voice rang out. "This is her territory. There'll be another time. You've already proven your strength."

The Hollow was just about to object, until something unusual happened.

The bound Envy began to break apart, their outermost extremities fading into dust. Then, a small split formed in their forehead.

"Damn it all!" a small, squeaky voice whispered. From the split, there emerged a green tiny creature with six legs, disproportionately large eyes, a curved jaw, and a small tail. A thick vine quickly made sure they didn't get away.

Grimmjow started to laugh. "So all this time, you were just an insect trying to make yourself big?! HA! I've changed my mind! Let the miserable wretch struggle for life!"

Sighing, Persephone released Grimmjow, leaving only the Homunculi captive.

"I'll ask this once," Persephone spoke in a tone that befit her old status as Queen of the Underworld. "What was your purpose here?"

The three Homunculi didn't answer. Well, Lust was the only quiet one. Gluttony was whining about being hungry, while Envy yelled curses at Grimmjow.

"I see," Persephone instantly materialized three seeds. Then, in the blink of an eye, she shoved them into each of the Homunculi. Their eyes widened as the wounds closed around the seeds.

"If you ever get near me, or this island again, those seeds will grow and root themselves into place. You will still be alive, but be in agonizing pain and unable to move until all your stolen lives run out," Persephone backed up. "Do I make myself clear?"

Lust nodded for all three of them.

"I'm giving you this one chance to walk away. There won't be a second," the Goddess snapped her fingers.

The plants are stretched back, and flung the Homunculi into the southwestern horizon. There was so much force that they weren't even close to landing by the time they vanished from sight.

At that sight, Kisame suddenly found his respect for Wood Style growing even more.

Persephone turned around, that warm smile already back in place.

"Now, let's get your crew everything you need," the Goddess started strolling back to town.

Dumbly nodding along, they all obediently followed. The rest of the day would be spent at the town, collecting supplies and provisions. At the end of it, the whole crew settled in for a good night's sleep.

Omake: Deleted Scene #1

The time had finally come. Sosuke Aizen had made his way across the Sea. It was as if he was determined to prove that Halibel could never escape from him. The whole crew was down and bleeding after a grueling effort.

"And now, for the final blows," Aizen said in that infuriatingly smug tone. He raised his sword. "Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu."

The treacherous Soul Reaper smirked as he approached Halibel. The whole crew was looking up, where an illusion of himself had walked into the air.

Then, all of a sudden, there was a small burst of energy, and everyone was looking at the real him.

"Wha…"

So stunned was Aizen that he didn't think to move back or react in any way, meaning that a blue fist SLAMMED right into Aizen's face.

"Genjutsu Release! BITCH!" Kisame laughed as he launched Aizen into the ocean.

At that moment, Halibel and Grimmjow were both blushing at the Shark Ninja. They'd simply never felt this way about a man before.

Anyway, our Shark Trio wasted no time in following Aizen into the water. All three brought their palms down. And yes, Halibel and Jinbe can Summon too now. You got a problem with that?

"SUMMONING JUTSU!"

Aizen could not believe his eyes. It was a pack of Megalodons. Megalodons with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads. They immediately all aimed at him.

"Oh, this is bullshit!" he exclaimed.

"CUT!"

The set went quiet as OceanLord hopped off his Director's Chair. "Aizen, are you forgetting your lines?"

"No, I simply can't take it anymore! This entire scene is bullshit!" Aizen began to rant.

"Oh, I don't know," Jinbe mused as he pet one of the 'laser sharks'. "I rather like it."

"It completely degrades me! For God's sake, I'm a main villain!" Aizen argued. "I wouldn't be taken down by something so elementary as a Genjutsu Release."

"Well, technically speaking...that Release completely stops all intake and movement of energy to interfere with when it comes to your Zanpakuto," Sasori pondered.

"NERD!" everyone else instinctively yelled at the puppet.

"But the worst part is the sharks with laser beams! It's just too much! I thought you wanted a serious show!" Aizen took a deep breath when he finished.

"Okay," OceanLord sighed. "I'll get rid of this scene."

"WHAT?! But Kisame punching Aizen was so hot!" Halibel and Grimmjow roared.

"No, no…he's right," OceanLord sat back down. "He's a main villain, and deserves to be treated as such."

The Director had a look in his eye, and everyone except Aizen caught it. "After all, nothing less than something grand is worthy to share screen time with you."

"Well, I'm glad we're on the same page," Aizen sounded satisfied.

OceanLord gave an evil smile as he speed-dialed a number. "Yep, we're going to film your scenes now, come on in….oh yes, he's totally ready."

A second later, the sound of Body Flicker echoed.

"Aizen, meet your new coworker."

Aizen's blood chilled as he heard a deep, imposing voice right behind him ask a certain question.

"Do you want to dance?"

The face Aizen made sent almost everyone into a laughing fit.

"Damn you, OceanLord!" Aizen cursed.

In the back, Halibel was still pouting as she snuggled into Kisame's lap. "I still wanna keep that scene."

Kisame stroked her hair. "Don't worry. I'll come up with a 'Sci-Fi' arc where we can use these laser sharks."

"You're the best," Halibel settled back down.

And so it was with a content smile that the couple watched Aizen suffer A Thousand Years of Death: Susanōō Style.

A.N. Okay, okay…I swear this is the last time I turn Aizen into a laughing stock! From now on, I'll be completely and utterly serious in writing for him. Any defeat and/or humiliation will be believable. As for the Laser Sharks…One Day! And yes, I will go ahead and say Aizen WILL at least meet Madara in story...though the Uchiha probably won't use THAT on him. Not surprised that that is my most requested fight.

Can you believe it's been over a year since I've started this story. Man, how time flies. With that in mind, that factored into my decision to finally give a coherent picture on just how this universe of mine was created. Granted, my original plan was to wait a little longer before revealing Hades' and the Underworld's connection to everything…but I figured y'all had waited long enough.

Also hope y'all like my interpretation of Persephone! Consider her but a taste of what the 'big-name' Greek Deities are capable of in my verse. To give a base, the '2nd-Gen' Gods (like Persephone, Athena, and their siblings) will basically be equal to some of the stronger Kage and Gotei 13 Captains. Let me know what you think! And we have our next Quest Destination…The Library of Thoth…that'll be the next 'big one'. So yes, I'm bringing in Egyptian Deities…so that'll be fun! Fun fact…The Island Khemenu is actually the old name for Hermepolis/Al Ashmunin…which was the Cult Center in real life for Thoth…and that's my historical trivia for the day.

As for the Homunculi, it was less me bringing them in for a cool fight. Rather, it was to establish some familiarity, along with giving them SERIOUS incentive to get stronger. I will go ahead and say that they will be getting a boost…but that's for another time. But for now, it's too soon for their greater plans to be revealed. Still, watch out…all of them will be appearing, including Father.

But seriously, sorry for the delay. On top of graduating and moving back home for my new job, there was a protest just a few streets away. Needless to say, I couldn't really sit down and concentrate. In terms of what's going on now, all I can ask is for everyone to do what you think is right. Hopefully, we can all move past this, as a better people.

Til Next Time...Have Fun! Please...Stay Safe!