Chapter 27: Leaving Asphodel
"Earth Style: Mud Silhouette!"
"Hey, Watch It!"
Grimmjow quickly stepped off the ground-turned-mudslide, throwing a scowl at the offending Ninja.
"Sorry," Kisame shrugged. "Been a while since I've done this much Earth Style. Won't get much of a chance at sea."
"Oh…you can actually use stuff that isn't water?" Grimmjow asked. "Thought you Ninjas could only do one at a time…unless you tore out someone's heart when I wasn't looking?" He gave a nasty grin.
Kisame just looked at him for a good second. "You're pulling my leg, aren't you?"
Grimmjow didn't say anything. His grin seemed to get even wider.
"No…that was a Kakuzu thing," Kisame shuddered at the thought of black goop inside him like that.
"Anyway, ship's probably not the best place to practice Jutsu, so I'll be at this for awhile," Kisame told the Hollow.
"Eh, I'm curious," Grimmjow shrugged. "So how good are you?"
"Oh, I'll show you," Kisame chuckled and quickly ran through some Hand Signs.
"Fire Style! Fireball Jutsu!" He called up his Chakra…and a tiny fireball the size of his fingernail came out.
'Oh Shit,' Kisame thought. 'Has it really been that long since I did a Fire Style?'
Far away, Itachi and Ace felt the sudden urge to weep.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Grimmjow bent over, hands on his knees, he was laughing so hard. "I HA didn't think HAHA this day could get HA better after that HAHA shapeshifter HAHAHA! I was wrong!"
Fuming (though not literally, as that would mean he was actually good at Fire Style), Kisame started stomping off. He grabbed a handful of leaves from a nearby tree before leaving (HA!). Maybe some meditation would make the Wind Style come easier.
"Oh, come on!" Grimmjow started walking after him, shaking off a fly near his arm. "I was just kidding around! Don't make me hang out with those other losers on your crew!"
OoOoOoO
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Halibel asked.
"Of course," Jinbe cheerfully assured her. "Kids did this all the time back home."
"Fine," Halibel drew her sealed Tiburon, and took a 'ready' position.
"Hold on, Tsu!" Jinbe had a ball of water half his size cupped in one hand. On top of the ball, Tsuyu was using Fishman Karate to keep her balance on it.
"Water Cannon Shot!" Jinbe shouted as he pitched the water at Halibel, Frog-girl included.
Right before the ball could hit her, Halibel stabbed it with Tiburon. Using her latent command of water, she quickly did a 180 and threw the ball back.
All the while, Tsuyu kept her position on the water.
Beneath them, Juvia acted as a combination of safety net and referee, absent-mindedly shooing a fly away.
Ostensibly, the purpose of this bizarre game was to train Tsuyu in maintaining her Fishman Karate form, pushing herself to stay connected with the water.
The real reason, Jinbe just missed playing District Ball. Fond memories of rowdy evenings with Aladine and Hachi, among others, rose to the surface. Granted, none of his playmates used a sword like a slingshot/bat, but Jinbe supposed beggars couldn't be choosers.
They went back and forth for a while. Juvia watched all the while, eyes going back and forth between both players.
'Oh yeah,' Jinbe belatedly thought. 'It's my turn.' His hand caught the ball, reared back, and pitched it like a curveball.
Raising an eyebrow, Halibel brought Tiburon back, almost as if someone said 'Batter up'.
With what would've been the flat of the blade, Halibel smacked the water ball.
"Ribbet!"
The ball went hurtling back to Jinbe, faster than before.
Oh, the Fishman caught it, no problem. It just came with such force that Jinbe slid back until crashing into a nearby tree.
'BOOM!'
"Does this mean I win?" Halibel gave a slight smile.
From the dust, Jinbe returned the grin. "Yeah…you win!"
"Ribbet," Tsu's eyes were spinning.
"TSU!" Juvia ran on over. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah," the Quirk-user gave a thumbs-up.
"I must say," Halibel strolled up to them. "It was an entertaining challenge to control that water without my Resurreción."
"And you didn't lose your grip even once," Jinbe praised Tsu, who got a light blush from that.
"Okay, I've got another bubble for you all," Juvia spoke up. With a gesture, the Fairy Tail Wizard created a 'Mini-Water Lock'.
Tsuyu raised an eyebrow, before climbing on.
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Jinbe prepared his stance, and tossed.
And it was fine…until Tiburon hit Juvia's Water.
POP! "Ribbet!"
The force of the pop sent Tsuyu flying. Turns out just slamming Reishi into Magic makes things INCREDIBLY unstable.
"Oops," Juvia and Halibel said in unison.
Everyone present blinked, before belatedly realizing that Tsu was still flying.
"CRAP!" Jinbe started running, the girls quickly rushing after him.
OoOoOoO
An Arrancar and a Soul Reaper walked out of a bar. Contrary to popular belief, this was not the start of an old Soul Society joke.
"…And that's when Lieutenant Matsumoto fell off the roof," Hanataro finished his story.
"HA!" Apacci guffawed at the image of Rangiku failing in life. "Serves her right."
"Aww…don't say that," Hanataro meekly protested.
Apacci simply rolled her eyes. "Anyone ever tell you you're too nice for your own good?"
"More than a few times," the Soul Reaper shrugged, earning a sigh from the Arrancar.
"RIBBET!"
And the conversation came to a screeching halt at the sight of a flying frog.
"Oh Crap!" Apacci's eyes went wide.
Hanataro immediately flew up to catch Tsuyu. Normally, the wiry Soul Reaper would've been pushed back by the impact. This time however, his new arm seemed to instinctively act. As his natural arm wrapped around Tsu, the other let out a jet of flames, completely halting the trajectory.
"You all right?" Hanataro looked her over.
"Yeah," Tsu's eyes were still spinning.
"OKAY!" Apacci started stomping off. "WHO'S THE DUMBASS?!"
"That would be me," a regal voice announced right behind her.
Apacci paled.
"Lady Halibel?! Umm…I…well…I didn't mean to say that you…"
"It's quite alright," Jinbe brought up the rear, with Juvia huffing and puffing, hands on her knees as she panted.
"To be fair," Halibel interjected. "I was quite the…how'd you put it…dumbass?"
"PFFT," Apacci let out a surprised laugh, before giving an embarrassed look at Halibel.
OoOoOoO
Franky shook hands with the local blacksmith. Pleased, the cyborg flung a full truck's worth of pig iron onto his shoulder.
Sasori waited outside, comfortably nestled into his newly-repaired Hiruko.
"Are you done?" he impatiently asked.
"Yeah, yeah…don't need to get your panties in a twist," Franky shrugged off.
"I don't wear panties," Sasori deadpanned.
"That's not…eww," Franky shuddered at that mental image. "Anyway, I think we have enough for some new projects. Speaking of which…"
"What?" Sasori growled.
"I'm just curious," Franky raised a hand in surrender. "What were you planning on doing next?"
"Hmm…perhaps I shall investigate and run tests on 'Magic' next. It seemed that those Etherious and Fairy Tail Wizards were from the same world, yet their energies felt different," Sasori mused as he shuffled alongside the cyborg.
"No kidding," Franky mused. "Well, wish you luck with that, man!"
Sasori tilted his head, still not entirely sure what to make of his inventive partner at times. He tried to take out his confusion on a nearby buzzing fly, but he missed.
"Hehehe…you losing your touch?" Franky joked.
"Shut up."
OoOoOoO
Sanji and Mirajane had just finished their shopping trip. The Pirate's arms were absolutely loaded down with groceries, being the gentleman he was. Mirajane had offered, but Sanji would have none of it. See, the entire ship had been dunked in the fight at Tamatoa's Horde. That had significantly reduced the 'shelf-life' of a good chunk of their provisions. Sure, catching fish was absolutely trivial to the likes of Jinbe (or Kisame and Halibel when they were feeling competitive), but that coarse grew old for the rest of the crew real quick.
So here he was, loaded down with beef, pork, chicken (eggs included), fresh vegetables, hot loaves of bread, and some milk and cheese.
Mirajane was simply carrying two baskets. One was filled with fruit, such as ripe green apples. The other had fresh cut herbs and spices like mint and garlic, personally grown by Persephone herself.
"So…how long do you think this will last us?" the Fairy Tail Wizard asked.
"Hmm…when things go wrong at Khemenu, this should last us comfortably for a month after that," Sanji mused.
"Don't you mean 'if'?" Mirajane asked.
"No, I don't," the Pirate admitted.
"I'm sure things will work out," the Wizard cheerfully decided.
"I don't know…literally every island we've been, we've had to fight," Sanji pointed out. "And with the stakes riding on Khemenu, I wouldn't be surprised if 'that crocodile' sent somebody…at least to make sure no one else knows about 'that chest'." As he said this, the Chef blew a fly away from his face.
"Well, I have faith in my friends," Mirajane gave a dazzling smile.
"OF COURSE, MIRA-SWAN!"
And somehow, Sanji managed a perfect pirouette in his fawning, complete with all the food not even tipping over.
OoOoOoO
Finally, Usopp, Brook, and Nami were all on the Cutty Sark itself, minding the boat as it were.
Usopp brought a hand to his chin, watching as the Clima-Tact clashed with Soul Solid.
"I don't think my modifications are quite at Zeus's level, but they should be close," the sniper mused. Of course, he was referring to the thundercloud Homie under the command of Charlotte 'Big Mom' Linlin…not the Greek God.
"Yeah…I should be able to manage," Nami curtly decided as she parried Brook.
"Yo-ho-ho-ho! I see that you're getting better at melee…or I would if I had eyes…YOHOHOHOHO!"
Brook attempted a feint, but then something unusual happened.
Nami bent in such a way that Soul Solid impaled her stomach. This shocked (figuratively speaking) Brook long enough for Nami to shock him (VERY literally this time).
"NAMI!" Usopp yelled, almost like a knee-jerk reaction.
"It's alright," Nami grit her teeth as she pulled Soul Solid out. "Gotta put that dumb gold to some use after all." What Nami wasn't telling the others, was that while the Curse took away the vast majority of sensation and feeling, it did absolutely nothing for pain. Still, that wouldn't dissuade someone like Nami from taking full advantage.
Brook and Usopp would've chided Nami for fighting in such a reckless and self-destructive way, but they were far too distracted at the words 'dumb' and 'gold' being used in the same sentence, by NAMI of all people.
Shaking his head, Usopp put on a reassuring smile. "Anyway, I'm sure you'll be back to normal in no time once we reach Khemenu."
"And if not then," Brook added. "We'll just keep looking."
"Thanks," Nami gave a small smile. "Don't tell Sanji this, but I'm already missing his cooking."
"NAMI-SWAN! You'll have the greatest meal I can cook when the time comes!"
Out of nowhere, the chef threw all the groceries in the air, spinning in delight with Nami in tow.
"HEY!" Usopp yelled. But to his astonishment, Sanji's burdens had all gently landed on the nearby picnic tables…perfectly balanced, as all things should be.
"We're back!" Mirajane cheerfully waved as she walked up on deck.
"I noticed," Usopp deadpanned.
"Ooh…fresh tea leaves," Brook leaned into Mira's basket. "Smells heavenly…or it would, if I had a nose…YOHOHOHOHO…GAH!"
Brook had inhaled a fly that had been resting on the leaves. He coughed and sputtered before it flew out of his eye sockets, like it didn't have a care in the world.
The rest of the crew had a good laugh at that.
The fly landed on the rigging, its eyes pointed in Nami's direction.
OoOoOoO
By mid-afternoon, the Cutty Sark had everything it needed for a long journey. All that was left, was expressing gratitude to the residents of Asphodel. Well, that's how some of the crew felt.
"This is bullshit," Apacci cursed, clearly not of that opinion. Halibel shot her a withering glare.
"Yeah, I don't particularly feel like dealing with that crowd either," Kisame nearly growled.
"If you want, we can leave after thanking Persephone and having our fill," Halibel reassured him, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Fine," the Ninja seemed to sigh in acceptance.
Apacci rolled her eyes, while Grimmjow clicked his tongue.
"Party poopers," Franky muttered under his breath, already a little disappointed that Sasori wasn't coming at all, having insisted on working on the ship.
"I'm sure it'll be nice to have someone else cook for a change," Mirajane smiled, attempting to lift the mood.
"Speak for yourself," Nami darkly grumbled.
"Anyway, it'd be impolite to just leave," Brook intervened. "Especially after Lady Persephone shared so much information."
"I suppose," Nami shrugged.
"I, for one, will be savoring this opportunity for relaxation," Jinbe grinned. "After all, we don't know when our next chance at civilization will be."
"Hmm," Kisame gave a contemplative look, before shaking his head. Honestly, he could never be 'relaxed' with so many unfamiliar faces at once.
Before the conversation could continue, the crew had already reached its destination.
"Welcome," the lady of the hour bowed her head to the 'guests'. Persephone had even cleaned off the near-constant dirt on her face for the occasion. "Please, help yourselves."
"Gladly!" Brook and Usopp clearly were enthusiastic, taking their seats and first course with gusto. Some delicious chicken salads if you were curious.
"Your courtesy is much appreciated," Jinbe bowed his head, while Apacci scoffed at the overly polite thank you.
Persephone gestured to three seats near her place at the end of the table. Jinbe sat to her left. Halibel took the seat to her right, with Kisame next to her.
"Dig in, and enjoy," Persephone grandly declared.
"CHEERS!" the entire crowd joined in.
"It's creepy how in-sync they are sometimes," Grimmjow muttered.
"I know, right?" Kisame, in the seat next to him, agreed.
"Eh…that's just how crowds are," Jinbe assured them.
"…there's something wrong with your world if that's true…" Grimmjow bluntly put it, before he helped himself.
And so, the feast went as well as it possibly could. A five-course meal specifically made for you tends to have that effect. Although…the less said about the crab cakes put in between Kisame and Halibel, the better. To be fair, it got Grimmjow laughing.
By the end, everyone had been fed and watered, warm and comfortable. Sadly, it was time to go.
"Aww…I want to stay with PERSEPHONE-SWAN just a little longer!" Sanji did his 'love tornado' routine…even with a full stomach.
"I know," Brook joined in. "And we never got to see…"
At that exact moment, Nami and Apacci kicked him in the face, somehow perfectly in-sync, knocking him out.
"No, I don't wear panties…and you absolutely are not permitted to see underneath my toga," Persephone nonchalantly replied.
"YES MA'AM!" Sanji and Usopp quickly backed away.
"Anyway," Persephone bowed her head. "I've served my role as host to you travelers, and you've all been courteous guests." For a brief moment, she narrowed her eyes at Grimmjow. "And now, the time has come for your journey to resume."
Halibel got up first. "Thank you, we shall make haste for Khemenu."
"Tia Halibel, Kisame Hoshigaki, Jinbe," Persephone paused. "If your blades are to ever cross with Cipactli's again, know that our prayers are with you."
"Much appreciated," Jinbe gave a warm smile, before elbowing a quiet Kisame.
"Yeah, thanks," the Ninja gave a curt nod.
One by one, some of the others went up.
"Thanks for the iron, that was SUPER of you!" Franky posed for the Goddess.
"Yeah…and your plants will be SUPER useful with my Pop Greens," Usopp added. "Oh crap, he's got me doing it too."
"Your mere presence was a gift!" Sanji enthusiastically added.
"But the food was nice too!" Mirajane interjected.
"Yeah, yeah…thanks for the lead," Nami quietly chimed in.
"Ribbet…the rest was needed and appreciated," Tsuyu added, with Juvia nodding along.
Brook said nothing, on account of still being knocked out and dragged away by Apacci, with Hanataro fretting over the scene.
"Please, it was nothing," Persephone smiled and waved them off. "Now, let's see you off."
With the sun still high in the sky, Nami and Jinbe came to the decision that it was still a perfect time to set sail. There was brief flurry of activity on board, and everything was ready.
"Take Care!" the whole town seemed to come out and roared in unison.
The Straw Hats and Fairy Tail Wizards were incredibly enthusiastic about waving back, the others less so.
And just like that, they'd departed from Asphodel Island, the course set for Thoth's Library on Khemenu.
OoOoOoO
As the sunset, Persephone was back at her garden. A nostalgic smile graced her features as she tended to the Pomegranate.
"Lady Persephone!" An aide rushed to the Goddess.
"What is it?" she asked in a serious tone, clearly seeing the panic.
"Murder…you need to see this," the man gravely revealed.
They quickly reached the scene of the crime. It was a small house, serving as the residence of a family of 3.
The wife and child had simple puncture wounds through the heart. The sight of the husband nearly made Persephone wretch in disgust.
His skin was all gone. There wasn't even a trace of epidermis left.
Something else was greatly disturbing Persephone. Judging from the bodies, it'd been well over 24 hours since they'd been killed.
That's where things got strange, because Persephone had seen this man with her own eyes. He'd been partying and feasting both when the Cutty Sark crew had arrived and departed.
That meant there had been a shapeshifter good enough to fool every single person on this island at the time. Someone who could conceal their energy to the point of being completely unnoticed, even by a Goddess. Someone who'd gone so far as to kill and replace a citizen (rather than attempt a new face so amateurishly like that Homunculus had done).
There was only one thing in this whole Sea of Second Chances capable of that.
OoOoOoO
On the Cutty Sark, a fly still watched as Nami directed Jinbe at the helm.
Then, making sure no one would notice, the fly seamlessly transformed into a spider, and scurried in between the boards of the deck.
As it moved, the creature wondered whose skin would be its next treat. Maybe that Arrancar's Hierro would be a nice addition. And it would be fitting. After all, Grimmjow had taken his beer.
But there was that trio being lauded for taking on Lord Cipactli. A close eye would be needed on those sharks.
Regardless, the order was to capture the accursed navigator and return her to Miquiztli, alive and unspoiled.
So, the unexpected visitor settled in to watch and observe this fascinating collection of otherworlders, patient as always. So many delicious energies and abilities. At the very least, it would take its time to 'appreciate' such powers.
OoOoOoO
"Yee Naaldlooshii," Persephone paled. "It was here."
"The Navajo Skin-Walker!" The aide gave a look of absolute horror. "What do we do?"
"I'm locking the Island down...no one else leaves!" Persephone commanded.
"Yes, Ma'am!"
With a wave of her hand, the entire island got surrounded by a forest of briar thorns.
"All Citizens, Assemble in the Town Square!" the Goddess proclaimed. "NOW!"
OoOoOoO
After every citizen was screened with a combination of Mageia and personal questions, Persephone came to the conclusion that the Yee Naaldlooshii was no longer on the island, and dispersed her thorn bush.
Agitated, the Goddess swallowed a whole glass of her pomegranate wine. Not even her favorite drink was enough to soothe her.
"I'll need to head to Khemenu myself," Persephone decided.
Almost supernaturally feeling the need, an aid walked in.
"Prepare for my departure," she got up.
"Yes my lady."
However, things rarely go as planned.
Right before she could leave, a ship pulled into the harbor. Persephone usually would've paid it no mind, but the ship had a certain flag. It was black, with the outline of a three-headed dog. The flag of her husband's followers.
Naturally, Persephone dropped everything.
A figure rowed out to shore.
"News?" Persephone quickly asked.
"Yes," the visitor gravely nodded.
"What's happened?"
"It's your husband," the man hesitated.
"It's alright, keep going," Persephone gently urged.
"His condition worsened," the Shipwreck Cove native revealed. "We…don't know how long he'll last at this rate."
Persephone put her head in her hands. She'd known this was coming, but it didn't make it any easier.
"I'll head there immediately," she said, beckoning the visitor out.
She drank another full glass of her brew.
Regardless of her husband's condition, Persephone knew that the Cutty Sark crew needed serious help. So, in her place, nothing less than another God would do.
Coming up with a plan, she brought out a personal Den-Den Mushi, specifically protected against wire-tapping.
"Puru-puru-puru-puru-GACHA!"
"Athena."
"Persephone, what is it?"
"We have a problem, the Skinwalker's after 'that' crew," the Goddess of Spring revealed.
"Damn," the Goddess of Strategic War simply replied.
"I cannot go to their aid, Hades' strength is leaving him," Persephone added.
"And there's been no word of Apollo, or any of his progeny skilled in the art of healing?" Athena hoped.
"None."
A pause.
"Sister, why would Cipactli send his greatest subordinate away after this crew of 'otherworlders', when he's heading to war with another God of the Sea?" Athena pointedly asked.
Persephone inhaled. "Their navigator was cursed by an Aztec treasure. The crew claim Cipactli only made his appearance specifically for that chest. It's why I've given them directions to Thoth at Khemenu."
"You're actually going to drag Ra's Followers into this?" Athena questioned.
"It was going to happen sooner or later," Persephone scoffed. "But this chest, is it the one you were looking for?"
Athena paused for a long while before answering, "yes".
"I sent a small ship worth of fighters to scour the ruins of Tamatoa's Horde, to make sure no piece of it had been left behind, but they were forced to retreat before any investigation could happen," Athena revealed. "I'm surprised just how much Cipactli wants it."
"With how serious the situation is, I feel it would be best for you to personally meet the Cutty Sark crew at Thoth's Library," Persephone suggested.
"I'm not sure I'd be a match for the Skinwalker," Athena grimly surmised.
"Well, you should have more faith in that crew to back you up," Persephone chuckled. "They were able to actually beat back Cipactli's shadow."
"So those papers weren't exaggerating?" Athena seemed to raise an eyebrow.
"No, they weren't," Persephone confirmed. "And, Hades' blessings were all over their ship."
Athena almost scoffed. "To put such faith in a crew assembled by random chance…"
"My husband's work…means it's never random," Persephone coolly replied.
"Of course," Athena brushed off. "Regardless, my presence will be needed at Khemenu. Once I finish arrangements, I'll depart with a few select 'otherworlders'."
"All right, I'll be with Hades by the time you call next," Persephone finished. "May the Fates be kind".
"May the Fates be kind," Athena replied before hanging up.
Her call complete, Persephone walked out onto the dock.
"I'll go on ahead," the Goddess simply stated.
"As you wish."
With a flick of her wrist, two seeds had been thrown as far as the eye could see. With another simple gesture, it had transformed into a miniature mangrove/kelp forest just at the edge of her vision.
Persephone crouched down, and jumped. The strength of the motion meant the Goddess was in the air for miles, until landing on the mangrove platform.
Then, she threw more seeds, jumped again, and was out of sight.
OoOoOoO
Athena rapped her fingers on the table, before standing to her full height.
While she could be described as beautiful, a more proper adjective would probably be regal or intimidating. Intense gray eyes narrowed. Over her gray robes, she strapped on her standard battle armor. From the side, she picked up her Imperial Gold helmet.
Finally, she holstered her weapon of choice, a spear humming with Mageia energy. Above that, a round aegis shield with nearly as much power was strapped on.
She wandered around her fortress of Sofia until finding two of the men she'd been looking for.
One was dressed in traditional armor dating back 3000 years, with a well-trimmed beard and cunning look in his eyes.
"Odysseus, I'm leaving the base in your care until I get back," Athena decided.
"Understood," the 'Hero' of the Trojan War left the room to assume his duties.
The other man raised an eyebrow. He had fair skin, shaggy silver hair, red eyes, and three red lines on his face. He wore blue metal plates for armor, with a white fur collar over a black suit. Still, the sandals and happuri with the Hidden Leaf symbol engraved were a dead giveaway
"Tobirama, have they returned yet?"
"Yeah, they're waiting for you," the 2nd Hokage simply stated.
"Very good, you'll be coming with me," the Goddess walked on.
But before that, she left one more message on the Den-Den.
"Manannán, the storm is nearly upon us, be ready."
OoOoOoO
At the dock, a small ship bobbed up and down in the gentle wave.
Standing in front, were Nico Robin and Ulquiorra Cifer.
"Well now, what could possibly bring both of you out of the base?" Robin asked in a coy manner.
Ulquiorra simply raised an eyebrow.
"Take a look at this," Athena unfolded a few pieces of paper from her pocket, and distributed them to the 'otherworlders'. "I got it some days ago, but was only able to verify it today."
Robin's usual demeanor dropped like a brick, a mix of shock and relief evident. "Jinbe, is that you?"
Ulquiorra's eyes widened ever so slightly. "So…I wasn't the only Arrancar to have Segunda Etapa, after all?"
Tobirama scowled. He didn't say anything, but he was focused on the scratched-out headband, and the black cloak with red clouds.
"We shall be going to their aid, and meeting them at Khemenu, just the four of us."
"Hmm…I did always want to see that library," Robin nonchalant attitude seemed to return.
"But why would you personally see to this with such a small yet elite force?" Tobirama asked.
"The Skinwalker is after them. It would absolutely tear anyone weaker than you all apart."
That quickly shut the Ninja up. He'd been studying every God of the Sea, and all their notable subordinates…so he was familiar with the creature's profile, even if he wished he wasn't.
"Why is that…thing…after Jinbe?" Robin did her best to keep the panic out of her voice.
"I'll explain on the way," Athena promised as she walked onto the ship.
"What's to stop this creature from doing its work before we even get there?" Ulquiorra wondered. "Wouldn't really be much of a point to leave otherwise."
"Because it is a sadistic and greedy creature," Athena put it. "It simply won't be able to resist the chance to toy with the crew, and it takes time for it to learn more 'unique' powers…time that we shall use to its full advantage."
"If it truly is a shapeshifter, how can it be found?" Ulquiorra asked, recalling Aaroniero in the back of his mind.
"I'm a Goddess. Once we've found everyone, I shall use my power to call out its true name. Hopefully, I have enough power to at least get a reaction enough to notice. When that happens, I want you three to carefully watch everyone," Athena ordered.
"Right," Tobirama nodded, knowing the threat was too great for any petty grudges from his old world.
"Of course," Robin solemnly agreed.
Ulquiorra just quietly walked to their ship.
With that, the four had boarded, and set off.
Once far enough out, Athena gave a signal back to her fortress.
In the blink of an eye, the Sofia base, along with the entire landmass, had completely vanished.
"Odysseus will keep it out of harm's way," Athena reassured the crew. "Now, let's get moving."
The trio didn't need to be told twice.
Omake: Thunder and Lightning! Very, Very Frightening!
"COME ON! Let's crush those pretenders!" A female Sternritter by the name of Candice implored her companion.
"Hmm…they are indeed quite blasphemous for daring to use Heaven's power for mortal frivolities," 'God' Enel sneered at the duo facing off against them.
"HOW DARE YOU!" The Fourth Raikage, A, roared at the top of his lungs.
"Easy there," Laxus Dreyar kept a level gaze. "We need to keep our heads on straight if we're gonna pull this off." He calmed his Ninja friend.
And so, the island was engulfed in the greatest storm it had ever seen. Lightning came down enough that people would say that it 'rained' electricity that day.
And it was about to get worse.
"WHO DARES?!" a massive bearded God appeared in the clouds, wearing a toga and wielding The Thunderbolt in his hand. Before he could strike, he paused. This was Zeus, and he was staring at Candice, licking his lips.
The Sternritter noticed. "OH HELL NO!" And promptly zapped him in the face.
"RUDE!" Incensed by the lack of 'respect-woman-juice', Laxus actually zapped him at the same time.
"SUCH INSOLENCE, I SHALL…" WHAM!
Zeus didn't get to finish, on account of a hammer flying in and hitting his face.
"HAVE AT THEE!" A much more handsome God flew in. He even looked more prepared than old Zeus, what with proper battle armor and a stunning red cape. Thor Odinson had now entered the fray.
Remember what I said earlier about it 'raining' lightning. Now…it was a torrential downpour of lightning.
"Pika…" a small rodent just happened to be nearby…and decided it would be fun to play with people who could actually take its hits.
"CHU!"
All six fighters felt that zap, and turned to the rodent.
"He's so cute!" Candice started running to scoop the Pikachu up.
"Nonsense," the Raikage pulled a Lariat on the Sternritter. "This mighty warrior shall join the Hidden Cloud."
"FOOLS!" Enel proclaimed, narrowly avoiding Laxus swallowing him. "It's obvious this rodent was meant to be my apostle!"
"Leave the sweet rabbit be!" Thor roared as he punched Zeus again, despite him not even saying anything about Pikachu.
The fight intensified even more, but there was one more guest.
"Good, good," an aged voice seemed to echo. An old, shriveled man in a black cloak slowly walked up, completely unperturbed by the power thrown around. "I can feel your anger, let the hate flow through you all. Hehehehe…"
The old man raised both hands.
"Regardless, none of you are a match for the power of the Dark Side!"
"Oh, and why is that?" Zeus arrogantly asked.
"Because, it has granted me POWER!" The Dark Lord of the Sith electrified Zeus! "UNLIMITED PPPPOOOOOWWWWWAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
With that, Darth Sidious beat a God. True, it is just Zeus, but still impressive.
"Now then," a red lightsaber ignited, "see if any of you can stop me. HEHEHEHAHAHAHA!"
And so, yet another island was wiped off the face of the Sea of Second Chances as the battle raged.
A.N. Was that over the top? I can never tell! MWAHAHAHAHA! But seriously, would it be too much to bring in freakin' Sith and Jedi…maybe, just maybe. But I just couldn't resist having fun! For real though, I will go ahead and confirm that Candice/Enel will be a team, they'll run into Laxus and A, and either meet Zeus or Thor. Though that's a LONG way away.
Now, the chapter itself…did any of you forget that the freakin' Skinwalker is after our heroes? MWAHAHA! I wonder what y'all were thinking when I put so much emphasis on a 'random' fly. But yes, I'll be having FUN with that walking Nightmare Fuel…consider it the overarching Villain for the C.S. Crew until the Cipactli/Tiamat war is resolved, or at least the most 'PERSONAL' enemy. Let me put it this way…the only people who can definitely beat the Skinwalker one-on-one are Madara, Aizen, the Emperors, and any who can be called their equals. Yeah, there's a REASON it's Cipactli's #1.
But don't worry! Athena (my personal favorite Greek Goddess) is coming to their aid. And no…she's got NO IDEA Ares is heading there too…hehehehehe. But yeah, I felt Tobirama, Ulquiorra, and Robin all really go well with her aesthetic. Will be fun seeing them interact with the others.
Yeah, in case you couldn't tell…Khemenu will be my next big, all-action, arc…with 'long-term' consequences.
And I did appreciate the chance to just train and hang out with the crew. I'll be honest, I started this story for the sole intent of cool fights…but I'm actually having just as much fun when the crew has fun.
Before I go, Guest Review Reply:
Anon: Hehehe...who knows? This might attract Naruto's attention.
ZN: Much appreciated! And yeah, you hit the nail on the head in terms of probably the story's greatest flaw. After all, the whole point is me throwing all the characters I like together, and seeing what happens. When it comes to the sheer amount of characters, rest assured that I'll draw particular emphasis on the ones that actually need a bit of attention paid to, rather than the ones I've pulled in solely for the sake of an interesting fight. Think of it like when Whitebeard's Commanders were introduced in Marineford…it wasn't exactly essential that all their names were learned at the time. They were honestly mostly there to occupy the Marines and Warlords that we DID know. On a side note, the 'Gods of the Sea' will be the ONLY time I have that many names presented at once…so rest assured. And yeah, Cipactli controlling Saiken and Isobu will TOTALLY bite him in the back someway…and that may or may not involve Naruto himself or the other Tailed Beasts.
Til Next Time…Have Fun! Stay Safe!
