Chapter 28: Delphin and Palaemon
A few days had passed since departing Asphodel, so the crew was in something akin to their usual routine.
At the moment, Jinbe was taking a needed break from his usual Helmsman duties. Down the deck, he'd set up a Shōgi board. The game had progressed to something like a climax as he regaled his friends with stories.
"And that's a Promoted Lance!" Kisame cheered. "Now…where were we?"
"Hmm…" Jinbe's eyes narrowed, not deterred in the least. "So...we'd just gotten past the Gates of Justice…" He moved a Silver, capturing a Pawn.
"Gates of Justice…really?" Kisame raised an eyebrow, moving his Lance to the side, closing in on Jinbe's King.
"How pretentious," Halibel sipped her Sake. She'd never seen Shōgi before, so she was honestly captivated.
"I did say that was standard for the WG…" Jinbe muttered, moving his Silver forward. "Anyway, this massive tsunami had lifted us up, but before it could descend, it completely froze over."
"Oh…how'd that happen?" Halibel asked, as Kisame took out the offending Silver with a Knight.
"See, Whitebeard used his Tremor Fruit to try and drown Marineford in Tsunamis." Jinbe moved his King.
"I like him already," Kisame laughed, moving his Lance in pursuit.
"But Aokiji managed to freeze all the water. Thing is, we were so high up, that nobody in Marineford had seen us yet," Jinbe had brought his King to the edge of the board.
Kisame smirked as he moved his Lance. He just needed to bring his Rook over, and it'd be his game.
"Anyway, Ivankov freed us with his Hell Wink," Jinbe explained, bringing a hand to his chin. "But there was the slight detail that nothing was supporting the ship anymore…so we all fell down right in the middle of the battlefield."
"AHAHAHAHA!" Kisame bent over, he was laughing so hard. "Oh, that's gold."
"Speaking of gold…"Jinbe moved his own Gold forward. "I believe that's it."
"HAHA…Huh?" Kisame's expression changed instantly. "Oh Goddammit."
"Hmm…I don't see the issue," Halibel raised an eyebrow.
"My King is trapped to this row, and Jinbe just needs to move his Dragon to finish the job. And I can't move my Rook in time to beat him," Kisame pointed out.
"Dragon?" Halibel seemed even more confused.
"Oh yeah, his Rook was Promoted," Kisame explained. "And I forgot like a dumbass."
"Don't be so hard on yourself," Jinbe shook his head. "It took me way longer to beat you than anyone else…aside from Robin. You should try it, Halibel."
"Hmm," Halibel finished her drink. "I'm afraid I won't be much of a challenge."
"Oh…does that mean to go easy on ya?" Kisame smirked.
Halibel narrowed her eyes, and shoved Jinbe out of the chair, sitting her butt down. "Not on your life."
"All right then," Kisame started resetting the game.
OoOoOoO
Apacci was off to the side, feet dangling over the railing. Her eyes lingered over the trio, and she scoffed.
"Hehehe…jealous?" Grimmjow sneered.
"Shut the hell up," Apacci growled.
"Oh shit…you really are," Grimmjow's expression actually seemed a bit taken aback.
"I don't wanna hear it from you of all people," Apacci started walking away.
"You have to admit, she doesn't seem to spend much time with ya anymore…can't really blame her," Grimmjow shrugged.
"Hell are you implying?" Apacci paused, clenching a fist.
"Just that you and those other groupies kept putting her on a damn pedestal, she's probably grateful those two are treating her like an equal," Grimmjow pointed to the Shōgi game.
Kisame and Jinbe were both laughing. Halibel had an embarrassed blush as she had watched her 'army' wither away.
Apacci's face fell from an angry scowl, to a more bemused expression. "She really is having fun, isn't she?" She honestly couldn't recall Halibel being so open in their first life.
"Kid, this isn't Hueco Mundo anymore. She's not having to constantly be on the lookout for your sorry asses," Grimmjow replied. "Let's face it, not many people are gonna care about their old obligations. It's a new world after all. I mean, look at Kisame…he isn't even wearing that Akatsuki cloak anymore."
"You're wrong," Apacci tried to keep her voice level.
"We'll see," Grimmjow shrugged, wandering to the figurehead.
Apacci turned away, walking below. Her mind was racing. 'Am I really just dragging down Lady…I mean, Halibel?'
OoOoOoO
Up at the Crow's Nest, Usopp was looking around.
"Hey." Nami climbed up, joining him.
"Oh, what's up?" the Sniper wondered.
"Just letting you know that Dinner will be soon, I can stand watch while you eat," Nami informed him.
"Are you sure?" Usopp cautiously asked.
"Yeah, not really up for the sight of food right now," the Navigator firmly stated.
"Okay, is there anything I can do to help?" Usopp softly asked.
"Not right now…thanks for the offer," Nami waved her hand.
"Hmm…how about I tinker with that Clima-Tact…maybe I can find some way to replicate the power it had with Zeus," Usopp suggested.
"I really do appreciate it," Nami's expression became softer.
"Hey…we'll find a way to lift that curse, you can count on that!" Usopp proclaimed with a thumbs-up.
"I know," Nami smiled back as Usopp descended back to the deck.
OoOoOoO
In the Med Bay, Hanataro was doing a last check-up on Tsuyu. She had taken the longest to heal from the fight with Cipactli, who had eaten a good foot of her tongue.
"All right, with this last application of Reiatsu…your tongue should be back to its normal length by this time tomorrow," the Soul Reaper reassured his patient.
"Thank you, ribbet. Can't believe you were actually able to heal it. This would've been a permanent injury in my world," Tsuyu mused.
"It's nothing, I'm just glad my treatment worked. Sorry that I didn't heal it sooner, but I didn't want to risk giving too much Reiatsu to someone without any energy."
"Will it affect me adversely?" Tsuyu asked.
"At these levels, most likely not. When it comes to affects from Reishi exposure, it'll take FAR more to make itself known. With Ichigo's friends, they were in constant proximity of his unrestrained Reishi when he fought Hollows," Hanataro remembered.
"I see," Tsuyu simply said as she walked off.
"And make sure to eat and rest plenty," Hanataro nearly shouted as he followed.
OoOoOoO
Down below, Franky was currently creating a new skin for the Witch figurehead. He'd honestly been a little disappointed at how much damage the flamethrowers had inflicted on it.
His train of thought came to a halt when the door opened, revealing Brook.
"Dinner's almost done," the skeleton revealed.
"Alright," Franky put down a mold and got up.
The two walked in comfortable silence for a while.
"Hey, Brook," Franky broke said silence. "Is Nami doing alright?"
The musician took on a pensive expression, which is quite the feat for a skeleton. "I think so, but I'm still worried. This isn't really like my 'condition' after all. So this is just as unfamiliar to me as the rest of you."
"Oh…" Franky raised an eyebrow.
"Well…despite my appearance, I can still eat, drink, and feel. Aside from lifting the curse, I'm not sure what can be done to help," Brook solemnly explained.
"But…you're a skeleton. Logically, you shouldn't be able to do ANY of those things, but here we are. Couldn't we work out how Nami could too?" Franky asked.
"We can certainly look into it," Brook brought a hand to his chin. "Although…speaking of Nami, there's something else that concerns me."
"What?"
"Sasori," Brook stated.
"What about him?" Franky asked, not liking where this conversation was going.
"The way he looks at Nami sometimes, it sends a legitimate chill down my spine. It's like he sees her as something to add to his collection," Brook narrowed his eyes.
Franky wanted to protest, but there was something holding him back.
"The first time I'd seen that sort of look in someone's eye…Gekko Moria took my shadow," Brook remembered.
"No, Sasori won't do that. He cares too much about the ship and making it to Fiddler's Green. He wouldn't jeopardize that," Franky argued.
"I'm not saying he would…just be careful, okay?" Brook gently asked.
"Alright, I'll keep an eye open if it'll make you feel better," the cyborg reassured the musician.
"Thanks."
OoOoOoO
Sanji and Mirajane were cooking up some Ribeye steaks, with mashed potatoes, broccoli, and buttery rolls. Juvia was keeping them company, making conversation with her fellow Fairy Tail Wizard.
"Did you hear anything about Elfman or Lisanna?" Juvia asked.
"Nothing. No one at Asphodel had heard anything about anyone like them," Mirajane looked down, deciding to focus on setting the rolls out.
"We'll find them," Juvia reassured her. "Family has a way of finding each other."
Sanji actually frowned at that. "I honestly hope not."
That got a noticeable reaction out of the girls. It took a second for Sanji to notice. He hadn't actually meant to say that out loud.
"But I'm sure your family will reunite with you, MIRA-SWAN!" The cook proclaimed with a flourish, incidentally putting the last bit of salt and butter on the broccoli.
The door opened.
"Dinner's almost done! Oh, Sasori," Mirajane paused, not used to the ex-Akatsuki's company, especially since he normally didn't join the crew for meals.
"Ah, Miss. Strauss, I actually was wanting to speak with you and Ms. Lockser. Consider it a matter of personal interest," Sasori started.
"What about?" Sanji narrowed his eyes at the Ninja. No matter what Franky said, the Cook was still incredibly cautious around the Puppet, especially around the Ladies.
"It's alright," Mirajane put a calming hand on Sanji's shoulder. "Go ahead," she gestured to Sasori.
"It's about your energy…your Ethernanos I believe they're called," Sasori unrolled a scroll. "I have been studying the samples leftover from those Etherious, Torafuzar and Jackal, and I simply wished to compare it to a Human Wizard's energy."
"Sorry to disappoint you, but Lacrima are the only surefire way to preserve Magic in its pure energy form," Juvia explained.
"I'm sure that we can find you some at the next populated island with some Wizards…I've heard they're not that hard to make," Mirajane added.
"While that is appreciated, I might not have need for that," Sasori gave a small smile. "All I need is a small sample of blood or tissue…or water in Ms. Lockser's case."
Sanji glared at Sasori, clearly not comfortable with this.
"How much do you need?" Mira held out her arm.
"MIRA?!" Sanji indignantly shouted.
"It's all right, Sasori's a friend," Mira gave her standard bubbly smile.
"I don't think that's the best idea," Sanji gently said, stepping in between the two.
Before the situation could turn either way, the door opened again.
Franky and Brook, followed closely by Tsuyu and Hanataro, all came in. "I am SUPER Hungry!"
Sasori rolled his eyes, and left just as quickly as he entered. Sanji watched him leave, before turning back to prepping dinner.
Within the next few minutes, everyone asides from Sasori and Nami had made their way in. Dinner passed without much issue, friendly conversation flowed easily for the most part. Hanataro and Halibel did notice that Apacci was quieter than usual, but decided to put that in the back of their minds for now.
OoOoOoO
Later that night, Nami's watch was close to coming to an end.
A single spider watched.
'It would be so simple. I could just snatch up that little cursed human, start flying, and be well out-of-range before anyone else is the wiser.' The Yee Naaldlooshii thought to itself.
'But…I so want to take my time with them. So many wonderful abilities. So much energy. I must have it all! I know Lord Cipactli is most anxious for the task to be done…but this really is a rare opportunity for me.' The spider seemed to shrug to itself. 'Besides, getting information on Khemenu should more than make up for my…'indulgences'.'
The spider retreated back below deck. 'Well, there's much work to be done in the meantime. Now, I've already put a few members closer to the edge…who should I focus on next?'
OoOoOoO
The next morning, another island came in sight.
According to Nami and the Map, this island was known as Fontibus Novus. It had a single peak, from which a gorgeous waterfall seemed to flow endlessly. Aside from said marvel, the island seemed mostly flat. At the very least, it was flat enough for a city to form, with fields of crops taking up the rest of the landmass.
And it was indeed a proper city, with hundreds of stone structures, built in a Roman fashion, abundant with Arches, Vaults, and Domes. Even from this far out, one could see masses of people going about their business, particularly in the bustling marketplace.
On the other hand, a few details put the entire crew on edge.
The Southern end of the Island played host to a bay and harbor, where hundreds of ships were docked. Today, the harbor was utterly quiet. No goods were being taken on or off the ships. Aside from a few token maintenance workers, the port was devoid of humanity.
Second, a massive wall had been erected around the entire island. It seemed that the coral itself had risen dozens of feet, high enough that no ships could go past it. On top of the coral, hundreds of archers and lookouts patrolled the perimeter, their eyes peeled. There were even a few Marines packing rifles, one making conversation with a team of Ninjas. The only gate (in the center of the harbor entrance) had been barred shut.
Those of the crew with a particular proclivity to the ocean, noticed something more subtle. The currents around the island weren't acting naturally. The water itself seemed to be actively pushing everything away.
That could be explained by the final detail. Over the closest watchtower to the entrance, a flag was flapping in the wind.
It was a golden trident over a navy blue background. The flag of Poseidon.
The crew had fully assembled on the deck by now, and each had had a good look.
"Do we skip this island?" Hanataro asked.
"I'm certainly tempted," Sanji admitted.
"But it would be nice to have some fresh water," Mirajane added. "That filtered stuff is fine, but I'd rather not rely on it.
"At the very least, I want to know what the hell's up. I'd rather not have an unknown behind us," Kisame narrowed his eyes at the barriers.
"I'm with you on this," Halibel rested a hand on Tiburon.
"Can I borrow that napkin?" Jinbe had found a staff, and held out his hand.
Getting where he was going with this, Sanji obliged.
All the non-pirates watched Jinbe tie the napkin off to make a white flag, a little bemused.
"The hell is that?" Grimmjow asked.
"We're just going to talk," Jinbe firmly decided. "Kisame, Halibel…I'd like you to join me in this Parley. We can do the best if things go south. The rest of you, stay with the ship. Usopp, keep an eye out for anything else outside the fortress."
"Right," most of the crew agreed. Grimmjow didn't say anything, simply crouching on the railing as he eyed the gate.
Once everyone else was ready (Franky and Apacci had taken care to aim the cannons), the trio hopped off the ship.
Jinbe took a slight lead, making sure to be very conspicuous with his waving of the white flag. His kicking got the better of the currents without issue. To his left, Kisame easily concentrated Chakra to his feet, Samehada chittering on his back. To his right, Halibel simply walked on the air, with just enough space between her and the ground to stay eye-level with Kisame.
Before they knew it, the three had reached the gate. Every guard in sight had their weapons trained on them. This being despite the fact that they'd made sure to appear as nonthreatening as possible (which is quite the feat for this trio).
Then, the sound of heavy metal gears and counterweights made themselves known. The gate just barely opened.
From the opening, two flashes of scales could barely be seen zooming out beneath the surface. Kisame and Halibel instantly grabbed their blades.
A few feet in front of the trio, two figures breeched the surface in a mighty splash.
To the right was a burly bare-chested merman with dark grey skin. Aquamarine armor only covered from his waist to his tail, with complementary wrist guards the same color. His hands were webbed, with long, pointed nails at the ends. On his back, there was a sharp-looking dorsal fin. His shoulder-length hair was the same aquamarine as his armor. Completely black eyes scanned the trio standing before him, a large pointed nose sniffing. After a few seconds, he paused, before grinning with a mouth full of sharp, triangular teeth. Not helping the image at all, was a grizzly scar across his left cheek.
To the left was a slimmer merman, fully covered in pristine silver armor. Perfectly manicured non-webbed hands hovered over a rapier holstered on his side. His dorsal fin was smaller and smoother than his compatriot's. His skin was more of a lighter grey. Brown hair was trimmed to exactly one inch of length all around his head. While he could be described as more conventionally handsome, a seemingly-permanent sneer of disdain and cold grey eyes dashed the hearts of many a young suitor.
"Well…looks like today won't be boring, after all," the burlier merman laughed.
"Palaemon, this is a Parley!" his thinner companion snapped.
"Delphin, weren't you the one who couldn't stand the thought of these three even being here?" Palaemon gave a crooked grin. "And I quote…'I already deal with one filthy shark…I don't need to deal with four'." The merman had adopted a nasally voice for extra affect.
Delphin looked like he just swallowed a lemon, his hand tightly gripped his rapier.
"Umm…excuse me…but who are you two?" Jinbe kept a level gaze.
"And what's the deal with this place?" Kisame gestured to the coral wall.
"Hehehe…Name's Palaemon, God of Sharks," he gave a slight incline of his head, just enough to be polite.
"You may address me as Lord Delphin, God of Dolphins. This is Fontibus Novus…"
"And I'm the leader here," both Merman had said simultaneously. There was a moment of silence, before they both glared at the other.
"You wanna finally back up that big mouth of yours?" Palaemon sneered, his teeth bared.
"I'd love nothing more than to tear your fin asunder," Delphin glared back. "But you know full well how Master Poseidon feels about infighting."
The shark merman grunted, but did not argue. Instead, he reached into his pocket. Palaemon pulled out a silver coin. To be more specific, it was a Silver Denarius. For heads, there was the helmeted figure of Rome herself. For tails, the image of a rider held a sword in one hand, and a severed head in the other. Delphin himself had found the coin thousands of years ago, spotting it in the wreckage of a pirate ship…the very same pirates that had held Julius Caesar as a hostage for ransom, and were crucified for it mere weeks later. The sordid history and grizzly image on the rear were appealing enough for Palaemon to agree to a little tradition. Whenever a serious disagreement brewed, the two would flip this coin. Heads, and Delphin would get what he wanted. Tails, and Palaemon would do so instead.
'DING!' The shark merman flicked, and Delphin held out an open palm. 'PLOP!'
"HA!" Palaemon laughed.
'Are these two for real?' Kisame couldn't help but ask himself.
The dolphin merman scowled as he pocketed the coin. "For the purpose of this conversation, I'm in charge of Fontibus Novus. Now…I've been incredibly eager to meet you three, after all that fuss you raised with Cipactli."
"Seems that our introduction isn't necessary," Halibel dryly remarked.
"Ah…my apologies, but I can just FEEL Delphin at the edge of his seat about this, so let's skip right to it," Palaemon gave the other merman the side-eye. "Why are you here?"
"We were simply seeing if it would be possible to obtain fresh water, and then we'd be on our way," Jinbe stated.
"You imbeciles, Master Poseidon has given the order for all his domains to bunker down…all thanks to YOUR tomfoolery with Cipactli," Delphin sneered.
"Tomfoolery?! HA! More like the most entertaining story in years!" Palaemon countered.
"YES! Tomfoolery! This port served as the hub for trade and Master Poseidon's efforts in colonizing the entrance islands, but your angering of Cipactli has forced us to halt our efforts in bringing peace to those islands," Delphin ranted.
"Oh come off it," Palaemon rolled his eyes, clearly used to this. "This situation was a LONG time coming."
"Doesn't change the fact they caused it," Delphin countered.
"Doesn't change the fact you're being an utter prick."
"Doesn't change the fact you're all just sharks."
"BITCH, I EAT PEOPLE!"
"HMM!" Kisame cleared his throat. "So…are you willing to let us fill up on fresh water?"
"Absolutely not!" Delphin was almost shouting. "Just talking with you is drawing enough of a target on our backs. If we did so, Cipactli would come after Master Poseidon and us for aiding you."
"There were an awful lot of assumptions in that sentence, like Cipactli actually being able to fight TWO Gods of the Sea in a row," Palaemon chuckled. "I see no harm in it."
"How generous," Halibel still kept her hand on Tiburon.
"Well…I want to do something before making any final decisions, how about a wager?"
"What sort of wager?" Jinbe cautiously asked.
"Let's keep it simple. I want each of you to hit me as hard as you can," Palaemon stated.
"Excuse me?" Halibel raised an eyebrow.
"If you all impress me enough, we'll provide enough fresh water for at least a month or two," Palaemon offered.
"You utter simpleton! No way I'll go along with this!" Delphin insisted.
"Then bring it out," Palaemon rolled his wrists, as if mimicking a 'Get on with it' gesture.
Sure enough, Delphin brought out the Denarius.
'DING! Plop.'
"HAHA! Fate is kind to me today!" Palaemon laughed at the silver coin giving another Tails before pocketing it.
That put the trio on edge.
"Let's start with you, big guy!" Palaemon leaped forward, a clenched fist cocked back.
Without missing a beat, Jinbe matched the punch with a "Fishman Karate: 5000 Brick Fist!"
The resulting clash pushed both back, with a healthy tidal wave emanating from it as well.
"NICE!" Palaemon laughed, not even fazed. "Now who's next? How about you, handsome? Or maybe the pretty lady?"
Eager to test how he measured up against a self-proclaimed 'God of Sharks', Kisame jumped forward. Samehada was coming down, with the Ninja even boosting himself with Chakra.
This time, Palaemon opened his fist. He caught the legendary blade, only to wince when the spikes came out, impaling his palm.
"And you even got me to bleed! BRAVO!" Palaemon released Samehada, and turned to Halibel.
"You really are a ridiculous brute, you know that?" Delphin grumbled.
"Alright gorgeous, show me what you're made of!" Palaemon lunged.
Before Palaemon could even reach her, Halibel intercepted him midair with Sonido. Then, she swung Tiburon with all her might. Palaemon just barely had time to cross his wrist guards.
'BOOM!' Palaemon had been hit so hard that he'd crashed into the wall, even leaving a small crater.
"YES! I can certainly see how you three matched Cipactli's shadow," Palaemon swum back to the trio. "Let's get serious!"
"PALAEMON!" Delphin snapped. "They've already hit you each, honor your agreement so we can be done with this exchange!"
Without saying a word, Palaemon got the Denarius out again.
'DING! Plop.'
"Damn it! I was on such a roll!" Palaemon complained.
"ANYWAY! A promise was given, so it shall be done," Delphin raised his rapier.
"Fine, fine," Palaemon raised his own hand. "Let your crew know that fresh water is on the way."
"It is much appreciated," Jinbe nodded.
With a single hand sign, Kisame formed a Water Clone, which then ran back to the ship.
"Oh, I've gotta figure that out!" Palaemon laughed.
"FOCUS!" Delphin shouted.
"Right, right."
Halibel and Kisame just gave 'long-suffering' looks to each other.
After a few minutes, the crew was ready, so the Water Clone came back to relay the message before dispersing.
"Together," Delphin pointed his rapier at the Falls.
"1…2…3," Palaemon gestured with an open palm at the same direction.
All of a sudden, the water stopped flowing down the peak. Instead, the stream began to flow in the middle of the air.
As it crossed over the heads of the Parley, Jinbe couldn't help but be impressed at the precision and fine control involved.
Kisame rolled his eyes. "I could've done that," he mumbled. Halibel simply patted his shoulder, as if to say 'Sure you could'.
Delphin continued to move his rapier like a conductor's baton, while Palaemon had a visible expression of concentration as he moved his hand in tune.
By now, the stream had reached over the ship. Palaemon closed his hand into a fist, and the Falls resumed their normal course. All the water in the air coalesced into a ball over Cutty Sark.
"Well?!" Delphin's voice could be heard all the way to the ship. "What are you waiting for?"
That got Franky moving, who brought out a massive barrel. The rest of the crew followed suit. After about five minutes, as much fresh water as possible had been taken. The bubble was still quite large.
Delphin and Palaemon weren't even winded from the effort.
"Got enough?" the Shark Merman asked.
A slow nod from all three.
"Very well," Delphin proclaimed.
With that, both Gods quickly pointed back to the island, and the water ball followed suit. Delphin sheathed his rapier, and Palaemon let his hand fall to his side. So, the water ball fell back into the stream, not a drop wasted or spilled on its journey.
"We've served our obligation, now move along," Delphin turned back to the gate.
"True, I would invite you three in, but Master Poseidon did give a direct order that no one is to enter his islands without his express permission," Palaemon made to follow.
"We thank you for doing as much as you could," Jinbe gave a polite bow of the head.
"Well, at least one shark in the world has manners," Delphin dove under after that final remark.
"It was fun!" Palaemon laughed before diving as well.
There was a flash of movement, and the gate closed with a resonating "THOOM!" behind them.
"Such an odd duo," Jinbe mumbled.
"That's putting it lightly," Halibel snarked, much to Kisame's amusement if his chuckling was indication.
OoOoOoO
Inside Fontibus Novus, Delphin and Palaemon had settled down in their favorite chairs, right at the crest of the falls.
"That crew is going to die," Delphin put it simply.
"Aww…ye of little faith," Palaemon chuckled.
"They are punching way out of their weight class…and you know it," Delphin sipped on his vintage wine.
"Well…I don't think anyone expected them to actually live against Cipactli's image," Palaemon chugged his beer. "They sure impressed me today!"
"But against REAL Gods," Delphin scoffed. "It was luck that even let them live this long on their own. And luck always runs out."
"Who knows…if Cipactli isn't an issue in the future, maybe they can find a place with Master Poseidon," Palaemon shrugged.
"I doubt Master Poseidon needs more sharks. He's already got one too many."
"Well…I say he needs sharks. After all, dolphins are endangered in these parts," Palaemon countered.
"One day, I will tear out your liver," Delphin nonchalantly said, throwing another beer at his fellow merman.
"Not before I cut your arms off," Palaemon filled the other God's wine glass.
OoOoOoO
That night, the Cutty Sark's 'uninvited guest' made another move.
OoOoOoO
Halibel was in the Fake Karakura Town.
She had watched Apacci, Mila-Rose, and Sung-Sun get struck down like it was nothing by Yamamoto's fire.
She'd been engaged in epic battle with 10th Division Captain, Toshiro Hitsugaya.
She'd felt every frozen flake engulf her.
She'd been broken out, only to resume battle with Hitsugaya and two strangers.
She'd felt Baraggan and Starrk's energy vanish from the earth.
Then, He came.
"Lord Aizen!" she turned in surprise.
PAIN! AGONY!
"I'm done with you."
But it wasn't Aizen's voice that said it. This voice was gruffer, deeper. And when he smiled, it was with sharp, triangular teeth.
"AHH!"
Halibel woke up with a start, covered in a cold sweat. "It was just a dream…just a memory."
"I'm done with you," a faint whisper seemed to echo.
Halibel shook her head. "Kisame would never…he'd never…"
A spider slipped through the floorboard.
OoOoOoO
Jinbe was at Marineford.
And it happened.
"ACE!" The tears were coming again.
"AAAUUUUGGGGHHH!"
Luffy was frozen after screaming in anguish.
Things were going to hell.
"STRAW HAT!"
That mad dog came at them.
Jinbe only had time to move his body…and BURNING pain blasted through him.
Jinbe's eyes shot open. Even now, he swears he can hear Akainu's voice echoing around him, calling for his Captain even now.
He goes to the nearby sink, and quickly fills a glass of water, downing it in one go.
Jinbe looks in the mirror, running a hand over where Akainu had punched a hole through him.
Behind him, the spider was already gone.
OoOoOoO
"Just surrender!" That Leaf Ninja claimed they were surrounded.
There was a fight, until Kisame had seized an opening with a choice application of explosive tags. "Now's our chance! RUN!"
One by one, members of the Cypher Corps had fallen behind…and one by one, Kisame had silenced them.
Eventually, they hit the end of the trail. Kisame had made his decision.
"What? What is it? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Only Miru was left, already heavily bleeding from the shoulder. "Why?" Her voice was deeper than it was, and her hair had changed to blonde.
"Because killing comrades is my specialty, my personal mission," the words came out of Kisame's mouth…but they felt wrong.
Miru looked at him, except it wasn't Miru anymore. Her eyes were aqua-green now, and her skin had darkened. "That's so sad," that once strong voice trembled. "You've a terrible life."
The blade finished the job.
But Kisame's nightmare wasn't over.
It skipped to his last night as a loyal Mist Ninja.
He'd found that bastard of a Sensei, Fuguki.
Kisame had stabbed him, but when he looked up. Fuguki's face had turned blue, with prominent fangs, and black hair.
"Kisame…why would you…BLAUGH!"
Instead of Fuguki, Jinbe fell dead.
"NO!" Kisame shouted as he shot up. His bare chest quickly rose and fell, fighting to get his breathing under control.
"Kisame…why?" Even now, the ex-Mist Ninja still heard Fuguki's voice mixed with Jinbe's.
For a second, he just shook his head, convinced it was just him hearing things.
"Knock-knock-knock…Kisame?"
The spider scurried past the crack of the window while Kisame was distracted.
The Ninja got up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
He opened the door, revealing Halibel in just the bare essentials, her mask fully revealed. Somehow, her hair was even more disheveled than usual.
"I heard a yell, are you all right?" Halibel asked, before her eyes seemed to slowly drift down. It took the Ninja a second to realize he was only wearing the Elemental Nations' equivalent to boxers. That broke his daze.
"I'm good, I'm good. Sorry!" Kisame averted his eyes.
"What's wrong?" Halibel leaned in closer, her voice softer.
"It's…nothing, it's nothing," Kisame tried putting his usual smile on.
Halibel was quiet for a moment and withdrew. "Okay…just let me know if something's wrong, all right?"
"Yeah…sure," Kisame hesitantly nodded.
"Well…good night," Halibel started to shut the door behind her.
"Good night."
'Click.'
Kisame ran a head through his hair, letting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding in. Funnily enough, despite how frazzled he was, he actually felt himself starting to relax a bit.
Halibel, similarly calmed, opted to go to the kitchen for some comfort food.
Unknown to them, two people had been watching.
Jinbe had also heard the yell, so he came to investigate. By the time he got there, he saw Halibel in her underwear, outside Kisame's door. He couldn't help but notice that the Ninja was similarly exposed.
The Fishman couldn't help but pause.
Deciding not to jump to any hasty conclusions, Jinbe simply shook his head and walked back. "Guess everything's alright now," he thought to himself.
As for the other spectator, the spider had clung to the base of the window.
"Hmmm…perhaps this'll be more of a challenge than I assumed," the Naaldlooshii narrowed its eyes. "Good…I wouldn't things to be too boring."
And so, the Skinwalker pondered just how it wanted to proceed.
Halloween Omake #1: Costume Party
"AND CUT!" OceanLord hopped off his Director's Chair. "Alright, before everyone goes, I have an announcement! There'll be a Costume Party, and you're all invited! The theme is this: Become the most annoying person you know…and mock the ever-loving crap out of them! Whoever makes the most people laugh will win a prize! Have FUN!
The Night approached, and the cast started to come out in their costumes.
Hanataro had simply opted for a Soldat uniform. Apparently, one random grunt had GREATLY offended him in Yhwach's invasion…but Hanataro wasn't spilling.
"Where the hell is everyone?" Apacci, with a long dark wig and exceedingly long sleeves, demanded.
"Don't worry, they'll be here," Tsuyu, with her hair dyed purple and wrapped up into balls, reassured her.
"They're probably wanting to make an entrance," Sasori, dressed with a blonde wig and plastic mouths in his hands, mused.
Speaking of which, Grimmjow kicked the door down. He was in a full-on three-piece white suit, complete with a matching top hat. In case it wasn't obvious, there was a stuffed pigeon on his shoulder to drive it home.
There was definite chuckling from all the Pirates in the room. From the opposite corner, Lucci (in his fake blue hair, open shirt, and jawbone) sneered. "Well, one of us is going to have to change."
Then, Mira and Juvia came in together. Funnily enough they were also in white suits, but wore orange wigs instead. "MAN!" they both yelled with voices as deep as they could go. All the Wizards could barely hold in their laughter.
Next up, Brook, Franky, Usopp, Sanji, and Nami all came out wearing the same thing. An open red vest, and a straw hat.
"MEAT!" All of them yelled simultaneously! "OH LOOK! A dangerous island! LET'S GO!
That was enough to get the whole rooms laughing, almost. In the back, Luffy (dressed up like Buggy if you want to know) was pouting. Robin, with white face paint and green lines under her eyes plus half-a-helm, smiled. "You know it's all in good fun, right?"
"Hmph!"
Then, Kisame and Halibel came in together. Oddly enough, both had painted their bodies to look like skeletons. But that was where the similarities ended.
Kisame lifted his scythe over his slicked-back hair, pointing at the party. "YOU'RE ALL BLASPHEMOUS UNBELIEVERS! I should sacrifice you all to Jashin! But I won't because I'm too much of an idiot to go one fight without losing my head, LITERALLY! So I'll whine and piss and moan because I'm the single most USELESS Akatsuki ever!"
The laughter got even louder. Well, except for one person.
"It's a spitting image," Kakuzu laughed at Hidan. And yes, Kakuzu was wearing the EXACT same thing Kisame was.
"Shut the hell up," Hidan shoved his fake threads in his partner's face.
Then, Halibel took it up a notch, by unleashing her inner ham.
"How dare all you useless mortal ants laugh without my permission! I AM THE GOD-KING OF HUECO MUNDO! KNEEL BEFORE ME! Or I shall go on an INCREDIBLY long-winded lecture about my own superiority!"
That was all Halibel could do before stopping in a fit of laughter, with Kisame barely supporting her through his own laughter. The whole crowd had gotten even louder, to the point no one could hear the ACTUAL Baraggan's screaming.
"Very good! Very good!" OceanLord cheered. "But we still have one more entry…and believe me…it takes the cake…LITERALLY!"
"MAAAMAMAMA!"
All of a sudden, Jinbe had joined. He was in a pink polka-dot dress, going so far as to stuff water balloons in the place of breasts. His natural black hair was covered by a pink wig and tricorn hat. He stood on heeled shoes somehow big enough for him. But the coup de grace, was the blush, bright red lipstick, and fake eyelashes.
Jinbe turned to the buffet table, and started speaking in the closest thing he could to a falsetto. "I WANT MY CAKE! CAKE!" He stomped over, and swallowed the desert in one go.
"CAAAAAAAAKEEEEE!" Jinbe gave one last screech. That sent the entire studio into an uproarious cacophony of laughter.
"And we have a winner!" OceanLord proclaimed. "Congratulations, Jinbe! You've earned a free week in Atlantis! Eat, drink, explore, and tour to your heart's content!"
In the corner, one pirate was rather bummed he lost. Davy Jones sat in a barnacle-free outfit with sword and pistol. He had a red headband, hanging beads, and tricorn hat. Jones took a swig of his drink, but it was empty. "Why's the rum always gone?"
A.N. It's good to be back! Sorry for the delay…was really stressing over a test coming last week…so relieved it worked out!
Anyway, got another test coming up, so I'm not sure I'll be able to get the next chapter out before Halloween…so I figured I should go ahead and do an Omake in the spirit of the season! LOL!
As for the chapter itself…hope Delphin and Palaemon will be received well. I basically introduced them to offer a sort of window into Poseidon's side of things, showing the impact Cipactli's war is starting to have on others…expect them to show up a lot more. And for all intents and purposes, they'll be the closest thing to 'Comic Relief' from that side.
And let's play a little game…in those conversations before Delphin/Palaemon, try and guess which crewmates were actually the Skinwalker! We're going to play this game until the arc is done! MWAHAHAHA! And even if you get it right…I won't tell! And yes…he can mimic voices too! SWEET DREAMS!
But I will admit, the bigger point of this chapter was exploring the relationships amongst the crew. Hope that wasn't too boring.
When it comes to the future, I'm planning three chapters before Khemenu. One Interlude focusing on other crews (Toshiro fans, your desires were heard!), another single-island visit for the C.S., and an Interlude for Tiamat's Brood!
Til Next Time…Have Fun! Stay Safe!
