SailorStar9: With Chapter 180 uploaded, I present Chapter 181 this fic. For everyone who put this fic on your favorited and followed lists and/or story alerts, thank you, but remember everyone, a lot of authors (myself included) sustain on readers' reviews.
Pairings: Ace/Sasha, sibling Luffy/Sasha and Sabo/Sasha, Background Protector!Law/Sasha
Disclaimers: One Piece belongs to Oda EiichirÅ-sensei. Me, on the other hand, own absolutely nothing, except my OC, the pairing and the fic idea.
Chapter 181: Arc 12: The Straw Hats Stunned! The New Fleet Admiral of the Navy!
"May I ask why you all left the plaza as if you are trying to run away?" Shirahoshi asked the runaway crew who had fled in the midst of the confusion.
"What a stupid thing to ask." Zoro retorted. "Back there, our fight was staged like a show for the citizens. If we stayed in the plaza, we might be made into some kind of heroes. Just thinking of it makes me shudder."
"You mean to say that you don't wish to become heroes?" Shirahoshi inquired.
"Listen up." Zoro told the Mermaid Princess as if scolding a child. "Heroes are the kind of people who divide up and share their booze. But I wanna drink all of it myself."
"And where did you guys get this idea from" Nami wondered.
"Jinbe, you still remember your familial oath, right?" Sasha in Queen Selena mode, reminded.
"Yes." Jinbe nodded. "But I can't fulfill that yet; there are things I must do first. Things that I am honor-bound to do. I'm only taking a short break from these obligations. I must complete that journey. Once I am able to move freely again, I will meet up with you. This is my solemn vow, Empress Selena."
"So, now what?" Zoro posted the question. "Do we just head for the New World?"
"Are you saying you're leaving already?" Shirahoshi sobbed. "I want to thank you properly and spend some more time with you."
"Please hold on, Straw Hats." one of the soldiers from the Neptune Army caught up with the Thousand Sunny.
"Queen Selena-sama." King Neptune voiced over the Den Den Mushi the soldier had. "Why did you leave? We still haven't thanked..."
"That would be unnecessary." Sasha replied.
"I understand that, My Lady." King Neptune assured. "I just want to invite the whole crew to a feast. Let us resume the feast that was interrupted before, jamon."
"Meat!" Luffy cheered. "Time to eat."
"Seriously," Nami sighed. "What was the point in running away then?"
"Alright, let's go Hachi, Camie, and the others all." Luffy beamed.
"By the way, all of you." Jinbe looked up from his sake cup as the feast raged on. "How much do you know about what's happening in the world?"
"What?" Luffy exclaimed, after Jinbe informed the crew about the changes in the Navy hierarchy. "Akainu and Aokiji got into a big fight?"
"So, I was right." Jinbe sighed. "You don't even know about an event that big?"
"Yeah, I didn't hear anything during my training." Luffy admitted.
"Rayleigh is pretty strict, isn't he?" Ace sweatdropped.
"Right after Whitebeard passed away, Fleet Admiral Sengoku decided to retire." Jinbe explained. "Sengoku wanted his trusted subordinate, Aokiji to be his successor, but there were many high ranked government officials who wanted Akainu instead, so they both became candidates for that position. Aokiji rarely shows interest in anything but he was strongly opposed to Akainu becoming Fleet Admiral. The two disagreed and the unprecedented quarrel between the two Admirals escalated, until they finally settled it in a duel on a certain island. Dead men tell no lies. The loser will no longer be around to complain. Control of the Navy would pass into the hands of whoever won the duel. Their death-match lasted for ten days and become the subject of conversation all over the world. They were almost equal in power, but the battle finally reach a conclusion. The winner was Akainu: Sakazuki is the new Fleet Admiral of the Navy."
"Did Aokiji die?" Luffy asked.
"They were both gravely injured, but I suppose when he saw his former comrade collapsed before him, even Akainu felt some remorse." Jinbe continued. "Aokiji refused to serve under Akainu so he left the Navy."
"Well, who knows where he is now or what is he thinking." Ace mused, pondering about his antithesis. "In any case, the Navy lost a valuable and powerful asset."
"But the Government has a plan to fill that power vacuum and it gives the Navy almost unthinkable power." Jinbe added. "A lot of things has happened in the New World over the past two years, but there are two things in particular that you must keep in mind. First of all, the Navy HQ under Sakazuki's command has become an even more powerful force for justice. The second is that someone else has taken up Blackbeard's mantle and is currently reforming the Blackbeard Pirates. Rumor has it that he's hunting Devil Fruit users. I don't know how they did it, but they kill Devil Fruit users to take their powers. I surmise their goal is to collect even stronger Devil Fruits. Be careful."
"And speaking of Devil Fruits," Sasha turned to her lover. "Where is Blackbeard's Yami Yami Fruit anyways?"
"Marco's keeping guard on it." Ace replied.
"And Whitebeard-jiji's Gura Gura Fruit?" Sasha pressed. "Has it resurfaced?"
"I don't think so." Ace frowned. "The other Commanders are keeping an ear out, though."
"That's good." Jinbe nodded. "Whitebeard's Fruit would be better off with you guys than someone else."
"Your Majesty!" one of the prison guards reported in. "Something's happened to Hody and his crew: their handcuffs have come off."
"Humans!" the now aged Hody declared behind bars in the prison tower. "Our malice will not end. The time for our revenge will still come. Bring Fire-Fist and Straw Hat to me. I will kill them."
"What is all of this?" Jinbe wondered, gaping at the suddenly aged New Fish-Men Pirates.
"Is this really Hody's crew?" Ryuboshi was stunned.
"Don't think you can keep me in a cage, you dumb king." Hody snapped. "These bars..." he gripped onto the metal bars imprisoning him and pulled, his wrists breaking at the effort.
"How can this be?" Fukaboshi breathed.
"As I thought, the Energy Steroids you've been using were the pills from the legendary Tamate Box, right?" the Minister of the Right realized.
"Tamate Box?" Sasha echoed.
"A national treasure passed down through the generations on Fish-Man Island, jamon." King Neptune supplied.
The truth is, ten years ago, there was an incident when the contents of the Tamate Box were stolen." the Minister of the Right informed Sasha. "We didn't know who was responsible, and His Majesty decided to keep it secret to avoid panic. Now that I think about it, it happened when you left the army, Hody."
"That's right." Hody admitted. "I stole them. You fools."
"Even the legends are unclear what those pills do." King Neptune sighed. "Some legends claim that they can give you the power of a thousand men, others say that they just make you old. As far as a national treasure go, they're are rather peculiar. I'm guess that they're just a vile drug and Empress Selena had them sealed to prevent the dangerous effects."
"Hody, you'd opened a box that should never have been opened." Sasha declared. "I remember that experimental drug that grants a temporal boost in strength in exchange for the user's lifespan. It is... the Devil's research and should never have been produced. That's the reason why my past self had it sealed and entrusted it to the then King Neptune for safekeeping."
"Shut up!" Hody snapped.
"You'll never be able to carry out your revenge like this." King Neptune sighed.
"Shut up!" Hody hollered. "We're the destined avengers! We will definitely slaughter both you and the humans!"
"Now that it's come to this, I pity you." King Neptune remarked. "I'll have to reconsider your punishment."
"Fukaboshi, you're a disgrace to our species." Hody tried to incite the eldest Prince as the entourage prepared to leave.
"Fish-Man Island will be reborn anew under Goddess Selena's light." Fukaboshi announced. "You killed my mother but I bear no grudge against you. So please, be quiet now. We mustn't let our island's children hear you."
SailorStar9: Any OOC-nes is regretted. *Sighs* Don't you just hate plot bunnies sometimes? Reviews are much appreciated.
