"MR. 12! MS. SATURDAY! YOU ARE NEEDED AT WHISKEY PEAK! COME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! I REPEAT COME TO WHISKEY PEAK ASAP!"
It was around nighttime, 1 day after receiving news of Luffy, when we received that call. I was on the front end, doing my thing with the can. Cumin was on the back end, doing her thing practicing the sword. One of the millions called Cardamom, and blasted my ears out requesting backup.
"Welp, I say we get there," I mutter while checking my bag. I sifted through all my stuff, and found the sack filled with Eternal Poses. I picked them out until I found the correct one.
"Alright Cumin, I got the Cactus Island Eternal Pose. Are you ready to go?"
She sheathed her weapon, and quickly made her way to the front end. "I'm good. Let's head to Cactus Island!"
We reeled back our anchor, and set sail towards Cactus Island. On our way there, I slowed down a bit. I knew all of the Straw Hats were there. Watching them on the TV screen is different than trying to fight them in person. Nami doesn't have the Clima-tact, Luffy doesn't have any of his gears, Sanji doesn't have Diable Jambe, and they haven't had their Enies Lobby character development. This should be easy. I'm like a mini-Rob Lucci vs Alabasta Saga Straw Hats. This should be a wash, but I didn't even want to be there. I purposely slowed our speed, so we should arrive near the tail-end of the conflict.
Honestly, I don't believe in maintaining canon, but to even use my meta knowledge, I have to stay on a similar path to canon. I, however, plan to break that if I head to Sabaody, or encounter anything else that can shift the tides.
After a while of sailing, we reached Cactus Island. We leaped off of the ship and both used Soru to get to Whiskey Peak as fast as we could. Like I planned, the conflict was over and the Straw Hats were gone. Zoro ran through them like a choo-choo train.
Before I could even speak, Cardamom started ringing again.
"He-"
"GET YOUR ASSES BACK TO ALABASTA IMMEDIATELY!"
I hung up the phone
Well damn. Direct and to the point, but didn't have to yell. Mr. 5 must be under some stress to be like that. Hell, I'd be stressed out if pre-Alabasta Arc Nico Robin and Crocodile were your bosses.
"You heard him. We gotta head back to Alabasta."
"What the hell is even going on?"
"I have no fucking clue." I lied to her.
We zipped back to the Lengua Del Diablo, grabbed an Eternal Pose, and began heading back to Alabasta. It would take 2 days. Little Garden, and Drum Island would most likely be occurring during those days, so I decided to continue my basic Busoshoku Training.
I repeatedly thrusted my palm and tried to hit the can. I was showing no results.
I held my fist up, and closed my eyes. I quickly punched the air in front of me, stopping inches away from the can and…
*CLANK*
Ding!
New Skill Learned!
Busoshoku Haki Lv. (1/30)
Well, I did it. I possessed both types of Haki. I achieved the first half of my short term goal, and now I need to begin the second half. Learning how to control and activate it on command. What good is it going to do if I can't consistently hit Crocodile with regular strikes? Like if only 1/10th of my attacks did anything? Well, I mean there is just using water, but the point still stands. If I can't do it consistently, I'm just going to bring some canteens to wet my hands.
The sail heading back to Alabasta was a quiet one. We received occasional calls from other Frontier Agents, but they were just updates about them chasing the Straw Hats. During the second day, we received no updates, as they were heading to Drum Island to get Tony Tony Chopper, and get Nami healed. I wonder how Dr. Kureha react to seeing me use Haki? Also was she the Rocks Pirates doctor? If I could, I would ask her.
Over the 2 days, I ramped up my attempts at Haki. Currently, I'm at a 30% rate of success at using my Haki. It doesn't sound like a lot, but anyone who's played Competitive Pokemon can tell you that 30% is a lot.
Ding!
Busoshoku Haki Lv. (1/30) → (3/30)
During the sail to Alabasta, I had time to think to myself. My previous life is so far gone, that it barely matters, other than the knowledge on One Piece. I then realize, everything I do is just to get stronger.
Learning the Rokushiki? Just to get stronger. Acquiring A Devil Fruit? Just to get stronger. Picking up Haki? Just to get stronger. Joining Baroque Works? To get resources, to get stronger. Everything that I've done is just to get stronger. But why?
Well, it's just that… The One Piece world is downright vicious. If you aren't strong, you will die (If you aren't a named character that is). Sea Kings, Pirates, Marines, The Grand Line itself, The World Government, just about anything can kill you, and yet so many people smile on. I wonder how? How do some people just keep smiling?
'Hell, thinking about this is probably why I don't have Haoshoku Haki. A real king would just truck on rather than contemplate.' I mean look at Luffy and Zoro. Those two are fucking insane.
Imagine if you just popped into North Korea, and Kim Jong Un told you to bow down and get on your knees if you want to live. What would you do?
An average person would quickly get on their hands and knees begging to live. But Luffy, Zoro, or any other Haoshoku user? No.
That question was basically the entire antithesis to the Sabaody Archipelago Arc. Luffy and Zoro were damn ready to fuck up the Celestial Dragons, Admiral or not. No one makes them bow down to anyone or anything. Even Kidd, another Haoshoku user, wasn't ready to attack the Celestial Dragons, but those two fuckers, Luffy and Zoro, were.
'Maybe, I just need to stop giving a damn. I mean look at Kuro, he was 'The Man of a Thousands Plans,'' but that didn't save him from a Luffy smackdown.'
The real thing I need to do is to find time to do something. For. Me. Not to get stronger, not for future nakama to get stronger, but something for me to do. Smoker likes rock stacking, Luffy has occasionally been shown fishing, and even Nami reads romance novels.
I sifted through my bag, and looked for anything to entertain myself. I eventually found something inside that was familiar to me. It was a notepad and pen. I used to draw in the real world, and I haven't found the time to do it. I sat against the side of the deck, and began doodling on the page. Any stray thoughts, or anything weird I see in the sea, I began to doodle it all.
The 2 days were over and we reached Alabasta. We docked our ship, and boarded the Kame House. We were currently heading to the capital of Alabasta, as the raid had already begun. It reached that point where everyone had cloaks on and were riding Supersonic Ducks, to confuse the Officer Agents.
Yesterday was my last day as a member of the Baroque Works Crime Syndicate. As of today, I am a man free to go or do as he pleases. I throw away all burdens, and promise to live my life bowing down to no one. I AM PAPRIKA, KING OF SPICES.
