Chapter 3

Weird

The Going Merry sat in the middle of the ocean. The sky was clear, the sun was shining, and the Straw-Hat Pirates were all dead tired. Seabirds cawed and cooed over their heads as they laid on the ship.

"I can't believe it..." muttered Luffy.

Maxwell laid spread eagle on the deck. He had helped with the oars, even when animating the Merry, "Yeah... I can't believe how huge those things were..."

Sanji lights a cigarette, "...Today's been one hell of strange day."

Zoro nods, "A huge galleon drops out of the sky..."

Nami hugs her knees, "The log pose started pointing up..."

Usopp sighs, "And then some weird monkey shows up to salvage the ship."

Chopper sat with him, "But a HUGE turtle swallowed the sunken ship whole..."

"Day became night..." Robin sat with her arm between her head an knee.

"And finally those monsters, dozens of times larger than any giants!" Luffy was still huffing from rowing.

"Yeah... That last bit sure gave me a scare..." Masira sat with his arms crossed.

Maxwell raised his head off the floor, frowning in realization.

Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro kick Masira straight into the air, "GET THE HELL OFF!"

Maxwell's head hits the ground, "Ugh," then groans as he gets off the floor. Merry reenergizes as Maxwell does his magic, rigging the sails to catch the wind. They didn't want that gorilla to board the ship again.

Max looked over at Nami, "SO, shall we go over the what we got in the wreckage?"

"Sigh... Sure," Nami got up and Zoro, Sanji, and Luffy followed. They untied their bags and Max had to explain why he didin't have anything. The guys showed off what they had. There were jugs, bowls, urns, plates cuirasses, tassets, gauntlets, greaves, helmets, swords, a trident, and some sort of strange boat Luffy had picked up. The captain had even dressed up and strutted around in a full suit of armour.

"Wait a sec," Maxwell picked p the trident, "Zoro, where did you find this?"

"It was in the armoury, where I found the rest of these weapons."

Maxwell looked at him impressed. The trident was certainly rusted, but it was still in one piece. The mage swung it a round a bit, going through the motions, and inspected the head. It wouldn't be great for close quarters, it seemed more of a decorative piece, but Maxwell could defiantly sling some spells with this trident.

"So you didn't find any log books, or any documents?"

Maxwell shook his head, "Sorry Nami, week didn't have time to pick any papers since the monkey showed up."

Luffy raised his visor, and points with both hands, "Who cares about some dumb paper? Look at what we found!"

"For God's sake... WHY DO YOU THINK YOU EVEN WENT UNDERWATER IN THE FIRST PLACE!?" Nami kick a helmet, "LOOK AT ALL THIS JUNK! NOT A SINGLE PIECE GIVES A CLUE HOW TO GET TO THE SKY!"

"There wasn't anything Nami. And Max, that bookcase, I saw some of those books before you guys came in and they weren't journals. It was mostly storybooks and encyclopedias."

Maxwell put his hands on his hips and looked down, "Seriously? Damn it... Sorry Nami."

Sanji continued on, "From what we could tell, the ship was clearly attacked by some enemy in the past. Or if not, then some sort of violent clash broke out amongst the crew."

"That's all the more reason for us to find out information! Listen! Whatever happened to that ship might also happen to us if we really try to go up to the sky!" Nami started stomping on the piles, "INFO is what'll decide if we live or die! Not this rusted sword, plate, or some octopus!" Max did a double take. The octopus that rid on Zoro down below was still with them.

"WE NEED JOURNALS! SEA CHARTS! THOSE SORT OF THINGS!" Zoro and Sanji panicked as they tried to stop Nami from destroying the artifacts they brought up. Luffy marched up to Nami, in the worst suit of missed-match armor Maxwell had ever seen, "Oh, what's that, Luffy?"

Luffy raised his visor, "Armor!" not having a care in the world.

*CRASH! BOOM! BANG!*

"AHH! YOU DESTROYED THE SUIT OF ARMOUR!" Zoro panicked as Luffy laid armoorless on the floor.

"Nami~, I brought a lovely seashell for you!" Sanji had a small conch shell actually.

"I DON'T WANT IT, YOU IDIOT!"

Maxwell blanched as Nami stomped up the staircase. She really wasn't happy with how the dive went.

Still... He took out the broken hilt he got from the St. Briss. The mage had everything now.

Maxwell walked down into the bowels of the ship and went to the supply haul. He went into the corner where he did his research. There he opened the chest where he kept only his most valuable possessions. It wan't much, but it was his.

Inside was his old three piece belt that he wore with his robes back in Thedas, a chakram ring he had picked up off Jango back in East Blue, a bottle of wine, a shell fossil, and the skull he picked up in Alabasta.

Maxwell picked up the skull and brought it to eye level. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, readying himself.

"It's time."

The mage could feel the presence of ten eyes peering through the world. Mordred. Salem. Mineive. They were prepared for what was coming next.

Maxwell grabbed his manuscript on the barrel, and made sure all the items were secure in his arms. He also grabbed a stick of chalk the ship had in storage. Maxwell was going to needed it for the ritual.

Luffy's voice echoed through the decks as he walked up, "MAX! FULL SPEAD AHEAD FOR JAYA!" He raised an eyebrow, clearly Max had missed something above. But he kept walking until he was up on deck. "SET NO SAIL FOR JAYA! NAMI! WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA!?"

Max set up the ritual as he heard Luffy and Nami argue. He chose behind the mast, "What. You're the one who decided to sail to Jaya."

"Ah-oh yeah. But I didn't think this would happen!" Luffy retorted back to Nami.

"Well, that's your fault. The log pose always get's rewritten at every island. That's how it's been from the start."

"Ah-oh yeah. Well listen up then! As the captain, I get to decide where the ship goes! And I say the ship goes up to the sky island!"

"Fine, but how?"

Maxwell heard Usopp butt in, "Well, how about we go ask around."

Luffy likes this idea, "Makes sense. Let's ask around Jaya then."

"Then let's go to Jaya." "SET SAIL FOR JAYA!" "WAIT, YOU IDIOT! YOU JUST WENT FULL CIRCLE!"

Robin's voice cut in, "The log pose won't get rewritten as soon as we arrive there. We can just leave Jaya before the log get's rewritten."

"Yeah, that sounds good..."

"We'll need a bit of luck though."

"ALRIGHT, THEN! TO THE COUNTRY OF MEAT, JAYA!" "YEAH!" "Stop dreaming up stuff like that!" "I wonder what kind of place Jaya is. "Nami! Robin~! The special ladies-only tokoyaki is served!"

...

...

...

"Why aren't we moving?" Luffy asked. Maxwell had long stopped using his magic as they went over the treasures. "Hey Max! Why aren't we—Whoa!"

Luffy looked over the rails to see Maxwell in the middle of a chalk circle. He was busy writing runes into wood, following the lines as they went around the circumference. The circle contained three other circles, connected as a ring, and contained a diamond square within. Other symbols sat in empty spaces, where only Maxwell knew their meaning. In the outer circles, sat the items Maxwell had laid out. The skull, the manuscript, and the sword hilt.

The others joined Luffy to look down at what Maxwell was drawing. "Max, what is all this?" asked Nami.

Robin tilted her head at the magical circle, "Is Mr. Magician preparing some sort of dark ritual to summon a demon?"

"Don't joke about that stuff!" Usopp complained.

"Sort of. I'm summoning three."

"OH GOD, WHY~!?" "AHH! HE'S SUMMONING A DEMON!" "COOL~!"

Nami only whacks Luffy on the head, as Usopp and Chopper justifiably terrified, "It is not cool! Max, why are you doing this?"

He breifly took his eyes of his work, "I briefly explained this to Zoro down at the shipwreck. But I suppose you all need to know as well."

Maxwell continued drawing the circle, "Back in Alabasta, do you remember why the bomb didn't go off, destroying the city square?" There was silence, so he continued, "I resorted to blood magic to stop the bomb from destroying the city. Specifically, I opened a rift between this world and the Fade. I forced the bomb through it, though it wasn't easy. I had to split my conscious between the real world and the Fade in order to force it through. One side pushing, the other side pulling. Unfortunately, I used so much blood that my Fade conscious couldn't let go of the bomb. It went off in the Fade, right next to my spectral mind, and shattered my consciousness. Then you all got help from that spirit that's been following me around and told you about Tranquility. You then let Merry restore my shattered unconscious mind, and woke me up."

Maxwell bobbed his head to the side, "What you don't know, is that when my mind shattered the blood magic I had been using kept pieces of my psych avatar together. Some of them were big enough to form sentient wisps in the Fade, like a kind of demi-spirit. Three had formed in fact, and explored the Fade in a remarkably short time."

He stoped writing, "...I received news from home, guys."

The crew all looked at each other surprised at that piece of news. The whole crew, minus Robin, was aware that Max was from another world. They knew how much it would mean to him if he had found anything about his home. Maxwell had been in the middle of a peace conference before he miraculously came here.

"...I'll tell you guys more later," Maxwell resumed drawing the circle.

"Anyways, Mordred, Salem, and Mineive, the sprits formed, found out all that they could about what had been going on in Thedas. And then took it a step farther. They learned new knowledge, spying on other mages, practices of magic that had been previously unavailable to me. They learned all of this, and intended if I were ever made whole again, I would have this knowledge. What they didn't account for was the Merry."

Maxwell looks back at the others, "They knew you guys wouldn't leave me comatose, but Merry had used all the magic she had received from me into my awakening. I had too much magic. Too much Fade essence. So when my mind got built back together again, Salem, Mordred, and Mineive all became separate entities. Still connected, but they were no longer part of the whole."

"...Okay," Usopp said cautiously, "But what does that have to do with the circle?"

Maxwell looked down at his diagram, "Heh, well I can't exactly train in dreams all day, can I?" He then went back to work, "No, we discussed it, and decided that they needed anchors in order to help me train out here. They'll help observe my recovery, and teach me the new spells they learned. Though that last part may be considerably slower..."

Luffy perched on the railing "Wait! We're getting new crewmates!? Awesome! Aw man, I can't wait to meet them!"

"Luffy! You're the one who decides who gets to join the crew! How can you say that without even meeting them!" Nami scolded the captain.

"But they're Max's friends."

Nami hits Luffy on the head again, "They're apart of Max, you idiot!"

"My, my, this should be interesting," Robin looked on in interest.

"I'm sure love it Robin~!" Sanji spun in a circle toward her, "...Oh yeah. Hey Max, here's your voodoo cursed tokoyaki..."

Maxwell got up and accepted the dish from Sanji. It seems like he cooked up Zoro's octopus for everyone, "Thanks Sanji."

The mage slowly spun about, looking at his diagram while eating the octopus balls, "...What do you think, guys? Think we got the formula correct...?"

"...Seems like it. We just need you to stand in the circle and—Ooh! And you can use that trident to help focus our energies as we transfer between realities!" Mordred was the one who replied, seeing as he was the one who studied the Mortalitasi rituals.

"Great choice on a staff too. Excellently crafted, for sea logged pitchfork..."

"Thank you, Mineive..." Maxwell muttered beneath his breath. He went over to grab the trident and then started walking back into the circle.

"One more thing..." Maxwell paused, mid-step. It was Salem, "Grab a few of the plates your crew collected from the wreckage. Use them as patens to mount the focuses as we begin. They appear to be pewter. It'll further direct the magic into them."

"...That could work," Maxwell grabs the pewter platters and sets them up under the would-be anchors, "Now we can begin."

Maxwell stamps the deck, making the circle light up with eery purple glow. Then he starts speaking in Nevaran, "Tu'que est'asdelante de mi'hermano, hermana, padre, mente. Tu'que te maravillas por estos pasillos vacios. Ven a mi'y vive de nuevo, a traves'del cual estas atado."

Maxwell then pointed at the manuscript with his trident, "Libro del conocimento, registro del Hacedor." It rose into the air. Maxwell then swung the polearm, pointing at the skull, and his voice sounded as if it were double, "Santificado muerto, que te da la vista." It too rose from it's platter, joined the book in the air. Maxwell then rounded at the hilt, another voice joining in his chant, "Espada de la Verdad, donde tu voluntad se cumplira." Now Max spoke as four! A vacuum of energy erupted boom beneath the artifacts, "Ven! A verme y unetea mi casa! Viviras! De nuevo! Soy! Maxwell Phillium Daylen Trevelyan y los comprometo EN NOMBRE DE NUESTRO TESTAMEN—" Maxwell's voice faltered as he was suddenly lifted into the air, by some unseen force.

Unholy light shone out from his eyes, his mouth, his very skin, as if cracks had formed in a marble statue. The light shone out like a green aurora, swirling overhead before diving like tendrils into the objects. An eery howl, like an echoing scream sounded all around, and the crew swore it grew darker again. Eldritch green and dark violet clashed and mixed as the magic arched into a dome, limited by the circle.

Then, to the crew's horror, something started to come out of Maxwell's mouth. It was if stretched out beings had begun to emerge from Maxwell's gaping jaws.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH" Usopp and Chopper held onto each other for dear life. The spirits rose, following the light. They were light! They weren't! Monstrous beings, apparitions of smoke, twisting and turning in the purple/green dome and spiralled down, DOWN into the sword, skull, and tome.

The pewter melted into liquid metal, chalk began to dissolve like burnt paper, and rose with the energies like some mercury-made amoebas. Precious metal splashed onto the items and bathed them both in horrific vapour and and silvery sludge.

Then, when the last of the demonic essence rose to of Max, he immediately bit down on the spiritual vortex. The remaining light dashed into the objects and disappeared with a satisfying boom.

Unnatural light was gone. The shadow over their heads was gone. Max was still in control, and the sword, book, and skull ceremoniously fell to the ground. Maxwell breathed steadying his breath as the residual energies dissipated from his body. He took a look at the focuses.

The manuscript had transformed into an vicious looking book. It had leather covers, embroidered with metal mountain like spikes peaking at each corner. An oval mirror sat embedded on the book's face, concave, and gilded at the edges. The binding was metal, in a triangular fastening that held a hook onto buckle. It looked possible to be carried on a belt.

The hilt was no longer a broken sword. In fact, the blade disappeared entirety. It was now a Tivene longsword hilt with two pronged flourish on the cross guard, a rose bud handle, and a semi-circular pommel, hollowed like a ring.

The skull now had a jaw. It's entire material structure had changed. It now held a glossy sheen, and appeared like milky glass, like a black forest mixed with bone and metal. Though, Max noticed the jawbone was warped to one side.

"Well, that was fun," said Robin, totally undisturbed by what she just witnessed.

"Fun!?" Usopp looked at her totally incredulous, "That was horrifying! It felt like ice had creeped up my spine and—"

"Wait," Maxwell silenced them with a word, "There's still one more thing to do."

"Mordred."

The resin like skull's eyes light up with a violet wick.

"Mineive."

The sword hilt shone with a golden glow.

"Salem."

A demonic red eye appear in the mirror of the tome's cover.

"Are you able to move?"

The crew leaned in, watching in anticipation whether or not the items would levitate. They still shone, but thhe crew still waited to see what would happen.

"...Nope. That would be a negative, Max," Mordred's posh Tevinter accent sounded from the skull. The jaw didn't move, but by looking through the corner of his eye, the Straw-Hats' reactions showed that they could hear him.

"Hmph, a shame darling. Though I suppose it wasn't a requirement..." Mineive's feminine voice sounded from the sword.

"Still, I would count this as a success," Salem's smooth undertone could be heard from the book, "I can feel myself anchored to this place, and still have the freedom to move between here and the Fade. Congratulations, Maxwell."

"Well I'll be..." Maxwell smiled, lifted a hand, and energized the anchors as to be levitated before him. The connected flow felt much easier to manipulate than controlling the Merry. He turned to the crew, "Guys, I want you to meet my new familiars. Mordred, Mineive, and Salem."

"Hello!" "A pleasure, my dears." "Greetings."

"YAHAHO! THAT'S SO COOL!" Luffy jumped down and went right up close to Mordred, "Hey! Hey! Can you do anything awesome like lighting yourself on fire?"

"Extnay on the urningbay, Captain," Mordred replied.

"Seriously, a talking skull. Oh God, what's next?" Usopp and Chopper had decided to approach the skull with Luffy nearby.

"Um, Mister Flamin Skull, sir. You're not a bad skull right?" Chopper was hiding behind Usopp the wrong way again.

"Oh no, I'm a good skull. Promise! I assure you I'm not that SCRARY." Mordred's voice distorted and his eyes blazed like flamethrowers on that last part.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Usopp and Chopper held each other for dear life again, as Luffy rolled around, laughing.

Zoro and Sanji stood in front of Mineive, for somewhat obvious reasons.

"A talking sword, huh?" Zoro had his arms crossed.

"Yes. Astute as ever, darling," Mineive's drawled with that Orlesian roll.

"Er, so do I need to prepare dishes for guys or..." Sanji was cautious speak, as feminine voice confused him. It was a woman's voice, but It was also Max.

"Spirits don't require substance, my dear. But if you feel so bold, you can imagine us a feast in your head. When you're no longer focus on it, we three can experience the mental essences later."

"Right..."

"Makes sense that Max would use a book. Do you actually have anything written in you?" Nami and Robin had crowded around Salem for the moment.

Salem's book opened revealing dialogue within his pages, "Maxwell had actually been writing a grimoire about all his magic. It went into theory, practice, and applications to various spells and experiments." The grimoire slammed shut, "Though you might find it a good read, you won't find a practical use for the knowledge. Not here anyways."

Robin's fingers brushed against the cover, "A book written by Mr. Magician... I never pinned him for an academic."

"Well, after fifteen years of practise, you pick up a thing or two."

"Alright, that's enough," Maxwell called his focuses towards him. Twine raced towards towards him, creating a net for the skull, a thong for the ring-pommeled hilt, and the book didn't need anything. All three slid onto Maxwell's belt, with the book on his left hip, and the other two on the right. "Now where are we sailing again? I'll hoist the sails and—"

As soon as Maxwell moved the trident dissolved into dust blowing in the wind. Maxwell was once again, without a staff.

"...F #$&*(-c #$s! #-c! #-balls-f! #$%-s! #$..." Maxwell was cursing like a sailor under his breath.

"Hehe, can't keep a stick in your hands, can you old man?"

"...Shut up, Sanji."