"Well I suppose I should start with the newspaper that was just delivered today then." Hank finally said after staring at me for almost a minute. He got up and walked over to the bar where a newspaper was laying.
I had been so focused on the people and my gear that the paper had completely escaped my notice until that point. Hank swept the paper off of the bar and brought it over to me. He tossed it onto the table in front of me and I picked it up to read eagerly.
Nothing jumped out immediately and the image on the cover didn't have the Straw Hat's on it so they hadn't done anything crazy that day. The stuff in the paper was interesting but didn't help me narrow things down until something caught my eye.
An Aqua Laguna was expected to hit Water 7 in less then a week. My mind spun with the implications, if the Aqua Laguna hadn't hit yet then the Straw Hat's hadn't yet reached Water 7. My hand went to the bag at my hip to confirm it was still there. There had been one item that I had that could help change the timeline of events that was to come.
A chance to improve things if i could just get there in time. How it would do so I needed to think about before I tried it. I tucked that thought away in the back of my mind to mull over later.
"Hank, is it possible to get from Shalast to Water 7 before the Aqua Laguna hits?" Mentally I crossed my fingers as I looked up at him. I also ended up physically crossing my fingers underneath the paper out of Hank's sight.
"Well there is a chance, a Marine ship is going to arrive tomorrow and then head onto Water 7 for a brief stop. I could probably call upon some favors to get them to take you if that's what you really want. I have to ask why though? You just went from asking about history to suddenly wanting to go somewhere." Hank questioned me, his eyes narrowed.
I was just starting to open my mouth to reply when Hank cut in.
"And no lying."
There went that plan. But fine if he wanted the truth I'd give him the truth.
"Where I come from this entire world is nothing but a story that people read and enjoy. I've been sent here to provide amusement for some omnipotent being as I fumble through the story. My plan at the moment is to travel to Water 7 to stop a horrible event from happening. Happy?"
As I conveyed my message to Hank my tone couldn't have been flatter. It was also with a supreme force of will that I stayed staring him in the eyes the whole time. I always felt awkward when I did so like I wasn't quite sure where to look.
We both sat in silence staring at each other as we waited for the other to make a move. Eventually Hank sighed and pulled out a cigar and lit it.
"That is without a doubt the craziest thing I have ever heard come out of someone's mouth and I've been to the New World and live on the Grand Line. The damnedest thing of it all is that I believe you. Don't worry I won't tell anyone and you'll get to Water 7 in time. It won't be a comfortable ride but that's what you get for last minute plans. Meanwhile I'll be keeping an eye on the paper since it sounds like things are going to get very interesting soon. I expect that I'll be seeing your face in the paper any day now."
I thanked Hank and shook his hand before getting up and exiting the tavern. I spent the rest of the day just exploring and looking around. The village actually turned out to be much larger then I had thought as much of it was located on the other side of the rock spire that I had used as a landmark.
Through some questioning of the locals I learned that the village was divided into two parts. Near the bay was were most of the homes were located along with a few taverns. On the other side of the spire was were the docks and most of the work in the village took place.
It was certainly interesting and with the way that the locals were treating me news of what I had done clearly had spread. Many of them would come up to me and offer thanks or spend time chatting with me if they weren't busy. The whole village had an decidedly peaceful air about it that was relaxing.
After I had spent some time wandering the docks I recalled the suspicions that Hank had about me being a Zoan fruit user. Feeling that now was a good as time as any I went to see if I could still swim. It was something that I had enjoyed and I was going to be sad if I no longer could.
An hour later I had thoroughly proven that I could in fact still swim. I had even ended up diving deep underwater to explore but didn't find anything of interest around where the ships were docked. At one point I burst out of the water with wings spread to the applause of the dockworkers watching me.
I spent sometime riding the thermals and just soaring above Shalast. I perched on the stone spire for a bit just because I could. Spent an hour or so up there just looking out over the water until I noticed that the sun was beginning to set.
Deciding that I had had enough exploring for the day I headed back to the tavern I had been staying at. When I arrived I could only chuckle as I noticed the name of the place for the first time.
Wash-outs, Wash-out. It fit quite well from what I know knew about the village. As I entered I could see that people were only just starting to trickle in and that Sheryl was already behind the bar serving drinks.
Since I didn't see Hank anywhere I headed over to the bar and sank onto a stool. Giving polite nods or waves to those that greeted me.
"I hear talk that you've been all over the place today, patrons have been talking about seeing you all over the place ever since we opened." Sheryl said by way of greeting as she moved past me to deliver a mug to someone further down the bar.
"Yeah I've been wandering around today. Also I want to thank you for giving me a place to stay while I was recovering. How much do I owe you?" I asked when she walked back over to where I was sitting.
"Don't worry about paying me, it was the least I could do what with you saving the village and all. Plus I made a ton of beri's when people kept trying to see you after the fight." Sheryl said waving away my offer of payment.
"Wait you were charging people to see me?" I sputtered out.
"Yep, ended up making bank as well. Don't worry I stuffed half of it into your bag as thanks." She responded with a grin that vividly reminded me of Nami.
I didn't have an actual answer to that so I kept my peace instead. Sheryl seemed to be able to read my expression as she laughed before going to deliver another beer to a patron. Well at least I had some spending money now I guess.
"Oh nearly forgot, Hank came by while you were out and told me that you needed to meet him down at the docks tomorrow morning. I was also supposed to tell you about how to get there but you solved that issue already." She told me when she came by once more. I responded with a smile and a nod before excusing myself and heading back to my room.
Back in my room I discovered that Hank had actually left me a gift on the bed when he had come by to visit. A book about the world and The World Government. I picked it up eagerly and spent the rest of the night and some of the morning reading it.
Bits and pieces of it I already knew but it was fascinating to note the differences in how they were worded. It also helped me remember more about what was going to be coming once I did meet up with the Straw Hat's. How to deal with Thriller Bark, Kuma, the War, and the split weighed on my mind.
Eventually however the sun started to rise and I needed to get to the docks in order to meet up with Hank. I tucked the book into my bag and headed downstairs. On my way out I said goodbye to Sheryl as she locked up and headed to bed herself. Then I leapt into the air and unfurled my wings as I flew over to the docks.
I could see the Marine ship resting in the harbor as I came in for a landing. The Marines that I could see gawked and some even reached for their weapons. Not that their rifles would do much good but it likely made them feel safer. Actually I probably should assume that bullets would still be a danger just in case.
I landed about a dozen yards away from Hank as he exited one of the buildings by the dock. He was clearly talking to someone inside the building as I approached and greet him with a wave. I almost stumbled as the person that Hank had been talking to came into view.
Really I should have expected something like this, One Piece at least was a world full of unlikely encounters after all. It seemed somehow fitting that as I was going out to become a pirate and meet with the Straw Hat's that I would encounter the man that had nearly prevented them from making it to the Grand Line in the first place.
Commodore Smoker was exiting the building with a cigar clenched in his teeth. Following behind him was Tashigi both of them stopping to stare at me. Something else that I should really get used to.
"So this is what you meant by a strange traveler Hank. Whatever just don't cause any trouble. Tashigi see that he gets onto the ship." Smoker said gruffly before he turned away to talk to Hank. That went surprisingly well.
Tashigi gave me a slow once over, eyes settling on the sword at my hip. Right sword fanatic this was going to be where the problems happened. Smoker and Hank had of course walked off while she was looking me over so there would be no help from that quarter.
"That's an interesting sword you have there. It's not a design that I've seen before either, may I see it?" She asked eventually breaking the silence that had started to stretch between us. Really I should be better at talking then this.
I hesitated before I actually drew my sword. I wasn't sure how she would react to the dominant aspect of the sword. Eh I could likely handle whatever happened. I handed the sword over hilt first without really looking at it
"That would be because the design is likely unique across the entire world. The person who made this sword didn't create any others."
Which was true in a manner of speaking, because while the sword had originally been just a normal blade the enchantments that had been added onto it since gave it it's uniqueness. Tashigi took the blade from me carefully running a critical eye across it before they widened in wonder.
"This blade it could easily stand beside the 12 supreme grade swords themselves! It's name, please tell me it's name?!" Tashigi shouted as she shifted her eyes to me, and I was shocked by how crazy they seemed.
Totally confused I glanced down at the sword that she was now clutching. My eyes shot open in shock and I yanked the blade from her hands so fast that she spun completely around. By the time she had completed the spin I was shoving my sword scabbard and all into my bag which probably looked impossible but screw it.
"What?" Tashigi started before I cut her off.
"Sorry, sorry, my bad. Handed you the wrong sword and all that. Forget about that one, I'll show you the real one when we get to the ship. Speaking of ship I think we've spent enough time chatting and we really should be moving along. Yes? Yes." I rapidly fired out and placing one hand on her back nudged her in the direction that Smoker and Hank had gone.
Whenever she tried to talk about the sword I either interrupted or gave her a nudge until we reached the ship. Upon arriving at the ship I was thankful when Tashigi got distracted by several marines that were slacking off. It allowed me to slip onto the ship without giving an answer to any of Tashigi's questions. Which I really was thankful for since I didn't have an answer to her question yet. Eventually I located a spot that seemed out of the way.
A final glance around revealed no one that was watching me and so I pulled out my sword and sheath. I let out a sigh of relief as I pulled the sword free and then stiffened as I saw what the blade looked like. Because it wasn't the same blade I had seen a few days ago.
Even to the untrained eye one could tell that the blade was a masterpiece of craftsmanship. The blade also seeming to be haven been forged from solid gold. It showed none of the softness that gold was know for however in fact unless I missed my guess I doubted that anything could scratch it. What I now held in my hands was partially the Sword of Greed, Chellan.
But the blade was straight instead of curved like a scimitars. The enchantments on it also seemed to be a mixture of my own swords and Chellan's. How the hell this had happened I had no idea but the swords seemed to have merged together. On the up side it didn't seem like it was trying to control my mind. Wait, oh right I had protection from that happening didn't I.
Eventually I figured that blaming V and their boons for all of this was easier then trying to think too hard about it. Now all I would have to do was avoid Tashigi until the ship arrived at Water 7. Failing that to come up with a name for the sword.
Luck was with me for the first several days as Tashigi was too busy keeping the Marines in line to bother me. In that time I kept out of the way and finished reading the book that Hank had given me. Not needing sleep was good for getting books read. My luck eventually ran out however and on the last day before we were due to arrive Tashigi caught up to me.
"There you are, I've been looking for you for the last hour. Your a swordsman and I want to see how I compare to you." Tashigi said when she finally managed to corner me in an out of way section of the ship. Well at least she wasn't going to be asking about the sword. Which was good because I still hadn't come up with a name for it yet!
"As a swordsman I can't rightly refuse a challenge like that. Lead on Ensign Tashigi." I responded before following her up onto the main deck of the ship. We stood facing each other several feet apart as I drew my sword slowly the blade once more looking like regular metal thanks to the magic of the second ring I wore. I readied my shield in my other hand as I took note of who was watching us.
Several Marines had stopped what they were doing to watch and I could see Smoker coming out onto the upper deck. He leaned against the railing as smoke wafted up from his cigar. It would be a good idea to not show off all of my tricks since we likely would clash sometime in the future. I then returned my attention to Tashigi.
"I hope you don't mind Ensign that I use the shield as it is a rather vital part of my fighting style"
Tashigi only shrugged in response and taking that as acceptance I dropped into my fighting stance. Both of us stood their as we took the measure of each other. She gripping her sword's hilt in two hands and me with a sword and a shield. The sails cracked above and then the both of us surged into motion.
Tashigi dropped her blade low and then swept it up to try and slip it underneath the protection of my shield. I lowered my shield just enough to deflect the blade as I pivoted on my left foot. I slashed my sword downward in a telegraphed overhead chop that she deflected easily.
We broke apart and then clashed again soon after, setting the rhythm of the fight. Most strikes were either blocked or dodged but we still gathered a fair amount of minor nicks. It became obvious that while I was stronger that Tashigi was faster. On the level of swordsmanship we seemed to be about equal though I think she was just slightly better then I was.
Eventually what decided the match however was our respective endurance. It was there that I far outstripped her. I wasn't even breathing heavily when her exhaustion caused her to make a mistake and she didn't quite complete a strike.
I took advantage of the moment and knocked her arms upwards with the edge of my shield as my blade slipped past her guard. I rested the flat of my blade against her throat for a second before stepping away and sheathing my sword.
"A good fight Ensign, I can see that I'll need to keep practicing if I want to beat you again in the future. Next time I might not be able to drag the fight out long enough to wear you down." I said sincerely as I stepped away from her.
Tashigi sheathed her own sword before responding to me with a curt nod. It was easy to see why she hadn't replied verbally as she was still working to get her breathing under control. Our match concluded Tashigi left me alone for the rest of the voyage and later that evening I got my first look at Water 7.
I'm not sure I can truly give words to how it looked. I was always of the opinion that a picture of something was never quite as good as seeing it in person and this only seemed to confirm that opinion. If a picture was worth a thousand words then seeing it in person was a million.
Waterways crisscrossed the city with bridges arching gracefully above them, all of the water looking like it was flowing down from a fountain at the top of the city. As the ship was guided into the docks I looked around at all of the other ships at dock. None of them seemed familiar which wasn't a big surprise.
As I was looking around, Smoker stepped up next to the railing with me.
"You weren't the worst favor that Hank has asked of me which is good. Still I get this feeling that the next time I see you we'll be on opposite sides." He said glancing over at me his face obscured by a cloud of smoke from his cigar.
I hesitated for a moment before responding, choosing my words with care.
"No one truly knows what the future will bring but you may be right. If we do end up on the opposite sides of a conflict know that my reasons follow my own code of Justice."
The smoke wafted away from Smokers face and I could see him giving me an annoyed stare. Eventually he responded his voice cold.
"What would you say this Justice of yours means?"
This time I didn't hesitate in responding.
"Justice to me is helping those that can't help themselves. Protecting those that are close to you. Finally it's doing what is right not what is easy despite the personal cost. If someone is going to be punish make it for the things that they did not the circumstances of how they were born."
My piece being said I leapt over the side of the ship before he could respond and dropped to the pier below. Wings unfurling enough to break my momentum so that I didn't crash through the wood. When I glanced back up Smoker was still standing by the rail while looking at me with a thoughtful expression on his face. I wonder how long I had until the Straw Hat's showed up. At least a couple of days unless my mental timeline was off.
I should probably find Franky before so that Usopp didn't get beaten up and then leave the crew. I just needed to figure out where The Franky Family house was at. I remembered that it was near the scrapyard or at least I was pretty sure it was. I should also not wander around with my head in the clouds as people were starting to stare at me. Which wasn't surprising since I did really stand out and that was not likely to change anytime soon.
It took a good half an hour of searching and asking people in order for me to locate where the Franky Family house was at. I had been right in that it was located near the scrapyard but without asking I never would have found it. Mostly because it wasn't as near the scrapyard as I had thought.
Franky House in a word was gaudy but it did show the care that Franky put into all of his designs. I couldn't decide if it was a shame that it would get destroyed or a blessing. Eh either way I was going to be mucking everything up so I might as well get started also that would probably prevent it from getting destroyed.
As I approached the front doors I could hear music playing loud enough that it almost drowned out the sounds of the party inside. I was about to throw the doors open when I realized this was an excellent chance to do something that I never had before. I reared my leg back before kicking the doors to announce myself. The doors ripped off of their hinges and flew several feet before they fell to the floor with a bang.
Right I was a hell of a lot stronger then I thought I was. The Franky Family stared at me and I stared back feeling a comically large sweat drop running down my head.
"That was SUPER uncool mate!" Franky shouted from up on stage where he had been posing. I could tell he was just a bit pissed at me, well him and the rest of the family by the way they were all reaching for their weapons.
"Sorry I was hoping to make an entrance but I kind of underestimated my strength. Just meant to kick the doors open not smash them off their hinges."
The silence stretched on longer as we all continued to stare at each other. It was beginning to become hilarious when finally Franky spoke up again.
"That's SUPER okay then!" He shouted and just like that the party went back into full swing and I was dragged inside. A couple of members of the family had repaired the door so fast that I wondered if this wasn't a fairly common occurrence.
While I partied I kept my wits about me and made sure that no wandering hands ended up trying to steal my bag. It was only once the party started to wind down that I got a chance to actually talk to Franky. The rest of the family having fallen asleep while the pair of us partied.
As I sank down onto one of the couches on the upper level Franky slammed a pair of cola bottles down onto the table between us. He instantly snatched one of them up and twisted the lid off before fixing me with a look.
"So other then breaking my doors and interrupting our partying what do you want?"
It seemed that the time for fun was over and now it was time for business. I reached out and snagged the bottle of cola before twisting the cap off.
"Again I am sorry about the doors. I wanted to make an entrance and ended up with one that I hadn't planned for. Now the reason that I'm here is twofold and I'm going to say a lot of stuff is going to sound impossible but well you'll see.
I waited until Franky had nodded before continuing.
"First off in a couple of days time a ship with sheep's figurehead is going to come to Water 7 in order to get repairs for their ship. I don't want you or the rest of the Franky Family messing with anyone on that ship. The reason why is because their ship manifested a Klabautermann to keep herself going just a little longer. They truly care for that ship and it cares for them.
Franky was looking at me with a sort of wide eyed wonder. Tears gathered at the edges of his eyes and he sniffed loudly. I hated that my next words would ruin the mood.
"They tie into the second reason that I'm here and this is the big one. I need you to either give me plans for Pluton or destroy them right here and now, Cutty Flam."
As soon as those words had left my mouth Franky had his left arm up and clicked down so that the barrels of his gun were aimed at my head. They didn't waver as he stood up and took a step away from the couch. He fixed me with a murderous stare before asking.
"How the hell do you know that name?"
Casually I leaned back in the couch and took a sip of cola as I considered if he wanted to know how I knew his real name or the name of Pluton. I ended up getting distracted by the flavor of the cola. Dang that was some good stuff. A lot better then the stuff back home must be the real sugar. Also I should probably answer before Franky shot me.
"I know a lot of things about you Cutty, like being part of Tom's Workers. How you got that cyborg body of yours. Basically everything about your history I know.
The thing is though that I'm not the only one. CP9 has been in Water 7 for over a year now and in the next few days they'll have everything figured out. At the moment they think Iceburg has the plans but when they try to assassinate him and the plans don't turn up they'll come after you for them.
Do you recall that man you hit in the face with a gun all those years ago when they took Tom? That man is now in control of all of CP9 and he will try to get revenge if he gets the chance."
As I had spoken Franky's face began to pale and by the time I had mentioned CP9 it was completely white. Franky's left arm dropped to his side as he sat down heavily on the couch. It was clear that he was considering everything that I had just said. Which was good. Finally he looked at me his eyes hard.
"Okay assuming that I believe you what is your plan. It'd better be good cause otherwise I will shot you."
I grinned at his words and leaned forward on the couch, hands steepled in front of me.
"Here's what we are going to do..."
AN: Next time we get into the story proper and the Straw Hat's end up meeting Tii'chia for the first time. How will they react I wonder.