Hi guys Azza here!
No Tales From The Tale Verse again sadly, I've been working quite a lot both last week and this week so even getting this done on time was a real stretch. Apologies to everyone who was looking forward to one.
Onto the reviews
Darth Sky Commander – Achilles will be appearing later on in this volume alongside several other familiar Greek heroes we all know as well as a few new ones I felt deserved to be put in. It is 100% post time skip though because if you know Greek heroes then you know one of them is a pretty big powerhouse haha!
Thomas MCF – Hey, long time no see! Trust me I don't blame you for taking a break and doing whatever you feel like the pandemic has been a drain on everyone in some form of fashion so doing what you feel like is definitely a must!
I am aware of Code Geass but I believe that the anime isn't really faithful to the source material if I remember correctly, its been awhile since I've even spoken about that series honestly haha! But I know it is overall a good series!
Thanks for the feedback by the way group fights are something I am trying to include more of and One Piece is a pretty good place to do it. I thought the Oars one was pretty good with the Straw Hats demolishing him, the Sut-Typhon fights were actually pretty tricky to write without having him perform an attack that would kill someone outright but I'm glad to hear you thought it was good.
Ok so now for your first question on Anti. Basically regular reality is the Anti of Anti so to speak. Both exist as the polar opposite to each other however the reason why Hybrid's Aura works best against it won't be revealed until basically the last few chapters of this volume I'm afraid because its pretty big.
As for Sut-Typhon's ranking he's basically the Antiverse version of an Elder God but because of his unique abilities combined with his age and the fact that he was a former regular Elder God before becoming corrupted in the Antiverse he's much more powerful than a regular one.
A good example of how this works is Achnologia. Basically his ability of consuming all things isn't something not native to regular reality however the Anti amplifies it significantly within regular reality because it takes the power then corrupts it, bolstering and even adding onto its ordinary effects. They feared he would absorb Aura and gain the ability to consume entire realities and convert them to Anti, basically destroying everything in the process and that their powers would be taken and twisted against them in the process.
Again Hybrid's Aura is the exception but I can't go too in depth on this but I promise that this idea will actually be explored at the end of this Volume onward as stuff goes down.
Also for reference Beast III/R counts as an Anti Primordial as do any of the other numbered Beasts with there being several outliers that don't possess numbers but are confirmed to be such.
And thanks for the praise I'm glad I've been doing the Hellsing characters justice it is one of my favourite series. I'm actually planning on including a character later on who is criminally underrated in the Hellsing fanfic community but was pivotal for Seras' character in the series and I hope my portrayal of them here does them some justice.
Anyway on with the story!
I do not own Fairy Tail, One Piece or the Nasuverse.
An Unexpected Attack
/Ruins Of Thriller Bark/
Belebelebelebelebele … gatcha!
"This is Kuma speaking."
"Bartholomew Kuma. Our intelligence indicates that the catastrophic tremors and spatial distortions have died down, report immediately as to the current status of your mission."
"I can confirm that the threat was localized upon the ship of Gecko Moria and involved a clash between his forces and those of the Straw Hat Pirates," Kuma said monotonously as his gaze bored into all the battered people before him before landing directly on Natsu. "It appears that Moria has been slain through a combined effort of Dragneel and another high value target."
"Another high value target? Explain!?"
"I can confirm the presence of Kuroki Kaze, Bounty of over one point two billion berries," Kuma replied as his eyes flashed several times. "He has the weapon on his person."
"I see …"
"All hostiles are currently severely fatigued after their battle against Gecko Moria," Kuma said as his eyes once again began to flash. "Do I continue with the primary directive?"
"Of course," the voice on the other end replied bluntly. "Retrieve the Magun from Black Wind and capture Dragneel alive. Kill the rest."
"Understood," Kuma replied slowly as the Transponder Snail fell silent, a cold yet chilling silence setting over the group as Kuma took a threatening step forward. "I have confirmed my orders. Surrender yourself over to me, Natsu Dragneel, and I shall offer to spare your allies today."
Despite having little energy left to move, Natsu rose to his full height and wiped some blood from his face. Narrowing his eyes, he took a shaky step forward as all eyes from his friends snapped toward him.
"Kind of strange that you'd offer me something like that," Natsu replied quietly as Kuma merely adjusted his head to properly look down at him. "Considering the fact that you currently hold the advantage as the newly arrived aggressor and all?"
"I do not desire to kill anyone, least of all Pirates such as yourselves who would rid us all of someone such as Moria," Kuma replied, shocking everyone at his jab at the deceased Warlord next to him. "However, this is your only chance to comply and accept my offer. If you refuse to accept it …"
Holding his hands upward everyone watched Kuma with either outright fear or determined caution. Upon hearing a strange noise, the entire group was shocked to see a massive paw shaped bubble appear between his outstretched arms that grew to the size of a several story building.
The palms of Kuma's hands began to repeatedly vibrate as the bubble became smaller and smaller, only Nami, Seilah and Natsu truly understanding what the Warlord was actually doing and refraining from trying to do anything in response.
"This is bad …"
"I know Seilah," Natsu said through grit teeth as the bubble continued to shrink in size.
"I-if he messes up or completes that thing then we're finished," Nami gasped as everyone looked over toward her with mixtures of shock and confusion marring their features.
"What are you talking about Nami," Mordred asked as she summoned Clarent to her side. "What's this bastard playing at!?"
"That bubble is made up of condensed air, air he keeps on compressing until it shrinks to be no larger than the palm of his hands!"
"What's so bad about that," Zoro asked not really sure what the big deal was until Seilah replied.
"To condense air from the size it was down to the palm of his hand would mean that this Warlord has essentially created a bomb."
"…"
Everyone was frozen stiff as their eyes roved over the now hand sized bubble that quickly disappeared beneath Kuma's closed palms.
"And not just any bomb either," Natsu snarled as he took another step forward. "Isn't that right?"
Kuma simply matched his gaze with his own cold and unfeeling one. Moving his arms out to his front he maintained the attack between his palms however he held it out as if offering it to Natsu.
"Choose wisely."
"Well, you've left me little choice," Natsu chuckled bitterly as he began to walk toward the Warlord who towered over him. "I-."
"NO WAY!"
Natsu froze mid-step and turned to face everyone. From the survivors of Thriller Bark to his friends, all bore furious expressions whilst drawing and pointing whatever weapons they had on them at Kuma.
"There's no way in hell we're gonna let you just take him after all he did for us!"
"If Natsu weren't here we'd all have died for sure!"
Many similar cries of outrage and protest rang out across the area as Kuma straightened his posture, his eyes glowing yellow for several moments before looking directly back at the crowd.
"So be it."
The protests died in the throats of all those present as Kuma slowly began to open his palms, revealing the thoroughly condensed paw shaped bubble. It shot forward at a moderate pace as all eyes tracked its trajectory however a flash of movement gave them momentary hope.
"N-NO," Seilah gasped as she tried to charge forward, faltering the moment she realized she was already too late. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"
To the absolute shock of everyone present Natsu had vanished and reappeared in front of the attack, his hands coated in a Deep Purple colour as blood began to pour from every orifice on his head.
"OI MASTER, THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING TRYING TO CONTAIN THAT," Mordred roared as she tried to get closer to him only to hit an invisible barrier.
"S-stay back!"
"Are you crazy, an attack of that power could blow up the whole island!"
"F-fine with me," Natsu grinned as blood slipped between the gaps of his teeth. "R-run!"
The group didn't need to be told twice as most began to flee in the opposite direction of Kuma's attack however the crew remained behind, determined not to leave him.
"G-go," Natsu coughed as the paw shaped bubble suddenly doubled in size between his hands. "I-I don't have enough power left to hold it for long!"
"Let us help," Seilah cried as she banged against the barrier Natsu had put up knowing full well she likely didn't have enough power stored up to help either.
"Please … just go … I'll be fine," Natsu gasped as the attack expanded once again. "I-I can't hold it-!"
"It's over," Kuma sighed softly as the attack suddenly engulfed his entire body, much to the horror of the others who had barely begun to turn on their heels and heed Natsu's advice. "Paw Paw: Ursus Shock."
The entire group were blinded as a catastrophic explosion went off right in front of them, the last thing those with better perception being able to see was Natsu's body quite literally being blasted apart until they too were engulfed in the attack.
The attack continued to expand, catching up to the fleeing survivors as it stripped the entirety of the island bare. Trees were uprooted, buildings were reduced to dust and even the ground itself had been stripped an entire layer as a bright white dome covered the island ship.
It took several minutes for the light to die down, revealing only Kuma to still be standing amidst the now barren landscape. The Warlord's eyes flashed several times before looking down at half a head that lay at the centre of the blast zone, tufts of salmon pink dotting its otherwise unrecognizable surface.
Walking over toward the head, Kuma looked down at it as his eyes once again flashed yellow several times.
"The rules of your regenerative abilities are fully known to us, but it was a valiant effort at saving the lives of your friends and attempting to stave off capture nonetheless."
Reaching down toward what remained of Natsu's body Kuma suddenly staggered backward as a large slash appeared across his torso, the first sign of emotion registering on the otherwise emotionless man.
"One Sword Style – Iai: Shishi Sonson!"
Appearing behind Kuma was a wounded and panting Zoro. His clothing was torn to shreds however his blades were all still in perfect condition, especially his newest Black Blade that currently sat in his dominant hand.
"Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro," Kuma muttered as he turned around and opened his mouth to reveal a bright yellow light.
"Wh-what the-!?"
"Black Leg Style: Diable Jambe – Flambage Shot!"
Kicking Kuma in the face as hard as he could, Sanji managed to budge the Warlord's head ever so slightly. As a result, the bright yellow light was fired out of his mouth, missing Zoro and striking the ground off in the distance to set off a sizeable explosion.
"D-damn it," Sanji growled as he landed next to Zoro. "His heads made of something else!"
"Look," Zoro said as he motioned toward the place he'd slashed the Warlord.
"Metal!?"
"Looks like he's a cyborg like Franky, only with way better firepower," Zoro frowned as Kuma fully turned to face the pair.
"Black Leg Sanji … Roronoa Zoro …"
"Gear Second: Gum Gum – Jet Rifle!"
Kuma vanished and appeared a considerable distance away as a steaming fist smashed the earth where he had stood no less than a second ago.
"He's fast-!"
"Straw Hat Luffy …"
"This guy is strong, don't let your guards down for a second or it's all over!"
"Don't have to tell me twice Moss," Sanji growled as Kuma began to warp all around them, sometimes even appearing in two places at once.
"Monkey D Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Black Leg Sanji … Sizeable bounties across the board however none of you are strong enough to face me, surrender."
"Like hell we will," Luffy snapped back as he clenched his fists. "You didn't just pick a fight with me but my entire crew AND you hurt all those other guys who Moria was stepping all over!"
"You really think we'll just surrender and come quietly with you back to Marine HQ?"
"As if."
"Then let me show you the gap between us," Kuma replied monotonously as he appeared several metres behind the trio in a semi crouched stance, his arms extended outward to fully display his palms. "Paw Paw: Slapping Thrust Pressure Cannon!"
The trio weren't fast enough to react as dozens of miniature paw shaped bubbles slammed into them. Explosion after explosion went off as the trio were blasted back across the ruined area. Before Kuma's attack was even done however, he had already vanished once again and was directly above Luffy, another paw shaped bubble in the palm of his hand.
"Paw Paw: Proto Pressure Cannon!"
The attack was slammed straight into Zoro's head as blood exploded from the man's mouth, a brutal shockwave ripping through his body as both Sanji and Luffy struggled to turn and react.
Zoro hadn't even dropped to his knees before Kuma vanished again, this time appearing right behind Sanji with his palm pressed up against the man's back.
"Paw Paw: Squish Shot!"
Suddenly Sanji was blasted across the ruined area however Kuma was already waiting for him at his projected point of impact. Before he even lost any momentum, Kuma had his palm placed on Sanji's chest and fired the same attack once more, blasting Sanji into the earth as a rather sizeable crater formed around him.
"ZORO, SANJI!"
"It is useless to resist, Straw Hat Luffy," Kuma answered for them as he appeared mere inches before him. "This is the price you pay for challenging the world."
Luffy's eyes widened slightly as Kuma's palm inched closer to his face, a strange bluish glow seeming to flash from behind him as he prepared to endure whatever pain the strike would bring.
"Oh no you don't!"
Snapping his eyes wide open he was shocked to see Kuma had been forced to use his hands to keep himself on all fours as a blade protruded through his robotic chest. A loud grinding sound could be heard as the sword was yanked out and the wielder of it appeared.
"Damn … that was a close one!"
"You said it," Mordred growled as she spun around and pointed Clarent toward Kuma's new position. "This guy is no fucking joke!"
Her armor was cracked all over, crumbling away in some places as blood seeped from several open wounds, however Mordred didn't even so much as wince despite it all. Her eyes glowed Galaxy Blue alongside Clarent as she entered a defensive stance.
"It's gonna take everything we've got to beat this bastard without Natsu, considering the state we're all in."
"Yeah … no kidding," Zoro growled as he rose into a sitting position and wiped blood from his face. "My head's killing me right now!"
"It is useless to continue this struggle," Kuma said monotonously as his footsteps signalled his slow yet intimidating advance. "As it stands now … you will all die."
"Oh yeah," Mordred replied as she swung Clarent in his general direction, firing a blast of pure God's Aura directly at him. "Too bad for you none of us know how to give up!"
Simply raising his hand allowed the attack to be bounced back in the direction of the group prompting Mordred to slice it in half. The attack split in two, setting off twin explosions behind them.
"Perhaps I should make things clearer," Kuma said as he went to take a step forward only for another massive gash to appear on his back. "Ngh-!"
"Yomi Yomi: Soul Solid!"
Several large chunks of ice burst out of Kuma's back as Brook seemed to appear from thin air in front of them, slowly sheathing his blade before turning around to face the Warlord.
"It might not be enough to repay the kindness these people have shown me but I won't rest until I have driven you back! I not be able to win but if Natsu was able to face down Sut-Typhon then I'll muster up enough spine to aid the friends he fought so hard to protect in his stead!"
"A skeleton," Kuma muttered as he vanished from view and appeared in the centre of the group already mid palm thrust. "I must end this quickly …"
The entire group barely had a chance to blink before being struck simultaneously, blasted apart from each other as the Warlord again vanished.
"How the hell is he so damn fast," Mordred growled as she slashed the air in front of her only for Kuma to appear less than a second after the attack and blast her right in the chest. "Gah-!"
As Mordred was blasted back Kuma turned his attention to Brook who appeared to have caused the temperature around him to drop significantly. The eye sockets were shaped into a frown as an eery Crimson Red glow escaped through their otherwise black depths as the skeleton prepared to attack.
"You will not catch me off guard twice, skeleton," Kuma said as he vanished and appeared in front of Brook, palm already firmly pressed up against his skull.
A powerful shockwave blasted Brook's skull clean off of his shoulders, forcing him to his knees as the others looked on in shock.
"I am running short on time and you have all clearly decided to ignore my offer," Kuma sighed as he pulled his right arm backward as if preparing for a thrust attack. "This ruined ghost ship shall be your graves."
Kuma vanished from his current position and appeared in the air above the group, two rather sizeable paw shaped bubbles protruding from his palms as his eyes began to flash.
"Paw Paw: Ursa Minor."
Thrusting forward with his left arm a powerful shockwave slammed into the entire group, blasting apart the ground as they were forced into a miniature crater. Spinning around mid-fall, Kuma then fired the second shot as the entire group buckled under the pressure and collapsed into blissful unconsciousness.
Without even missing a beat, the moment he landed Kuma had spun around and blocked a strike from Brook's sword. The skull of the skeletal musician was sporting several cracks however it was clear he still had some fight left within his bones.
"Foolish."
Brook was shocked when his sword was suddenly bounced back at him, striking him in the face and sending him sprawling to the ground as it embedded itself into a nearby piece of rubble behind him.
"D-deflected it-!"
"This is the end …"
As the air began to condense around Kuma's palm, he suddenly found himself stumbling forward. Ceasing his attack, he rose to his full height and turned around to find nobody present.
"I did not stumble …"
Another blow had the large Warlord staggering forward as he tried to locate his newest foe. His eyes constantly flashed bright yellow as he scanned the area for any other potential hostiles, coming up with none.
After receiving yet another blow Kuma decided enough was enough and entered an offensive stance.
"Very well. If remaining hidden is your primary objective then I have been left with little choice but to ravage this landscape to dust."
Vanishing from place had Kuma once again appear high above the downed Straw Hats however this time he only had one paw shaped bubble, the attack slowly growing in size the closer he got to the ground.
"Paw Paw: Yao Shock!"
Slamming his attack into the ground full force had the bubble swiftly expand until it encompassed the entire area, a near constant stream of shockwaves coursing through the miniature shockwave dome constantly ravaging all that lay within its depths.
This unfortunately had the side effect of revealing Robin who was now caught right in the centre of the attack, her body being blasted about mercilessly as Kuma turned his back on her and began walking over toward the remains of Natsu's body.
Again, Kuma reached down to pick up Natsu however this time he wasn't blasted away nor was he struck physically. A single hand rose from the ground and gripped his wrist, the bloodied and shivering form of Seilah slowly rising out from the depths of a Shadow.
"N-no … I-I won't … let you!"
"Release me Demon, your Master lies defeated. Your battle is over now-."
"MY BATTLE IS NEVER OVER," Seilah screeched as her grip tightened considerably. "It took most of my power to keep the others alive in addition to what Master did … so giving up now would be nothing short of a disgrace!"
"You stand no chance against me," Kuma repeated only to meet Seilah's firm glare in response. "If you are not willing to release my arm then I will be forced to utilize extreme force."
"Tch …"
Kuma's eyes flashed as a sudden beam of yellow light shot out of his slightly open mouth, piercing right through Seilah's chest, forcing her to release the Warlord as she dropped to the ground beside what remained of her Master.
Kuma for a third time moved to pick up the remains of Natsu but paused as Seilah dragged herself across the ruined ground, a thick blood trail being left behind from her wound as she draped herself over what little remained of Natsu's body protectively.
"It's alright Master … we're here now, both myself and …"
"It's over, you've all lost," Kuma once again repeated as he placed a hand on Seilah's back and vanished her several metres away. "Dragneel will never see the light of day again …"
Just before he was able to touch Natsu the sound of a gun being prepared hit his senses as his eyes began to scan the surrounding area. Looking over at a semi cloaked man pointing a handgun at him the Warlord sighed.
"I did not come for your Bounty today, Black Wind. However, considering that weapon of yours I might also be inclined to remove it from your possession for analysis by Doctor Vegapunk."
"The Magun will not leave my possession, nor will you be taking Natsu from this place."
"How thoughtful. And here I thought you were nothing more than a mere drifter, Black Wind."
Avenger's gaze snapped upward as a figure began to descend from behind the clouds as the light of the sun began to shine down upon Thriller Bark, signalling the arrival of morning.
"WHITE CLOUD," Kaze roared, immediately opening fire on the man who summoned a blade in front of him and deflected the shots lazily.
"Come on Kaze, you know you can do much better than that," the figure said as he ceased his descent just above where Kuma stood.
"General Makenshi, Black Wind is the only one between us and capturing Dragneel," Kuma said as Makenshi's eyes hovered across all the downed Straw Hats and unconscious Servants present.
"Indeed," he replied softly only to fade into mist, Kuma vanishing from his position as a semi-conscious Mordred fired a much weaker version of her Noble Phantasm at them.
Panting heavily, her body coated in wounds and her eyes barely able to remain open, Mordred staggered forward to stand beside Avenger who simply nodded.
"Such dedication to one man," Makenshi muttered as he once more appeared before the pair. "And to think the Grandson of Garp the Hero would also possess such fire within him as well …"
Behind Mordred and Kaze, Luffy stood defiantly having activated Gear Second. His fists were clenched tightly as dried blood cracked between his fingers, his teeth grit tightly as he slowly began to advance forward.
"I don't care how many of you guys decide to show up … we aren't gonna lose! We can't lose! After everything Natsu's done to help us there's no way we'll let you bastards take him!"
"Monkey … D …"
Kuma's eyes settled on Luffy, his mind wandering as his thoughts turned to another who was also capable of bearing such a fierce look.
"I know we aren't as strong as you guys yet," Luffy continued through grit teeth as a pressure began to settle upon the area. "And its obvious that compared to the two of you that most of us don't stand a chance …"
A sudden burst of power washed over the area; its catalyst focused solely on Luffy's position as all eyes darted directly onto his position.
"But that doesn't matter … because our bonds are way too strong for you to shatter so easily!"
"Your bonds," Makenshi replied after a shared look between himself and Kuma. "I see …"
"So that is what kind of King you wish to be," Kuma added as Luffy's determined expression faltered slightly into one of semi confusion.
"The only King I'm gonna be is King Of The Pirates!"
"It isn't your time," Makenshi said as his body began to shimmer right as a massive flying craft began to descend from the clouds. "Not yet …"
Vanishing and reappearing on what could only be described as a floating pagoda, Makenshi sat down on a sofa and made a motion with his right hand. Suddenly, Kuma had also vanished and reappeared on the floating pagoda with Makenshi as the small group looked up at them in a mixture of shock and confusion.
"Our attention is required elsewhere Kuma, more specifically HQ wants us to meet with Moria's potential replacement."
"Understood," Kuma replied as he slid the gloves back over his hands.
"WHITE CLOUD," Avenger roared as he began opening fire on the floating pagoda. "DON'T YOU DARE RUN FROM ME!"
"Now is not the time for our confrontation either, Black Wind. Journey more throughout this world and eventually you will learn a truth that will lead you right to me, the correct way."
As the pagoda slowly ascended back into the sky, Mordred collapsed. Her body had finally given out having been running on nothing but pure adrenaline ever since her hand was broken.
"Find the Doctor, many of these people need medical attention," Kaze said to the still stunned Luffy who quickly nodded and ran off to find Chopper.
Looking back up into the sky had the Avenger frowning, his thoughts only on the white-haired man he'd been chasing for so long.
/Meanwhile – The Servant State Of Eden/
"We have confirmation," a man wearing a white lab coat panted as he burst into a room with round tables full of men and women all wearing crowns. "The readings of a manifested Beast have all but vanished!"
"So, Dragneel appears to have succeeded against yet another Beast it seems," Artoria sighed thankfully. "Do we know which one it was?"
"Does it matter, King Of Knights? What's important is the victory of our friend in a most perilous battle," Iskandar shouted cheerfully. "We must celebrate his victory!"
"Something tells me it isn't as simple as that …"
"Come now Waver, always overthinking things," Iskandar grinned as he roughly slapped the man's back. "Can we not allow the King Of Balance this victory!?"
"No, Lord Melloi is in fact rather correct in his assumption that all is not as it appears to be," Arthuria chimed in from her own seat. "The manifestation of a Beast is an unfathomable crisis regardless of if it falls within the Numbered category or outside their rank."
"Beasts Of Anti, denizens of the Antiverse. These beings are extraordinarily powerful and would require the aid of a Grand Servant to defeat or so many powerful Servants in a coordinated effort and even then, the idea that one was able to manifest in of itself is a great cause for concern," Artoria added as laughter cut across the chatter.
"As always, the brains outwit the brawn of the mighty Alexander!"
"Something to say, King Of Heroes," Arthuria cut in before Iskandar could even attempt to retort.
"Indeed! It is quite obvious that a Beast had manifested yet it was also cut down just as quick, not even so much as a single sign of its presence aside from what we Servants and other higher-level mortals could detect-!"
"Get to the point Golden King," Iskandar snapped. "Do not test my patience with your ridiculous wordplay after such a pathetic insult at my intellect!"
"Very well King Of Conquerors," Gilgamesh laughed as he rose from his own custom golden throne and swept his hand across the space before him as a projection emerged from the centre of the table. "This is what I personally detected the exact moment the Beast fully manifested!"
"That's-!"
"It cannot be-!"
"It is as I feared," Lord Melloi sighed as he lit a cigarette. "The Beast clearly was nothing more than bait."
"Excuse me!? Care to explain that one to me boy because it sounds like you just suggested someone managed to manipulate a BEAST," Iskandar snapped as Lord Melloi motioned toward Gilgamesh.
"It was your discovery King Gilgamesh so you should be the one to receive the credit for discovering it first."
"Hn, of course I shall," Gilgamesh snorted in response as he floated over toward the projection and pointed to a section of the map. "As you all know the Casters designed a system that allows us to detect Servant manifestations so that we might be able to recruit them to our side. This however is an outlier as many of you no doubt can already tell."
"That rather sizeable red dot … why is it like that," Arthuria asked with a look of confusion. "I thought a Servant blip wasn't to be any larger than an island?"
"You would be correct in that assumption under regular circumstances, King Of Knights, however what we have here is something far greater than a merely powerful Servant," Gilgamesh grinned. "Not only that but look at where this Servant manifested!"
"But that's-!"
"The land of false Gods," a new voice boomed as another figure entered the room flanked by a woman with long purple hair, both possessing tanned brown skin.
"M-My Lord, we really mustn't dally," the woman sighed as she tugged at the hem of her office skirt with one hand and extended a clipboard out to the man with the other. "There is much work to be done today!"
The man was wearing a pair of black suit pants with bright blue and gold pinstripes going along them. His business shoes were a golden colour and reflected light from their surface to a blinding degree. His upper body was exposed with the suit coat draped over his shoulders bearing the same design as the pants, his messy brown hair bearing a pair of stylish sunglasses that had been slipped upward upon entering the room.
"It does not matter, all things shall wait for my personal attention," the man replied proudly as he moved to stand beside Gilgamesh. "No Pharaoh worth their rule would dare allow the lesser rabble to dictate the use of their own time, Nitocris!"
Former Pharaoh Of Ancient Egypt
Last Ruler Of The Sixth Dynasty
Great Avenger Of The Legacy Of Pharaohs
Pharaoh Nitocris (Caster)
Bounty – 427,000,000 Berries
"O-of course, I meant no disrespect however I merely wished to point out that the people would be most pleased by your attendance at your own establishment Lord Ozymandias!"
One Of The Greatest Pharaohs Of Ancient Egypt
Advent Of A New Golden Age
King Of Construction
King Of Kings
The Almighty Sun God
Ramessess II (Ozymandias) Rider
Bounty – 1,647,300,000 Berries
"King Ozymandias, you know something regarding this," Arthuria asked unamused at the rather casual manner in which he'd strolled on into the meeting.
"But of course! Any real King would know exactly what has occurred, it isn't a mere matter of prediction but of Fate itself!"
"Agreed! Fate itself has shifted as a result of the manifestation of a Beast and petitioned the Counter Force for the appropriate response," Gilgamesh added as the entire room looked toward the projection in shock.
"So … you mean to say that-!"
"Indeed," Gilgamesh replied in agreement before both he and Ozymandias burst into laughter, drowning out the panicked discussion before them.
/The Holy Land Of Mariejois -?/
The Celestial Dragons were cowering in fear at the massive pillar of light that had erupted within one of the sacred courtyards, a single figure strolling out of it with a furious expression. Without even speaking, the figure had the entire lot kneeling before him as his eyes shifted to Pitch Black.
The figure was bald and dressed in an all-black getup consisting of black combat boots, black pants, black shirt, black leather gloves and a black leather overcoat bearing a strange symbol on each end of its collar.
"So … this, this is where I have arrived," the figure said as the kneeling figures began to come to their senses with one in particular rising up and pointing a golden gun at him.
"H-how dare you step here you filthy human!"
"Human," the man asked with his head cocked to the side as the Celestial Dragon's eyes narrowed. "But aren't all of you nothing more than human too?"
"HOW DARE YOU," the Celestial Dragon roared as he opened fire on the man, the bullets piercing his chest.
To the utter horror of the beings before them, the man didn't even receive so much as a scratch as the bullets simply bounced off of him. A sadistic grin made its way onto his face as he strode forward and gripped the barrel of the gun with his gloved hand, placing the barrel right to the centre of his forehead.
"Go ahead, shoot."
The Celestial Dragon didn't need to be told twice and fired, the bullets seemingly vanishing upon impact as the Celestial Dragon dropped to his knees.
"Wh-who are you!?"
"Me," the man asked as he rose to his full height and looked around before smiling. "I am the future, more specifically I am the herald to what one might call a … GRAND future."
Then the man began to laugh as a robed figure slowly strode toward him, an equally sizeable grin on his face as countless plans ran through his mind.
/Meanwhile – Kuma And Makenshi's POV/
"With respect," Kuma said after several hours of silence, prompting Makenshi to idly raise an eyebrow in response. "Why did we not attempt to capture Dragneel? Between the two of us there was no chance any of them could have defeated us in the state they were in?"
"It's like I said Kuma," Makenshi sighed as he slowly rose from his seat. "HQ wants us to meet with Moria's replacement, but that isn't all."
"What else is there?"
Motioning behind the couch, Kuma's mouth opened slightly in surprise at the unconscious form of Anderson whose body was wrapped entirely in Sea Stone Chains.
"Alexander Anderson?"
"Correct. I am aware that you freed him from his obligations to Doctor Hogback however after a brief discussion with Rider I was asked to bring him back in. One of the Squad wishes to meet with him."
"The Squad? Which one?"
"Assassin. Both are apparently subscribed to the same branch of religion, or their own world's version of it anyway. He believes that he can convince Anderson to work for the World Government."
"I see," was all Kuma could say as his thoughts turned toward the newest branch of the World Government's forces and its leader.
"We shall arrive shortly. Once this is done, we will make a quick stop to Vegapunk so that you may receive repairs, if you would like to that is?"
"Yes," Kuma responded curtly as the group slowly floated downward to reveal an island with nothing but grass, a single Pirate ship moored just off the coast of it.
"Come, let us not keep them waiting."
Kuma nodded as the duo vanished and prepared to meet with their newest potential ally.
Hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you in the next one!