Disclaimer: I definitely don't own One Piece. Cause if I did, I definitely would have made sure that all these translators that are illegally scanning up my content for readers in the US and such had their facts straight. It's not "Fishman Karate Substitute Teacher", dammit! Do people not use Japanese dictionaries? The raw subtext underneath Koala clearly says "Shihandai" 師範代, not "Daiyōkyōin" 代用教員! There's a huge difference of implied skill between an Assistant Instructor (in a Dojo) and a "Substitute Teacher" in both English and Japanese.
What's that? I'm okay with people scanning my stuff illegally for the US? Well, they don't get the newest chapters right off the bat, so I do think it's nice that people are interested in keeping up to da...
Oh, right. Not owning One Piece. Never mind.
OPFan37—Thanks again for the support, and keep on churning out cool stuff! I really like popping in and reading a whole swath of your chapters at once, though it means I don't leave you as many reviews.
Fairy of the Friz—Alas, the answers await you at the end of your journey below. Read on and see the truth with your own eyes! (That is, unless you're not going to check up on me because I didn't update soon enough...? DX )
Chapter 2: Poking Dragons
"YOU BLUNDERING FOOLS! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS REPORT?!" came the angry cry that echoed across the flagship of the Marines' 8th Branch. The use of the word 'ship' would have been a stretch in this case however, considering the norm everywhere but the Grand Line.
With three masts flying the Marine insignia and the large number 8 of their outfit, but without a single cannon opening; an entire fortress structure in the traditional ocean camouflage pattern, rendered useless by the presence of a bright red seven-point roof; and the whole thing bordered with gold railings and giant sea-lion decoration, the massive 'ship' was anything but normal.
Fitting the vessel's abnormal condition was its commanding officer from whom had come the angry shout that had resounded over his entire domain. Nelson Royale was, frankly put, one of the ugliest Marines ever to serve the government both in terms of his bodily appearance and his inner morality, with matching flaws to boot. He was incredibly fat and similarly greedy, bulging chest left shamelessly exposed (his Marine coat only fitting about his back and arms). Possessing the false title of admiral to match his self-importance, he was horrible to his subordinates simply because he could afford to be; money solved all of his problems.
Well, almost all his problems, or else he wouldn't be screaming at the top of his lungs about some woman—or more appropriately a little girl who showed up asking all the right questions.
A little girl that seems to have vanished into thin air, was the thought that resonated through the lower-ranking Marines aboard the 8th Branch flagship as their 'Teikoku' (Admiral) verbally abused them. They'd never vocalize their difficulties, though, considering what wrath he might bring down upon them if they did.
Not that he'd kill them. Nelson Royale didn't let anyone leave his service until their funeral rights. But that was just another part of what made serving him so horrible.
"That girl may have been the key to obtaining the Dragon Bones I've searched so long for! Do you have ANY idea of what will happen if you lose her?!" The Marine before him cowered as much as his salute allowed as the lard of a man yelled at him. The seething eyes shaded beneath his deformed blue top hat and the twitching of his thin mustache removed any doubt of his anger. Fortunately the hapless marine's prayers for relief were temporarily answered as Nelson turned to the back and called, "Eric!"
From the shadows behind the archway appeared a man very much dressed in his own style: wearing a grey blazer and pants with lines of maroon, with a striped purple shirt underneath, his hair was gelled heavily into a swirling light purple hook on top of his head. Further distinguishing his dress choices with pearl earrings and a wing-like brooch, he topped it all off with thin futuristic sunglasses that encircled his head almost completely.
"I've been here for awhile, so I understand the situation," Eric pre-empted the commanding officer, hoping to cut to the chase.
"After finally having a lead on the elixir of eternal youth, we can't let it escape from us," the teikoku clarified regardless, "Take the fleet, find her, and capture her at any cost."
"A word if I may," Eric began, "I do not believe searching for women was part of our contract."
"I'll pay whatever's necessary! This is exactly the purpose you are being employed for!" Nelson paused as he grinned maliciously, "Or would you prefer to let our only clue escape? Now, get on with it!"
"Very well. As an order form the great Nelson Royale." Keeping the disdain clear from his voice and posture, the hired mercenary left to join the fleet.
Though it was true that the 'admiral' did pay him for his services, and quite well at that, the money was the icing on the cake as far as Eric was concerned. Living forever could open a vast world of opportunities, putting the admittedly absorbent bonus from Nelson to shame by comparison—though a tidy sum sitting for years with interest never hurt.
Last the Marines saw that little girl, two older women claiming to be family pulled her away before anyone could take her along or contact the higher-ups, Eric went over the information from the report in his head as he walked. Them being family is likely a quick lie based on their basic description, but that only makes it more worrying—it's possible they also looking to obtain the elixir.
"Why the long face, Eric...?"
The mercenary pulled himself from his thoughts to address the Marine standing in the doorway outside, his long black moustache visible even as his cap shadowed his other features. "Shōsa (Lieutenant Commander)..."
Working so closely under an incarnation of gluttony with nay a hint of a moral compass would drive most serious Marines mad. Lieutenant Commander Hardy made it through the day with a few simple thoughts in mind—namely that he could refuse to do something he didn't want to, and all the things he did every day to protect the men beneath him from the demon above.
But it also helped to find enjoyment wherever he could, and having the chance to rib their resident mercenary (whom he wouldn't trust as far as he could throw) was one of those things that made Hardy smile. "Not too happy about having to go looking for girls, huh?"
"If you're done being facetious, hurry up and prepare the ship," Eric replied as he blew off the jab and walked past the Marine to the deck of the ship, "You act as if you won't be helping hunt for them."
"Oh I'll be right there with you," he reassured in reply, his small smirk never leaving his face, "But you should know that some of the men are starting to think, what with the vehemence and all, that you're not into...that..."
That made the mercenary take pause. "Into...what?"
Hardy's grin grew slightly. "Women."
"What nonsense..."
"And it probably would be," the commanding officer continued, intent on getting a rise out of the oddly dressed man, "were we just talking the little girl from Warship Island; it might even have been if it were just the two who pulled her out. But the fact is, you haven't done anything to prove them wrong since you were hired."
Eric let out a derisive 'pfft' at that, "I have nothing to prove to your men, Shōsa."
"If that's how you feel." Seeing the purple-haired man continue on his way, the Marine threw his parting shot. "Just wanted you to know, in case you wonder later why they've been avoiding you on the ship. And believe me, it's not because they find you intimidating." His smile expanded beyond the bounds of his moustache as he finished, "They just don't swing that way."
"Kama Kama no Kamaitachi (Sickle Sickle Whirlwind Cut)!"
Without warning, Eric flicked his hand back at Hardy, revealing overly long and sharpened fingernails as he made his call. At the same time, his target put a hand out in a stopping motion, not letting his smile down a single centimeter. As a breeze passed over the Marine and blew his cap off, a deep cut suddenly appeared in the structure around him at his neck height.
"Ooh sorry, did I touch a nerve?" the Lieutenant Commander chided as he let his hand down. "My Haki (Willpower) may not be much, but it's enough to stop your little tricks. You'd best not do much else, though. Nelson-teikoku doesn't care too much about lives, but I'm sure he'll be rather displeased if you damage his ship."
Letting the tension release from his body, Eric adjusted his sunglasses with his outstretched hand. "Do you have anything else to say that isn't blatantly obvious or insulting and crude?"
"As a matter of fact," Hardy began, still smiling despite finally getting down to business as he pointed to the wall of the building they'd just departed, "they've finished the sketches of our targets. We had them copied out for all the ships in the fleet so everyone knows who we're looking for. Might not be a bad idea to have a look before we set sail."
Answering with a dismissive 'hmph', Eric walked over to look at the sketches. Drawn in a group, the artist had done their best to highlight some of their major characteristics: the outfit of the child that identified her as a native of Warship Island, the particular necklass that she wore reminiscent of a claw, one of the elder women's short orange hair and the other's long messy brown.
"If that is all, shōsa..." Eric spoke up with disinterest as turned away from Hardy, who had already gone and picked up his cap, prompting the Marine to follow as they walked in silence to prepare their ship. The hired mercenary's thoughts, however, were contrary to his demeanor and certainly not quiet in his head.
Certainly most of the Marines will focus in on Warship Island, he went over confidently in his mind, but if those women intend to help or use the girl they're almost certainly not going there unless they've already set their eyes on the Dragon Bones. And I'm almost positive I've seen at least one of their faces before. If I can make certain who I'm looking for, I'll be a step ahead of the rest of the fleet and that bloated walrus. I will obtain the elixir, and then Eric the Whirlwind will be come invincible, and no silly women are going to stop me.
—-—-—
"ACHOO!"
In another part of the East Blue, the windows at the second story of a bar called Gold Roger suddenly exploded out into the street in a burst of air. The few passerby's ducked under the doorways of the other buildings as shards of glass came down into the street. Looking back up at the floor where the burst had taken place, everyone began pondering what happened when—
"APIS! For the last time, you are not allowed to cook!"
—And with that, all of the questions died away. To the even fewer of townsfolk who didn't know, the others explained the regular problem they'd heard about: a girl who couldn't cook making a mess of the place, and her floor mate who shouted loud enough to break glass.
"So noisy this early in the morning..." pondered a tall white-haired man, two cigars in his mouth trailing smoke over his head as he approached the bar with the heavy step of his leather boots. His thick white and blue jacket with green fur hem (lined with more cigars) hung open, leaving his well-muscled chest visible above his blue jeans. On his back, the kanji "Seigi" for Justice on his jacket could clearly be read from behind a large jitte strapped to his back. "Since when did that old man rent out rooms?"
As he walked towards the entrance, his legs turned white and flowed into smoke over the ground, somehow gathering up the shards of glass as he held his hand over a trash bin. Turning white entirely, the glass lifted through his form and fell out of his hand into the garbage before he reformed in his entirety and walked up to the skull-marked door. Walking inside he saw the bar was closed as always, with one table set up where the owner having a bottle himself. He took a moment to adjust his circle-rimmed glasses before he recognized his current patron.
"What, it's just you... Get out." the old man said dismissively as he took another drink from his glass, his necklace jangling as he threw his head back.
"Now that's no way to treat a regular customer," he replied, cigars still in his mouth as he went over to grab a bottle from behind the bar.
"You drove away all my customers!" the barkeep replied angrily, slamming his cup on the table and shifting his purple knit hat a bit on his head.
The white-haired man shrugged as he popped the cork off the bottle with his thumb, "It's not my fault this is the business you're in." Pausing, he took a long drink from the bottle, cigars held in his hand for the moment. "Uaah, that's good. So, I hear you have some new tenants upstairs, Raoul," he chuckled, shaking the glass bottle to emphasize what he heard in particular.
Raoul finished his drink and stood up, "What's it to you? Not like she's really new, anyways; it's been a few months... I have to make money somehow since you've nearly made me board the place up."
"How's that going to work out if they break all your windows?"
"My tenant is fine," he grumbled as he went back behind the bar, "She makes enough money for the both of us, in fact. It's her guest that makes all the ruckus."
The man at the bar lit his cigars again using a lighter from his pocket. "So what does she do to make money?"
The bartender squinted at his unwanted guest. "What are you, CP2 here to lock us up for tax evasion?"
"I make it my business to know who's staying in my town," he replied.
With a scoff, the old man took the bottle back and corked it. "That's the problem with you Marines these days—some pirates, too—pride. Your town... Pfeh."
"Well if you won't tell me, I'll just have to try and... catch them for a chat later myself." Standing up to go, the Marine turned to leave.
"It's not my place," Raoul called out as he went up the stairs, "to tell the business of those who pay my rent even if I knew it, Smoker. But if you're really going to make an issue of it because of my history..."
Smoker stopped at the doorway without turning around. "I'm listening..."
Raoul shook his head and hung up his hat, revealing his withered hairline. "She catches fish with Sapi for that fish market of his. From what I hear, she makes some excellent finds." As the white-haired man started walking out, he leaned over the railing to shout, "I only know that because I wanted to know where her money comes from and that it's clean, ya hear?"
Pausing as he opened the door, he let out a low "Thanks" before he stepped out and closed the door.
Silence reigned inside the Gold Roger as the owner waited on the stairs for the moment to pass. Finally, after a long sigh he called upstairs, "Hey you two! How about next time you bust all the windows, you don't do it when the Captain from Marine Headquarters is walking down the street!"
From the doorway, a young woman stuck her head out sideways with an apologetic grin on her face, her golden brown hair falling about her face as gravity did its thing. "My bad, Raoul-san. Apis went and cooked again with too much pepper, and I had to make it seem like she blew up the oven to make the windows make sense."
Another head poked out beneath the brunette's, this one adorned by a white pointed hat that was quickly slipping off her dirty blond hair as her brown eyes zeroed in on her senior. "Hey, it's not my fault that you won't let me cook more and get better."
"Yes yes, it's alright..." Raoul placated his tenant and her guest before they actually got some momentum going, and moved on to more serious waters. "So what will you do, Koala?"
"What I usually do," Koala asserted with a grin as she righted herself and stepped out from the wall, adorned in a similarly styled, orange sundress with long golden yellow triangles intermittent along the base coming from the trim. Her hands were tucked into the folds of the dress, where subtle pockets lay hidden beneath the black-belt waist stripe. "I brought Sapi fish yesterday, so going out to catch fish and gather info in a few days and being back within a week is my normal routine anyways, so I'll just head out as usual—minus Apis coming along—and everything will be fine."
Apis' eyes lit up as she leaned upwards towards her host. "You're taking me with you this time?"
"Yes yes, now stop hanging on the doorway before you hit the ground, and go get your stuff together." Not giving her a choice, the brunette grabbed the blond by the shoulders and righted her before turning back to her landlord. "While we're on the subject, I haven't come up with a good lead in a while, and I already ran into the one friend I was keeping my eyes out for. The Grand Line is crazy and all, but it's still smaller than any of the other oceans; I'm still getting used to it."
"So you're moving out then..." Raoul said sadly.
Koala quickly caught on and reassured the old man, "Not right now, though! I'll be back after I sort everything out with Apis here, and..."
Without warning the barkeep looked back up to her with a wide grin as he walked passed the girls. "I'm only messing around, idiot! It's about time you got what you really came here for; goodness knows you've done more than enough for an old-timer like me."
Koala stared for another moment before she matched his grin and picked him up in a swinging hug. "Thank you for everything, Raoul-san!"
"Air... *hack* *cough* Air...!" he wheezed as the martial artist got carried away with her tight squeeze of affection.
"Ah, sorry..." she apologized as she let him go.
Shaking it off, Raoul continued on his way down the hall. "Not like you have to thank me for much anyways. All I did was give you room and board, and you paid for that with your own money."
The brunette shook her head. "Don't be like that; you've done so much. I may have paid for my stay, but you were the one that pointed me in Sapi's direction. And need I remind you of the special clothes I've been wearing?" She gestured with her hands still in the pockets of the skirt. "I had just the one sundress—and not nearly as high-quality—and your old contacts and friends led me to a whole wardrobe of things that I can wear and keep water on me when I need to."
The old man just waved it off. "It's the least I could do, honestly. Despite not really wanting to be a pirate in the first place, you're certainly more driven than most of the up-and-coming little shits these days that put the skull and crossbones on their flag." Turning to her, he gave her a straight look with a small smile as he finished, "It seems pretty silly, really. All the effort the Marines put into hunting down pirates, and for all their troubles they turn out some of the finest pirates of the age."
Koala just grinned back as he walked off to his room. "Like I said, thanks for everything."
—-—-—
(Later that day — Traveling Through East Blue)
"Amazing! We're going so fast!" Apis cried in excitement as she held onto the front edge of the rowboat as it rammed through the golden afternoon waves at high speeds, her long mustard-yellow dress and maroon sash flowing in the wind. Turning back around, she called back, "Are we really going to find Lost Island?"
At the other end, the back wall of the boat had been modified to fold over, allowing Koala to brace herself in and propel the ship herself. It helped that she'd already redirected the current that way first, so it wasn't nearly as difficult as it would have been. "I'm pretty sure I can do you better, but I have to ask your friend first. If he's senile like you said he is, then I want to make sure we're on target before we go."
Apis smiled back. "Okay! Thank you again for everything, Koala! If it weren't for you, I'd b—"
"Oh give it a rest, silly..." the martial artist sighed as she flicked her dripping hair over to Apis with a bit of a kick, getting a good flinch in response. "Pirates are normally the bad guys and Marines are supposed to be the good guys. How were you to know that it was Opposite Day...?"
(Flashback — A Month Prior)
"...and I can finally laugh with all my heart." The orange-haired thief wiped her eyes before any tears could gather in them, putting up a smile that the brunette could see was paper-thin.
From their first run-in, Koala could tell that Nami was putting up a tough front. It reminded her too much of herself in the past—a courageous effort like her own choice to join the Sun Pirates for sure, but like her own experience she could tell the woman before her was trying to do everything on her own.
And she could only wonder how long she'd last. "Nami, I—"
"Save it," she cut the brunette off, "We don't have time to be arguing about this, we're sti—!" Hearing a door open above, she quieted her breath and Koala did the same as a group of people walked leisurely across the boards over their heads.
"Man, it's good to finally be on land for a bit..." a man among them spoke up with the sound of him stretching his body. "It sucks working for Nelson-teikoku, but honestly it's worse that our base is a floating Marine ship. My last assignment was pretty bad, but at least reporting in meant time with the ground beneath our feet."
"Speak for yourself," another replied grumpily from the other Marine's left. "That fat tub of lard doesn't even have a real Marine rank, and yet we're expected to do all the shit he says. I'm just glad I'm not one of his closer servants or I'd puke from having to see him all the time at least."
"Oh come on, lighten up for once. It's not like we do anything serious anyways. All he cares about is that myth about the Millennium Dragon anyways..." Slowly the voices and footsteps faded away before the two women below them breathed a sigh of relief.
Nami spoke up first. "We already cut it close just getting out of that jam by stowing away on one of their ships. Let's just get out of here and we can deal with everything else between us, alright?"
Sighing, Koala rustled her hair in her hand. "Alright, alright..." Turning to the side of the ship, Koala took a deep breath and readied her fists.
"Hey wait, what are you going to—"
"Hah!" Letting loose a fist at the wall without making contact, a subtle gust breezed past the two girls before a chunk of the boarding creaked over towards the ocean. As it tipped, Koala stepped forward and pulled it back the other way, holding it in place as if she hadn't busted a hole in the ship as she looked back at the thief. "Shall we?"
"You're incorrigible..." Nami sighed in turn as she stepped forward. Smiling back in response, Koala simply slid the wall back inwards upright so they could step around it and hop up the railing.
Peeking up slowly, the two women could see that the deck was clear of Marines, so for the moment the coast was clear. More importantly, they could see the port wasn't particularly crowded either. Nodding to each other, the two were about to leap into the ocean and make their escape, when they heard some commotion over on the port. To Nami's dismay, the one-time Sun Pirate went back up to observe.
Wait, the thought came to her, I don't want to stick around with her right now anyways! I'll just slip away an—Ack!
"Will you stop hanging around and come on?" Koala asked obliviously as she pulled Nami up by the collar of her shirt with her bare toes. Flipping over the bulwark herself, she made sure the orange-haired woman landed safely before she continued. "It sounds like those Marines are harassing someone."
"And...?" By the time she turned to ask, Koala had already moved up to sneak a peak from behind the mast, motioning to her to come as if it were a no-brainer. Sighing as she told herself that if she didn't go over there her martial artist companion would make a scene going after her, deep down the brunette was slowly wearing down the barriers that she'd worked eight years solidifying.
It helped Nami justify her actions in the moment that there was, in fact, someone being harassed by the Marines, though.
—-—-—
"Look, little girl, just come on board the ship," one of the Marines tried to placate a young girl in a bright mustard yellow dress and tall pointed hat, "and we can call the teikoku and get you some information on those Millennium Dragons you're asking about."
"Why can't you just tell me?" the girl replied loudly, growing more and more uncomfortable with the way the rest of the Marines had her surrounded. "You don't really know, do you!"
Before anyone could respond, a pair of arms slid right between two of them and securely picked her up the girl. Parting the group in half, the arms revealed themselves to be attached to a young brunette teen in a blue sundress who quickly deposited the younger female behind her before turning to address the men before her.
"My apologies," she began with a deep bow to try and hide her face as much as possible, "I've been telling our little one here stories about dragons and mythical creatures for quite some time. I never meant for her curiosity to become a bother to others."
"H-hey, I'm not—!" Before the child could unknowingly ruin her own rescue attempt, an orange-haired teenager quickly jumped in while the Marines were focused in on her brunette accomplice and snatched the mustard-dressed girl up, pulling her into the alley from whence she came with a hand on the girl's mouth and a frown on her face.
Before they could get far, however, the elder of the two had to let the younger loose when she made to bite right into her hand. Instead, the dirty blond went straight into the stone bricks of the alley they'd stopped in, causing her to slump down to the ground gripping the growing bruise on her forehead.
"Sorry about grabbing you at the mouth, you were about to blow our cover trying to get you out of there," her 'kidnapper' apologized as she shook the offending hand off, "Are you alright?"
Giving the woman a glare back, she replied warily, "Fine. Why did you pull me from those Marines? I need to find out where the Dragon's Nest is!"
Nami sighed at the girl's one-track mind. "Even if they had the information you want, they're more interested in what you know. They probably think you have a pet Millennium Dragon or somethi—"
"W-w-w-w-w-w-what are you talking about?" the girl stammered out as she backed into the wall sweating profusely, "I-I-I-!"
The orange-haired teen just gave the little girl a deadpan stare that made her very uncomfortable, which slowly widened into one of shock—to the child's dismay. "You have a pet Millenni—!?"
"Ryu-ji isn't a pet! I mean—!" Before she could freak out anymore and attract the Marines' attention, Nami covered her mouth to cut her off.
"Stop. I'm not trying to do anything to you, or to Ryu-ji." Hell, she thought to herself, I probably wouldn't even have helped if it weren't for Koala. "But those soldiers back there? They work for someone who wants to find a Millennium Dragon so they can take its bone marrow or something and gain eternal life. Why do you think they wanted to take you onboard?" Seeing that the girl understood, she pulled her hand from her mouth. "What's you name?"
"When someone asks for your name, you're supposed to give your own..."
"True enough. My name is Nami."
"Apis."
(End Flashback)
"And don't start the self-pity thing about you and Nami running off separate ways before I could find you," Koala interjected quickly, breaking Apis from her own reminiscing. "You didn't know she was trying to run from me—heck, you hadn't even properly met me yet." She moved to object, but the martial artist wasn't finished. "More importantly, she'd been dodging me left and right then and she hasn't stopped since, and she's honestly damn good at it. I had a better chance of finding you first and you know it; besides, I couldn't leave you in the lurch, so that's that."
Honestly, Koala was getting a bit tired of her houseguest from Warship Island's apologetic nature. There were worse traits to have as a person, sure, but she really went out of her way to make sure the scales were balanced in some way. The breakfast incident earlier this morning was a perfect example on the other half of the spectrum, but comparing it to the verbal apologies was equivalent to comparing the challenges of learning to ride a horse versus beating a dead one: the former still was practical in some form to someone.
Apologizing again wasn't going to make the horse any more or less dead, anyways.
Thankfully Apis relented with a long sigh into her chest. Looking up over her companion's tall hat, the brunette slowed down her kicking and said more quietly, "Less darkeners, more binoculars. Your home is in sight and it's guarded by the 8th Division; I need a safe place to sneak us in, so find an opening in the armada or make one."
Turning back around, the young girl's eyes widened as she looked upon the island of her birth, the towering form of the mountains more majestic a warship than any of the Marine vessels strewn about it in the slowly darkening sky. "AH! R-right, on it!" Apis jumped as she fumbled with the bifocal spyglass while her senior let go of the boat and dove under the waves to halt the temporary current she'd pulled to get them there so quickly.
Swimming back over to their vessel and getting on board, Koala took a better look at the numbers they were facing herself. Something doesn't feel right... she thought to herself in growing suspicion, There's almost too few Marine vessels out there, and I'd have been able to tell if they had a bunch hidden on the other side from the water; At least then I'd know we'd be walking into a trap. But this—
"I think we're good!"
Shaking away her worries, the brunette turned her focus back to her lookout, who now had three green birds on her shoulders. "Yeah? What do you have?"
Apis pointed at the leftmost vessel with a devious smile. "One of the lookouts on that ship is cleaning their nails and the other's sleeping on the mast, and these guys here are willing to give him something they'll really need to go clean up."
"Good to know that Devil's Fruit can make itself useful now and again," Koala replied with a grin, "A lot of what you chat up from animals with the Hiso Hiso no Mi (Whisper Whisper Fruit) is hit and miss." Taking back the binoculars, she confirmed what had already been stated before taking a quiet breath out as she cleared her thoughs.
Whatever this feeling means, I'll just have to handle it when it comes to pass, she decided as she stored the bifocals under the rear flap and pulled out something out before sliding part of it down to seal them in a compartment of sorts. There's point in letting Apis see me sweat over nothing anyways. "Well then, shall we make our entrance?"
—-—-—
Stepping out onto the deck of the ship he was currently staying on, Eric took his time as he crossed over to the lifeboats, where one was already in the water awaiting him. One of the reasons he'd managed to stay in relatively good grace with the other Marines was his willingness to not get in their way; in this particular case, he'd do his own rounds personally on Warship Island before sleeping at a different ship stationed there.
They couldn't have known that such was more for his own sake—keeping himself from killing stupid cannon fodder and brining Hardy-shōsa down upon him, and to continue training his skills in private—but who was he to change their minds of 'Eric the Whirlwind'?
Not that the hired assassin thought that the resident Lieutenant Commander was really a threat. Certainly he'd developed a fair level of Haki with which he could defend some of his attacks for a while, but Eric was too fast for him to land a hit back.
A fight between them would only be a battle of attrition; more than likely that gave plenty of time for Hardy's fat commanding officer to call him off or else, and Eric knew who between them was more in favor with him.
As he prepared to hop over the bulwark and get a move on, he paused at the sound of loud cursing above him. Looking up towards the sails, the source was two lookouts in the crow's nest. "What's wrong?" Eric called up to the Marines, getting them to stop cursing and start climbing down.
"Sorry, no disturbance out there," one of them apologized as they climbed, though his monotone gave the impression that he didn't really care either way, "a couple of birds just nailed us."
"Oi, why'd you tell him?" the other yelled hotly at the first in a clearly feminine voice.
The first Marine sighed back. "He's going to see it either way, what's wrong with being honest?"
"And let everyone in the division know we got shat on?" she replied, "Like hell!"
"Come on, Eric won't tell everybody—not everyone's a gossip waypoint like you." Finally getting off the mast, he gave the mercenary a lazy stare. "It's not worth getting her riled up, trust me."
Eric let the silence go by for a moment before he responded with a small smirk, "I won't make any promises."
"Troublesome..." the male lookout sighed as he started walking over to the cabins. "I probably wouldn't have been hit if she hadn't flipped and woke me up from my nap..."
Before he could get to the door, a larger Marine came running out. "Eric, uh, sir... There's a call on the Den Den Mushi for you from the base in Loguetown. Apparently they found what you were looking for...?"
"Really now...?" Eric's smirk grew into a grin as he looked over towards Warship Island. "Tell them the check's already in the mail, so to speak." If they don't get smoked out first, the self-styled assassin thought, chuckling out loud at his own internal joke as he leapt over the railing to his rowboat.
—-—-—
At the same time on the other side of the Marine warship, the underside of a wooden boat slowly came into view beneath the waves of the coast. Before it reached the shore, there was a ripple on the surface as a cloud of sand suddenly spread through the water around it. From the waves Koala burst out swiftly, seemingly unimpeded by the water as she ran with haste for the cover of the forest with Apis partially soaked in tow under her arm.
"Are you sure the boat will be fine?" the Warship Island native asked tiredly, clutching a small sack to her chest as if her life depended on it as the brunette bounded across the island of her upbringing.
Koala scoffed jokingly as she paused and set the young girl down. She now wore a black sundress of the same style as her others with a shorter skirt that cut off at her knees and a white 'belt', which she gestured to as she spoke. "I may have wanted more of these dresses, but it was worth spending most of my savings back in the day on that boat. She'll hold up fine. Now hold onto your hat and my bag and try not to flinch."
Doing so, Apis watched as the martial artist clapped her hands together and slowly spread them apart. She could the water that drenched the fabric of her wears shift slowly with her motion. Suddenly Koala launched both palms forward, and with them the water came flying out from her clothes and hair.
"Well? Lead the way," she spoke up, gesturing Apis towards the forest ahead with a mock bow.
Returning the gesture seriously with a nod of the head before adjusting her hat, the blond moved purposefully into the foliage with a burst of energy. Koala followed behind as covertly as she could and kept her senses wary for anyone tailing them or in their path as they approached the mountain. Much to her consternation she couldn't pick up on anyone threatening in the vicinity, despite her growing paranoia at the ease of their 'infiltration'—particularly the nagging feeling that they were being watched.
It was a stressful half-hour of distrustful searching before they arrived at their destination—a cave opening into the mountain. As the cave opened up between giant stalagmite formations, she could make out the large shadow of something in the back of the cave. Coming closer, the dark of the cave gave way to a greying green plume of feathers as a glinting gold eye stared out at them.
"Ryu-ji!" Apis called out as she ran over, leaving Koala to her moment of awe.
"This is... a Sennenryū (Millennium Dragon)..." Lying on the cave floor, the dragon gave snort as its friend hugged it around the front of its snout. For a thousand-year-old dragon, he doesn't look that old at all. The creature actually did seem old in appearance—his long beard and balding crown certainly pointed to that—but somehow Koala had been expecting it to be even older. Maybe it's the feathers; I was honestly expecting scales anyways, so that could be it.
The awe wore off rather quickly, though. You couldn't travel backwards through the Grand Line and not see some weird stuff along the way. It also helped that she knew what she was walking in on at the start by way of her introduction to Apis, who wasn't exactly the best secret-keeper; she didn't appreciate the humor of a good surprise either.
Walking up to the dragon, Koala walked up and offered her hand to the beast's nostrils. "Nice to meet you, Ryu-ji. My name is Koala. Apis told me you're looking for an island sunken into the ocean, right? I think I might be able to help you with that."
"Koala's pretty amazing!" Apis piped up, "She can do all kinds of things with water and air, like a mermaid or something! If anybody can find the Dragon's Nest, she probably can!"
The martial artist blushed under the praise as she kneeled down to look the dragon in the eye. Well, close enough to the mark. "I don't think it's quite as amazing as Apis hypes it up to be, but my Fishman Karate certainly is nothing to laugh at. If this Lost Island is really going to rise again soon like she says you believe, I reckon there will be some kind of shift in the ocean floor that I can sense. So what do you say?"
After a pregnant pause, Apis grinned and turned to Koala. "Ryu-ji says it's okay to befriend you, since he can tell you're a good person."
Smiling back at her, Koala stood up to stretch. "Great! In that case I'll go take a dip and get us started. Better at night when I'll be less likely to be spotted."
"Why would you try and sense anything from here?" Apis questioned skeptically.
"We need to start somewhere, don't we?" the brunette chided. "Besides, Warship Island is the center of the legend anyways, so it couldn't have been that far. You guys aren't much for seafaring anyways, from what I could tell."
"R-right..."
Koala let the grin slide off her face as she started walking back out of the cave. "The real problem will be getting the Marines out of the way when Ryu-ji needs to get there. But for now, just stay hidden here with him until I come back." Looking back, she gave the beast a flat look. "He can protect you and himself long enough for me to come back if trouble comes knocking, right?"
Apis nodded out of habit. Be safe too, Koala, I... her thoughts trailed off, answered only by the sound of the martial artist's footsteps through the cave. Without moving the rest of his body, Ryu-ji lifted his wing and swiftly but gently slid the native girl into the folds of his feathers before curling away from the entrance.
—-—-—
Stepping outside, Koala looked around for a moment with a serious look on her face. That way, huh...? Well, no time like the present.
Without warning she leapt in a seemingly random direction away from the coast, stopping at a break in the foliage where a river passed shallowly through the forest. She kneeled down in the river with care, settling into a comfortable seiza position with her legs tucked beneath her as she closed her eyes and audibly inhaled. In an instant, she let out all the air from her lungs, creating a concentrated burst of air that dispersed between the trees that sent a whole flock of green birds into the air.
A light smile graced her features for a moment before she began breathing deeply at a more normal pace. Moments passed in serene silence as the martial artist meditated patiently in the river, the flow passing her by without pause despite her oddly absorbent dress. Eventually she let out a sigh as she finished and opened her eyes to look at the slowly gathering stars beyond the forest.
Mother... How are you getting along...? Koala thought as she gazed up high, as if the glittering cosmos would transmit her will across space and time. I've been doing well for myself, though I suppose you wouldn't agree; I can only hope you don't think too badly of me, winding up with a bounty on my head. I'd say it wasn't my fault—and I'd be telling the truth—but recently I've been trying to increase it on purpose, so it rings false in my head.
Speaking of bounties, I met Ace's brother Luffy recently! They're so different in a lot of ways, and yet there's so much that is the same about them. Luffy's certainly not as much of a thinker, but they've both got that headstrong manner about them, and... Pausing, as if considering whether to say something or withhold it, she let out a sigh. ...for some reason, it feels like they can do whatever they set their minds to.
I know you never meant for it to be this way, but I've always taken your words to heart. Perhaps we still don't agree on Fishmen, but it's true that I was still a child back then—naïve, hopeful, happy with the word. Traveling around the world, I've seen so many people entrapped in the misery of how the world is. And you know what? It makes me feel like it's a miracle to have been born, and to sit here now as I am. I've come to think that...maybe the world needs more children.
The brunette snorted out loud with a small, short-lived smile. That probably doesn't make sense, does it? I guess... There's so much suffering in the world, so why should we add to it? Sure, things aren't always the best they could be, but they definitely aren't the worst either. I'm fortunate enough to be living a fairly decent life, I shouldn't squander it moping around about yesterday instead of building a better tomorrow.
That's the kinda feeling I get from Ace and Luffy too. Ace said that they were searching for freedom, in becoming pirates. Believe me, piracy certainly doesn't always feel that 'free' to me; it makes me wonder what happened to them to make them think this way. They're like me: we take the hardships that we've lived through and move forward.
...The real challenge is moving forward, I suppose... Koala thought as she closed her eyes again. Luffy asked me... he wanted me to be one of his nakama... It's gratifying, confusing, makes me feel weightless, and a whole other sea of emotions churning inside. We'd only just met, and yet I almost took him up on it...
But part of me was just longing for companionship, not for his companionship. I've made a lot of friends in my travels, but friends come and go as I move around the ocean. And it makes me feel so alone sometimes... His offer was like a dream come true in so many ways, but that's part of the problem: I'd be doing it for myself, not for him. It would feel dishonest, agreeing only just because I'm so starved for something I've been missing for so long...
Family...
I— Without opening her eyes, the martial artist's hand shot out in an instant as the breeze shifted. Before her, a small sonic boom occurred as the wind sent water flying about. Behind her, two trees at her sides slowly slid off of their trunks and fell, sliced cleanly as if with a bladed weapon. "Finally come out to play, have you?"
"I could say the same to you..." Another tree in front of her slid off to the ground, revealing a man in a suit with his purple hair slicked up into a spiral hook above his head, teeth from his open smirk flashing in the shadows of the forest.
Koala said nothing for a moment as she opened her eyes and stared at his strange appearance. "You know, when I was looking at that ship from afar, I thought I was just imagining things for a second. I didn't know the Marines hired okama part-time."
His smirk falling into a closed frown was the only sign that the man had taken offense as he continued to talk. "Oh, make no mistake, I hold no care for the Marines. As it stands our interests merely align, but I don't intend for them to share in my reward."
Dark-blue eyes narrowed. "The Ryūkotsu (Dragon Bones), huh..."
"You catch on fast," he said as the grin returned full-force. "In that case, I shouldn't need to explain myself. Hand over the girl and I won't reveal your whereabouts to the Marines. Better yet, if you lead me to a Sennenryū, I don't see why we cannot share this fortune."
"...and I should trust you even though you're betraying the Marines because...?" Koala deadpanned. She understood quite well that he was trying to entice her with immortality, but she wouldn't buy a ticket for that train of thought when she couldn't trust the conductor—no matter where it was going.
The hired mercenary replied with a derisive snort. "As if the Marines wouldn't do the same to me when we reached the end of our agreement. The only difference between bounty hunters and bounty heads is that bounty hunters still have use to the government; turning in bounty heads helps them take out the trash without lifting a finger and keep an eye on the strength of the one taking them out. Pirate Hunter Zoro, Jean the Bandit, even myself, Eric the Whirlwind... we're hunters today, but there's no guarantee we won't be hunted tomorrow."
"And the same goes for pirates as well," Eric continued as he adjusted the sunglasses still over his eyes despite the dark hour. "Gain enough power as a pirate, and the Marines could make you one of the Shichibukai (Seven Warlords of the Sea). Pathetic... The whole system is broken, but it has its uses."
Koala held her stoic expression. "Well, I suppose we can agree on the corruption of the World Government. But that doesn't change the fact that you aren't making yourself look more trustworthy—only those you deal with less so." Sighing, the martial artist rose from the river. "And even if you were, I'm afraid I've become quite fond of the girl you're intent on targeting."
Eric's smile faltered for a moment. "Of course she is welcome to the elixir as well. The Marines may not have agreed with such, but it seems a light compensation compared to the gai—"
"That's enough!" With the brunette's outburst came a wave of pressurized air that knocked back the felled trees a good 30 feet, save for their collisions with their fellows. Her dark eyes—seemingly pitch black—bored into the self-styled man, who barely managed to not flinch at the interjection. "Elixir this, immortality that... I don't give a damn about living forever!"
That got Eric rilled up. "Liar! There's no human that doesn't fear death! And for us who've eaten Devil's Frui—"
"I said that's enough." Despite coming out as almost a whisper, the intense anger was palpable in Koala's words as she stepped forward towards him, her eyes shadowed by her hair that was slowly spreading out from her head as if blown out by a gust from below. "Let me tell you two pieces of information... First: I have not consumed a Devil's Fruit."
"What...!?" She definitely threw something out instead of blocking me with Haki, so how—
"Second..." Looking up, her eyes locked on to his through shaded glass with a fury barely withheld. "I grew up and became who I am today in the absence of humans."
Omake: Troublesome Ideas
"Tell them the check's already in the mail, so to speak." The self-styled assassin chuckled out loud and he leapt over the railing to his rowboat.
"Ah, he just left..." the larger Marine commented flatly.
The female member of the trio let out a 'hmph' as she put her hands to her hips. "What was that all about...?"
"Do you really want to know?" the lazier one returned, adjusting the ponytail of black hair coming through the back of his cap. "Whatever it is will surely be something troublesome, coming from an assassin-type like that."
"You aren't even the least bit interested in what he's off doing?" she leaned in with her head tilted and her eyes squinting.
"Interest and action are two different things," he shrugged her off in response. "Of course it's very suspicious, but we don't have to do anything out of the ordinary to do something about it."
"You lazy bum," she shouted as she whacked him with her cap, revealing her blond locks, "you just wanna nap and waste time!"
"Hey don't raise your voice too loud," the heavy-set Marine interjected with a calming hand motion, "Everyone's resting."
"Weren't you listening?" the black-haired man sighed as he leaned up against the side of the bulwark, "I said anything out of the ordinary. There's still something quite ordinary we can do. Right?" He questioned, giving his male compatriot a lazily pointed stare.
"Hmm? Now that you mention it..." he muttered in remembrance before replying, "I do have to report to Hardy-Shōsa anyways..."
"See? Problem out of our hands."
The female of their trio shook her head. "What kind of Marine are you trying to be, passing on responsibility like that?"
As if reciting a mantra, the lazy Marine replied, "A average Marine with an average salary... Married to a regular girl who isn't too ugly and not too pretty. Have two children, first a girl, then a boy. Retire after my daughter is married and my son becomes a successful Marine—or whatever they want to do—and spend the rest of my life playing shōgi or Go. Then die of old age before my wife."
"How you became a Jun'i (Warrant Officer) before us, I'll never understand..." she let out with a sigh.
"Either way, passing responsibility around is all the rage with the higher-ups these days. At least I'm doing it because I think Hardy-Shōsa can handle it better than we can," the two Warrant Officer's eyes met "Or do you think we can stand up to Eric on our own?"
"Hey," their third compatriot and Jun'i interjected, "we may not be able to handle him today, but one day all three of us will get stronger and fight for justice."
"Yeah!" the blond exclaimed excitedly. "Maybe one day we'll each become Taishō (Admiral)! Wouldn't that be cool? We could be... Ah! You could be Chayacho (Brown Boar), you'd be Kuroroku (Black Deer), and I'd be the beautiful Kinkochō (Gold Butterfly)!"
"Troublesome..." the black-haired Marine sighed as he slid down to the ground. "Who wants to work that hard...? Besides, he's way gentler than you, so he'd be better as Chakochō (Brown Butterfly). You could stick with Kinino (Gold Pig) or something. I'd prefer Shiroshika (White Deer) like the clou—!"
"Are you calling me a pig?!" She cried out in anger before turning on their third member, who had pulled a bag of chips from nowhere and was already halfway done. "And quit snacking! How are you ever going to get strong if you keep stuffing yourself like that?"
"Haha, maybe we'll make it to Admiral rank," the laziest of the three chuckled from the deck, "but you'll probably be dragging us kicking and screaming all the way."
The female Jun'i let her head hang in depression. "Guys..."
Sorry it's been so long everybody! Those of you that checked my profile recently know this already, but I've had a few chapters sitting done awaiting a complete look-over by my beta. I was originally planning on burning through them starting next week (after Finals for my beta and I), but when I remembered how many important birthdays I've missed this month alone I figured it was time to bite the bullet (Luffy and Arlong in the same month, plus Chew on the 23rd. Not to mention Kaido's, which has more significance for the recent manga).
So at the cost of not being fully beta'd yet—with the promise to update when it has been—I give you not one, but TWO new chapters of Kaijōsei! As it turns out, these two combine to make what I'd originally planned as "Chapter 2" when I mentioned the upcoming chapters last time. Due to past experience trying to chug out chapters just to see, I didn't anticipate how big the chapter would become and had to split it. Hope that doesn't dilute the enjoyment!
If I'm still doing a good job, then by all means, read on! If I've failed your expectations, then I offer my apologies and hope you find other good things to read, but encourage to leave a review and let me know what you think I could improve upon.
Well, what are you waiting for? By the time you finish reading this, I ought to have put up that Chapter 3 by now. Have a good day~!
