Words With the Father
"There's Dawn Island, won't be long now," Captain Phil said, as he looked through his telescope, before handing it off to his aid, Lt. Commander Maury.
"It's so small and out of the way," Maury said, as he looked through the telescope as well, "What do you think the higher ranks want from here?"
"I heard that there isn't anything of value on this island," Phil said, folding his arms, "That the only reason we're all the way out here is because of Lord Stelly. Apparently, before the fall of Mary Geoise, he was the king here."
It had been a long journey from Sabaoady (which had come to serve as the legitimists' de-facto capital) all the way into this region of the East Blue, especially because they had to go the long way. And really all at the whims of one of the "Earthly Dragons" (the nobles and kings who remained loyal to the legitimists in exchange for boons). It was plain to see that this was an ego trip for the person who commissioned this operation. How Lord Stelly managed to get an entire warship for this endeavor was beyond them, though.
"Why do you think he wants to come back here, in the end?" Maury asked, "He's already an Earthly Dragon, what could this island have that he doesn't already?"
"I don't know," Phil said, with a shrug, "To be honest, I wish we could just leave this island alone; I don't think taking it will make any difference in the war. But we have our orders."
"For the order of the world?" Maury asked sarcastically to which Phil just sighed and shrugged.
"Oh, I don't know or care at this point. Hopefully the locals won't put up much of a fight, so we can just get this all done and then go home. Having Lord Stelly on the ship is annoying enough as is."
Makino lead the group up a hill behind the town. Dris was at the front, with Triton following close behind him. Sarah was bringing up the rear, as if to keep any of the more reluctant siblings from staying behind.
"Do you think you could at least tell us where we're going?" Nanju asked Makino. However, the barkeep just remained quiet.
"Never fails," Nanju muttered to herself.
They walked on for a little longer, before they came to an abrupt stop. At first, the teens didn't know what this was about, but then Makino stepped aside, revealing what was in front of her. It was a grave, and when the group read the name on it, their hearts collectively jumped into their throats.
Monkey D. Luffy
A friend
"Just about everyone in the world wanted him in entombed in their lands," Makino said softly, as the teens just stared at the grave, "But Shanks managed to convince the Straw Hats to have him buried here, in his hometown." No one said anything for a while, they all just stared numbly at the sight before them. Makino took a breath, as she adjusted her dress.
"If any of you have anything to say, I'll be back down at the village," she said, and with that, she headed back down the hill.
"Anything to say?" Ieyasu asked, "Why would any of us-"
"Because if you don't do it now, you'll probably spend the rest of your life wishing you had." Everyone looked at Sarah, who stepped forward.
"At any rate, I do," she said, as she stood in front of the grave, before glancing back at her siblings, "And, if it's all the same to you, I'd like a little privacy while doing this." Glances were exchanged, but surprisingly, nobody said anything this time, as they all went back down the hill. It was an impulse none of them could explain, but they still all did so none the less. With that, Sarah was left alone, as she fell to her knees.
"Hello Father," she said, "I'm sorry I took so long to get here. I would've come earlier, but up until now, I had no idea where to go. Mother said that she would tell me when the time was right, which only ended up taking 17 years.
"I'm thankful to be here nonetheless. Growing up on the stories mother told me always made me long to see where you came from. To see just what kind of island could create a man like you. And I must say…" She trailed off as she looked around, taking in the countryside, the hills, and of course, the windmills.
"I honestly can't imagine you being from any other kind of place," Sarah said, smiling gently.
By the time Sarah got back, Adonis was already walking back up the trail. When Adonis arrived, he sat on a rock that was beside the grave, as he folded his arms.
"You know, when I first arrived here, and when Red Hair first told me why, I was annoyed," he said, "But now…". He trailed off, as he looked down at the grave; he remembered the stories his mother would tell him about his father, and how much she enjoyed telling them. He also remembered how, to this day, she mourned him; according to his aunts, when Luffy died, a piece of Hancock died as well, and while Adonis' birth helped ease that pain, it never fully went away.
"I'm glad to be able to pay my respects properly," Adonis finally said, "Barely a day could go by without Mother gushing about how amazing you were. How perfect you were. There were times it got kind of annoying, but…" He trailed off, as he leaned back and looked up at the sky.
"I would often ask myself if I could ever live up to the man she would describe," Adonis then said, "But now..." He then looked at the grave, and sighed, as he boosted himself off the rock. As he stood before the grave, new emotions appeared in him, one's that screamed to him in a way he never felt before, as memories of his mother sobbing over his portrait seeped into his mind's eye. It was then that a resolve appeared in him.
"I promise, I will avenge your death," Adonis said, "I will see whatever's left of the Old Government pay for their crimes!"
"I still can barely believe I'm here," Maria muttered to herself, as she knelt before the grave. For a moment, she knelt there in silence, just looking at the words on the grave, as she tried to find the proper words.
"You know, everyone on Dressrosa hears the story," Maria eventually said, "Of how 'Lucy' came to the kingdom and drove out the Donquixote Pirates. I would ask my mother to tell me the story before bedtime every night when I was young. 'Lucy' was my all-time hero, the person I wanted to be like some day. But..." The pinkette trailed off slightly, as she looked at the grave.
"I never imagined I'd be related to him, though. To know that he wasn't only my idol, but my own father." She took a breath, blinking away some tears, before she allowed herself to smile.
"I'm really glad to know you were my father," she said, "Even if I never got the chance to know you myself."
"Well, I'm here," Nanju said, when her turn came, spreading her arms, "Just like they insisted." She then paused, as she looked down at the grave, and sighed, leaning back on one leg, while folding her arms.
"You know, now that I think of it, Mom didn't have much to say about you," she then said, "It was Uncle Sanji who would tell me the stories." She then looked up at the sky and smiled wistfully.
"I would always look forward to whenever he would be visiting, because I loved hearing the stories about the adventures of Straw Hat Luffy and his crew," Nanju continued, "About the bad guys you'd fight, about the people you'd help, and the journey you had." She took a breath, as she looked back at the grave.
"I honestly never thought that you'd turn out to be my dad," she said, "And I guess I do kind of wish I could've had the chance to hear the stories from you personally." She then paused, before chuckling slightly, and running a hand through her hair.
"On second thought, he did say that you were a bad storyteller," Nanju said, "Maybe it was probably better that I heard them from him. They'd be easier to understand."
"Ma once told me that in a roundabout way, you sorta saved her. That you deflated her ego and made her see the world more clearly." Frankly, Dana hadn't really wanted to do this. She didn't want to spend time talking really to no one, and pretend she was talking to her father, but everyone else was doing it, and she figured it would be weird if she ended up being the only one who didn't. So here she found herself, standing in front of the grave, talking to it.
"Though it comes to mind she never did tell me how about you, or anything about my dad," Dana then said, "I often wondered why, and I guess I still do. I mean, if I had known that the Pirate King was my dad, I'd be shouting it from every rooftop." She stopped talking, as a thought came to her.
"On second thought, maybe that's why she never told me," Dana said with a slight laugh. After that, though, she stopped again, and after staring at the grave for a time, let out another sigh.
"I really don't have anymore to say," Dana said, leaning on her hand. However, a certain part of her wished that she did. It felt like there should've been more to it, more to how she felt. But no words materialized when she tried to think of them. It's like her heart had something to say, but her brain didn't feel like doing with it. It was a feeling Dana didn't like.
"Well Father, here we are," Ramses said, as he fell to one knee before the grave, "It took 17 years, but I finally found you." He adjusted his coat, and took a deep breath, before beginning to speak.
"Mother's doing well," he said, "Obviously, she's been really busy with all that's going on, but doing well none the less. Of course, when I was young, she would always take time to tell me about her adventures with the Straw Hats. About the fight against Baroque Works, and how you saved all our country from Crocodile's wrath.
"I do wish I got a chance to thank you myself. To learn about you from you directly. I'd love to know just how you defeated Crocodile, and how you were able to stop all that evil. But I guess simply knowing it happened is what really matters." He trailed off again, as he realized he was rambling.
"I wish I had something better to say," he admitted with a sigh, "But really, what is there to say at this point?"
"It as honestly kind of weird, coming to this island for the first time," Lily said, as she sat in front of the grave, her legs tucked in, "I mean, I knew Adonis, but he was really the only male I'd ever known. It took some getting used to, when we got off the Perfume Yuda, and I saw all these men all over the place." She sighed, as she ran a hand through her hair.
"I honestly never really gave that much thought as to who my father was," she said, "I don't think any Kuja does; I think most don't even realize they have fathers. But Mom was an exception, she told me about you upfront, and who you were." Lily then leaned back on her arms, and looked up at the sky.
"Mom told me about how you managed to save her and her friends by sacrificing your own ends. Apparently, while every Kuja warrior aspires to be a pirate, meeting you was when she really began to want to leave Amazon Lily. When she really wanted to see the wider world." Lily bent forward again, as she looked up at the grave, resting her chin on her knees.
"I wonder what it was like, when she first met you," she muttered, more to herself really.
"When Mother first told me that my father was a human, I was upset. For a time, I didn't know who I was. But then Mother said that it didn't matter. That all that mattered was that I was myself, and that no one could take that away from me." Triton's turn had come, and he was now sitting on a bubble, his tail tucked in, looking down at the grave. He wasn't wearing his wig, which he had in one hand, while he rested his arms on his tail, and his chin on his arms.
"I would sometimes try and ask Mother what you were like, but it would always get her to start crying, and then of course she'd make me cry and…" Triton trailed off, as he felt tears starting to well in his eyes. This time, though, he forced them down, wiping away those that slipped out with his free hand.
"Though she did once tell me that you always called her 'crybaby' or 'Weepy-hoshi', he said, before a smile took shape on his face, "I suppose that wouldn't make it right for me to cry here myself. I wouldn't want you to see me like this."
Dris wasn't sure why he ended up going so much later than everyone else. Maybe he wanted the others a chance to go first, or maybe he just didn't know what to say. But eventually, he marched up to do the same thing his siblings, and soon found himself in front of the grave.
"Hey Dad," Dris said, as he sat cross-legged in front of the grave.
"Honestly, if I had known I'd be coming up here, I would've brought some meat," he said, "Mom said that you could eat the entire food reserve of the Thousand Sunny if you were given the chance, and you would if someone didn't stop you." He laughed for a moment, but the laugh quickly turned mirthless, as his expression turned solemn again.
"I really don't know what to say," he said, "Frankly, I'm probably just talking to a piece of wood right here. But if you are listening from somewhere, I just wanted you to know that Mom's doing good. All Cocoyashi Village is doing good, actually. I still feel a little bad for leaving them, but I'm sure Mom can keep 'em safe." He stopped talking again, as he looked at the grave, wishing he could say more.
"I really wish I knew what to do, now that I'm here," Dris finally said, "I don't suppose you have any advice?" His only answer was a gentle breeze going across the area, stirring his hair slightly.
"Yeah, I didn't think so."
Ieyasu ended up being the last, because he was the least interested in doing it. But, as Dris came back from his time up there, everyone started looking at Ieyasu expectantly, and he couldn't help but cave to the peer pressure. More importantly, he also had a suspicion that if he got back to Wano, and his family found out he had an opportunity like this, they'd probably disapprove of him not taking it.
"So, I'm here," he said, spreading his arms, as he stood before the grave, "Not sure what I'm supposed to say." He thought for a moment, before at least something came to mind.
"Growing up, Mother and Uncle would tell me stories about how you saved Wano from Kaido," Ieyasu said, "I guess in that capacity I should be grateful for your presence." He trailed off at that, as he realized. With that, he sighed, and dragged a hand down his face.
"To be honest, I never even thought about who my father was, because I was always just a Kozuki," Ieyasu said, "I never thought of myself as anything else. I didn't care about being anything else." He trailed off at that, as he looked down at the grave, and some new thoughts came to him. Thoughts about being not just the descendant of Kozuki Oden, but the descendant of Joy Boy himself, the champion who defeated Kaido himself. And with those thoughts came new ones: thoughts of pride, thoughts of honor, and more. "But on the other hand…" With that, Ieyasu fell to his knees, clapped twice, and muttered some prayers on his breath.
"I suppose in the list of people I could add to my family tree, I suppose you're far from the worst to sit on a branch."
"There, I said my piece," Ieyasu said, as he trotted back down the hill, "What now?"
"Well, that much is up to you," Sarah said, as she sat back on a rock, "I'm going to stay here at least. I'd like to learn more about my father."
"I'm going to do the same," Dris said, "My mom would want me to do so." Ramses, Maria, and Triton all nodded in agreement.
"I'm going back to Wano," Ieyasu said, "I need to"
"Do you know how you're going to do that?" Sarah asked, arching an eyebrow.
"It won't be too hard to get a ship," Ieyasu answered, before looking to Ramses, "I don't suppose I can count on you for another lift to the Grand Line?"
"Well..." Ramses didn't get to finish, as the sound of an explosion drew the group's attention. They all hurried back down to the village, where they saw people running around in panic. Fortunately, no one looked hurt, but then they saw the source of the explosion: Ramses' ship.
The burning wreck was slowly sinking down, as the fires spread to whatever boats might've been next to it. But that wasn't what the prince of Alabasta was really worried about.
"My crew!" Ramses said, as he ran towards the dock, with Ieyasu, Maria, and Triton trailing after them. Upon getting to the dock, they all looked down into the water.
"Where are they?" Ramses asked.
"I don't know, I can't see them," Maria said. Ramses clenched his teeth, trying to think of what to do; he couldn't dive into the water, he was a Devil Fruit user, as was Ieyasu, and he doubted Maria would be strong enough to get all of them in time. Fortunately, they did have a merman amongst them.
Not missing a beat, Triton dove into the water. A he swam down, he was glad to see that most of them hadn't sunk far. Swimming in circles, he managed to build up a current that gathered all the men together, after which he placed himself beneath them. Triton took a breath (to the degree one could do underwater), before taking a stance, and thrusting his fist up. A current of water then gathered, and pushed up, sending all the men up to the surface, and spitting them out onto the dock. They all coughed, tired and weak, but alive.
"Are you alright?" Ramses asked, as he went over to one of his aids.
"Yes," the aid eventually said between coughs, "It seems like so."
"What happened?" The prince then asked as he sat the man up.
"I'm… I'm not sure," the man answered, rubbing his head, "It happened so fast."
"I suspect your answer may be there," Ieyasu said, making Ramses look at him. Everyone saw he was pointing, and they followed his finger to see a small flotilla of ships. Even from where they were, they could tell they were legitimist ships, about five in total. Honestly, that wasn't that intimidating in of itself to them, but there was something else that held their attention: a fully armed Marine warship.
"That's a full-sized warship!" Adonis said, "Where did that come from?"
"Who know's?" Sarah said, "I couldn't imagine why this island is so important to them."
"So what do we do then?" Triton asked, looking between his siblings. The ten weren't sure what to do, as they exchanged glances. True, most of them didn't feel any ties to this island, but it felt wrong to just leave it for the legitimists to conquer; besides, it wasn't like leaving was a viable option at the moment.
"Well then," Nanju said, as she rolled her shoulders, "I guess we're doing this."
"And look at me thinking this would be an easy voyage," Dana griped.
"Well, I bet if we all work together, we can beat 'em," Dris said, punching his fist into his palm, "Even the warship."
"Nah, I'll handle that part." The teens all stopped as they looked back to see Shanks coming up to them, as he finished the remainder of his bottle, before tossing it over his shoulder
"At any rate, I need to make sure I haven't gotten too rusty," the retired pirate said as he rolled his shoulder, parting his coat to reveal a saber on his hip, "You kids handle the smaller ships."
"Okay then, but how are-" Dris stopped as Sarah leapt out towards the water. However, instead of splashing into it, she bounced off, leaving massive ripples in her wake, as if she were a skipping stone on a pond, charging towards the ships.
"As a sworn member of the Kozuki clan, and the nephew of the Shogun, I cannot allow the legitimists any leave anywhere," Ieyasu declared. With that, a pair of insect-like wings appeared out of his back, and he launched himself in the same direction as Sarah.
"I think two people per ship should be enough," Dana said with a grin, before looking at Nanju, "Wanna team up again?"
"You kidding?" Nanju said with her own grin, "Kicking legitimist ass is what I live for!" With that, they jumped into what looked like some kind of motorboat (which was how Dana got to Dawn Island in the first place), and motored out towards the flotilla.
"I'm sure that if I didn't do anything, Mother would be displeased with me," Adonis said, as he gestured for Lily to follow.
"Knowing your mother, I don't think she'd ever be displeased with you," Lily said, "But I'm still all for this anyway." With that, they both climbed into a rowboat, where Lily's snake proceeded to slither down to the back of the boat, stick its tail in the water, and serve as a propeller, guiding the boat out to water.
"I'm guessing you don't have any means of transportation?" Ramses then asked Maria, who just shook her head, "No problem, you can come with me." With that, he spread his arms, as they turned into a broad pair of wings, and gestured to Maria, who wrapped her arms around his neck, before he beat his wings, and soared off towards the ships. As they were doing that, Triton cracked his neck, before pulling his wig off, and shoving it the hands of a nearby civilian.
"Don't lose or damage this!" Triton ordered to the woman, in a remarkably stern tone, and before she could even protest, the merman was diving into the water, and with that, Dris was the only one left on the dock. It had all happened so fast, he didn't even have time to register his siblings leaving.
"I'm sure you can fight too," Shanks said, looking at the orange-haired teen.
"Well of course I can," Dris said, as he spotted a rowboat nearby.
"Then just what're you waiting for?" Shanks asked, as he eyed the young man. Dris just nodded in understanding, before jumping into the boat, transforming his arms, and using his enhanced strength to furiously row in the direction of the legitimists.
"This is going to be good," Shanks said as he watched, "I've been looking forward to seeing what you could all do."
Note: While this chapter was on the longer side, it was actually fairly simple. The whole point of it was the teens to actually confront, and consider their heritage. For some of them it builds resolve, while for others it just confused them. Of course, with the legitimists on the way, they've got bigger fish to fry, proverbially speaking. On that note, next chapter will finally feature some action, and we'll see just what the Heirs of Chaos can do; I've been looking forward to writing that, and I hope you'll enjoy it.
Be sure to leave a comment.