I own nothing…
"That's a train, Sasuke."
Sasuke nodded as he looked around, ensuring once again that everything was fine and accounted for. He had checked more than once to be sure for he did not wish to leave anything to chance even if was confident he could deal with any problem that might arise. They were going to a government-occupied island after all. "I'm aware of that."
"We are headed towards a government island near Marine Headquarters that also hosts the world's largest slave market on a metal contraption that runs on water." Ariel stated as she stared at the open door to their carriage in clear distrust, having never seen such a vehicle before.
Sasuke pondered on her words before he nodded, "Yes, I know."
Ariel closed her eyes for a moment at his response before she slowly nodded as if reluctantly accepting her fate. Standing beside him, the small Lunarian was wearing a new black dress and a matching cloak. She tightly gripped a small suitcase that he had bought for her a few days prior in hands wrapped in black leather gloves.
Finally giving her his full attention now that Sasuke had made sure everything was accounted for, Sasuke peered at her from the corner of his eyes before finally asking, "Have you grown used to your cloak yet?"
Ariel frowned at the question, the changes in her expression not enough to hide her distaste about the subject, before answering almost reluctantly. "It's a comfortable garment and a thousand times more useful. But…"
"It's too restrictive." Sasuke picked up when she trailed off, he had long grown used to wearing cloaks to conceal himself but he could understand why someone would feel uncomfortable using a piece of cloth to seal away an important part of themselves. It was frustrating, she had only just freed herself and gained the right to do as she wished but now had to conceal herself just to stay alongside her saviour.
But just because he understood did not mean he could allow her to walk around openly with her wings full on display. Ariel herself was reluctant to be anywhere near so many humans, apparent from the small frown of displeasure clear on her face. Sasuke sighed, "Openly displaying your wings is extremely dangerous."
Frowning, she nodded, "It just feels wrong to seal them away like this."
Sasuke noticed how the fingers of her empty hand seemed to twitch, clenching and unclenching, as if they longed to tear away the cloth restraining her wings which were currently folded and packed inside the special compartments of her cloak. But it was not her reluctance that bothered him, it was her decision to follow him regardless that had him concerned.
Out of all the men she could have chosen to follow, why did it have to be him?
By age seven, he had been living alone in a deserted clan compound after watching his family being murdered over and over again for years thanks to his brother. He lived in isolation and there were often times he could swear by his life, that he heard a knocking on his door, and the sound of his mother's voice, asking him to come out and play, even though he knew fully well that she had been stabbed to death by Itachi's sword and he had seen her body placed six feet into the earth.
Hours after endless hours he would swing his blade and punch empty walls, till his hand bled and calluses formed and hardened, and still, he would not stop. For year after year he would carry on swinging, spurred on by dreams of vengeance and vindication born from the horrors he had been subjected to by his own brother.
Since he was seven, Sasuke had learned to live for himself and no one else. He never bothered people with his issues, he never told anyone about what went through his mind. Whenever he finally let loose his true thoughts and goals, they all judged him. They all saw him as a flight risk and cast their gazes upon him with pity and disappointment, claiming to know what was best for him, claiming to want to set him on the right path.
They knew nothing. Nothing of his pain, nothing of his rage, nothing of his sorrow and contempt. So he never told them— he kept it all to himself and never once opened up.
And after everything, he felt nothing but anger upon the realization that Itachi's massacre was a result of his own father's ambition coupled with the events that Obito had placed in motion by controlling the Kyuubi. He felt a slow and righteous anger that dwelled deep within him and threatened to explode to the surface. An eruption that had pushed him towards a dark revolution that might have consumed the world had it not been for Naruto.
He could understand her decisions and emotions all too well, which was why she concerned him so much.
Deciding to simply stop thinking about it, Sasuke towards his platinum-haired companion, "You would have to bear with Sabaoby Archipelago for a few days, apparently a place as dangerous as it is beautiful."
Ariel slowly shook her head, thinking of her sister who had been murdered by those humans, "I had been told about Sabaody by those men, they planned to dock here and resupply. My sister thought we would enter the Archipelago bound in chains and screaming in fear as humans dragged us towards darkness."
"Do you regret following me here?" Sasuke paused for a moment and asked, though he already knew her answer.
"Never." She answered resolutely, her reply instantaneous.
He could not stop the edge of his mouth from quirking up at that. If there was one thing he had learned about Ariel then it was how astoundingly stubborn she could be. There was nothing that could ever change her mind once she got an idea into her head. She would regret nothing, running on her chosen path even if to the end whoever sour it might be.
Through the course of their journey, Sasuke had learned of Ariel and came to know her in a way few others could. He knew that she held in her a determination he had seen in seldom few before and knew that she had chosen to follow him in his journey knowing that it might not have an end. He knew all too well that she would continue to follow him even if she someday understood he was not the perfect saviour she thought him to be, something that he had not stopped trying to convince her of.
Even in his academy days when girls flocked to him for one mysterious reason or another, he could not understand why they'd proclaim their love for him over such banal reasons. He could not understand why they would waste their precious time and energy deluding themselves into thinking that they had some sort of feeling or affection for him.
He'd never asked them, because he'd never cared and most of them were content with simply desiring the impossible and resorting to utterly irritating measures in an attempt to curry his favour. He did not care about those girls or their delusions. Sasuke knew full well that half of the female populace of the academy were enamored with him for one inane reason or another, but this Lunarian in front of him had been the only one to follow him for a reason that had actually meant something
Perhaps he might have refused her without a word and without a shred of emotion had she hesitated for even the hundredth of a second when declaring her intent to accompany him. However, she had not and so Sasuke decided to give in and to bring her along.
Besides, she was powerful, far more powerful than he had expected— and not just in the realm of physical strength alone, exceptional though it may be. Sasuke remembered how her punch had almost broken his hand. She could also control flames hot enough to seamlessly melt stone and her raven wings allowed her to maneuver high above the sky at breakneck speeds.
It was a rather extensive arsenal that would've been considered decently formidable even back in Elemental. That fact that she was diverse just as much as she was strong made her dangerous, especially in a world where users of just a single power were considered miraculous. But recent events had also made it so obviously clear that for all her potential, she just could not fight properly. The reason behind it all too clear— she was insecure.
Even though Sasuke had known her for less than a month at this point, it became almost painfully clear that for all of the outward power that she sometimes displayed, Ariel was haunted and more than a bit insecure which was, from his diminutive understanding of her experiences, understandable and perhaps even natural.
Even before her captivity, she had been shunned by most of her clanmates due to her mixed blood except for a select few including her dead sister. The only reason she was so valued by her clan was because she was inherently strong. In their eyes, it was not the individual known as Ariel that was important, but rather the strength she held.
To them, Ariel was just someone who wielded great power for her age, a valuable asset that could be cultivated with time but not an irreplaceable one. Almost the entirety of Ariel's sense of value, as measured by those around her, had revolved around her value as an important asset and though she was now free— the fact that she had to be protected tarnished her value as a person in her own eyes which was perhaps the most absurd thing Sasuke had ever seen.
Sasuke knew that the recent events had shaken her, that her life completely in just a few days almost as if a tempest had barged itself into her life and swept her along. A change that completely overturned one's circumstances, Sasuke knew what that felt like all too well but she needed to move beyond them.
"There would be a lot of humans in Sabaody, perhaps more than you have ever seen before," Sasuke broke the silence with his simple words even as Ariel slowly nodded in response, aware that Sasuke was warning her in advance. She had a tendency to lose control of herself when around crowds of humans, a tendency that might certainly prove to be dangerous in major population centers.
He recognized the palpable rage and insecurity that burned inside her at the sight of humans for he had been drenched in its intoxicating waters for almost his entire life, even now it troubled him during dark nights and cold days. But he needed her to control herself as well as she could.
Sasuke would never admit it, but seeing Obito die at Kaguya's hand was perhaps, one of the most satisfactory moments of his adult life. He was not Naruto. He could not just forgive him and let him carry on. An idiot who had started a war and caused the deaths of thousands of people, all for what? His only regret was the fact that he was not the one who had gotten the chance to kill that fool.
"Do not worry though, I would protect you even if something happens," Sasuke finally stated, looking at their designated ride which was reserved for the rich and powerful. It was closely guarded, and Sasuke could sense the telltale signs of marines well enough by now to know that they were nearby.
It was a project funded by the royal rules of three separate kingdoms alongside a Celestial Dragon's aide. The walls of the interior were covered in expensive wood-veneered panels whereas the floor was coated with a rich lush carpet so comfortable that they would sink under the gentlest of touches. The compartments even had luxury bathrooms attached and a small marble-topped bar was set on one end of each carriage, no doubt stocked with every kind of drink imaginable.
Nobles generally were an ostentatious bunch and he could always count on them to show their wealth. What made it a real waste was that nobles would rarely ever bother using the train.
Normally, most people would travel through the seas using ships and transporters and though it could take weeks or even months to safely complete a trip, ships were vastly more economical when compared to water trains whose tracks alone were so expensive that they could bring kingdoms to ruin.
Most nations preferred establishing trade routes directly through the sea rather than investing in the creation and constant upkeep of a water train track. Only Water Seven with its advanced engineering corps had successfully implemented such a transportation system, though their technology was known to be extensively modified when compared to other existing models.
This train track inaugurated just two weeks ago, was nothing more than glorified carriages used to escort nobles and businessmen on fancy journeys to important centres of trade such as the one they were headed towards. It was wasteful but Sasuke knew that the people of this world were an eccentric bunch, perhaps he was thinking too deeply into their actions.
That strange island-ship which once belonged to Warlord Moria was long behind them, at least a week's worth of travel using a conventional marine warship by his estimation. They had moved quickly, and Sasuke had gone to great lengths to ensure that they could not be traced by any conventional means that Sasuke knew of.
The fact that numerous people, most of them pirates, had seen him stalemate Bartholomew Kuma annoyed him, such overtness went against the instinct he had painstakingly developed as a shinobi but it was something he could not have changed so he found no reason to waste his time thinking about the past. The fact that the World Government would've been served with a savoury clue regardless of the witnesses he left behind, thanks to the warlord he had encountered did alleviate most of his grievances though.
He would have chosen to remain anonymous, but what he had reaped in the end was well worth the risk. Sasuke now had the information he needed and had gained contacts that would certainly be useful in the future, an exchange would prove to be highly favorable in his opinion— Nico Robin was not a woman he could ignore, and perhaps the same could be said of the Straw-Hat Pirates if intuition served him correctly. They were an interesting bunch.
A loud ringing echoed throughout the train station, indicating that it was time to depart.
"Come on," Sasuke called out to Ariel as he walked forward to board the train, "We better get going. This thing has a fixed schedule and would leave with or without us inside it."
He heard footsteps from behind me as Ariel followed, "I wonder what Sabaody is like."
Admiral Kuzan squinted, eyes hidden behind round sunglasses continued to burn as they took in the world around him. It was already morning and the first rays of the warm sun were just beginning to shine upon the almost broken island around him which despite the damage was bustling with men and women in uniforms moving out of Marine Warships, out of the comfort of their cabins into a wrecked island where a long day awaited them.
This was not the only destroyed island that the Marines had to take care of— Enies Lobby which once stood as the symbol of World Government had also been wrecked by the infamous Straw Hat Pirates, almost destroyed beyond repair in a shameful incident that had just recently shocked the world. The former seat of justice continued to bear the scars of that battle, a loss that would perhaps remain an ugly scar on its previously unshakable prestige even though the efforts towards reconstruction had already started taking a visible shape.
Aokiji was almost certain that the same would be the case here. He had only been away for a few short days but already he found it hard to get used to ordering subordinates once again. It was not just the loud noise that constantly followed him because of his post, though it certainly was not helping.
No, it wasn't just the constant noise that was the problem but the stink of authority as well. The World Noble considered the very air of the world outside Mary Geoise so polluted and full of dirt that they refused to breathe it. At the time he had thought that they were being arrogant but he could almost understand what they meant now that he had experienced the calmness that could be found deep inside untamed oceans without any worldly concerns to bother him. It was almost serene.
Sidestepping to the right to avoid a particularly frazzled-looking man in a uniform who saluted him as as he expertly navigated the crowd, Aokiji continued making his way to his destination.
Though he had to admit a part of him missed the empty oceans but good or bad, there was something about righteousness which came alongside justice that felt right in a way no other part of the sea ever would. To think his chase would lead him right into the formal base of a Warlord who had been defeated just prior to his arrival.
The Admiral had been too late to witness the fight, having arrived on an empty island almost torn apart by great battles that ended just a day ago. He had thought his investigation would bearn fruit this time but instead, he had arrived into the empty Thriller Bark bearing traces of movement just hours old which lead to three separate directions.
It seemed that his prey was more elusive than what he had previously imagined.
He had decided to bring along some of his newer subordinates behind this time. He planned to investigate this personally, but it was a relatively risk-free task and his men had been told to accompany him only on the orders of the higher-ups when in Warlord territory as a show of force. He had ordered them to continue with their own investigations and stop intervening in his own.
To say that his men were depressed from missing out on all his adventures during the last few weeks was putting it lightly, he had found them all but sulking after he had ordered them to stay behind. It was only when he had pointed out that he would mostly be busying himself with boring investigations that he managed to cheer them up again. They were almost a bunch of children at times, they had agreed not to come and instead they had decided to redouble their training to prepare for the upcoming events.
Looking around the wreck he was on, it seemed that an entire war happened while he was away and the reports he had received on the way here confirmed that impression. Almost as if fate were mocking him at the moment, he felt a wave of Haki pass over him before he even had a chance to complete the thought.
The sensation was something he recognized instantly. It originated from a few kilometers ahead of him, right in the direction he had been walking towards and considering the recent reports he had received— he did not need to think twice about who was involved in this.
Aokiji rushed forward as fast as his long feet would take him, hoping he got there before someone ended up getting killed, and sure enough, the barest of frowns could be seen on the usually expressionless face of Bartholomew Kuma as he stood surrounded by his men wearing marine uniforms.
The Warlord was an enormous man, standing heads and shoulders above all those who surrounded him, and carried a Holy Bible in his hand. His round ears protruded from the top of his head and both his eyes which were only enhanced by his bulging chin were strangely covered by clear lenses. He wore his iconic, white hat covered in brown spots just as the dark blue fabric of his pants was and his jacket was adorned by a large white design reminiscent of a large coda sign with several white paws decorating its lower end.
"You Warlords can never stop creating trouble, don't you?" Aokiji sighed, intentionally dragging his words in a slow drawl even as he ordered the men to lower their weapons with a gesture, "The World Government has grown tired of cleaning up after the mess your group seems to have a penchant for creating."
The infamous Tyrant did not answer with a quip, instead, he simply acknowledged his words with a grunt. The former King was a man of few words and those too had been growing lesser each passing day thanks to the Vegapunk and his infamous experiments.
"The trouble you have estranged yourself in would be hard to solve even for you. The World Government is not exactly pleased with these stunts of yours." Aokiji sighed once again, wincing internally while keeping his expression level even as he thought of the paperwork and the overtime he would have to deal with because of this incident even though it was not his mess to clean. "You were supposed to follow your order and deal with the Straw Hats, not let them leave without facing a single repercussion."
Declaring war on the World Government after invading Enies Lobby, defeating a Warlord, and then surviving another send specifically sent to deal with them. Really, the grandson of Garp had gone too far too many times…
For a moment, he wondered if he had made a mistake by sparing those Straw Hats when he had both the opportunity and the precedent to deal with them before he shoved that thought into the furthest corner of his mind. He could not change what had already happened, but he was prepared to face the consequences if need be.
"With this, they have toyed with the World Government more times than can be tolerated." Aokiji spoke, moving closer to directly face the Warlord, "The higher-ups would not let this go so easily. I believe that you might even be summoned to Mary Geoise to explain yourself."
"I appreciate the warning but it is entirely unneeded. Every Warlord commissioned by the World Government has already been ordered to report to the general headquarters before this month ends." Kuma responded, his voice cold as he glanced back at the Admiral. "As I recall, the decision to execute Ace and Admiral Akainu's pre-emptive attacks on his territories gave you no choice but to begin preparations for war fifteen months ahead of schedule."
"Well yes, back in October Fleet Admiral Sengoku presented the Five Elders with his recommendation that the World Government should commence hostilities against Whitebeard in the spring of next year. Unfortunately, circumstances did not allow our organization to commit to the schedule." Aokiji narrowed his eyes which followed the Warlord closely even as he continued, he had seen Kuma in his capacity as a King many years ago and was all too aware that this was the infamous pirate Warlord at work here. "Just two weeks into the conflict, and five of our regular trading divisions are out of action because of pirate raids, the Bidenfeld Islands are now firmly in Whitebeard's hands, and we've lost more than a fourth of New World expeditionary force sent to probe his Whitebeard's territory. The good news is that the other Emperors have signaled their neutrality rather than join Whitebeard. Our possession of key islands in the New World has also allowed us to place an embargo upon ships from his territory and grievously disrupt trade that sustains his islands. All things considered, we currently have the upper hand. The empire of that old emperor is falling into severe recession."
Kuma seemed less than impressed by the Navy's prompt response to the emerging threat, and it showed on his expression which seemed to be less than convinced as he countered, "In response to that though, pirates have been engaging in guerrilla warfare against your vessels. You've lost five ships already, and it would not be long before your government starts to feel the effects of these losses. Admiral, how long will it take to neutralize the threat against your merchantmen?"
The Admiral stroked his chin, a habit of his from his days as a sailor whenever he entered serious contemplation as he acknowledged Kuma's point. A needlessly procrastinated war was not favourable to their current interests.
"Optimally, you should have ended Whitebeard with a thousand cuts but considering the recent movements of the Marines Forces, it seems clear that your masters wish to deal with Whitebeard in one single fell sweep." Kuma continued, "But I shall be blunt, it is not certain that the Marines are going to win an open war against an Emperor. The World Government needs my strength, more so now than ever before."
Aokiji exhaled sharply, knowing that Kuma had spoken a harsh truth that the Marines were trying to hide. The World Government was preparing for war with Whitebeard, mobilizing its assets with an almost reckless abandon just for the chance to end an Emperor's reign. Five whole fleets had been gathered just for this single occasion and both the Admirals and the Warlords had been ordered to report back at Marineford which too had been extensively fortified in a manner never seen before.
The current circumstances though created by the marines themselves were perhaps the greatest shield this Tyrant could muster in his defence. The Marines were busy preparing for war, and it was clear that mistakes were not acceptable— the world government would not risk alienating Kuma at this time, not when his strength could prove to be an irreplaceable asset in the coming war.
"Well, an Emperor is no laughing matter and we are talking about the world's strongest man here." Aokiji drawled instead, his eyes narrowing. "I do hope that you Warlords prove your worth in this war otherwise you might just get replaced, if not by the Pacifistas then by those that would come after them in the future."
The entire system of Warlords was inherently flawed, a convoluted practice where the World Government betrayed its own ideals to hire twisted pirates in order to protect its own interests. He knew that the flames of outrage sparked by this blatant hypocrisy had been slowly rising, led by a shining star known as Fujitora who had suddenly risen through the ranks of the Navy.
The coming war was not just a crusade against Whitebeard and his allies, but a revolution that might just put the very existence of such flawed systems into question for the very first time. A deeper, more bare part of him almost wished to see it happen.
Kuma acknowledged his words with a nod of his head before he smoothly turned around almost as if in farewell. "You should worry more about the coming war, Admiral Aokiji."
He had no time to waste, he had to answer the summons of the World Government and he was already running late. Besides, he was intrigued; he had never heard about this Project Seraphim from anyone. A classified weapons program? He would ask Vegapunk as soon as he met that madman.
"Oi, Kuma?" He called out, his words causing the Warlord to pause mid-step just as he was about to leave. "By any chance, have you seen a silver-haired girl with dark skin around these parts?"
For the first time, the Warlord's expression changed. But somehow, more out of force of habit than anything else, he managed to keep his face most straight as he turned around and slowly shook his head.
"No," He answered.
Sasuke was standing close to the exit when their train entered the only station in Sabaody beside Ariel who was waiting for him nervously. His position gave him a perfect view of the entrances, allowing him to monitor those entering and leave at a moment's notice if required.
The conductors were at the front, helping everyone who required advice and making space on the platform. Each one of them had been here numerous times so they knew their way around the archipelago. The tracks were clear, and Sasuke could see the obvious presence of the World Government around the station.
As they got closer, Sasuke got a clear view of the enormous tree that spread upwards towards the sky, so tall that he had to look directly upwards at the night sky just to see the top of the tree which was barely visible thanks to the many decorations which illuminated what could only be called a town so large that it stretched as far as the eye could see.
The tree had part of its roots exposed above sea level, and parts of its striped trunk alongside the accompanying roots were covered in moss at various places creating makeshift platforms large enough to encompass entire villages which made them an apt replacement for steady ground.
The root on which their station was located was almost five times as wide as the Uchiha Compound back home had been and Sasuke had to stop himself from staring when he saw countless bubbles seemingly growing out of the roots and trunk of the enormous tree, reflecting the light from the nearby lamps in hundreds of a thousand separate shades. Ariel, it seemed, could not help herself as she openly stared at everything around her with her mouth agape.
It was beautiful—a wonder to behold and he almost questioned how people down below were just going on living their lives without just stopping and staring at it all the time. Down there, everything fit together just right and worked in tandem with one another to function, from the smallest human to the largest of these enormous mangroves. It was perfect, yet somehow it was still wrong.
Sasuke could not stop the pang of discontent from stabbing into his heart. He was disappointed and relieved at the same time— though majestic, these trees did not resemble a chakra tree in any respect. Despite the impressive size and mystifying bubbles, Sasuke could tell using his Mantra that they were just a bunch of normal trees in the end though that required a more thorough investigation.
"I thought you said Sabaody was a forest of mangroves?" Ariel finally questioned, head fixed upwards to get a better look up at the enormous trees that reached towards the heavens.
"It is," Sasuke answered as he led her toward their destination.
They had managed to make it to the Sabaody without anything going wrong, which was a relief when considering all the different personalities that were crammed into a single carriage.
"But I cannot see one," Ariel had her face turned upwards, eyes scanning large trees extended towards the sky for something, "Where is the moon?"
"Above the skies where it belongs," Sasuke informed her while they made their way into the station. "Its show cannot reach the ground because of the trees but its branches absorb some of it and continue to glow high above."
There were a few people dressed in formal valet robes standing next to each other atop the root and they approached as soon as they disembarked and stepped on the platform. Ariel tensed beside him, so Sasuke took a step toward her and put a hand on her shoulder, "They work for a hotel here. The economy of this groove is based on tourism, so they're scouting for customers."
Ariel slowly nodded and further tensed but made no move when the men approached them, smiling cordially from ear to ear.
"Good evening sir," spoke the scrawny man in front, the wimpy moustache on his face practically twitching. "Do you need any assistance finding a place to stay for the night?" he asked.
"Yeah please," Sasuke barely glanced at the man before replying. He would not mind having a nice place to spend the night, this was only his first time spending this long on the open sea and he wished to enjoy his stay to the fullest. The man bowed flatteringly deep in response before he gestured towards his fellow valets who shot into motion with practiced ease.
Sasuke knew he drew the attention of the locals—an extremely attractive couple who had just disembarked from a train only the wealthy could afford without escort was eye-catching but this arrangement was the best for security purposes. He checked his watch again. Fifteen minutes later, a latest model Bon Chari pulled noiselessly up to the sidewalk and the backdoor opened to reveal a large and severe-looking man. "Please come with us. The men would take care of your luggage, so you do not have no worry about that."
Sasuke was not really concerned about the luggage, and everything important was safely stored elsewhere anyway. They both wordlessly followed the man into the vehicle, Ariel staying closer to him than before. Two other men, including the driver, sat up front armed with decorated rifles that Sasuke knew were highly sought after by famous pirates. Through the tinted exterior, he could see the pedestrians and traffic form a hole as if clearing room for an ambulance—it was clear the locals recognized the vehicle and the organization to whom it belonged.
Sasuke could see that the tall tree in the centre of the district read 'GR-3' now that he had a clearer view and in its front, it had what appeared to be a collection of large and extravagant palaces held in spherical bubbles wrapped around its trunk in a spiral which shined with trendy neon glows. Most other structures around were also made in a spherical shape. The road they were on had a lot of junk food and ice cream stalls which were also spherical. The streets were full of kids racing on bikes which were connected to large hovering bubbles and people carrying bags full of recent purchases in smaller floating bubbles. Everywhere he looked bubbles were being used in the most unusual and creative ways for even the most trivial of activities.
"People really like bubbles here, don't they?" Ariel whispered when she saw a few boys trying to out-speed each other on their bubble bikes, laughing and shouting jovially at the same time.
"Why yes! The bubbles of Yarukimen mangrove are very convenient and are used on everything you can think of." the man with the wimpy mustache turned backward and replied with the same smile plastered on his face, his persona changing from that of an obedient valet to an experienced guide in less than a second. "Even houses are made out of bubbles here."
That surprised Ariel, who turned towards the man and slowly mumbled in in response. "I thought the people here just enjoyed the spherical designs."
"No, it's just convenient. You just have to take a bubble, and coat it with some sturdy metal to make a room for yourself." The man said and seemingly went on to explain everything he knew about these supposedly miraculous bubbles and their uses, growing more enthusiastic by the second.
"Sounds amazing." Sasuke dryly spoke once he finished, his eyes expertly taking in the new surroundings in a way only shinobi could. They had neared the tree by now. They passed the entrance gate and stopped before a large gate that led to an impressive property.
They disembarked quickly and the valets took their luggage with them. Above them a full moon hung in the cloudless night sky, surrounded by countless brightly shining stars yet enshrouded by the branches of the mangrove all the same. The night sky here had a silver hue to it compared to the dark blue he was used to and the sky shone far brighter than it should have.
Ariel once again glanced at the sky above and turned towards him, "The sky here looks very strange."
Sasuke nodded, he had wondered that himself when he first came here and it would have similarly confused him had he not known about it beforehand and properly taken the time to wrap his head around the idea.
"From what I understand it, the Sabaody Archipelago is, in actuality, a massive mangrove forest in the middle of the ocean made up of seventy-nine separate trees known as Yarukiman Mangrove." Sasuke used his hand and pointed towards the enormous tree overhead, "The Yarukiman Mangroves are one of the strongest trees in the world, durable enough to grow from the very floor of the deep ocean and reach the clouds on top. All trees are connected by their interwoven roots and each individual grove serves as an island by itself."
"As for how it glows so strangely, Yarukiman Mangroves are related to the Sunlight Tree Eve which can absorb light and transfer it throughout its body." Sasuke glanced out to either side of the road they now walked on, where grass stretched out all around them. Trimmed hedges surrounded the distant mansion up ahead. An orchard, if the ripe fruits dangling off its branches were any indication, grew a fair bit away on their right. It was hard to believe that so much greenery could grow, let alone thrive in a place like this. "Due to its proximity to the part of the Red Line bordering the first half of the Grand Line and the New World, Sabaody has become a highly visited rest stop and one of the largest trade centers of the known world."
The entire island was like this. Bright, yet completely empty of street lights and other sources of illumination, except for those used as decorations. Who would even need them? The Mangroves provided all the light needed, anything more was unnecessary. It was why the sky shone so brightly here, it was not the moon or the stars which were brighter. It was the enormous trees around them that were growing faintly with light.
"The Sabaody Archipelago has always been this way, this place has never known the light of the sun, never felt its touch for the trees above us block all its rays. Yet life, as it always does, still found a way to survive. Plants adapted and learned to make do without the sunlight, substituting it with other more bountiful sources, like the glow of the mangrove itself which shines even brighter during the day."
Ariel just stared up at the sky and then lowered her gaze to look at the surrounding greenery before she looked away and slowly shook her head. "This is not how I expected Sabaody to be."
Sasuke glanced at her, amused, "Let me guess, you imagined an island full of misery and suffering filled with hoards and rows of unfortunate slaves screaming in agony while their human torturers cackled in glee over their misery."
Ariel just blushed, confirming his thoughts.
"To be fair, what you think of humans is not entirely inaccurate. There are many such humans, far more than this world deserves." Sasuke explained, "What we are seeing is the Sabaody Archipelago – this island has been here long before humans came and it has nothing to do with them other than the fact that they happen to live upon it. Just as how the scenery of nature does not represent animal nature, what you have seen today doesn't reflect the nature of humans. Mankind is a strange bunch. It is capable of vicious cruelty, yet it is also capable of great kindness. Most of the time, you would find it hard to judge a man just from a single glance."
Sasuke waited a moment, allowing the overwhelmed Ariel to absorb his words. He could not understand how it must have been in her place, overwhelmed by new experiences. "And if you think what you're taking in right now is hard then I'm afraid it's only going to get worse before it gets better. There are a lot of things you need to learn about humans. There are a lot of things I need to learn. That is part of the reason why I brought you along on this trip."
Ariel had been looking more down as he explained how much harder it was going to be, slumping over a little bit more as he continued speaking and he could easily picture a frown of confusion on her face as she thought about the meaning behind his words.
But contrary to Sasuke's thoughts— Ariel was not thinking about the words Sasuke had said, she could understand his words even if her thoughts regarding humans remained the same, but rather she was thinking about how he had said them. Why was he speaking of humans as a separate race entirely? Why did he speak as if he were not a part of mankind himself?
But that was…
"You need to grow stronger," His sudden words surprised him as much as they surprised Ariel, "You also need to learn how to control your powers and you need to grow used to any situation we might encounter,"
"Your recent performance was not satisfactory. The beams you use take too long to charge which gives your opponent ample opportunity to react and your aerial manoeuvres are too predictable leaving much to be desired. You also seem to have a penchant for abandoning all rational thought whenever you get anxious and recklessly rushing ahead all by yourself." Sasuke continued, ignoring her slowly widening eyes.
He finally turned away from the views of Sabaody and turned towards his companion when he received no reply. Ariel was a beautiful girl, a few inches taller than him despite being a few years younger.
"After Sabaody we would most probably enter the New World, leaving behind the tame parts of the grand line we have grown accustomed to." Sasuke took a moment to think, and subtly tried to scan his surroundings for threats almost instinctively. He found none and before long found his eyes landing on the woman before him. "Once upon a time it was spices, then gold, then diamonds and rubber, then coal, and now it is war over territory and slaves. Man can learn many great things, how to navigate the seas or how to create great nations, but he can never learn to share. Do you know what's happening in the New World?"
"War." Ariel answered, in an almost scared whisper, "War between Whitebeard and the World Government."
He nodded at her answer, somewhat satisfied. He'd told her to make a note of whatever useful information she ever came across and it was clear that she was taking his words seriously.
"In the past ten days, there have been almost one hundred and thirty reported attacks on merchantmen due to which almost ninety-eight vessels were sunk." Ariel continued, almost as if reciting something she had read before in a book. "These took place in the northern part of the New World, the eastern coastline of Peak Ode, around Fisherman Island, and between the trade routes that connect South Blue and the Red Line."
"That is correct." Sasuke nodded again, this time impressed. Ariel had obviously done her due diligence, he had long known that his companion could be intelligent when not on a rampage and he was pleased to see that he was not wrong.
Ariel did not seem impressed by the Navy's prompt response to the emerging threat, a sentiment Sasuke shared. "Almost a hundred ships lost in just ten days, that seems a lot. How long would it take for the Navy to neutralize the threat against their traders?"
The numbers sounded a bit too exaggerated, even to his ears. But they were not completely unexpected considering the massive scale of both empires in question.
He shook his head in response. "The Navy can perhaps secure the coasts of the Red Line and those of their occupied territory relatively quickly. They can also reduce the danger surrounding Fisherman Island by suppressing nearby outposts and the pirate bases along the New World's eastern seas. But I don't believe they can secure either the central or the western parts of claims in the New World. Most importantly none of the trade lanes outside of Paradise can be secured- they are too close to the Whitebeard's heartland and almost all sea zones are within reach of their allies."
"Are the Whitebeard Pirates really that strong?" Ariel wondered, an almost amazed look on her beautiful face.
"An attempt to defend the merchants would be countered by unceasing guerrilla warfare and a proper invasion would indeed be too costly, yes." Sasuke answered, "But make no mistake— all these are no more than small skirmishes, too insignificant when considering a wider on a wider scale. Both these powers are in control of a major fraction of the entire charted world, after all."
Ariel gasped, trying to imagine the sheer scale of what Sasuke was talking about. It was somewhat hard to fully grasp, she was been a former slave- born and bred in captivity. Her entire world had been bound to a single cell for a long time and though she was now free, she sometimes struggled to understand how vast the greater world truly was despite her best efforts.
"The New World is the epicenter of all these struggles, a vast battlefield more bloody than any you might have ever seen before." Sasuke explained, "I know you plan on following me, even into that vast blue graveyard where countless pirates lurk but those seas are far more dangerous than these empty ones."
Ariel frowned, she could not understand why her companion, her savior, was so insistent upon visiting that place— but she was well aware that he was searching for something and that the recent clues he had received from those boisterous pirates all but pointed towards the direction of those seas where dangers unknown lurked.
She that Sasuke would not change his mind. But she also knew with absolute certainty that she would follow him, to the very end if she had to.
Sasuke broke the sullen quietness that had fallen over them with all the gravity the situation deserved, finally speaking his true thoughts out loud, "If you are serious about following me, then the only way you can realistically do so is by becoming stronger than what you are now."
Sasuke gave her one last chance to back out and she did not hesitate.
"So long as you lead the way," her expression was solemn, resolved. "I'd follow you to the Mary Geoise itself."
Sasuke looked at her, really looked for seemingly the first time as he wondered where the sudden devotion had come from. Then something clicked in his head as the pieces came together and he understood. She had nowhere else to go, did she?
Ariel had no reason to which she could dedicate her life before Sasuke rescued her other than freedom and that had not suddenly changed afterwards. It was not that she had no place to go to, he was sure that the revolutionary army would have no problem taking her, it was just that she had nothing to live for. This girl, perhaps he had misunderstood her from the very beginning. She was the type who needed a cause to fight for, a goal to strive for. She needed a purpose in her life other than simply living, something to give her life meaning. That is why she had yearned for freedom so fiercely, and why she seemed so ready to dedicate herself to him.
Like the boy who yearned for acknowledgment, this girl yearned for a purpose.
And who was he to refuse her?
Sasuke's raven bangs fluttered gently in the wind as he turned around to face his companion, who seemed to have no need to think about his questions. A small smile found its way to his lips as soon as he saw the resolute look on her face as she nodded.
"We're finally here." Ariel was pulled out of my thoughts by Sasuke's voice. She looked to her left to discover that Sasuke had paused a step behind her and looked around before her eyes fell on a majestic building to her left. She almost gasped, "I knew this was going to be huge but this is more than I ever expected. This hotel is massive, bigger than most of the buildings I've visited."
"Ariel," Sasuke called out when he saw that she had stepped into a path that had branched off the main route. His voice caused her to pause and glance back at him over her shoulder, her eyes questioning. "Where do you think you're going?"
She blinked at that before pointing down the road she stood on, at the mansion that lay at its end, "To the hotel of course,"
The mansion she was talking about was indeed massive. Three stories high, made from cream-colored bricks with a beautiful red-tiled roof. A good two dozen windows lined the wall of the first floor of the mansion alone, and there was a deck-sized pool not too far in front of the large double doors that were the main entrance to the place. Taking a rough estimate, Sasuke could tell that the mansion held a hundred rooms within its walls.
Unfortunately, while the place was beautiful it wasn't their destination. He might have said before that the rich and the powerful were truly an ostentatious bunch, showing off their wealth every chance they could, and this was no exception.
Sasuke raised a hand and pointed to the mansion she was walking towards. He couldn't stop the teasing smirk. "That isn't the hotel. That's the servants' quarters."
An interlude before the next arc truly begins, my version of the Sabaody Arc where major changes in canon would take place. I have already warned you all.
Anyways, thanks for reading, and have a nice day.