The Ultimate Worst Generation

by stringdog

The Straw Hats have arrived on their final stop before descending to Fish-man Island and onto the New World, the Sabaody Archipelago. However, they're not the only big name rookies present, they are just one of 14 rookie crews present and the other 13 all have big names as well. Mass deep crossover with Fairy Tail, My Hero Academia, Black Clover, Akame ga Kill, and RWBY.

9. Chapter 9: Setting Up for Marineford

Here is the ninth chapter in this story released in accordance with my upload schedule for this story. Chaos still runs rampant on Sabaody in the wake of Straw Hat Luffy's assault of Saint Charloss but many have managed to get away and so it's time to see how the 5 new crews flee but will a new bit of news change their plans or will they stick with them? Well, if they even realize what is being planned in Marineford that is. That is all that I have for the administrative stuff I have for y'all and while there are no questions that need answers but there is a guest review that needs a response and a question to posed to y'all that was asked in another review so I will do that now. Do keep them coming as your support is the best motivation for me to keep producing chapters at this kind of rate.

To KGBeastboy (guest), thank you for your reviews and suggestions which I will now address. In regards to Conqueror's Haki, my policy with this rare skill and the expansion of the series is that the I will not exceed the number of characters in One Piece that have it and this applies to canon and non-canon as well as alive or dead characters. As of the One Piece chapter at the time this chapter goes out there are 20 characters (18 canon and 2 non canon with 4 being dead) that have Conqueror's Haki and as such up to 20 new characters from the 5 crossover franchises will have it with the first one to be confirmed in this chapter so it is a limited number and I have a list of 20 characters who either will or are high candidates to have it and naturally I won't reveal who's made the cut. Certainly Esdeath is a character who could be in a broader field of characters that use it and so you'll have to wait and see if she does have it and that's all I'll say on that front. As for your suggestion about Leo, that's a good one and I've made a note of it in my outline to see if it works when I get to Dressrosa. That tournament is one thing I'm looking forward to adapting, I've got a lot of plans for it and it helps with other aspects of that arc so having Leo there does work. There is going to be some stuff to work out though so it's unclear if they all will enter or not and likely won't as I can see them being more Leo has to earn this himself rather than them assist him but we shall see when we get there. As with many things a lot will depend on how other aspects of this story develop but it's worth keeping in mind. As for Lady Nagant being part of the World Government, if she is going to appear then that is a given as it's the best adaptation of her to the One Piece universe though remember that she's an assassin not a spy so CP9 not CP0 would work better for her. Of course if she is present then there's no way she's not down in Level 6 of Impel Down. In regards to your suggestions for Impel Down, all I will say is that yes there will be an Impel Down arc in this story that will be the next arc but a little different and it's turned into a longer arc than I'd planned but I'm not complaining as it's allowed me to do something I usually wouldn't do but the circumstances work out so it's something to look forward to. In terms of the prisoners, certainly all of the ones listed would be in Impel Down if they've been captured though you'll have to wait and see if that's the case and which Levels they are in if so. Likewise their Devil Fruits, some are right on the money, some are a little off, and some are interesting ideas. Lastly your point with Jellal, yes he was awaiting execution and if he is doing the same this time then he'd be in Level 6 but I'm not going to do a double execution as it doesn't work and right now Jellal isn't that big of a fish for this. He will play a role; I've got stuff planned for him and his debut will come before the time skip arcs begin but as with other things you'll have to wait and see what happens there. Do keep reading and enjoying my work.

Anyway, that is enough for this long pre-chapter note so sit back and enjoy the ninth chapter in The Ultimate Worst Generation.

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to these great franchises.

Chapter 9: Setting Up for Marineford

While Melissa was swimming under the ship to release the air sack there so that they could sink, Momo was finishing her orders to Mina as she walked up the stairs to the quarterdeck that ran around the second level of the aftercastle. The lowest was the main common area for the crew as it was where the co-ed lounge, dining room and a small library were located with the kitchen and the boys' lounge directly underneath it on the first level below deck which also housed the cabins for most of the boys and the storage space under the forecastle.

The second level, by contrast, was almost entirely devoted to the medical bay of the ship. This hadn't been how it was set up in the initial layout of the ship but with their crew's, and mainly their Captain's, frequent habit of getting badly injured in pretty much any conflict they had there was a need for a dedicated medical bay including a surgical suite. As such it had been converted into one shortly after Momo joined the crew.

Originally the second level of the aftercastle was split into 8 equally sized cabins designed by the shipwright as quarters for the junior officers of the crew with only the front port cabin being set aside as the medical bay with a connecting door to the cabin next to it that was reserved for the crew's doctor. Finally, the top level of the aftercastle was reserved for the Captain's suite and two double sized cabins for the first mate and quartermaster and that level hadn't been changed.

However, what had been changed was that Tenya had decided not to take the cabin that he was entitled to and had instead taken two of the cabins in the back starboard corner so that one could serve as his office and the other as his personal quarters as there was a lot to manage so he felt that this was a better alternative. Thus the other cabin at the top was left vacant until the crew reached 20 and Izuku named Shoto his second mate and he moved to that cabin.

Therefore, to avoid moving Tenya and his work, his cabin and office were left as is and the ship was reorganized to handle the medical bay's expansion. The result of that expansion was that the back two portside cabins in the second level were turned into the surgical suite while the two front starboard ones became general recovery and long term non-surgical treatment cabins. Lastly, Momo's old cabin became her office where she could keep the crew's medical records. though she kept a cot in it, and the medical bay one became more a prep cabin and first aid station.

Honestly, it was for the better as the crew had gotten to a good enough size that they had to redo how they addressed the rooms and areas of the ship to accommodate that. The big change was that it allowed the crew to convert the lower level of the two-story forecastle into a dedicated girls' quarters complete with a nice lounge just for the 8 of them at the bow. However, the biggest benefit of the whole change was that it allowed them to ward off the crew's pervert Minoru as it was their space so to enter the boys, including the Captain, required express permission from all the girls unless it was an emergency.

This was also useful as the navigation room where Ochaco spent a good portion of her time and the more extensive library that Momo used were on the top level of the forecastle right below the helm making things easier for them to access them. Those rooms weren't off limit to the boys but as it was mainly the girls who used them it just worked better this way.

All that said, when all Momo was done with her current duties she didn't expect to make it back to the room she shared with Kyoka in the girls' quarters as surgery would drain her. So, once Katsuki was stable, Izuku's injuries only needed general first aid and light monitoring for the moment so someone else could tend to him, she was going to crash on her cot. That was still a fair bit off as Momo opened the door to the standard medical bay and walked in just as the bubble began to expand meaning that soon they'd be descending into the depths enroute to Fish-Man Island.

"Good, you're seeing to the Captain." Momo said with a smile as she walked in to find that Ochaco was already wrapping up Izuku's head in clean bandages as he lay on the exam bed his face clear of blood though a spot could be seen on the bandages where it had seeped through. "How bad was it?"

"A pretty bad cut to his hairline." Ochaco said not looking at Momo as she worked. "I cleaned it like you taught us to and had Mina disinfect it before applying the pad and bandages. You should still look at it later just to make sure."

"I will." Momo said looking at her Captain who had passed out and noted that Ochaco had put the bloody wipes in the medical waste can she kept in the room. "But the bubble should be formed soon enough so we will need you on deck as the navigator Ochaco. However, I don't want to leave Izuku alone after a head wound so please find someone to come monitor. I know that you would rather do it yourself but we're sailing underwater for the first time so we need you present."

"I understand." Ochaco said, she may struggle at times to hold back her feelings for Izuku which she'd locked away after accepting that she had then, but when it came to her role on the crew she could easily manage it. "Should I leave him here then?"

"Yes, he'll be fine, and the bed is designed to keep him safe and with someone around to look after him nothing should happen." Momo said as she walked to the back door. "How's Katsuki? Did the guys or give a report on his condition?"

"Eijiro said that he's strapped down and he, Rikido, and Hanta cut away his clothes as you taught us." Ochaco said and Momo nodded glad that she'd spent some of the long, peaceful, days they'd spent on the Grand Line drilling the entire crew on all manner of first aid as she wouldn't always be around especially if there was someone more gravely injured. "They put a towel over him to protect his modesty though."

"I keep telling the guys that it's no big deal when they're here, I am a doctor after all." Momo said. "It's perfectly natural and not lewd to be nude around me, well other than Minoru as he alone has to cover up."

"I know but it's natural to be modest especially when our doctor is our own age." Ochaco said secretly glad for it because even if it she knew that it wasn't sexual her jealousy might flare up if Momo saw Izuku like that. "Still, it's not an issue for you for this, is it?"

"No, the wound was to his abdomen so I'll leave it unless it really gets in the way or is a sterilization issue." Momo said as she reached the door in the back that led to the two small prep area of the surgical bay. "Is he strapped down? Things might get a bit bumpy during the descent."

"Yes and Mina came through just before you to fill the basin in there." Ochaco said which also implied that Mina had used one of the other doors in the operating suite to leave. "It's all you now."

"That's fine just have whoever replaces you send Melissa through once she's ready as I'll need some assistance." Momo said as she walked through the door. "This is going to take a while and only Melissa is to enter until I give the all clear."

She heard Ochaco reply in the affirmative, but she didn't respond as the door closed and Momo stepped into the operating suite. Between her own personal assets that she still had access to despite having been forced to leave her family and home behind her and the crew's decent financial surplus that Tenya managed they'd been able to turn this part of the ship into a surgical suite on par with anything short of a Navy battleship, if scaled down a bit.

Where one of the other cabins that had originally been there was now a sterile table in the middle of the space with the necessary monitoring equipment around it. One of the benefits of Mina's acid was that it could sterilize things so she had a job to make sure this room was sterilized after every use.

The rest of the former cabin had also been converted as in one corner was an industrial freezer where things that had to be kept cold, like the blood the crew donated for when needed, was kept. Meanwhile the wall between the front and rear cabins was covered in cabinets and draws that Momo personally maintained with the necessary tools for surgery.

As for the former cabin where Momo was now, it was blocked off from the surgical area by thick plastic sheets and contained several sets of unused scrubs and protective equipment, all in sterile wrappings. The rest of the area was taken up by a long metal bench with a large basin in the center of it that was currently filled with a viscous and slightly opaque looking liquid that served as the sterilization station of the room.

It all looked top of the range and expensive but for this they'd spared no expense as it was an investment in the health and welfare of the crew. Well, for the things they had to buy that was as most of the more straightforward stuff Momo could just make with her Create-Create Powers so they saved a ton of money that way which had ensured that they could get the best equipment that she couldn't make. Momo personally hated to flood the market with the permanent items that her Devil Fruit could create, this was for the crew so it was an exception.

Now it was time for her to do her job, she was the ship's doctor, and she took that position seriously. It wasn't just because the Might Pirates had saved her and invited her aboard when she thought she'd lose everything when she'd been forced to flee her home, though that did help, it was also because she was actually a qualified doctor and took that oath seriously. That said this was only her second surgery for the crew, and the last one had been on Izuku's right arm from his hand to his shoulder, so she was going to be very careful as she walked up to the basin and stuck her arms in it up to the elbows.

Momo grimaced slightly at the slight sting of the weak acid that Mina had filled it with, but it had to be strong enough to disinfect so it was going to sting a bit. Still, Mina could create this naturally so it was far cheaper than buying the surgical strength soap which made things easier and helped on various levels, so Momo wasn't going to complain as she rubbed her arms under the acid for a few seconds before pulling them out now that they were clean.

The moment her arms were free a pair of elbow length plastic gloves formed out of her skin as she active her Devil Fruit power already very familiar with the composition of surgical gloves. As she did she also formed a full surgical gown and the right footwear out of the rest of her body from the neck down excluding her forearms so that it covered her completely.

In the process her bikini popped off with and fell to the floor as her power came from her skin, but Momo ignored that and even made a fresh set of underwear to replace it and make sure that her chest wouldn't get in the way as she worked. All that was just natural to Momo and wasn't relevant now as she formed the surgical mask over her face and a special hair protector came out of her forehead that she used to cover her long black hair.

With all this done Momo finally turned and walked through the plastic to where Katsuki lay on the metal table naked save for what she recognized as one of the sterile towels she kept here that had been placed over his groin, with special straps around his wrists and ankles to hold him in place. That was needed as at that moment the ship sank and pitched forward a bit though only Momo had to steady herself with the movement as all of the equipment was specially made for ships so could withstand it.

Once things were settled Momo walked forward and began setting up the equipment. She'd already checked Katsuki over back on the deck and knew that he was stable thanks to a mix of Shoto's ice and his own higher than normal body temp due to his Devil Fruit coagulating his blood faster, but she still need to set up the monitors to keep track of his vitals, put the anesthesia mask on him, check the output and set up the transfusion as he had lost a fair bit of blood and would lose more due to the coming surgery.

All this Momo knew, she spent her free time reading, and, thanks to her near photographic memory, memorizing as much as she could with her focuses being on structures so she could make them with her Devil Fruit and the latest medical procedures and practices. As such she was able to quickly get the monitoring equipment in place and start the transfusion.

The final thing was the gas for the anesthesia to keep Katsuki under which she had to look over the chart that she kept in this suite, she had copies in all part of the medical bay, of the crews' heights and weights along with other medical information needed for anesthesia dosages. With that she was able to figure out what Katsuki needed and applied it.

It was as she was just finishing the calibration for the anesthesia machine and turning it on that Melissa, all scrubbed up with gloves, mask, and hair cover, walked into the suit as well. Momo looked up at the older girl who was the only one who had the steady hands needed to assist, lack of squeamishness, and was at the level of a nurse's qualifications that Momo mandated if you were to assist her in surgery.

It also helped that Melissa was a gifted engineer and understood science, so she'd been able to learn this in addition to her own duties as shipwright and assistant engineer. That said, the latter role really just boiled down to being Mei's minder when she was working with highly explosive components.

"Ready?" Momo asked her voice a little muffled by her mask as she pulled out a tray from a side cabinet that was on rails and came to the table as Melissa stepped up. "This is going to get bloody; I don't know the extent of the damage and I'm almost certain I'm going to have to remove some of his intestines as he was shot through them so it's going to take a while."

"We have time as it will take over a day to reach Fish-Man Island though being underwater and potentially having to fight off Sea Kings won't be ideal." Melissa said. "But don't worry Momo, I can do this. Just tell me what you need me to do."

"Good then first we remove the ice that Shoto used to help staunch the wound so that I can get a good look at what I'm dealing with." Momo said as she picked up the right tools. "I need you to do that and then monitor the bleeding before I go in."

With that Momo began Katsuki's successful surgery while the ship sailed under the waves and towards Fish-Man Island. Naturally, it wasn't the only thing of note going on on the All Might as they sank to the bottom of the ocean enroute to the New World.

---

"Sup quartermaster, I'm here to give my report." Toru said as she casually opened the door to the office half of the quartermaster's suite while knocking on the door which seemed a bit redundant. "And get the money I, er, liberated from those slavers counted so I can get my cut."

Toru had waited a few moments on deck as the bubble covered them before the ship sank and began its journey to Fish-Man Island. Then, once they were fully submerged and clearly on their way, she headed up to Tenya's quarters which he'd retired to right after Momo entered the medical bay to give her usual post island report and hand over any cash or jewelry that she'd acquired while on duty.

The main reason for waiting was to enjoy the experience of sinking below the waves and seeing the roots of the trees but she also did so to give Tenya time to get back to his work in his office where he was often holed up when they were at sea before she appeared. At least she'd not activated her Devil Fruit, that would just have been overkill.

"Do you have to be so casual, Toru?" Tenya asked not startled by her arrival this time as he looked up from the desk in the room where he was making notes in a ledger regarding their supplies and what they had in stock for the trip to Fish-Man Island so that he could determine if there was a need for rationing or now. "This is official crew business."

"Yeah but we're all friends here, basically family, at this point." Toru said as she went over to a table that had been set up where the bed had once been in this room and put the two bags she'd stolen and filled with cash on it and then began to divest herself of all the pouches she had on her before turning to look at Tenya. "And besides, I still respect your rank and position. I know that we couldn't operate the way we do without all the work you do ensuring that we run smoothly and with plenty of financial security."

As she spoke Toru took a look around the room as she always did. It didn't change much, just the standard office really with a desk, filing cabinets, several bookcases filled with ledgers and other essentials for Tenya to do his job, a table along the back wall, a door to his personal quarters, and a large, specially made safe that housed a portion of the crew's wealth.

Thanks to Tenya's accounting, and Toru's expert skill at looting of ill-gotten gains, they had a large cash surplus, the precise amount only Tenya and Izuku knew, and a good bit of convertible reserves in the form of treasure as well which ensured that they were able to always have supplies and get paid well. Add in the cost saving of Momo's Create-Create Fruit, as well as other Devil Fruits on the crew that Izuku had a knack for knowing how best to use, and they were one of the wealthiest rookie crews out there.

"Thank you for your confidence in my abilities." Tenya said as he turned in his chair to look at Toru as she leaned against the table. "And rest assured it's mutual as your spy craft is invaluable to us as well. The information and funds you procure are second to none as far as I know."

"Thank the Captain for that." Toru said with a smile. "He understood my Devil Fruit and its potential better than even I did. It's thanks to him that I've been able to put it to good use though I am a natural at stealth, that's all me."

"There is a reason why he's the Captain." Tenya said. "Alright, I know that you're eager to be off duty so what's the report? Just lay it all on me as I expect there is a lot to report given how quickly we had to get off Sabaody."

Toru smiled more broadly at that. Tenya was the crew's quartermaster just as she was the spymaster because it was his best role on the crew. There wasn't anyone else as meticulous, organized, detailed, or frankly as anal, as Tenya and it was this anal nature ensured that the crew ran smoothly.

One such example of the smooth operations of the crew was the shift schedule that Tenya had put in place once they reached a certain size. Those on the crew who didn't have highly specialized roles were split into groups so that when they were at sea they had 6 hours on duty, 6 hours off to do as they pleased, 6 hours that they had to spend training or otherwise improving themselves, and 6 hours that they had to sleep for.

It worked out really well and ensured that at least a quarter, or close to it, of the crew was active at any one time. There were exceptions to this and Toru was the biggest one as she was always on duty when they made landfall due to her specialized role. As such she was always off duty when the ship was at though she was fully expected to get at least 6 hours of sleep and maintain her physical, mental, and Devil Fruit training, which she did, while also being activated in times of emergency.

Toru didn't oppose any of this and acknowledged that it was a good tradeoff which was why she was eager to get this over with and officially be off the clock so she could enjoy the experience of sailing underwater. As such she quickly and concisely gave her report on the slave auction as that was the most important thing while making sure to not leave anything out.

"I see." Tenya said as he listened carefully to Toru's report and made notes in one of his many notebooks that he'd likely pass on to Izuku when this was over and Izuku was cleared by Momo for duty. "So, you saw the incident then but not much more. A shame, to see the Straw Hats in action would be something."

"I saw the punch and let me tell you that asshole deserved it." Toru said recalling the moment that Straw Hat Luffy had sparked the chaos on Sabaody as she'd never forget it or the defiance the insane Captain had shown. "And I saw enough to know that if we were to fight them that it would be a problem, especially Pirate Hunter Zoro as we don't have anyone who really uses a weapon. Momo uses a bow staff and Kyoka has some minor skills with a machete but that's about it."

"Interesting, well then we'd better start working on potential counters based on what you found out though I feel that the Cat Burglar's penchant for using lightning attacks can be neutralized by Denki quite well." Tenya said tapping the end of his pen on his chin as he thought though when it came to battle strategy and counters there was no one better on the crew than Izuku at that. "And you're sure that they can't tie you to us? You did say that Cyborg Franky saw you."

"He did but he was aware of my presence so that was a tactical decision to prove that he doesn't have cybernetic eyes that can see through my Devil Fruit." Toru said with a shrug. "Plus, I was able to give him the keys which will help us long term. It's not like there aren't people who know my face, they just don't know that I'm a Might Pirate as well and I certainly didn't divulge that to Franky."

"True, very well that is useful at least." Tenya said as he got up and went to the bags while Toru moved around him and took his seat while Tenya counted the cash as it was the only one in the room. "And you got all this from the slavers, not bad. I naturally disagree with stealing, but these are illicit gains acquired from a heinous and evil practice so it's fair for us to take them and use them for our own purposes."

"Just don't forget my cut." Toru said with a grin as Tenya began to pull out the stacks of cash and count them. "10% of whatever I acquire for the crew is mine and it wasn't easy getting all of this."

"It is more than you usually manage so I commend you, Toru." Tenya said as he counted his tone neutral but he was amazed at how much Toru had stolen this time as it was significantly more than normal. "Two whole cases and several bags. You also said that you got documents, right?"

"Yup, they're right here." Toru said as she pulled out the documents from a separate pouch that she'd not emptied, they were folded but easily legible. "I figured that they could at least tell us who owns it, or who's the next up in the chain as I doubt the person is using his or her real name, so we can sell that intel. You know that the Night Pirates would pay top berry for it and that they'd take care of the head honcho if possible."

"Yes, while I disagree with their extrajudicial methods they do at least only go for those who deserve to be imprisoned if nothing else." Tenya said as Toru unfolded the papers and placed them on the desk, noting in the process that the top one was a correspondence with someone called Joker. "I'd rather just take this guy out ourselves and then give him over to my brother to deal with. I may not see eye to eye with Tensei about how best to go about things, but he is still an honorable marine."

"Having a marine ally like him is useful though we do have to deal with Shoto's father wanting to roast our hides for stealing his creation away from him." Toru said. "He's tough, not even the Captain can handle him yet."

"That's a bridge we'll cross when the time comes but we will need to train hard if we're to stand up to Vice-Admirals let alone the Admirals themselves." Tenya said as he counted. "I'll review the documents later and see what to do with them but they're a priority."

"Good though it may be best to leave this to the Night Pirates if we can sell them the intel as I've now seen what has to be their trump card." Toru said with a slight shudder that Tenya didn't see. "And they might be stronger than us, or at least one of them might be, and they have no compunctions killing."

"Really well that is valuable intel." Tenya said his interest peaked by the tone of Toru's voice. "What did you learn?"

"I learned why the Adaptive Monster is called a monster." Toru said. "It's not in any of the wanted posters or reports likely to avoid panic, or maybe it's to cover something up knowing the Navy, but their swordsman Tatsumi has a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit. It's no wonder that his bounty is well over 200 million with that power."

"Ah so that's what you meant earlier." Tenya said as he moved onto the second bag that was the same size and just as well packed with cash but he had to count all of it so that he had an accurate accounting of the new finances following their time on Sabaody. "What kind? They may be the strongest of the Zoan types, potentially stronger than Logias in some cases, but even with them there's a gradient. We alas don't have a Mythical Zoan on the crew, that would be useful."

"Tell me about it, that white dragon that brought the Captain, Katsuki, and Shoto looked very pretty and strong, but I don't think it was as strong as Tatsumi's." Toru said. "All I could tell was that it looked like a dragon type so likely it's from the Fish-Fish line if I had to guess and it was big and scary. You could feel the savagery that Tatsumi had when he was in his beast form, and he wasted no time in using his fire breath to obliterate the marines present."

"The Night Pirates have declared war on the Navy so that is a valid target even if rank and file soldiers aren't culpable for the crimes of their superiors." Tenya said a hint of worry in his voice for his brother as the Night Pirates wouldn't hesitate to kill Tensei if he stood in their way despite Tensei not being corrupt or pursuing Absolute Justice like many of the officers did and which they used to justify acts of evil. "But I take it that it was a lot."

"Not sure how many but he reduced all of them to ash." Toru said shuddering again and knowing that she'd probably have a few nightmares after what she saw. "That fire, it's significantly hotter than Shoto's and that's just the Devil Fruit power of one of them. If we have to fight them we'd lose as we are now."

"Good thing we don't have to do that as we have no reason to fight them." Tenya said as he finished counting and began to do some calculations before he began to separate some of the cash from the rest of it. "But thanks for the intel, I'll update the records and make sure to report all this to the Captain when he's cleared. He may have an idea for what to do about the documents and how best to address the Night Pirates should our paths cross."

"True no one knows Devil Fruits or battle strategy like Izuku." Toru said smiling as Tenya finished removing her cut of the loot, well the cash part at least. "So? How much did I liberate?"

"In total you managed to 420 million berries in cash so not bad at all." Tenya said as he picked up the stacks for her and then turned and brough them to her. "Must have been a big auction recently to have that much. Good thing you got it all as this will ruin them if that incident hasn't already."

"Thanks, I do my best." Toru said as she happily accepted her 42 million berries cut and put it in one of her pouches. "And the gems? I got a fair bit of them as well so what's my cut of their sale going to be?"

"Momo will appraise them once she's recovered from surgery and is back on duty." Tenya said as he went back to the cash and began to split it up more so that it could be put in the various safes that had been set up around the ship, all of which had been specially built by Mei, so that not all of their cash was in one place. "So when we get it converted to cash you'll get your cut as is the agreement when it comes to the hard treasure you acquire. However, my untrained eye says that it's in the 150 to 250 million range. A really good haul for the New World and enough to ensure a little bonus for the rest of the crew."

"I am a master of my craft." Toru said with a grin as she stood up. "But if that's all I'd like to be dismissed."

"Of course, you're officially off duty Toru." Tenya said which as quartermaster he could grant though if Izuku, or at the moment Shoto due to both Izuku and Katsuki being out of commission, required it she could be put back on active duty but that was highly unlikely. "Do remember to get something to eat and rest though."

"Will do." Toru said glad that the kitchen was always stocked with easy to reheat food, cold options, pastries, and snacks even when their cook, Rikido, wasn't on duty. "Let me know if you need me quartermaster."

Tenya just nodded and Toru took that as a sign that she could leave which she did, turning and exiting the office cabin and closing the door behind her. As she did Tenya returned to his books to update the accounts to reflect that the crew now had over 1 billion berries in cash and about half that in convertible treasure and gems so they were more than set for the New World.

Naturally, Toru didn't know the finite details of the crew's wealth, she'd just done her job and it was time to enjoy the journey. Already they were pretty deep, and as Toru exited Tenya's office she immediately felt a chill run over her, so she hurried around the deck and down the stairs to the main deck and across it towards the girls' quarters while ignoring any chatter that was currently going on on the deck. After all, she had to get to her cabin to store her cut and get something warm on so she didn't have time to hang out with the others who'd gathered on deck to enjoy the sights and chat during this part of the journey.

She did get some calls from her friends, but she just waved them off as she made her way to the single door that led off the deck to the girls' quarter and punched in the special code that Mei changed at random to keep the area off limits to the boys, mainly the little pervert who was currently on duty it seemed, and slipped in. Toru wanted to be quick as she did want to enjoy the sights of the descent to Fish-Man Island with her friends as well.

The girls' quarters were simple, it was a corridor leading to a door at the far end with its own single door and 8 doors off it, 4 on either side. The door at the end led to a storage area for their excess stuff, mainly Mei's junk that worked, or had the potential to work, but wasn't needed at the moment, as well as one of the safes stashed on the ship which only Momo had access to and a toilet for the girls to use, while the doors on either side led to the cabins.

All the cabins on the ship bar the ones for Izuku and his 3 most senior officers were two person of the same design, a set of bunks in the far wall, one above and one below the porthole in the girl's case, two desks with chairs next to two standing lockers on the side walls that were placed such that they didn't get in the way of each other, and two trunks under the bottom bunk. It was a little cramped and simple but as they usually only used their rooms to sleep or change so it wasn't really that much of an issue to them especially as everyone had their own sleep schedule.

For Toru she shared the second cabin on the port side with Mina and had the top bunk, a simple wooden box that was attached to the walls of the cabin with a comfy mattress Momo made and plenty of blankets and pillows all cute and light pink in Toru's case. She quickly went into her cabin and closed the door behind her. Mina wasn't present, she wasn't on the deck either though so Toru presumed that she'd been roped into aiding Izuku in the medical bay as her acid had disinfectant properties if the concentration was low enough, which meant that she often aided in first aid.

That was fine with Toru as she went to the bunks and knelt down to pull out her case that she unlocked with a key she always kept on her a small chain around her neck so that she could always render it invisible except for when she needed to unlock her trunk. Once it was open she quickly pulled out her cut and added it to the stacks of cash and bags of gems and jewelry, while she would get a cut of the sale of latter that she stole she could request portions of it on occasion, that she had in it that she'd earned as part of the crew.

Unlike the others, she didn't get the standard pay based on the payment schedule that Tenya had created. No, instead Toru got 10% of what she acquired due to the dangers involved in her covert actions and thanks to her skills that meant that she was paid more than what the others got overall even if so her payments were sporadic. Currently she had well over 300 million berries stashed away and that was just the cash that she had.

As such Toru was able to enjoy a comfortable time when off duty and on shore leave and get what she wanted be it clothes, cute items, or tasty food. At the moment she was especially looking forward to doing some shopping in Fish-Man Island. Apparently they not only had some of the finest candy in the world and the famous Mermaid Café but they also had some great shops there and a few high-end designers so the girls, including Mei who was going to be dragged if necessary, were going to have a day together and Toru's latest payment would ensure she had a good time.

Yup, things were good for her, and she loved her crew and role, so she quickly closed and locked the case, slid it back under the bunk, and put her key away before she stood up and turned to her locker. Quickly she stripped out of her clothes to just her underwear, which as she just wore a tank top and shorts wasn't much, took off her pouches and knives, and picked them all up as she opened her locker. Inside was a few things hanging and some shelves for normal clothes. She put her equipment on a shelf at the top, her dirty clothes in a drawer she reserved for them, and pulled out one of her favorite items.

It was a full body suit, fluffy, pajama suit made to look like a panda that she'd picked up on one of the islands that they'd stopped at along the way. It was perfect for the cold, and she pulled it on and zipped it up before pulling the hood over her head so that only her face was free and enjoyed the warmth of it for a moment. It was just what she needed to relax and enjoy the journey in.

With that done she closed the locker, turned, and left the cabin making sure to close the door on the way out before heading back to the deck. By this point most of the crew was out and on it in various places either enjoying the sights or doing whatever it was that they had to do while on duty. Regardless, all were wrapped up as it was getting pretty chilly.

Most of those on duty were busy cleaning the deck or hauling supplies around from what Toru could see so she left them to it and made her way to a group of the girls who were either off duty at the moment or in Ochaco's case on duty but could sit around due to the specifics of her position in the crew. The others who were with Ochaco were Mei, Tsu, and Kyoka who were chilling around the mast though as Toru approached Tsu, a short girl with fair skin and long, dark green, hair who was especially bundled up due to the side effect of her Frog-Frog Fruit making her cold blooded, had just opened a newspaper and gasped.

"I guess my timing isn't great." Toru said as she reached them. "Something big going down, Tsu? Given how recent Straw Hat's actions are it can't be that."

"Oh, hey Toru, you off duty then?" Ochaco who'd thrown on a green hoodie that was clearly too big for her and Toru suspected belonged to a certain Captain of theirs, said as she looked up at Toru. "Oh, you've broken out your cute pajamas. They really suit you."

"I agree." Kyoka said. "I could never pull that off."

"Yeah but I can't pull off punk the way you do so we all have our styles." Toru said smiling at the slim, punk themed, dark-haired girl who was the crew's musician as well as being one of the recon specialists on the crew and the first part of Toru's spy team, and of course a good friend. "But thanks, I do like this outfit."

"It was a good find and perfect for your cute style." Tsu said as she read the paper not looking up. "I'm glad we hit a winter store early in the Grand Line, ribbit, I'd be hibernating right now if it wasn't for these special thermal clothes."

"It was a fun trip, wasn't it." Toru said recalling that excursion that they had after helping rebuild an island following an incident with a Warlord. "Anyway, what's the news? I was just giving my own report, so I don't know what's going on elsewhere on the ship."

"Katsuki's in surgery right now and Mina's looking after Deku as she's on duty right now so between that and her higher than average first aid skills she's best suited to make sure he remains stable." Ochaco said. "Momo thinks that he'll be fine, but I can't be with him as we need the navigator on deck right now."

"Understandable but the Captain is super resilient, you know that." Toru said. "He's been more beat up than the rest of us combined until now and always come back stronger."

"I know and I tended to him first, so he just needs monitoring." Ochaco said with a small smile. "I'm sure Mina will annoy me later, but she is the best for it especially if Momo or Melissa need more disinfectant during or after Katsuki's surgery."

"She is the best for that but yeah better you than me." Toru said not envying Ochaco in the least as while Mina was great, she loved to live vicariously through the love lives of the crew and the crushes some of the girls had were very clear to Mina no matter how hard they tried to hide or deny them. "That's good though, I presume Katsuki will be fine."

"Momo knows what she's doing." Tsu said. "So, he's in good hands. Ribbit."

"And Melissa is a great assistant." Mei added as she raised her wrists and jingled the cuffs that Melissa had slapped on her the moment that the coating was complete. "Say, do any of you have the key? I want out of these so I can tinker with something down in my secondary workshop."

"No." All four girls said in unison.

"You're cuffed for a reason Mei." Tsu said. "We can't have an accidental explosion underwater where you don't have access to your main workshop due to the bubble."

"Yeah the bubble will let things in and out, but the force of your blasts is too much." Ochaco said. "I checked and I'm sure you'd break it."

"Plus, all four of us are Devil Fruit users." Kyoka pointed out and Toru for one was really fond of Kyoka's Ear-Ear Fruit powers as it made her unmatched in long range recon and espionage that was vital to Toru's own work. "So, we can't touch them either."

"And we don't want to drown." Toru said. "Which we'd do at this depth even with your floatation devices seeing as none of us can swim."

"Fine but I'm going wild in the New World." Mei said with a pout. "The moment we enter those waters I'm back on duty."

The other girls just accepted that. They all liked Mei and she was a valued member of the crew who kept them safe and provided items that really enhanced their combat abilities but her failure rate, which she wasn't afraid of, was through the roof and a Mei failure usually involved an explosion even Katsuki couldn't produce. As such so she had to, at times, be drained of energy for her own protection and this was on such occasion.

"Anyway." Toru said. "Back to what I asked when I joined you; what was that gasp for Tsu?"

"Oh right, sorry, just really big news." Tsu said as she flipped back to the article that had gotten the reaction. "It says here that the Navy is going to execute Fire Fist Ace in a week's time."

"First Fist Ace?" Mei asked confused. "Who's he?"

"He's the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates." Toru said not surprised that Mei had no clue who he was given her habit of focusing solely on her work. "His bounty is 550 million and he's a Logia type, fire to be precise hence the moniker. I didn't realize that he'd been captured. Who nabbed him?"

"Says here that some upstart pirate called Blackbeard caught him and handed him over to the Navy in exchange for replacing Crocodile as a Warlord." Tsu noted. "He didn't even have a bounty to begin with. That is pretty interesting, ribbit."

"This isn't good, is it?" Kyoka asked. "We all know Whitebeard's reputation even if none of us have ever met the man."

"No, it's not." Toru said. "The Navy knows that Whitebeard won't accept this. He'll attack with his full force in order to save Ace. Does it say where the execution is taking place?"

"Marineford, which is by far the most sensible location given the hornet's nest that they're kicking with this." Tsu said. "And it will be broadcast to Sabaody. They're making a spectacle of it but it makes sense given that they haven't had a big-name execution since Gold Roger and that was before our time."

"Wait if it's being broadcast then I can use my new baby!" Mei said excitedly perking up at the idea of using one of her inventions. "We can watch it even though we're not going to be on Sabaody for it."

"We can?" Ochaco asked. "I know we've all seen death before, but this is a bit morbid."

"It's not about the death that will be shown, it's about the war and the implications of it." Tsu said understanding why the Navy was broadcasting it and why it was important that they watch it if they could. "If the Navy wins they might take down Whitebeard, that's huge."

"It would throw things out of balance though." Toru said. "The man does have a bounty that exceed 5 billion, it's the highest out there and he's the top of the 8 Emperors so taking him down could cause a massive power vacuum."

"Yes but still it's something they're broadcasting for a reason as a win will still show their strength against the strongest man alive." Tsu said putting the paper down and looking at Mei. "You can help us watch it, Mei?"

"Yup, I've been working on a new device to add to various kinds of transponder snails that will allow us to hijack Navy broadcasts be their visual or audio ones." Mei said happily and Toru had to give it to the other girl it was a great idea and would allow them to gather intel even while at sea. "Mainly for the latter so that we can intercept orders that are in our area and thus use that knowledge to avoid the Navy but there is one for video. I'll need Melissa's help to fine tune it and boost the range so I'll likely have to get stuff from Fish-Man Island or have Momo make them, but I can manage it. I'll get on it now."

"Will it blow up?" Ochaco asked as Mei began heading to the hatch on the deck that led to the under-deck levels. "This doesn't sound like it can but knowing you…"

"There's always a chance of an explosion e so I'm going to bring it up here and work on the deck." Mei said. "I promise, don't worry."

"I always worry with you." Ochaco said but Mei just smiled, opened the hatch, and hopped down. "But this is big. We should let Deku know as soon as he's been cleared to return to duty."

"Agreed." Tsu said. "We can't miss this because who knows what will happen when the Navy tries to execute Ace. It will be something to do while we are in Fish-Man Island."

"Regardless of the outcome, this will change the world." Toru said. "Feels like that's been happening a lot and that we're a part of it."

The others nodded at that because it was true, they'd been part of the incident in Sabaody where their three strongest members all fought, and Toru had seen the punch that started it while they'd also done a lot along the way to the New World including taking down a Warlord. This, though, was something else and as the crew was informed of the news and potential plan to watch it, they all wondered what was to come when they reached Fish-Man Island and tuned in to the execution of Fire Fist Ace.

---

At Yami's words Noelle took the helm while Magna, one of the few on the crew without a Devil Fruit power, leapt over the side and dove into the water to swim under the ship and release the air from the sack there so that it could fill the bubble. Naturally, Noelle was worried for Asta but that would come in time, first they needed to get out of here and that would come as Yami used his Void-Void powers to get down to the deck.

No one said a thing while the only sound was the steady movement of bricks as Henry returned the ship to normal from the makeshift landing pad he'd made for that Mythical Zoan dragon, who'd only used it to leave though only Yami saw the human form of the dragon when she'd turned back to normal for the initial landing. Regardless, they'd helped the Fairy Tail Pirates so had a favor to cash in with them and now it was time to head to the New World.

That moment was almost upon them as the strange membrane that they were standing on suddenly started to expand and cover them. It was a lot like the bubbles on Sabaody in fact and Noelle made a note of that to no one in particular as it moved up her body.

"It's like the bubbles we used for our purchases and vehicles on Sabaody." Noelle said. "Only bigger."

"That's because it is, just a different application of them." Finral said. "The mechanic who coated the ship said that it will protect us underwater and at depths that no submarine can reach. With the ship inside it we'll naturally sink so the only thing keeping us buoyant at the moment is the air sack."

"Which I've sorted out." Magna said with a few deep breaths as he clambered over the side having flipped the lever as requested and returned to the ship while silently thanking Henry for making a ladder jut out of the side of the ship so that he could climb back up to the deck. "So, we should be good to go."

"That we are." Yami said as he raised his voice so that Henry could hear him wherever he was. "Henry, raise the anchor, Noelle hard to port and take us out to sea as we sink."

"Yes Captain." Noelle said as there was a grating sound and Henry used his powers to raise the anchor and Noelle spun the helm to port as she connected with the water around the ship to aid them in a swift getaway as the bubble reached its max inflation.

"It's time to head to the New World." Yami said with a grin as a wet Magna went to go get dry and change below deck. "This is going to be fun and really force us to surpass our limits."

Noelle didn't really agree with her Captain's idea of fun, but she didn't say anything as she steadied the ship, and it began to sink. The process wasn't slow, they swiftly fell below the waves and soon the water was above them as they began to sail downwards, and Noelle managed the helm while doing her best to connect to the water outside the bubble to keep them steady as they sank.

She did this for a good few moments as they descended but after a while it became clear that they were away from Sabaody and that nothing was going on. Plus she'd gotten used to the new sensation of the bubble so now she could feel the currents underwater just as well as she could while sailing on it and could tell that they weren't going to be dealing with anything major for a while. As such she looked at Finral.

"Am I needed at the moment?" Noelle asked Finral as the ship steadily sank deeper into the ocean, the light fading but the roots of the mangrove trees that made up Sabaody still visible, an impressive sight that Noelle was awed by but didn't show it. "Or can I be dismissed for a bit."

"Well, we don't really need to do much for a while." Finral said as he pulled out the instructions that the coating mechanic had given him. "We just sink and let the currents work as wind for the sails, but actual steering and navigation doesn't occur for a few thousand feet."

"That means that you're on call Noelle as we will need your powers at some point but for now you can relax." Yami said as he looked out at the sea life around them. "We'll be slowly descending for a while."

"Thank you." Noelle said as she let go of the helm before she turned and headed to the eclectic aftercastle.

In keeping with the odd design of the ship the layout was slightly confusing and prone to changing around, at least internally, as Henry adapted the ship to the needs of the sea. Regardless there were still a few things that remained generally the same even if there was a slight shift here or there in terms of how large the rooms were.

One such area was the two-story forecastle. The lower level that you entered from the deck housed the kitchen and a larger than needed dining room for the crew where they could always get great food curtesy of Charmy. She was a big eater and a top tier cook hence why she held that role on the crew, so she always made sure that food was available, and her Cotton-Cotton Powers made catching fish easy. The fact that Charmy was the cook also meant that the level above it was the girls' quarters and housed the 5 single cabins for the 5 women on the crew and a small but comfortable bathhouse just for them.

Naturally, the men, not even the Captain, weren't allowed there at all, and Vanessa had set up traps to prevent it. Instead, most of the first level below decks served as their cabins so there was a bath house and bathroom was there for them as well.

The exceptions were Yami, Nacht, and Henry who all had cabins in the upper levels of the aftercastle. Those weren't where Noelle was going, however, as she quickly climbed the stairs on the side to the second level of the aftercastle, the deck level was the largest single room that was the crew's common room where most of them hung out as it was comfy and had a well-stocked bar, and made her way to the medical bay that was one of the rooms on the second level alongside the navigation room and library.

The reason for this was obvious, Asta. Noelle was naturally worried about her friend and battle partner after he'd once again come back from combat unconscious, so she was going to quickly check on him to make sure that he was healed up by Nero and that nothing was wrong with him. That was of course the only reason why Noelle was doing this, not for any other motives or to make sure that Nero wasn't doing anything she'd disapprove of with Asta that she wanted to do herself, not at all.

"How is he?" Noelle asked before her thoughts could go to a place she'd have to deny as she entered the medical bay, a simple room with a medical bed, charts, desk, chair, and cabinets filled with the necessary medicine and tools that Nero would need in carrying out her duties as the ship's de facto doctor even if she didn't have the qualifications for the role. "Nothing serious, right?"

Nero was sitting at the desk making notes in a book she kept regarding the crew's injuries just in case they ever recruited someone more suited to the role of ship's doctor than she was and not looking over Asta who was shirtless and on his back with bandages around his chest and head. There didn't appear to be any blood though and judging by his breathing he was just sleeping so his injuries shouldn't be serious.

"No, he's alright, just some cuts that I had to remove the occasional splinter from before I disinfected and sealed up and a few bruises that he'll feel for a day or two." Nero said as she put down her pen and swivel the chair to look at Asta. "Being blasted through a few buildings is nothing for Asta. He's been through a lot worse."

"True, he is a complete meathead." Noelle said with a small smile at the fact that Asta would be ok. "Do you know what happened? We kinda left in a hurry and I didn't have time to see if the Vice-Captain was around to question."

"Yes, Nacht swung by on his way to his quarters to tell me so that I'd know what I was dealing with." Nero said. "When Asta and Yami faced Admiral Kizaru, the Admiral was clearly aware of the extent of Asta's Anti-Anti Fruit powers and kept away from the coated swords Asta uses to extend the reach of his powers. Then he used his Glint-Glint powers to blast light into Asta's face."

"But if Asta's powers weren't suppressed, which they never are in battle, then surely that wouldn't work." Noelle said. "The effects of Devil Fruits are negated the moment they touch him. It's a really useful defense."

"The effects are but that doesn't mean he nullifies the force behind them as you well know." Nero pointed out which Noelle had to concede she did as she often blasted Asta with water when he frustrated her, which was actually a way to hide her own insecurities around him, and Noelle couldn't control the water after it touched Asta it still touched him. "Kizaru must have realized that as well and used the force of the impact of his power with Asta's face to blast him back. His light attacks are even faster than what we saw in Clover so there's no dodging it, at least not at the range according to Nacht. The light itself may not affect Asta but the raw kinetic power did. That was what blasted him back."

"I see." Noelle said understanding how Asta had been hurt. "Well so long as he's better, I couldn't bear for him to die on us…as a friend of course."

"You know you don't need to lie or deny it around me." Nero said with a slight sigh as she'd long ago noticed Noelle's feelings for Asta and as they'd all joined the crew at the same time she was close to Noelle, but the silver haired girl still couldn't admit the truth to herself even when Nero made it clear that she had no romantic interest in Asta. "You can be honest when it's just us."

"I am honest!" Noelle said flushing red as her denials kicked in and she turned around quickly. "Anyway, if Asta's ok then let's got up to the deck above the girls' quarters and see the sea in ways few who aren't fish-men or mermaids do. I've been told that it is quite amazing and from what I've already seen that is seeming likely."

"Sure." Nero said with another sigh, but it was futile to get Noelle to realize the truth as it was something she'd have to come to in her own time. "We'll need coats anyway."

"Huh?" Noelle asked as Nero got up and they left the med bay. "We'll need coats?"

"It's cold down here because light doesn't reach the depths." Nero said. "So, we'll need to wear coats to stay warm though if we hit an underwater volcano it will heat up but with you around we can avoid any issues there."

"Oh, I see." Noelle said as they walked out onto the deck. "Very well that's a good idea."

Just as they did, however, Finral, who was still on the deck with Yami, voiced something he'd noticed back on Sabaody but hadn't vocalized until they were safely on their way away from the archipelago. That and he'd been looking over the instructions to see if it was in there but it wasn't so he decided to ask his Captain because if anyone would know it would be him.

"Hey, Captain Yami." Finral said as Nero and Noelle descended to the deck and Yami, who was looking out at the fish as he thought on his return to the New World while smoking his latest cigarette, turned his head to glance at Finral who was now holding up the Log Pose on his wrist which showed a steep downward point on the needle. "Is there a second location underwater?"

"A second location?" Noelle asked confused as her and Nero came up short to look at Finral the question peaking her interest despite the chilliness she was starting to feel. "Isn't it just Fish-Man Island?"

"I thought so too but earlier while I was shopping for supplies I ran into this really cute redhead with a log pose so I tried to get a date from her using our shared navigation skills." Finral said which got deadpan looks from Nero and Noelle at the expected actions from their navigator. "Hey, don't look at me like that."

"You were rejected, weren't you." Noelle said.

"Hard I bet." Nero said as something twinged in her mind. "A redhead navigator, I have a feeling I know who that might be."

"She did try to charge me for talking to her and get me to pay for what she was buying before telling me that she was the best navigator on the seas, rather bossy and arrogant actually." Finral said defensively and not admitting that he had, in fact, been rejected hard. "But she did seem confused that my needle had a lower gradient than hers, so I thought that there'd be something in the instructions about it but there's not, so I decided to ask the Captain about it as he might know having come from the New World originally."

"Not a bad decision Finral because yes there is a second location that might be reached by the Log Pose but it's a lot rarer for it to point to it." Yami said as he took a puff on his cigarette. "From what I heard there is only one path along the Grand Line that can cause the Log Pose to point to it as the other point to Fish-Man Island. Seems like we took that path, and we'll stick to it."

"Wait so we're not going to Fish-Man Island?" Noelle asked confused.

"It would appear not." Yami said a smile appearing on his face, one that the girls and Finral didn't like one bit. "We're going deeper so it's going to be more dangerous, and we'll need you on the helm in due course Noelle because it could get dicey. Few can make it to this location as it is some 13000 meters below sea level but if we can it should be worth it as few see this place."

"What place?" Nero asked. "If it's so hard to get to then surely there's something interesting there."

"And how do you know about it?" Noelle asked. "You've only spoken of Fish-Man Island until now."

"Because I thought we were going there as well but Julius told me about the other potential location before we left Clover after the little incident we resolved there." Yami said. "He said that we may end up there so we should know about it. It's called the Undersea Temple and it's the only known pure human inhabited location under the water though they are an isolated culture similar to the Kuja Tribe in terms of being cut off from the rest of the world. It doesn't help their trade that they are deeper and further along from Fish-Man Island but we should be able restock there. Julius said it was interesting which knowing him means dangerous and a good test of our limits."

"He is like that." Nero noted while Noelle nodded at the memory of Yami's close friend and mentor back in the Clover Kingdom. "Alright but if it's under the sea then how can the Log Pose reset there?"

"Yes, Fish-Man Island is an island so that works but not this." Finral added. "I'm confused."

"This is the Grand Line; things are odd here." Yami said which was the only explanation needed. "So, deal with it. We're going to the Undersea Temple and that's final."

Captain's orders were, well, Captain's orders so they all nodded accepting it and mentally preparing. It would be a while before they reached this place though so they could enjoy the descent and maybe deal with some, as Yami put it, minor attacks from Sea Kings.

As such Nero and Noelle went to get coats and see if the other girls wanted to enjoy the sights as well as the Black Bull Pirates made their way to the New World. As they did they were unaware of what was waiting for them in the Undersea Temple or how they'd be able to see the events that would herald in a new era while they were there.

---

"Oh Lucy, your back, hurf…" Natsu said as Lucy rose from her crouch and turned to see that her Captain, best friend, and, well, something she was not yet ready to admitted to herself, was lying on the deck looking green. "…that means that, oh god, urph, we can go, right? Lower the…hurf, sails and…urgh I'm going to die…"

Lucy sighed as she looked at Natsu and made her way over to him as the sound of the anchor being hoisted could be heard and the sails were unfurled as Erza and Gray leapt from the top level and used their weights to do so already knowing that it was time to set sail now that Lucy and Juvia had completed the crew's return to the Mavis. As they were Juvia spun the wheel on the foredeck and the ship turned, the wind catching in the sail and taking them away from Sabaody. As it did they hit a small wave a rocked and Natsu almost hurled, again.

"I still don't get this seasickness you Fish-Fish users suffer from." Lucy said kindly as she sat down on the deck and rested her back against the wooden barrier around the ship as she helped Natsu's head into her lap so she could stroke his hair and comfort him as it seemed to soothe him during the worst of it though she'd deny to anyone that she enjoyed this as well, so long as Natsu didn't vomit on her which was unfortunately rather common. "Why is it the case?"

"I don't know but it feels like I'm going to die, hurf." Natsu moaned as Gray, and Erza came over to join them while a small blue thing flew down from the poop deck to land in front of them. "Urgh, this is bad."

"The waves are calm Natsu." Erza said as she sat down. "But even still waters cause this if he's been on land for a longer than 24 hours."

"It's just something that you have to accept with Natsu even if it makes no sense." The blue thing said with a shrug as it landed, and the wings folded in and vanished. "And besides, this means that Lucy can show how much she loves Natsu."

"Shut it cat." Lucy growled as the cat-like creature, it resembled a blue cat with a white belly only it was anthropomorphic and stood a few inches tall, put emphasis on the word 'love' before chuckling behind his paw. "How the hell are you our first mate? This means that you're in charge right now while Natsu is sick, Happy."

As odd as it had been for Lucy to accept it, the blue thing was indeed their first mate, Happy, a cat mink that Natsu had found several years ago out in the West Blue back when Happy was just a baby. His size was also a misnomer as when he was in his mink form he stood just shorter than Natsu.

However, Happy, like Carla and Panther Lily who were also minks on the crew with the former also being a cat mink and the later a panther mink, had eaten a strange Devil Fruit that only feline minks seemed to be able to find. It was an Ancient Zoan type called the Exceed-Exceed Fruit that allowed the user to turn into a small cat as its hybrid form or grow wings and use them to fly for its full form.

For Happy his model was simply called blue and unlike Carla and Lily who only used their hybrid forms when on land for ease as it was just simpler, Happy was always in his hybrid form and no one knew why. No one, not even Natsu, also knew why he didn't wear any clothes and only had a green hobo sack tied around his neck which hid his jolly roger tattoo on his back, but some questions were best left unanswered. Even if they were, none of them would ever get a straight or useful answer out of Happy.

"I'm Natsu's best and second oldest friend so it's only natural that I'd be his first mate." Happy said. "I was the one he started the crew with."

"We were there as well." Gray said now only in his boxers despite having been wearing pants when he unfurled the sail and Erza nodded. "As was Lisanna. However, I'm stuck with being known as the stripper."

"It is what you do." Erza said unphased by Gray's appearance or his odd stripping habit. "I'm the swordswoman and it fits."

"That works for you though, gah I need a proper role." Gray said frustrated. "Then I can finally start to challenge yours and Natsu's bounties."

"96 million berries isn't a low bounty." Happy pointed out. "Mine's only 100."

"That's because they think you're our pet, same with Carla and Lily." Gray said. "And it's not a bad bounty but I'm not a Super Rookie like Natsu and Erza are and it's almost 200 million less than Natsu's! He won't let me live it down."

"Ha, suck it Gray." Natsu said from Lucy's lap before he wretched and went back to moaning.

"You could have taken quartermaster." Erza pointed out ignoring what was going on. "Though frankly Carla does a great job there. We'd be lost and even more broke then we already are without her."

"She's amazing at the role." Happy said his admiration for Carla clear in his voice. "Really makes my life easier."

"That's because you barely do anything Happy." A new voice said, and they all turned, we'll all but Natsu, to the entrance to the lower level of the aftercastle which was where the main lounge and dining room of the ship was located as well as the kitchen that was behind it and where no doubt Mira was already preparing the crew's next meal with Lisanna helping her. "We had a vote, and I was the only one who was suitable for the role."

The person speaking was a striking white furred cat mink roughly Wendy's height though a few years older and wearing a sleeveless red dress with a pink skirt part, white belt, and yellow tie with a red paw print on it. To top it off she had a small pink bow tied at the end of her long white tail. With her was slightly taller blue haired human girl of about the same age in a sleeveless orange dress held up by a white halter and matching sleeves that came to her biceps. Her hair was held back by a yellow and black sash with a flower on it over her right eye.

The newcomers were of course the quartermaster Carla and their resident scholar Levy who as expected was holding a newspaper. Carla had been finishing things up in her office in the second level of the aftercastle when Levy had come out and up to talk to her about what she'd just read knowing that while at sea, at least for the first few days, Carla was in effect the highest authority on the ship as the quartermaster due to the Captain being out of commission with seasickness and the first mate being, well, Happy.

Technically most would follow Erza's lead, but Erza had a sense of rank and propriety and deferred to Carla for anything non-combat related as she was the person who the crew had elected to the quartermaster position when it became clear they needed one. That was why Levy had gone to her and now the two girls were on the deck.

"Carla, you're as sweet as ever." Happy said excitedly, it was no secret that he had a crush on her but if Lucy tried to turn the tables on the cat then he'd remind her of Natsu and that would be annoying as she never had a good response to that beyond denial. "So, what's the news?"

"A potential reason to go back to Sabaody." Carla said simply as she and Levy reached them. "Levy was sorting out Gajeel's seasickness when she noticed this in the paper and brought it to me while Lily makes sure Gajeel is ok. For what it's worth I recommend this course of action, but it is something that needs Natsu's approval. However, I will leave that to you lot as I must go make sure Wendy is ok, excuse me."

With that Carla left them and made her way to the foredeck where Wendy was groaning, and Juvia was trying to help but also helm the ship at the same time, so Carla was going to look after her longtime partner who she joined the crew with. Annoyingly the only one with the skills to whip up a remedy for seasickness was, well, Wendy and she wasn't able to do so right now. That, and due to constant use all three seasick people had a high tolerance for it, so they were all out of the made stuff, but Carla had made sure that they had enough supplies to make more when Wendy recovered.

"So, what's the news?" Erza asked Levy. "It must be pretty big if Carla says that this needs Natsu's approval despite his current state."

"The Navy is courting war and going to get it so yeah I'd say that that's anything regarding this is something that the Captain need to approve of." Levy said opening the newspaper and showing them a picture of a smiling man in a hat with some odd goggles on it on the front page. "They captured Fire Fist Ace, well another pirate did and used it to become a Warlord to replace Crocodile, and now they're going to execute him in Marineford in a week's time. It will be aired on Sabaody and seeing as we have to return to get our ship coated anyway, I figured that we could go there and find a quiet place to watch it from. This is, after all, history in the making because there is no way that Whitebeard will let his subordinate be executed."

"Agreed, Whitebeard will make a move on the Navy for this." Erza said. "And you said that Carla supports us going back?"

"She does but so long as we're careful and quiet." Levy said looking at Natsu. "Which isn't exactly something we're good at."

"So long as it gets me off this ship I'll agree to it." Natsu said as he held in another wretch. "Just end this hell already, oh god…hurf."

"There you have it, Captain's orders." Happy said. "We return to Sabaody once we can and watch this war."

"Not ideal but I do second this." Erza said her calm voice lending support to the idea. "We should witness this as I'm sure that it will make history, but we can't head back right away, not with the Navy there thanks to Straw Hat Luffy. So, we need to lie low, spend the next 5 days at sea away from Sabaody and the direction Marineford is in but still within a day's sailing of it and then sneak back."

"That is the best plan." Gray said nodding. "Thankfully between Straw Hat and this execution the Navy is a little too busy to worry about us."

"Do we really need to go back though?" Lucy asked. "It was a tense situation that we left and they'll likely still be on alert, especially if they don't catch Straw Hat."

"It will be clear for the execution." Erza said. "And besides, even when Natsu's recovered enough to do more than moan he'll agree, and you know it."

"He would more likely charge in to join the fight." Lucy said with resignation in her voice while Natsu tried and failed to agree from her lap. "But yes if he can't do that then he'll want to watch so I can't really say anything."

"Then it's decided." Happy said. "We wait and then go back to Sabaody to watch this thing."

The others nodded at that and with Happy saying it they were committed to this course of action as he did speak for Natsu right now. Regardless none of them could deny that this was the right course of action because it was history they'd be witnessing and one way or another there would be conflict at Marineford when the Navy tried to execute Fire Fist Ace, and it was one that would shape the future to come.

---

"So, what's the news?" Weiss said as Jaune came out of the forecastle about an hour after they'd put Sabaody behind them while sailing in the direction that was opposite to Marineford just to be safe. "How are they?"

"Alright, resting with Yang watching them." Jaune said as he came up to Weiss. "Ruby's nose wasn't broken but it's in a caste as it is tender and she has a concussion, same for Blake so both are on bed rest but can't sleep so Yang's keeping them awake."

"Honestly she's the best person for that job." Weiss said with a nod and feeling sorry for Ruby and Blake and what Yang would do to keep them awake. "And what about Yang? How is she?"

"She's got some nasty bruises on her abdomen and jaw but nothing broken." Jaune said. "Her Devil Fruit can mitigate damage to some extent, even damage taken from Armament Haki, so she just needs some ointment and a few pain killers. She has a job to keep the other two awake for 6 hours and she's taking it seriously."

"I think Impel Down torture would be more pleasant than that." Weiss said. "Good to know though, I'm glad they're going to be fine and we're clear now so we can stand down."

"You think?" Jaune asked as both Pyrrha and Nora who'd been on alert with Weiss heard her and did so with the latter going straight to the helm to be with Ren. "We've only put an hour between us and the Navy."

"The Navy was there for Straw Hat, not us." Weiss said. "If they couldn't get him, and likely that Rayleigh dude as I think they were aware of him too as they were clearly prepared even before Straw Hat punched a Celestial Dragon, then they'll leave."

"Wait Rayleigh? As is Silvers Rayleigh?" Jaune asked. "The right hand to the Pirate King?"

"Yeah he was there too, complete coincidence but he helped us out in the end." Weiss said. "I wish I asked what he did though, it was just like what happened back on Vale with Ruby when she knocked out all of Torchwick's henchmen with a scream after Yang, Blake, and myself were captured and about to be tortured though there was no silver light this time."

"Interesting, not sure what that is myself." Jaune said thinking on it. "I'd never seen it before either."

"I'm sure we'll learn in time, but it has to be some kind of Haki, I heard the fish-man there say it was though that wasn't Armament Haki." Weiss said. "Regardless, it helped and we're free so we can lie low and then return in a few days to get the ship coated."

"You sure?" Jaune asked.

"Yes, we need to get to the New World and if the Navy fail they'll leave with just a small garrison there so we can slip by that and get coated in the lawless area without an issue." Weiss said. "Ruby can confirm this once she's cleared, but she'll agree with my decision in her absence as this is my job. We will sail for another day to get far enough way to be as safe as possible and then wait at sea until the others are able and sail back to Sabaody to get coated. Aim for a return one week from now."

"As you command first mate." Jaune said with a nod. "Now you should go and check on Ruby, I know you want to and she can have visitors."

Weiss blushed a little at that but nodded, she needed to see her friend, make sure she was ok and thank her for defending her against Winter. That was all of course, no other reason and she could check in on Blake and Yang as well so Weiss did just that as Jaune went to join Pyrrha on the poop deck where she was watching which Pyrrha was no doubt looking forward to. Little did any of them know that Weiss's plan would ensure that they returned to Sabaody right in time to watch a war that would change the world.

---

"So is the plan to meet the contact then?" Leone asked as she and Akame climbed up the stairs to the foredeck to join Najenda at the helm. "Cos I think we're going to be a few days after that quick departure."

Now that they'd safely left Sabaody behind them, Akame and Leone had the time to ask the boss what their revised plan was. Tatsumi and Bulat were in the infirmary being looked at by Su while Mine was in one of the sniper hides that served as crow's nests with Chelsea as her spotter in another, and Lubbock and Sheele were below decks sorting stuff out, so it was just them. However, as they reached the foredeck, both girls noted that Najenda was only using her left hand to steer as she seemed to have lost the lower half of her artificial right arm.

"We are so we will go to the meetup point and wait for them." Najenda said. "I have a vivre card for one of the other Captains but not the contact who will escort us there and vouch for us when we arrive. This slightly early departure is good for us though."

"It is?" Akame asked. "How so?"

"Because we have some leeway for bad weather while also taking the added time to sit down and prepare for what is to come, once Tatsumi and Bulat are good again and they will be soon as Bulat had his armor on so he's just a bit banged up, and we all know how fast Tatsumi heals up thanks to that adaptive nature of his Devil Fruit." Najenda said. "So, once they're up we can discuss the plan and prepare our strategy because rest assured we are going to be going to war."

"We already are at war though." Leone pointed out. "We kinda declared that before we recruited Tatsumi."

"Yes but this is different because it's time to strike at the belly of the corrupt beast, one of the two major targets on our hitlist." Najenda said as she steered the ship. "And for me to return home in a sense. It's time we attacked Marineford itself."

Akame and Leone nodded at that. They all knew that this was coming and soon they'd join up with a contact and lend their aid to a war that would shake the world. They were there for their own reasons, of course, but regardless they'd be there as the countdown to what would become known as the War of the Best began.

I think that's a nice spot to end the chapter on, a little tease to set up what is to come and confirm what many of you guessed in that the one new crew joining in on the War of the Best is the Night Pirates. Of course that is still a fair bit out, there is one more short transition chapter to set that up and another interesting arc dealing with other actions before the war begins. Meanwhile, the other crews are now in position to head to where they will be for what is to come and there may be a little adventure on the way given where the Black Bulls are heading so plenty to look forward to. That said, it will be a while before we see the other crews (excluding the Night Pirates) again but such is the nature of this story. That is all that I have for y'all, however, so I will leave this chapter off here. If you liked this please favorite, follow, leave a review, or let me know in a PM and if there are any questions will posed in reviews and PMs I will try to answer them as best I can. Until next time.

Stringdog