AN: (bursts in through the door) OKAY! LONG OVERDUE! Sorry for the wait everyone, was figuring out how to make the story go after East Blue and making these next few chapters the East Blue climax they're meant to be turned out to be really, REALLY hard. If you did not leave a comment on a previous chapter, then feel free to skip the following Reviewer Replies.
Vegaulloa17: I'm very glad you're enjoying ^_^
Sultan Asil Arslan-Hiatus: Yeah, that sounds about right. (nods)
Zetazero246: I'm very glad you liked it, here's hoping this one is also worth the wait!
GJO1088: Very much so. (nods) Yes, Bones's mustache is indeed real, and yes there is indeed a background planned for his body. Katakuri can shapeshift with his devil fruit powers to disguise himself when he wants to, considering his level of control and the versatility of his fruit, I think it's only natural that he'd be able to do that. Yep, Thatch and Myukuru treat each other like bongos whenever they're around each other. Yep, Sandersonia's appearance is actually part of a later reveal, but she can also manipulate her appearance a little bit with her devil fruit for disguise purposes. Ships will be sunk as the story progresses. Well to be honest This Bites is probably my favorite One Piece fic. Be gloomy no more, for the next chapter has arrived!
Paradox25: Tengo mucho feliz su encanta! Eso final fue muy dificil por tener exactamente correcto, pero es capitulo aqui fue diez tiempos mas dificil! Tambien, lo siento por mi espanol, se es no asi bueno.
DJ Toku: (chuckles) It's a seeeeecreeet! But yes, Sengoku is officially in 'Oh god what did he do now?' mode. Will Bones charm more beautiful princesses? Will they also wish to kill him first? Well, let's see how the story goes and find out!
Reptil: Ain't he a hoot?! Glad you're still enjoying!
RikudoNaruto1: Super glad you enjoyed it! ^_^
King0fP0wers: Yep, you just saw exactly what you thought you just saw! However no, the only coincidences were Garp, Jango, Bones and Yamato being there. Yes indeed, that wedding will be the stuff of legends in any circles in the know. Funny you should mention that! Also, why not both?
Rivet94: Glad you're still enjoying! Sorry for the wait, I have to be careful or Oda-sensei's liable to rip the carpet right out from under me!
blazes207: So glad to hear it!
animeloveranimegunner: Well six months later here we are! Hope you like it!
Greer123: I'm glad you liked it! I was super hesitant about writing it that way, but eventually I realized I couldn't think of anything better! Yeah, Garp's getting a bit of a lecture from Sengoku, but that's about like Sanji or Zoro lecturing Luffy really. Would you believe I've actually changed sites AGAIN? Honestly that's part of what took so long with this one, moving to another town three or four hours north and getting settled in. I hope you're doing well too!
That Greedy Corpus: Considering that Bones knows about how Kaido treated Yamato, I expect Bones is going to have some very choice names for Kaido, and 'Dad' will not be on the list.
jellatinous: Holy crap you actually figured out Bones was inspired by a CYOA! Good job friend of culture! Don't worry, I hate tragic and only use it very VERY sparingly.
Lifelessman: Very glad you like!
Serverlock: Well of COURSE it's gone off the rails, how else can I keep you all on your toes? If we just revisit the same arcs in the same ways, then it'll get dull way too quickly! Expect more insanity from here!
MethodsAndMayhem: I love your praise! Thank you very much! I shall strive to not only continue but as always to improve! I think I might've even one upped myself on this chapter!
CitricBlueWolf: All in good time my friend, all in good time... The time is now. LET'S GO!
Chapter 8
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…That Night, Northwest of the Baratie…
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"Thank you for coming with us," Reiju said softly as she finished disassembling the revolver Bones had left her for cleaning.
Sabo looked over in surprise from his watch post at the bow as the pinkette broke the silence, "It's no problem. I'm actually extremely pleased to get the opportunity. If Ace had been here, it would've been a full family reunion! Besides," he added as the brim of his hat tilted down and shadowed his eyes from the light of the lantern and the moon alike, "From what Bones told me, this Arlong guy is exactly the sort of tyrannical scum the Revolutionary Army was created to fight against, and it's deeply personal for Koala as well. That's three excellent reasons for me to help out with this," he declared as he shrugged out of his large black overcoat.
"Still though, I deeply appreciate it," Reiju replied as she began to clean the revolver's components, "The extra firepower will come in quite handy I believe."
Sabo snorted with a small smile as he moved to drape his coat over Koala's sleeping form, "You guys would've been fine. One of Luffy's friends is on the line, and there's not enough beating in the world to stop him when it's one of his friends at stake." Then Sabo blinked as he noticed something in the moonlight. His brow furrowed, "Reiju, can I see one of those bullets for a second?"
Reiju handed one across to him and he studied it closely, "No way…" he reached over and gently poked Luffy's sleeping form with it. Luffy immediately slumped and weakly tried to move away from it in his sleep. Sabo's eyes went wide, "I'll be…that is sea prism stone! Judging by Luffy's reaction to it, this has gotta be a pretty high purity too. If I didn't believe him before about his circumstances, I certainly would now."
Reiju looked down in shock at the three bullets remaining, three bullets made of a material that was well known to be so finnicky as to be nigh unworkable except for the most masterful of metallurgists, let alone make something as small and precise as bullets with. "How…" Then she shook her head, "You're right, there's no way he could've procured something like this without some kind of supernatural help. …Unless he stole it from the Beast Pirates when he sprang that Oni girl," she added as the thought occurred to her.
Then something else occurred to her and her expression went from thoughtful to mild horror, "…and I wasted three of these." She sighed in mild frustration, "Dammit Bones, why didn't you tell me what these were made of?"
Sabo snorted, "He probably didn't know or he would've been a lot more reluctant to part with them. He's not the sort of guy who believes in letting his opponents have even the slightest chance of victory. Catching a logia user off guard with something as improbable as sea prism stone bullets would be right up his alley." He was quiet for a moment and then he glanced over at Reiju, "He said you thought he was Cipher Pol Zero when you met him. After talking shop with him, I'm honestly not sure I believe him about not being Cipher Pol."
Reiju's eyes widened in mild alarm, "What sort of shop?"
"Assassination, battle tactics, propaganda and marketing, codes, logistics… even with the alarm bells his competence was setting off, I kinda still wanted to offer him a job," Sabo admitted.
"Pffft, he wouldn't have taken you up on it," Koala declared with a grin as she rolled over and revealed herself to be awake. She pretended not to notice Sabo's immediate blush, "Not if he couldn't bring Yamato with him, and Yamato wouldn't miss out on her world tour for anything."
"World tour? Isn't that her epithet?" Reiju asked with a quirked eyebrow.
Koala nodded, "It's been her dream for twenty years to be free and go see all the amazing things in the world. She's been locked up on one island, not even a big island, that entire time with Kaido brutally killing anyone who tried to be nice to her."
Reiju frowned as the similarities to her own background registered with her. Sabo noticed, "Bones has a soft spot for people who've had a rough time with the people who were supposed to be their family. I would say Heaven help anyone he catches hurting a kid, but honestly I think anyone that would hurt a child deserves what he'll do to them."
"What would he do?" Reiju asked curiously.
"Probably something fit for Impel Down," Koala declared nonchalantly.
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…Meanwhile, Inside the Little Boat's Cabin…
.
"So, you're finally awake," Sanji noted as Zoro's breathing changed and his eyes ever so sneakily cracked open, his mind having already registered that he didn't know where he was. Sanji scooped a handful of sausage and rice from the bowl and started forming it into a ball, "You feeling alright?"
Zoro's eyes popped wide open as the morning's events sprang back to mind and he realized who he was with. He nodded, "Yeah, is everyone okay?"
"Everyone except you Mosshead," Sanji replied, "Reiju says you need to keep lying down, and whatever you do, don't flex any muscles in your chest or torso unless you want your wound to open back up and bleed you to death. She seems to care about you a lot, so you better do what she says because I'm warning you now: If you make my sister cry," Sanji turned a glare sharper than the knife next to his mixing bowl on Zoro, "I will kill you."
Zoro opened his mouth to challenge the threat, but then took a second to consider it. He shot a glance at the blonde cook, "Good."
Sanji actually paused preparing the midnight snack he was working on for a moment to look over his shoulder in surprise and then snorted with a little smirk, "Maybe you're alright after all Mosshead."
Zoro thought for a moment and then, "Hey Swirly, has Reiju told you about this Bones guy?"
Sanji glanced over his shoulder, "Yeah, he actually left a note for me with her to convince me to join you guys."
Zoro looked over at him in surprise, "Really? How was that?"
Sanji ground his teeth in frustration, "That bastard knows you and me both way too well. I don't rattle easy, but he knew exactly which buttons to push to make me want to join you guys and left details for me about you to help us get along, or at least keep us from fighting. If we find that guy, I want answers, and I don't believe this crap about him being some kind of oracle. Not that the shit he said doesn't sound good, I'd love to meet those two his note mentioned, but this whole thing stinks like a trap to me."
"What sort of details?" Zoro asked with his brows furrowed in concern.
"Told me about why you're willing to do the most unmanly thing there is and fight women like they're men," Sanji declared before adding, "I don't like it worth a damn, but I understand your reasoning even if I'd never accept it myself. He didn't want me to tell you I knew, seemed to think you wouldn't want anyone to know, but that it would help if I did and that we'd be unstoppable if we worked together."
"That really wasn't his story to tell," Zoro grumbled as he realized what had been in the letter, "Although from the sound of it, you probably would've tried to get in my way if we had an enemy that was a woman?"
Sanji was quiet for a moment, "I can't say I wouldn't, but I hope it won't come to that. The notes he left Reiju say that Nami could get you fighting mad if she wanted to, and I'd certainly step in then, but if we have a genuine enemy that's a woman…" He took a drag of his cigarette, "If Reiju didn't get to them first, I guess I'd maybe be able to look the other way if you wanted to take care of it."
Zoro mulled that over for a moment and then nodded, "Good. How about that Bones guy?"
"Oh, we are beating some answers out of him when we find him," Sanji declared immediately as he stuck the sausage and rice balls into the boat's little wood fire oven, "Don't doubt that for a second."
"Most importantly what his intentions towards Reiju are," Zoro agreed.
Sanji frowned and turned to face Zoro as he twisted the little wind up timer in his hands, "Speaking of, what are your intentions towards my sister?"
Zoro looked Sanji in the eye, "Reiju was willing to save my ass in Shellstown, and had my back at Orangetown. I don't know if she realizes I saw her take that bullet for me, and I don't care. I owe her my life and that's that. I don't know why she kissed me."
"I…actually do," Sanji admitted, "And it's not for the obvious reason."
Zoro raised an eyebrow, "Yeah?"
Sanji nodded, "Our father's a seriously sick, evil bastard. He made my brothers into heartless monsters, and the only reason Reiju's still a good person is because our mother was one of those people who's better than this shitty world deserves and managed to pass some of that on to Reiju before she died."
Sanji exhaled a plume of smoke, "Reiju…I don't quite understand it, but the way she explained it to me, since what was done to her, she can't… it's not that she can't make friends, it's… like she can't get emotionally attached. She still feels emotions, but love and compassion? Really truly caring about someone? She's not sure she can still feel those things all. She was completely convinced that this Bones guy was in love with her, but Mihawk said that Bones had just married that hottie with the horns he's been running around with since he left Reiju at Shellstown."
"Damn," Zoro mused, "so either she completely misread him, or he's a good enough actor to fool her, which means there's no telling what all else she might've been tricked about."
"Yeah, and on top of that, apparently she was kind of into him too?" Sanji explained, "Either way, she should by all rights have been seriously upset, but even though she knew she should've been, she wasn't. That scared her almost worse than the thought of him playing her and all the rest of us like a fiddle because she had thought she was starting to recover from what our father did to her. She kissed you to test her own emotions."
Zoro took a moment to process that and then exhaled, "So what was the verdict?"
"Very uncomfortable for me to hear, but definite proof that she's still very much my sister," Sanji replied dryly.
"Meaniiing…what exactly?" Zoro asked.
"…Meaning there's a high chance of you getting laid Mosshead," Sanji admitted reluctantly.
"…Ah…I, I see," Zoro replied, suddenly very pale.
"What's that face for?" Sanji asked with a raised eyebrow, "Most guys would be freakin' pumped at the thought of it." Part of him wanted to question Zoro's sexuality and mock him, but the rest of him was feeling a bit overprotective of his sister and stifled the taunts to maintain whatever reason Zoro had to keep his distance.
"It's…hard to explain," Zoro declared slowly, "It's not that I don't want to…I mean, she's gorgeous and brilliant and as strong as anyone I've ever met, and I'm not gonna lie, that kiss was incredible. It's just… I don't… I don't know. It's like…like…I don't know how to describe it."
Silence reigned in the small cabin for what seemed like a long time and then Usopp rolled over to face the ceiling, "I get it." He crossed one leg over the other and folded his hands behind his head, "Your dream takes priority for you."
"Yes," Zoro agreed, "That."
Sanji blinked in confusion, "What?"
Usopp glanced over at him, "Zoro's going to surpass Mihawk and become the World's Greatest Swordsman, that's going to require everything he has and then some. He knows that, right down deep in his soul, so his heart's prioritizing. If he has to choose between the thing that defines him or a possible love interest that would detract from his time growing stronger and hold him back, then of course he's going to take giving his all to getting stronger. It's nothing against Reiju, he thinks the world of her! Don't give me that look Zoro, it's plain as day to anyone who cares to look. The point is, Zoro's gotta give getting stronger everything he's got and he knows that, so until he achieves his dream, since he's not the sort of guy who does things halfway, he probably won't be interested in any sort of romance because he doesn't want to be only half there for whatever lucky girl he falls in love with."
Sanji was quiet for a moment as he took a contemplative drag of his cigarette. He let it out and shot Zoro a look, "Unfinished business you gotta sort before starting something new huh?"
Zoro nodded a slightly relieved smile spreading across his face, "Right. Thanks Usopp, that was really hard to say right."
Sanji unknowingly cut off Usopp's upcoming bout of humble-bragging by asking, "So Usopp, how did you know exactly how Mosshead was feeling?"
"He's got a beautiful girlfriend back home waiting for him to come back as a 'brave warrior of the sea'," Zoro answered before Usopp could. Usopp's jaw dropped and his stammers were cut off by Zoro continuing, "He knows the feeling because he feels the same way. He's gotta get the adventure out of his system before he goes home to settle down."
Sanji took a drag of his cigarette, "Yeah, that makes sense." He looked over at Usopp, "So what's she like?"
Usopp took a second to gather his thoughts and then launched into praise of Kaya that would've made her blush crimson if she could hear him. Though Sanji doubted she was as beautiful as Usopp was claiming, he certainly understood how sincere the sharpshooter's affection was. I hope she's still waiting for you when you make it back Long Nose, Sanji thought as he mused, if she isn't, the heart break will kill him.
Just then Reiju poked her head in, "Sanji? Do we have anything we can use for bait? I've got an idea."
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…A Few Hours Sail Northwest…
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Nami sat in a deck chair on the deck of the Going Merry, her eyes on the stars and her arm outstretched as she traced the constellations Bellemere had taught her with her finger, memories and thoughts swirling behind her eyes.
"The Sea King…" A massive form, easily three times her size covered in leathery blue skin that she had come to see as the living incarnation of evil… It was masquerading in people clothes while laughing with teeth that were too sharp and too many. It pretended to be a person, not just a person, better than a person, but it lived only to consume and kill everything and everyone Nami cared about.
"The Rudder…" The stack of money clenched as tight as her little fingers could with a flicker of hope that she would never be able to afford to let go of… the fury and disgust on everyone's faces as she began the charade that she'd kept up for the last ten years…
"The Albatross…" The white flags that were supposed to mean help was coming…only to turn and chase her for the mark the monster had left on her…help she couldn't ask for without the monsters killing everyone she cared about…
"The Jolly Roger…" Trust me and go! Do I need to kill someone? If they made our friends cry then yes. We're sitting with some very scary people.
A small smile flashed across her face as she traced a straw hat onto the Jolly Roger, I wonder if they can actually do it? Reiju's words echoed in her mind, One touch from me and Arlong'll be dead within half an hour.
"Hey, Bellemere?" she whispered, "I think things may finally be looking up."
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…Earlier That Evening, Marineford…
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Sengoku took a steadying breath, "Ok Garp, run me through this one more time. You were on the island."
"Yep."
"And a man who we've now been able to identify as the small time pirate One-Two Jango tricked you into letting him hypnotize you on a whim, which you paid him a thousand beris to do."
"To be fair, I didn't know he was a pirate," Garp reiterated.
Sengoku sighed, "Clearly. So, once hypnotized, you thought you were a preacher."
"I still think I was pretty good at it," Garp grumbled.
"And while you were off performing weddings, which I feel it's worth reiterating that as the captain of your ship and a world renowned Vice Admiral of the Navy are in fact real, legal and binding, you were approached by the two currently most wanted bounties in the East Blue who were all dressed up for a wedding and asked to officiate."
"Actually Mihawk was the one who asked me," Garp clarified, "And Ace looked liable to shit himself until he realized I wasn't there to clobber him."
Sengoku did a small doubletake, "Wait, what? Ace? As in your grandson? Why and how was he there?"
Tsuru sighed as she walked in, "Apparently Garp stumbled right into the middle of a meeting of our informant network. Ace was there because the entire underworld's in as much of an uproar over trying to figure all this out as we are. Garp, were you mentally present enough to remember Commodore Ain?"
"Well of course I remember…wait Commodore?" The gears grinding in Garp's head were almost audible over the connection and then, "WAIT. THAT WAS YOUR GRANDDAUGHTER TSURU?! THE ONE ZEPHYR'S ALWAYS SO PROUD OF?! I CAN'T BELIEVE I DIDN'T SEE IT IMMEDIATELY! SHE LOOKS JUST LIKE YOU!"
Tsuru sighed as Sengoku face-palmed, "Yes Garp, that was my granddaughter Ain. She's one of the key handlers for our informant network."
"Does that mean Ace is one of our informants?" Garp asked after a moment's contemplation.
"He was last night due to the rumored connection between him and Kaido's daughter," Tsuru explained, "That's why he was there. Our informant network scheduled an emergency meeting to discuss World Tour's disappearance and our informants from the Whitebeard Pirates were able to bring Ace along."
"Hmmm. Well at least he's doing something to help the Navy," Garp grunted, "Did we find anything out?"
Tsuru sighed, "Yes. Apparently even though the Whitebeard Pirates were not involved in any way, shape or form, Whitebeard Jr. was somehow responsible or at least involved in both World Tour and Princess Reiju's disappearance. However, he also genuinely has no idea how he did it, is chalking it up to an act of God, and the story he gave is so outlandish that we have to suspect the interference of an unknown third party that may have messed with his memories to cover their tracks. He was confirmed to not have a Devil Fruit by multiple sources during the meeting so that's that possibility ruled out."
"He also doesn't know if he's actually related to Whitebeard and has no prior affiliation to Whitebeard's crew, although he is reportedly very pleased by the association," Tsuru added, "And World Tour is overjoyed to be out from under Kaido's thumb, something our informants from the Beast Pirates were reportedly a bit salty about."
"Do we have any idea of their plans or goals?" Sengoku asked wearily.
"They're heading for the Grand Line," Tsuru declared before shrugging, "Ain claims they're less pirates and more happy-go-lucky drifters. World Tour wants to see the world, and Whitebeard Jr. is just pleased to follow her around like a lovesick puppy. Ain's assessment is that they'd be utterly harmless if unprovoked."
"And the city they knocked down in the process of stealing nearly two billion beris? That's harmless?" Sengoku asked dryly.
Tsuru sighed, "Apparently that was Sabo the Twister's idea, and over half of that went to funding the Revolutionary Army. Whitebeard Jr. and World Tour went along with it to let their friends around the world know they were alive and okay."
"A publicity stunt," Sengoku declared in a voice of minor awe and significant horror, "They knocked down half a city and robbed an entire kingdom blind for the sake of a publicity stunt? STOP LAUGHING GARP THIS ISN'T FUNNY! IF THEY'LL DO THAT FOR A PUBLICITY STUNT WHAT'LL THEY DO WHEN SOMEONE ACTUALLY PROVOKES THEM?!"
"Demolish an entire island," Garp replied as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, "They've already done that once remember? The real question is who's going to provoke those two little monsters, and the answer seems to be other pirates."
Sengoku bit back the scolding that he had been about to unleash on his old friend as he read between the lines, "You think they might be Warlord material?"
"I still vouch that Ace would've been good as a Warlord, although I doubt these two will accept the offer any more than he did," Garp declared, "That and it's too early. They'll have a huge rep just from their debut and the big names associated with them, but they're still too new yet to even make the offer. Do they even have a crew? I don't think they do."
"Ain says they're actually planning to join your grandson Luffy," Tsuru declared tiredly, "They've heard of him apparently and Whitebeard Jr. is the one who left Princess Reiju where she could join up with him, something about her estranged brother being a cook."
"So Luffy's become a pirate too eh?" Sengoku asked tiredly, "Greee-eat…"
"CHART A COURSE FOR LOGUETOWN! RIGHT! NOW!" Garp suddenly roared, startling Sengoku and Tsuru.
"Ah, Garp?" Sengoku asked tentatively, "Are you still there?"
The Transponder Snail just stared blankly back at him, the little goatee that marked Garp's presence on the other end disappearing. Sengoku sighed and turned to Tsuru, "Did Ain have anything else to report?"
Tsuru dragged a hand through her hair with a groan, "We lost Captain Isuka."
"Damn," Sengoku bit out under his breath, "So the reports about her being compromised were right?"
"Ain's ostensibly putting her in deep cover with the Whitebeards," Tsuru explained, "But she says there's no way Isuka would ever be able to fight Ace, and we wouldn't be able to trust her should Ace ever be imprisoned, possibly any of Whitebeard's allies. She's more useful now to make sure we have a guaranteed source within the Whitebeards."
Sengoku exhaled slowly, "Alright. Make sure she knows to keep her head down, and start wiping her from the records."
Tsuru raised an eyebrow and then it clicked, "Wiping who Sengoku?"
"Exactly," Sengoku nodded, "So, any other news?"
"Ain's debating planting a mole with Whitebeard Jr. and World Tour, possibly even planting herself if she can't find anyone else," Tsuru admitted grudgingly, "I'm sure I don't have to tell you I'm not happy about the thought of her doing it herself."
"So even though she thinks they're supposedly harmless she acknowledges what an unmitigated disaster they're going to be?" Sengoku asked dryly, "Especially if Luffy turns out to be as much a maverick as the rest of his family?"
"Pfft, you know he'll be the worst one yet," Tsuru quipped pessimistically.
Sengoku blanched, and then took a deep breath, "If Luffy's got a bounty over twenty million by the end of the month, tell Ain to start making preparations. I want someone on that ship with enough ability to end the whole crew if need be. If it has to be her, then as much as neither of us like it, it has to be."
Tsuru thought for a moment and then a lightbulb went off in her head, "I think I may know just the person. I'll tell Ain to put out a feeler."
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…The Next Day…
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I checked the map one more time after tugging our little boat ashore, just to make sure I wasn't wrong. Yama-chan was already looking around, excitement radiating off her as it always did at a new island. She looked over her shoulder at me grinning, "What's here? You wouldn't have wanted to come here if there wasn't something good here!"
I chuckled, "Am I that obvious? Well, no matter. There is indeed something rather interesting here, but I want to surprise you. Would you mind waiting here for a little while so I can go make sure it's ready?"
Yama-chan's eyes widened, "Wait, how do you already have a surprise set up?! We just got here!"
I grinned, "Yeah, but what I want to surprise you with has been here for half a century. I just need to make sure it's where you can go."
Yama-chan frowned, "Why wouldn't I be able to go?"
I paused for a moment to think of how to put it that wouldn't give anything away about the surprise that I was sincerely excited to give her, "I want to make sure they're friendly before I take you to meet them. I don't know that they will be, but if they are, then I'll be back soon to bring you to them. If they're not friendly, then we're a day's sail from Loguetown and I know a shop in Loguetown where we can get the same thing I'm hoping to get here. It may not be quite as special there, but it'll suffice I think."
"It's a mystery person?! With something cool?!" Yama-chan exclaimed excitedly, "Who is it?! What is it?! I gotta know!"
I sighed with a fond smile, "Patience Yama-chan, if they're not friendly then they're not worth getting excited about. In that case, we'll head for Loguetown and you'll never have to worry about it again because we'll just get the thing I brought us here for there. If they are friendly though, then I can't tell you without giving away the surprise! Please? I just need two hours tops."
Yama-chan pouted at having to wait, but agreed. "If you're not back in two hours, I'm coming after you."
I smiled, "I'll be back. I promise." I turned and crouched before springing skyward, the power of this insane mini-Whitebeard body carrying me thirty feet into the air before I kicked off the air and darted away through the sky. Screw gravity! I laughed to myself.
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…An Hour Later…
.
I found Yamato up a tree, hooting at a couple of very confused owls. I wished I had a camera because it was hilarious and adorable. She wasn't embarrassed about it, which honestly somehow made it even cuter, and the fact that she was immediately more interested in me and my surprise for her made my heart swell. She hopped down out of the tree, "Surprise?"
I nodded, "They want to meet you."
"Who is it? Can you tell me? Why were you so worried about them not being friendly? Are they strong? Is it somebody important?"
I weathered the barrage of questions with a smile, "You know how Oden had two swords?"
Yamato stopped dead in her tracks as an impossible inkling of who we were here to see popped into her head, "Wait…Is there a bladesmith here?!"
I paused to look back over my shoulder at her somberly, "Kozaburo Shimotsuki died a few years ago, and he'd reportedly fallen a long ways from his heyday when he forged Oden's blade Enma and its sister sword, the Wado Ichimonji. He's buried in the local cemetery. We can certainly stop to pay our respects." It made my heart sag to see the utterly devastated look on her face, but there was no point beating around the bush.
I forced a small smile as I hefted the two bags I had prepared when I realized how close we were. One was full of knives and swords and other weapon quality metal, the other was much smaller but full of cash in case a bribe was needed, "His son is still here though, and he says old Kozaburo had an apprentice. He runs a dojo not far from here and Shimotsuki village is about as close to a piece of Wano as it's possible to get without being there. I thought you might like to visit. This is actually Zoro's hometown. If anyone can forge katana worthy of the new Oden outside of Wano, and teach you how to use them, it bloody well ought to be the residents of Shimotsuki Village."
I seriously considered checking Yamato's pulse when I noticed how still she was being. Her jaw was on the ground and it might've been funny if it didn't make me worry to see her so completely still. Yama-chan doesn't do 'still'. Even when she sleeps she rolls around and fidgets. The only thing that keeps her from falling out of the bed is having walls on either side. If our boat had a bigger cabin, we'd need to sleep on the floor to keep her from falling out of bed multiple times a night. "Yama-chan? Are you alright?"
"You…brought us here to meet the same bladesmith who made Oden's katana…to have a katana made…for me?" Yamato asked slowly, her eyes starting to water.
I nodded with a smile and held up two fingers, "Two actually, I thought it might make you happy." Quicker than even I could process, Yama-chan had me wrapped in a hug and my heart nearly stopped in surprise.
Not from the hug mind you, it's because that was the first time Yamato ever told me "I love you." My eyes might've leaked a little from sheer happiness at hearing that from someone other than my grandparents for the first time in nearly twenty years. No matter what Yamato tells you, I did not absolutely break down on the spot and cry like a baby over it.
He did too. I was worried I'd hurt him until he hugged me back and I realized he was smiling. Don't let him fool you, he's a giant softie.
-Yamato
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…Twenty Minutes Later…
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"It is a delight to meet an up and coming samurai of Wano," Koshiro declared with a gentle smile, "Your friend says you have taken up the will of Kozuki Oden?"
Yama-chan nodded, "Yes, I… I was there when my father killed him. His final moments inspired me, and I decided to take up his cause and open the borders of Wano. My father… took considerable offense to that, and threw me into a sealed cave with the daimyos of Ringo, Kibi and Udon. He left a single meal, only enough to feed one of us, returned their swords and ordered the cave sealed. He had decided that either I could fight them off, despite being chained to the wall, or die for daring to speak out against him."
Yama-chan rubbed her wrists, eyes lost long in the past, "They didn't attack me. They cut me loose and stayed with me for over a week, teaching me how to fight…and…and how to read." She pulled Oden's journal from inside her shirt where it lived, right next to her heart, "This is Oden's journal, the first thing I ever read from start to finish, and it's been my bible ever since. Do you have anyone who can make a copy of it? If anything happens to me, I want to make sure Oden-sama's story lives on!"
Koshiro's breath went out of him in surprise, "I see. Yes, of course. We will happily provide as much paper and ink as you need, as well as any other aid we can provide. Your friend has told me that you wish to forge a pair of katana? Do you have steel?"
I hefted the bag of blades with a grin, "Enough to make a suit of armor if we felt like it."
Yamato's head whipped around, "That's what you bought all those swords for?!"
I blinked back at her, "I wasn't sure we'd have time to refine enough steel and still make our rendezvous in Loguetown. By my estimates, we've got two weeks, tops. If it will take longer, then I will go, make the rendezvous and get a Transponder Snail so we can catch up to them in the Grand Line. Then I'll come right back."
Koshiro rubbed his chin for a moment, "I confess, I am nowhere near the bladesmith my father was, and I never saw him at his peak. However, his apprentice Shirou still lives and will undoubtedly be willing to help. My father believed Shirou to be his equal in skill, although he lacks the Will to forge a truly great blade."
Yamato furrowed her brows, "Will…you mean Haki or Ryuo?"
Koshiro nodded, "I've heard it called both."
"I've got that!" Yamato exclaimed excitedly, "I've got lots of that! How can I help?"
"Well, for starters I'll need to sort that steel you brought," declared a dry voice from behind us, "And Kozaburo had better be glad he's dead, I'd kick his wrinkly ass for that."
I turned and found a very muscular man in the door who looked to be in his forties with red hair already streaked with white. "Let me see your Will if you intend to help," the man I figured to be Shirou demanded, "I'll not have a weakling in my forge."
Yama-chan held up a hand curled into a fist and coated it with jet black Haki, her Conqueror's Haki leaking out just enough to make my hair stand on end. Judging by Shirou's reaction, it did a lot more to anyone who wasn't intimately familiar with her. It wasn't until Yama-chan let her coating fade that Shirou remembered to breath, his knees trying to give out from under him as he edged one foot back and caught onto the doorframe to steady himself, "Holy shit…If that's what the old geezer was talking about then I think he might've had a point…Koshiro, is that what the geezer was on about?!"
Koshiro pushed his glasses up his nose with a small smirk, "I've only met a small handful of such unbreakable wills. If you aid in the forging, then yes Yamato-san, I believe we will be able to forge a rather impressive blade."
Yamato grinned from ear to ear and then something occurred to her and after a moment of contemplation she whipped her kanabo out and around to present it to Shirou with a dead serious expression, "This is Takeru. He's been one of my two most treasured possessions since I was a child. He was forged in Udon, and he's never let me down. Even against my father, Takeru's never bent, warped, nothing. He's never given so much as an inch to an enemy. There's no weapon I trust more. Is this enough steel for the blade?"
Shirou stepped forward and examined the kanabo with the respect it deserved, gauging the metal and quantity before looking up and nodding, "Yes, there's enough steel here for two katana easily. I could probably make…" he paused to do a bit of math in his head, "By my estimate, there's enough here for nine katana actually, and we'd probably still have a little bit left over. If you're seeking to emulate Oden-sama, then I suspect that's perfect for you yes?"
Yamato's breath caught and after a second, she looked up and met my gaze. Before I could ask what she was wondering, she turned back to Shirou, "Can we make a naginata? Bones needs a better weapon than that metal edged oar he's been swinging around."
Shirou thought for a moment and then glanced over his shoulder at me appraisingly, "Do you have such a will in you as well?"
I took a surprised breath and then let it out. "I haven't trained mine nearly as extensively as Yama-chan has," I replied cautiously, "Honestly I only even found out how a few weeks ago. I definitely can't call it out at will like she can."
Shirou kneaded the bridge of his nose and sighed irritably, "Fiiine… I'll have to let you into the forge to help draw out the blade, it'll take three of us, but all you're allowed to do is help hold it steady while she swings got it?! And the instant we've got it, you get right back out!" Without even waiting for my answer he turned back to Yama-chan, "Are you sure you want to do that? It'll take enough steel for two and a half katana to make what you're asking for."
Yama-chan thought about it for a second, clearly giving it quite a bit of thought, "Two and a half?"
"Two and a half," Shirou confirmed.
"Can we make a pair of knives with the other half?" Yama-chan asked.
Shirou held his hands up at varying distances, "Big knife? Small knife? Wakizashi?"
Yama-chan thought about it for a moment, "Wakizashi."
"Two wakizashi," Shirou declared, holding up two fingers.
Yamato nodded with a pleased grin, "Perfect! Bones is crazy good with knives, he'll be unstoppable with a pair of good wakizashi."
Shirou's jaw dropped and he looked faintly scandalized before turning to give me a very level deadpan glare, "She loves you. A lot. You know that right?"
I grinned, "I'm the luckiest man in the world, you think I don't know it?"
"I disagree!" Shirou snapped, a finger pointed straight at me as he clarified, "I got Rin, so I'm the luckiest."
I blinked and then threw back my head and laughed, "That's the spirit! We'll have to agree to disagree, but I can agree that you are indeed extremely lucky!"
Yama-chan tilted her head in confusion, "Who's Rin?"
"My/His wife," Shirou, Koshiro and I replied in unison.
Yamato blinked in surprise and took that in stride before nodding, "Right, so how long will all this take to make?"
"How fast can you swing?"
Shirou's question was answered by Yamato snatching a fly out of the air next to his head between her fingers and showing it to him.
When Shirou managed to process what he had just seen, he nodded, "Eleven days. We'll do your two katana first, then the naginata, then the wakizashi." He was quiet for a moment and then, "Would you be willing to help me make one more katana after that? It'll push us out to thirteen days, but it would mean a lot to me. I've already sorted the steel, it only needs to be forged. I'll never have a better chance than I do right now with you here to help me forge it."
Yamato didn't even hesitate, "Of course I will! You're helping me make all this, you should definitely get to keep one!"
Shirou gave her a small smile, "I won't be keeping it. It's for someone Rin and I care quite a bit about." I noticed Koshiro stiffen a bit oddly at that, but his expression was carefully schooled to not give anything away. That on its own set off more alarm bells in my head than if he'd just come out and said whatever it was he was keeping to himself.
…That Night…
.
Zoro dragged himself out the door of the cabin into the moonlight on deck. He headed for the back railing, intending to lean against it and get some air. The cabin was far from the worst place he'd slept, but the heat from the oven as Sanji cooked to keep a ravenous Luffy fed was starting to make it unbearable.
Zoro pulled up short as he found Reiju calmly tossing bits of what he could tell from the smell to be raw meat into the water behind them… with dozens of immediately recognizable fins cutting through the low waves behind them. Zoro gulped as Reiju glanced over her shoulder.
Reiju sighed, set down her bowl of meat and walked over to wrap her arm around his midriff and his arm over her shoulder to help him over to the rail without a word. It wasn't until Zoro was sat down and she had picked her bowl back up to resume feeding their aquatic entourage that Reiju spoke, "Next time you want to move around, say so. I'll help you. You shouldn't aggravate your wound. By my estimates, it will be a little under two months before you're fully healed. You shouldn't try to move around by yourself for at least the next week, and no physically strenuous movement for at least a week after that. Whatever you do, do not scratch that wound. You'll open it back up if you do and if I have to redo your stitches, I will be severely peeved. Tell me if it begins to itch, and I'll numb it to where it won't."
"Aren't we heading into a major fight?" Zoro asked warily, already suspecting Reiju's answer.
"You will be staying out of it," Reiju declared succinctly, "If I suspect you're going to ignore doctor's orders, I'll drug you to the gills so that you can't even move, let alone fight. By Bones' estimation, there are only four fishmen strong enough to warrant your attention, and Sabo is more than capable of handling the one you would have. Besides, I understand Koala's called dibs on Arlong herself for leading her former friends so far astray and betraying their captain's dream, which means Luffy will be available to help me deal with absolutely anything else foolish enough to move within my sight."
Zoro thought about arguing, but Reiju's ice cold, matter of fact tone told him quite clearly that she would absolutely follow through on that threat to drug him into a stupor. Zoro instead folded his hands across his stomach, Kuina's sword set on his shoulder as he exhaled, "So…sharks huh?"
Reiju smirked lightly, "Sharks."
"You're a very scary woman, are you aware of that?"
Reiju's smirk turned to a true and very happy smile, "Thank you, Zoro!"
Zoro wasn't quite sure how to respond to her taking 'scary' as a compliment, so silence reigned for what seemed like a long time before he exhaled, "So, I was talking to Sanji…"
"I imagine Bones came up?" Reiju mused as Zoro trailed off before adding with a small smirk, "Or was it about me? Both?"
"Both," Zoro admitted, "Sanji told me that this Bones guy of yours might have told you a bit about my past. He figures you read the letter that Bones left for him."
"Of course," Reiju declared simply as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "I read every scrap of information he left me, including his rough drafts and scribbled over notes from where he was trying to get his thoughts in order."
"Trying to catch him slipping?" Zoro confirmed without looking up at her.
Reiju was quiet for a moment and then went ever so slightly stiff as she turned to look at him, "I take it you found something?"
"Something he was wrong about," Zoro nodded, "Sanji let me read the letter Bones left for him, and I caught it immediately although I don't think anyone else would've. It's… he wasn't wrong about the impact of it, and I don't know that it will have any impact on events going forward, I certainly wouldn't expect it to but… it's still pretty important, especially since it means he's not infallible. We figured you'd want to know, but, it's kind of personal, so Sanji agreed to let me tell you."
Reiju knelt down next to him, watching him intently as she set aside the bowl of bloody scraps, "Tell me."
.
…The Next Morning…
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I walked out of Shimotsuki Village towards the cemetery on the edge of town. I didn't know much of anything about Japanese, or, here I suppose they're Wanoan, funerary customs, but I knew there was something in there about offerings and burning incense. So I'd bought a couple of candles that smelled pretty good and two bottles of sake back on Mirror Ball Island, stuffed them in a sack and now I was headed out to pay my respects. It was a nice day, blue skies, enough puffy white clouds to keep the sun from beating down too harshly and a gentle breeze to stir the air… East Blue has the nicest weather of anywhere I've been.
Also, Yama-chan and Shirou breaking apart Takeru for metal was an ear rending sound that I think anyone except for Shirou, who we'd discovered was deaf as a post in his right ear, would be glad to get out of earshot from.
"Did you know Kozaburo-sensei?" Rin asked with a smile as she led me towards the cemetery with a basket of flowers. Rin was a very nice lady, nice enough to make up for Shirou's grumpiness and they'd both turned out to be excellent cooks, something Yama-chan and I were very glad of since they'd agreed to let us stay with them.
I shook my head with a small smile, "I did not. I know him by the reputation of his blades and legacy alone."
"Well, those were the two most important things to him," Rin declared before pausing in front of a very nice marble headstone, "This is him. Sensei, you have a visitor! Don't let him sass you too much," she added with a wink, "He's ornery but he means well." She snickered with a quick glance at the headstone and it wasn't hard at all to imagine Kozaburo's spirit complaining loudly as Rin headed off, "You two have fun!"
I waited until she was gone over the hill to whichever graves she was here to visit and then I plopped down cross legged, "Well Kozaburo-san, I'm afraid I don't know much about how they do funerals or pay their respects in Wano. I know how Oden did it, but I understand that got one hell of a reaction too." I pulled out the fist bottle of sake and two of the three cups, "That said, Oden was one hell of a man, so I don't mind emulatin' him a little bit."
I poured Kozaburo's ghost a cup and set it over on his tombstone for him. He probably couldn't do anything with it, but if he could see it, I'd hope he appreciated the gesture. I raised the cup I poured myself, "To adventure, dreams, freedom and the Land of Wano!"
I downed my cup and sighed, "It's a hell of a village you made here Kozaburo. It's really nice. Ah but you don't want to hear about that, you want to hear about what your masterpieces have been up to! Enma went on to be wielded by one of the greatest swordsmen of his generation! Maybe the greatest! Kozuki Oden himself used it throughout his adventures! He clashed with the likes of Whitebeard and Gold Roger! He cut open the great white boar known as the Mountain God! In his final battle he used Enma to leave a permanent scar on Kaido! An Oni King with hide stronger than steel and the power to turn into a dragon! If it hadn't been for a dirty trick, I think Oden would've made Enma as true a dragon slaying blade as Shusui!"
I took a breath and exhaled with a small sigh, "Your other blade, Wado Ichimonji, and those two you made for Zoro, their new wielder's history isn't quite so illustrious yet, but Zoro has certainly tested them! Why just a few days ago, he faced off against Hawkeye Mihawk! The Greatest Swordsman in the World!" I let that hang in the air for a moment before admitting, "Admittedly he got his ass handed to him, but he made Mihawk take him seriously and draw Yoru! Yeah, one of the Twelve Supreme Blades! Those two you made Zoro broke all to pieces when Mihawk came at him for the finisher, but Wado Ichimonji held true! I bet there wasn't even a good nick in it!"
"So Zoro lost huh?"
I turned in surprise, I hadn't heard anyone come up, but sure enough, there was a young woman in a pale kimono with long dark hair and midnight blue eyes that could probably rival Mihawk's for intensity observing me from a wheelchair not ten feet away. She was actually extremely pretty, not quite as beautiful as Yama-chan or Reiju I'd say, but I've been informed I'm biased.
I nodded, "Got beat like a drum is my understanding. That said, Mihawk was impressed enough with his potential that he vowed to hold onto his spot as the best until Zoro comes and takes it from him. That's about the highest praise Mihawk could give anybody I think."
"Is Zoro okay?" she asked, "There's no way he walked away from a fight like that without a scratch on him."
I shook my head, "Far from it. My understanding is that Mihawk cut him open from here," I pointed to my hip and then dragged the finger up to my opposite shoulder, "To here." I noticed the look of immediate horror and concern on her face and quickly added, "Don't worry he's fine. Mihawk wasn't trying to kill him, just give him one hell of a scar. I don't know how deep it was, but I know Zoro will be back on his feet in a few days at most. Hell, he's probably up walking around already!"
The woman gave me a measuring look, "How do you know all this?"
I glanced away, "I uh…might have Mihawk's snail number and got the rundown straight from him along with some other friends who were there to see it. As far as I can tell, Mihawk's actually tickled pink over the whole thing."
The woman blinked in surprise and then smiled a little crookedly, "Huh, you don't say?" She tilted her head back and looked up at the sky, "Way to go Zoro."
She was quiet for a moment and then she looked back at me, "My father said you're planning to meet up and sail with Zoro in Loguetown if you can? Would you tell him I'm proud of him and can't wait to see him again when he's the World's Greatest?"
I nodded, heavily intrigued by this new friend I'd never have even guessed at, "Of course. Ah, I just realized I haven't asked your name. Who should I tell him is waiting for him and pleased as punch with him throwing down against Mihawk?"
She started slightly as she realized she hadn't given me her name and then smiled, "Oh, right. My bad. I'm Koshiro's daughter, Kuina. Zoro's my boyfriend."
I smiled, "Oh alright, that makes it eas- wait, what?!"