Here is the tenth chapter in this story released in accordance with my upload schedule for this story. For the first time this story will focus solely on one of the 5 new crews as we wrap up the Sabaody arc once and for all with a look at the one crew that is going to take part in the Summit War arc and their preparations for it. As such this is going to be a lot shorter than previous chapters but such is the nature of some chapters, especially the ones that focus on only one crew/franchise that has been added. Anyway, that is all that I have for the administrative stuff I have for y'all and there are no questions that can be answered without spoilers and no guest reviews that require a response so I will end this note here. Do keep them coming as your support is the best motivation for me to keep producing chapters at this kind of rate. As such that is enough for this pre-chapter note so sit back and enjoy the tenth chapter in The Ultimate Worst Generation.
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to these great franchises.
Chapter 10: Meeting the Contact
"Right, let's go over the plan for what is to come." Najenda said as she took a seat at the head of the dining table in the converted aftercastle of their ship that almost all of the crew was already sitting at. "We all have roles to play so we'd better be ready for them because once Whitebeard makes his declaration of war, which he's sure to do in a way that no one will forget, there's bound to be chaos."
They all nodded at Najenda's words without saying a thing. This was what they'd been waiting for since they had left Sabaody and now that they'd reached the rendezvous area out in the open sea it was time to prepare. They'd actually reached this area the day before but as they were slightly ahead of schedule, mainly due to having to flee Sabaody in the wake of Straw Hat Luffy's punch, they'd taken in the sails and just floated there as they waited for the person who'd collect them, who was apparently different to Najenda's contact, arrived for them.
To facilitate this, they did need someone on deck on look out for the contact ship and that was Su right now as he wasn't really needed for the planning mission. He was a valuable friend and crewmate but he was different to the rest of the crew in some key regards and as Najenda had already given him his orders for the mission he wasn't needed in the planning stage as he would undertake his orders without fail or question. Therefore, he wasn't needed. Well, that and if they weren't on the deck he could clean it to his standards without their interference, which he preferred.
As such the rest of the crew had gathered at the table when Najenda called this meeting. In typical, unofficial, fashion Akame on her right and the green haired Lubbock on the left. Tatsumi sat next to Akame with Leone next to him and Bulat opposite him while Mine, their pink haired and outfitted sniper sat next to Bulat. Next to Mine was Sheele in her usual purple cheongsam that was a few shades lighter than her hair and eyes behind her slight askew glasses while Chelsea, the final member of the crew, sat beside Leone in her usual outfit that looked like a schoolgirl at one of the fancy schools on a wealthy island, headphones over her red hair and sucking on a lollipop as always.
"Our plan isn't really the same as his is, though, right?" Tatsumi asked. "We don't have ties to Ace so we're not there for him."
"It's not but if we can assist in rescuing him and ensuring that Whitebeard can get away with his Second Division Commander then we will have a strong ally in the New World though I have made it clear that we won't join his fleet." Najenda said. "We are an independent outfit who are willing to ally with Whitebeard because we agree with his protection policy in the New World and the way he treats those under his protection as it's significantly better than the World Government's protection but that is as far as it goes. We are skilled at fighting the Navy and don't hold back, that is the main reason why we appeal to Whitebeard. That and because of my knowledge of Marineford is valuable to him."
"Which I presume you are keeping close to the vest." Chelsea said, she was the spymaster of the crew so she understood the value of information and her craft was second to none that she knew of and that included her special assassinations that she carried out that no one else could manage. "Though Whitebeard is the top of the 8 Emperors so he no doubt has some former marines on his crew. From what I've heard he's not the kind of man to turn away someone simply because of their past or birth."
"I don't doubt that there is a former marine or two in his crew but I'm still one of the most senior known defectors and I know the Navy's mindset well so once we get to the final meeting point I'll pass on what I know to Whitebeard through one of his subordinate Captains." Najenda said. "Both the layout of the plaza and the bay where most of the fighting will be and who to expect because rest assured we're expecting all the big fish. There's no way that the Navy hasn't brought in all 5 Admirals for this as well as some of the top Vice-Admirals like Garp, John Giant, Tsuru, Budo, and that rising star Winter. That said there are a few that I think won't be there as they can't have everyone, and some are a little too uncontrollable for this."
"If they have the 5 Admirals then they can already match Whitebeard." Mine said. "So it makes sense to keep a few of the Vice-Admirals in other locations just in case there are ripple effects to this."
"That also means that she will be there." Akame said darkly. "This isn't something she'd miss."
"There's question on that front." Najenda agreed. "Esdeath loves battle and is good at it so the Navy would be fools to keep her away. It's right up her ally and if she's there well…"
"She'll come for me." Tatsumi said while both Akame and Mine glowered at that for the same reason though neither girl had yet to admit to themselves that that was the reason though Akame at least was getting closer to accepting it. "As soon as she realizes that we're part of the attack she'll break ranks to find me so, I need to be ready."
"Don't worry, I'll be by your side Tatsumi." Akame said. "I won't let her kill you."
"Oh, she won't kill me, she doesn't want that." Tatsumi said with a shudder. "Hell, when she realizes that I survived Kizaru and am back to fighting shape already she'll no doubt declare that she loves me even more. That said, there's no doubt that she will try to kill the rest of the crew to stop you from getting in her way and to show how strong she is so I'll do all I can to stop that."
All this was sadly true. Admiral Esdeath respected strength above all else due to her warped personal philosophy about survival of the fittest so between that, whatever it was that Tatsumi did to make her fall for him in an instant, he was still unclear how that had happened at a simple martial arts tournament that she was the guest of honor at, and the power Tatsumi had at his disposal thanks to his Devil Fruit, well Esdeath's feeling for him just kept getting deeper. Now that he'd survived Kizaru it would no doubt prove that he was even more suited to be Esdeath's man in her mind and she'd seek him out on the battlefield.
It wasn't like it had been a pleasant experience though. Tatsumi had been shot through by a beam of light while in full beast form which showed just how strong Kizaru was as the armor and general durability of that form of Tyrant was no joke. That said, it hadn't been a lethal shot and that would bite Kizaru in the ass now because of the core nature of the Beast-Beast Fruit model: Tyrant. It was also why Tatsumi had fully recovered in only a few days albeit with two new scars from it.
Meanwhile Bulat was also back to fighting form following his encounter with Admiral Ironwood. That had been due to his armor though which had soaked most of the blow and aftermath of it. As such Bulat was now determined to get even stronger after that as it really showed him how much of a gap he had to overcome when it came to the Admirals. Tatsumi was the same so the guys were intensifying their workout regime while Tatsumi focused even more on mastering Armament Haki but that would have to wait for a bit seeing as they did have the war to engage in.
"Well, if she gets close then I'll have you covered as well." Mine spoke as she didn't want to be outdone by Akame though deep down she knew that she really shouldn't be in competition with her friend when it came to protecting Tatsumi. "I'll be sniping from one of the hides and no one can touch a badass sniper genius like me."
"That you will Mine, but you won't get to Esdeath, her Observation Haki is really strong especially when she's in the thralls of battle and her bloodlust is at its peak." Najenda said shaking her head. "That would just give you away and cause her to come straight for us as and kill us in moments. There are other more useful targets to go for and thankfully we don't have to worry about a counter sniper as the only one I know better than you died about 4 years ago. Therefore you are to focus on overall battle support, Mine. Leave the Admirals to the Whitebeard Pirates, they're too much for us at the moment but we will reach the level that we can challenge them in time."
"Fine." Mine said with a pout as she had wanted to protect Tatsumi like Akame could, not because she liked him like Akame did and Mine was aware that Akame liked Tatsumi like that and it totally didn't make jealous, not one bit, but because Tatsumi was her friend and crewmate, so she was going to cover him and besides her denials were interrupted when she recalled what the boss had said. "Wait. There was someone better than me? How is that possible? I'm the best sniper on the seas."
"Yes, the woman who saw my own talent, taught me how to use Pumpkin and gave me the Snipe-Snipe Fruit that I passed on to you as I have no desire for a Devil Fruit, and you're a far better shot than me so it's power is better suited for you Mine as you can truly maximize it." Najenda said as she recalled the moment one of the women she looked up too so much on Tsuru's ship had handed her the Devil Fruit right before she was promoted off the ship and thus Najenda became their sniper. "Vice Admiral Kaina, that woman was unmatched when it came to long range combat."
"Vice Admiral Kaina?" Mine asked as her brows knit thinking on the name. "I've never heard of her."
"Oh, I remember her, well her death." Lubbock said. "It was a tragedy; her ship was blown up by a pirate that she had gone out to fight and was lost with all hands. A big blow to the Navy as she was beloved by marines and civilians alike."
"I recall her as well, no one was her match with a gun." Bulat said. "I never met her though, but Vice Admiral Liver spoke of her a bit, he admired her dedication, skill, incorruptibility, and how she always got the job done with minimal to no civilian casualties. Plus, she had a small crew as she was more about taking out the threats before they could be engaged by our forces in close combat so didn't need a big force."
"Why would she, Kaina can hit her target from 3 kilometers out with pure skill alone so for the most part the enemy didn't even know the marines were closing in on them before they were hit." Najenda said causing Mine to gape at that. "Yup, you're good Mine, one of only a few I know with a range that pushes 2 kilometers and that can challenge even the notorious Yasopp of the Red-Haired Pirates, but no one ever had the range that Kaina had. Add in that she ate the Rifle-Rifle Fruit which allows her to turn her arms into guns and make special ammunition out of her hair and there wasn't a finer shot. A shame she died as she would have been on the do not kill list."
"About that." Akame said as Mine still processed the insane range this now deceased Vice Admiral had and whether or not she ever had a chance of reaching that level herself. "We're bound to encounter those on the list during the coming battle so what should we do?"
"There aren't many but if the Revolutionary Army wins, which we'll aid with if they want even if we won't join them as they disapprove of our bloodier methods, then we'll need true marines to rebuild the organization as an actual force of justice." Najenda said and they all knew what she meant by that as Najenda's personal justice had been True Justice back in her Navy days. "And so, if you meet the likes of Garp, Clover, Winter or Smoker and his protégé Tashigi on the battlefield then you are to engage and wound but don't kill. Make it clear why they are being spared because if we have to fight again we may be forced to kill. That said don't engage Garp, none of you are at his level and that's including a fully transformed Tatsumi."
The whole crew nodded at that because they all knew the reputation of the Marine Hero Monkey D. Garp. There were few who could compare to him and the fact that he'd refused promotion because of his dislike for the Celestial Dragons, which he'd have to deal with more as an Admiral, showed that he was a good and true marine and none of them were going to cross him. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said about the Admirals.
"Understood but I'll still have to cross swords with Esdeath as she's coming for Tatsumi and he'll need backup to deal with her." Akame said her tone making it clear that this was an inevitability. "And if I recall she also wields a Supreme Grade blade just like Tatsumi and I do."
"She does, the rapier Bloodletter." Najenda said with a nod. "A gift to her when she became Admiral and coupled with her Devil Fruit powers, Haki, desire to be the strongest, and general insane battle lust makes her one of the most dangerous opponents on the battlefield, but all 5 Admirals are going to be as strong as she is. Only engage if you have to, and if we survive this we will do intense training after the battle so that you can all master Armament Haki and fight them in a few years. For now, the focus is on dealing a crippling blow to the Navy, taking out any Vice-Admirals on the approved list that we can, and wreaking havoc which will nicely cover our other job here."
"Which is my job." Chelsea said with a smile. "I'm to use my Glamor-Glamor powers to sneak in and raid all the intel that I can possibly find."
"Precisely." Najenda said. "The range will be such that Mine won't need a spotter and besides I'll direct her if need be as I know Marineford and its defenses well. Plus, I'll be on the foredeck for this defending the ship with Lubbock while the rest of you fight on the front lines where your skills can be best served. While all this is happening Chelsea will plunder the knowledge with one of those camera snails while also stealing as much new tech or Devil Fruits that she can carry. We're going to weaken the Navy with this all while Whitebeard is breaking their precious headquarters for the world to see."
"Even failure will look good if we can kill a fair few of them and damage Marineford." Leone said with a grin. "But it won't be that easy because the 11 Warlords will be there as well and they're going to be a bitch to deal with."
"At the moment it's more likely that it will only be 9." Najenda said surprising them. "But each of them alone is a threat that can't be ignored so the number is irrelevant they are the Navy's trump card."
"Why only 9?" Bulat asked. "They just replaced Crocodile, so all the vacancies are filled and this is something that they can't avoid lest they want to forfeit their status and become wanted pirates again."
"Because I know Jimbei, he'd never fight Whitebeard after what Whitebeard did for Fish-Man Island." Najenda said. "He owes the old man too much for that and he'd want to avoid a war, so he'd give up his spot if it came to it but not after trying to find a peaceful and diplomatic solution, which knowing the Navy won't work as they're openly courting this war. The other one I expect to be absent is Boa Hancock."
"The beautiful Pirate Empress?" Lubbock asked his tone showing interest though Tatsumi at least knew that it was a bit of a front for Lubbock as the only woman for him was the Captain but that was a separate thing that Lubbock had to work on himself. "She won't be there? Why? I was hoping to get a good look at her and see if the stories about her beauty are true."
"They are but seeing as Hancock hates the Navy almost as much as she hates men she's highly unlikely to fight for them." Najenda said simply. "It would take a miracle that defies all logic and reason to get her to accept the summons."
"Then why did she join the Warlords?" Mine asked while Lubbock blinked at Najenda confirming Hancock's beauty. "That makes no sense if she's just going to defy them when they invoke their deal with her."
"Same reason as Jimbei, to protect her people." Najenda said. "But she'll put them at risk by not going as the Navy can now reach Amazon Lily but all that is fine for us. I know Hancock a little, as a woman she didn't treat me too bad when we crossed paths, so I saw her in action a few times and she's a dangerous fighter so keeping her off the battlefield is good. Not only does it reduce their Conqueror Haki users by 1 but that Love-Love power is hard to resist."
"Right so there will only be 9 Warlords, still a lot to deal with and the 5 new ones that have joined their ranks in the last few months are total unknows." Tatsumi said. "So, we'll have to fight smart."
"We always do." Akame said. "It's why we're trained in more than just using our Devil Fruits though they will come in handy as well."
"That they will but I'm not going to disclose the Devil Fruits on this crew to Whitebeard." Najenda said with a grin. "After all, no one expects Tyrant to burst forth on the battlefield so we're going to keep that one to us."
"I will use it though." Tatsumi said. "If it's needed that is."
"Oh, it will be." Najenda said. "No doubt about that. Now, are there any other questions?"
"I am still wondering if we will meet someone from the Whitebeard Fleet here?" Mine spoke. "It's all a bit shady for my tastes."
"Well, we do have a few things to aid us if we aren't greeted." Najenda said as she pulled out an Eternal Pose and a scrap of what looked like blank paper that started to move in the same direction that the Eternal Pose was pointing in, well almost as it was slightly off, even though there was no wind in the room. "They gave us an Eternal Pose to Marineford and the vivre card for Whirl Spider Squard who's one of the 43 Captains of the Whitebeard Fleet and we know he's not the one meeting us, so we know where the fleet is. In exchange I gave them part of my vivre card as well as the number for the transponder snail we have on the ship so that they can call when they arrive which should be soon."
"That does help." Mine said her naturally skeptical nature still there. "But I don't…"
"Badabada. Badabada. Badabada."
Before Mine could finish the ship's transponder snail that was kept in the dining room as this was where they had their meeting and conducted business so it was the best place for it. It kept ringing so Najenda nodded to it and Lubbock quickly got up and retrieved it from a side table before bringing it to Najenda. As with any larger transponder snail it mimicked Najenda's appearance, so it had a patch over its right eye and silver hair rather than that person on the other line, so they didn't know who was calling them when they picked it up, but it was a good chance that it was a member of the Whitebeard Fleet.
"Ice Witch to General." The voice said through the snail's mouth, and it was clearly female which limited who it could be significantly. "It would seem that we've come across a Celestial Dragon that's tragically passed from a katana to the heart in what was clearly a freak accident."
"General to Ice Witch." Najenda said using the code she'd been given as she'd been told that the pickup Captain would use his or her epithet and Najenda's along with this phrase, so Najenda responded with her own confirmation phrase. "My condolences to the Celestial Dragon, I hope that you sent him to the white waves."
"Affirmative, authentication confirmed." The woman said and by this point they all knew who she was as that epithet was a notable one in the New World that they'd made sure to know before going there as it was one of the 43 ones used for the 43 Captains of the Whitebeard Fleet. "This is Whitey Bay of the Whitebeard Fleet; I presume I'm talking to General Najenda, Captain of the Night Pirates."
"You are and I must say your reputation precedes you." Najenda said. "I take it you see the ship."
"Hard to miss, it's a damn battleship just painted black." Bay said. "They weren't lying, you actually stole one and I must say that's one hell of a jolly roger. You lot aren't subtle with your intentions."
"Well, we have killed half a dozen low tier Celestial Dragons since I defected with one being very recent, a tragic accident involving a katana to the heart in fact." Najenda said calmly. "Though the World Government doesn't know that we've killed any. As for the ship, it was mine before I defected, so I didn't steal it, just took it out to sea and modified it."
"It will be useful for sure." Bay said with a light chuckle in her voice. "Gotta says I was hesitant to let a rookie crew, even one with 3 notorious Super Rookies on it including a former Vice Admiral, join us but pops agreed to the extra manpower and the intel you have for him regarding Marineford so welcome to the fleet."
"For this battle at least." Najenda said. "We have mutual interests in attacking Marineford so we're aligned for this endeavor."
"Very well but pops isn't one to take no for an answer when he sees promise so expect him to offer you a spot in his fleet again." Bay said. "Anyway, we're here and turning so raise your sails and follow us."
"Understood." Najenda said and as she did there was a click indicating that Bay had hung up, so she did as well before she looked at her crew. "Well, you heard her, let's get moving. Mine, head to one of your hides and keep a lookout, Chelsea go to another and act as her spotter. Lubbock, string things up with Cross Tail and lower the sails as soon as you can. Leone, start preparing the canons, Sheele help her if you can but stay below decks as it may get choppy and I don't want you falling overboard again. Akame, Tatsumi, join me at the helm."
"Yes boss!" They all said in unison as they got up and set to their jobs.
Najenda herself swept out of the dining room her cloak billowing behind her and onto the large deck of the battleship with Tatsumi and Akame in toe. They had to walk around the large central tower where the central mast was and which had been converted into the crew quarters on the lower level and a lounge and bathing facilities on the upper level, and to the stairs to the foredeck. Thankfully, Su was already at the helm having finished cleaning the deck so things were sorted there though as Najenda had replaced her lower right mechanical arm she could have taken it if needed.
"All things good Su?" Najenda asked as they reached the foredeck. "I didn't get a report so I presume you confirmed that the nearby ship isn't a threat."
"Yes the ship before us is flying Whitebeard's flag in addition to their own so I know that it is an ally." Su said in his measured, near monotone, voice. "I was going to come to see you in a bit about it as it is a fair way off, out of cannon range though well within Mine's, but I take it you were called about it."
"Yes, their Captain called us." Najenda said as she pulled out a telescope from a pouch on her belt and looked out over the bow at the ship. "Well, that will be useful."
"What will be?" Tatsumi asked squinting out and at the ship he could see in the distance but it was too far away to make out any details.
"Bay's ship." Najenda said as she handed him the scope. "Take a look. I'd heard that she had one, but I wasn't certain she'd use it. However with Aokiji all but guaranteed to be there we're going to need an icebreaker."
Intrigued, Tatsumi looked through the scope and confirmed what Najenda had said, the ship before them had a steel hull not a wood one with a noted bow that was designed for smashing through ice. It didn't have a figurehead, likely because it would just break when the ship plowed through ice, but Tatsumi did see that there was a snowflake on the bow in its place.
"You don't see many of those in the Grand Line, at least not in the first half." Tatsumi noted as he passed the scope to Akame so she could look as well. "The weather here is so unpredictable that while useful it's not exactly the ideal ship most of the time. I'd expect that to be in the North Blue though, reminds me a bit of the ships that used to visit my homeland."
"She's probably spent time there but with the Admirals the ability to break through ice is needed seeing as Aokiji can freeze the whole bay and then some if he wanted to." Najenda said as Akame studied the ship as well. "I'm just surprised they sent her. I would have expected one of the lesser known ones like Zodia, Nosgarl, or Amadob though with Whitebeard's fleet lesser known is a stretch."
"Who else could they have sent?" Tatsumi asked as the ship finished turning and began to sail away in the same direction as Squard's vivre card. "There are a lot of Captains to choose from so it could have been any."
"True there are 43, well 42 as clearly Squard has to stay put, but to get one of the more well known ones is unexpected." Najenda said taking back the telescope now that Akame was done looking at Bay's ship. "My bet is that she was the closest so they sent her, it could have been anyone really and it's going to be a who's who of New World Pirates so don't let them down."
"We won't." Tatsumi and Akame said in unison.
"Good, now are there any more questions?" Najenda said as they prepared to set sail in the wake of Whitey Bay and her ship. "Because it's gametime so now's the time to ask them as from here on out the focus is on the coming war and our role in it."
"It's not really a question, more a curiosity." Tatsumi said from next to his Captain as Lubbock lowered the sails from where he controlled the strings that were attached to them and the wind caught them. "Anyone wonder what happened to Straw Hat Luffy and his crew? They're rather impressive and bold so you know that Kizaru came for them, he would have pursued us if he wasn't there for them, but do you think they managed to escape?"
"I know little about Straw Hat, but his reputation precedes him." Najenda said. "A 300 million berry bounty in such a short period of time and before he enters the New World is damned impressive. Plus we know from our contacts that he decimated Ennis Lobby and set the World Government's flag on fire when he rescued his crewmate, so he's declared war on the World Government just like us. The fact that he did that and escaped shows that he's highly capable. He also doesn't care for the Celestial Dragons and broke the taboo, not that we care for that either. Even with an Admiral or two on his heel he might break free of that, so I bet he's still out there."
"He's got spirit, we all sensed it." Akame said as the ship picked up speed. "So, it wouldn't be a surprise if he found a way off Sabaody for himself and his crew."
"We've been getting the papers and there's been no news of his capture so it's safe to assume that he's free as I'm sure the World Government would want to make a spectacle of the fact that they captured him after his actions." Najenda said. "Though where he is we don't know which is a shame as I'd like to meet him, he seems like a good ally to have. Regardless, it's safe to say that he's going to continue to cause trouble in the world, if he's not already doing so as we speak, so we have to keep an eye out for him. However, that will all come once we're done with this war so pay attention to it."
"True, it's not like Straw Hat will fall out of the sky during this war with a strange assortment of allies that he picked up along the way that no one expected, he has no known tie to Fire Fist that I've heard of." Tatsumi said. "So, we'll have to find him after. Still, I wonder what he's up too?"
The others on the foredeck just nodded at that as they sailed towards the final meeting point with the Whitebeard Fleet as those who'd been present in the auction house knew just what kind of man Straw Hat Luffy was. Little did they know that Luffy did have a tie to Ace, one that was deeper than even Ace's tie to Whitebeard and that Tatsumi's prediction would be right on the money.
However, what no one knew was that Luffy's actions leading up to his arrival in Marineford would have even greater implications than he ever intended. Soon there wouldn't just be one mass breakout from Impel Down, there'd be two.
Well there it is, the Sabaody arc is officially over with the Night Pirates joining up with Whitebeard's fleet as an ally for the coming war though not a subordinate crew and with their own agenda as well. All that is of course going to come in time but the little tease at the end is important because it's time to turn to the great prison and see what is going on in Impel Down and how Luffy's latest actions have even wider implications in this expanded world than it does in canon. As such, next up is the special Impel Down arc of this story that will have long range implications for what is to come as this adaption continues. Fair warning, initially I'd planned on the Impel Down arc on being 1-2 chapters but after working on it I realized that it would be a lot longer so it's now 6 chapters long so a lot to look forward to and you'll see why it's so long when it comes out. Anyway, that is all that I have for y'all 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