Chapter 14
AN : Chapter 12, 13 and 14 were posted at the same time. Check if you read the previous chapters before starting !
15th of February 1522
Sea, East Blue
Isabella stood on the deck of their Caravelle, the salty breeze of the open sea whipping through her long hair. She focused intently on her exercises, determined to master her devil fruit powers. Moria had left for Thriller Bark, using his shadow-swapping methods. He assured them he would return before they arrived at the next island. Her left hand flickered between its normal form and one with sharp, obsidian claws, each transition becoming smoother and faster. At the same time, she practiced unfurling her black leather wings, snapping them out with a swift motion and folding them back in without damaging her clothes.
Behind her, Selena lay on the deck, her body taut with effort as she performed abdominals. Two shadow soldiers stood over her, wielding heavy maces that they swung down onto her exposed belly. Each strike elicited a grunt of pain from Selena, but she continued without pause. Her abdominal muscles were defined and tense, the V-shaped line running down to her groin accentuating her athleticism. Isabella watched in a mix of horror and admiration. Selena was likely trying to learn this Tekkai, technique that Captain Moria had discussed with them. Apparently, he had decided that Selena should learn them, even hinting at her having a tutor when they returned to Thriller Bark.
Next to her, Zoro watched Ryuma performing a kata, his movements slow and deliberate. The sight of the Shadow Samurai, who was apparently a legendary figure, filled Isabella with newfound appreciation. Even Dracule Mihawk, the greatest swordsman of the era, had shown him respect.
Isabella was lost in her thoughts, her focus momentarily drifting from her exercises. Suddenly, she heard a noise behind her, a soft rustling that should not have been possible. Shadow soldiers did not make noise with their footsteps.
She turned back swiftly, her eyes narrowing. Standing there, draped in one of Moria's shirts—his small form's shirt, though still too big for her—was the orange-haired girl they had "rescued" from Buggy's pirates. The shirt hung off her slender frame, slipping off one shoulder to reveal a glimpse of her skin. Moria had insisted it was crucial she joined his crew, despite Isabella knowing it was technically kidnapping. He had emphasized that Isabella, with her experience as a former godmother of the Mafia, should know how to recruit people with a mix of promises and threats.
The girl stood there, naked except for the oversized white shirt. Her orange hair fell in unruly waves around her face, giving her a wild look. Her big, wide eyes stared directly at Isabella with an unsettling intensity, A tattoo of the Arlong Pirates marked her shoulder. But it was her smile that was most striking—a grin stretched wide across her face, almost manic in its intensity.
"Ullo. I'm Nami. Who are you?" she asked with a childlike voice that was definitely not the one she spoke with on Orange Island.
"I am Isabella von Carstein, a member of the Thriller Bark Pirates under the Warlord Moria. We saved you from Buggy's pirates."
Selena had stopped her training and approached, her curiosity piqued by the interaction. "Saved, huh?" she muttered, glancing at Isabella before focusing on Nami.
Isabella nodded towards the others on the deck. "This is Zoro, and Ryuma,," she said, motioning to each of them in turn. "And this is Selena Whitefang.
Selena sniffed at Nami, her sharp eyes narrowing. "She smells wrong," she declared. "Broken." With a dismissive snort, she turned and walked back to resume her training, her interest already waning.
Nami's grin widened even further, and she let out a creepy, childlike laugh that echoed unnervingly across the deck. "That's funny," she giggled.
Isabella sighed. "Selena, she's… in charge while Captain Moria is absent—though you'll see him before tomorrow. We'll arrive at the Conomi Archipelago soon."
Nami's expression shifted to something strange, almost unreadable, before she smiled again. "Conomi Archipelago... that's where I'm from," she said, her speech erratic and unsettling. "Will you kill Arlong and his pirates?"
Isabella hesitated.
"Probably," she replied.
Nami's eyes lit up with a manic gleam. "Will you also kill, burn, rape, and pillage the village? The villagers?" she asked.
Isabella shrugged, maintaining her composure. "You should ask the Boss. Only he knows the plan."
Nami's smile twisted into something darker. "I hope so," she whispered, her voice dripping with venom.
"Only I suffered to defend them, so they should suffer too. Know pain."
15th of February 1522
Sea, East Blue
The Shadow Sailors maneuvered the boat with silent precision, guiding it smoothly through the waters. The Conomi Archipelago loomed ahead, only half an hour away. Shadows swirled at the center of the deck, coalescing into a dark, dense mass from which Moria emerged, his form taking shape like a specter returning from the abyss.
Moria thought about the hidden quest for his Class Upgrade. He had guessed he needed to commit acts of piracy, seeing as the quest completion increase when he had destroyed the marine base and massacred the soldiers. The thought of ransacking the island, of plundering its resources, filled him with anticipation. It has been a long time, twelve years maybe, since he really committed a good old pillaging. Yet, he wondered what Nami would think. This was her native island, after all. And he profile sheet said she was a member of the Arlong Pirates.
He surveyed the deck with a keen eye, assessing the situation and the readiness of his crew. His gaze settled on the orange-haired girl who stood slightly apart from the others. She was still clad in one of his white shirts, oversized and loose on her slender frame. The shirt hung off one shoulder, revealing the delicate curve of her collarbone and the subtle outline of her ribs beneath her pale skin. Her slender fingers fidgeted with the hem, twisting and untwisting the fabric in a constant, nervous motion. Her legs, bare and slender, shifted restlessly, giving her an almost ethereal appearance. Her eyes were wide and unnervingly intense, and her lips stretched into a grin that was both childlike and disturbingly manic.
[Oykot Nami]
Class: Mad Navigator
Job : Creepy girl
Dourikis: 18
Potential: B(?)
Fate: S
He was about to introduce himself to her, to gauge her intentions and potential. She was a skilled sailor, but more importantly, she possessed an S-ranked fate. A B-ranked potential alone was not enough to elevate her to a Named Shadow. His best bet was to have her join him willingly. But before he could speak, she beat him to it. Her voice cut through the quiet like a blade. "You're Moria?" Her tone was sing-song, almost playful.
He nodded, taken aback by her directness.
A strange look crossed her face. She rocked on her heels, clasping her hands behind her back like a mischievous child. "If you totally raze the island," she said, her voice lilting with an eerie sweetness, "including the Arlong Pirates, the marines, and the people, I'll be yours. You can do whatever you want with me. Does that sound fun?"
Moria was first taken aback. Wha…
Then…He nodded slowly, a dark smile creeping onto his lips.
"Of course, Nami."
15th of February 1522
Arlon Park, Conomi Archipelago, East Blue
Arlong lounged at the heart of his Park, surrounded by his crew. The space was full with the sounds of feasting and laughter. Plates of fresh fish and barrels of rum littered the tables, the spoils of their ruthless reign. Kuroobi and Hatchan swapped tales of how they dealt with their latest human victims, their grins wide. Chew and the other fishmen sat nearby, savoring the quiet moments of their brutal victory.
"To our domination of East Blue!" Arlong roared, lifting a tankard high. The fishmen echoed his cheer, the room filled with boisterous shouts and clinking glasses.
The door to Arlong Park creaked open. The crew turned to see Nami standing in the doorway, clad only in an oversized shirt that barely concealed her form. Her orange hair fell in disheveled waves.
"Well, well, if it isn't our little map-maker," Arlong sneered, his sharp teeth gleaming. The other fishmen joined in with catcalls and jeers.
Nami's steps were slow and deliberate as she approached. Arlong's eyes narrowed. He saw no treasure in her hands. "You dare come back empty-handed?" he growled.
Nami's smile twisted into a creepy grin. "No," she said softly. "I have something. Something in my shadow."
Before Arlong could react, the room darkened. Shadows twisted and writhed, peeling away from the walls and coalescing into monstrous shapes. From the depths of the darkness, a dozen figures emerged—creepy knights in even creepier armors. Their forms were twisted, their eyes glowing with a strange light.
"Wha…What is that?", he stuttered.
Kuroobi's scream was cut short as a shadow knight impaled him, lifting his body high before flinging it aside like a ragdoll. Blood sprayed across the floor.
"No! Please!" Chew's eyes widened in terror as a shadow knight grasped his head, twisting it violently until a sickening crack echoed through the hall. His lifeless body slumped to the ground, blood pooling around him. Hatchan's tentacles flailed desperately, but he was quickly overwhelmed. A shadowy blade severed his limbs with brutal efficiency, his screams echoing through the park as his blood splattered across the walls.
"Mercy! Have mercy!" Hatchan cried out, but his pleas were drowned in the screams of his crewmates.
Arlong himself fought back, his strength nothin against the shadows. They swarmed him, their movements a blur of lethal precision. He roared in defiance, his powerful jaws snapping at the air, but it was futile. A blade plunged into his side, another through his chest, and he collapsed to the ground, his vision fading as the life drained from his body.
"Poor little fishies," Nami mocked, her voice sing-song and chilling. "Did you really think you could keep me forever?"
Limbs lay scattered like broken dolls, eyes frozen in terror stared blankly at nothing, and the walls dripped with the remains of a brutal, unforgiving slaughter. Nami stood at the center, her bare feet surrounded by the carnage, her smile the only thing untouched by the horror around her. As the last of the fishmen fell, Nami's laughter, soft and chilling, was the only sound that could be heard.
15th of February 1522
Marine Base, Conomi Archipelago, East Blue
At first, Isabella had been apprehensive. Moria had thrown a look at the Marine Captain and declared that she, alone, would take the base down. It was time, he had said, for her to demonstrate her strength and contribute to the crew. The weight of his expectations bore heavily on her shoulders, but beneath the apprehension, there was a spark of excitement.
She had underestimated her progress.
As she approached the Marines guarding the entrance, their leering gazes followed her every step. The two men exchanged smirks, convinced she was nothing more than a local woman, if a particularly beautiful one. Her beauty and grace seemed out of place in the rugged environment of the Marine base.
"Hey there, sweetheart," one of them called out, "Here to thank us for our hard work?"
The other Marine chuckled, his eyes roaming over her form. "Looks like she's here to service the marines."
Isabella stopped a few feet away from them, her eyes narrowing. She smiled as her skin began to ripple and change, the smooth surface giving way to a hideous, wiry musculature. Her feet elongated into sharp claws, and her face twisted into a monstrous visage filled with fangs. Enormous fibrous wings unfurled from her back, casting a shadow over the stunned Marines. She had understood that her fruit was not a Zoan for a bat, and had unlocked her full transformation. Moria had called it a Vargheist, whatever it meant.
Their mocking expressions turned to sheer terror. "W-what the hell are you?" one of them stammered, his voice trembling with fear.
Isabella answered not with words but with action. She lunged at them, her claws slashing through the air with lethal precision. Blood sprayed as she tore through their flesh, their screams filling the night. One Marine tried to raise his weapon, but Isabella's claws were faster, slicing through his throat and silencing him forever.
Isabella moved through the base like a force of nature, her monstrous form a blur of death and destruction. Her transformation had stripped away any semblance of humanity, leaving behind a creature of pure, unrestrained instincts. The initial wave of Marines barely had time to react. They reached for their weapons, eyes wide with disbelief, but her claws slashed through the air, cutting down the first group with brutal efficiency. Blood sprayed the walls, and the floor was soon slick with the lifeblood of her enemies.
On the ground floor, she tore through the Marines with ease, their attempts at resistance futile against her inhuman speed and strength. Shouts of alarm echoed through the corridors as she ascended to the next level. The third level housed the barracks, where the Marines formed a barricade, rifles trained on the doorway. With a deafening roar, Isabella charged, her wings snapping open to shield her from the bullets. She crashed through the barricade, her claws rending wood and flesh alike, leaving a trail of carnage in her wake.
The mess hall on the fourth floor became a charnel house. Marines, prepared for battle, were no match for her ferocity. She moved with fluid grace, her body a blur of motion as she dispatched each Marine with ruthless efficiency. Tables and chairs were overturned as she carved a path of death, bodies strewn across the floor in a gruesome tableau.
As she reached the inner sanctum of the base, Captain Nezumi stood waiting, his face pale with fear. He tried to draw his sword, but his hands trembled too much to grasp the hilt properly. Isabella approached him slowly, savoring the look of terror in his eyes.
"Please... have mercy," Nezumi begged, his voice barely a whisper.
Isabella's response was a predatory smile. She grabbed him by the collar, lifting him off his feet as if he weighed nothing. Without a moment's hesitation, she sank her fangs into his neck, drinking deeply of his blood. The taste was both exhilarating and satisfying, a reward for the night's carnage.
Nezumi's struggles weakened, his life draining away until he hung limp in her grasp. She let his body drop to the ground, wiping the blood from her lips with a sense of grim satisfaction. The base was silent now, the only sounds the distant echoes of the massacre she had wrought.
She had proven her strength, not just to Moria and the crew, but to herself. The apprehension she had felt earlier was gone, replaced by a newfound confidence. Now, she was a force to be reckoned with, a true member of the Thriller Bark Pirates.
She was eager to spare with this asshole Capone Bege once they went Back to Thriller Bark
