"Well, come along then." Whitey Bay said. "The rest of you, get this ship in order!"
The crew dispersed, glaring daggers at the pair, and begrudgingly set about their work. Weapons were taken below, along with the handful of prisoners the Brownbeards had left behind. The dead were lugged onto the dock and dumped there, presumably for the locals to deal with. None of Bay's own pirates appeared to have been killed.
"Captain, what about Brownbeard?" asked a bald young man. Bay glanced out towards the sea, and Izuku did likewise. Out there, Brownbeard's ship, damaged as it was, was under full sail, heading for the open sea.
"Let him run and lick his wounds," replied Bay. "If he comes back, he won't get away without a scar."
She turned and headed towards the rear of the ship. Yamato trotted after her, still smiling like a child on her way to a picnic. Izuku brought up the rear, glancing warily at Bay's subordinates. They were still glaring at him, eyes distrustful, hostile. Just like the people back in Tokyo, after All for One escaped from Tartarus.
Izuku had understood their glares, even as he resented them. They were ordinary people, frightened out of their wits, failed by those they trusted to protect them. But this was different. These were pirates; well-dressed pirates, but pirates all the same. Clearly they saw him and Yamato as potential enemies.
Which was no surprise, considering he and Yamato had dived on to their ship with every intent of defeating them; and had succeeded in hurting some of them.
But this Whitey Bay woman seemed to know Whitebeard, and Oden too. The name sounded vaguely familiar from what Yamato had mentioned from Oden's journal, but the samurai had met numerous people in his travels. It was hard to remember, especially since those recountings were his own frame of reference. And she had read a lot to him on that fateful night. Even his brain could only hold so much information.
With any luck, she would be able to convince this woman. She had read Oden's log from cover to cover countless times. If anyone could know Oden without even meeting him, it was Yamato.
He hoped.
He followed Bay and Yamato through a door under the quarterdeck, and into the ship's stern. The corridor was remarkably clean, its floor covered with an expensive-looking carpet. There were even paintings and other works of art hanging on the walls.
It honestly looked more of a high class yacht than a pirate ship.
A high class yacht with a steel prow, a deck of heavy guns, and manned by a crew of well-dressed, heavily-armed pirates.
"Apologies for my ship's accommodations," said Bay, glancing back at them. "They weren't made with someone of your height I'm afraid."
"It's alright!" Yamato replied, still smiling. She was having to bend down to fit through the corridor. But she didn't seem to mind in the slightest.
Then Izuku noticed something on the wall. It was a selection of photos, showing Bay and various pirates he assumed to be her crew. Each photo showed them feasting in a town square, with tankards raised high and smiles on their faces.
One of the squares was a dead ringer for the Ludeterin square.
"How long has this island been your territory?" Izuku asked, fixing his eyes on Bay. She glanced at him, her blue eyes cold and hard.
"Many years. Ludeterin was once under the control of some rather dangerous pirates. Me and my crew sent them into the sea, and we have been protecting it since."
They reached an elaborately-decorated and heavy-looking steel door. Izuku was willing to bet this was the captain's quarters.
"For a protection fee, right?" he remarked sourly. The woman glared at him.
"Don't lump me in with Kaido and Big Mom," she retorted. "I don't exploit those I protect. If anything, I provide for these people. Some of my crew come from round here, and serve me because they want to protect their homes and keep the place somewhat civil. It's better than serving as government dogs."
There it was again. That same contempt for the World Government, as he would expect from a pirate on these seas. But such vitriol…
"Umm, let's take it easy now. Izuku, she was Oden's crewmate. She can be trusted, okay?"
Yamato looked back, offering a big smile that made Izuku take a deep breath through his nose.
"Come on in," commented Bay, opening the door.
They followed her inside. Izuku paused for a moment, taking in all he could see. They were in a large room, clearly her office, with bookcases and cabinets filled with items and bottles of liquor around the walls, a sofa, and a big, finely-carved desk that wouldn't have looked out of place in Yaoyorozu's room. Next to it was an enormous map table, covered in what looked like gaming pieces. There was also a side room, with a large and fancy-looking bed just visible. Upon the walls were maps and pictures in frames, and weapons in display cases.
"A sea map, with the pieces indicating marks of territory, friends, or foes," Hikage mused. "I've seen them in the serials I used to watch."
"I'm keeping an eye on it right now," added the Second User; making Izuku ever more grateful to have eight extra sets of eyes in his head.
"Izuku. I understand you're in a pirate's ship, but she brought you here as a guest and we need all the information we can get. Play it cool for now," Yoichi cut in.
Bay swept off her coat and hat, depositing them on a coat rack. She looked different without them, more mature somehow; almost like Hado-senpai's mother.
"Well well, she can captain my ship anyday." Daigoro remarked with a devious smirk.
"Watch it Banjo" Nana interjected sternly. "She's attractive, but don't go howling like some wild horny dog."
"I have standards! Sheesh, ever heard of look, don't yell? What are you, my mother?"
Izuku blushed. Of all the times for the voices in his head to have an argument!
"Pipe down, we need to listen in," Yoichi said.
"Now then," Bay stood by her desk as Izuku took a seat next to Yamato on the sofa. She looked them over with discerning eyes. "You two seem to have questions for me, and I for you. So let's start off with the most important one."
She stepped over to a sideboard, where there stood a bottle and some glasses.
"Care for a drink?"
"Oh! What do you have? I've had rum and beer back where I came from," declared Yamato "And some sake here and there too."
"I don't drink," Izuku replied, raising a hand. Bay's eyebrow rose.
"Really boy? I had my first bottle of rum when I was fifteen."
Izuku only huffed in response, trying to remain civil as his predecessor suggested.
The blue-haired woman let out a scoffing chuckle, and Izuku rolled his eyes. Was there even a legal drinking age in this world?
"Suit yourself." She grabbed the pitcher, and poured a glass; handing it to Yamato. Izuku moved, putting his hand over the glass.
"You drink from it first." Izuku's eyes were square on Bay, while Yamato blinked. Bay scoffed.
"Midoriya, breathe." Nana said in his ear, and he could feel All Might's calming hand on his shoulder. He took that deep breath.
"Why would I poison my own beverage? But if it makes you more comfortable," She poured herself a glass, and sipped from it lightly. Satisfied, Yamato chugged it all down.
"Phew!" she winced, grinning. "That's… good stuff."
"Should be. It's fifty year old cognac," Bay replied, as she took her seat across from them, setting her glasses down on the desk. She pulled out a canteen, filled another glass with what looked like water, and offered it to Izuku. Izuku took it, but did not drink. Bay looked directly at him, daring him to drink or worse, deny it.
He felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up to see Yamato smiling at him.
"Izuku, it's gonna be okay. I trust Bay. Oden did after all."
Izuk winced, and looked back to Bay. Bay sighed, rolled her eyes, and poured some water into her rum, sipping it.
"There, now I'm double poisoned."
She set the glass down, and leant back in her chair, arms crossed, as Izuku sipped his water.
"Now then, my first question. What is your relationship to Kozuki Oden, and why do you have his journal?"
Yamato winced, licking her lips as she thought of the best way to answer. "Well… it's because I found it. Outside of his… destroyed castle."
Bay's jaw clenched shut.
"Whitey Bay, Oden's homeland, the Land of Wano… it's been conquered. By Kaido."
Bay fixed them with a frigid stare.
"I know, everyone worth their salt in the new world knows that Kaido has Wano as his fortress," the bluenette said. "To approach, you must go through the Sea of Spires, all occupied by his men, manning ship-killing cannons surrounding the giant plateau island, and then you have to rope up the giant koi that swim up the current which leads to an upwards-waterfall."
Bay looked at her glass.
"And that's assuming you breakthrough without any of the Beast Pirates coming right for the falls, whether it be their ships on high or Kaido himself." She took a sip. "Whether they have a fleet just for the Wano Plateau or are able to travel up and down I do not know. Hell, the only reason I didn't go in to lend a hand when I heard Kaido went there is because it's a suicide run."
Izuku saw her hand tighten around her glass. She was angry.
Izuku nudged Yamato lightly with his foot, and the woman perked up, nodding as he saw his glance.
"But," she said, "That doesn't explain why you have Oden's journal anyway? What's your relation to him?"
Yamato glanced at Izuku, wincing.
"Go ahead." He said. "We can tell her that."
"Hmmph, keeping information as leverage huh?" Bay remarked, sipping again. "Oden has to be making Kaido's life hell as a prisone-"
"Kozuki Oden is dead."
Bay froze, eyes wide, mouth clenched shut, as she stared at Yamato.
"He… he fought valiantly to try and free Wano sixteen years ago… but to no avail. He was defeated by Kaido, and was executed by boiling alive in a pot of oil."
Yamato opened the journal, flipping through to the last pages.
"Here are his last entries. You can read them to see what he… was going through." She offered it to the blue haired woman.
"Are you sure Yamato? That journal is precious to you." Izuku said.
"It's alright. Whitey Bay was precious to Oden, they were crewmates after all. I think she has the right to know…" Yamato said, and Izuku sat back.
"It's not a bad idea. Give Bay some legit confirming information, but not everything. Show her we have something to offer, but not for free," the Second User said in Izuku's ear.
Bay looked at her desk, then back to Yamato, then back to the journal. She slid it across her desk, and began to read.
"This is his handwriting…" she muttered, as she read on.
Then eyes flashed, and her hands tightened on the book, almost crushing it.
"They…forced him to…"
She shook her head, calming herself as she read on. The only sounds within the room were the ticking of the grandfather clock, and the sea outside her window.
Bay closed the book, and slid it back across the desk for Yamato to take back. She sat back in her chair, and took a long swig from her glass. There was silence before she took a deep breath.
"I knew something had happened to him… I never would have thought…" She bit her lip. "Is… Toki alright? What about his children?" Her eyes trying to find some measure of hope.
Yamato frowned, and Izuku rubbed his arm.
"They're dead. Killed in their own castle… by Kaido's hand."
Bay got out of her chair immediately, and strode towards the rear window. She stood there, staring out over the bay, her hands on the sill; gripping it so hard the wood groaned as the green haired boy could hear her breath through her nose.
Izuku felt bad; for Yamato for having to break such news, and for the clearly distressed Bay. He wanted to comfort them, but what could he do? What words of his would make this easier? Looking at Yamato, she was sharing the same thoughts.
Bay returned, refilled her glass, downed it whole, then filled it again. She returned to her seat; and regarded them with those same cold eyes.
"You never answered my question about the journal, and how you came across it then." She looked at Yamato, face like stone.
"It was outside of the burnt remains of Kozuki Castle. I found it as a child and hid it on my person ever since. I was… a captive in the Beast Pirates." Yamato explained. "That is, until Izuku helped me escape."
She smiled at Izuku, and he couldn't help but feel better for it..
"Burnt…" Bay shook her head, running her hand down her face. "Were you a slave then? You have cuff marks on your wrists. And how did you escape anyway?"
Izuku and Yamato glanced at one another. Izuku cursed himself. They really hadn't prepared this.
"Just go with it for now Midoriya. Bay seems alright to me so far, even if she is a Pirate" Nana whispered in his ear. Izuku steeled himself.
"You won't tell anyone of this, right?" Izuku asked.
"Tell me what?" asked Bay suspiciously.
Izuku took a deep breath, and then levitated off the sofa. Bay stared at him, amazed.
"I was a…castaway on the shores of Wano. Snuck on one of their ships before they hit a shoal," Izuku said, his stomach churning at the half-lie. "Yamato found me, and nursed me back to health. We escaped together, by flying."
He settled back down on the sofa.
"I don't believe you," Bay replied, her cold mask settling back into place. "The journey from here to Wano is thousands of leagues. Storms are common, and the waters are wild on the calmest day."
"We flew over the storms," Yamato explained proudly. "And we found a Sky Island to rest on."
Bay blinked, and rubbed at her forehead. Izuku couldn't tell if she believed him or not.
"So…that speed and strength you displayed on Brownbeard's ship, your…Float Float ability. You used that to carry yourself and Yamato away?"
"Yes," Izuku said. Like Malice, she thought it was a Devil Fruit power. Best not to let her think otherwise. "We got out with no one the wiser."
Bay regarded him once again.
"To think you had the Golden Lion's power. Lucky kid. Guess the old rooster head finally croaked after all."
Izuku's stomach churned again. Yamato had told him of how a Devil Fruit, once consumed, could appear again after its previous consumer's death. But what if this Golden Lion character was still alive somewhere? What if they met?
"Hmm…well, I can believe you came from Wano," Bay went on. "Yamato's dressed the part, and I've seen you both fight. That said, I can't shake the feeling there's more to this."
"Do you want to know, or need to know?" Izuku asked, looking back at her dead in the eye. The blue-haired woman nodded.
"I suppose that's a fair question. But you're the ones who want to see Whitebeard. You've given me some useful information, and I'm impressed that you survived as prisoners of the Beast Pirates."
She gave Yamato a hard look.
"But you attacked my crew. We may be pirates but we have our pride. As their captain, I can't let that go unanswered."
"We're sorry, we… didn't know. We were just trying to protect the town," pleaded Yamato. "Ludeterin looks like it has good, nice people in it. We wanted to ensure no one was hurt!"
"Did you not see my flag?" demanded Bay. "The same flag that flies above my Yukimaru?"
Yamato frowned, and rubbed her arm. "We… weren't paying attention… I went for your ship, and Izuku went for the other… that was our plan is all."
"But I think you mean well. I can't punish you just for being ignorant, and you did us a favor in putting down Brownbeard like that. We had a hard fight on our hands before you showed up. He maybe a rookie, but he and his men are no slouches."
She leant back in her chair, glancing at the map table.
"Is there… anything we can do then?" Izuku asked, already dreading what was coming. Bay smirked.
"Since you mention it, there is."
She stood up, and walked past the map table towards a cabinet. Izuku looked, and saw that it was full of hourglass-like devices.
"You rub my back, I'll rub yours. I think that's fair."
"Those are Log Poses," the Second User said, as she opened the cabinet and took one out. She brought it over to the desk, and Izuku could see it clearly. It was about the size of a coffee cup, and there was an inscription on the wood above the orb containing the needle.
DOYLE.
"You lot know of Eternal Poses yes?" she asked.
"Oh yes! Oden wrote of them!" Yamato replied, her childlike glee returning. "They're a specially designed Log Pose that when assembled on a specific island, will always be attached to that island's magnetic field. Unlike a single needle, which is needed for Paradise, or a triple needle Log Pose which is required for the New World, an Eternal Pose will forever and always lock onto the island it was assembled on. No matter where you are in the world."
Izuku blinked, momentarily overwhelmed.
"You know your stuff. Good. That makes this easy."
Bay held up the Eternal Pose and moved it around, the needle moving in the same direction it has been pointing in.
"This Eternal Pose will take you to the Doyle Kingdom. If you two can fly as you did from Wano, I need you to help resolve an issue there."
"What kind of issue?" Izuku inquired, arms crossed as he leaned back. Yamato looked ready to explode with glee.
"I don't know. Communication between there and myself has been spotty. Last message I got was that a friend of mine needed my help." Bay sighed, setting it down. "He is quite dear to me and normally I would go there myself. But my territories have been getting more and more pirate attacks lately and I cannot afford to leave them unprotected. Especially not if the Marines or a crew loyal to one of the other Emperors attacks. Doyle may not bear my flag, but it's still precious to me; even if there's a Marine base there."
"A Marine Base huh…" Izuku mused. "So is the Doyle Kingdom… aligned with the World Government?"
"Yes. If my friend is calling upon me and it's something the Marines have done, or they have not done, then it's important. Also, their last message implied that they were in trouble. My communications officer reported the message being…weak, filled with static."
"Like a jammer?" Izuku added. So Transponder Snails can get their signals interfered like with radios.
But how though? How did Transponder Snails actually work? Was it the device on their backs? And even if it was, how did they actually communicate with one-another? Could they actually generate radio waves? Or was it something else? Some kind of telepathy maybe? Or could it be…?
"Midoriya, focus," Nana whispered, and Izuku stopped, blushing at his mental soliloquy.
"A jammer… I never heard the word used like that," Bay mused, nodding as she cupped her chin. "But when you put it that way it makes sense. Anyway, yes, something has to be jamming the signal there. If you really can fly, you can enter Doyle without any problems."
"Why is that important?" Izuku asked, and Bay opened her mouth, ready to explain.
"Wait! I…can you please not tell us just yet?" Yamato interjected, chuckling awkwardly. "I…really wanna see what it's like when we get there, okay?"
Bay stared at her for a moment, almost as if she had never seen her before.
"Funny. Oden would always ask us not to tell him anything about a new place. He loved to see them without any prior knowledge."
Yamato went bright red. Izuku could not think of a compliment she would value more highly.
"Well, in that case, don't spoil it for us Captain Bay." Izuku added, smiling lightly. "Yamato and I, we've been stuck in certain places for so long and well, we wanna see and experience the world with our own eyes."
"Spoil you?" Bay tilted her head.
"Oh! It's a saying from back home where I'm from. Like, don't reveal the story's end until you get there…or something."
"Huh…spoil…" Bay mused.. "Cliche yet true, you learn something new every day."
She smirked.
"Regardless," she went on. "If you could fly from Wano to here, you can fly from here to Doyle. I won't say any more than that. Trust me, I know the joy of adventure; and Yamato here is brimming over with it."
She shot Yamato a smile, with more than an edge of nostalgia. Yamato looked like she was ready to leap out of the window and swim all the way to Doyle.
"You made your choice of seeking the freedom of adventure, and I won't ever put a damper on that if you request it."
"Thank you Miss Bay!" gushed Yamato.
"So, what other information do we need to know? For this? And what do we get in return?" Izuku inquired.
"Simple." Bay replied. "You go to Doyle." She reached into her desk, and drew out a small box. Inside was a small white ring on a chain.
"Find a man named Justinian Lawson. Show him this ring, and he'll know I sent you."
"He will?" Izuku asked, watching as Bay placed the ring-and-chain before the Eternal Pose.
"Oh he will. There's only two rings like that in the whole world right now."
Bay looked at the ring with undeniable fondness.
"And what does he look like?" Izuku asked, and the blue haired woman smirked.
"That's for me to know and you to find out. But he'll stick out, just like your friend here."
Izuku frowned. For all that he didn't want spoiler, he could have used a little more information than that.
"Relax. Once you find him, show him the ring and he'll be your friend. I trust the man deeply, as much as I do my brothers in the Whitebeards. Speaking of which, if you finish this matter in Doyle for me, I will set up a meeting for you two with Pops. I'll let you two fill him in when you get there."
"You call Whitebeard, Pops, right?" Izuku quirked an eye. "Is he your father or something?" Bay chuckled.
"Yes. I'm his daughter. We may not be blood…" She smiled, looking out the window. "But he is family to me. Amongst a few others. Everyone in his crew is his family."
"That's right," Yamato recalled. "He referred to Oden as his brother, you know."
"Yes, you told me," Izuku replied. "Does he do that for everyone in his crew?"
Bay smiled as she stood up, strode over to the coat rack, and put her hat and coat back on. This done, she took the Eternal Pose and the ring, and put them in her coat pocket.
"Everyone. From his right hand man down to a chore boy. All who sail his ships are his children. But Oden was special, a man like no other. Eccentric, yet so true and strong. I was one of his two daughters. Myself, and Toki…"
She paused, and Izuku found himself feeling sorry for her. It was not just Oden she had lost.
"Alright then, time to send you on your way," she declared, heading for the door. "If you've just come from Wano, you'll be short on supplies, yes?"
"We are," admitted Izuku, picking up his backpack and following her. "Just some biscuits and jerky. We were thinking about trying some Bounty Hunting to earn money."
Bay laughed at that.
"Then we would have crossed swords in the end if you had chosen that path. I'm worth 310,000,000 berries!"
She laughed ruefully.
"Would you mind staying here a moment? I'll be right back."
She turned a corner, and headed down a set of stairs; leaving them alone in the corridor.
"So what do you think?" Izuku asked. "Us going to this Doyle place." Yamato looked absolutely giddy.
"I love it! We get to go to a new island I never heard of! Not even Oden wrote of it! And neither did any of my fa-!"
"Yamato!" Izuku shushed her. "We need to lay low. If people find out you're related to… him… in anyway… especially to Whitebeard who is his rival, it might lead to trouble."
Yamato blinked, then her eyes widened, and she nodded.
"Oh. Umm, right. Sorry…" she rubbed the back of her head. "There were some things in the meeting with Miss Bay I shouldn't have said, should I?" Izuku sighed, resting against the wall.
"Sort of… it can't be helped though. What's done is done. Just… let me handle some of the talking. I don't mind you offering input Yamato but… we need to be careful. They must know we're gone by now. We're better off flying under the radar."
"Right right… what's a radar?" Yamato tilted her head.
"Oh, it's something from my world. You use it to detect things you can't see. It bounces radio waves off things…a bit like how a bat uses its screeches to find things."
"Really…" Yamato looked intrigued. "Your world never ceases to amaze me, Izuku."
Izuku smiled sadly. Yes, his world. A world he would never see again. This new world was his bed, albeit not by choice. He would have to lie in it.
He heard footsteps, and Bay came up the stairs. She was carrying a briefcase, and a medium-sized bag.
"Here," she held them out. "A little goodwill from me to you. Eight million berries."
"Whaaa!?" Izuku's chin hit the floor. Eight Million!? Seriously!?
"And some food as well. Meat, fish jerky, biscuits, carrots and donuts; all wrapped in napkins."
Eight million…eight million…eight million…
"Uh, Izuku?" Yamato gave him a nudge. "You're staring again."
"Oh, uh, thank you!" Izuku bowed stiffly, then took the food and began transferring it to his backpack.
"Yes! Thank you so much!" Yamato exclaimed. "I've never had a donut before!"
"It should get you by nicely when you land in Doyle. You should at least have some cash on you."
Izuku tried to think, Eight million yen…about fifty thousand US dollars. But what was the Berry actually worth? Was it like the yen, or more like the dollar? He wasn't going to find out until he reached Doyle.
"Thank you. We don't have any money on us," he said. "Out of curiosity, how far is Doyle from here?"
"About a week's sail from here if the winds are favorable. If not, then it may double. Why?" Bay inquired as she held out the Eternal Pose and ring.
"Just want to measure the distance when we leave."
Izuku took them, placing the pose and the briefcase in his increasingly full backpack. He put the ring in his pocket, and followed Bay out onto the main deck. The crew were still hard at work, cleaning up after the battle and repairing the damage. Some had gone ashore, and were helping the townsfolk with their own repairs.
Pirates. They were pirates, yet they were helping these people. And the people seemed happy to see them. Talking, laughing. One or two pirates even had children using them as jungle gyms. Were they family?
These pirates… were acting more like heroes back home…
Well, Bay had said that some of them came from there.
"Izuku?" Yamato asked, and the boy looked back to his companion.
"Sorry, just thinking. I've… never seen pirates, well, act this way." Bay looked back at him. "The only pirates I've ever known before coming here were, well, the Beast Pirates."
"Then you met the worst of the worst." Bay remarked. "Don't let that color your whole perception, young man." The woman turned towards him. "This world is a big one, filled with many differing peoples and ideals. Are there vile cruel pirates, of course." She smirked. "But not all pirates are blood hungry savages either. Some of us have some decency, some honor, though it's not always easy. Pops is like that, as are many of my brothers."
Izuku nodded, and took a deep breath. "I'll… do my best to keep that in mind, Miss Bay."
It would not be easy, he knew. In his world, Pirates were criminals and nothing more. He remembered Tsuyu telling him about her own encounter, back during her internship. And he had seen what they could do when an entire country was under their thumb.
But Bay wasn't like them. She was the most heroic person he had met in this world since Yamato. She actually protected these people, while taking no reward except their friendship.
"Thanks again for the money and food. Eight million must be quite a lot."
Bay laughed at Izuku's words.
"Eight million is nothing. I have plenty more stored up. You just focus on your end of our deal. Once it's done, you'll have your meeting with Pops. You have my word."
"Thank you!" Yamato beamed. Izuku felt uneasy, taking the word of a pirate, but Bay sounded sincere.
It wasn't as if he had an alternative.
"Alright." He drew the Eternal Pose from his backpack, zipped it up, and slipped it onto his back. He strode out onto the deck, following the needle, until he was facing in the right direction. West by Northwest.
"Yamato, you ready?"
"Mmhmm!" Yamato trotted up behind him, and grabbed on tight. He would hold back on Black Whip until he was out of sight. He turned towards Bay, some of her crew standing beside her.
"How will we get in touch with you when we resolve the issue with Doyle?" Izuku asked.
"Just be in touch with Lawson. He'll know what to do."
She smiled, and Izuku nodded. Lawson was his main point of contact. Find him, and resolve the problem with the Doyle Kingdom, a World Government-aligned nation. Whatever that problem might be.
Well, he had faced harsher trials in his time.
"We will!" Yamato waved, hugging Izuku rightly. "Um," she whispered. "the Black-"
"Not yet, he whispered back, before turning towards Whitey Bay. "Very well. Thanks again Whitey Bay. We won't let you down."
"Doyle isn't going to resolve itself," she replied, as the boy began to levitate.
"We'll resolve things in Doyle, I promise you."
Izuku took one last look at the Eternal Pose, turned about, and began to ascend. They rose through the air, flying up and away from the Yukimaru. Only as the ship was vanishing from sight did he activate Black Whip.
"Can you do it, Izuku?" Yamato asked, sounding worried. "You flew this morning, didn't you?" He looked back with a slight smile.
"Two hours is nothing! If i've got this right, we'll reach Doyle by sundown at the latest!"
He shot her a grin, and aimed himself at the horizon, pulling down his goggles as she did so in turn.
"Goggles on?"
"Yep!"
"Let's go! To Doyle!"
And they were off.
(X)
"Strange pair they are," Erebus mused.
Bay stood by the gunwhale, watching the pair as they vanished into the clouds.
"Indeed. Interesting, good-hearted…though ignorant in the ways of the world."
She smirked and turned away.
"I'm going to check on the wounded. You're in charge of the repairs, and talking to Mayor Terris. I'll come and speak with him soon."
"Understood Captain."
The man nodded as Bay walked back into the main cabin. She paused in the corridor, as her eyes fell on one of the old photographs; the ones from the old days, when she was a young pirate, new to the Whitebeards.
She leant in to look. There they all were, festive and jolly, tankards of beer and rum held high, singing their songs. There she was, right next to Marco. And there was Pops, back when he was blonde. And next to him was a green-haired titan in an orange kimono, the world's biggest grin plastered over his face, two tankards held high.
And next to Oden sat Toki, in a pink kimono, laughing with joy, a hand over her swollen, pregnant belly.
To think that they were gone. To think that she would never see them again. Never see their smiles, hear their laughter, see their children.
Bad enough for her. But how was Pops going to take it?
She turned on her heel, and headed for the stairs down to the lower deck, where the infirmary was. Maybe it would be best to let Yamato tell him. She had Oden's journal, and she was every bit as exuberant as he had been. Maybe it would be easier, hearing it from her directly.
She wasn't sure she had the heart to do it herself.
So there you have it. Big thanks to Juubi-K for his touch up, WildJoker000 for his edits and IKnowNothing for screening.
We have our next destination, the island Kingdom of Doyle. What lies there? You'll have to wait and see.
Hope we did a good job characterizing Bay here, along with showing Izuku being distrustful because, hey, Pirate. But he's seeing and experiencing new things as is Yamato, but while Yamato is absorbing the world, Izuku is being well, challenged in some ways.
Next three chapters will be tackled by Juubi, as he has been excited to do the Doyle Arc in question. Hope you all enjoyed this, and we will see you in the next one.