Five days after setting sail from Rubikan. 2 days before Deku's Bounty is posted.
Izuku drew a long breath.
Around him, the Yukimaru sailed on, creaking gently as it slid over the waves. Pirates clambered up and down the rigging, checked the sails and ropes, swabbed the deck; and a thousand and one other tasks. He must have seen such things a thousand times in movies, or in pictures. But only now, amidst it all, did he actually understand half of it.
And he was starting to understand her crew too, at least a little.
Back in his old world, there were some people whose Quirks suited the water. His classmate Tsu had been amphibious, but she had otherwise lived a fairly conventional urban life. Some others had amphibious Quirks, but spent most or all of their time in or around the water; whether because they liked it, or because their bodies worked better that way. Some people were born or ended up outright aquatic, and couldn't leave the water at all.
But Whitey Bay's pirates weren't like that. They were old-style baseline humans, or near enough; evolved to live on land. Yet life on a ship seemed as natural to them as life in a city was to his classmates. This ship was their home, and the sea was their natural habitat, the place where they belonged.
"There's nothing like it."
Izuku jumped as his reverie was disturbed, almost falling over the gunwale. He looked up, and saw Whitey Bay standing there, grinning down at him.
"I was just uh…enjoying the view," he said, awkwardly. "I've never seen it like this before."
"Don't be embarrassed!" Bay slapped him on the back, almost sending him over again. "There's really nothing like it. A ship under sail, on a fine day like this."
Izuku sighed.
"Hey, lighten up kid. Enjoy the moment, not like we've had many since we got here." Banjo spoke, trying to be a little less boisterous for once, which Izuku appreciated.
"I, uh, I wanted to thank you again, Captain Bay," he said, changing the subject. "For allowing us on your ship. It's a nice change from flying."
"Not half so fast, I think," replied Bay cheerfully. "But a lot more comfortable, I'll warrant."
"It is. And I needed the rest."
"Without question, we really should try to avoid long flights like that if we can help it," Nana chimed in. She knew her Quirk better than any of them, and was glad of the reprieve.
Bay grinned, and turned away from him, waving at someone. Izuku looked, and saw Erebus and Yamato at the stern of the ship. Erebus was showing Yamato the wheel, and she was taking in every detail with obvious delight.
Whatever was being taught was cut short when Erebus saw her, and led Yamato down to the main deck, and over to join them.
"Good morning, Yamato!" Bay declared, as the pair drew close. "How's your tour?"
"It's wonderful!" Yamato bounced on her heels like a child. "Everything's so interesting! And your ship is so much better to run than the Finalem's ship!"
That much was true. Or at least it smelt a lot better.
"Feel like we should visit a doctor at some point. God only knows what kind of crazy diseases are running around this world." En practically shivered as he recalled the sorry state of the Finalem's ship.
"Agreed." Second nodded, thinking back to what Hikage had mentioned about doomed sailing expeditions and how illnesses were a common cause.
"Well, a good ship and crew are a Captain's pride and joy!" replied Bay, her eyes twinkling. She nodded at Erebus who headed off towards the stern. "So Pops always taught me, and so it is with me."
There was a pause, as Yamato's smile suddenly faltered.
"Captain Bay…" She faltered again, and Izuku began to get nervous. "I have to ask. Why did Whitebeard attack Doyle?"
Izuku's good humor vanished. He had completely forgotten about that, and he wished Yamato had done the same. He could tell that it was bothering her, but this was hardly the time or place.
"Attack Doyle?" Bay frowned, as if she didn't understand what Yamato meant. And then she chuckled.
"That!? They call that an attack!? No wonder the Finalems tried it on with them! Who the heck told you that that load of crap!?"
"It was Jernigan Jenner," Yamato explained. "In the Parliament."
"Oh, him!" Bay gave a contemptuous snort. "That stiff blueblood? Trust him to blow things out of all proportion!"
"Oh wow, the obviously corrupt politician lied, let me contain my shock," En mulled dryly.
"So what did happen?" asked Izuku, half-suspicious, half-curious.
"Well, there was a bit of a disagreement," said Bay casually. "And he swung his naginata a bit."
Izuku cocked an eyebrow. He did not like where this story was going.
"The blunt end," added Bay quickly, looking a little defensive. "There was…a little gust of wind."
"Why did she pause at the wind part?" Banjo asked.
Yamato blinked, sharing the vestige's confusion. Izuku did not like where this was going.
" A little?" he asked suspiciously .
"A few…some people went flying," Bay admitted, with the air of a naughty child being made to own up. "And there was…a little property damage. But nobody died! And nobody was seriously hurt!"
Yamato stared at her in obvious bewilderment. Some of the crew were chuckling, enjoying their captain's embarrassment. A quick glare sent them back to their duties.
"Captain…what exactly happened?" Izuku forced himself to ask. "Why did Whitebeard feel the need to do that?" Bay sighed.
"It was nothing, really. They stopped by peacefully, flag down, to buy some supplies and sell some loot. They went to have a few drinks… and some of the locals got a little mouthy."
"Mouthy?"
"Mouthing off, saying things they ought not to, fighting talk. Fists started flying, and Pops stepped in to stop it. Say what you want about his method, but he certainly stopped it."
"And you admired him for that?"
Bay's eyes turned hard, and Yamato looked at Izuku in surprise. Neither of them had liked his tone, but Izuku couldn't help himself. She was making Whitebeard sound like a thug; a thug who'd attacked the people of Doyle.
"You think he was wrong?" she demanded. "You think he shouldn't have protected his crew? His family?"
"No, not at all," replied Izuku, matching her stare with his own. "But…let's just say, if a shipful of foreign sailors came into a port in my country, and they started mixing it up, I couldn't blame the locals for taking it badly."
"That would be more like asking the sun not to shine," commented En. Bay's gaze softened a little.
"You say that because you've seen Doyle before you met Whitebeard," she said. "I can't blame you for liking Doyle and its people. A part of me still does, and so does Pops. But he never meant them any harm. If he'd wanted to, he could have trashed Adlerport and been gone before anyone could do anything about it. Plenty of pirates would have done far worse, and for far less."
Izuku took a long breath. He glanced at Yamato, who was looking desperately unhappy. He felt bad about that, for he knew how she felt. She wanted him, so badly, to like Whitebeard; whom she so admired.
"I'm not saying he was wrong," he said eventually. "I just want to know what Yamato and I are getting ourselves in for. I want to know who Whitebeard is."
Bay's smile returned, and Yamato looked visibly relieved.
"Whitebeard is exactly what he appears to be," she replied. "Don't get me wrong, he's a pirate and he's done a pirate's deeds. There's plenty in this world who hate him; some with good reason, far more without. But he has every life to give for his family, for those he wants to protect. That's the only defense I can offer, and the only defense he would ever allow."
"And you did admire him for that," Izuku commented.
"Oh yes, I did. Once I'd heard the whole story, I wanted to join him. I wanted to be just like him." She sighed. "It's probably because I didn't get along with my father. Oden didn't like his father either. Funny that."
She looked away, out over the water. Izuku wondered what to say, or whether he should say anything. There was a question nagging at his mind, a question he would never dare ask.
"Captain Bay," Yamato hazarded. "Ensign Doll…she said your father…did bad things."
Bay's eyes hardened, anger and resentment replacing sorrow and wistfulness.
"He was delusional," she replied, eyes fixed on the sea. "He was obsessed with the World Nobles, with gaining their favor. He wanted to make Doyle beautiful and luxurious, like Gran Tesoro without the gold; a place even the World Nobles would want to visit."
"I'm sorry, did she say gold?" Izuku could practically feel En over his shoulder, sounding far too excited at the prospect of treasure.
"I wanted to get out, somehow. I didn't know how to man or sail a ship, but when Whitebeard arrived that gave me an out." Bay shrugged. "And I took it. He offered me a spot, and I had to scratch and claw to prove myself. But I learned, and I got good, though I admit I was a wild child, always on the bottle." She gave a pained smile, making a gesture of drinking. "One thing led to another, and then…morning sickness."
"You were pregnant with Bach," Izuku said.
"Had to go back to Doyle after that. I was reluctant, but Pops insisted and Oden backed him. A ship's no place for an infant, so they said, and they were right."
She chuckled, as Yamato perked up at the mention of her hero. "I snuck back in via the secret passage, met my parents…and the less said about that meeting, the better. My only wish was for him to not lose his heart."
She sighed, and looked out over the sea, eyes full of longing, but she had a soft smile on her face.
"I stayed in touch via Lawson. I admit I laughed when he told me Bach had started doing detective work. He became the King and became better than me or any of the bastards before him; except maybe Brand. Doyle will be fine with him running things." Her eyes trailed downward, as if content.
"They love him," Yamato said. "I saw it, and so did Izuku."
"Yes, we did," Izuku added. "He bore so much for them. He risked all for them."
"Stubborn child," Bay grumbled, but there was a twinkle in her eyes. "But I can't complain. You were there when I couldn't be. You saved my people and my boy with just yourselves; when I, with all my power, could do nothing. Izuku, Yamato…as Whitey Bay, and as Reichen Bayleigh, you have my eternal gratitude. Thank you both, so much."
She smiled, and Izuku smiled back; knowing she meant every word. Yamato was smiling too. It was one of those moments, like back in her quarters in Onigashima.
"It was a honor, Captain Bay," he replied, and Yamato nodded. Bay turned away, looking out over the ship she loved.
"So… who was it who collaborated with the Finalems again anyway?" Bay inquired. "They couldn't have beaten a Marine base, not even with hostages."
"They had help on the inside. From Jansen Baker, the Base Commander." Izuku stated.
"So, Jansen Baker slithered his way in the Marines and used that to try his little coup," she mused, then scoffed. "I thought he died in the Jansentown Riots with the rest of his rotten family. I should have known a bunch of posers like the Finalems couldn't have done it by themselves. Nasty little anklebiters. The seas are swarming with the little buggers these days."
"They are?" Izuku asked, uncertain of her meaning as they moved on.
"Oh, they are." Bay smirked, her mood lightening. "Small-fry pirates, single-ship crews, running for their lives from Kaido and Big Mom; not to mention the Warlords. If you think I'm scary, you should check out Doflamingo, or Boa Hancock. Nobody running from them is going to be scared off by the likes of me, or even Pops. So we have to chase them down, and every so often, the odd one slips through."
Izuku regarded her warily. She had changed the subject, but he couldn't bring himself to object. He knew how she felt, more than she would ever know.
"But Bay…" Yamato cut in, looking confused. "You're not scary at all." Bay blinked at her, caught off-guard.
"Yes I am!" she insisted, sounding a little put-out. "I'm Whitey Bay! The White Terror of the Ocean Wave!"
"No you're not!" Yamato beamed like a child. "You're not scary at all!"
"But…but I am scary!" spluttered Bay. "How am I not scary!? My bounty is 310 million!"
"Because you're not! I think you're noble and brave and wonderful!" Bay flinched, cringing yet blushing at the onslaught of praise.
"No! I am scary!" Bay rounded on Izuku, who had been silent. "Well say something boy! Tell her how scary I am!" She jabbed a finger at him.
Izuku clammed up, too astonished to reply. Around the deck, the crew looked on in mingled curiosity and bewilderment.
"Uhhhh…" Yamato and Bay were looking at him expectantly. He hated it when girls did that. "I…. plead the Fifth?"
"Smart move" Nana whispered.
"No one likes a centrist" the Third muttered.
"Oh shaddup" Daigoro retorted.
"I AM SCARY!"
"No you're beautiful and strong!"
"I'm scary!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
Izuku could only stare, as the daughters of two Emperors argued like they were in elementary school.
(X)
The next morning
"Is this it?"
Yamato pointed at the island up ahead. Like Doyle it was surrounded by cliffs, topped in turn by forests. In the middle was a tall spire, like a narrow mountain, rising up into the sky.
"Yep," replied Bay, smiling wistfully. "That's Sphinx."
Yamato glanced at Izuku. He was looking at the island too, a bright smile on his face, and little sign of the doubts he had expressed before. Had he reconciled himself to meeting with Whitebeard? Or was he just hiding it?
"Normally I'd have a boat take you to shore," Bay explained, as the Yukimaru drew closer. "But the sandbanks here are tricky, even for my ship."
Yamato looked over the ledge. The water was remarkably clear, and she could even see the bottom.
"A large sandbar surrounds the whole island," Bay went on proudly. "You have to know it well to get past it, and not many do."
Yamato looked at the island again. They were very close now, but there didn't seem to be anyone there. There was a river running out between the cliffs, but at the end of it was a waterfall, running down the central mountain. She couldn't see a port, or even a village, or any sign of people at all.
"Your destination is at the center, just before the main island," Bay explained. "Behind the waterfall, there's a canyon that leads to the space inside. There's an outpost just inside manned by Logan, an old childhood friend of Pops. Tell him that you're travelers, and you've come to trade for medicine. He'll know that you're with us, and send you on to Patricia, the local doctor. You can room with her. But don't mention Whitebeard to anyone else, whatever you do."
Izuku was nodding, memorizing it all.
"Why all the secrecy?" Yamato could not help but ask. "Why go to all this trouble?"
Bay paused for a moment, and looked conflicted.
"This place is isolated, and poor," she explained. "Too poor to join the World Government or even have a standing army. Pops sends money and supplies on the sly, but if someone were to find out about this place, and how important it is to him, they'd come looking for it and trust you me, anyone with a grudge against pops isn't going to be stopped by a sandbar."
Yamato's heart sank, as she imagined one of her father's fleets anchored around the island, King leading the charge from the air, setting the very ground ablaze, whilst the rest of their horde tore the island apart.
"But there are some who know of him, right?" Izuku asked. "Some he keeps in contact with?"
"Patricia, Logan, the village chief, and some of the older folks. The rest are just looking for a place to live."
Bay's eyes looked toward the island, a sense of almost longing in her eyes. "Pops wanted this place to be a refuge, somewhere people didn't need to fight for survival and just live in peace. "
"Well then, I guess this is goodbye, for now," declared Izuku, straightening up. "Thank you again, Captain Bay. For everything."
"Yes, thank you!" added Yamato.
"It was a pleasure, Izuku, Yamato, and an honor," replied Bay fulsomely. "Please give Trish my best wishes. And again, thank you…for everything."
Izuku nodded. Yamato stepped up behind him and grabbed on. Izuku hadn't wanted Bay to see his Black Whip, so she would have to hold tight.
"Goodbye everyone!" Izuku called out, as they lifted into there. "See you later!"
The crew of the Yukimaru cheered and waved as they flew away. Izuku and Yamato waved back as they flew on, around the headland, and out of sight. All at once they reached the sandbar, and Izuku set them down.
"Okay, the river should be just up here," Izuku said, and they started along the sandbar. The cliffs loomed over them, reminding Yamato of Doyle. She tried to think how far away that place was. It seemed like another world entirely. The skies were blue, clouds fluffy and white and the wake of the waves was nice and calm, much like the atoll they stopped at.
But she was excited for all that! This was Whitebeard's home! Not even Oden had been here!
Coming around the cliffs, they finally reached the river mouth. It was much as she had seen from the ship; a big river, wide enough for a ship to sail up. But up ahead stood a mighty waterfall; hammering down from far up the mountainside.
Yes, this place was hard to attack. Hard to get in, and hard to get out.
"Well…I guess it's through here," Izuku mused, and they strode along the rocky riverbank towards the waterfall. They paused as they reached the misting spray, glanced at one another, then ran through the waterfall.
And they were through. Wet, but through.
Yamato stared, barely noticing the water dripping from her clothes.
They were inside a long, enclosed canyon; just as Bay had described. A river ran down the middle, with a narrow path along the side. Up ahead, blocking the path, was a rickety-looking shack. Outside sat an old man, dangling a fishing rod over the water. Slowly, awkwardly, the pair approached him. Old Man Logan.
"Uh, excuse me!" Izuku called out. The man did not move, glaring at them with one eye.
"Who might you be?" he asked, in obvious suspicion.
"Umm…we're travelers," Izuku went on. "We've come to trade for medicines."
The old man did not move. But the one eye fixed on them, weighing them up.
"You'll have come from Andre," Logan said eventually. "How's he holding up these days?"
Yamato glanced at Izuku. He glanced back.
"Uh, no sir," Izuku said. "We didn't come from anyone called Andre. We came from Whitey Bay."
The man looked them over, and then nodded.
"I'm Logan, and this is the River Outpost," he said. "Sorry to be a bother, but I owe Whitebeard too much not to be skeptical of any stranger that shows up here."
"It's fine," replied Yamato, her irritation fading. "Bay explained what's been going on."
"Bad times," Logan agreed. "So, what brings you here?"
"We're meeting with Whitebeard," Yamato went on. "It's supposed to be tomorrow, Bay said we could stay with someone named Patricia." Logan gave her another hard look, then nodded.
"Go on to the village,' he said. "She lives in the doctor's clinic; you can't miss it. If anyone asks, tell them what you told me before."
"Right." Izuku bowed. "Thank you sir." Yamato mirrored his action, though Logan merely waved them off.
"Whatever." Logan turned back to his fishing. Izuku turned to Yamato, gave her a grin, and brought out his Black Whip. Yamato grinned back, and stepped into position. Logan almost fell over, staring in stunned disbelief as the pair took off, and flew away down the canyon. As he did so, his fishing rod vanished into the water; as his long-awaited bite got away.
Yamato's heart leapt; and not for the familiar thrill of flying. They had found Whitebeard's home! Whitebeard, the Emperor whom Oden had served and called friend! What wonders awaited them at the end of the canyon?
Then she saw the exit, and let out a whoop as they flew into the light. A grass-covered hillside was ahead of them, and Izuku set them down. Yamato rushed up to the top, wide-eyed, heart leaping to see…
Gentle rolling hills, covered in green grass.
Yamato blinked, rubbed her eyes, and looked again. Yet all she could see was those same gentle hills, covered in that same green grass, with bushes and clumps of trees. There were little white buildings, and a few windmills. She could see large animals moving around, and people too. Surrounding it all were the white mountains she had seen before; circling the land and shielding it from sight.
This…was Whitebeard's home? The Whitebeard?
"Ahhhhh…" Izuku breathed. "What a nice place! It's almost like Switzerland!"
Yamato looked again, straining her eyes for something dramatic, something exciting; something one would expect in the homeland of a great pirate. But there was nothing. Just these gentle, pleasant-looking hills; and the mighty mountains all around.
"It's…so…peaceful…" she stammered, as she tried to sound excited as opposed to letdown.
"Yes, it is." Izuku beamed, a visibly vibrant smile across his face. "Well, shall we go? I think that's the village down there." He pointed down the hill. There was a path at the bottom, which snaked down through the gentle hills and meadows, ending in a cluster of buildings. Yamato sighed, and fell in beside Izuku, strolling down the hill to the path.
As they continued along Yamato noticed Izuku was unusually chipper. That wasn't to say he hadn't shown a similar degree of wonder when they visited Doyle or the Sky Island they'd visited prior. No, there was almost a certain sense of tranquility she'd never seen in him since they'd arrived and it left her wondering.
She had to admit, it wasn't unpleasant. This kind of peace and quiet never happened in Onigashima; and while Doyle was orderly, it was full of bustle and energy, not peaceful like this. And she got the impression he hadn't liked Isla Rubikan at all.
Was it simply the serenity Izuku wanted or was it something else?
Looking around again, she could see things a little more clearly now. There were large animals in the field, of a kind she had never seen before.
They were tall and four-legged, many times the height of the humans who tended them; with gray fur and fluffy white manes. Yamato couldn't help but stare at them, her old wonder returning. A part of her wanted to leap over the fence that lined the path and go up to one of them, to see them close-up. But the locals might not like that, and neither might the animals themselves. They looked like they could put up quite a fight, and Yamato already knew from Oden's experience with the Mountain Boar, how temperamental beasts could be.
Her senses tingled. Someone was nearby. She looked, ready to grab her club, and saw some children standing on the fence just beside them; with more hurrying across the meadows towards them. She even saw cows out in the fields too, grazing from the grass.
They were staring at her and Izuku, in what seemed like mild curiosity.
Then she saw another child, some distance away, hurrying up to a man who was tending to one of the large animals. She tugged on his sleeve, pointing towards them. The man looked, and Yamato's nerves tingled as his eyes fell on them, and his brow furrowed.
"Yamato, it's okay," Izuku said in a low voice. "I'm not sensing anything. They're not going to attack."
That wasn't the problem. Yamato wasn't angry at that look, or the looks other adults were giving them. It was natural fear,or at least wariness. She supposed she couldn't blame them; they probably got very few visitors. And…well, she wasn't exactly hard to miss, being so tall not to mention her horns and weapon.
"Hello there!"
Both stopped. There was a man before them, with a gray beard and hair, giving them a friendly smile. Beside him was one of the animals. It had a vaguely human face; at least, human with tusks, a large underbite, and looking like life was just too much these days.
"Hello!" Izuku replied first. "We were just looking for Doctor Patricia? To trade for medicine?"
"Ah yes!" The man seemed quite jovial. "This'll be your first time in Sphinx?"
"Yes, it is," Yamato glanced around. Most of the adults were dispersing, returning to whatever they had been doing before.
"Ah, don't worry about them," the old man declared, still smiling. "It's not often we get any excitement around here. Mostly it's just looking after these fellers." He gestured at the animal next to him. Yamato stepped closer, looking it up and down. It just looked at her with that glum face that seemed to be permanent.
"What are these, sir?" asked Izuku, sounding a little nervous. "I've never seen them before."
"I'm not surprised. These are sphinxes, hence the name. They don't get around much, any more than the rest of us. I'm Jack by the way!"
Izuku's expression shifted to shock and awe at the creature, looking ready to go on another mumbling rant, which left his companion chuckling. Yamato gave a grin, and the sphinx a pat. The sphinx let out a rumble that might almost have been a purr.
"Uh…Yamato…careful…" warned Izuku. But Jack just laughed.
"Oh don't worry. They look like that, but they're harmless really," he assured them. Yamato giggled, and patted the sphinx some more. If the sphinx minded, it made no show of it.
"Are you…sure this is an animal?" asked Izuku nervously. "It looks…it looks…"
"Like a human? Yes, funny thing that, though hardly the strangest creature you'll ever find on the Grand Line. Heck these fellows can even speak if you can believe it." The old man chortled.
"Pooooork Rameeeeen," said the sphinx. Izuku stared, utterly befuddled; while was starry-eyed. Jack let out a laugh.
"Heheh, never gets old seeing people hear that for the first time. Pity they can only ever say Ramen this or Ramen that, but it's still fun. Take care now ya'hear!"
They bade the old man and his sphinx good day, and continued along the path down to the village, going around and over hills. The people glanced at them as they passed, or from their windows or doorways, but that was the limit of their hostility.
"Pork Ramen…" Izuku uttered to himself, utterly flabbergasted.
"I think this is it," said Yamato, pointing towards one of the buildings on the main street. It looked much like the others, but for a sign over the door; showing a snake wrapped around a rod. Outside, a young boy with blond hair was sweeping the street.
"Excuse me," Izuku called out, approaching him. "Is this the doctor's clinic?"
"Sure it is," the boy replied lightly, straightening up, and looking Yamato up and down. "Wow, you're the tallest lady I've ever seen."
Yamato faltered. She wasn't hurt or offended, but she didn't know what to say.
"Now now, Chris," said a female voice from the doorway. "You shouldn't be that blunt, especially not in front of the ladies."
A woman stepped into view. She had long brown hair done in a ponytail and matching eyes, and wore a lavender dress with a white apron over it. She was quite pretty, and there was a gentle air about her.
"I never said she was ugly!" protested the boy, whose name was apparently Chris. "I just said she was tall. Like really tall."
The woman rolled her eyes and stepped out into the street.
"Hello," she greeted them. "I'm Donata Patricia, but around here everyone calls me Trish. And this is my son Chris. Are you the ones Bay told me to expect?"
"Uh, yes," Izuku said.
"Then do come in, and I'll make us some tea. Chris, finish the sweeping then come join us."
"Yeah Mom."
The pair followed Trish inside, along a corridor with doors labeled WAITING ROOM and SURGERY, into the back of the building. Trish gestured for them to wait in the lounge, then headed to the kitchen. The lounge itself was rather small, but clean and in good condition; with a sofa, chairs, and a coffee table. Yamato followed Izuku's lead, and sat down on the sofa, setting their belongings off to the side. Trish quickly reappeared with a tray of tea.
"Sorry I don't have much to entertain you with," she said, pouring tea for them. "But I do pride myself on my tea. I get a lot of takers for it."
"It's fine, thank you," Izuku insisted, sipping his tea and smiling. "We're imposing on you, and we won't be staying long."
"Yes, Bay told me. Pops should be here to pick you up tomorrow." Trish poured a cup and sat back in one of the chairs. "It'll be nice to see him again, or whoever he sends. It's been a while."
"We can tell," said Yamato, before taking a sip of her tea. It was rather good. "Bay said she'd been busy recently. Lots of small-time pirates trying their luck in her territory."
"That's probably what's keeping Pops busy too," replied Trish. "I'm not surprised she asked you to save her homeland. But…I thought the flying boy would be taller, and the girl shorter." She remarked with a playful smirk.
"Yeah, I get that a lot," sighed Izuku. Yamato quickly decided to change the subject.
"Is it always this peaceful here?" she asked. "I've never seen any place like this, except maybe Ludeterin."
"Oh yes, it's generally peaceful," replied Trish, smiling. "We get the odd argument or bust-up, but nothing we can't deal with. Sphinx is a good place, and I've never regretted living here."
"It certainly seems like a good place," Izuku added, his eyes briefly drifting to a window. "I can see why Whitebeard loves it so much."
"Oh, he does." Trish's eyes twinkled. "We're lucky to be the first place he decided to protect, but it's the same on most of his other islands."
"It is?" Izuku perked up. "They're as peaceful as this place?"
"You bet." Trisha's smile became a grin. "I sailed with him for a while, as an assistant nurse. So you can say I'm Pops' adoptive daughter. Not the first, but not the last either."
"Was Bay the first?" asked Yamato.
"Yes, she was there when I joined the crew for the first time," Trish confirmed. "We sailed together for a few years, until Pops gave her the Yukimaru, and she became her own captain and an ally under his banner. Not long after that, I fell in love and had Christopher; so Pops insisted I settle down. He offered me a spot here, and it's been my home ever since."
"Is Chris's father still on the ship?" Yamato asked, before Izuku could stop her.
"Yes, he is," Trish replied with a grin. "He's due back by tomorrow to pick you up. He comes back whenever he can. Chris holds up for my sake, but it's hard seeing so little of his father."
Izuku nodded. He knew how Chris felt, and was glad he saw his father at least some of the time.
"Bay didn't say how you met her," Trish said, changing the subject.
"Oh, we met her on Ludeterin," Yamato replied. "The Brownbeard pirates attacked, and we got mixed up in it. After that, Bay asked us to go to Doyle for her."
"Ludeterin, eh?" Trish nodded. "I haven't been there in years, not since I was last with Pops. It was only a tiny little place as I remember. A few farming villages and a small port."
"Yes, that's right," Izuku agreed. "A peaceful place, harmless. I don't know what the Brownbeards thought they'd find there."
"Food, most likely." Trish's smile faded. "Or they were just desperate. So far gone that they'd take the few berries those poor people had. People get nasty when they're desperate; pirates especially."
The room felt melancholy. Izuku wondered what she had seen while she was on Whitebeard's ship.
"Bay was talking about that," Yamato replied. "She said the Emperors and the Warlords are getting worse and worse; and she can't frighten them out of her territory any more. They come, and she has to fight them."
"My husband told me the same," Trish said, and sipped her tea. "They're running for their lives, and won't be scared off by a reputation. They've got Pops run ragged, and I'm not surprised if Bay's the same. She must have been worried sick, with a crew like the Finalems besieging her son's kingdom."
"It hurt her," Izuku agreed. "It hurt her a lot. It…humiliated her."
"Did Whitebeard know about the Finalems?" Yamato asked.
"Only by reputation, so my husband tells me. Nasty bunch, but not all that strong, or so they thought. I don't know how they got past a Marine base."
"They didn't," Yamato said. "The commander betrayed the base to them."
"Really?" Trish's eyes widened. "You don't often hear of that. Bay must have been furious."
"She didn't seem so," Yamato mused.
"She wouldn't have. She was always private that way, when I knew her. She didn't often show her real feelings. I think she's afraid that if she did, people wouldn't take her seriously."
Izuku's heart ached as he imagined Bay, alone in her office on the Yukimaru; raging at the treachery of Jansen Baker, and weeping for the son she had given birth to, but could never see.
"But I'm glad that all turned out well." Trish straightened up, her eyes twinkling with fondness. "And I know Pops is too. She was troublesome, but…"
"Mom! Mom!"
"Doctor Trish! Doctor Trish!"
Trish trailed off as Chris came hurrying in, followed by a young red-haired girl. She looked to be about Chris' age, with pigtails and freckles, and was panting like she'd just run a marathon.
"Madison?" Trish asked, setting down her cup and standing up. "Is it your mother?"
"She's…the baby's coming…" Madison gasped, the girl leaning against the door frame, exhausted. Trish's face turned stern, and she stood up, striding over to a calendar on the wall. She flipped through it, muttering herself as she counted down the days.
"A week early," she said. "Better get up there."
She strode out of the room. Yamato, Izuku, and the children followed her, as she strode into the clinic. Yamato looked around the door, and watched as she took a key from around her neck and unlocked one of the cabinets. She paused for a moment, then took out a leather bag and shut and locked the cabinet again.
"Sorry about this. I have a patient to attend to. Just stay here with Chris and Madison, and I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Wait, Mom!" Chris yelled running after his mother as she strode down a wide side corridor towards a side door. She pushed it open and strode out.
And then she froze.
Yamato caught up with her, and looked around. It was a covered area between the clinic and the next building, with a four-wheeled cart standing in it. It was neatly painted and in good condition, with the snake-and-staff symbol on its side. But there was nothing between the shafts, and one of the wheels was gone; the axle up on bricks.
"Mom! Georgie's out in the field!" Chris yelled, staggering to a halt behind her.
"And Jerry hasn't fixed the wheel either!" Trish covered her eyes. "And Nurse Mary's laid up with a fever and in bed still! Oh shoot shoot shoot!"
For a moment, they stared at her. Madison looked from Trish to the wagon and back again, her eyes pleading. Chris just looked worried.
"We can help!" Yamato cut in. "Can't we, Izuku? We can carry your stuff!" Trish looked at them with a forced but sincere smile.
"Thank you, but that won't work," she said, hand over her mouth as she began to pace. "It'll take us an hour to get to Madison's home on foot, and then… oh god." Madison looked like the bottom was falling out of her world.
"Not on foot," Izuku said, grinning. "Like this!"
And the three of them stared as Izuku floated up, floating around Trish in empty air. The children stared, wide-eyed; though they seemed more impressed than surprised.
"Oh…wow…" gasped Trish. "Uh…yes, then please, if you can."
"But of course!" Izuku put on his Hero face as he took her bag from her, and brought out his Black Whips. Yamato got into position behind him, and Trish was secured in front, the woman looking flustered for a moment before she focused and looked to her son.
"You look silly." Chris commented. Izuku ignored him while Trish looked down at her son sternly, even with dark tendrils wrapping around her chest, midsection and arms, sending a nervous jolt through her body.
"Okay Chris, watch the clinic and look after Madison for me," Trish ordered, as Izuku lifted her into the air and drifted towards the street. "And be nice to her, okay? She's gonna be a big sister soon!"
"Yes, Mom!" replied an exasperated Chris, as Madison started giggling. Izuku floated out into the street, and up into the air.
"Where to?" Izuku called. Below them, a crowd was starting to gather.
"That way, towards the mountains!" replied Trish, pointing the way. Izuku flew onward.
"I thought I knew the only flier in the world!" Trish called back. She seemed to be enjoying herself. Yamato similarly looked around, taking in the view. From up in the sky, Sphinx looked a lot bigger than it did from the ground. She hadn't realized just how big. It was almost as big as Doyle with the mountains, but without the forests and cities.
Wait, the only flier?
"Right here!" Trish ordered, clearly focused on giving the directions and little else.
They reached a farmhouse in a matter of minutes, out beyond the edge of the central town in the middle of the valley. A crowd was gathering, staring up at them as they came in to land, and Izuku withdrew his Black Whip. All at once, a scream rang out from the house, making Yamato jump and reach for her weapon.
"It's coming all right," Trish said. "Do either of you know anything about medicine? Anything at all?"
"Well, I know how to wrap wounds…" Yamato began, looking more than a little unsure.
"That'll do!" Trish grabbed her by the belt and yanked her towards the house. "Izuku, find a pail! We need water!"
Yamato let herself be dragged along, too bewildered to resist. Soon enough they reached a back room, with a bed. A woman lay upon it, her face red with pain, the sheets around her wet with sweat. A man knelt by her side, clutching one hand; while the other clawed at the bedsheet.
Yamato stared. The woman had a very big, round belly. At a glance she'd have simply mistaken it for someone eating too much, yet she could immediately sense something different about it.
"Okay, Yamato, this is Kendall and Martha, Kendall and Martha, this is Yamato," declared Trish hastily, pointing from one to the other. "Yamato has very kindly agreed to help, what with poor Mary being laid up."
"Uh, hi," the man named Kendall greeted her awkwardly. He looked tired, and very afraid. Martha let out a cry of pain, and arched her back. "Were you on the way when you met Maddy?"
Was this…a birth?
"Will tell you later. Kendall, I need you to come down here and help me, like I showed you," Trish ordered. "Yamato, you take his place, and hold Martha's hand. Just stay close, and stay calm."
Kendall obeyed, edging around the bed to join Trish; nursing his swollen hand. Not knowing what else to do, Yamato did as she was bidden. The room was a little small, but she managed to crouch down by the bed, and take Martha's hand. It was hot and sweaty, and so very small, but Martha offered no resistance.
"Uh, hi there," she greeted the other woman, feeling very awkward.
"It hurts," Martha whimpered. "I'm dying!"
"You're not going to die," replied Trish firmly, without looking up. She was at the other end of the bed, half-concealed by the sheet that covered Martha's belly and legs. "I'm here, and Kendall's here, and Yamato's here too."
Yamato looked down at Martha, then at Trish and Kendall, then down at Martha again. She was supposed to be helping, but she wasn't actually doing anything. This didn't feel right.
"Uh, doctor, what do I do?" she asked, feeling utterly helpless.
"You're doing fine," said Trish, without looking up.
"But I'm not doing anything!" protested Yamato. This wasn't right! She was supposed to be a hero! She was supposed to make everything okay! But she wasn't doing anything! And she didn't know how to do anything!
What would Oden do? What did he do for Toki?
"You're doing exactly what I need you to do," insisted Trish. "Just keep Martha company. That's the one thing I can't do right now."
Confused, scared, Yamato looked down at Martha. The woman looked up at her, her eyes fearful, pleading.
"Don't leave me…" she whimpered. "Please don't…"
She was afraid, Yamato realized. Her body was at its limit, and she was so afraid. And there was nothing anyone could do about it but bring her baby into the world, and hope they both made it.
Not like her own mother. Not like the consort of Kaido, whose name no one seemed to know.
"I won't leave you," she insisted, gently clasping Martha's hand with her fingers. "Everything's going to be fine."
Yes, Oden would have done this. When there was nothing more he could do, he would have held her hand, helped her stay strong, from the start to the very end. And he would do it with a big fat grin on his face, the grin that made his Red Scabbards' hearts leap.
There was another who would go further beyond though. The idol from Izuku's stories.
Follow his example!
"Because…I am here!"
Martha looked confused, and Yamato realized she had gotten the face wrong again.
Then Martha screamed, gripping Yamato's fingers like a vice. The white haired girl knelt there, letting her hand be squeezed, as Martha's scream echoed through the house. Her grip was remarkably strong.
"Alright Martha, push!" ordered Trish.
"Two full pails!" called Izuku from the corridor.
"Go get more!" Trish called out. "Kendall, bring them in will you? This is going to get messy!"
(X)
"Two full pails!" Izuku called out, as he reached the door of the birthing room.
There was no reply, but sitting outside the door were two more pails; right where Kendall had left them. The water inside them was red with blood, just like the ones before had been. This had to have been his tenth trip.
"Is everybody…?"
A long scream stunned him into silence. And then the scream stopped, followed by a high-pitched wail.
The wail of a new-born child.
Within his mind, Shimura Nana held back a gasp, tears forming in her eyes. Izuku stood where he was, stunned, uncertain. This was one thing he had never seen before, nor had ever expected to. He had no idea what the proper etiquette was.
"Just go in Izuku, there's nothing to be worried about." Yoichi said with a smile, mirrored by most of the other vestiges.
"Izuku!" It was Trish. "Come on in!"
Izuku obeyed, picking up the nearly-full pails and carrying them inside.
And then he saw.
In the bed lay Martha, looking thoroughly exhausted, clutching a wrapped bundle in her arms. At the top of the bundle was the tiny face of a baby. By her side was Yamato, looking tired, but desperately happy. Opposite her was Kendall, who looked about to cry with joy.
At the bottom of the bed was Trish, a triumphant grin on her face, her smock and forearms covered in blood. Behind her was a pile of sheets, stained in water and blood and bodily fluids Izuku didn't care to name.
"Brilliant timing!" declared Trish. "Just stick the pails down there. I need to clean my hands."
Izuku nodded, and set the pails down. Trish bent down, and began washing the blood from her arms and hands, the water soon turning red.
"Oh, Izuku, meet Kendall, and Martha," Trish gestured at the joyful parents with her newly-cleaned hands. "And sorry again, Martha. There was no time for a painkiller, and It looks like your sheets are ruined."
"You got here…fast." Martha panted.
"Yes, Izuku and Yamato here were at my house when Madison came running, telling me of the news. Then he picked us up and we flew over here." Trish explained as she washed her hands.
"You… can fly?" Kendall remarked with wide eyes. Izuku nodded.
"Yeah. Without them, I would still be running. My cart's busted." Trish smiled at them. "And thanks to them, we have a baby boy to welcome."
"A baby boy," Kendall said, almost whimpering with happiness, even with his hand covered in bandages. "A baby boy. I have a son…!" He almost began to tear up.
"Oh wow." Izuku grinned. "Congratulations you two!" The couple smiled at him, and he felt better for it.
"Yamato…" Martha looked up at Yamato, sweat all over her face, spent and exhausted. "Thank you for staying with me."
"Huh?" Yamato looked surprised, and then grinned awkwardly. "But I didn't do anything! I just sat there holding your hand! Trish did all the work, and got all the mess!"
"But you did," Martha panted. "You were everything I needed, right there and then."
Then she turned in the bed, holding out the baby. Yamato went bright red, stammering hopelessly. "Wait, I uhhhh…"
As the baby was deposited in her unresisting arms. He looked so small compared to her, but he lay in the crook of her arm, apparently quite content, Yamato staring down at him like he was about to explode.
And then the baby stirred…and opened his eyes. Yamato stared into the tiny eyes, her wariness turning to wonder. She blinked, and Izuku could have sworn there were tears in her eyes. She handed the baby back to Martha, who laid him in the crook of her arm; and gave Yamato's hand a quick squeeze.
"Heh, looks like someone's a little star struck." Daigoro smirked with a good hearted jab, happy that all the tension had finally been cut.
"I was just thinking about a name," Kendall spoke up. "If it wasn't for you two, he might not be here. So I thought…maybe…Izu?"
"Izu?" Izuku felt his face heat up, hands raised. "Is that…um…I…"
"Or maybe Yama?" hazarded Martha.
"Oh…no…I…uhhhhh!" blithered Yamato, blushing as red as he was, and waving her hands in panic as the two looked as bashful as can be. Trish laughed merrily at the sight.
"Oh, how about Izrael," suggested Kendall, snapping his fingers. "for Mount Izrael, and it sounds like Izuku."
"I love it," declared Martha, looking at her baby as she kissed his forehead. "They'll call him Izzy."
"Izzy…" wailed Izuku, drowning in embarrassment. Yamato shot him a big, cheezy grin.
"Oh come on Izzy, be proud of yourself. It's quite an honor," En chuckled along with Banjo at their successor's embarrassment, with Nana lightly punching both in the arm while laughing along with them, a pair of tears leaking from her eyes.
(X)
Some time later
"Thank you, to everyone." Trish took a long, weary breath. "I couldn't have done it without you."
The three of them were standing on the grass outside the house, as various villagers came to pay their respects to the happy parents and their newborn child. Above, the sun was starting to set, casting the valley in a warm glow.
"Ah, it was nothing!" insisted Yamato, grinning from ear to ear. She had been in a thoroughly good mood ever since young Izzy got his name.
"It was very trying…" admitted Izuku. "I've… never been around a child being born before. I'm glad everything turned out okay in the end, and I hope we didn't get in the way at all."
"Oh no, it wasn't nothing at all!" insisted Trish. "It would have taken me hours to get there without you two. We could have lost both of them."
Yamato felt her good mood fade. Both of them?
"Will they be okay now, Doctor?" Izuku asked.
"I should think so," Trish assured him. "It was hard on Martha, but there's nothing obviously wrong. She just needs rest and water. And little Izzy came early, but he's perfectly healthy as far as I can tell. I'll have to check on them tomorrow." Izuku nodded, seemingly satisfied. "And that handyman better repair my cart too. Hmmmph. I'm going to his door and giving a piece of my mind and-"
"Doctor Trish!"
The three looked as a group of children came toddling up to them. They were a mix of boys and girls, and looked to be a few years younger than Izuku.
"Doctor Trish!" asked one of them. "Can we talk to Mister Green and Miss Tall Lady?" Trish glanced at them with a playful smirk, and Izuku stepped over and leant forward, smiling down at the children.
"I'm Izuku," he said. "And this is my friend Yamato."
"Mister Izuku and Mister Yamato, where did you come from?" asked a young girl.
"Uh, we're from a country far away," Izuku replied cautiously.
"And how come you can fly!?" a boy cut in. Izuku laughed awkwardly, and rubbed the back of his neck.
"It's a power I have," he said.
"Can you take us flying?" another child asked, and the children started clamoring, bouncing up and down on their feet. Izuku glanced at Trish, who shot him a grin.
"Well okay, but just a little bit and just one at a…ACK!"
He promptly vanished under a swarm of over-excited children. Yamato threw back her head and laughed while Trish giggled behind her hand.
(X)
That evening
The night had fallen, and the stars were out.
Izuku smiled, as he sat on the grass behind the surgery, looking up at the night sky. It had been a tiring day, but a good one, all in all. And it was nice to sit like this and watch the stars.
Especially after taking all those kids flying. Now he knew how Kacchan and Todoroki felt, after dealing with those delinquent kindergartners during their Provisional License Exam.
"All those stars," Yamato said, eyes turned upward as she lay down beside him. "I've never seen so many."
"It's a good view," Izuku agreed. "I guess in a place like this you can really see them."
"On Onigashima, I couldn't see the stars much," Yamato went on. "There were always storm clouds, and lots of light from all the lanterns and guard posts. But even on that Sky Island, or the other places the view wasn't as good as this. Not a cloud in the sky"
"Yeah, it's better without lights," whispered the Second. "Not so many lights in my time."
"But…I don't recognise any of them," Hikage cut in. "Maybe we're in another galaxy. Or a whole different universe."
"Didn't we already establish that back in Onigashima when we were shacked up?" En said.
"Doesn't hurt to double check." Hikage added.
"Makes you wonder what else is out there." Banjo finished off the discussion chain.
"How well do you know the stars in your world?" Yamato asked. "What's known about them?"
"Quite a lot, actually," Izuku replied, his mind starting up. "People use huge telescopes to look at them, and send robot probes to look even closer. They even sent people to the Moon, once long ago."
"Robot Probes? To the Moon?" Yamato turned to him, amazed. "Your people went to the Moon? Beyond your planet?" She looked up at the moon, a gleaming crescent in the night sky.
"Yes, a few times. Not much came of it though."
"It didn't?"
"No. There's no air up there, and no food, and the only water is ice. You have to wear a space suit all the time just to survive, and that's only while the air lasts. There were raw materials, ores and such, but you'd have to build big sealed cities for people to mine them."
"The road not taken," whispered Yoichi, thinking back on how such a thing had been possible in his time.
"So then, why didn't they build them?" Yamato asked.
"Well, they were going to," he said. "Some say we'd be having vacations on other planets by my time, but then Quirks happened. And it nearly tore my world apart."
Izuku's mind flashed back to the countless history textbooks, documentaries and videos he'd watched on the history of Quirks, all starting with the baby in China.
"Powers randomly popping up effectively brought society to a halt to try and adjust to the new change. And that was before people started using their powers for evil. There were Villains who ran criminal cartels, Villains who became terrorists, Villains who took over whole countries, and Villains who just lashed out. All the countries started recruiting Metahumans for their armies, and their police, and their secret services. It took a century for things to calm down, to evolve the Superhuman Society and all its systems and rules. Managing it all takes up so much time and effort, we can't afford to think about settling other planets. Space travel just got forgotten about."
"Makes you wonder….where our lives could've gone had quirks never existed." The Second and Third user both looked at each other. Hikage traced the scar running down his face.
Izuku gazed up at the great white galaxy above him. It almost looked like the Milky Way.
"That…that doesn't sound right to me." Yamato frowned. "I mean, being a Hero is fine and all, but that can't be everything. Doesn't anyone want to sail the seas? Explore anywhere?"
"Some do, I guess," mused Izuku. "Sadly, most of my world was explored already. For centuries we dived to the deepest depths and climbed the highest peaks. There was nowhere else to explore. As for Hero Society, when things are more peaceful. Heroes were so important, so cool, that that's all anyone ever wanted to be. Everything else just seems boring, second best, for losers."
"Thank you for making my profession sound petty and socially useless," grumbled Nana. "It's not our fault nobody's got any imagination any more."
"It kinda is," retorted the Third User.
Izuku laid back on the grass, ignoring the argument inside his head. He remembered what his friends had told him, when he'd woken up in the safety of UA. About all those Heroes who had resigned, given up, hung up their capes rather than face the nightmare their country had become. They'd gotten into Hero work for the dream, or for fame, or to make money; never realizing, or appreciating, what they were trying to become.
But this world was different. If any world needed Heroes, it was this world. A world riddled with monstrous pirates, and dominated by a cold-hearted government. A world of wonders, and of horrors, his former compatriots could never have imagined.
The thought alone was almost maddening to the young hero.
Yet, when he laid his hand over his heart, its beat was slow, almost placid. When was the last time it had beaten so softly? When had he last felt so…relaxed?
"Izuku?" Yamato was looking at him. "You okay?"
"Yeah, sorry," Izuku said. "I was just…I just realized something, something I noticed when we first came here."
"What was it?"
"This is the most at peace I've felt since I came to this world." Izuku looked upward. It felt better to say it, but he couldn't look her in the eyes. "I've been on edge this whole time, always waiting for something to happen. Even in Doyle, it seemed like there was always danger, something to be on alert for. I…I was scared of this world."
"We all were," The Second admitted, all those present nodding equally.
"And now you aren't?" she asked.
"No, I'm not." He managed to turn his head, to smile at Yamato. "In this place, I can relax. There's no danger here. Danger Sense isn't going off. Not even a light buzz…"
Her eyes widened, before she calmed down.
"Of course there isn't," she insisted proudly. "This is Whitebeard's home. That's how he wants it. Safe and sound."
A pirate. Wanting safety and security, without no one knowing it.
"And that's the other thing."
Yamato cocked an eyebrow, and Izuku took a breath.
"I thought this world was a nightmare," he admitted. "Pirates everywhere, and a World Government that does nothing but oppress and destroy people. It spits in the face of everything I've ever believed in. I didn't know what to accept, or who I could trust, besides you anyway. Doyle was different, but that's just one island, and Bach is just one King."
He took a long breath, and had a hand run over his head, his face distraught but…
"But now I see…it's not what I thought," he went on. "There are people in this world who want to build places like this, and live in places like this. The people here are peaceful, and kind. And Whitebeard built this place, and others like it. He has to have built a whole empire of places like this."
He looked up at the stars once again; and realized what he wanted to say as he had a smile on his face.
"This place…Whitebeard…they've given me hope, Yamato. You've given me hope. Maybe this world isn't so bad. Maybe it can be better. It… it can be saved."
He looked again at Yamato. She was looking up at the stars, with a smile on her face.
"You gave me hope, Izuku," she replied, turning to grin at him. "It's the least I can do." And he took a deep breath through his nose, as the two looked at each other, with naught but the wind blowing over the grassy hills and the crickets singing their song amongst the night.
"Hey, Izuku, Yamato!" Chris called from the doorway. "Dinner's ready!"
Yamato's grin widened, and she clambered to her feet. Izuku did likewise, and they strode back to the house.
(X)
The room was dark, but for a flickering candle.
Yamato lay on her front, on the futon Trish had provided; actually two futons. She was two big for the couch, so Izuku was sleeping on it. He had protested, but Yamato had insisted. She had slept in far worse places than a doctor's back room, on a futon on a wooden floor.
She glanced up at Izuku. He was asleep, unmoving; his face gentle, unguarded. Perhaps he really did feel safe at last.
His admission out on the hillside had been a surprise. She hadn't always slept well at night, but she couldn't ever remember feeling the way he'd described. He had been so afraid, so wound up, always expecting someone or something to attack; or for something bad to happen.
For a moment, she wondered why that was. She had never felt like that, not much anyway. But then again, she had never needed to be like that. She could count on one hand the number of times anyone had gotten the drop on her. She had almost always heard them, or smelt them. But humans didn't have keen senses like Oni did. They had to get by on their wits, to be aware all the time.
But that wasn't it. Izuku had his Danger Sense. It couldn't have been physical danger that kept him on edge like that. It was something else.
It was trust. Or rather, no trust.
He couldn't trust anyone, couldn't feel safe, couldn't feel like he belonged. He was all alone, in a world where he didn't belong, a world completely different from the one he'd left behind. All alone, but for her.
She looked down at her journal, and the notebook beside it; laid out on the floor before her. The journal was her childhood recollections, stopped at the point where her life had changed; the night when she had seen Kozuki Oden die.
She glanced over at the notebook. It was full of paragraphs, all crossed out; all her past attempts to describe that man's death. None of them had worked for her. None of them had come close to describing what she had seen; not in the way he deserved.
No, not tonight. She closed both, and put them aside; pulling up her other journal and opening it. It was Izuku's story, as he had described it to her. It had reached the day of the UA High entrance exam, just as Izuku was fighting the Zero Point Robot, and saving his dear friend Ochako.
UA High. Japan. Hero Society.
What a world. What a world that had such people in it, and such wonders.
Izuku's people could make artificial islands that could move around under their own power. They could raise cities of glass and steel; with no need for fortresses or guns to protect them. They had studied the depths of their oceans, and the stars a galaxy away. They had even set foot on the Moon, and had the power to travel to other stars, even if not the desire.
She would probably never see it. But they could see this world together. Perhaps, one day, they would explore the deep oceans, and see all the creatures down there. Maybe they would find a way to go into space, and visit the Moon, and other planets. Always something new to see, always another adventure.
She lifted her pen to write, and then let out a yawn. Maybe not tonight. Better to sleep on it.
She put away her pen and books, and brought out the music box Lawson had given her. As the gentle, slightly haunting melody played, she lay down on her futon, and looked again at Izuku. He had not so much as stirred since his head touched the pillow.
The sight, again brought a burning desire within her.
She wanted him to sleep that way. She wanted him to smile, like he had that evening, when they looked up at the stars together. She wanted him to feel safe, at least some of the time; to know that he had friends in this world, that there were places where he was welcome, that all was not darkness and despair.
She…cared for him. She had no other word for it. He had given her back her hope, reminded her that there was a world beyond Onigashima. He had helped her to see that world, and all its wonders. He had given her a gift beyond compare; for which she could never hope to repay him.
But she could protect him. She could protect him, as she had sworn to when she found him on the beach, half-dead. She could shield him from the darkness of this world, and always remind him that beyond that darkness, there was light.
Yes, that was what she would do.
(X)
Izuku stretched out his arm, enjoying the feel of it.
The sun was bright, and the morning sky was blue. The smell of breakfast was wafting through the door, and out onto the grass where he was training.
He stretched his other arm, then drew them back in, finishing the routine. He brought his hands together in front, and then concentrated. One for All rose inside him, its power spreading, pushing out against his body, his spirit.
He gritted his teeth. It was trying to escape again, trying to break free of his control, and erupt out of him like a bomb going off. The effect would be much the same if he let it. Even now, he could only manage around 55%. Any more, and it would blast its way free of him, ravaging his body as it went; maybe even destroying it all together.
He focussed, driving his will against the rising power, forcing it to do his bidding. All this time, all his hard work, all his sacrifice, and only 55%! He had to do better! He had to control more of it! He had to truly master One for All, or he would never defeat Kaido. He tried to…
A snort made him jump. He looked up, barely keeping the roiling storm leashed within him.
A sphinx was standing there, staring at him with those big, bovine eyes.
"Tofuuuu Rameeeeen…" It uttered blankly, standing alongside other cows and creatures as they stared at him curiously.
Izuku sighed, and powered his Quirk down, letting the storm dissipate. That was the one problem with this place. Every time he tried to power up One for All, the sphinxes and cows kept wandering over to stare at him like that. Could they…was it attracting them somehow?
"Izuku! Breakfast!"
Chris' call from the doorway lifted his mood, and he trotted back towards the house, following Chris and a rather nice smell to the kitchen. The table was set with five places, one of them occupied by a drooling Yamato. Trish was setting food on the table.
"I can't linger long, unfortunately," Trish said. "I need to head up and check on Martha and Izzy. So I'll have to eat and run. Chris, clean up when everyone's done."
"Yes Mom." Chris took his place at the table, and Izuku moved to do likewise. Then he paused, as he heard the front door open.
"Is that breakfast I smell, or are you just pleased to see me?" a male voice called out.
"Dad!" yelled Chris, jumping up from his seat as a man came strolling in and Trish paused, and smiled ear to ear as she approached. He was quite tall, with a mop of blond hair and a muscular chest; tattooed with a blue crescent superimposed on a cross. His face broke into a wide, friendly grin, as he scooped up an overjoyed Chris.
"Heeeey!" he declared, then leaned in to kiss Trish on the lips. "Bet you didn't expect me, huh!"
"You're back! Do you got any more stories on Whiteybeard's ship?" Chris asked, eyes full of wonder as the stranger laughed, and kissed his son's head.
"Later, Dad's got work to do for now." He said, before turning to Trish. "Hey Babe."
Trish smiled, shaking her head as she leaned in, hugging him. He looked at Izuku and Yamato next, who were staring at him in mild astonishment.
"Ah, forget my own head next!" he said, setting his son down. "You must be the ones Bay told me about. Midoriya Izuku, and Yamato right? I'm Marco, of the Whitebeard Pirates."
He held out his hand. But before Izuku could even think, Yamato had leapt at him with a cry of joy, grabbing the hand and shaking it like her life depended on it, actually shaking the smaller pirate quite a bit.
"Marco the Phoenix!" she bubbled, eyes wide and bright. "Marco the Phoenix, First Division Commander! With a bounty north of a billion! Whitebeard's Right Hand Man. You're feared and revered all over the seas!" She cried out, leaning in while the blonde looked befuddled and leaned back and his arm being shook up and down fast and wildly.
"Yamato!" pleaded Izuku, trying to pull his considerably taller friend back, and cursing the day when he used to be just like that.
"Oh, wow," Marco said, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand, as Yamato finally let go. "I thought you were going to shake it off. Been a while since I got a welcome like that."
"Sorry…" Yamato blushed, and fidgeted. "It's just…you're only the second of Whitebeard's crew I've ever met. And to think it would be you!"
Marco grinned, and turned his attention to Izuku, offering his slightly worn-looking hand. Izuku shook it. The grip was firm, but not unnecessarily so. This was a man who knew and loved his strength, but didn't feel the need to rub it in people's faces.
"Midoriya Izuku and Yamato, the saviors of Doyle and Whitey Bay's beloved bambino," he decalred. "Now, will that breakfast stretch to five?"
"But of course. I was planning to feed nine with Yamato here." The brunette woman teased. "But I can make room for ten thanks to a certain someone." Trish grinned, and Marco sat down in the chair next to Chris. Only then did Izuku realize that there were, in fact, five places.
"I haven't seen her so happy in years," Marco went on, between mouthfuls.
"Hmm?" Izuku perked up as he sipped from his sea
"Bay. You did her a real favor, helping out King Bach like that."
"She was worried sick about him, I know," Trish cut in. "Being his mother and all."
"So…is her son really a King?" asked Chris, sounding a little dubious.
"Oh yeah, he is," insisted Marco, grinning. "He was about your age when you were born."
"And he got in trouble?"
"He did, with the Finalem Pirates," Marco went on. "Bay couldn't help, so she asked these two to go in her place." Yamato nodded enthusiastically.
"But…how come she couldn't go?" asked Chris suspiciously. "He's her son, isn't he?" He glanced at his mother. "And what about Whiteybeard?" Marco sighed.
"We've all been busy," he said. "We've been playing whack-a-mole with a load of small-fry pirates. We got a few new brothers, but even Pops can't be everywhere at once; and neither can Bay." He shrugged. "The usual, these days."
Chris thought about what his father had said. But he didn't seem much happier. Izuku knew well enough what he was thinking. He was trying to process the idea that his heroes weren't infallible, that sometimes even they needed help.
"Is Whitebeard here?" he asked, hoping to change the subject. Chris perked up at the mention, and Marco's grin returned.
"He's just off the coast, on the Moby Dick," he replied proudly. "When you're ready, I'll take you over there. He'll want to know everything about what happened on Doyle, and Wano too."
Izuku stiffened at the mention of Wano. Then he remembered telling Bay that he and Yamato had come from there. She must have told Whitebeard.
"And that's not all," Trish cut in again. "They played hero for me yesterday; helping me with Martha and her new baby."
"Another one? She and Ken are getting busy!" Marco looked very pleased. "Well I'll be. Boy or girl?"
"A little boy, named Izzy."
"Really now! Ha ha!" Marco laughed as he turned back to Izuku. "Good for you kid, it's a good omen to have a child named for you!" Izuku deflated, as his face heated up. He was not going to live that down any time soon.
"We didn't do all that much though," Yamato interjected, patting Izuku on the back. "Trish did all the work."
"Well, it's not the first baby I've delivered, even before I came here," Trish admitted. "I delivered one or two on the Moby Dick too. My first was Oden and Toki's daughter, Hiyori. They already had a son, Momonosuke."
The mood turned somber. Izuku remembered their first meeting with Bay, and how she had asked about Toki and the children. He remembered her grief, and how she had hidden it from them; just as she would do at their second meeting, when talking about her son.
He glanced at Yamato. Her good humor had faded, and he knew why. This was personal for her, as personal as it was for Bay.
They finished their breakfast, and Izuku and Yamato helped Trish, Marco, and Chris clean up. With the chores done quickly, the pair gathered their gear, and came out to the back of the surgery; where Marco and his family were waiting for them.
"Well, time to go," Marco said, kissing Trish, then ruffling Chris' hair. "Sorry I can't stay any longer, son."
"It's fine." Chris put on a brave face, and Izuku had the feeling he was used to it. "You've got stuff to do."
"That's right," declared Trish proudly. "You're doing your job, protecting these islands, and all of us."
"I know." He ruffled Chris' hair for me. "Take care of your mother for me, and I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Talk via snail?" Chris asked, and Marco nodded, kissing his son's forehead.
"I'll call ya tonight. Promise." He looked to Trish, going up and embracing her. "Keep in touch?"
"You know me, I will." Trish smiled, sighing. "Besides, I used to be a pirate too. I know what you need to do." Marco nodded, and the two leaned in for a kiss and parted. He turned towards the duo.
"Bay tells me you two can fly," he said. "Is that so?" The pair nodded. "Okay then, if you're ready, just follow on."
Izuku and Yamato stared in amazement as he changed; a blue glow erupting from his body, and washing over it. The glow sprouted wings, and an enormous blue bird leapt for the sky, circling around the house. Trish and Chris stared up at it, with pride and wonder; a sight they had seen before, but would never get tired of.
So that was why they called him Phoenix.
"Okay!" Yamato stepped into place, and Izuku secured her with Black Whip, lifting into the air. "Goodbye Trish, and Chris. Thank you for everything!"
"Thank you Izuku, and Yamato!" Trish called back, waving. "Have fun with Pops!"
"Come and see us again!" Chris added, waving hard. The pair waved back, and flew away over the village, falling in beside the great blue phoenix. Below them, the people stared up the sky, waving their arms and shouting their farewells. As they flew by his side, Marco turned, a smile on his beak as Izuku and him were about level as they climbed up the mountain peaks.
"You're pretty fast!" the phoenix called out, as they flew over the white mountains, rising into the clouds. "How come you can fly, anyway?"
"It's a long story!" Izuku called back. "Better save it for Whitebeard!"
"Sounds good to me! Whatever he hears I hear anyway!"
They flew on through the clouds. Izuku could feel Yamato behind him, bouncing with excitement. But Izuku just felt nervous. This was it. The culmination of their journey, and their hopes. At long last, they were going to see Whitebeard.
And he would learn whether he had made the right choice, or had betrayed everything he had once stood for.
"Get ready!" called Marco, and he dropped below the clouds. Izuku followed, and stared.
Out on the blue ocean was a ship, but like none he had ever seen. It was enormous, bigger than Yukimaru, at least as big as any of Kaido's ships and maybe bigger; with three main masts and a smaller one behind. And it was bright too, gaily painted in blue and white, lined in polished brass, and with a curving white bow; like the head of a whale.
"Our Moby Dick!" proclaimed Marco, with evident pride. "You won't find a finer ship or a finer crew, or a finer captain this side of the Grand Line!"
Izuku glanced up at Yamato. She was staring at the ship in wonder, and he could almost feel her heart pounding. This was a dream come true, and looking at that mighty ship, making its stately way over the waves, he could not help but share in her enthusiasm. Inside his mind, the Vestiges were staring too; silent in their wonder.
But as they banked around the ship, coming in low for their final approach, Izuku saw something else. Gun ports, eighteen in all; two batteries of six arranged in rows of three at fore and aft, and a row of six connecting them in the middle. They were big guns too, big enough for him to climb inside.
This ship was magnificent, a thing of beauty and power, but also a weapon. It was made to sail the seas, go where it pleased, speak softly, and carry a big stick.
They slowed as they approached. He could see the crew now; men, or so they seemed, of various shapes, sizes, and races. And he could see the Jolly Roger clearly, fluttering proudly over the stern; a grinning skull with an enormous crescent mustache, set over two crossed bones, just like Marco's tattoo.
Marco hovered, and transformed back to his human form; as Izuku and Yamato came into land. The crew stood around, watching them with a mixture of wariness, surprise, and amusement. Izuku wasn't sure he liked it, but it was too late to back out now.
"Izuku, look over there!" declared Yamato pointing at two tall men. "It's Diamond Jozu! And Flower Blade Vista! Just like Oden described them!" The two men glanced up at the mention of their names. They had been looking at a newspaper as Izuku opened his mouth to apologize.
"Gurararara… so, are these the young pups Bay told us about, Marco?" A voice thundered over the deck behind them; and the crew all perked up.
"You bet Pops," replied Marco, with a confident smile. "In the flesh."
Izuku turned, and stared at the man…if he could be called that…striding across the deck towards them. He was a tower of muscle, his chest scarred and weather-beaten, his legs covered by loose pants held up with a long sash. Hanging over his shoulders was a long white coat, lined in gold, with gold epaulets and red lining. His head was topped with a black bandanna; while his hard, grinning face, was crowned with an enormous white mustache in the shape of a crescent moon. In one scarred hand was a naginata as tall as he was.
And he was tall. At least twice Marco's height. No, even taller.
He looked to be as tall as KAIDO.
"Holy crap." Banjo said, utterly stunned at the massive pirate.
"They don't breed'em small round here, do they?" commented Nana.
Izuku stared up at the titan of a man. This was a figure of power and of terror, like something out of the Dark Age. Only, there seemed to be no malice in him. Beside him, Yamato stared at him in utter awe; as if she were looking on the face of a living legend.
This was Edward Newgate. The Great Pirate. The Rival to the King of the Pirates, and the Strongest Man in the World.
"Welcome to my ship, you two squirts," Whitebeard said, before offering a coy and warm smile "So, how can I help you?"
And we are here. On the Moby Dick. Meeting the absolute gigachad Whitebeard himself. Took a while but, we made it.
A big thanks to Juubi-K for writing this up. Had to change, condense, and rewrite a couple of things to avoid the "Oda Flashback-itis" stuff, as that doesn't work in written mediums nor is Bay entitled to spill her life story entirely. But it came out the other end the better for it, with big thanks to WildJoker000 and the great polishing and screening of IKnowNothing
The next chapter would conclude the Hunt for Whitebeard Saga, and begin a new arc entirely. After that chapter, expect a lot of small chapters inbetween before we go to a nice big arc which will, as you guessed it, will be us taking a gun to the twitching body of canon and, ya knoooow. Shooting it again :U
Anyways, hope you enjoyed our brief stay in Sphinx. Wanted to capture that comfy energy of Resembool from FMA. Listening to the soundtrack helped give me the idea for the outline.
Now I need to prepare for the chapter to come, but I hope you all enjoyed this. We'll see you in the next one.