Chapter 15: Twilight Isles, Part Six

Luna let out a groan as she got back up, having spent the night sleeping on the hard wood floor. Desiree never shows herself again, not even the pirate captain has entered his own quarters for the night. That fact confuses her, and worries her to no end.

Not only that, the ship has begun moving for reasons she has no knowledge about. The scheduled time for their attack should be at least two days away, so why move now?

Did they change their schedule when Reginold found out about her eavesdropping? Did he move the time forward so she wouldn't make it in time? All these thoughts races through her head even as she falls into slumber.

'What is happening out there…?'

As she thought that, the door to the room opens and Desiree walks in with a scowl on her face.

"Get up." She commanded as she pulls on the ropes binding her wrists together, pulling her up with little effort as she pushes her captive out of the room.

Luna winces from the sudden exposure to the morning sun; her eyes soon adapted to the daylight as she took a look around her and realises where they are right now.

The ships are docked at a cliff-face surrounded with stone worn down by the waves over several centuries, effectively creating a natural stone plateau of sorts that can act like a docking platform. Carved into the cliff-face is a large man-made cave that held up by several wooden arcs that looks like it has been there for decades, the wood has starts to worn down and there is some form of waterlog present in them.

'That must be the tunnel grandfather told me about…'

Around the stony plateau are several tents pitched up with what looks like to be pirates and the resistance army wearing the same form of apparel as Desiree's crowd wandering about, talking to one another and wielding flintlock muskets and pistols; some of them also have cutlasses and sabres strapped to their waist in leather holsters or held in place by leather belts.

There's even a pole with a flag she recognised, one that her grandfather has shown her many times before.

A blue flag with three four-leaf clovers posed in a triangular pattern, each representing some virtue of the Latian Kingdom that she didn't quite remember.

'The rebellion… they must be the force that is planning the coup…' She thought, 'There's a lot less people that I imagine it would be… although, it is possible that most of their forces must have infiltrated the castle already…'

"Move." Her captor growled as she pushes her along, leaving the ship onto the plateau. On the way, she notices coming off of the ship are three individuals that she knows very well, one of them is being dragged along by a chain held by one of their soldiers while the other two are getting pushed forward like her by a man wearing the exact same uniform as Desiree.

"Luna!" Rein called out in shock.

"Rein! Deuce! Ace, too!" She stated in equal shock.

"What a nice reunion, isn't it?" A rough voice stated with a chuckle, as Tok walks up to them with a dirty grin on his face, "Hello there, princess. How nice to finally meet you in person, and may I just say that rumors of your beauty is truly lacking."

"You're… Gear Head Tok."

"In the flesh!" He laughed with a mock bow, "I see that my reputation precedes me!"

"Never… heard of you…" Ace groaned from his place on the ground.

"What's wrong with him?" Luna asked Rein.

"Sea stone cuffs." She explains, "Drains the power of a Devil Fruit user on contact."

"Manages to pilfer a couple from a marine vessel we raided couple months ago." The pirate captain stated as he walks up to the downed freckled pirate, "Came in pretty handy, didn't it?" With that, he stomps on Ace's head, "Can't even muster a spark now, can't you?"

"Fuck… you…"

"Too bad it can't mute you, though."

"Tok, enough." The man holding her three companions warns him, "You don't have to rough him up."

"What? Can't let a guy de-stress, Vi?" Tok stated as he stomps on the freckled pirate's head a few more times, "This guy burned down my base, all my hard work is in ashes because of him! At least let me have this much!"

"H-Hey! Stop that!" Deuce shouted angrily.

"That's quite enough!" Desiree shouted at the pirate captain, her spare hand reaching for her sword, "Or do I have to make an example out of you?"

"…Tch." He clicks his tongue, begrudgingly remove his foot from Ace's head, "Whatever. At least you will be out of our hair soon enough."

"What are you talking about?" Rein asked.

"Oh, right! We forgot to mention!" The pirate captain laughed, "We are given orders to execute the three of you. Or rather, Vi here is going to do so."

"E-Execute!?" Luna shouted, struggling against her bonds, "You can't do that! Leave them out of this, it is me that you're after!"

"No can do, dear princess." Tok chuckles, walking up and patting her cheek, "You see, Reginold has made his orders pretty clear. It's a shame, though. I really wanted to have a taste of that little girl before she has to go."

"Screw off, you sick bastard!" Rein shouted at him, "There's no way I'm letting you anywhere near me!"

"Tok."

"I know, I know." He chuckles as he walks away, "She's Vi's problem to deal with, so stay out of it. No need to tell me twice. But can't I at least–"

"Tok!"

"Okay, okay, I was joking. Sheesh, what's up your ass this morning?"

Luna could watch as her three companions are being dragged away by man named Vi. She couldn't believe it. Three people that have extended their hands to help her is going to die because of her. She was taught that being royalty means having responsibility over her subjects that looked up to her for guidance, that every action she makes will have consequences for them and their lives.

But she didn't think that…

"Aw… look at the poor little prinwess~" Tok cooed, "Oh, how I wanted to just pushed her down and have my way–"

"Finish that sentence, and losing your finger would be mercy compared to what I'll do to you." Desiree stated angrily, "Round up the men. We have an attack to prepare for."

"Aye, aye, ma'am." He mock-salutes her before walking off.

"Move it, princess." She stated as she pushes Luna forward, "We have a coup to get ready for."

I grunted out in pain as I'm shoved into the hard and stony ground, Deuce and Ace landing next to me from the same treatment. The future Fire Fist groaned out in pain as he is sluggishly trying to get up on his feet, the sea stone cuffs definitely draining his stamina very badly.

"Leave us." Vi tells the soldier that was dragging Ace, he saluted before walking off. He then turns to us, drawing out his sword.

"Execution, huh?" Deuce stated with a grimace, "I knew it would be my fate once I became a pirate, but never would I thought it would come so soon…"

"I told you don't like violence and bloodshed!?" I asked angrily, "Why are you doing this now!?"

"If it's any consolation, I didn't want to do this." Our executioner sighs as he readies his sword, "But… orders are orders. Forgive me."

I growled at the man, "Forgive this!" I transform my arms into their dragon forms and easily tore out of my ropes. Seeing Vi's shock, he mustn't have thought that I have Devil Fruit powers as I have suspected. But seeing him regain his bearings instantly shows that he is definitely one of the upper echelons of his group, as he stabs his sword towards me.

I quickly avoiding his attack, his blade sliding against my cheek and drawing some blood but I ignore it and slams my scaly fist into his face, knocking him back and onto his back. "Ow, ow… what kind of Devil Fruit is this!?"

"Strong scales, enormous strength." I listed off as I fully transformed into my half-dragon form, slamming my fists together, "What do you think?"

"…Dragon…!?"

I turn to Deuce and used my claws to rip his apart his rope bonds, freeing his hands, "Get Ace, we're going to find Luna and stop this rebellion."

"We need the keys to his cuffs first." Deuce explains as he lifts a sluggish Ace over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, "He's useless like this, and I'm not so sure I can take down an army and take care of him at the same time."

"I can take him… no… problem…"

"Good point." I nodded, ignoring our very weaken pirate captain's moans and turning to the groaning man on the ground, "Where are the keys to his cuffs?"

"Can't say." Vi stated, wiping some blood that leaked out of his lips as he gets back on his feet, getting into fighting stance, "But I can't let you guys go. We have too much at stake for this plan to fail now."

"Do you really think you can stop me right now?" I pointed out, cracking my fingers a little, "Last I checked, I've knocked you down easily."

"You caught me by surprise, that's all." He stated, shifting his short sword into a reverse grip, "I'm not falling for that a second time."

I really didn't want to fight him unarmed. That time with Gin, as much as I hate to say it, was a fluke. I don't think I'll have another chance to take him out with one hit. Not to mention the fact that I'm not that skilled in unarmed combat beside very amateurish punches and kicks. But Deuce is unarmed as well, not to mention that Ace is dead weight until we can get those cuffs free.

That leaves only one option.

"Deuce, grab Ace and head into their camp. The keys might be in there somewhere." I tell him, "I'll stall him till you get back."

"Got it! Just hang tight!" He stated as he ran off with Ace in tow.

"Hey! You're not leaving!" Vi runs to stop them, but I dashes up to him and blocks his path, "Out of the way!"

"You're dealing with me, Vi." I stated, getting into a brawler-ish sort of stance.

"If that's your wish…" He muttered as he raises his sword up, before his blade strikes at me.

Deuce quickly runs towards the camp, his captain dangling from his shoulders.

As he reaches the first tent, the soldiers and pirates are already arming up and preparing heading into the tunnel. Desiree is leading in front with Luna in her grasps and Tok not too far behind.

"Princess!"

"Deuce! Ace!" Luna screams in shock.

"Tch, Vi screwed up, huh?" Tok stated with a scoff, "That's siblings for you. Letting you down when you need them the most."

"Shut up!" Desiree shouted at the pirate captain before turning to her troops, "Men! Take them down! Those with the first platoon, come with me! We have no more time to waste!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

A few of the soldiers armed with muskets took aim and fired, Deuce barely dodges past the rain of lead that would have filled both him and his captain with holes before running away from them. A quick glance behind to reveal several of the soldier with a few pirates coming straight for him with swords drawn and pistols aimed at him.

"Zzz…"

"Are you seriously sleeping right now!?" He screams at the snoozing freckled pirate, as he barely avoided another lead round that nearly grazed his side, "Damn it! Where's that key!?"

Another group of pirates and soldiers cut him off, flanking him on both sides. One of the soldiers decides to take the initiative to slash his sabre at him. He manages to duck under the slash and lands a sucker punch into his face, knocking the soldier unconscious.

"Ah! He took out Kenny!"

"That bastard!"

All the soldiers all took aim at Deuce, who is starting to freak out at the situation.

'Crap, crap, crap!' He looks around, 'Trapped, and with nowhere to take cover! What do I do!?' He then looked down at the unconscious soldier, and a devious idea pop into his head, 'I'm a pirate, aren't I? So I'll fight like one!'

With that in mind, he grabs the 'body' of the soldier and raises him up as a form of human shield. "Come on! Shoot! I dare you!" That got an immediate effect as the soldiers all hesitant and lowered their muskets, "What, chicken!?"

"Damn it! Using Kenny as a shield! Have some damn respect for the unconscious, damn it!" One of the soldiers shouted.

"What's the hold up!?" A pirate shouted as he took aim with his pistol, "Fill him with lead already!"

"Don't shoot!" The soldier tells him, grabbing his pistol by the barrel, "You'll hit Kenny!"

"Yeah, so?" The pirate shrugs his shoulder, wrenching his pistol off the soldier's grip. "He's tough. He can handle a few bullets. Besides, it's that idiot's fault that jumping in like that and then getting caught in the first place!"

*SMACK*

"OW!? What the fuck, asshole!?"

"That idiot is my boyfriend, you dick!"

The pirate grabs the soldier by the scuff of his collar. "What do you just call me, faggot!?"

"I call you a dick, pirate scum!" The soldier shouted back, letting loose another punch into his face.

"Hey! Hey! Knock it off!" One of the soldiers shouted as the two of them are locked in a scuffle, "Now is not the time for this!"

"Let them fight." Another pirate tells him as he took aim with his rifle, "I'll handle this."

"I just said not to shoot!" He tells him as he pushes the rifle aside, it went off prematurely and hits another pirate in the thigh.

"AIIEEE!" The pirate screams in pain, clutching his injured thigh in pain before tripping over and dropping his cutlass, its blade somehow landing and stabbing into the feet of one of the soldiers.

That causes that soldier to scream in pain and clutch his feet in agony which resulted in tripping onto the pirate behind him, who ended up accidentally firing his pistol which hits through another soldier's ear, resulting in HIM screaming in pain which causes the pirate in front of him to flinch and misfire his pistol and hitting another soldier and so on and so forth.

This series of unfortunate of shooting and stabbing went on and on until pretty much everyone is either on the ground groaning and screaming in pain and agony or in a fist fight for some reason or another, leaving Deuce still holding onto the unconscious body while the duo from before are still brawling away.

"…Huh." Deuce could only stare and ponder on the sheer amount of luck he has in the situation, for not a single bullet that has accidentally fired has hit him once.

"Hm…? What happened?" Kenny then took this time to wake up.

*SMACK*

"GAH!"

Only to be put back on ice with another punch to the face.

"This was… a whole lot easier than I thought it would be…" He muttered as he tosses the unconscious body aside. As he did, sounds of something metallic dropping onto the ground caught his attention. He turned to the unconscious soldier, before slowing making his way up to him. "Now that I think about it… he kinda looks like the guy that was dragging Ace around just now…"

With that in mind, he dug his hands into the soldier's pockets, and felt a metallic item with his fingers. "Jackpot!"

"Grk!"

I blocked another slash from Vi with my scaled arm, his blade skidding off my hard scales.

We have been fighting for who knows how long now. I didn't keep count, but it has been quite a good while. His blade can't cut through my scales, but his relentless attacks aren't letting me do anything besides guarding; not to mention the fact that he keeps trying to get past me to get to Deuce and Ace.

"Die already!" He shouted, twisting his body and slashing upwards from below me.

"Not happening!" I shouted back as I block his attack again.

Vi steps back, twirling his sword into a reverse grip. "Look, I know you don't like the whole executing thing. But you have no idea what's at stake here! I have no choice!"

"I think you do!" I tell him, "Look, I get that this is supposed to help your sister cope with her feelings, but this isn't the way! If she ended up going through with this, it's not going to end well! Revenge is never the right way!"

"It's the only way that we have left!" He shouted back, swinging his blade in wide slashes at me while I block and dodge all of them, "We have put too much, waited too long to back down now! Too much is riding on this for it to fail in our face right now!"

His sword stabs towards me, I crossed my arms to block it. Not a word is getting to him at all! From what I can tell in our conversation last night, Vi doesn't really want to take revenge at all, that he isn't someone who is motivated by revenge or hatred. If anything, he cares more for his own blood then anything else.

I then uncross my arms and pushes him back. But his desire to help out his only remaining family is definitely not to be underestimated, even if the actions he took isn't the proper way to go with her current situation…

"Goddamn it!" After regaining his footing, he swings his blade at me and slashes into my scales with no effect. But he followed up on that attack with a kick into my stomach, knocking me back onto my back. After gasping for a moment, I quickly rolled out of the way of his blade stabbing down at me.

After getting back on my feet, "Ora!" I dug my foot in forward and slams another punch into his gut.

"Grk!" I managed to knock him several steps back with that attack, before he got his bearings back and charges at me with a stab ready. I crossed my arms again to block the attack, only for him to toss his weapon into air midway. And when my attention followed the spinning sword up, I felt his fist painfully dug itself into my sternum hard.

"Gah!" I let out a gasp in pain, coughing slightly from the unexpected attack which is then followed up by an uppercut to my chin, knocking my face upwards just as I saw his spinning sword fall down towards me as he grabs onto his weapon and slashes down.

I wasn't able to react in time, only able to move my head slightly as his blade slashes across my face. Thankfully, his attack misses either of my eyes but by the sudden searing pain that came from my right temple, I say his attack at least left a bit of a mark.

A few staggering steps back later, I felt my wound and saw the tip of my fingers dyed in blood. "Damn…" Great, another wound to my face. Why do people keep aiming for my face!?

"I thought so." He twirls his sword around before pointing the blade's tip at me, "Your scales may be tough, but they only covered only small parts of your body like your lips and part of your head. But your face and joints? That's a no brainer. And if I were to guess, I say your chest and gut area aren't so protected either. Why else would you protect them?"

He definitely has that part of me figured out. Yes, my scales are tough, but Sen has pointed out that only some part of my body is covered by them, most notable are my limps and my head. For some reason, my frontal chest area isn't that well protected with scales only covering my ribs but not my chest, for some reason.

Sen never has a proper explanation for that, but I think it has something to do with the fact that breasts are needed to ween the young. That, or the idea of Oda coming up with a super sexy dragon girl is up there. I mean, Nami's attire definitely leave nothing to the imagination, and yet she barely suffers any major damage to her gut and chest areas.

Anime logic, everyone.

"Now that's apparent." He spun his blade before holding it in a reverse grip, "I know where to aim for now."

'Like you haven't aimed for them before…' That thought crosses my mind as I got back into a fighting stance.

But before any of us can continue our fight, a pillar of flame erupts from the camp site. And knowing of only one person who can create such a spectacle, I let loose a small chuckle. He sure took his time, didn't he?

"I'M BACK, BITCHES!"

With that loud cry, Ace flew up into the sky and came crashing down between us in a ball of fire.

"Quite an entrance." I noted with a small grin.

"What can I say?" He chuckles as embers floated off of his body while he tilts his hat with a flaming finger, "I like to leave a great impression."

What a show-off…

"…Okay, that's it. No fucking way I'm doing this." Vi sighs as he sheathes his weapon, raising his hands up in surrender, "I'm out. I'm not fighting two Devil Fruit users, especially when one of them I can't even hit."

"Oh, come on. Really?" Ace stated with a groan, "I've a lot of pent up stress I want to release by beating people up and you're not even going to fight back?"

"Not worth the effort." He states with a shrug of his shoulders, "Besides, I think I've kept you people here long enough."

"What do you–"

My question is answered when a loud boom can be heard from the cave, as smoke starts bellowing out of it. Wait, what the hell!? Did they blow up the cave!?

"What was that!?" Ace asked.

"We need some way to getting through," He explains, "and what better way to unplug an underground tunnel than with some good old TNT?"

"Then they have made it into capital!" I concluded to my horror. Their coup is already on the way!

"Yeah, and to top it off…" Ace turns to me, "Deuce saw them drag Luna with them into the tunnel."

"WHAT!?" This is bad! Luna might get caught up in the fighting at this rate! "We need to chase after them!"

"Way ahead of you! Deuce already went on ahead! Let's hope he's not caught in the explosion!"

With that said, we all took to a run towards the tunnel's entrance.

But then I stop for a moment and looked back at Vi. This guy is definitely strange. Just before, he has me on the ropes, not to mention his determination to do right for his sister is unparallel as far as I know of. But once Ace is freed, he just gave up? Why go through all of that only to give up at the end?

Unless…

"Vi, you…" He looked up at me as I said my piece, "Do you want us to stop your sister?"

"…" He put down his hands down before a small dejected chuckle slip through his lips, "You had me figured out, didn't you?"

"Why else would you tell us your whole backstory?" I pointed out, "This was your plan all along, isn't it? You want us to stop your sister from going through with this."

"…That's right." He chuckles, "…I can't stop Desiree. No matter how much I asked her to stop, she wouldn't listen. Reginold has gotten into her head that this is something she needs to do, that this was revenge for our parents, for our town. That this would bring her closure."

"But I know what he's really after. He wants the Twilight Isles, to become its ruler. He wants to become king. And once he had it, he would just throw me and Desiree away! He just using the attack on our town as a goddamn excuse to push her forward, to drag her into this path of vengeance!"

"If you know all of that, can't you just tell her that!?" I asked, "Why carry on helping her with it!?"

"You think I didn't try that already!?" He screams at me, "I've told her that, and she just didn't care! She would willingly die if it meant getting revenge! No matter what I say, it wouldn't convince her! So, I have no choice but to help her with it. It's the only option I have left!"

"…Vi…"

"When I heard princess has found out about the coup and is working to stop it, I thought that this might be it." He continues on, "She might be able to put a stop to this, even if it meant life-sentences for all of us. But then you guys got captured, and now we're here."

"And when Ace is freed, you thought that we have another chance to stopping her." I concluded, "Is that what you are saying?"

"…In a way." He nodded, "It's all the hope I have left. You guys are the only ones that can stop Desiree."

"…No." I looked at him as he stares back in either shock or horror. This isn't the way he has to do this. "We can't be the ones to stop her. You have to stop her, Vi. You, and no one else."

"I told you, I can't! She wouldn't listen to me!"

"Then keep doing until she does!" I shouted back angrily, "If your family is about to do something stupid that would hurt themselves, it is your duty to stop her from doing so! You don't get to give up after trying and failing once! You have to keep on trying and trying again and again until it gets through her thick skull! Otherwise, who else will!?"

"…You are definitely right…" He muttered, clenching his fists, "But what else is there for me to do!? What can I even do at this point! It's far too late now!"

"No, it's not."

His look of confusion is more than enough for me to know that he doesn't know the full picture. "She wants revenge against the ones responsible for your town's destruction, right? What if the ones responsible isn't the Britt Kingdom? What if it's someone else?"

"Someone else? Who else would–" When his eyes widen, I knew he probably know who, "You don't mean… HIM!?"

"Yeah. Your good 'pal' Reginold." I stated, "Think about it. He just so happens to come across your destroyed town, and just so happens to know who destroyed it with a flag to back his claim, along with a plan to help you guys get 'revenge'. And you said it yourself, he wants the throne to himself. Put all of the pieces together, and you get your answer."

"He… I knew he is despicable, but for him to do something like this…!" Vi let out a growl at that, "THAT NO GOOD SCHEMING BASTARD!"

"Vi." I looked at him, "We need to tell your sister the truth. We won't be able to stop her from taking revenge, but at least this way she wouldn't die due to a scheme by her family's murderer."

"…Right." He nodded, "Let's go."

With that, we all dashes into the tunnel with another mission in mind. Well, two if you are being specific.

Stop Reginold, and stop Desiree.

…

To be continued…

Yup! Finally done! Damn, it was tricky on how to write this! Didn't think it would be this hard! Welp, with this up, this arc's climax is only couple of chapters away! Didn't think it'll take this long, but I did it!

Now for those who are reading this on SpaceBattles and SufficientVelocity, I'm here to let you all know that I'm planning on writing a Danmachi SI after this arc's end. It'll first be on my One-Shots galore fic with my other pilot chapters that I've come up with.

Currently, the only one that I've posted is my idea on a Rising of the Shield Hero fic, where there's a Reincarnation OC which helps out Naofumi in his adventures. It's pretty rough, but the basic premise is still there. I'll be writing a proper fic for that one too, just not any time soon.

If you guys are interested, have a gander there and tell me what you think! Reviews are gratefully appreciated!

With that, I thank you all for reading this!