LW: I'm back baby! Happy birthday to me, with a new series :D Or I suppose more accurately a new entry in the ongoing series known simply as RKMM. Please enjoy, as the insanity just grows before us
Rubber King and Mirror Master - New World Chaos: Opening Day! Return to Sabaody
Morning - just off the shore of the Sabaody Archipelago
"It's finally time, happy to see everyone, Luffy?" Artemis asks, grinning as she adjusts her beret and watched the mangroves come into view
"Sure am, as nice as it has been to see you and Kaos a couple of times, and using the mirrors, it'll be good to see everyone face to face. Though I do have a question…. Why is my backpack so much bigger than yours?" Luffy asks
"We've seen you eat Luffy, this is the equivalent of 3 meals for someone with your appetite, which is about 18 for a normal person" Hancock answers with a deadpan stare, which gets a nod and chuckle from the rubber boy
"There you all are" a dry, tired voice purrs, the group looks down to see a woman with milky white skin and pitch black eyes smiling up at them "An invitation from your brother, lover, or father, the Demon Eye compound is in Grove 21. And yes, both Hancock and Sandersonia are invited, that card will grant both of you access through the wardstones on the gates" Helio explains, passing them their cards
"Hear that sis? I get to come along!" Sonia squeals and hugs her smaller sister
"I heard her, we'll head straight over and unpack. Will you be coming with us or taking the long route?" Hancock asks, getting a happy nod from Artemis and a shrug from Luffy
"Nah, I feel like exploring, maybe see if I can run into any of the others while I'm out" Luffy replies "Hey, do you have any more of these?"
"Azulong is delivering more to the rest of your crew as we speak, once they ping her observation haki she'll seek them out" Helios explains with a shallow bow "Enjoy your stay, and, welcome back Straw Hat Luffy"
Sabaody - Shakky's Rip-Off Bar
"Can you believe it's been 2 years already? Seems like it was just yesterday those straw hats all packed into my bar, I wonder how they've changed. They should be here today, maybe tomorrow given how late it's getting" Shakky hums, it was already mid-afternoon
"If they make it at all, Luffy and Kaos ensured the entire crew shot up in the world's expectations and radars. I'm sure they've gotten stronger, but are they ready for the New World? Only they'll know, and if they aren't it'll be too late to fix it" Rayleigh sighs, before pouring himself a glass "You've heard about some of the things going on in the world recently?" he asks
"Of course, and I presume you think they've all been smack bang in the centre of it?" Shakky chuckles
"Not all, but a fair few, such as that incident in the North, the burning of the Eldergleam, several government bases being destroyed, and of course the true end of the World pirates, those kids have been busy" he lists off, just as the door to the bar opens "Huh, didn't expect you to be the first" he smirks
"Really, the others must have gotten lost" Zoro shrugs "Or, they all got invited to this other place, speaking of, where's Grove 21?"
Auction House
Hidan hums as he pushes open the door, noticing all that was missing was a few alters and a totem, and this could be a pretty good temple to Jashin, though that wasn't why he was here and he should stop getting distracted so easily
"Here we go, time to say goodbye to our newest convert, let her return to the pirate life" the cultist mutters to himself before releasing the snake from his coat, which began to coil and loop around the centre of the stage, energy building within before activating the Reverse Summon Jutsu with a large plume of smoke.
"And we're back" came the voice of Valentina adjusting her sleeveless Jonin flak jacket "It's been a fun ride but I'm afraid I must return to my crew" the blond says aloud as the other 3 exist the smoke alongside her
"As long as you keep in touch more often than last time it should be fine" Orochimaru purrs "You forgot something though, call it a gift from Minato" he winks, tossing a Hitai-ate at the kilo girl who catches it and her eyes widen
"This is, the Straw Hat roger" she gasps "Why?"
"It seemed appropriate and shows the link between the ninja you are, and the pirate you have become. It's a partial joke, but the forehead protector is done to the same quality as your other one, so it's not like it's just a gag gift" the Snake Zoan explains, smile softening as Val giddily secures it to her forehead, pushing her bangs out of her eyes.
"Special delivery, one tanuki for Akatsuki" was bellowed as the door was kicked in by an excitable blond
"I've said it 1000 times I'm a reindeer. You're so mean Val, all of you changed for the worse over the 2 years!" Chopper cries as the bomber carries him by his backpack
"Can I just toss him at you?" the blond bomber mutters idly
"Deidara, put down the reindeer doctor, gently" Valentina stresses firmly, and gets half results, as he just drops the kid.
"Ow my butt" Chopper whines as he stands up, then blinks "Valentina! Finally things make sense, here I thought everyone had just let themselves go but things are looking up" he cheers and tackle hugs her
"I'm happy to see you too Chopper, though what's this about letting ourselves go?" Val asks curiously
" I found Zoro, Sanji, and Robin, but she got kidnapped, so we went looking for Luffy, found who I thought was you, then Luffy, Franky, Nami, and SniperKing all huddled together. They wouldn't go save Robin, can you believe that? Then he picked me up and carried me here, who the Hell is he?" Chopper cries
"Yamanaka Deidara, a work colleague. Master of the Explosive Release and someone who decided to pretend to be me for a few hours" the kilo girl explains
"Oh, so Boss finally got you a ring of your own, is it Kakuzu's, Hidan's not had a partner since he was alive?" Deidara asks curiously, getting a chuckle from the younger blond before flipping him the bird with her right hand, then closing her fist to show the blood-red stone on her ring finger "Interesting, don't think anyone's gotten to break that one in just yet" he winks "Now, you guys have fun with your little reunion, I gotta go pretend to be Miss Kilo Kilo for the fakers for a little longer, hope something fun happens BEFORE I have to just start blowing shit up Bakakakaka!" he cackles before leaving the building once more
"How worried should we be about that?" Chopper asks nervously
"Minimally, he's only going to blow up bad people, like the recruitment centre that all this crap is stemming from. Now, how about you clue me in on what I missed from you and I can give you the lowdown on the new healing techniques I learned" the blond assures him, then completely unrepentantly dangles medical knowledge over his head as a distraction
"Bubbles! Bubbles! Bubbles!"
"Shut up already!"
Victor sighs to himself as the ship docks, as while he'll miss a lot of things after spending 2 years with the old gang…. Candice wasn't one of them. Though Giselle was, and given she'd just latched onto him like a cute antenna-haired limpet, she thought the same.
"You know, I was told to never come to this island, too many slavers" Lilloto muses, the lamprey mermaid watching the island with curiosity
"While true, from what I've heard that's dropped significantly since I was last here 2 years ago. Slavers and Slave Auctions are a lot harder to find and deal with" Victor responds
"Really, where'd you hear that, you're girlfriend?" Bambietta teases, though all of the crew were wondering the same
"Do you know Slavery as a whole, is abhorrent in the eyes of Jashin? I didn't, until Val told me, as well as what she and a few fellow worshipers decided to do while they were in the area. It was apparently quite messy, which is also not surprising given sacrifices are a common aspect of Jashin worship"
Boar Hat
"So, you hear they moved Navy Headquarters after the War and the appointment of a new fleet admiral?" Ban asks as he pours the pretty ginger in front of him a drink
"Really? That's news to me" she admits but smiles, her eyes curious
"Yeah, swapped locations with a base called G1 on the other side of the Red Line, meaning HQ is now at the start of the New World for some God-unknown reason. Though being in Paradise didn't stop it getting smashed to pieces so maybe it's all the same really" the grey-haired barkeep shrugs "New guy's got some balls to basically set up base in the Yonko Territory and shout 'Come at me Bro' Kyukyukyu" he laughs "downside of it seems there are a lot more criminals around due to a lessor marine prescience, though it's been a while since we were last here so it might have just been a good year back then"
The woman shakes her head "No it's probably at least partially due to the move, there seems to be a lot more thugs and brutes running around than there were 2 years ago when I was last here" she agrees
"Hey, did you catch this?"
"Yeah it's a shocker alright"
"Seems the straw hats are back, really took me by surprise that one"
"Sigh, I never said they died or nothing, but 2 years with no news, it's a big deal, especially in the Grand Line"
"Either way, it looks like they're recruiting new members"
"Makes sense they'd do it here, anyone who gets to these islands survived the 1st half of the Grand Line, and it's a never-ending conveyor belt of potential recruits"
"Plus his crew's pretty small by the standards of most pirate crews, makes sense he'd want to get more before taking on the New World"
"I'd ignore what those men are saying Miss" Ban whispers, seeing the woman was eavesdropping on the men behind her while trying to look as casual as possible… but there was no fooling a man with centuries of experience at deception and thievery "They're basically talking shit based on everything I've heard about the Straw Hats"
"2 years is a long time, especially out here, maybe they changed" the woman muses, continuing to sip her drink
"Yeah, but they have the air of a crew like the Demon Eye, hand-picked those who have the right kind of mindset, not someone who picks up every dumbass who can hold a sword, else they'd have already done so" Ban argues
CRASH
'They better not have broken the door, or security's gonna beat their asses. It's her last day too… so maybe she'll do it anyway' Ban thinks as a group of scruffy-looking people enter the bar
"Heyheyhe. Hey Gramps, how bout some drinks and some food!" the leader, a rotund man with a pistol in his pants and a ratty straw hat on his head bellows "Give me everything you got!"
"Whatever" Ban mutters, wishing Meliodas wasn't out shopping as the blond would be a much better choice for feeding this dickheads "I'll be right there"
"It's them"
"It has to be"
"He's got a straw hat on, it must be him"
'Fucking morons' the redhead thinks, rolling her eyes as the 'Straw Hats' get situated and begin their recruitment drive, not going well for some people….
BANG
"Can't you weakling's read, unless you've got at least 70 mill I don't want to even look at ya! I've seen kids with higher bounties than you punks, come back when you're actually worth something" 'Luffy' sneers, having just shot the man in front of him "What's our current count Franky?"
"About a hundred, 3 whole crews, and 10 solos, most have decent bounties" 'Franky' answers
"And the cream of the crop are the brothers' Caribou and Coribou, 210 and 190 mill beris each" 'Luffy' laughs, then turns his eyes to the redhead at the bar "Hey there missy, I see you there drinking alone, come here, I'll show you a good time" he grins, but the smile drops when he gets no response "Hey Sister! I'm talking to you!"
"You gonna answer him? If you decide to fight him, at least go outside first, cleaning the blood out of the wood is always a pain in the ass" Ban asks and mutters, getting a scoff from the woman as well as a half smile
"No thanks, I'll pass" she says with a shrug "I'm here waiting for some friends and this place came highly recommended"
"Your friends are probably weaklings who'd piss themselves in Captain Luffy's prescience, come on over and we'll give you a night to remember" 'Sogeking' offers with a laugh
"Yeah no, I'll say this once so pay attention. Take your offer, and shove it up your ass. I don't share a table with small fry" the woman huffs, before returning to her drink
"What!"
"You understand me, Buffy, or whatever your name is?"
"You don't know me!" 'Luffy' scowls, slamming his hand into the table "I'll make sure you remember this face forever bitch, I'm Straw Hat Luffy!"
"Great, now you pissed him off, I'll call security" Harlequin mutters tiredly as he shuffles away, just as the door opens and the man pulls his gun, only for the one woman in the four-man group to take it from him and saunter over
"Relax Captain, I'll handle this" she coos, then puts an arm around the woman's shoulders, and the muzzle of the gun under her chin "I'll make this real simple doll, you can either drink with Captain Luffy, or you die. I'm more than happy to go with either scenario, I have a bounty myself after all, I'm the Straw Hat's navigator Nami" 'Nami' finally introduces herself with a wide grin
"Wasn't the Straw Hat navigator…. Actually good looking?" the redhead asks, unconcerned by the gun in her face.
"Seems someone's picked up a little extra snark while they've been away" both women turn to see a man with a long nose had just entered the Bar, before pulling back his slingshot, about to fire on the older woman….
Clang
"There's no need to fight INSIDE the Boar Hat, this ruckus ends now, unless you want to fight me of course" a female voice behind Long Nose purrs, though given she caught everyone's attention by slamming a MASSIVE Warhammer against the ground, he was quick to hide his slingshot and scuttle away
"Took your time Vi, just because it's your last day doesn't mean you can slack off" Ban sighs as he takes another order
The woman rolls her eyes and patrons get a proper look at her. She was dressed the same as the other female staff were, alternate coloured flats, dark stockings/tights on the left leg, a black short skirt with a dark orange belt, and a pink midriff revealing poofy blouse, though in her case the first few buttons were open due to her large bust size, and the hint of a muffin top was noticeable due to the exposed belly. Lastly, she wore a top hat with vertical stripes.
"Yeah yeah, take it up with Meliodas. So guys, enjoying the food? The woman winks, the top hat tilting back a smidge to reveal her eyes
"ALVIDA!" long nose and red head shout
"Yes! Seriously, did you not recognise me? I'm hurt"
"I'm sorry" Ussop immediately apologises
"Yeah it's fine, glad to see you've not changed" Nami chuckles "And yeah it's a nice place, don't know why people complain so much"
"You've not eaten Melioda's cooking" Ban and Alvida respond
"Hey babe, how about you come over here and let the one and only Straw Hat Luffy show you how a King treats a lady"
"Really?" Alvida coos, watching the rotund man swagger over to her, Ussop and Nami knowing shit was about to fly so took several steps back, for good reason as once he was close enough, Alvida caught him with an upward swing of her hammer to the chin, sending him flying backward and landing on, as well as shattering the table his group and been eating off of "You see punk, I'm a married woman, and even when I wasn't, I'm not the kind of person to play with little boys who thinks they're men, so hands off"
"Holy shit, she beat Straw Hat" was murmured within the bar as heels click on the stairs
"Can you go an entire week without property damage dearie?" Merlin asks tiredly "Also mail came for you, and your 2 friends" she adds, setting 3 envelopes down in front of Nami, who passes them around before opening them
"It's an invitation, to some kind of base or compound" Ussop hums
Merlin clicks her tongue "Makes sense, one of your crew was apprenticing with the Demon Eye right? They have a base in Grove 21 I believe, so that's probably where they're telling you to go"
"Thanks. I'll be seeing you, my drink was on their tab" Nami winks and gulps down her glass "Grove 21 anyone?"
"I can't believe you actually got tickets to the Soul King's last performance of his World tour!" Severa squeals, Morgan and Noire chuckling while Century fidgets nervously
"This is it, the chance we've been waiting for" he mutters as the skeleton steps out onto the stage, though his smile turns to a frown not long after Brook begins 'Bone to the Wild' "Damn it"
"What, your old man not as good live as on the Tone… oh crap" Kjelle winces as she senses it
Morgan sighs, then chuckles seeing his cousin and demolition experts' identical reactions "Seems the marines finally realized Brook was a pirate. Guess this really will be his LAST performance, at least for the moment. Maybe he'll play a night wherever the Straw Hats dock" the Warlord smirks, before settling the 2 so they would enjoy the show while it was still going.
"Hopefully they'll at least wait until he's finished his songs, the people paid good money for these seats" Noire hums, bobbing her head to the beat as Brook strums his guitar
"Knowing the marines, it's unlikely, but they can surprise you" Century nods
"Thank you my adoring fans!" Brook cries as he finishes his song "Now, as a special send-off I had one last song prepa…."
"This is the navy, put your hands where we can see them!"
"Oh for fuck sake!" Severa groans as the marines make themselves known, before declaring Brook a pirate, formerly of the Rumbar and currently of the Straw Hats.
"So much for that final number" Century scowls
"Not necessarily. Kjelle, any chance of a distraction for Skelly there? Nothing too big, just a helping hand" Morgan asks, getting a nod and a grin from the turquoise-haired zoan
"It'll take a few hours to grow these back, but I got a decent haul just in case" she smirks as she passes around pinecone-sized shells/scales, all warm to the touch and some lowly humming with energy
"Good enough, once there's an opening, toss them up and let them detonate. Should give the navy something else to fire at" Morgan orders, while they watch the confrontation
"Drop the guitar and come quietly" the marines order
Despite being a skeleton, Brook sighs deeply "My band, lovely chorus, this is my final number, will you be so kind as to help me end this performance in style?" he asks "Also, Mr. Long Arms…. Pray we never meet again, you know what my crew's 2nd will do if he sees you after this betrayal" Brook adds, before strumming his guitar "I freely admit to being a Straw Hat, and while I possess some swordsmanship, my main job is to be the musician, to lift the spirits and bring joy, to my crew much as I have all of you these past 2 years. I'm aware some people have been spreading rumors that Straw Hat is dead, but I know that's a lie, he's alive and well, the whole crew are, and I will soon be reunited with them, and we'll finally continue the voyage that was interrupted the last time we were here. I wrote this song to commemorate that bond, that promise, and here of all places… seems fitting to finally unveil and play it for you. Enjoy the last scheduled performance of the Soul King!
"Music is Power. Music is always on your side. I call this one New World"
Oh Yeah! Take it home now!
Some people may call my friend a weirdo
And it may be true that he started from zero.
But even though he doesn't walk the straight and narrow,
He's got a heart of gold just like a hero.
Oh yeah! Come on baby!
Men like him can't help themselves from dreaming.
He gazes towards tomorrow, eyes are gleaming.
But everyday your dream fights against reality, it seems:
A struggle to be freeeeeeee!
If I were alone, I might surrender.
Weights too heavy for meeeeee.
But when I hear him say "Yeah!", even I can believe.
Today is the day! We'll bury all our sorrow.
Time to raise the sails, they'll tell our tales
Through every tomorrow.
Today is the day! We're aiming towards a new dawn.
All our doubts are gone, let's move along.
Cuz it's time to sail away
For the New world! For the New world! For the New world,
Where our dreams will all come true!
Oh! So long!
"Now"
KABOOM!
Ok, so maybe Bazelgeuse shells were overkill as far as distractions….. But they worked in getting everyone's attention off Brook, long enough for him to sneak away and catch a ride from one of the Flying Fish Riders.
"Was it worth the trip to see him Century?" Forest asked as the group decided to slip away in the chaos, preferably without the marines knowing they were there
"Actually, yes it was. I look forward to seeing where he plays next" Century answers with a laugh
"Well, probably shouldn't have waited until the day before to put my parts back in order, my balance is going to be shit for a couple days but fuck it I'm back!" Sanji declares as he steps off the boat "It's been a real treat and I learned a lot, so while I don't plan to go back there anytime soon, I do still wish all of you the best, especially Iva" he says with a wink then rubs his chin, finding a small goatee despite how he'd spent the last 2 years, but he guessed it was making up for lost time
ZAP
"Hm, what was that?" the cook mutters before what looked like a playing card flutters across his eyeline. Catching it out of the air he gasps "This is an invitation and instructions? Guess I know where I'm staying this evening" he chuckles to himself before waving to the okama's and heading into town, sure they wouldn't be leaving until tomorrow, but it pays to stock up on supplies after all
"So, happy to be back Robin?" Kaya asks as the ship pulls into dock
"At the location, where I was ripped away from my lover, daughter and the rest of my family? No, but I'm happy to finally reunite" Robin answers, causing the blond to fret and bluster, Medusa giggling from her position on her mommy's back "Relax, nothing to worry about, besides I know you're just as eager to reunite with a certain long nose sniper are you not" she winks, watching the syrup girl literally melt into a puddle
"Zo, this is Sabaody, it's a nice place even from this far away, though I've never actually been there myself before now" Pip chuckles, as he adjusts Sera's umbrella, Vivi smiling softly as the islands came into view
"I 'ave, I was stationed here for 6 months back when I was a human. Turns out, you're not supposed to strike up a conversation with the Dark King while at the Fair, who knew?" the blond Draculina shrugs, getting eye rolls and laughs from the group
"How did that happen exactly?" Vivi asks curiously "Plus he's one of the most famous pirates after the Yonko and Roger himself, how did you not recognize him?"
"I never said that! I was off duty and we were both on the Ferris wheel, besides day drinking it's not like he was doing anything noteworthy, so I just, let him be" Seras admits with a shrug "When not fighting marines he's actually just a sweet old man, which was a big shocker"
"Oh, you sweet summer child" Alucard cackles "You're supposed to arrest him for the fact he continues to breathe air, as all pirates must be put to the stake!"
"Alucard, stop teasing the poor girl, it's clear she's not a fanatic like Sakazuki" Integra purrs, drawing all eyes to the fledging vampire.
Snow white hair and lightly tanned skin, a headshot would have you believe there was no difference between when Vivi first met the Helsing crew and last week, but then you look down. The previously slim and maybe even lithe/petit North Blue native now sported a voluptuous O cup bust and a rear best described as 2 ripe watermelons, all framed by her usual well-tailored suits, and to top it off, her piercing blue eyes now sparkled with flecks of red and gold. And of course, due to it being Alucard in particular who turned her, large Crow-like wings erupting from her shoulder blades.
"It's still hard to believe Alucard is Lunarian, though I suppose given how old he is, the rumors about their extinction isn't exactly wrong still" Pip sighs
"Any chance I'll get wings Master?" Seras asks hopefully
"Given that aspect was sealed when I turned you, no not naturally. I could tinker with a variant of the ritual I used to seal mine in the first place, but outside of my intervention, you're just a normal Full Blood vampire, sorry" Alucard admits
"That's fine, just wanted to know my options, I'll get back to you when we get home" Seras shrugs
"We need to find that bitch, show her nobody gets away with standing against me. I'm gonna fuck her up, then shoot her between the eyes" 'Luffy' scowls as his crew scours the island for Alvida, Nami, and Ussop
"Boss, you're not going to find them tonight, best to just start again in the morning" 'Sogeking' suggests, just as the heavyset man is brushed aside by a smaller man with a large rucksack on his back
"Oh, sorry about that" the young man says politely, but briskly before continuing his journey at a casual pace "See yah"
"Get Back Here!" 'Luffy' bellows, causing the hooded man to stop, and look back in confusion
'Great, I'm supposed to be incognito, else I'd just give this guy a well-deserved kick to the face. Maybe he'll go away if I don't say anything' Luffy thinks with a mental grimace, knowing he's never been THAT lucky with goons and thugs, they usually see silence as an excuse to beat you up
"Hey dumdum" 'Luffy' taunts as he swaggers over, leaning against the backpack "Did you bump into me on purpose?" he asks, malice oozing from his pores, before shoving the barrel of his gun into Luffy's cheek "So talk punk, there's no way you didn't know who I was when you crashed into me like that, so obviously it was on purpose. Think you're a big man, who can handle a pirate with over 400 million beris on his head eh? Well you're fresh out of luck there, because I have a reputation to uphold. So get on your knees, and beg me not to kill you" he orders, his crew laughing as he does
Luffy stares, before shrugging "Look, I'm sorry for hitting you with my bag, now if you don't mind, I have places to be, people to see and a long-awaited reunion to attend" he says, before once more, this time intentionally shoving past the big dumbass in his way
'The fuck is wrong with this kid?' Was the collective thoughts of those watching, including 'Luffy's' crewmates, given he seems to not care one bit about pissing off Straw Hat Luffy of all people
"Wrong move punk" 'Luffy' sneers as he once more gets in front, but this time fires his gun
Bang
Observation to dodge, followed by a low pulse of Conquerors to disable, and neither the gun, nor the thugs were a threat to him anymore.
'I should probably head to that compound place now, it's getting rather late' Luffy thinks, before pulling out the map from one of the lower pockets of his backpack to figure out where the hell Grove 21 was.
'Come on Stocking, you can do this, it's a simple job, Demaro wouldn't have offered if you couldn't handle it' a short, blue/purple-haired woman thinks as she frets and nurses her drink in front of her, today was just getting worse as it went on, especially with the Straw Hat recruitments going on, which she really should be at right now
Her thoughts were interrupted by the woman sitting down across from her, large green eyes seeming to peer into the young woman's soul, though despite the shock Stocking noticed the cane sword as well as the shakes in the newcomer's left hand
"You look like you need the company dearie, especially if you're already drinking this early in the afternoon" the woman purrs, flashing pointed teeth which has Stocking suppress a shiver "So, who am I drinking with sweetie?"
Seeing her moment, Stocking clears her throat "Are you sure you want to stay there, you are sitting with the legendary pirate Serpens Kaos after all" she states confidently without sounding too boastful, twirling the khopesh in her right hand elegantly "420 million isn't something to sneeze at, even this far into the Grand Line"
"Well, given you've seduced Empress and Devils, it's a good thing you're not my type" the woman chuckles to Stocking's surprise "Also, I can see something's off with you, especially given the Hebi no Oni no mi is a Legendary weapon, and therefore VERY recognizable, just give me a moment" catching Stocking's hand in her own the younger girl feels heat just before…..
"Gloam Paddling" was chanted and with a flurry the edges of her blade warmed and the outer edges were reformed into the wave/circular saw pattern she'd seen in all the databooks
"Thank you…. Wait a minute" Stocking freezes as the plays back what was said in her head. This woman knew the weapon was fake, and probably knew she was too, but she still played along and even tried to improve her disguise. But why? And equally important "Who are you?"
"Saria. Edward D. Saria. You amuse me kiddo, and they say mimicry is the most sincere form of flattery" she winks and drains her glass "You might just make it big in this game, if you manage to survive the week. Have fun" Saria laughs as she stands, grip tightening on the snake head of her cane, before the entire thing bubbles and melts before reforming into a familiar blade which is quickly slipped into her cloak
Stocking stares into space as the woman leaves, returning to her senses when the door slams and she notices the small stack of beri on the table beside her own drink. Given she's about 87% sure she just had an encounter with the Real Mirror Demon, and lived, she was probably going to need another drink.
"Vivi Vivi Vivi Vivi!"
Despite the loud screaming Vivi was still blindsided by a flying tackle from a woman with middle eastern skin tone, dirty blond hair hidden under a blue/white Chullo, sandy yellow with black-tipped wings, and a frantic look in her eyes. Now on the one hand if Vivi had landed on her butt she'd have been fine, but she didn't, instead practically bouncing her head off the cobblestones
"Shit, sorry Miss Vivi, but…. I missed you so much" the woman whimpers, fretting and hovering as she helps the bluenette back to her feet, then pulls her into a hug, her ample bosom pressing against Vivi's cheek
"Um, hi. Do I know you?" Vivi asks nervously, hoping the woman wasn't insane, though something about her did seem familiar
"You don't recognize…. Oh yeah, I ate the fruit while you were gone" the woman facepalms "Maybe this will sort things out" she hums before transforming from her zoan to her base form, of a spot-billed duck "Qua?"
"Carue! Vivi screams, hugging her oldest friend tightly "Oh I can't believe it's really you! Also, damn you're so adorable" she coos, the duck blushing before reverting to her other form
"Thank you Miss Vivi…" she begins
"Carue, please, it's just Vivi"
"Right, Vivi. As you can see, I found myself a Devil fruit, the Hito Hito no mi: Model Shandorian actually, though I managed to keep the color in my wings as the white really wouldn't have suited me" Carue shrugs, Vivi agreeing as the wings did look like her duck wings just moved to her back and enlarged to fit a human-sized woman "So, what I miss, besides your hips being wider than a camel's?"
Vivi chuckles as her cheeks heat up "Yeah, that's new too, how about you walk with me and we catch up on all the stuff that's happened these 2 years? Did you do any training while I was gone?"
"Reyleigh, he made sure myself, Nellie, and even Lassoo train while you were gone, and as Chopper would probably agree, it did get easier once I ate my fruit and gained a more human-level understanding and intellect" the angel-duck answers as she leads her princess through the streets of Grove 14.
One of the benefits of his Observation initially manifesting as a Devil Fruit radar, was that Kaos could, now he'd actually been trained, pick out Devil fruit users with barely a glance, and in the case of ones he knew…. Locate them anywhere on a small island. Meaning he knew the moment Alvida, Valentina, Victor, Luffy, Brook, Kaya, Perona, and most importantly Robin arrived on Sabaody though resisted the urge to blitz over to his first love the moment she entered the range of his haki, letting her have her day and only after Azulong crossed paths and in turn passed on her invitation did he start to seek her out.
The 2 years apart had done wonders for her figure as well as her entire demeanor, there was a lightness to Robin now, ironic given her curves probably could have added that weight back on at least twice over. She still retained her instincts though, given she was already turning as Kaos approached her, those blue eyes widened with joy as she recognizes the younger pirate
"Robin" the purple-haired man calls out
"Kaos" she gasps, partially due to the tail now loosely wrapped around her waist just above her widening hips, but smiles as her blooms grab at his waistcoat and pulls his head to her level "I've missed you so much, and there are things I need to tell you…"
"We'll have plenty of time, right now, I just need to hold you close" the purplette hisses, their lips meet for a moment before
'Yaaaah!'
A loud yawn is heard over Robin's shoulder and they part, Kaos looking at large green eyes peering over Robin's shoulder, a puff of white hair covering the child's head while Robin's blooms kept her secure to the archeologist's back
"Yeah, there was one thing I needed to tell you as soon as possible. Kaos, this, is our daughter, Nico D. Medusa" Robin explains, a little nervous as while they had been essentially co-parenting Artemis, the conversation about having kids of their own hadn't been had yet before Kuma….. Happened.
"Our…" Kaos stares, eyes misting up before the tail wraps around and pulls the wriggling child into his arms "Oh, you're just so adorable, just like your mommy. §I hope you were the best baby ever for Robin, were you§?"
"§Yes Papa§" The returning hiss had Kaos pause, blink owlishly, then grin wider and cackle, before blowing raspberries into Medusa's belly, the white-haired toddler giggling alongside him
"I'm happy to see her imprinting so quickly, she was so unsure about most people, besides Kaya there are maybe 5 others she wasn't fretting about whenever they got close to her" Robin coos, some guilt at the fact that, while 100% out of her control, Kaos and Medusa had missed nearly 2 years of interaction and growth alongside one another, though it seemed, they fit together perfectly, which also eased any worries that their daughter would view her father as 'this strange man' who was trying to cuddle her, instead she guesses that Medusa had already claimed him as 'Papa' as Artemis called him, or maybe 'Pops' given that was what most people seemed to call Kaos' own father.
Grove 21 - Later on
"Wow! Awesome!" Luffy cheers as he approaches the Demon Eye Sabaody Base/Compound, a smirking Hancock in the doorway
"Took your sweet time Luffy, everyone else is already here, one even brought along a guest, and I don't mean your new niece" the snake princess teases, chuckling at Luffy's confused expression
"New niece, but you weren't pregnant" he mutters, to which Hancock blushes deeply while Sonia cackles behind her
"Nah, it's not Big Sis, it's Miss Robin. Also what she meant was the pinkie clinging to your swordsman's arm. Perdu or something" the taller Kuja hums
"Perona" Hancock corrects "We saw her when we were attacking World" she adds, attempting to remind the rubber boy
"Oh, her! Man that must have been weird when she met everyone again shishishi" Luffy laughs
"Indeed" Hancock deadpans, as that encounter could have been very…. Messy
Flashback
"Perona!" Ussop and Nami scream as both ready their weapons
"Save me sweetie!" Perona squeaks as she dives behind a calm Zoro, the statement itself causing most of the currently assembled crew to pause or even faceplant
"Sweetie? Really Zoro?" Alvida chuckles, getting an unimpressed shrug from the swordsman
"Hey! Like you don't have cutesy names for your partners!" Perona huffs from behind Zoro "Also, why aren't you doing anything to defend me?" she asks with a pout
Zoro's right eyebrow rises slightly "Because both of the people who actually want to fight you, are ranged fighters, so it's actually better to stand between them and you, than rush in and kick their asses during which they could get in a lucky shot at you Spectra" he explains, getting a light blush and a nod from the Hollow girl
"Well, that was a surprise" Nami mutters as she puts away her climatact "And I feel we're missing a lot of context"
"I know 2 years can change a person, just look at us, but this seems like a leap" Ussop adds, but releases Kabuto, really not in the mood to even attempt to fight Zoro, he liked living and spending time with Kaya too much
"If you want answers, just interrogate her when everyone else gets here, she's staying for dinner afterall" Sanji huffs as he gives the ghost princess a look that tells her not to argue, and given even Zoro admits Sanji's skills were unmatched, she had no problem with free food and more time with her sweetie
End Flashback
"Trust Sanji to rather feed than fight a former enemy female" Luffy chuckles
"Luffy" a voice cries directly behind him, causing the rubber boy to turn on his heels
"Vivi!" Luffy shouts as the princess leaps into his arms, hands clamping on her plump cheeks for stability, and a little affectionate groping. After removing his face from Vivi's hair he saw the girl wasn't alone, and the newcomer had a very familiar hat on "Fishbait?"
SLAM
"Never again you bastard!" Carue screams after punching Luffy in the face
"Fine, fine. Also ow, when did you learn haki, or get a human form?"
"While you were gone to both of those. Rayleigh and Shakky were thorough, and honestly, it was at least easier to learn armament AFTER I ate the Hito Hito no mi" the duck-angel answers, getting a nod of understanding from Luffy, whether he understood or not
"Yeah, Rayleigh can be intense, and I think I heard Shakky was Kuja so of course she's a badass, so that all tracks" Luffy hums, hugging Vivi tighter "Well, welcome back Carue, Vivi, and in we go! It's too late to sail so we're staying over thanks to Kaos and the people he trained with" Luffy explains as he carries Vivi over thr threshold, mostly for fun, while Carue rolls her eye but follows, a part of her surprised to find out a room had been laid out for her already.
A little later
Vivi hums as she gets herself ready for the 1st Sanji-prepared meal in 2 years, a little amused that even though they were married herself and Alvida got separate/individual rooms to Luffy, mostly just somewhere to keep their things for the night as both knew they would be making up for lost time and cuddling up to their husband tonight.
The was one surprise though, sitting on her desk, quite literally laid out for her on a silver platter was a Heart Flower, the soft pink flesh calling to her after so many years, as the plant back in Alubarna hadn't borne fruit since Crocodile's artificial drought. She chuckles as she picks up the accurately heart-shaped fruit, presuming Luffy or Alvida got it for her as they were the ones most likely in her eyes to actually give her food as a 'welcome back' present.
Crunch
About 30 seconds after her teeth close around the edge of the fruit all color drained from Vivi's face and her gag reflexes kicked in, trying to cough up the fruit piece that she'd managed to swallow to her own self-loathing.
As a native to a desert island, Vivi was well aware of the taste of sand, especially due to several childhood brawls that lead to her actually eating it or at least getting a mouth full of the gritty substance.
"Zesesese" gurgles somewhere behind Vivi, her eyes snap open to see the mirror on the wall rippling. At that moment everything clicked and as she spat out more pulp anger rose in her core. Knowing the ripples meant the surface was unstable, but also the sign of an inactive Gate, Vivi lunged forward, not even noticing her body fall apart as she dove into the mirror, following the mad cackling with single-minded determination.
Elsewhere in the compound most of the crew and guests were making their way to the dining area, eager to either taste, or return to the norm of eating Sanji's cooking, as well as curious as to how much his skills had improved while on Kamabaka. The quiet was interrupted as Kaos bounced out of the mirror hanging over the doorway with a wide grin "Hey everyone, I miss anything important?"
"Not yet, Sanji's still cooking" Kaya replies, cuddling Ussop while she waits
"Good, so we're not late" the researched notes, before taking a step back, just as a deluge of sand explodes out of the mirror, the semi-solid mass in the centre slamming into him and causing both to shatter like glass.
If this were anyone but Vivi, she'd have been at the table and noticed the sand reformed similar to what she'd seen Alucard do a couple times while working with Helsing, except with sand instead of ominous shadow matter, forming a human shape, then adding details such as clothing and final color, or lack of color in the case of her prosthetic.
"Bastard!" she pants, then freezes when a flare of rage-augmented Conquerors floods the room, turning her head she locked eyes with a murderous Boa Hancock, only liberal use of Robin's blooms, the woman in question looking confused but not angry meaning she probably knew something the Empress didn't, stopped the snake princess from leaping over the table and kicking the sand princess' head off
"The fuck was that!" Nami decided to break the silence with an appropriate reaction "When did you gain those powers?"
"That wasn't magnet release, that was Devil fruit bullshit at it's finest" Val mutters
"And why were you attacking Pops?" Artemis asks, looking annoyed, while what just happened finally registered with Vivi, just in time for her to be forcefully faceplanted due to a hand on the back of her head slamming her into the floor
"Yeah, that's going to need some work, but you gave it a good shot" Kaos grins widely as he watches the bluenette reform "Like my gift princess?" he asks with a grin, the wood spear perfectly threading the hole in his chest "Shame, not like I can take it back Zesesese" he laughs as her leg reforms before she gets pulled over to Luffy and Alvida, the 2 very curious and concerned about the new leg, and if Alvida happens to squeeze Vivi's ass a fair amount, no harm no foul, at least in the reflect eater's eyes.
"That, was Crocodile's Sand fruit. How did you get it, and why does Vivi have it?" Zoro asks while Perona once more keeps him between herself and a Straw Hat, this time Kaos
"In reverse order, I gave it to her as a welcome back gift and a power-up, as for the former, we crossed paths, and I killed them" Kaos answers before elaborating
Flashback
"Well, Bluebeard is dead, that was actually easier than I expected" Kaos hums as he speaks into the Den Den Mushi connected to the ship
"He wasn't much of an actual threat, but the civies here have been good to us, especially given there are no marines in this area…. Which is how a weakling like Bluejay was able to terrorize an island despite being such a clutz" Helio relays "Besides, we honestly sent you out there because you seemed bored than because this was something on your level so to speak, and because if you summoned another demon even Cipher was going to kill you" the dragon zoan deadpans
"Ruin my fun why don't you" Kaos huffs as he lets the snail sleep, before as he passes the local bar, 2 familiar fruit signatures clock on his senses, and given the door just opened, he definitely pinged there's 'Fuck'
"Mirror Demon" Daz grunts, before Crocodile himself steps out from behind him, as expected a cigar in his mouth a hint of a smirk
"Don't worry yourself, I'll handle this one personally" he states, waving his hook casually to get the man to stand down
"I don't suppose you want to NOT kill each other?" Kaos asks
"No can do kid, you're not getting in my way again. Being Whitebeards' son is just icing, and ensures I'm in the right mindset to make this hurt" Crocodile answers, eyes nearly glowing with malice as he lunges with the hook, causing Kaos to backpedal and then uncoil Hebi to block the next strike
"Fair enough, who knows what you're doing here, probably something shady. Plus, I'm not exactly some kind of no-kill type pirate, if such a thing exists. This is going to hopefully hurt you more than me though" he bites his lip as he smirks, then charges a bubble around his left fist, black and purple flickers like lighting across the shell, before he slams his fist directly into the former Warlord's jaw, shooting him backward and down the street "This might be fun, shame about…. anyone in the way" he hums
Crocodile collapses into sand as he hits the ground, before erupting in a plume and shooting himself back at the lanky bastard, eager to wrap his hand around his throat and dry him out like a raisin, but Kaos dodges, not just that but he practically melts and weaves out of the way of the hand, hook and sandy blades, noticing Mr Supa wasn't joining in….. Just before a Dragon roar drew both of their attention, Bonz getting smacked across the island by a Val Hazak tail, meaning Helios was clearly in a bad mood.
"Desert Spada!" Crocodile shouts as he slashes forward, forming a sandblade which smashed against the reflect armoured man as he rushes at the sandman, who smirked as he believed his time was arriving, only to buckle as a whip-like tail cracks and as the black coating would lead you to beleive, made direct impact with his 'bannanagator' "You little shit! I'm gonna ensure your own father can't recognise you by the time I'm done with you!" he bellows flailing his hook and multitude of sand blades, but the metallic purple eyes remained locked on a target, one that needed him to be in melee range in order to hit
Crunch
Bwaaa
Nimue chokes, the hook should have killed the little punk, but it seems like his head warped around her weapon, while she could feel his long fingers clench around her heart, before it's torn from her chest. If that was all, things would be pretty cut and dry…. But it wasn't.
Muttering or potentially chanting reached her ears, just barely, as the sand that once comprised most of her body began to flow into the heart, draining the fluid's from her form until all that was left was an emaciated husk, and a heartfruit with veiny swirls and a jet black stem.
Flashback ends
"WHAT THE FUCK KAOS!" Nami screams at full volume, though the reflect human seemed unaffected
"Anything in particular, as what the fuck is fairly vague?" he asks as he finds himself a seat
"You killed Crocodile, and then somehow managed to put his Devil fruit into his heart. How do you even come up with that shit?" Ussop groans, faceplanting the table
"The latter, it was due to some of the older and more obscure rituals in Grima's books, the enchantment causes the elemental energy to flow and collect into a vessel, in this case Croc's heart, and bypass most of the reincarnation process to forge a new Devil Fruit right there and then. It only works with logias, at least according to the tome itself, but it was my first attempt with the spell. As for the former, self defence he wasn't going to stop trying to kill me, so I decided to deal with him and take him out. A task made easier due to being an Awakened Special Paramecia now" Kaos explains with a casual grin as he sits down, just before Sanji comes in with everyone's food, and the tension eases…. For a little while as the Straw hats were never known for being peaceful
"YOU DID WHAT!" Robin yells, this time the one who needed to be restrained as she tries to melt Ussop's brain with her mind "You gave my daughter a gun?" she growls, trying to free herself from Kaos's reflect blooms, while Artemis hides her face in the table, her thoughts being a very simple 'Mom! You're embarrassing me!'
"I designed and then had Franky build her a paintball rifle, with adjustibile chambers so she could hold several colors and therefore effects without having to completely empty and reload the thing" Ussop tries to defend himself, shivering under the maternal fury leaking from Robin like a faucet.
Her face unpinches, as she turns her eyes to the cyborg "Is this true?"
"Of course it is. Little Lady may be strong, she's yours and Special K's kid, but she was lacking in ranged combat, so me and Ussop decided to give her an option, while also retaining her theme or art, therefore paintballs" Franky explains
"I could show you, if you want Mom" Artemis offers, her hopeful stare ensuring Robin would at least give her one shot "Great. Hey, Franky, how you feeling?"
"I'm feeling Su…"
Pap
"...I'm a disgrace to Tom, I'm not a human I'm a refrigerator" the bluenette cries as he kneels and weeps
"Ok, that was stronger than I expected" Artemis hums "I suppose I've not really used my Color magic since I trained with Miss Tharja" she mutters "Oh well, time to have another test. Ussop!"
"I'd suggest you don't" Perona of all people argue "No offence, but given your paint did a remarkable imitation of my Hollows… it probably wouldn't do anything to Mr Negative over there" she says with a pout
"That's fair, luckily Ussop made it multi-layered"
Click!
Pap!
"Shihahahahahaha I can't hahahahaha bre-hahahah-bre-hahahaha!" Ussop cackles, flailing erratically, until with another click, he gets a white pellet to the forehead "Oh, damn that was intence"
"Blue Yellow and White, all tested successful" Artemis grins, then turns to Robin "What do you think?"
Robin sighs, then pulls her eldest child into a hug "Whatever keeps you safe, will make me happy sweetie" she coos, Medusa nodding from their father's lap "i'm sorry I snapped like that, I clearly over-reacted"
"No problem Mom, we all do that, Fusesese" Artemis giggles as she leans further into the embrace, she'd missed this, so much.
Evening [Lemon warning]
Bopbopbopbopbopbop
"Oh, I missed this" Robin moans as her hands run across her lovers broad chest, her thick cheeks, and swaying bust clapping as she rides "You make me complete, just don't put another baby in me, just yet" she teases, leaning down to kiss as he rises to meet her
"I'm sure you'll be fine, though I also missed feeling you on top of me" he smirks against her lips, forked tongue flicking out for a moment as they separate
Robin chuckles and rolls her eyes "I'm sure your bed hasn't been too cold without me"
"Well I'm a snake, so it was always going to be cooler alone" Kaos smirks with a full toothy grin, before his long fingers cup and squeeze Robin's abundant bust "Motherhood suits you, it's just made you more delicious"
"And you've gotten bigger, in every sense of the word" Robin grunts as she bounces "The time apart has made this all the more, intense"
Their rather sweet moment is interrupted by the door being slammed open
"Really, couldn't wait for me before hopping on my beloved like the needy bitch you are" Hancock huffs as she swaggers in, kicking the door shut behind her
"Mother of his children privileges" Robin says with a smirk as she stops and sits, peering at the snake princess over her shoulder "Plus, I was here first, long before you were ensnared by his charms"
Hancock rolls her eyes as she slowly drops to her knees "Bla Bla bla, you're lucky I'm bi-poly and already knew I was going to need to share. Now, come to mommy" she coos, before noisily running her lips and tongue all over Kaos' testicles
"Considering it feels like your head is as far into my ass as it is on Kaos' balls, I totally believe the bisexual part of that statement" Robin hums as she leans back ever so slightly "Yeah that's that high forehead of yours, and, oh…. Did you stop, because that felt like your nose?" she asks, feeling something press against her asshole
"That's big sis for you, always the explorer" Sonia giggles, surprising at least one of them, then the other female as she kneels and plops her breasts on the back of Hancock's head, pinning and smothering the princess between her sister's tits, Robin's ass and the pulsating bollocks she was currently spit-shining "I think she's in heaven right now"
"If she can't come up for air, she might just be" Robin notes as she feels the older woman wriggle against her cheeks, though the other Boa didn't seem to be so concerned
"I doubt that, she can't take in the prize if she falls at a hurdle this shallow. Come on sis, you wanna swallow a python you need better breath control Shashasha!" she giggles "So, while Bigsis has some fun down below, how about you let me have a taste of your sweet lips?" the other serpent zoan purrs, grinning widely with fangs exposed.
2nd Gear
TwackTwackTwackTwackTwackTwack
"Luffy, maybe, oh, slow down a little, I'm not sure if Vivi's forehead is going to crack before my pelvis at this rate" Alvida pants as the bluenette currently had a steaming pink Luffy's cock in her pussy, while her head was nestled securely between her wife's thighs, her nails digging into the flesh as she makes her own opinions known
"I'm more likely to bruise my forehead, but it's definitely you're pelvis that breaks first" Vivi coos, her face dripping with the smooth woman's juices, before turning to peer over her shoulder at their grinning husband "Luffy, it's been 2 years I've missed this, so claim that divinely expanded arse like the Pirate King you're meant to be! Make me scream and flail as I fill with your cum!" she orders, even nude and dripping a little royal splendor remained in her expression
"Shishishi, sure thing Vivi, but don't say I didn't warn you" Luffy grins, pulling out and grabbing, then spreading his wife's plump ass cheeks, sliding between those firm buns, before biting down on his thumb
3rd Gear, Boner Balloon
Grk swlurp gurglll
"Should we do something to help her?" Robin asks, looking concerned as Hancock chokes down a decent amount of their shared lover's cock, the sole male in the room unhelpful here due to not speaking english at the moment, instead just a lot of hissing and tail flicks
"I'll help" Sonia grins before leaning over…. And pushing down on the back of her sister's head, hilting Kaos in Hancock's throat, which mostly increased the gagging noises as her eyes rolled back in her head, as Kaos's tail wiped the tears from her cheeks and caressed the crown of her head "Sucess! See big sis, I told you that you could deepthroat him in human form, zoan form will probably break your jaw though, so I'll handle that one k?" she winks, the slaps on Kaos thigh until it found Sonia's and dug her nails into the pliant flesh, ensured she knew Hancock didn't enjoy the joke
"§Behave Sonia§" Kaos hisses as he sits up, getting as close as she could to a smile from Hancock before audible slurping once more filled the room "Just perfect" he grins, then with Robin against him, runs his forked tongue along her clavicle and down to her large, milky bosom and too begins to suck
Robin gives a half smile as she runs her fingers through his hair, then yelps as a tail caresses her ass, and given Kaos' was ruffling Hancock's hair and ensuring she hadn't choked out, she looked down to see a very green appendage, poking at her butt, before sliding lower and rubbing her still dripping pussy
"Robin dear, ever been cleaned out by a snake?" Sonia coos, now in her hybrid form, sliding around the bed to the other side as she nuzzles against Robi's thighs "Allow me to be your first in that regard, and ensure you come back for more" she winks before diving into Robin's pussy, kissing her lower lips before a tongue with a comparable girth to most men's dicks forced it's way inside her, and began slurping up her and Kaos's shared juices
"I already regret everything" Saria squeaks, seeing the hungry look in Robin's eyes
"How come only Robin gets to have a cock?" Hancock pouts, despite looking like a sex icon, tapping her fingers together like a shy child, making herself look oddly adorable
"Probably because if the transformation is based on your default body, you'd probably poke your eye out" Sonia giggles and nuzzles Hancock's shoulder
"But it's not, given Saria's rather…. Petit. She should be at least a contender for myself if that was how this works" Hancock argues, crossing her arms under her K cups
"Calm down, she probably doesn't want her first time to involve being spit-roasted" Robin coos as she caresses her young lover's delicate features, blooms assisting in getting a feel of every part of Saria, before pushing her onto her back and kissing the purple-haired girl "I'm going to enjoy this, and I hope you do too" she purrs before thrusting in, nipping at Saria's ear as the girl wriggles
"R-r-r-r-robin, that's my ass" she cries, trying and failing to escape the bloom cage Robin was producing
"I know, it was so cute and delicious I needed to give it a test run" Robin teases, pulling Saria in for a kiss while pinching her nipple "So very tight, but you fit me like a glove" she moans as she pulls back and begins to pump into the young Kuja
"Don't leave us out of it!" Hancock shouts, pushing forward and kissing Saria, who responds by running her fingers through the Empress' hair and holding her close, meanwhile, Sonia nuzzles between all 3 and has her way with 3 sets of perky boobies to sample
[Lemons, over!]
The next morning
"You know, we should probably all split up and head for Sunny, otherwise, we might get noticed by either the marines of all these other pirates" Luffy suggests, surprising, most of the crew
"Fair point, everyone's on edge with the fakes running around, as well as the fact they're actively recruiting pirates for their own crew" Kaos nods, then raises an eyebrow when Luffy puts on a fake mustache "Explain"
"Hancock said it would disguise my face, long enough to get to the ship without causing a scene" Luffy grins behind his mustache
"Doubtful, but if it works I can't complain" Vivi shrugs "Alright everyone, let's get to the Sunny and head to Fishman Island!"
"A journey 2 years in the making baby!" Franky cheers and poses
"We should probably do one last supply run just to be sure we've got everything, as it's not like we can stop on the way to Fishman Island or whatnot" Sanji suggests as everyone looks ready to depart
Later on
"There he is, quick grab him!" Luffy stops as he hears yelling, then sees a scruffy blond man and a chunky green-haired man flank him and grab his arms.
'These must be some of the fakers Alvida mentioned yesterday' Luffy thinks "Hey guys…. Um, why are you lifting me? I can walk just fine"
"The boss is looking for you, so we're taking you there quick smart" 'Sanji' explains
"This way, I know a shortcut!" 'Zoro' shouts and the 2 men speed up
'Wow, they REALLY aren't our crew, as they actually listened to Not-Zoro's directions. 100000 beri he's the ship navigator' Luffy notes "So, Zoro, Sanji, how you guys been, it's been a rough 2 years based on the look of things" he says trying to at least strike up a conversation
"Shit, he knows them" 'Sanji' whispers
"But we don't know him" 'Zoro' argues
"It's nice to see you guys actually working together, did you both get blasted to the same island or something?" Luffy asks, and when neither answers he pouts, as this was going to be a very boring trip
Grove 42
"I'm telling you, the Straw Hats are alive" 'Kaos' hisses, hands twitching as she twirls her fake Hebi nervously
"That's Bullshit" 'Luffy' grunts "There's no way those guys survived what they went through in the war, you're just being paranoid"
"Captain!"
"What?" 'Luffy' bellows "I'm in the middle of something, jeez!"
"We found him Boss, the backpack guy from yesterday, just like you asked" 'Sanji' explains "He's a friend of the crew if you know what I'm sayin. Say hi buddy" he adds on, lightly nudging the mustachioed teen who shrugs and waves with a small "Howdie", before being dragged onto what passes for a stage in this place
"Well ain't this my lucky day, Zoro and Sanji found one of the bastards who disrespected me. Look at the little twerp" 'Luffy' announces to his new minions, ignoring the fidgeting 'Kaos', and in turn missing the weird looks she and the teen were giving each other, like gears were turning in both of their heads "Now, I'm gonna beat a lesson into him with my own two hands, because when you mess with me, things get messy. And let this punk be an example to all who think they can insult and disrespect me. Never forget who's the boss around here, you got me?"
'What a dumbass. Also, why is Kaos just standing around, I thought he'd have more to do than follow me here?' Luffy wonders just before the assembled pirates are surrounded by the marines sent to deal with the returning 'Straw Hats'
"Get on the ground, Straw Hat Luffy, you and your crew are all under arrest!" the head of the contingent bellows, rifles pointed up at the 'Straw Hats' "And don't even think of running, we've locked down Grove 46, and the Pacifistas are on their way!"
"The navy's here, already" 'Zoro' shudders
"The Pacifistas!" 'Sogeking' gasps
"I don't wanna die here" 'Nami' whimpers
"Shut up, why else do you think we recruited all these pirates?" 'Luffy' whispers, before shouting "Men, take out the marines, we're getting off this island and straight for the New World!"
"Well, they're clearly not surrendering, so death it is. Give them hell!" the marine orders, as both sides charge the other.
"So, these guys are actually competent, I'm kind of surprised. And only 1 Devil fruit among them all…. Shame it's a logia" a voice dripping with condescension purrs
"Hey Ka… did you change your outfit since we left the compound?" Luffy asks in confusion, as Kaos was sitting on the same platform as the Fake Straw Hats, dressed in a 3 piece suit and his usual cloak, hair long and almost matted as it reached his mid back and covers his right eye, the visible one showing a deep purple iris and slitted pupil. Even Hebi was different to how she normally manifested, currently taking the form of a rather ornate and elaborate halberd.
"It's of no concern to you. This fight is not worth our time, nor are any of these weaklings" Kaos states, though his lip curled in possible amusement when he notices how afraid Stocking looked in his prescience "Actually…. That, might be worth my time, I'll be back later" he clicks his tongue before vanishing in a Sonido
"K, see you later then" Luffy shrugs and goes back to watching the marines slowly win the battle below him 'This is weird'
"See, I fucking told you Demaro, they're still kicking, they're on the island, and we're fucking dead!" the purple-haired woman shrieks
'Luffy' grits his teeth "It doesn't matter, we've got all these men, surely they can take out one pompous prick in a suit. We still got this…."
KABOOM
The Pacifista's have arrived, well shit!
"Took them long enough, it's about time we got to deal with Straw Hat, permanently" Sentomaru sneers as he enters the clearing, hefting his signature axe, though now sporting a marine jacket showing he was now a Captain Rank marine as well as the head of the marine's Science Division "PX5, deploy!"
"We, are pissed off" Kaos hisses lowly before making his move
Sentomaru's eyes widen as despite the strength of the Pacifista's body, it's head was ripped clean off with a spin kick 'No, he removed PX5's head as it rose from it's landing, he'd already started the attack before it even hit the ground' he thinks fearfully "What, are you?" He managed to spit out, drawing Kaos's attention, as they vanish in a buzz of Sonido then slam their palm into Sentomaru's gut, throwing the stocky axe weilder into the nearest building
"Taking my turn. You tired of watching Cap'n?" he calls up to the rooftop, Hebi spinning on her right arm
"Yeah, kind of boring up here, especially after all those guys ran off" Luffy shrugs "On the other hand… not really in the mood to fight these guys, I just wanna get on with the journey and see the Sunny" he sighs "Eh, the sooner we deal with the Robots the sooner we can leave right?"
"Essentially, yes" Kaos grins
"Give me 10 seconds" Luffy hums as he sets down his backpack "Gear 2nd" the now steaming pink rubber boy leaps into the air and slams the other Pacifista into the ground with a Jet Pistol to the face, leaving a crater which only got larger when the cyborg exploded. "And now….. We run?"
"We run. Good luck trying to catch us, Zesesese!" the dual fruit eater cackles as both brothers head for the nearest exit to the grove "Closest grove to the Sunny's 42, let's try get there before the marines lock that one down too"
"No promises, but we'll just beat up anyone who gets between us and the crew, shishishi" Luffy giggles, Gear 2nd managing to keep up with Kaos' own high-speed techniques,
Grove 42
"See, look what you did by running off, we're the last ones here" Kaos sighs as he drops onto the deck of the Sunny, Luffy right on his heels
"Come on I didn't wander off I got kidnapped by Not-Zoro and Not-Sanji. You should know, you were watching the whole time" Luffy huffs, before both grin as that take in the sight of the ship, now coated and ready to set off
"Of course that commotion was you idiots, I'm not even surprised that it doesn't surprise me anymore" Nami sighs, reading through the instructions Rayleigh left her on the coating.
"Not like we could have left without you boys, but you probably are cutting it a little close" Robin giggles, Medusa nodding along from her lap and grinning
"Well, we showed up anyway…. Um, what's she doing?" Kaos asks, pointing to Artemis and the buckets of white paint by her side, but more so the large circle she was drawing on the grassy deck
"Something that requires absolute focus, unless any of you understand arcane ritual circles at a master level" Artemis mutters, as she adds 2 more concentric circles to her design after consulting her notebook, the statement getting a lot of headshakes from the crew
"All I know about that stuff is what's on my back" Alvida admits
"This, looks out of my wheelhouse, though whether it's style, format, skill level, or a mix of all 3, is kind of up in the air" Valentina hums as she peers over the artist's shoulder to see the design
"You won't recognise the pattern it's one of my own design, after 6 months of theory crafting and trial and error. If you really wish to help, have everyone place 7 drops of blood in the direct centre of the designs" Artemis says flatly as she snaps the notebook shut before the ninja could comment, then returns to the circle, now adding the runes and glyphs, a low hum beginning to be heard as she does a portion of each ring
"You heard the girl, and I got knives for days. So form a line and let me cut you!" the blond cackles then winks and pulls out a kunai from the small of her back "Who's first?"
"I might as well, given whatever happens should be interesting" Kaos chuckles and steps forward, cutting across his palm with Hebi and letting the drops splash against the central symbol
Artemis smiles softly "Thanks Pops, I was hoping it would be you, otherwise I'd have needed to go first in order to jumpstart the harmonic resonance with the dragon bone coral in the paint"
"Dragon what now?" Ussop asks in confusion
"Not important, just know it's an alchemical ingredient used in a lot of maritime and underwater ritual arts, the Gishki apparently are quite fond of the stuff" Artemis half explains as she finishes the circle, stepping back to allow everyone to contribute, then finally cutting her fingertips on the blade of her brush and sealing the sigil, which as now glowing brightly.
"Awesome! A Nightlight!" Luffy cheers, Chopper getting starry-eyed
"You idiots" Nami groans "Fuck it, what does this glowing, art exhibit do exactly?"
"Once the essences resonate and harmonize, with each other and the ship….. You'll see" Artemis says with a toothy smile, at which point the humming gets louder and ripples of magical energy and haki begin to pulse from the deck, almost like a heartbeat, the warning signs hit when 3 people recognize one particular energy signature: Kaos when Grima went all out, Alvida when Merlin uses Aldan, and Vivi…. When she was in the prescience of Goda.
'Divine Level Haki' they think with a grimace, and then the magic reaches a crescendo…. When it flashbangs the entire crew
"Was that supposed to happen?" Victor asks as the Straw Hats recover
"Potentially…. And there she is" Artemis answers, the grins as she looks to the centre of the circle to see a figure standing in it.
The figure was obviously female, having a large bust ad wide hips, both of which were covered by a basically painted-on, golden raincoat. Her feet more resemble bird or raptor talons than those of a human, and backward-pointing horns peek out of the back of her hood, via 2 clearly premade holes. Speaking off the hood, the material itself seemed enchanted as only the wide grin could be seen with any level of detail right now, as unseen eyes scan the assembled pirates
"Good morning, my loving crew" the woman purrs, her smile widening an revealing pointed teeth "It's such an honor to finally meet face to face"
"ARTEMIS!" Franky bellows with a rage unseen from the usually chill cyborg "Tell me you didn't just manifest the Sunny's Klabauterman, do you have any idea how much damage you've done?"
Sunny just laughs and bounces over to hug the cyborg "I'm fine Daddy, there's nothing wrong with the ship, it's perfect as expected. This form, is a fusion of the aspects of the crew, merged with, well me" she giggles and takes a step back "Ship Soul: Thousand Sunny! ready and able" she says with a mock salute
That finally breaks him, as Franky pulls Sunny into what would normally be a crushing hug as he bawls like a baby "Sunny! You're just perfect babygirl! I've always wanted to see a ship so loved the spirit itself appeared to them, I just never thought it would happen!"
"Ok, Artemis just gave the ship a new body…. And we're just going to go along with it?" Ussop asks, getting nods from basically everyone, and a tug on his pantleg
"It's Ok Papa, little big sis is just so happy to see you after so long" another girl in a raincoat coos, this one a babyblue, and much more normal/human one, about the size of a child, though on a second look had a dark blue monkey tail peeking out of her coat, and lighter blue wings popping out of holes in the back
"KAYA!" the sniper screams, which weren't helped when the blue spirit cries Mama! In a cheery tone
This snaps Franky out of his tears, to notice the other Klabauterman "Oh, yeah that makes sense. I um, never told you did I?"
"What did you do?" Vivi asks before anyone else could, knowing the way he said that, meant the others could potentially be very mad at him for whatever it was
"I made Mini Merry's figurehead, out of some wood from the original Merry, that had still been in my lair. It seemed fitting, so that a piece of Merry could live on and make it to the end of the Line with her old crew, even if they had to part ways. Seems Artemis' funky spell affected her too, not just Sunny" Franky explains, his massive hands looking oddly cute and he taps his index fingers together nervously
"So, is this a permanent thing, we've just suddenly got 2 new crewmates, that are also the ship?" Sanji asks
"The awareness and awakening? Yes. Manifestation though, no. It's something we can easily turn on or off whenever we please" Sunny answers, and as if to prove it, Merry fades away after getting a teary hug from Kaya and Ussop, a bell-like giggle passing through the air "Honestly, I probably won't do this too often, I just really wanted to see you all after 2 years. Mostly, I'll lend a hand for Pops and Aunty Nami, given the ship is technically my REAL body" with a grin and a head tilt the sails unfurl and the rudder tilts left, then right, followed by the cannons rolling into defensive positions "My family, has returned…. And I'm not letting anything happen to it ever again!"
"And that's how you know she's an amalgamation of all of us, as I'm pretty sure that sentiment, is one shared by most of the people here" Kaos grins as there was no need to respond, they all agreed they wanted their little family of misfits to remain as is from this point onwards
"Got it in one Uncle Kaos, now if you don't mind, we should probably set sail, BEFORE the marines notice us out in the open like this, I don't wanna get blown up today" Sunny suggests as she walks back into the centre of the circles "I'll see you around, don't forget that I'm always here if you need me. Sunny, out" she winks before fading, the energy flowing back into the seal which had finally stopped glowing
"I…. need a drink" Zoro sighs, Sanji for once agreeing completely with the swordsman
"I'm probably going to need a few hours to fully process what the kid just did…. So I'll do that later. Nami! We ready to head to Fishman island yet?" Franky cries
"Yeah, we're good, like I said already, all we were waiting for were those 2 numbskulls" the navigator grouses, pointing her thumb at the brothers
"Hey, why drag me into this? Get it, cause I'm a skull, Yohohohho!" Brook laughs "Anyway, onward to the far depths"
"We should probably get a move on, the marines are right over there!" Ussop shouts seeing ships approaching, while Alvida noticed marines starting to file into Grove 42
"There they are men, sink that ship!" the ship captain belows, the cannons fire….
Slave Arrow
…only to be struck by pink arrows and stop in mid air, before dropping straight down into the watery depths
"What, who's gotten in our way of justicing" the man growls, just before the answer appears, via a snake drawn ship pulling up in front of them
"Sir. it's the Kuja pirates! They must be allied with Straw Hat!" a lower ranked marine yelps
"Alright….. Which of you disgustng cretins, thought it wise to put your ship in my path?" Hancock sneers as she steps onto the deck to glare at the marine vessel
'Or not' was the collective thought of the marines in earshot
"Seems Hancock is giving us a final farewell" Robin chuckles, being the first to notice the Kuja ship sail directly into the path of the marine's cutting off their advances
"Hope she doesn't get in too much trouble for that, she seemed nice" Chopper frets
"Hancock is good at hiding her intentions, she'll be fine" Luffy assures the reindeer "Probably pulls the prissy princess routine or something so it looks like it was just a happy accident"
"If all else fails, there's always the old reliable" Kaos laughs
"Because I'm beautiful?" Artemis guessing with an equally wide grin
"Got it in one kiddo" he says ruffling her hair, to the teen's annoyace
KABOOM!
"Oh, so that's what he had planned" Valentina cackles as she knew Deidara's work a mile away, the building-sized flashbang on the other hand….
"Huh, guess he did want to fight after all" Alvida muses "I almost feel bad to the marines…. Almost"
Grove 43
"We're almost there men, Straw Hat won't get away from us this time!" a marine captain announces as his platoon march through the streets, reaching the connection point between 43 and 42, only to discover…..
"Um, sir, those don't look like normal bubbles" a new recruit pipes up as small rainbow filled bubbles litter the vines
"Good eye private, clearly this is the work of those dastardly pirates, we'll just have to sneak around the…"
Click
Despite it being a runic array and not an actual pressure trigger… the original creator couldn't resist the auditory addition, right before a veritable flashbang of colors, revealing the 'Artist of Death's newest and potentially most powerful Color trap, and as she senses the trap being activated, gives the widest D. clan grin and whispers "Rainbow of Dreams!"
When the smoke and flashing lights faded, where there were once marines, stood several princes and princesses, a handful of pirates, a duck, 3 acrobats, and a librarian.
Grove 42, island
"Is now really the time to be playing with party poppers, use a real weapon men" a musclar and mustachioued man taunts as he hefts his golden axe over his head "Like me! SUNSHINE!" he bellows, unleashing waves of haki-infused flames, sending anyone not burned to a crisp flying, and destroying any buildings in his path "This is boring, but at least Miss Alvida will leave safely"
"Always a gentleman Escanor" Merlin giggles, before using her staff to send a man flying like he was a baseball "She'll keep in touch, I'm sure they'll all thank you for the assist then"
Infernal Sorceress Merlin: 1.4 billion
"I need no such praise Lady Merlin, I know my efforts are critical to ensuring Lady Diane's apprentice and her crew can make it to Fishman island, and I will not fail either of them" Escanor states, before with a heary chuckle a heat haze billows form his form as he gets larger and stronger "Who dares to fight the Man of the Sun?"
Lion's Pride Escanor: 850 million beri
"I hope you appreciate this sweetie, if I get caught doing this even Mihawk might not be able to keep me safe" Perona sighs deeply, but that doesn't stop her from unleashing a small army of Negative Hollows from her rooftop hideaway "These should keep the marines occupied for a good while, long enough for Zoro and the others to slip away….. Relatively unnoticed"
"This is getting insane, giant bugs, weirdos in dresses, that guy…. Can it get any worse?" A marine captain begins to panic, just before a dog-sized spider drops in the middle of his unit. A spider…. Made of clay
"True art is an explosion! Bakakakaka!"
KABOOM
"And here I thought it was going to be a boring mission" a silky voice purrs, slowly walking out of the smoke to the horror of the surviving marines
"No, White Snake Orochimaru!" a newer recruit screams
Former MADS scientist, White Snake Orochimaru: 888 million
"So you do know of me, shame you die tonight. MY love, §I beleive we have time for a quick snack, yes§" he hisses, just as a large hoodded serpent appears behind him
Melascula of the Miasma: 570 million
"§I'm quite famished, you do always care for my needs so diligently beloved§" the serpent coos, remaining in her true form rather than shifting to her zoan form as her lover does the opposite, the marines now beseiged by 2 massive white serpents, on top of everything else
"Well, they look to be having fun" Kaos muses as he sips form a goblet filled with a smoky looking black liquid, before with a sigh draining the cup, crushing it and sending it behind them with a whispered "More More 30fold rifle", the projectile ripping through a marine, killing him before he was devoured "are we ready to go Franky?"
"You can super believe it Special K!" the cyborg laughs "Let's go!" he cries, before leaping into the water to begin the process, in this case, inflating the coating bubble so the ship can safely descend
"This is so weird"
"Are we sure this is safe?"
"Are you seriously doubting Rayleigh now of all times?"
"Point taken"
"Open the sails, we'll need it to catch the current's when the ship sinks" Nami orders, only to look up and see the sails already in the process of unfurling "Thanks Sunny" she coos, getting a warm feeling pass through her in response
"See, the ship being alive is nothing but good" Luffy grins as the process ends and the crew were sealed inside the bubble, which was currently beginning to descend "Let's GO! To Fishman Island!" he declares/bellows
"And the New World!" the rest of the crew shouts out, joining in as their spirits were at their highest in literal years.
TBC
LW: We're back! And they're all back! Hopefully everyone enjoys his bumpersized chapter, and comes back in 2 weeks for the next one, when we begin the Fishman Island arc.