Chapter 53: Anchor In the Storm

Unknown Location

Zoro, Luffy, and Franky looked at Minerva while Vega 40, and to a lesser extent, Namae seemed aware of what she was talking about. The stormy sea around them grew more violent, the waves crashing against the sides of the boat with an eerie ferocity. The rain pounded down, making it difficult to see anything beyond the horizon.

"The Classic Line? What's that supposed to mean?!" Luffy yelled over the howling wind.

"Let's talk about it in layman's terms as you're admittedly not caring about long explains. It consists of constant and violent sea storms that force its inhabitants to toughen up in order to survive as well as the constant warfare between pirates and the storms, phenomena, and beasts dealing in the seas. It is based on nautical folklore.," Minerva explained.

"Why the hell does naughty folklore have anything to do with it?," asked Franky.

"Sigh. Get your mind out of the gutter, Franky.," Minerva replied with a resigned but slightly irritated breath.

The boat was now being tossed around like a toy in the hands of an angry giant wave. The rain stung their skin and the wind was so loud that it was hard to hear each other. Yet, there was something else, something eerie in the air that made their hair stand on end.

Emerging from the sea, was a massive bat-fish hybrid with a long bat tail ending in a barb, looking much more ferocious than the usual Sea Kings and Sea Beasts that they were used to, complete with yellow pupil-less eyes, sharp fangs, and massive wings. The darkness made it impossible to see, but it had hints of being dark Gunmetal grey with bright green bioluminescent spots.

"Looks like, we're have bat-," Zoro declared as suddenly, he started to convulse rapidly and collapsed. While Luffy and Franky were concerned yet confused, Minerva, Vega 40, and to a lesser extent, Namae were wide-eyed with terror, knowing exactly what was happening to him.

"Damnit. Of all times! Let's hope-," Minerva said before Franky also collapsed and started to convulse without warning. Luffy reached out and shook Franky to yell, "What the hell?!"

Just as the beast was about to strike, the sea bat was suddenly attacked by a Livyatan whale, a prehistoric animal that was thought to be extinct in the world outside of the OLD WORLD- where the crew came from. The battle was fierce, with water splashing and the roars of the sea-beasts echoing through the tempestuous sky. The creature's presence shook their very boat, knocking everyone off their feet.

Luffy was knocked out as he fell unconscious.

A Little While Later...

Luffy awoke in a bed as he saw Zoro and Franky being fed strange plants by a scrappy-looking man with bulging forearms, a squinty eye, a bulging nose, and a screwed-up face with a notable chin, punctuated with an ever-present pipe in his mouth. He wore a blue shirt with brown pants and shoes.

Both Zoro and Franky were vomiting out black liquid generating black electrical sparks similar to Haki that threatened to consume them as it was nearly covering their faces- with half of the faces covered- with that eye where the affliction took place having the eye-opening to reveal red eyes with the black pupils so dilated that it nearly consumed the entire eye and half of the face sprouting a jagged red maw, causing the unconscious duo to laugh unnaturally with a "Hakikikikikikiki."

"I be Bias.," said the rough-looking man feeding both of Luffy's crew. "I'd sit still or ye have to need to put them landlubbers down before they become Nobodies- and no Captain should do that."

As Bias forced them down their throats, the grinning maws turned to angry snarls as they dissipated into nothingness. Luffy watched in horror, realizing that his friends were in a state of extreme distress.

The two then woke up as if nothing happened, as Luffy who initially seemed startled, rushed to hug his comrades.

"You okay? What happened to you two?," Luffy asked with genuine concern.

"What the hell are you on about? I'm Superfine! Just getting up after being on...where are we?," asked Franky as he looked around to see that they were inside of a doctor's bay of a considerable size...constantly rocking back and forth.

"I felt like something...was replacing me...and I'd be forced to be inside something as they used what they replaced to do hell knows what?... Pointy Hat Girl...you know exactly what happened...," Zoro said with more clarity as he noticed Minerva sitting on the chair next to him as Vega 40 gave a sigh of relief.

"A-gah-gah-gah-gah-gah-gah!" Seems like you're taking to your new Daemon Veggies and Meats for ya Roronoa sharp-tongue and Daemon Veggies and Fruits for ya iron fella, quite well. They haven't decided to take over- seeing that you're worthy of shared interests.," explained Bias.

"Daemon?," asked Franky. "Come to think of it, Luffy didn't act weird and freaking out as Zoro did, and what I likely did to get in a sick bed...Min, V-40, and the four eyes didn't...and they're Devil Fruit...or likely have Devil Fruit...," Franky realized as he and Zoro took battle stances.

"What gave you the right to force-feed us Devil Fruits- you have a weird way of going around it by calling them Demons? Mind giving a good reason so you're less likely to get a pummeling?," asked Franky to Bias, his voice filled with anger and suspicion.

Zoro began to unsheathe his swords as he added, "Guess you want an edge in drowning us if things go south for you. Damnit, I wanted to not have to rely on paltry tricks for my dream. And Franky's so heavy, any other baggage would make him sink faster. You're not fooling us with your 'help'," he accused with a glower.

Bias sighed as he said, "You would've been like a dementia patient, a rapid dog losing senses, and being possessed by a monster aiming to do scary stuff with your existence once they took over. What I saved you from by force-feeding you, was the possibility of you having to be put down before you went on a rampage- killing your crew mates as your first victims...if the sunlight didn't kill ya first."

Zoro and Franky looked at Luffy for confirmation as he nodded reluctantly, looking to the side, all they needed to hear from the captain was his trust without saying a word.

"No way!," shouted the two in unison.

"Yeah, it takes a lot of sacrifices to do that path including living outside of civilization, not having to engage in Untimely meals, Dancing, singing, and music, Wearing jewelry, perfume, and cosmetics, Sitting on high chairs or luxurious beds, and Handling money- amongst other things. If you weren't a Devil Fruit user, would you-,"

"Fuck no!," said Luffy, Vega 40, and Minerva said in unison while Namae seemed to shake his head...while being chained up.

"Not saying you can't learn Mana or Aura. It's more of something to add onto to increase your Haki potential- think of it like a separate power source to compliment yer abilities. It's that relying on Mana and Aura leads to you being restricted in how you live. And eventually either someone tricks you into indulging, which cancels out the benefits or you snap and indulge anyway.," Bias replied.

"What's with that long talking-about nonsense crap? Why'd Franky and Zoro turn black gooey and feel like Haki but alive?," asked Luffy.

"That's called Haki Overload. Anyone who reaches the limit of Haki and goes beyond it without a Daemon Food or Mana/Aura mastery is taken over by their Haki ID, their Ambitious instincts that take over the person to turn into a Nobody, a creature bent on turning the world into chaos, returning the world to the void, or just doing evil stuff because they can- the motives vary depending on who the base personality is and their worst traits being magnified.," answered Bias.

Bias tilted his head as looked confused.

"Strange that you guys don't know what's commonplace in the Classic Line? Which Island are you from?," asked the man.

"The fact we can't think of one you likely know...means we're not from around here.," Zoro replied as Bias' eyes widened.

"Oh boy...Captain Ahab! Those kids you rescued! They're from the Red Line area! It's been years since Newie, Rowan Hair, and Drag-Man came here!," Bias said as a figure emerged.

Luffy didn't recognize any of the aforementioned terms yet they seemed familiar.

The doors on the other side appeared a bulky stout older, well-proportioned gentleman of 10 feet tall with an experienced, world-weary expression on his face. He has short combed white hair, prominent cheekbones, and a thick white mustache that somewhat merges into his thick white beard. He had a round nose and wore a grey-blue eyepatch over his right eye. He wears blue fisherman's dungarees over a white short-sleeved t-shirt, has a silver hook for a right hand, and has a right metallic peg leg. Over his shoulders was a tattered Admiral's coat with golden epaulets. His body was covered in battle scars. His Jolly Roger was a skull in his image with a single anchor as his crossbones.

He looked at the group and then sighed as he put on a hat that made Luffy very intrigued yet confused-

A dark-gray blue-brimmed hat with a bulb-like shape with a wavy rim, and a dull blue band with an anchor symbol.

"We just had a meeting about this, now the rift is breaking...and it'll end with those events occurring...Sigh... can't be helped.," the man said as he went to one of the empty beds.

"My name is Moby D. Ahab. I am the Captain of the Pequod, the ship you're all currently resting in under the mandate of Xenia, the ship belonging to my crew, the Anchor Pirates. I am also the Pirate King of the Classic Line, and I am surprised to see you all here," Ahab began, his voice a mix of gruffness and a hint of amusement. He eyed Luffy's straw hat with curiosity, a symbol that was unmistakable even in this uncharted realm of the Old World.

Moby D. Ahab- Captain of the Anchor Pirates/Pirate King of the Classic Line.

Luffy and the others outside of Minerva, Vega 40, and Namae went blank-faced before reacting with skeptical scowls as Ahab expected as such.

Suddenly, a pale, slim man with odd whiskers emerged from the shadows literally. His notable features were his unusual eyebrows that resembled a pair of swans facing each other, a set of six whiskers emerging from the sides of his face, narrow eyes with yellow irises, large loop earrings, and a white hat adorned with a blue plume. He wore a white suit.

Nero- CP0 Agent.

"Damnit, still here to reclaim this territory for your tyranny to resume?," asked Bias.

"What the?!," asked Franky. "Shouldn't you be dead?...Er..."

"Nero! I survived the Aqua Laguna and was promoted into CP0's 4th unit...5 and above are allowed to enter this place as long as we keep tight-lipped to the public...Namae Captain! What's with you? Letting yourself be captured like this. The Phantom will be upset...," Nero said as he spoke like a calm and collected individual with a casual tone of speaking, seeming less unrefined than before.

Namae then muttered something as the words "Chains" appeared above the chains. The letter "C" vanished as it left the word- "Hain" as in "to save". as the chains dissipated.

Namae took a neutral pose as Nero put his hand on his right shoulder to draw him closer.

"Captain, you should be able to figure this out on your own. You're not making a good example for Cipher Pol... can't be helped...since you were really feisty till you were fixed early on...I wonder whose fault it is that you were in this position-," Nero said as his sights settled on Luffy.

Ahab stomped his peg leg as he emitted a powerful Haki that made all parties outside of Minerva and Bias on edge.

"You haven't been invited. Let's go to another island to settle this.," Ahab said to the Agent while looking at Namae's emotionless face with pity.

When Nero attempted something, Ahab glared, somehow causing him to freeze up.

"I-I got it!," he said.

"Let me show you, young man...what it takes to be in the big leagues.," said Ahab as he glanced at Luffy.

Next Chapter: Meaning of Being a King

Author Notes: It was mainly an exposition of very important information that will be relevant later on while also getting all of the nitty-gritty of introducing one of the 19 other Pirate Kings to Luffy while the next chapter will show exactly what he's about. The Classic Line is based on Nautical folklore and general old tough sailors in theme.