"Shiki?" Izuku asked. "Who is he?"
The atmosphere in the room turned heavy. Whitebeard was completely still, his eyes fixed on the morose Drona.
"He had blades for feet. A ship's wheel lodged in his head?" Whitebeard asked, and Drona nodded.
"Yes. That is what Vivek told me before he passed."
The Emperor sighed through his nose and slumped in his seat.
"So that's where you went… Shiki," he muttered.
"You know him?" Drona asked, perking up.
"Know him? He and I used to be crewmates," admitted Whitebeard. All present stared at him, stunned by the revelation.
"Shiki used to be the rival of Gol D. Roger" commented Reiju. "He went to Marineford to kill Roger before his execution. Supposedly he died in the attempt."
"That's the official story," Whitebeard replied. "Truth is, he survived his battle with Garp and Sengoku, and was locked away in Impel Down. Bastard managed to escape by cutting his shackled feet off, and using his Devil Fruit. After he healed, he came to us to strike an alliance with me." Whitebeard narrowed his eyes and looked away. "To be honest, I'd rather forget about those days."
"Sixteen years… he came to you first, before he came to Brahmapura?" Drona asked, and Whitebeard nodded.
"He did. The man ate a Devil Fruit, the Float Float Fruit, before he was imprisoned. And it does pretty much what you think it does.." Whitebeard could practically hear that old rooster head cackling in his head. "He wanted to team up, said we could rule the world together." Whitebeard scoffed. "I told him to piss off; and I only spared him because we got along, somewhat, back in the day."
"Somewhat? How bad was it then?" Izuku asked. Whitebeard looked straight at him, with haunted eyes.
"Bad, but that's a tale for another time." Whitebeard cleared his throat. "The fact is, Drona…I didn't stop Shiki when I had the chance. He must've found Brahmapura while scouring the skies, and ran into those Duryo fellows." He slumped in his throne. "Drona, for that…I am sorry."
Drona swallowed, breathing through his nose. "You had no way of knowing."
"So Shiki killed Vishnu, and had help from a Lunarian named Jarati. But from what you've told us, Lunarians are treated like dirt up there," Law spoke up. "Why would House Duryo work with them?"
"Most Lunarians are kept malnourished, and their flames are kept contained with unique devices," Drona explained. "Those with the favour of House Lords are allowed to join the Kshatriya, keeping their wings and flames, and their families unclipped. They make excellent warriors; to be hurled at the Sons of Bakasura, or their own kindred in the Eclipse Hunters. Clearly Duryo found a Lunarian of promise."
"So, you found that Shiki and Jarati had murdered a Triarch, and that Jarati was working for House Duryo," Whitebeard cut in. "What happened next?"
(X)
"A human!" Drona yelled as he marched through the halls of Akasha Palace, storming from the Air Hanger. "It was a human who murdered Lord Vishnu and his entourage!"
Officials gathered around him as he made his bee line march towards the throne room. He had to tell Shiva this! They were Akbar's dying words!
He walked beneath the Mahab Murals, the history of Brahmapura emblazoned over the ceiling and walls of the Hall of History. Glory surrounded him, but it had never meant so little.
"Mahaguru," pleaded one of the attendants. "You mustn't disturb the Council of Lords. They're in a meeting regarding Brahma's burial!"
"They will be burying another!" Drona hissed, shoving the bloodied Ring of Faith in the wretched flunky's face. The sight of it made the man wilt, and Drona pushed past him, throwing the doors of the Lotus Hall open.
As he strode through, all voices fell silent, and all eyes fell on him. Drona barely noticed.
"Shiva! My son! I come with news of Vishnu's murder!"
At the far end of the hall, Shiva raised his head. For a moment he looked stunned, bewildered, as Drona strode forward. Then he saw the ring, and his face fell.
"My teacher…so it is true." He slumped on his throne, covering his face. "Another…has passed this day."
"Yes! A human, hiding in Duryo lands!" barked Drona. "He was aided by a strong Lunarian, trained like a member of the Eclipse, but there's more to it!"
"Mahaguru please, forebear," pleaded yet another richly-dressed attendant. But one look from Drona sent him scurrying away.
"Great Archers aided in this treachery!" he roared, pointing towards one particular group of nobles. "House Duryo is guilty!"
"Master Drona!" Drona turned to see Parvati sitting before the throne, her son on her lap. 'You mean to say my entire house is guilty? My siblings and my cousins too!?"
"Yes!" Drona pulled the black-feathered arrow from his robe and threw it on the floor for all to see. "This was one of the arrows that killed Vishnu and his companions! It is of the kind used by the Archers of the Black Rock! They used the escaping serfs as a lure, and the Lunarian assassin as a scapegoat!"
He could hear gasps and muttering all around him. Parvati was stunned. Shiva fixed his eyes on the arrow, but showed no emotion, though Drona could sense his rage beneath the surface. Kali and her attendants were silent, looking from the arrow to Drona.
"My teacher," Shiva said. His face was shrouded in shadow, but for his glowing third eye. "Your Kara…it is frayed, sundering. How can we accept your testimony, when you are not of sound mind?"
…
Drona was stunned. "Shiva… Your brothers have been murdered! Are you not enraged? Outraged?! Are you-"
"Mahaguru!" Shiva replied, rising to his feet. "I am more incensed than you can imagine! But I am the Triarch of Law! Not the Triarch of Vengeance!" Drona could feel his Authority rising, clashing with his own. Around them, the attendants swayed on their feet, struggling to stay awake. "I must consider all possibilities! I will destroy this Evil, but I will not involve the innocent!"
"It is them!" Drona hissed. "Dhana's son has coveted power in this capital for years! Decades! And that poisonous ambition has seeped into his children!"
"How dare you!" Kali's attendant hissed; though Kali's face remained as frozen as stone.
"That is my brother you accuse, Master," Parvarti cut in.
"Mama, Drona is scary…" whimpered the pink-skinned Ganesha. Parvati held him tighter.
"My teacher, please retire for the evening," Shiva half-pleaded, half-ordered. "Rest, meditate. I will have Vishnu and his guards' bodies recovered and brought back to Akasha. We…will mourn." He looked down at the floor. "I will also send an Eye of Law to survey the scene and confirm your testimony. Were there other arrows like that one?"
Drona breathed and closed his eyes. Remember the lessons. Steady the breathing. He could not let emotions cloud his judgment. "It was the only one."
"Then how do we know it was not an agent of the Eclipse?"
All eyes turned, as Lady Duryo Kali stepped out from among the Duryo delegation, an attendant at her shoulder. She was a blue-skinned mirror-image of her twin sister Parvati, dressed in fine red robes exposing her legs, a tiara laden with jewels over her forehead.
"After all, those winged Kamatar have eyes and ears everywhere." She scowled. "They wish to sow discord no doubt. As is their way… they would never defeat us in open battle."
"A fair assessment Lady Kali," said the attendant, bowing his head.
"Thank you Kaushiki."
"An easy claim to make, Lady Kali of House Duryo," retorted Drona. He glared at Kali, but she did not seem perturbed.
"Sister, Teacher, please. Peace." Parvarti wished stepping between the two, and Kali smiled.
"Forgive me, my lady sister, but I cannot take this slander. I only speak in defense of my house, and my brother and sisters.Yourbrother and sisters." She glanced at Parvati, who narrowed her eyes. "And Master Drona, I am as saddened by the passing of Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu as anyone here. But as my brother-in-law says," she turned to Shiva, eyes softening as she regarded him, "We mustn't make the innocent suffer in our rush to punish the wicked."
"For what it is worth, we have found collaborators," Shiva cut in. "The ones who aided Brahma's killer."
"They were members of House Jir, a brother and sister," Kali added. "They took pity on a Lunarian serf that Brahma released from his service, to wallow in the Pidakala Slums with the rest of their mudskin kind."
The chamber filled with mutters and whispers, and hissed imprecations.
"Kamatar lovers…"
"The only things worse than scum are those who protect scum."
"Nika Devil worshippers…"
Drona looked down, steadying himself. "I see… I wish to speak to these people."
"You've no need." Kali spoke. "They are to be sentenced to Naraka at dawn. Them, and their mudskin harlot."
Drona glared at her, his three eyes boring into her two; making her flinch.
"You are a Lady and delegate of a Noble House. I am the Mahaguru of the Order of Sages. I will interrogate these assailants, as I wish. You havenopower here."
For the first time, Kali glared back, almost ready to bare her teeth. But Kaushiki, her violet skinned attendant, put his hand over hers.
"Do as you wish, my teacher." Kali's eyes widened, and she turned towards the Triarch. She looked like she'd been slapped.
"Speak to them, but their exile will not be stayed." Shiva straightened up, clasping the armrests of his throne. "I will dispense justice upon them, and the Lunarian who dared betray her master, and who had a hand in slaying my brother."
Drona kept silent, bowed his head, then turned and strode out of the hall. He needed to see those three, and quickly.
He did not notice the look Kali gave him as he looked back at his mourning student, and his distressed wife and son.
(X)
"I do not need an escort."
Drona glared back at the two Kshatriyan guards. Both were Ashuran men, both towering and strong, both looming over him. One was green-skinned and bald, the other red-skinned with long black hair.
"We are only following Lord Shiva's orders, Mahaguru," replied the bald one. "You may be the leader of the Order of Sages, but here, he is a King."
Utter nonsense.
Drona bit down his irritation and walked on; through the candlelit corridors, until he reached the main door of the dungeon. It was not particularly large, and it didn't need to be. Most cases put before the Triarch were simple enough, and hard labor was the usual punishment.
Only the worst criminals spent any great time down there, and their punishment was the worst of all. Exile to Naraka, which was tantamount to a death sentence; while sparing the people of Vimana from gruesome sights and pointless brutality. Naraka itself was punishment enough.
Unlike the Sons of Bakasura; who made a point of killing captured Devas or Ashurans in nasty ways.
"Your time is short, Mahaguru. Be quick," warned Red, as he and Baldy stepped past Drona and opened the door. Drona paused, hearing a strange sound from inside. Someone was whimpering…in pain.
"Feh, the bloated bitch must be giving birth already," Baldy snickered. Drona gave him a sideways glare, then strode on into the darkness. The dungeon was a single corridor, lined with cells on either side. The facing wall of each cell consisted of tall bars from ceiling to floor, into which a door was set. There was no light, except from a flickering candle in a holder beside the main door; and a little pale moonlight through narrow slits in the outer wall.
"Sara! Just breathe! Push!" ordered a voice from the darkness. Drona took the candle, and began looking into the cells; trying to find the source of the voice,and the strange sounds. In the cells to his right were two Devas, both pink-skinned; a man with dark hair, a woman with orange hair.
And in the opposite cell was a tall woman, skinny and but relatively healthy looking; but with a belly full and round with new life. She was sitting on the bare floor, breathing hard, whimpering and gasping as her belly heaved.
"I am Mahaguru Charya Drona," he announced himself, turning to the two children of House Jir. "You were the ones who aided the assassin?"
"No!" the woman cried out. "I did not!"
Her Kara was frayed, like old cloth about to tear. But there was no deceit.
"Have you seen Lord Shiva?"
"We haven't," uttered the man, sitting against the wall of his cell. His tone was as bitter as his Kara. "We were clerks, attending to Lord Brahma's business. But Lady Kali and the attendants accused us."
The pregnant woman groaned, and Drona turned to her. Her Kara was weak, but still holding on.
"And what happened? Why did those attendants accuse you?"
"We were the closest ones to the scene of the crime and to Lord Brahma, that's why," hissed the man.
"Kasa!" snapped the woman.
"What more can he do, Khana? We're going to be tossed down into Naraka at sunrise!" Jir Kasa groused. "All because Brahma told us to escort HER out of the city, we weren't by his side to protect him!"
"She meant the world to Lord Brahma!"
"And now we're to suffer because of it!"
Drona took a deep breath. "You have not met Lord Shiva to tell your truths?"
"No, his attendants and guards barred us from him!" pleaded Khana. "Oh Mahaguru, you must believe us! We are innocent! We didn't know Lord Brahma was betrayed!"
Betrayed.
"By whom?" he asked.
"The last person we saw with Lord Brahma was a Lunarian Kshatriya, of the Palace Guard. Lord Brahma wanted to talk to him about something private. We told the attendants, but they wouldn't hear it. They said we were the closest, and should have come to his defense, accusing us of negligence and treason! I…I…" Khana wept, covering her face with her hands. Drona knelt down, reaching through the bars to take her hands.
"Peace, child." Her Kara was dark with despair; like the many unfortunates he had met in his travels. But there was no deception in her, no lies.
"We would've given our lives for Lord Brahma," Khana went on, her voice croaking with anguish. "But we couldn't. He bade us escort Sara out of the city, and tell no one of where we were going or or why."
"Khana…it hurts," groaned the woman opposite. Drona turned to her, taking a closer look. She was indeed a Lunarian. Without her wings, and bound by the Arborbark Harness, she was a threat to no one; a useful servant, as was her kind's place. Only those pledged in childhood to become Kshatriya, and the families they sired, were exempt.
"Just breathe Sara,and push!" Khana looked to Drona. "Please Mahaguru, you must find a way to spare Sara. She is about to give birth! Find a Pahla Healer! Please!"
Drona nodded.
"I will. She… she's the serf who attended to Lord Brahma yes? I don't recall seeing this one." Most Lunarians were skinny, sometimes rail-like, but Sara had clearly been well-fed.
"When you're a Triarch, wouldyouwant people knowing you bedded a Kamatar?" snarled Kasa. Drona looked at him, stunned; but while his Kara was bitter, there was no deceit there either.
'So…Sara was Brahma's mistress?"
"I… I loved him Mahaguru…" gasped Sara. Drona saw the tears in her red eyes, running down her face. She broke down, sobbing in despair. Again, she told no lie. She was in the pain of labor, and grieving for her lover.
Drona sighed through his nose, as he processed what they had told him. He was no healer, but he could sense her Kara's turmoil; as grief and despair warred with her body's demands, with the new life trying to come forth.
"I will return with a Pahla Healer," he said, standing up and turning to the guards.
"You will not, Mahagaru," replied Baldy plainly. "We have strict orders to allow no one else down here."
"From whom?" Drona asked. Baldy glared back, but did not reply.
"From. Whom."
"You don't order us, old man," Baldy hissed. Red looked a little nervous, but kept silent.
Drona patted his robes, looking for his Dial; and winced when he couldn't find it. No matter, he would deal with those two later. He had to get to Shiva, and find a healer.
He strode out, ignoring the mutterings behind him. Just let those two try and bar his path.
(X)
Finally, after running through the great maze that was Akasha Palace, he reached the Hall of History. There was Shiva, gazing up at the murals of Brahmapura's past. His eyes were on a mural of Sacred Ramava and Mighty Shurama; the Winged Arbiter and the Warrior Hound God.
"Shiva!" he called out. The taller man turned to look at him.
"My teacher? What is it?"
"You must come with me to the dungeons. There is an attendant there who is laden with child, she must be tended to!"
"A pregnant attendant? Who was it?" Shiva asked, curious.
"Brahma's. The Lunarian. She-"
"Lord Shiva! Lord Shivaaaaaa~!" Both men turned to see an attendant hurrying towards them. "It's Lady Parvarti! She's gone manic!"
"What?!" Shiva yelled. Drona was stunned, and had to force himself to focus. He could sense no falsehood in the attendant.
"She… she… and Ganesha! Ohhhh Ramavaaaa~!" The attendant fell to his knees, covering his eyes, sobbing and wailing in despair. "The blood! The blooood!"
"Shiva-" But the Triarch was already running.
"Vasuki!" he yelled. The palace walls creaked, and the giant Lunar Mamba's head appeared at a nearby window. Shiva leapt through, landing on his old companion's head, and the serpent slithered away up the tower as the Sage heard the castle creak from the immense snake's slithering. Drona ran along the corridor, following the serpent until it was out of sight; heading for the high towers of the royal quarters.
He reached out, trying to sense them with his Mantra. He could feel Shiva; his fear and desperation, his yearning to be at his wife's side.
Why? Why was this happening? What did the attendant mean by manic? Parvati was always calm and…
A presence, moving away from the royal apartments.
Drona jumped out of the nearest window, landing on a ledge, and saw it. A figure leaping from a tower window, flying an incredible distance to land on another tower. Drona gritted his teeth, willed his power to rise, then leapt off in pursuit.
"Stop! Who are you!" he called out, as soared towards the fugitive. It wore a white cloak, letting it blend in against the marble of the palace. But as it turned to look at him, Drona saw three glaring green eyes under its hood.
Its arm twitched. Drona's Mantra flared, and he twitched his head as he landed, narrowly avoiding a flying dagger. The figure was moving again, and Drona ran after it; paying no need to the dizzying sight of Vimana City below. The fugitive ducked and dived, but Drona kept up, slowly drawing closer.
Then he saw something. The figure was carrying something, wrapped in the same white cloth as its cloak.
No, not something, but someone. A hostage?
He had to act. He had to stop this chase now, and get back to Shiva, and Parvati and Ganesha.
"You will stop!" he commanded, using his King's Authority. He felt his power flow out of him, striking at the fleeing figure. They stumbled at first, and he saw three pits of emerald rage glare back from the white robes.
Then he staggered, and almost fell over, as another King's Authorityslammedinto him, as if he were under a waterfall. He steadied himself, and turned; looking up at the royal apartments.
His whole body went cold, as after the power came darkness. His stomach churned and his mind roiled as the emotions flooded over him in a wave of black Kara.
Horror…despair….
"Shiva… what-"
Even through the darkness, his Mantra flared again. Drona flung himself aside, as another dagger whistled through the air. The duo were moving again, leaping for another tower. Drona's anger boiled over, and he charged after the pair; leaping the gap and running along the wall.
"Duryo fiends!" he roared. But the pair ran on, and leapt again to another tower. With a shout of fury, Drona leapt after them. The fugitive's robes billowed and flapped, sending a flurry of daggers at him. Drona sent Pravah into his hands, batting the blades aside, ignoring the cuts and nicks. He landed, but the pair were moving again, leaping again.
How could they leap so far? Had they been trained by the Sages?
"Shinanju Style!" Drona yelled, his hands blackening with Pravah. "Pavitra Taad!" His fists lashed out, every punch compressing the air ahead of it, forcing it onward. The blasts slammed into the rooftop, sending tiles and chunks of marble flying.
They had done something to Parvati, to little Ganesha. No doubt they had a hand in Brahma and Vishnu's deaths.
Forget Naraka. He willripthem to pieces!
Drona yelled as he charged, black Pravah spreading up his arms as he used Kavach. The three-eyed one turned, and thrust out their hand.
His body froze, and came to a stop. He tried to move, but his limbs would not obey. Three-Eye moved their hand, and Drona gaped as his own hand clamped around his throat. And then another.
"W-what?!" he gurgled, struggling with all his will as his own body tried to strangle itself. Three-Eye straightened up; green eyes bright with hate. From under the white cloak came a gloved hand, holding a double-bladed Vajra Dagger.
His Mantra flared, and he saw the assailant leaping with their dagger aimed at his throat.
His Pravah surged, and Drona yelled as he broke free of this spell, Three-Eye's eyes widening in shock as he bared his teeth and charged. His arms reared back to strike. "Pavitra Taad!"
Air blasts erupted from his hand, Three-Eye dodging as the other cloaked assassin tumbled across the roof. The blast blasted apart a faraway tower as Drona was upon Three-Eye. Four arms lashed out, and they clashed with Kavach hardened limbs, their Pravah armoring their strikes.
Drona's fury was guiding him, he would admit to this later. He would have found soft points to weaken before going for the kill.
He was going straight for Three-Eye's throat and heart, and the assassin knew so as they parried with precise counters and feints.
Three-Eye was skilled, and Drona's Authority blasted at the assassin stunning them,
His Mantra flared, and he avoided a thrown dagger from the second assassin as they gazed at Three-Eye with pleading eyes.
Two eyes.
"The mudskin!" Two-Eye yelled, the voice female.
But it was familiar…
Drona had never heard it before. The figure paused, then brought forth more daggers as they leapt up and flung at Drona.
He weaved and dodged, and lashed out. "Pavitra Taad!"
The air blast struck out, Three-Eye nimbly avoiding it as they lashed out with their hands.
Again the feeling returned, of his body moving against his will as the hands went back to his throat. He hissed, channeling his Pravah once more. Pravah had dispelled the curse before. That had to be it's weakness!
A ball landed on the roof of the tower they had dueled prior and Drona's eyes widened. Too late.
The flashbang bomb erupted, stunning him as he yelled out, Mantra flared. His Third Eye wincing hard. He can barely make the two out as he felt the control on him once more.
"One Kilo," Two-Eye said; and by the time Drona's sight returned to him, he saw the pair leaping; high over the nearest tower, and out of sight.
Drona slumped to his knees, gasping and coughing as the strange power was released, and his body was once again his own.
"What in Ramava's name?" he spluttered. Who were they? And why would they talk of a Lunarian?
"Sara…" he gasped, as he understood. He forced himself to his feet, looking around to get his bearings. He had to get to the dungeon. He had to protect Sara! And her child too!
Finally he saw a window. He ran along the ruined tower, then leapt; soaring through the air, forcing himself not to look down at the city, hundreds of feet below. He crashed through the glass and landed hard; smelling Naan and cooked lamb, hearing cries of surprise.
He was in the kitchens.
"Pardon me!" he called out, as he ran between the cutting tables and bubbling pots, weaving past the bewildered kitchen serfs, and out into the corridor. He ran and ran, through corridors and down stairs, until he reached the dungeon door. Red was standing there, arms crossed, blocking his path.
"Let me through!" Drona ordered, but Red shook his head.
"I cannot do that. I have my ord-" He fell silent, as Drona's black fist thumped into his stomach. As the Ashuran dropped his spear and slumped to his knees, Drona stiffened his forefingers and jabbed them into the chakra point on his neck. Red blithered, and fell unconscious. Drona stepped over him, and pushed the door open.
"She's only a baby! Have mercy!" wailed Khana. Drona's heart seized, and he grabbed Red's spear and dashed inside. There was Baldy, standing over Sara, holding what could only have been a newborn baby.
"Abomination!" Baldy roared, holding up the baby by its…wings. Drona's heart clenched as he heard the crack of breaking bones, the baby screaming even louder.
He moved, and he thrust. Baldy cried out, as the spear punched through his back and out through his stomach. He dropped the baby, and Drona caught it in his lower arms. He let go of the spear and backed away, watching as Baldy staggered, coughed blood, and fell down.
There was no sound in the dungeon, save the baby's wails.
"Mahaguru," croaked Sara. Drona knelt down beside her, and his heart sank as he saw the red ruin that was her throat. "Spare her."
Drona looked down at the baby in his arms. Lunarian indeed, but with damaged wings…and a scar over her forehead.
A half breed.
He gazed into Sara's eyes, seeing her Kara flicker like an ember in a blizzard, and nodded as he knelt down to her level, holding her hand. It was clammy. Cold.
"I will keep Brahma's daughter safe, this I vow," he declared. The Lunarian woman managed a sad smile, a smile of relief and hope, then laid back her head, her eyes sliding shut. With one last sigh, she was gone.
Drona stood up, trying to quiet the still-crying baby. He felt warmth from her back, and knew her flames would soon come; and she would be harder to carry. Ordinarily she would be fitted with an Arborbark harness there and then, to keep the flames suppressed.
Flames suppressed, and broken wings clipped; ready for a life of servitude.
"Mahaguru…" Khana was watching, wide-eyed. "Sara…is she…?"
"She is in Parinirvana now," Drona replied. "She gave up her strength, so that Brahma's child could be born."
He went over to Baldy's body, took the keys from his belt, then unlocked Khana and Kasa's cells. Khana was still stunned.
"You killed them, and you're letting us go?" Kasa asked, as he stepped out. Like his sister he was red-eyed, his Kara wrought with sorrow.
"We will go to Lord Shiva together. I will speak on your behalf, but I fear something terrible has happened."
He hesitated, and glanced out of one of the narrow window-slits. Why was his Mantra tingling?
Then, for an instant, he saw something. Khana and Kasa, struck by arrows.
"Down!" he roared. Khana ducked, covering her head. Kasa did so too, but too late; as an arrow flashed through the slit, slicing his ear as it passed.
"We cannot stay here!" Drona yelled. He heard a sharp whistle, and turned to the door. An Ashuran guard was standing there, over Red's unconscious body, blowing his whistle with all his strength.
"Brother!" cried Khana, as Kasa stared down at his bloodied hand.
Then he froze, and Drona's blood ran cold. Kasa rounded on his sister, and lunged at her; two arms pinning hers,the others wrapping hands around her neck.
"I can't stop it!" gasped Kasa. "Something's controlling me! Kill me, Mahaguru! Do it now!"
Drona held the baby tight to his chest, leapt up, and snapped Kasa's neck with a single kick. Kasa flew back, cratering the wall as he struck it, then slumped to the ground.
Drona turned again to the door. The guard was still blowing his whistle, while with one hand he turned a handle; ringing the alarm bells. He reached down, yanked the spear from Baldy's body, then hurled it at the handle; smashing it to pieces.
"Traitor! Traitoooor!" cried the guard, almost tripping over Red as he scrambled away.
"Mahaguru… what do we do?" Khana asked. Drona looked at the candle beside the door, and thrust his wounded hand into the flame; hissing as the flame sealed it shut.
"We run."
"But my brother…!"
"He has been possessed by an assassin, and his neck is broken!" Drona snapped back. "Forgive me, Lady Khana, but we can't help him now! We must run!"
Khana looked ready to weep, torn between the truth of Drona's words and the thought of leaving her brother to die.
"Go…" coughed Kasa, forcing his head to rise, just enough to look Khana in the eyes.
"Kasa…"
"We will avenge him, I promise you," urged Drona, taking her hand.
"Go, before I lose control!" gasped Kasa. Then suddenly he rose, his head lolling on his snapped neck, his movements unnatural; like a puppet.
Then Drona saw. It was Three-Eye again, standing on a rooftop, arms outstretched; green eyes bright with power, and glaring with hatred.
It was an evil thing he did, but he had no choice. He could not fight with a babe in his arms, and Khana to protect.
He grabbed Khana's hand and tugged.
"Brother!"
"I will be alright Sister!" Kasa called out. "Go! NOOOOOW!"
And they ran.
(X)
Drona led the way up the stairs, and into an outer corridor; the wall lined with tall windows. Kshatriya flew or ran past, paying them no heed. They had been summoned by the bells, but otherwise knew nothing; for now.
Drona stopped by a window, and bent down, allowing Khana to climb on his back. Holding the baby tight, he clambered out of the window and leapt, landing in the window opposite.
"Where are we going?" Khana asked. As he ran down the corridor, servants scattered out of his way, looking askance at him as he passed.
"To one of the temples. We must get away from this pit of vipers!" he replied. "Duryo's agents are everywhere!"
"What happened to my brother?"
"He was possessed, controlled by some unnatural power," Drona explained. "I have never seen powers like theirs."
All at once they reached the door to the chariot hangar. Drona kicked it open, and hurried along the rows of waiting chariots
"We must escape, and quickly! Akasha is filled with traitors and killers!" Drona chose a chariot, and clambered aboard. "Shiva's Kara is sundered, frayed, lost in despair. He is not of sound mind!"
He had made his choice. He would get Brahma's child and this blameless woman to safety; at the main Temple atop Mt Mahal, in Yudisthra Province. There, he would be able to contact Shiva, and find out what had happened to Parvati and Ganesha.
Drona handed the baby to Khana, then stepped up to the controls. He had the chariot in the air within seconds, guiding it out of the hangar and into the open air. His Mantra tingled, and he looked up to see Kshatriya winging towards them over the rooftops.
An emberstone bullet whistled past his head. And another, and another. They were firing at him.
"They're shooting at us!" shrieked Khana, clinging to a safety strap for dear life. Drona banked to the right, speeding down towards the city. Skybarges and skiffs hovered and drifted over the rooftops, filled with partying Devas. Drona jinked and banked between them, barely staying ahead of the Kshatriya.
There, far head, was Mt. Mahal; the gleaming jewel of Brahmapura. There stood the first temple of the Order of Sages; where even these Kshatriya dared not follow them. The mountaintop gleamed in the sunlight, so bright that Drona blinked, and had to look away.
Then he realised it wasn't sunlight. It was too bright, too cold.
"Mahaguru? What's wrong?" Khana asked nervously. Drona's heart stopped, and he slumped to his knees. "That's Mt. Mahal, isn't it?"
He forced himself to look up. Mt. Mahal was wreathed in flame. Around them, the Devas on their skybarges had ceased their carousing, and were staring at the spectacle.
First Brahma, then Vishnu, then Parvati and Ganesha…now this.
Drona gripped the handlebars, as anger burned away his despair, and his spirit flared.
He had to avenge them. He-
Then he heard the baby's cry, and felt Khana shaking his shoulder.
"We have to go! Look!" Khana pointed behind them. Chariots and Kshatriya were moving among the skybarges towards them. He could see archers aboard the chariots, drawing back their bows.
His Mantra activated, and his hand lashed out; batting away an arrow. He turned, snarling as he fired up the chariot and sped away; arrows and emberstone bullets flashing past. Handing the baby to Khana, hee dived; flying over the rooftops, between the emberstone lamps that lit the bustling streets, around the tall towers, and alongside a skybarge; the partygoers looking up in mild surprise.
An emberstone round hissed past, so close it scorched his hair, and smashed into the skybarge; shattering one of the Galestones that kept it aloft. The skybarge heaved drunkenly, the revellers screaming in surprise and fright.
Emberstone…to light the streets and make the Kshatriya's fire bullets.
Galestone, to make skiffs and barges fly.
Emberstone and Galestone, abundant in Arjana Province, with the Black Mountains.
Duryo.
He saw it now; so clearly it was almost ridiculous. They had done this. They hadcorruptedVimana with their wares,and the comforts they brought. Nay, they had corrupted all of Brahampura.
"Drona!" cried Khana, her voice drawing him from his bitter reverie; just in time to see another skybarge up ahead. Drona yanked at the controls, flying up and over the barge, tearing away one of the decorative sails. He glanced back, and saw the chariots and Lunarian Kshatriya still on in pursuit; heedless of the damaged skybarge behind them.
"Drona, where can we go?" pleaded Khana. Drona tried to steady his mind, to think. Why was this happening? What made House Duryo think they could destroy the Mt Mahal temple!? Surely Shiva wouldn't stand for it! He was raised there!
"Something has happened to Parvati," he muttered. "We are fleeing the palace, right after I killed a guard…for a suspect in Brahma's murder…"
Khana gasped, as she began to understand. It was all falling into place.
He could have stayed. He could have gone to his student's side, consoled and counselled him. But if he had, he would have condemned innocents to death; among them Brahma's child.
And, like as not, he would have been killed too.
His Mantra flared again. He jinked left and right, as a fresh fusillade of arrows and bullets came on. Some clattered off the chariot, others smashed into buildings or the street below. Some struck people, arrows pinning them to the ground, bullets blasting off limbs. He could hear their cries of fear and agony.
"They wouldn't!" exclaimed Khana, in horrified denial.
"They would, and they have!" Drona snarled back. The city wall was up ahead, drawing closer and closer. Drona held his course, counting down the seconds. Then, at the last moment, he pulled up hard; his stomach flying into his mouth as the chariot flew straight up. He reached the top and levelled off, flying atop the wall.
"Where can we go?" cried Khana. Drona looked around, watching for the chariots and Kshatriya, trying to think of something. The chariot sputtered, and he looked down at the gauges. The Galestones were all but expended.
Then he saw an Emberstone torch, attached to the side of the chariot; and he had an idea.
"The one place where they dare not follow us," he replied.
"Where's that?" asked Khana, incredulous. Then her eyes bulged in terror, as she saw where he was leading them.
"Hang on!"
Drona's knuckles whitened as he clutched the controls, focussing his mind. If his next maneuver was even a little off, the three of them were dead.
He turned, dropping off the Memorial Wall, and down into the cavern of Naraka. He heard Khana scream and the baby wail, saw Emberstone bullets flash past him, vanishing into the darkness.
Then they stopped, and there was no more light. With one free hand he activated the Emberstone torch, its glow washing over the rocks and crags, casting long and twisted shadows. Below, just visible in the torchlight, was the carcass of Vritra, minus its head. Many of its bones were gone, no doubt gnawed-upon by the lesser beasts that made this place their home.
"Drona!" shrieked Khana. Drona turned, raising the torch, just as his Mantra flared. He heard a snarl, and turned to see a crag-back viper, its mouth as wide as a house, reeling back from the light. It snarled and hissed, its horrid breath washing over them, and lashed a tail as long as a city street. Drona swerved, frantically dodging the tail as it slammed and crashed.
He felt the chariot shudder, and glanced down; just in time to see the gauges fall to zero. The Galestone was expended, and the chariot was falling.
Up ahead was a sand dune, and one desperate chance.
"Hold tight!" he called out, and with quick fingers unfastened Khana's harness. He grabbed her round the waist, and leapt from the chariot. He landed on his back, holding them tight as they tumbled over the sand.
Drona looked up as they stopped, holding up the torch; which mercifully had not gone out. He saw the crag-back viper, nestling against the wall, milky-white eyes blinded by the light. It snarled and hissed, but kept its distance.
In his arms, Khana shivered with fear; and Drona didn't blame her. Vasuki was bigger, but not by much.
"How is she?" he asked, and Khana looked down at the cooing baby in her arms.
"All right. What do we do?"
Drona looked around, taking in the dark cavern. There was little to see but sand and rocks, and the gigantic serpent that hissed nearby; repelled by the light.
They could not go back. To go back was death. To go on…
A cold wind whistled and whispered through the cavern. Drona pulled off his robe, and handed it to Khana. "Use this to wrap the child. We can only go on, and we must not stop for anything."
"Where are we going?"
"To Mt. Mahal. These caverns have an exit near there. It's our only chance."
Khana's head moved back and forth, as if on a swivel. She was right to be afraid, in this place more than any other.
"No one ever returns from Naraka," she said, looking sick. "This is as far in as anyone has ever gone."
"Yet we must go further, for there is only death behind us. If we dawdle, we will die of cold in the darkness."
The baby wailed, and Khana tried to quiet her. "We'll be alright," she whispered. "This is the Mahaguru Drona, the hero who killed the Calamity Beast."
She smiled down at the baby, but Drona could see her eyes. He looked back at the serpent; still coiled nearby, waiting for the light to go out so it could pounce. It could not see them, but it could still smell and hear them. Only the blinding pain of the light held it back.
Drona glared into the milky-white eyes, unleashing his King's Authority. The beast sensed him, and withdrew into its coils. It knew, at some level, what he was; and that it was best to let him go.
Drona looked ahead, taking in the long, dark cavern. Here and there he could see bones, the remains of criminals; or whatever counted as a criminal these days. How many of them had been unfortunates like Khana and the baby? Or those who knew too much? Or who would not bend?
He shook his head. He could not dwell on such dark thoughts, not now.
"Let us go," he said, leading the way. "Into the long dark of Naraka."
(X)
The following hours felt like the longest in Drona's life; as they trekked through the dark caverns of Naraka.
Cold winds whistled through the caverns, chilling him to the bone. Khana suffered far worse, for she was not dressed for the cold; nor had she endured what he had. The baby had cried ever louder, frantic with cold and hunger. So strong did the winds become, that from time to time they had to stop; forcing themselves into crags in the cavern wall, waiting for the gales to pass.
And there were the creatures that lived down there. Giant roaches, spiders, centipedes, serpents, boles, ants; each the size of a chariot or bigger. No doubt they had fed on Vritra's corpse, which must have been a rare feast in that dark place. Only the light of the Emberstone torch kept them at bay.
"It's hopeless." Khana fell to her knees, shivering and chattering her teeth. "We're marching through Hell. We'll freeze, or be eaten and forgotten…oh why, Ramava why!?" She clutched the baby and wept. "Kasa, father…"
"We can't give up, child," urged Drona, kneeling beside her. "We've come too far."
Too far indeed. It had been many hours since he saw any bones, any sign of life other than the creatures that lived down there. How had they gotten so far when no one else had?
He heard rocks falling, small shards landing on his shoulder. He looked up, and his heart sank.
Above, emerging from a hole in the cavern wall, was a Century Centipede. Its maw chittered, its obsidian carapace glittered in the torchlight; legs writhing and undulating. They were savvy and dangerous, able to survive for decades even in a place like Naraka.
The torch flickered.
"We failed Brahma. We failed everyone… We're going to die… we're all going to die here!" Khana's Kara was wilting, crumbling away; and Drona felt little better. Had he made one bad choice after another? Or was there never any hope? Had Just Ramava, Mighty Shurama, Wise Vantari, and Kind Swati forsaken him? Did they actually favour the traitorous Delhi?
The centipede was crawling down the wall. Drona thrust the dying torch into the sand and readied himself. He was cold, sore, tired, and hungry, but he glared at the beast as it came on. Even if all was lost, it would not have an easy meal of him.
"We will not perish!" he barked, stepping in front of Khana and the baby. He would not let the Black Rock win! He would see Shiva again! "We cannot die here, not while our land is trapped in darkness! I will not yield…until the sun rises ONCE MORE!"
The centipede roared and reared back, legs twitching and curling, ready to grasp and feed.
The torch went out. Khana wailed, and Drona prepared himself to die.
And Khana's wail became a cry of surprise, as the cavern filled with light. The centipede screamed and recoiled, and Drona looked to see Khana drop the baby on the sand; his robe that swaddled it catching fire. The baby emerged, sitting amid the burnt scraps of his robe flames billowing from her back. For the first time, she was no longer crying or whimpering.
Behind them, the centipede snarled and chittered, retreating to the safety of its hole.
"You…" Khana gasped. "You saved us!"
Drona looked on, amazed and relieved in equal measure. To think such a tiny, vulnerable life could have saved them both.
"We never gave you a name, did we?" Khana mused. The baby began kicking and crying, and Drona could tell she was hungry. She had never known her mother's breast in the few hours she had been alive.
"Shall we give her a name?" Khana asked, holding the flaming baby gingerly, lest she be burned. "Or rather, you should, Mahaguru. You knew Brahma well, better than me."
What would Brahma have named his child?
"She brought us life when we were lost in darkness," he said. "Just as Brahma was a light to all others." He held the baby at the waist, her flames warm on his hands. "I name her Bai, for Brahma's mother, who gave him to me as she lay dying; and Agni, for the flame she brings." He held her up, her light filling the cavern as the Sun lit the void. "Agni Bai."
The baby giggled in spite of everything, and Drona could see her Kara. It was tight with hunger, but she could sense his joy, his relief; the hope she had brought them both.
Maybe now there was a chance. Maybe the Gods had not deserted them after all.
"Come, we must go on." He held Bai in front of him, as a Sage pupil in training might hold a rock. "Her light will guide us."
He took a step, then froze as his Mantra flared; and an arrow thudded into the sand beside him. Khana cried out in surprise and fear.
"Thus far have you come and no further, Deva!" called a voice from the darkness. Drona looked around, his joy replaced with dread, as dark shapes emerged from the shadows of the cavern wall. So distracted had he been with the centipede, and Bai's awakening, that he hadn't noticed them.
And then came a new light, and another, and another. More flames, just like Agni's leaping from the backs of enormous, winged men. Dozens and dozens of them, spread out around the cavern. So bright was their fire, that even Drona flinched, squinting against the radiance.
One of the Lunarians jumped from its vantage point, wings carrying them down. It was a man, not clipped or weakened by serfdom, but tall and strong. He wore black leathers over white robes; finer than anything any Kshatriya would dare to wear. His skin was bronze, his short hair white, his face marked with intricate tattoos.
His manner was not at all friendly.
"Well well, what have we here?" he declared. "An attendant from Akasha Palace, a Lunarian babe, and the Mahaguru Drona. Not the usual clientele down here."
"Who are you!?" Who…" spluttered Drona, pausing as he saw the broach upon the man's breast; a black circle against a fireball. The Moon over the Sun.
The Eclipse Hunters.
"You're in no position to demand anything, Deva filth!" snarled a bald archer, his bow at the ready.
"Peace, Harvin." The leader raised a hand.
"Please, have mercy on us!" cried Khana, falling to her knees. "We mean no harm! We were only passing through!"
"Says you, Deva bitch!" snapped the archer. Drona did not need Kara to sense his hostility. "What possessed you both to come down here? Were the warm sun and rich lands no longer enough for you!? Bose, let's just take the babe and leave them here for the demons!"
"You're not taking her!" Khana shrieked. Drona handed Bai to her and stepped in front, glaring back at the bald archer.
"Touch her, and I'll tear you like a loaf of bread," he growled. His voice was not loud, but he knew they could hear. They must have been hiding here, watching and listening, as he and Khana struggled along this cavern.
"Harvin.Down,"ordered the one named Bose. Harvin growled, and lowered his bow; as did the others. Bose turned back to Drona, regarding him with questioning eyes.
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why did you care for her?" Bose pointed at Bai. "You could have left her to die, and lightened your load. So why protect her?"
Drona sighed through his nose. Would men like these understand?
"How long… have you been following us?" he asked.
"For the past hour. Now answer." Drona took a deep breath, and looked Bose straight in the eye.
"Because she is innocent," he replied. "And if she remained in Vimana, she would have been killed; by the demons that slithers within the House of the Three. For her father was Brahma, the Triarch of Life."
"That Brahma" Bose's eyes widened. "But…surely… he would not send her here?"
"He did not." Drona sighed. "He is dead, killed by a Lunarian assassin employed by House Duryo.
The archers looked at one-another; and Drona could sense their uncertainty.
"Please, she's hungry," pleaded Khana, as Bai fussed and griped. Bose stepped closer, looking down at the baby.
"She has the scar of the Third Eye. A half breed," he murmured.
"A bastard abomination." Harvin hissed, glowering at Bai with murderous eyes. Those around him were doing likewise. Khana glared defiantly at him, and Drona knew he had to act fast.
"Bose, you know what becomes of others like her in the Celestial Kingdom."
Bose nodded. "I do, but you have more to tell. Such as how two Triarchs are dead."
Drona blinked, then realised what he had said.
"How do you know of Vishnu's death?" he demanded. Did these people have some part in it? Had House Duryo been scapegoated? Or were they, Ramava forbid, in league with the Eclipse Hunters?
"Peace." Bose raised his hand. "We have a few friends on the surface, strange as that may seem. But we are no friends of the Black Rock, any more than you are." Bose unfurled his black wings, and held out his hand. "Give me the woman. I don't think my asking for the babe will earn me any favors."
"Bai," Khana said sternly. "Her name is Agni Bai."
"Very well… I will hold you then, Miss…?"
"Khana." She stepped forward, trying to look resolute. "Khana of House Jir."
"A Jir…" Bose smiled a little. "I have crossed blades with your kin more than once. They fought well, and died honorably." He smirked, and scooped her up with one hand, and took Bai in the other; unaffected by her flames. "Her fire is warm, vigorous." He looked down at Drona. "She loves you both."
Drona nodded, and turned to see another Lunarian stepping forward. This one, a woman, also had white-hair; but was strong and fully-figured, unlike the thin and sickly Sara.
"Bibi, would you mind carrying the old man? We are going home."
"As you say, Captain Bose." Bibi offered her arms, and Drona offered his; letting himself be drawn to her. Harvin scoffed, but stowed his bow.
"Where are we going?" Drona asked, and Bose smiled.
"To our paradise, our Heaven under Hell. The Rud Yard."
(X)
"The Rud Yard?" Izuku asked.
"It is a small island underneath Brahmapura, kept aloft by the Cloud Mountains and the roots of the Eternal Arbor," Drona explained. "The free Lunarians make their home there, in their city of Svraga." He sighed. "It is a place of peace, tranquility." He scoffed.
"Ironic," he mused, bitterly. "Vimana's greatest enemy hides right under their noses, under the very roots of Kalprivaska, without anyone knowing a thing."
"From what you told us, it seems the Lunarians who live there can navigate Naraka," commented Marco. "How come the other Lunarians haven't found this out?"
"Because they still believe that to enter Naraka is to die. No expedition has ever returned; and the Eclipse Hunters make sure of it. They don't want anyone loyal to Vimana discovering their home."
"What about Lunarians who can't get their harnesses off?" Izuku asked.
"Kalprivaska's bark is flexible and malleable, and absorbs heat well, but the cold weakens it," Drona explained. "If a Lunarian can get deep enough without being killed, they can get the harness off; and the Hunters can find them and bring them to sanctuary. They would have killed us if not for Bai."
"I can't say I blame them," Law spoke up. "Your kind have been enslaving theirs for two thousand years."
Izuku looked at Drona, half-expecting him to deny it, or somehow justify it. But Drona said nothing; and Izuku could tell that he had no
"It wasn't until I left Vimana that I realised how corrupt we had become. Our society was stagnant, decayed, and too arrogant to see it. My students tried to change it, but it wouldn't budge. It…consumedthem."
Drona's shoulders slumped, and he lowered his eyes.
"I lived in Rud Yard for ten years, training and meditating," he went on. "I helped Khana to raise Bai as her own daughter. I tried to teach the ways of the Sages to those willing to learn; few though they were. I gave the Hunters and Svraga's elders all the information I had, and they revealed many secrets to me in return. It turns out that certain nobles had been passing them information, letting them stay ahead of the Rangers and the Kshatriya."
"So Brahma's words reached a few after all," suggested Reiju, earning a sad smile from Drona.
"Indeed, but none of them dare let it be known. Such treason would ruin them, and their houses. As my people have a habit of saying, the only thing worse than scum are those who protect scum."
Whitebeard and Marco glanced at one-another, while Drona took a long sip of water and sighed.
"Fortunately, Bose was willing to save my fellow Sages. By the grace of Ramava, Putana and Mombay survived, and the Hunters were able to rescue them from Naraka. It seems they had the same idea. Three of us, when once there were thousands."
He looked down, his eyes heavy with sorrow. It made Izuku's heart ache.
"Those Devil Fruit users…" Reiju mused. "Have your kind not encountered Devil Fruit powers before? How come they appeared out of nowhere?"
"They got them from Shiki," Whitebeard cut in. "He somehow got his hands on some after he escaped from Impel Down. He offered them to me as a sweetener." The old man scoffed. "I still told him to piss off. I had no interest in his schemes. Too much like thatdamnedman."
"Which ones did he have?" Law asked.
"Well…from what Drona said, the assassin was using a weight-altering Devil Fruit," Whitebeard mused. "A bit like Shiki's Float Float power. If you hadn't mentioned his name, I would've thought that sand punk Crocodile was involved. Looking for somewhere to hide after that ass-whipping I gave him fifteen years ago."
Marco stifled a snigger.
"But the body control." Law's brow furrowed. "From what you described, it sounded like Doflamingo's String String power. But it's notquitethe same, and Doflamingo's still alive."
"Strange…some kind of Paramecia that's different from that punk's…" Whitebeard closed his eyes. "That's two of six."
"Six Devil Fruits!?" Law exclaimed. "How did Shiki get six Devil Fruits!?"
Reiju looked amazed, and Izuku felt the same way. He had thought Devil Fruits were rare, and turned up randomly as their previous holder died. How had this Shiki person found six of them?
"He got them while escaping Impel Down," said Whitebeard. "They were on a government ship, stopping by for supplies. Impel Down's not far from Marineford, so I suppose they'd been sent to bolster the garrison. Shiki got lucky."
"Or he had inside info?" suggested Law, quirking an eyebrow.
"Possibly." Whitebeard shrugged. "So, two Paramecia types, and four unknowns. Is there anything more you can tell us, Drona? Did your spies find anything else?"
"No. I rarely heard from them, and they had nothing about other Devil Fruits. Perhaps Shiki hasn't distributed them yet."
"That makes sense," agreed Whitebeard. "He won't hand them out lightly."
"So, what else is going on in Vimana?" Izuku asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. "What happened to Shiva?"
The look in Drona's eyes made him wish he had kept quiet.
"Shiva…the boy I raised…is a Triarch no longer," he said. "He is the sole ruler of Brahmapura, a King of Gods." He glowered, and Izuku shivered. "His mind has been poisoned, byKali. She took Parvati's place after she and her son were…murdered."
He fell silent. He seemed to have shrunk somehow, as if something vital had drained out of him. He seemed so very old, and tired, and alone.
"Those monsters of the Black Rock did this," he forced himself to say. "Shiki was the key to completing their plans. They have made Shiva their tool, and they control everything. Even the Vuhya Rangers and the Kshatriya serve them. Anyone loyal to the old Sage Order is killed on the spot."
"TheoldSage Order?"
"A new order was established shortly after I left." Drona scoffed. "Nothing more than a social club for nobles and merchants. All led by that damned Delhi!"
The War Room was silent, his words hanging in the air.
"If I remember the old Lion right, he'll want something in return," Whitebeard spoke up. "And this Delhi character has plenty to give him."
"You are not wrong," Drona replied. "They're building something at Lankar Harbor, something big."
"A ship, no doubt." Whitebeard closed his eyes. "A ship, to help him conquer the world."
"Or to travel under Brahmapura, and find the Rud Yard through the veil of Cloud Mountain..." Drona looked haunted. "If they find it, there will be no stopping them. All will be killed."
"Can Shikireallydo that?" asked Law, looking sceptical. "I mean, conquer the world? That guy?"
"It's what he's always wanted," answered Whitebeard. "To rule the world as King of the Pirates. He even fought Roger to that end, many times. The Duryo, it seems, are willing to make it happen."
"We have to stop him then." Izuku spoke up, and all eyes fell on him.
"Izuku." Whitebeard's tone was rigid. "Youjustcame back from fighting in a war. You cannot be-"
"I have to! Drona needs our help!" pleaded Izuku. "Those people are in need! The Lunarians under the Duryo regime's heel! And Drona's friends! Pops, he's just about lost everything! I can't just stand by and-!"
"Did you not hear what I said boy!" Whitebeard snapped, glaring at him. "What did you and Yamatojustgo through?!"
"But Roger is gone, and Rayleigh might not even be alive," Izuku went on. "Drona spent years finding a way down, trying to find them! Do we tell him his quest was for nothing!? After what he did for us in Germa!?"
"We know that, Izuku," said Marco, gently but firmly. "But right now, you both need rest. Even then, Yamato is innostate to come with you."
Izuku faltered, heart clenching as he remembered Yamato's face, her eyes, her terrible cries.
"Besides, this won't be like with Germa," Marco went on. "Fate gave you a serious leg-up with Reiju and all her know-how; while Drona's intel is fifteen years out of date. On top of that, you'll be facing an army that'll make Germa look like a bunch of schoolyard bullies. And on top of all that is Shiki, a man even Roger couldn't kill! How the hell do you think you can-!"
"I KNOW!" Izuku yelled. His mind was fraying; he just wanted to sleep. But he looked Marco straight in the eye.
"I know, you're right," he gasped. He knew he had crossed a line in yelling at Marco, but there was no backing down now. "We need rest. I need to train…because I wasn't strong enough to protect Yamato, or Law, or Reiju, or anyone else."
"Midoriya," breathed Law. Reiju looked heartbroken, while Drona looked sullen.
"But every second we wait, Shiki and the Duryos build up their strength," continued Izuku. "What if Shiki finds more allies? What if he tries it on with Shanks, or Big Mom, or with Kaido? Or what if they just start a war? How many will die? Because we didnothing."
He stood up, looking Whitebeard right in the eyes.
"I can't let that happen! Irefuseto stand by and do nothing!" Izuku felt like his blood was on fire. "I'll save the Lunarian people! I'll save the Ashurans and the Devas too; fromthemselvesif I have to!"
Whitebeard narrowed his eyes, as he stared back. The room grew heavy as Law and Reiju flinched and frowned.
But Izuku didn't flinch, even as the air grew heavy with Conqueror's Haki. Marco looked from one to the other, from father to brother, his face pained.
"Even so…you can't just go off on your own like this! Even with Drona you-"
"Who says he's going alone?" Law said. All eyes fell on him, but he didn't flinch. Even Drona looked surprised.
"Brat, do you have any idea what you're facing?" Whitebeard asked. "In his time Shiki fought Roger, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, and even Garp the Hero many times. You're anantcompared to any of them."
"I know." Law cleared his throat. " I promised Midoriya I'd help him. And besides," he smirked, "ants can bite."
"Likewise." Reiju stepped forward. "Drona saved my life, and my soul. Even if his kingdom wasn't in the hands of slavers and killers, that's reason enough. Please, Pops, let me help him."
"You…" Drona looked at them in amazement. Izuku looked at Law and Reiju, but he had no words for them.
The Emperor closed his eyes.
"I suppose I can't stop you," Whitebeard sighed.
"Pops!" cried Marco, appalled.
"But first, you will get plenty of rest," ordered Whitebeard. "It'll take us a while to sort out a way up to Brahmapura, so get it while you can. And I won't hear any argument."
Izuku took a deep breath, and bowed.
"Thank you Pops. I know this is hard but-"
"I can see it in your eyes, Izuku. You can't stand back when others are in need." Whitebeard rubbed his forehead, and reached for his keg. "Do as you must, Izuku; but only after you've recovered your strength. I won't lose one of my sons after I just got him back."
"Understood." Izuku nodded. "Pops… thank you!" He bowed again.
"Don't thank me, I'm just being your father." He sipped from his grog. "It's an ungodly hour; we'll talk more in the morning." Whitebeard gestured at the door. "Marco, can you show our guests to their rooms?"
"Can do." Marco led the way, and the others followed him to the door.
"Izuku, a moment?" Whitebeard called out. Izuku paused, and everyone looked at him. Reiju smiled, and Law nodded, looking him right in the eye. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Drona looking at him with grateful eyes. He smiled back, and waited as Drona followed the others out; leaving him alone with Whitebeard.
"I know you're tired, but I need to know," Whitebeard said. "What happened to the Vestiges?"
Izuku winced. He would remember that night until the day he died, for good or for ill.
"I…told them to go away." He rubbed his arm. "They were fighting about me trying to save Yamato…after the bite. Now I can't hear them at all. Can you see them?"
"Faintly," Whitebeard replied, looking intently at him. "They're like wisps, or steam from a tea pot. My guess is…they're trying to give you some space." He leant back in his throne, and Izuku sighed with relief. He was afraid they were gone forever.
Annoying they might've been, they were still the only people from his old world he had. And in some way, they were just as much his family as the crew.
"Any other man would've gone crazy with all those voices inside their head," commented Whitebeard.
"Well, I've been called crazy before," replied Izuku, smiling wryly. Whitebeard let out a scoff.
"As have I. But…do you know what you're taking on?"
"I do."
"Even if it means that Yamato cannot come with you?" he asked. Izuku winced, and looked down. Yamato had been at his side ever since he came to this world. He didn't know where or what he would be without her.
Then he heard her sobs and screams inside his mind. She had suffered enough for his sake. She needed her family, and her rest.
"I… understand. If it's me, Law, and Reiju. If we can coordinate and be careful, we can overthrow this Shiki guy."
"You're not ready to fight him."
Izuku looked up at Whitebeard, but the older man stared back, unyielding.
"Maybe he's gotten older," he suggested, knowing how he sounded. "Maybe he's weaker."
"Never believe it." Whitebeard's eyes were cold and dark. "He and I…we used to be shipmates."
"Yeah?"
"Along with Big Mom and Kaido." Izuku's eyes widened.
"You were?"
"Yes. All four of us, under Rocks D. Xebec; may he burn in hell."
Izuku looked down at the deck, too shocked and too tired to deal with it. Rocks D. Xebec. Another D… they served under such a man?
Whitebeard regarded him in silence. Then he let out a laugh.
"Well, I guess I can't stop you. First you're gunning for Kaido, now you're after the Golden Lion. I'd give anything to come with you, but my place is here."
"I know." Izuku nodded. "I'll find a way to defeat Shiki, and I want to save Shiva too. Drona loves him like a son. I'd like to talk to him, if I can."
Whitebeard quirked an eyebrow.
"If he lets people call him a God King, I doubt words will reach him," he warned. "That kind of thing gets to a man's head, after all. But you've done the impossible often enough." He sighed. "Go, get cleaned up and get some sleep. You'll need it."
"Got it Pops… and thank you." Izuku bowed lightly.
"No need to thank me. A father supports his children."
Izuku smiled, and strode out; heading for the showers.
(X)
"Jozu," Newgate said, as his snail connected.
"Yeah?" replied his Third Division commander.
"I'm calling a meeting early tomorrow morning. All commanders. And send for Izou too. He's living with some old lady named Herzla these days."
"Will do. Oh, and word from the Snail Room, they've heard some interesting chatter."
Newgate quirked an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Apparently Red Hair's on the warpath," Jozu went on. "Cutting through the sea, running down anklebiters, not even stopping to loot. Something's got his goat, and bad. Marines are steering clear, but keeping a distance.
"Red Hair, huh." Odd. Roger's apprentice had always been mellow and laid back. "Do we know where he's heading?"
"Somewhere deep in the New World. Pops, there's storms following him."
Newgate closed his eyes. Red Hair was angry, and anyone with any sense would be giving him a wide berth. And the Marines, and no doubt Kaido or Big Mom will notice too.
"If he doesn't bother us, we won't bother him. Keep an eye on him all the same."
"Will do." And he hung up, leaving the Emperor alone to his thoughts.
Big thanks once more to the team of Juubi-K , IKnowNothing and WildJoker000
And thus conclude's Drona's flashback and how he got from above the stratosphere to the North Blue. Izuku is once more leaping into the fray, but will Yamato be at his side when he and his allies take on a King of Gods and his decadent heavenly court?
We have our goal now. Go to Brahmapura, coordinate with the Eclipse Hunters, and take the fight to the Duryo Regime and Shiki.
Next chapter won't pop up for a while, going to Vegas for a spell. Hope you all enjoyed this at the least. See ya in the next one.