Chapter 23: Helping Hand

Lucas,

Hopefully, by the time you read this, you'll already be home, and this entire message will be superfluous. But considering what we're about to do to try and get these packages to you, I'm not holding my breath on that.

First of all, you should know that whatever you did to those Unown in the Solaceon Ruins, it reportedly dissipated all the psychic energy that had been accumulated. The town is safe thanks to you, but I hope you'll forgive me when I say that the price you paid was not worth it.

Arceus be praised for small mercies; as this incident happened before you officially took the throne, I've been able to keep the League running smoothly these past weeks. News of your absence has been restricted to the highest level possible, with only the other Champions, the Elite Four, and your friends and family being kept in the loop. And your friends have been doing you proud with how they've stepped up in the meantime. They'll probably have more to say on it, but Dawn and Barry have been spearheading the hunt for ways to bring you back, and they've been instrumental in improving international relations in the process, especially with the Alola region.

Based on Barry's and Dawn's reports, by now you'll have formulated some plans on how to get home. If it involves the methods I suspect, then you will need every scrap of power and technique that we in the League have given you and more besides. But if it's any consolation, I think that out of everyone in the Sinnoh region, you're the one with the best chance of pulling it off. You've come far from that wide-eyed kid I met in Eterna City. You've grown in leaps and bounds in ways that you may not even realize, and I can only thank Arceus that I was able to help you become the man you are today.

Best of luck, Champion Lucas.

Cynthia

-o-

Even Luffy had had the decency to tamp down on his excitement at seeing what else Lucas had gotten from his world as he went through letter after letter from the people he cared about most. Throughout the reading, he never stopped smiling, and he seldom stopped crying.

Eventually, though, after reading and rereading every single one of them, Lucas slowly folded each paper up and slipped them into his pockets. Then he started going through the rest of Luxray's bag.

By and large, the contents seemed rather mundane: sets of clothes, several lunchboxes, combs and brushes, soap and dishware, pillows and blankets…more than it looked like should have been able to fit in the bag, but all things considered, the standard contents for a care package. Though there were a few secure-looking boxes that Lucas barely glanced at before setting aside.

After a bit, he turned his attention to Togekiss's bag, slowly pulling out spray bottles or packages of something or other, looking them over, and placing them into his own bag. He grinned broadly as he pulled out a small, red machine and a new watch. At one point, he even pulled a series of rods, wheels, and chains that unfolded into an entire bicycle, much to everyone's surprise and Franky's open envy.

"Does everyone have a bike like that in your world?" he asked.

"Not everyone, but lots of trainers do," Lucas replied. "I'm kind of surprised that this is that impressive to you, though."

"Hey, in a city like this, it's all boats and bulls. I've never had a good reason to build a bike, let alone one that could fold up like that."

"Fair enough," Lucas conceded, resuming his rummaging and pulling out a few photographs as he asked another question.

"So, what do you think is the most impressive thing you've ever built?"

"Me, of course," the cyborg grinned, thumping his chest. "I built all these upgrades myself." In response to the action, Franky's gut popped open, revealing his fully stocked cola fridge. "Completely bulletproof, the most SUPER guns you've ever seen, and some built-in weapons! Everything I need to be the most badass cyborg this side of the Red Line."

That got Lucas to stop rummaging through the supplies to stare incredulously at Franky. "And you fuel it all with… soda?"

"Cola," Franky corrected. "And it's easy to make, easy to find, and SUPER efficient! What other kind of fuel would I use?"

"I guess I can't really contest that," Lucas conceded, visibly shaking his head as he overcame his most recent bout of culture shock. "How about the second most impressive, then? Trying to get some ideas for my new ship."

Franky shrugged, seeming a bit uncomfortable. "Most of my personal projects were single-person battleships. Don't think that's helpful for what you're looking for." He looked at the Straw Hats. "You guys have been on the Grand Line for a while. What do you think?"

"I mean, if you're talking about the most unusual ship we've ever seen, there's no contest. That has to be the Maxim," Sanji said.

"Oh, yeah," Usopp agreed fervently. "Nothing stands out more than a flying gold ark."

"Did you say flying?" Franky asked incredulously.

Nami nodded. "It was a massive ship owned by a Logia user we fought in Skypiea, made out of pure gold. So much gold…" Her voice trailed off as she stared into the distance. After a few seconds, she wrenched herself back to the present with a firm head shake. "But it's probably not something we can do. The only reason he could make it fly was that he had a bottomless supply of—"

Nami froze. Then, slowly, her eyes turned toward Lucas and his gathered team. Or, more specifically, Luxray.

"…Lightning."

There was silence for a moment, and then the room exploded into action.

-o-

Son,

I'm relieved that this letter will find you in good health. Your friends have made it very clear that you have a plan on how to get home, and considering what exactly we plan to do, I have a very good idea on what that plan entails. And I know that the first attempt was not as successful as you wished.

I know this isn't exactly what you wanted to hear, but you'll return stronger from this failure. Even before you were contesting Cynthia for her throne, you were able to hold your own against Lord Giratina, and I speak from experience when I say that this is a credit to your skill as a trainer and the dedication and love that you have for your team, and theirs for you. As for how I know this, well, it's a story I'll tell you when you get back, but suffice it to say I have had my share of encounters on a Legendary scale.

But don't worry, I have more than just encouragement for your next encounter with Lord Giratina. Included in the supplies is a special set of stones, a gift from some of our friends in Kalos. They were supposed to be your inauguration gift, but necessity takes precedence. Enclosed with them is another note detailing their exact purpose. Destroy it after you memorize its instructions. I can't say much about it, even in a letter like this, but it's vital that you keep the stones' exact mechanics a secret. And, Arceus willing, they will give your team even more power to keep themselves and you safe.

No matter what, know that your mother and I love you, and we're proud of you, always have been, and always will be. And we pray that soon we'll be able to tell you so in person.

Dad

-o-

Eager to help in the creation of a flying ship, the four Straw Hats that had been aboard the Maxim were quick to offer their memories of it for Franky, and Gardevoir carefully compiled them.

Hmmm, she said, her eyes closed as she sifted through the memories. This is not quite a complete blueprint, but it should suffice as a proof of concept. She nodded to herself before turning to Franky.

Analyze as you can, she conveyed, her eyes flashing once more and Franky wincing as the memories entered his mind. Almost immediately, one hand was on his chin thoughtfully, and his other hand was blurring across a blank canvas.

"OK, so he used those like this, and they connected like that so he could do it—hmm."

He paused and looked at me.

"Seems like he needed at least 200 million volts for his ship. How much can Luxray pull off?"

"Uhh, let me see," I said, pulling up the PokéDex—one of the things I was most grateful to find in the care packages. "In general, weaker Electric attacks have the most precision and accuracy. For most Pokémon, it starts getting harder to control around 100,000 or 150,000 volts. But that's if we're in the middle of a battle; if there's no pressure to strike fast, we can probably manage more pretty easily…okay, found it. Looks like between 10 million and 120 million at the point of impact, but potentially up to 300 million depending how much lightning gets through."

"So, power's not a problem," Franky went on, one hand continuing to sketch ideas as fast as Torterra in a Trick Room. Even Crobat was staring in disbelief at Franky's speed.

"Propulsion, steering, probably needs to be big for Torterra's sake, something for storage since Luxray won't be pumping juice all the time…" The shipwright's mutters devolved into something unintelligible as his stencil blurred across the paper, designs forming and getting crossed out almost as quickly until he came to an abrupt stop.

"OK, take a look at this," Franky said, turning the outline to me. "I'm making all the inside stuff big enough for all your team, but I think the easiest way to make sure you have plenty of room to fight is making it all outside."

The ship he'd drawn up looked sleek in its lower half, while the upper half was mostly a long, wide, rectangular platform with a tower-like extension in the middle. I eyed the numbers he had sketched and found myself nodding along.

"Looks good to me," I said.

"All right," Franky said. "Now, any preference on how to spruce this up? This is coming from the one and only Franky, after all, and I'm not about to ruin this ship by making it some generic-looking tub."

I looked at the design again, frowning as I tried to think of what kind of design I wanted. I could make it look like a Pokémon—that was almost par for the course for most vehicles back home—but that long shape didn't resemble any of my team, and no Water-types from back home leapt to—

Leapt.

I grinned as memories of going surfing with Dad danced across my mind. "How about Basculegion?"

Ahh, how appropriate. Gardevoir smiled, everyone else among my team grinning in agreement as I pulled up my PokéDex and swiped to the small section where the unique species my dad had found before I was born were stored. I held out the image to Franky, who looked in interest.

"Now, that's one mean-looking fish," he remarked, a grin slowly growing back on his face. "I see what you mean, though. This should work perfectly."

He went back to his design, his hand moving slightly more slowly. "Let's see here. Cannon in the mouth, ports along the dots, engines along the tail, fins for maneuvering, aaaand the dorsal fin'll work for the bridge and flagpole."

He turned it back around to show a near-perfect likeness of Basculegion, and I gave him a thumbs-up.

"Looks great. And can you paint my flag on the belly?"

"No problem!" Franky saluted, rolling up the blueprints and getting to his feet. "But this does put me in an awkward position."

He looked at the Straw Hats. "Obviously, I'm doing your—our ship first, for Merry's sake. But this is going to be one complicated project, and there's gonna be a lot of things to work out that I don't think Galley-La can handle. So I'm not leaving Water 7 until Lucas's ship is done."

Even through his sparkly-eyed fascination with the Basculegion ship's concept art, Luffy could give Franky an understanding nod. "I get it," he said. "Building a flying ship sounds hard." And then the starry eyes were back. "But it'll be so cool to see, so waiting around'll be worth it!" Chopper and Usopp joined him in the subsequent cheering.

"Hey, building it'll be easy," Franky shrugged. "The hard part's gonna be making sure it can actually get in the air and stay there."

"Sounds like we've got a lot of experimentation ahead of us," I grinned eagerly, and Luxray purred in agreement (or maybe it was the behind-the-ear scritches I was giving her). "Either way, I can't wait to see how it turns out!"

-o-

Lucas,

I miss you every day that you're gone, but I'm so happy to know that you're safe and doing your best wherever you are. I know we'll see you again soon enough, so I hope you're enjoying yourself as much as you can.

Things are going okay here. Cynthia's handling the worst of the damage, and Palmer is making sure everything is fine at your villa while you're away. I put everything I could think of that you could use in these bags, so I hope you don't have to worry about running out of supplies anytime soon. And I know money from home may not help you where you are, so I sent your treasure box, along with a few contributions of my own. Just make sure to keep up your harvesting.

Words could never express how proud I am of the man you've become. And when you come home, I'll be ready to hear all the amazing stories you have to tell.

And make sure to bring back something nice for Dawn, too. She's been a blessing while you've been gone, and she deserves something nice in exchange, okay, dear?

Love,

Mom

-o-

No emotions were allowed to slip among the five most powerful men in the world, but the tension was still palpable as the masked agent bowed before them.

"Report."

The agent's response was swift and blunt. "While our agents remained undetected throughout the entire operation, in doing so, we were unable to complete Objective A. Neither the Pokémon Champion nor any of his companions were isolated enough to dispatch or obtain."

The man in the center of the group scowled under his large mustache. Objective A was always a long shot, but it still burned to have CP0, of all organizations, report a mission failure. "And Objective B?"

"B-1 was likewise unsuccessful," the agent began. "Even after the inclusion of extra targets from the two new creatures, attempting to secure a sample of the Champion's supplies would have resulted in a breach of cover." And while neither Commodore Smoker nor the Straw Hat pirates were a physical threat, the risk of the Warlord himself catching on to CP0's actions was too great.

"B-2, however…" The agent reached into the satchel at his side, pulling out one of the stones from the Bridge of Hesitation. A stone that bore several bloodstains. "Was a success. Multiple samples were retrieved under the cover of Aqua Laguna, and they have been preserved for future use."

The tension in the room lightened significantly, and one of the other men, one who was sitting hunched over a cane, nodded. "Very good. Deliver them to Egghead Island and impress upon the doctor that the restoration of these samples is to be their first priority."

"By your command."

The five men waited until the agent had exited the chamber (and the room was confirmed secure once more) before they spoke again.

"First priority?" the youngest of them, a tall blonde man, grumbled. "Esoteric abilities aside, these creatures have shown themselves to be equal to a senior Vice-Admiral at least, but if the boy's statements are true, then it takes years of intense training and coordination to reach that level. The Pacifista project provides units of similar strength with less time and investment."

"And yet," the cane-bearer replied, "It is those same abilities that make them such a valuable asset. Even if they possessed a quarter of their strength, I would still have given this project the same importance."

The fifth man, who had until then remained silent, spoke up in agreement. "Physical strength and combat prowess can be enhanced and improved. The lineage factor of these creatures is the real prize."

The blonde nodded silently, signaling his capitulation. "Of course, my apologies. Though I do wonder if providing multiple units is as viable as you suggest, compared to the results of the Pacifista project."

The mustachioed man barked out a short laugh at that. "One unit or multiple, it doesn't matter. What is important is that Vegapunk gets suitably powerful results as soon as possible. The Seraphim project demands no less."

-o-

Lucas!

You idiot! How could you go and get lost in another dimension again! Man, the things we had to do to figure out what happened, they'll be a story of their own alright! Dawn and I even got to go to Alola, and I guess alternate dimension problems are just the new thing nowadays because we had to deal with some visiting Pokémon there too!

And even with all the running around we had to do, it was worth it! I picked up a couple of new teammates (can't say more; they'll surprise you when you see them!), and the Alola League's got a few tricks of its own (can't tell you about those either! You'll see them in our next battle) that make battling a lot cooler! We even got paid for it since Champion Cynthia got to file our work under "efforts to improve diplomatic relations" or something like that, which is an even bigger bonus! I'm telling you, you'll need to step up your game when you get back if you wanna replace her as the Best Champion.

Get back soon, you hear? And you'd better have some new tricks up your sleeves when you do, because if your high seas adventures left you getting rusty, then I'll be the one leaving you in the dust this time!

Barry

-o-

As the crew captained by the undisputed Strongest Man in the World and the only marginally disputed strongest pirate in the world, the Whitebeard Pirates were rarely in a situation that would cause them widespread tension. One of the very few exceptions was someone that the world considered on equal grounds with their captain coming for a personal visit, because with two Emperors in one place, things could grow very destructive very quickly.

Yet the first thing to happen when Shanks stepped aboard the Moby Dick, a sizable gourd of alcohol in hand, was for the recently returned Second Division Commander to greet him with a smile.

"It's been a while, Shanks."

The pressure in the air, which had several of Whitebeard's crew ready to pass out, immediately lessened as Shanks returned the smile.

"It has, Ace. You've been to see Luffy; how is he?"

"Heh. When I saw him in Alabasta, he was the same dumbass kid I left three years ago. But it seems like he's gotten a little stronger and wiser thanks to Lucas."

Shanks's smile sharpened some. "I see."

He turned his attention to the giant of a man sitting on a nearby throne, and Ace stepped back to allow him to walk forward. Still, the pressure was dampened; some of the weaker Whitebeard Pirates swayed but did not faint.

"I made contact because of a completely different reason. Now, though, I'm here to talk about the kid who got rid of that reason."

"Ah, yes, the new Warlord, isn't it? Kids these days," Whitebeard grinned. "Can't seem to take anything slow anymore."

"You're telling me," Shanks grumbled good-naturedly. "I had this whole speech cooked up about how Marshall D. Teach wasn't to be taken lightly and that you needed to either call Ace back or send him help. And now all that time and effort has been wasted. That's time I could've spent partying over another World Government asshole getting punted in the balls!"

-Earlier-

"Right, so I'll be on my way in a sec," Shanks said, wearing an uncharacteristically serious look as he strode over to the boat Rockstar had gone to visit Whitebeard in. "If the old man wants a face-to-face meeting, that's what he's gonna get." He still didn't know how he missed Teach's true nature all these years, but if he didn't act now, Ace would be in grave danger. Whitebeard's heir apparent was strong, sure, but he had no idea the kind of threat Teach could be.

"Something the bastard probably did on purpose, too," he muttered before raising his voice as Benn approached. "Any last-minute news, Benn?"

His first mate gestured to Lucky Roux, who was holding the day's paper. "The paper just came in, so we'll know soon. Would've had something to tell you sooner if Roux hadn't tried to cook the News Coo again."

"Ah, you worry too much, Benn!" the glutton laughed, waving the rolled-up newspaper around like a conductor's baton. "I wasn't tryin' to cook the guy, just mess with him a bit! News Coos don't have enough meat on their bones for my tastes!"

Roux opened the paper in one hand, idly taking a bite out of the shank he was holding with the other, and skimmed through it before freezing. The rest of the Red-Hair Pirates were then treated to the first instance in living memory of Lucky Roux choking on a piece of food.

Shanks yanked the paper from Roux's hands as Yasopp started thumping him on the back. "Roux, what the hell! You're gonna get food all over the paper! I thought you were better… than…"

Shanks trailed off, his expression turning from mildly annoyed to wide-eyed very quickly. His eyes narrowed again as he kept reading along the front page and the page after that, taking in every detail and easily sifting through the Government's propaganda with what he knew about Luffy. Roux choking was understandable; if their current heading were any less dire, the entire crew would be spit-taking at this.

His expression was unsmiling as he handed the newspaper to Beckman, who frowned as he accepted it, Yasopp reading over his shoulder. By now, the entire crew was watching tensely; their captain wasn't angry, but he was dead serious. The second that his smartest crewmate lowered the pages, Shanks spoke up.

"So, let me see if I missed any of the major points that they're saying from this. Luffy's somehow been coerced into working under that Warlord, Lucas, at least on paper. Luffy's brother was involved and escaped while Teach was captured. This dragon that came after Lucas is potentially comparable to Kaido in power and mindset but less depraved. Lucas and his team, going all-out, almost beat it and were fully recovered from the fight in not even half a week. There is a non-zero chance that Giratina will appear again, either to Lucas or to someone else. And above all, Lucas, Luffy, and Smoker got away with destroying Enies Lobby, scot-free."

"You missed the part where Luffy's crew defeated CP9 without Lucas's help," Beckman added.

"Thank you, Benn," Shanks shot back. Then he blinked as he remembered what he was doing. "Well, damn. I was just about to visit the old geezer about Fire-Fist. What the hell am I gonna talk to him about now?"

-o-

"Heh," Whitebeard said, still grinning back. "Teach committed a crime that couldn't be pardoned, but I had reservations about going after him, too. Of course, I'm only admitting that because, thanks to this upstart, he's been sent to hell where he belongs."

Whitebeard's smile slowly faded as he turned to look at Ace. He was still calm, but his expression was serious. Shanks slowly turned his eyes on Ace as well.

"I think now would be a good time for you to tell us everything."

"It's a long story, Pops," Ace answered with a small smile.

"Well, I brought sake," Shanks said, pouring himself a sizable dish. "So you'd better make it a story worth the drink."

-o-

Lucas,

I know that you and your team are alright. Don't ask how, it'd take too long to explain, but words can't express how relieved I am that you're okay.

Barry's probably written an entire novel on it already, but we've had quite a few adventures of our own trying to find a way to get you back. Alola, in particular, needed to be seen to be believed, because apparently, you're not the first dimensional traveler in the world. Some of the stuff we've seen, the people and Pokémon we've met… I could write so many papers just from the weeks we'd spent there. Professor Rowan didn't say anything, but I think he's jealous.

I got a new friend, too. Alolan geography meant that a lot of the Pokémon there evolved differently from the ones back home, and Raichu's a prime example of that. The food and environment around him ended up stimulating the Raichu line's minor psychic abilities, the ones that help them control and manipulate their electricity, and granted him a full-on secondary typing. He can even use it to amplify his electromagnetic control to levitate on his tail like he's riding a surfboard! It's incredible how much Pokémon can adapt to the environment around them! Oh, uh, I'm rambling again, sorry. Hopefully, you'll be home soon, and you can meet him in person.

Come back to m–us soon, Lucas. There's so much that I have to tell you.

Dawn

-o-

My hand strayed to the letters in my pocket, where my friends' and family's reassuring messages were sitting, and I breathed, feeling the remains of anxiety flow away as I remembered their words.

They'd given me a way back. It was no longer a question of 'whether,' just 'when.' So we'd just need to be ready when the time came. And if that meant helping more people along the way, so much the better.

I carried that confidence with me as I approached Dock 1, where another Marine vessel was now docked. All eight of my team surrounded me as I saw three strangers step out of a crowd of officers and approach me.

The least imposing of them was a stoic-looking woman about as tall as Tashigi. Beautiful with dark blue hair, but she had the quiet grace of a seasoned warrior.

The leftmost figure was almost three times taller, with a dark outfit covered by yellow flower-like shapes and with magenta sleeves over his arms, legs, and head. It was an outfit I might expect on Bentham, but his face was just as stoic as the woman's.

But the man in the middle—in position and height—was the most impressive. Where the taller man was lanky, the violet-haired man leading them was built like a tank, and not just because of the giant mechanical prosthetic in place of his right arm. The sunglasses on his face kept his eyes hidden, and like the other two, his face betrayed no emotion.

Despite knowing the most prominent names in the Navy, I didn't know who this was. But he was easily the most intimidating person I'd met yet. The Fleet Admiral had been powerful, but he was the kind of commander who preferred organizing and commanding troops from the back, where he could take in everything and adjust accordingly. I'd bet anything that this man was the hands-on type, the kind of fearless commander who would lead the front lines into battle himself and leave them struggling to keep up with him.

Sengoku was like a king. This man was like a dragon.

"To whom do I owe the honor?" I asked respectfully, with my team remaining alert, but not tense, beside me.

"Marine Instructor Zephyr," he said in a rough, powerful voice that I bet Bertha would have swooned over.

"Rear Admiral Ain," the woman said neutrally.

"Rear Admiral Binz," the taller man finished, his voice like Zoro's but a few octaves higher.

I nodded, committing the names to memory.

"I can tell your strength just by looking at you. If you have Sengoku's respect, you have mine. My name is Lucas, and I look forward to working with you."

I extended my left hand to Zephyr, looking him in the eye as best I could with his glasses. All three stared emotionlessly at me for a full minute, but I didn't flinch.

Finally, a small smile came over the old Instructor's face, and he returned my handshake.

Oh, yeah. Definitely like a dragon.

The Fleet Admiral spoke highly of you, albeit briefly, Gardevoir said, drawing their attention. It is our pleasure to make your acquaintance. Though you have our apologies for our lack of readiness.

We have finalized the design for our new ship, but its construction has yet to begin, Lucario added. We have every intention of fulfilling our promise as soon as our autonomy is secured.

"So, that's how it works," Zephyr muttered, his expression inscrutable as he gazed in my companions' direction. For several seconds, he said nothing, and we grew a bit tenser. Finally, he spoke.

"What is the relationship between all of you?"

The question carried no condescension. If anything, he sounded confused.

"Why do you ask?"

He looked down at me. "I've been a Marine for almost 60 years. I spent about half that time under or as a commanding officer and the rest as an instructor. I thought I'd seen every kind of relationship between commanders and subordinates in the book: the good, the bad, and the strange."

He removed his glasses, revealing gray eyes as sharp as a Staraptor's.

"But you're a squirt, about the age I was when I started in the Marines. You're barely strong enough to survive Paradise. And your team, which most people at a glance would think are just assorted pets, are strong enough to rival the kind of power that's ruled this world for decades. It's unthinkable for someone as young as you to have that kind of power, and it's just as unthinkable for anyone as strong as them to be loyal to anyone so weak. Unless you're family."

His tone never changed. He wasn't mocking, just stating the facts as he knew them.

"You fight like an armchair captain and subordinates. But you act like a parent and children. So I'll ask again: what is the relationship between all of you?"

All of us exchanged looks. After a few seconds, I spoke up.

"I've been thinking up this comparison for a while," I said. "Think about the people on this island: they're the best shipwrights in the world, and they do their best work mostly by staying where they are. Then think about…well, you: you worked best by leaving your home and traveling the world, growing stronger through constant struggling."

Wild Pokémon are the same, Gardevoir said softly. Those who live in the wild may remain there, facing only the dangers and prizes in the wilderness. Those who want more in their lives, consciously or unconsciously, venture out to where the humans are.

"Sometimes, that does just mean being a pet," I admitted. "Sometimes it doesn't work out, and they go back to the wild or go to another trainer. And sometimes, they're trained for things besides battling. In any case, though, it means growing, and in more ways than one." I smirked softly. "You wouldn't believe it looking at them now, but when I met all eight of them, they were each about as big as my head."

Torterra grumbled a bit, and I laughed. "Well, maybe not that small exactly, but my point still stands. I met all of my team when they were relatively young and inexperienced."

In two cases, Lucario interjected, Lucas was there when we hatched. He, his family, and his team raised us into who we are today. Togekiss chirped in agreement, leaning over to wrap her wings around me. Pokémon have a more nuanced approach to these sorts of relations, but as you humans understand things, he is our father.

That was… A smile came unbidden as I hugged Lucario close with one arm and reached up to stroke Togekiss with the other. Intellectually, I knew they saw our relationship in such a way, but to hear Lucario actually say it to someone else, like it was the most natural thing in the world…

"A jackal hatched from an egg?"

Binz's comment was under his breath, but we all heard it.

All Pokémon are born from eggs. That's how the world works, Lucario said matter-of-factly.

"Interesting," Ain muttered. Then, in a more normal tone, she said, "So, their loyalty to you is because you made it your life's purpose to train them to be as strong as they are?"

"That's it in a nutshell," I confirmed. "I put everything I've got into training them, watching out for improvements and weaknesses to focus on."

And we obey without question because he has earned our trust a thousand times over, Lucario added.

He would do anything for us, and so we would do anything for him, Gardevoir agreed.

"In short, we are family," I finished, my other team members all nodding in agreement.

At that, the three of them smiled softly, and I caught Ain nudging Zephyr with a knowing look on her face.

"Heh." And Zephyr caught it too, based on the softening of his expression. "Well, if that's the case, now you have me curious. I've heard of your family's strength, both from Kuzan and from the news, and I'd like to see it for myself."

Now that was speaking my language.

-o-

Hey Boss,

Well, looks like you've found yourself in quite the Sticky Web, haven't you, Lucas? You've had Cynthia buzzing around left and right trying to keep things in check, 'cause all those responsibilities she'd passed on to you are coming back with a vengeance now that you're gone.

Hey, don't start beating yourself up about it now. I reviewed the reports from the Solaceon teams, and whatever you did saved the town, if not every human and Pokémon for miles around. I wish I could've been there to help, though.

Cynthia's confident that she and Elite Four Rei, along with your two friends, have a way to get you back figured out. Have faith in yourself, your team, and your training, and hopefully, I'll be able to call you "boss" again in person.

Aaron

-o-

Across the island of Water 7, several citizens looked in concern and confusion at the sound of a thunderstorm on a clear day. It took a few minutes to realize what was actually going on. Over the next several minutes, several hundred people had assembled to witness the clash between Lucas and the cyborg Marine.

Including the Straw Hats and Smoker.

"Unbelievable," Smoker breathed. "The talk with the Fleet Admiral must have been better than I hoped."

"What do you mean? Is that another Admiral?" Zoro asked, warily eyeing the shockwaves and blasts of elemental power coming from the battlefield before them.

"Former Admiral, retired to be an instructor," Tashigi answered, wide-eyed. "He's the one who trained Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru. And at least a dozen of the Vice Admirals."

"And me," Smoker finished. "If there is anyone in the Navy who commands more respect than Sengoku, it's 'Black Arm' Zephyr. And it looks like Lucas has earned his respect already."

The wide-eyed and wide-mouthed Straw Hats, including Franky, looked at the battlefield.

The combatants were Luxray, Lucario, Togekiss, and Torterra. A carpet of electricity covered the battlefield as far as they could see, with assorted boulders scattered everywhere. All five combatants had taken damage, but none were remotely tired. As Lucas called out pattern after pattern of attack, his team moved flawlessly, sending waves of elemental force at their lone opponent. And they were almost completely stonewalled.

The elderly Marine was a juggernaut. Fists blurred, destroying boulders and diverting more elemental projectiles through what looked like the mere shockwaves caused by his blows. The treacherous grounds might as well not have been there for how he was moving around, unless it was to kick off a stray outcropping (and then what looked like thin air) to dart around an incoming blow. And even when Lucario closed the distance with his high-speed techniques, he was matched blow for blow and, more often than not, forced back.

Perhaps most notably, Zephyr's somehow blackened arm was deflecting the Shadow Ball attacks that would have penetrated his defense. Not all of them, but enough that he could either dodge or power through the rest of them.

Another such salvo of Shadow Balls covered Luxray's approach, and Zephyr caught her electrified jaws on his arm, not reacting as little jolts of lightning coursed through his body, before he spun, ducking under Lucario's follow-up punch and using Luxray as an improvised flail to beat him away. Despite the impact, Luxray's jaws held firm, and her body flexed, her now-metallic tail swinging around to clobber Zephyr upside the head before his other hand reached around to hurl her away by the scruff of her neck.

The former admiral's knees flexed, and the ground exploded as he launched himself into the air, dodging a spear of earth by millimeters as he flew toward the airborne Luxray. But before he could try and follow up on his earlier throw, he was forced to blur away as Togekiss, body glowing with white energy, screamed through where he'd just been. Undeterred, the egg-like bird-Pokémon swooped around, letting Luxray land mid-air on her back. At a shouted command from Lucas, the two of them soared higher into the air, Lucario and Torterra keeping Zephyr distracted as they peeled around.

All the spectators' eyes were on the two newcomers as Togekiss transitioned into a dive, Luxray still on her back as streams of air wrapped around them. That meant everyone could see it when the pair were coated in electricity courtesy of Luxray, turning their diving tackle into an electrified battering ram. Zephyr noticed too—there was no way he could have missed it—but a set of roots snared around him at the last second, leaving him no choice but to brace as Luxray and Togekiss plowed into him, driving him straight into the ground with an earth-rattling explosion.

Not even ten seconds later, the resulting cloud of dust was violently dispelled, both Luxray and Togekiss sent flying away as Zephyr burst out of the trench they'd carved out for him. And it wasn't a moment after that before the battle resumed again.

But amid all the destruction, one thing stood out: the violet-haired Marine was grinning ear to ear.

"Did I mention that he doesn't have Devil Fruit powers?" Tashigi added wryly, seemingly immune to the shock that statement created in the assembled pirates. "There's a reason why learning under Instructor Zephyr is considered the biggest step into Grand Line readiness for a promising Marine."

"Geez. Our new boss is nutso, in a good way," Franky said, shaking his head. "Next thing we know, he'll be making friends with one of the Emperors."

Several Straw Hats somehow managed to stutter-step while standing still, heads snapping in Franky's direction. "Did we really not tell you about Luffy's big brother?" Usopp asked. "I thought you already knew based on how Ace was going on before he left."

"Eh? That Fire-Fist guy was pretty friendly, yeah, but—NOW HOLD ON JUST A SUPER MINUTE!"

-o-

Lucas,

Your young friends were kind enough to share what they learned from their little excursion in Alola. It's good to hear that you're surviving, if not thriving in your situation, though you must forgive me if I prefer to have you present to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Cynthia has confided in myself and Lucian the plan that she and your father have put together. While I cannot say I am pleased with the obstacles this will likely set in your path, I have witnessed your growth firsthand, and I believe that as long as you maintain that observant nature of yours, you and your team will be able to conquer this challenge like you have so many others. I expect to hear from you soon, young man. The League's future looks bright with you at the helm, and I expect to live to see it.

Bertha

-o-

By the time the 'spar' died down, the setting sun was already painting the city orange, and Zephyr and I were seated on what was left of the battlefield, swapping compliments.

"That was easily the most impressive fight I've seen from any human in this world," I said fervently. "Kuzan was struggling to handle three of my team at once, and you're equal to four."

To be more precise, Zephyr had almost beat four of them. After seeing Torterra use Synthesis for the first time, he'd blitzed my starter down before he could try to heal again (and, incidentally, exploited one of the biggest weaknesses in depending on self-healing moves: It didn't matter how much you healed if you were under too much pressure to do anything else). And when the rest of my team had tried to intervene, the former Admiral responded with a devastating series of shockwave-inducing blows that straight-up knocked Lucario out and severely damaged the others. It took another Thunder Armor combo from Luxray and Togekiss, along with a Return from the latter immediately after, to force Zephyr to concede, and I firmly believed that if we were fighting for real, he could have kept going long enough to take the two of them down as well.

"Tcheh," the man scoffed in amusement. "That's hollow praise, you know, saying that you're still twice as strong as I am. And at my age, there's no room left for growth."

"Are you sure about that?" I asked, smiling impishly. "When's the last time you had a trainer give you pointers instead of the other way around?"

He didn't react at first, but eventually, his shoulders started to shake, and he burst out laughing.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! The only thing more outrageous than someone your age having the audacity to think you can teach me anything is that you may actually be right!"

"I'll get into it later," I replied with a grin of my own. "Right now, though, it looks like some of the spectators want a word."

By this point, of course, Smoker, Tashigi, and the Straw Hats had closed the distance, and Smoker was the first to say something.

"You haven't slowed down at all, sensei." Even Sengoku hadn't invited that much respect from the white-haired Commodore, something that took me aback before I remembered that, yeah, this was the guy who taught Smoker a lot of what he knew.

"Yeah!" Luffy cheered, "that was awesome! You're really strong, old guy!"

The almost hostile frown on Zephyr's face brought Luffy up short.

"Luffy, maybe remember that just because we're not technically outlaws right now doesn't mean the Marines will be friendly with us," Zoro drawled, his casual tone of voice at odds with how tightly he gripped his swords.

"Aww, why not? Smokey was okay with it in Alabasta—MMPH?!"

Robin's arms sprouted from Luffy's shoulders and covered his mouth, slightly too late. Zephyr was now staring at Smoker with a hint of hostility but mostly incredulity, and the Commodore exhaled hard before speaking to both him and Luffy.

"I tolerated it because you put your lives on the line to stop Crocodile's war and protect the country's princess purely because she was your friend." He paused, then glanced at Robin. "And I tolerated you leaving because you were helping a supposed infamous outlaw who was proven innocent all along."

Zephyr's expression smoothed over, and he regarded Smoker stonily. "Explain," he demanded, and I winced at the harshness in his tone before quickly getting the attention of the Straw Hats' cook.

"Hey, Sanji, can you get some food ready? I feel like now's a good time for swapping stories."

The chef gave me a slightly incredulous look, still a bit taken aback by the interplay between Smoker and Zephyr, but regained his balance masterfully. "I'll get the ingredients. Usopp, Chopper, help me out."

-o-

Heyyy Lucas!

All the others have been writing you these encouraging letters to keep you all motivated while we work on getting you a way back. So here's my little bit of fuel to add to your fire: Don't forget to enjoy life, got it? You've got way too much passion to burn out on us wherever you are. You saw how bad it got for Volkner; if you come back as that much of a sad-sack I'll be taking that Champion title off your hands!

Keep strong, keep working, keep stoking that passion inside of you, and come back fine, and we'll have nothing to worry about. So don't get all burnt out on the way back, because you owe me another battle and I plan on collecting!

Flint

-o-

"Why am I surprised?" Smoker sighed.

I wasn't sure how it happened either. I wasn't too surprised that the Straw Hats had turned the meeting into a party, but I didn't expect half the city to show up! Then again, half the city'd already been there to watch my team's spar with Zephyr; that probably had something to do with it.

Smoker, Zephyr, and I were seated on the outskirts of the party, Gardevoir hovering nearby while the rest of my team enjoyed the atmosphere of barely organized chaos unfolding. Here were grills, there was dancing, over there were shipwrights and Marines and over here were the Franky Family and giants. Food, drink, laughter, and shenanigans were everywhere, and there was little regard for which side of the law someone was on.

I'd be smiling at that if I wasn't seated between two people who weren't happy about it, Smoker being grumpy and Zephyr being sour. Honestly, if it weren't for Sanji, I don't think he'd even still be sitting here…

~o~

As Smoker finished a pretty comprehensive retelling of the Alabasta incident, Zephyr sighed heavily. Perhaps it was from the story, but it was likely just as much at the number of people pouring into the area, a practical parade of food, fine drinks, furniture, and festivities flowing forth.

"We can continue this somewhere that we won't have so much noise around," he grumbled, getting to his feet and turning to walk away.

"Sir, please allow me to tempt you."

Zephyr turned around, a snarl on his face. And then the snarl faded at the sight of Sanji standing there, a bottle held out in his hand and a small, smug smirk on his face.

"There is a certain art to being a world-class chef, in being able to gauge the tastes of those you serve and accommodate them," he said, his tone humble but confident. "I've met few of your caliber before, but I felt compelled to grab this bottle for you. I believe that Jerez will be to your liking."

Zephyr's expression was unreadable for several seconds. Then he took the bottle.

"You might have asked Ain or Binz instead of assuming."

"I did not expect they would be forthcoming with any secrets about their captain, even one so innocuous."

The corner of Zephyr's mouth twitched as he opened the bottle. His expression was unsmiling but calm as he regarded Sanji.

"Well, boy. I don't have respect for a pirate. But I'll compliment your expertise as a chef; Jerez is my favorite."

He sat down and took a long drink, and Sanji bowed before returning to the gathering crowd. I only then noticed the tense atmosphere had spread to them, and was now melting away. Ain and Binz regarded their commander for a few moments as he lowered the bottle. He made a dismissive gesture with his mechanical hand, and the two slowly melted into the rest of the party.

~o~

Zephyr seemed calm enough to listen, but it wouldn't be good if someone who would be one of my closest public allies had that big of a grudge against a group of my other close public allies. I exchanged looks with Gardevoir, who reopened the conversation.

One as seasoned as you has every reason to be prejudiced based on your experiences. We will not refute that, she said.

"And I admit, I don't have much experience with pirate crews myself," I picked up. "The Straw Hats are the only ones I've interacted with for over a day. And even then, most of the people I've met who were willing to kill anyone in their way have been in the Navy or the Government."

Zephyr's expression was unreadable, and I shrugged.

"We're displaced from everything we've ever known, so we're not picky about allies. I know that Luffy's a criminal in the eyes of the world. But the seven of them—eight now—haven't done anything evil. They're carving out their path, and it doesn't seem like anyone who wasn't a crook has gotten hurt from it."

"And you know them that well?" Zephyr asked quietly.

I hesitated, but as Zephyr gave me his full attention, I answered his question.

"I don't know all of their stories. But the ones I do know, they joined Luffy because either he saved them from death or worse, or because he showed them love when they were used to hatred. And Gardevoir looked in his mind once, so she can confirm that Luffy doesn't have the guile to do that out of anything but earnestness. He's selfish, sure, but he'd do anything for his friends. I've seen evil in this world, and the Straw Hats aren't it."

Zephyr looked back at the party. Sanji worked tirelessly at the buffet, a heart in his eye for every lady he served. Usopp, Chopper, and Franky danced on the tabletops. Luffy devoured mountains of food while Zoro and Nami were drinking barrels of alcohol. And Robin seemed to be stepping out of her comfort zone, contributing to the others' tomfoolery with her many arms with a wide, genuinely happy smile on her face.

And it was telling that the others had gotten swept into the spirit: Binz was dancing as well, albeit far from the Straw Hats, animating vines with Torterra's help for a spectacular show. And Tashigi and Ain were sitting together and exchanging stories, treating Sanji with polite professionalism as he dutifully refilled their plates and drinks at every opportunity.

"It's kind of like what I told Sengoku," I said quietly. "The Straw Hats may be inherently destructive, but not inherently evil. It's just a matter of channeling it healthily. And I think these guys have it as healthy as possible, if not as refined."

Still, Zephyr didn't react, and Smoker exhaled a cloud as he looked at us.

"You owe me for this, Lucas. I cannot believe I'm going this far to defend a pirate to a fellow Marine," he grumbled. "But during those weeks between Lucas getting his bounty and becoming a Warlord, we were focusing on researching the Straw Hats, both because of their established infamy and their known affiliation with him, in search of a lead. But while we were collecting reports from the East Blue, something disturbing came to light: the Marine who assigned Straw Hat his bounty, Captain Nezumi, had been accepting bribes from 'Saw Tooth' Arlong for years."

"Arlong," I murmured, frowning heavily. "Nami mentioned him. She said he took over her island and enslaved her for eight years before Luffy saved her."

Zephyr looked thunderous, and Smoker sighed, kneading his forehead.

"Everyone in the Conomi Islands was asked about it, and the reports were as consistent as they were disturbing. One corrupt Captain and his men enabled the murder of countless civilians and Marines over the last decade so that he could line his own pockets. He personally shot one of the civilians who tried stopping him. And when he lost his lucrative business partner, he threatened the villagers at gunpoint to appropriate the credit and the money. And the Straw Hats stopped him."

He looked up and looked Zephyr in the eyes.

"I hate admitting this. Words cannot express how much I hate admitting this. But according to every report we've gathered, Straw Hat Luffy…has done nothing wrong. Everyone he fought in the East Blue except me was another criminal, and he only got a bounty because a greedy rat who never should have been made a Marine got petty. I will never stop seeing Straw Hat as dangerous, but to this day, the only thing he has done worth putting a bounty on his head is calling himself a pirate."

Smoker took a long pull from his cigars and sighed again.

We cannot speak for all of them. But we can sympathize rather personally for putting one's life on the line to keep their freedom and that of those closest to them, Gardevoir concluded quietly.

The old man exhaled and sagged slightly. He brought up the bottle Sanji had brought and drained it to the last drop. Then he looked at me, removing his glasses to look me in the eye.

"I'll be courteous with them until they give me a reason not to be."

I nodded, knowing that was as good as I would get. One glance at his right arm was enough to tell me that whatever vendetta he had against pirates had a diamond-hard foundation. We returned to silently watching the partygoers' antics, but I could feel that the tension in the air was lessened, which was good enough for me.

Eventually, though, it had to come to an end. Crobat swooped down from where he'd been soaring above the party, hissing and calling out the message I had expected. I frowned and got to my feet, and Zephyr raised a brow at me.

"You really understood that?"

"Of course I did. And nothing's stopping you from learning to do the same," I said. "But I think you may want to stay here. I've got a bit of revenge to take care of."

At that, Zephyr frowned, but he didn't try to stop me. "Officially," he grunted, "I should discourage the course of action you're very obviously planning on taking, because while Saint Rhode lost a lot of reputation after the events of G-2, he is still a World Noble. And while theoretically, your agreement with the Government prevents any open retaliation, men and women of their influence can still find many ways to make your life needlessly difficult."

"And unofficially?"

Zephyr's frown deepened, and he stared out towards the sea. "Unofficially, the World Nobles make a mockery of justice with every breath they take. So make sure that whatever you're doing, there won't be a chance for your target to strike back."

Smoker said nothing, but the look in his eyes spoke volumes. My team made their way over to me at Gardevoir's prompting, and we shared a look of perfect understanding before heading for the coast.

-o-

Champion Lucas,

You have surpassed your predecessor in terms of noteworthy tales. And so soon into your tenure as Champion, too, which makes this accomplishment even more noteworthy. Cynthia was kind enough to disclose the course of action she plans to take, and while the challenge sent before you is likely to be herculean, I believe you will surmount it. And even if you do not, I have faith that you will find another way and return to us even stronger for it.

And I hope you continue to train your mind in the meantime. It remains one of your greatest weapons, and as long as you continue to exercise your wit and creativity, you will return victorious with all new and exciting tales to tell.

Oh, and do bring back some good reading material, if you can. The chance to learn the stories and culture of another dimension is something I refuse to pass up.

Lucian

-o-

I scoffed as I saw the ship approaching. It was pretty much identical to the one I'd sold. All that luxury, and he could get it replaced that easily? Something was rotten with the ones at the top of this world when they had everything they could ask for and were still never satisfied.

I didn't know what to expect, but I wouldn't let anyone know that the Revolutionaries were in on this. So I waited, preparing my team for a subtle takedown as the ship neared.

There is only one person aboard. And they are unconscious.

I blinked in surprise.

"Vaporeon, Togekiss, get the ship docked safely. Gardevoir, Lucario, get whoever's there and find out what happened."

The tasks were completed quickly, the wind and water manipulation leaving the boat stable in short order and Gardevoir teleporting back quickly with a man in a suit of armor, one side of his helmet caved in.

The traces left behind are barely fresh enough for me to sense anything, Lucario muttered. There were easily another dozen people on deck and another dozen below deck. But there's no trace of them.

We all knew who was responsible, of course, but that didn't mean we didn't want to know how. Gardevoir removed the helmet from the guard and touched her hand to his head.

The damage is minimal, I should be able to see…she murmured, her eyes closing for a minute.

When she pulled back, she was smirking.

How very interesting, she drawled before her eyes flashed.

~o~

His Eminence Saint Rhode was not in a good mood at the best of times these days, but now he was seething especially hard. "That heretic," he growled, stomping around his cabin (big as normal ships' barracks). "It isn't insulting enough that the idiots in the Marines gave him an actual Warlord position, but now he plans to break my ship down for scrap!?"

The guard could only hold in a sigh, well aware that Saint Rhode was on a hair-trigger these days, and those who displeased him did not have a chance to repeat that mistake. Fortunately, he was not the only one to stumble when the entire ship shuddered and jerked to a stop. Before anyone could react, Saint Rhode was rushing onto the deck, shouting at the helmsman and the rest of the crew.

"My… My lord," his captain said nervously, knuckles white around his katana, "I think I know what this is…"

Rhode's indignation turned to where the captain was looking. And if anything, he only grew more angry, but there was unmistakable fear in his expression as he saw the incongruous patch of darkness in the middle of the deck. Before their eyes, it grew into a large pool on the deck before finally swelling upward, and the guard's blood froze as it assumed a familiar shape. That of a hellish dragon that they had read about in the most recent newspaper.

"SHOOT IT, YOU IDIOTS! THAT HERETICAL BEAST MUST—!"

A firm strike from a black spike on the monster's body knocked out the guard, and he heard no more.

~o~

We exchanged looks as the memory faded, and I saw the understanding in everyone's faces.

"Well," I said, smirking as well. "I guess that's good enough. And I guess we have another ship to sell."

My team exchanged small, wry smirks as I returned them, Gardevoir preparing to warp us to the reconstruction site of the Franky House to get the job done.

And over the next week, we were glad to share the memory with whoever asked to verify the guard's story. We were perfectly upfront that it was probably something posing as Giratina, pointing out that the real thing's darkness would have at least had an exception in its eyes. And if we wore slight smirks when we explained it, that could be excused as us knowing that revenge against the man had been served.

Of course, our smirks had another source. We realized that what we saw was the result of the Soot-Soot Fruit. We knew that that power belonged to one of Dragon's commanders. We confirmed that the Revolutionaries had spirited away Saint Rhode, his attendants, and his soon-to-be ex-slaves.

But the nine of us would keep that knowledge to ourselves.

This was a bit of a difficult one to figure out, mostly because I'm still not great at writing dialogues (thankfully Patient more than makes up for that deficiency), and I've been busy searching for, getting hired at, and moving so that I could take a new job. As a side note, Ikea furniture is heavy and infuriating, but it's been very nice now that it's been completed. Next up we'll be finishing up Water 7, including looks at the Sunny and Lucas's ship (which we have a tentative name for but if there's a good enough suggestion we might yoink it).