Chapter 25: Adaptability
"Everything's all set, sir! The men have settled in, and the cooks are familiarizing themselves with their new facilities."
"Altimeter's reading several meters above sea level, and air pressure's holding well. I wouldn't recommend any sojourns above the cloud cover yet, though. The men are still getting used to the change in air pressure."
"Generators are currently operating at 80% capacity after the team's training session, and the gunners remain at the ready in the event of enemy vessels."
"Greenhouses are looking good too, sir. The berry plants are growing nicely, and harvesting is expected to begin within the next few weeks, if not sooner."
"In summation, all systems are green," the first soldier concluded.
"Very good. Dismissed," Binz said, and if none of the soldiers could keep from grinning through the reports, neither could he. They had familiarized themselves with the mechanics of the ship and what they had to do to keep it flying, but the novelty of flying hadn't worn off for anyone aboard.
That Torterra creature in particular seemed to have an extra appreciation for the act, which made sense according to both the reports and Binz's own observations on his size and weight. As most of the other soldiers filed out of the greenhouse, he turned his attention to the turtle, resting so placidly that he nearly blended in with the plants and their beds.
"It seems your trainer is still going through those supplies in his cabin," he said, and Torterra grunted in response. "So, in the meantime, we have the opportunity to refine our techniques, yes?"
This time, the answering grunt was much more approving, and Binz grinned, scattering a few seeds onto a nearby plot of dirt and focusing his Devil Fruit powers. Several saplings immediately began to spring forth, and with an effort of will, he forced them to slow down. While he preferred to use vine-based plants in conjunction with his abilities, working with Torterra had given him the idea of using more conventional trees as a training tool by molding them into select shapes as they grew. It was difficult, extremely so, but in a way that he found refreshing. Almost nostalgic, given his initial training under the Commander.
Binz settled beside the giant turtle, matching his smile as they watched the trees grow.
-o-
Between the ship's armored hull, the seasoned Marines aboard, and my team's abilities, the weather was no more of a nuisance now than it was back home. Sure, it still reminded me of a schizophrenic Castform, but it was nothing we couldn't handle with enough focus.
We hadn't run into any cyclones yet, admittedly. But we had plans for if we did.
And with Ain assuming the responsibility of keeping the ship on course for now, my focus had finally turned to the treasures from my care package. More specifically, a decorated bracelet and three anklets of different sizes, all four inset with a shimmering stone.
I can feel the nascent power just from the touch, said Lucario, carefully rubbing his paws along the stone while I flipped through the instructions.
According to Dad's notes, Mega Evolution was triggered by a surge of energy from the unfortunately named Mega Stone (in this case Lucarionite), which would be able to trigger some sort of hidden potential in a specific Pokémon (in this case Lucario). But the Mega Stone, couldn't do so on its own. It needed a corresponding surge of energy from a trainer's Key Stone to jumpstart the process, and for that to work, the holders of the Key Stone and Mega Stone had to establish some sort of connection.
The connection's purpose was twofold: Mega Evolution apparently tended to provide monstrous levels of power, which usually turned a Pokémon into a ruthless fighting machine. The stronger the bond with the one holding the Key Stone, the more grounded the Mega Pokémon would be. I wasn't sure I liked the concept, but we were still eager to try it out.
"All right, so according to this," I muttered, glancing between Lucario and the notes. "It seems like the easiest ways to trigger it are by doing it in the middle of a battle or doing it while in physical contact. But the latter's more common with Pokémon big enough to ride, like Gyarados or Pidgeot."
If this is going to supercharge my fighting abilities, it seems wiser to do it when I can immediately go all-out, Lucario nodded. But in that case, should we ask for help? Keeping this under wraps is essential back home, but what does it matter for a world without Pokémon?
"That's a good point," I conceded. "Zephyr would probably be able to at least keep you busy if the worst happens." Though, to be fair, with all the Marines on the Fish Out of Water, it would be nigh-impossible to keep any Mega Evolution training secret for longer than the first attempt.
It seems a perfect opportunity to deal with a field of high winds as well, Gardevoir said.
-o-
For the first time, I was staring with naked envy at Zephyr. It wasn't surprising that he could stand atop the fast-flying Fish without risk of being blown away. But it was a little annoying when I had to rely on a lifeline. At least Franky had figured ahead of time that I was nuts enough to try this in the first place.
"So, what's this all about? You must have something up your sleeve if you want to go one-on-one here," Zephyr said, thoroughly unconcerned with the setting. Heck, I wouldn't have even heard him over the rushing wind without Gardevoir's help.
"I've got something special to try out," I nodded, grinning in anticipation. "If possible, I'd like you to keep this under wraps from the rest of the world so I have a potential trump card. But either way, this won't be as easy as you expect. Lucario?"
I'm ready, he said, bracing himself as the anklet glittered on his paw. I shook down one of my sleeves to reveal the bracelet and brought it before my face.
"Execute," I called, touching two fingers to the inset stone. Immediately, it began shining, and I felt the power surging around my hand like one of Lucario's Aura Spheres. I held the pose until the energy became too much to bear, then raised my fist. "Mega Evolution!"
Spinning light surged from the bracelet and Lucario. A radiant shell coalesced around him for two seconds, cracking after the first. Then it burst, and Zephyr and I looked at the new form.
Mega Lucario was slightly bigger than his normal form. His cream fur had grown a spiked collar around his neck and overtaken his tail, making me think of a Flareon. His Aural appendages had grown longer and wilder, two of them hanging down to his waist and tipped with crimson. The same crimson coated all four paws like bloodstains, black streaks covered his body like war paint or battle scars, and the spikes on his paws and chest had grown and doubled.
Overall, it was an intimidating picture.
Lucas. Zephyr.
Both of us stiffened at the very strong words that struck us.
I am still myself. But my instincts are starving for combat. Be warned, both of you: as I am, I do not believe I can hold back.
Mega Lucario crouched down, baring his fangs and summoning the power of Aura into his paws. Zephyr wasn't a second behind him in taking a stance.
My eyes widened as the Aura around Mega Lucario intensified, sending a small shockwave out as flame-like blue energy shot out around his body. Despite myself, I could feel the eager smile stretching across my face. Oh, this was going to be fun to figure out! "Let's go!"
-o-
As the self-appointed helmsman and navigator, Ain had the best view of the battle from the bridge. Before it even began, she knew that Zephyr wouldn't lose; strong though the Pokémon were, none were powerful enough to defeat her master alone.
And while that estimation held with what she saw in this battle, she was still impressed with what Lucario could do. With this new transformation, Lucario was moving quickly enough to keep Zephyr on his toes, causing shockwaves every time they exchanged blows, and his paws were consistently covered in the eerie blue Aura that showed his power.
She barely blinked as she took in the empowered jackal's movements. When he clashed in close combat, shockwaves rumbled from every clash, every blow he struck as forceful as one of her mentor's own punches. Perhaps even stronger when shining with Steel energy or crackling with electricity. Zephyr blocked or parried every blow, but not easily. And when fighting at a distance, the Aura Spheres he launched were massive, almost as big as the jackal himself, and volatile enough that Zephyr struggled to parry them without using both hands.
But from her vantage point, Ain could tell that Lucario's transformation had cost him significant control. In his previous spars with the Commander, Lucario had fought with skill more than strength and had made liberal use of both his agility and his elemental abilities in battle. Now, though, he was fighting wildly, almost savagely, and had eschewed elemental attacks altogether in favor of Aura blasts and empowered limbs. This largely meant that, while the increase in power was significant, he was performing no better against Zephyr than he would have otherwise, albeit for different reasons.
The trade-off of that being, of course, that this would be the last time it was quite this easy. As Lucario got more accustomed to the boost in power, Ain knew that he would become more dangerous, more effective, and a more significant threat. It wouldn't be enough to beat Zephyr, she believed, but very few could claim that in the first place, and Lucario being able to do so on his own was a, frankly, terrifying prospect.
And despite all that, Ain couldn't help but envy Lucas's homeland. A land with no war, where the immense power at his people's command was used for friendly competitions rather than violence for violence's sake. A world where justice, real justice, was commonplace instead of the few shining lights mired in corruption and absolutism.
She'd have liked to see it someday. But given the circumstances, she'd have to settle for assisting Zephyr in his efforts to make that world here. With Lucas on their side, though, that dream was becoming more possible by the day.
-o-
"So what're ya here for, Ace?" It wasn't uncommon, per se, to see the Second Division Commander on the Moby Dick. Even if he technically had a cabin on one of the other ships of Whitebeard's fleet, Ace spent enough time on the flagship for people to have seriously debated moving his things over, either seriously or as a prank. What wasn't as common was for him to go up to the first mate and ask for a private conversation.
"I need to get stronger," Ace said. "You heard me when I talked about what happened at Enies."
Marco made a gesture for him to go on, and Ace hesitated slightly, face screwed up in reluctant thought, before powering through it with his next words.
"Teach's powers were… terrifying."
Marco nodded, grimacing as he remembered Ace description. An absorption power of that level meant that Teach could be near-untouchable at a range, and probably gave him an effective instant kill move in melee combat. Coupled with his newly amplified strength and endurance, and even Marco would have probably had to fight seriously if he wanted to take the bastard down with minimal injuries.
"And I'm not so far up my own ass to admit that without Sabo, Lucas, and even that Giratina dragon, I would've been in trouble." It was a surprisingly mature analysis on Ace's part, and Marco, as insightful as ever, cut to the heart of the matter.
"You feel complacent."
"Exactly!" Ace punched his fist into his palm with a brief flare of fire. "I'm Second Division Commander, supposed to be third strongest after you and Pops, and it's time I started living up to that."
Marco only hid his smile through years of experience. It was good to see that Ace was able to ask for help now, even if it took what could only be described as a miraculous series of coincidences to make it happen.
"I won't be going easy on you, Ace," is what he said, instead of the congratulations he wanted to say. "If you want to get up to my level, to Pops' level, in any decent amount of time, then I'll have to be ruthless. Maybe even cruel. Think you can handle it?"
Ace lowered his head in thought.
"…"
"Ace?"
Marco's answer was loud snore.
"Oh, for the love of—Wake up, yoi!" A Haki-boosted slap to the head was thankfully enough to bring Ace back to the land of the living.
"Gah! Who the—oh. My bad." At least the kid had enough sense to be at least a little apologetic with his grin.
Marco could only shake his head in amused annoyance. "Your answer, yoi?"
Ace's grin widened, and he punched his fist into a waiting palm to release a short blast of flame. "You even need to ask?"
At that, all Marco could do was finally let his pride in the man show. "I expected nothing less."
-o-
"YOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! Such a pleasure to meet you!"
The Straw Hats that hadn't accompanied Luffy could not say the feeling was mutual. How could they? It was ominous enough to see a walking, talking skeleton arriving on their ship alongside their captain—
"As of today, I will be joining you on this ship as your newest crew member! Once dead, now bones, my name is Brook, and I do hope we can get along!"
—but hearing him say that was more than most of them could take.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! WHAT THE HECK IS THIS THING?!" everyone else but Robin screamed. Robin herself seemed almost gleeful.
Nami and Sanji sighed while the now-named Brook and Luffy only laughed.
"AH! RIGHT!" Chopper yelped, shrugging off his backpack and tossing several items onto the deck. "What did Lucas say that ghosts are weak to?"
Usopp, who had been a heartbeat away from pulling out his exorcism equipment, darted to Chopper's side. Robin, for entirely unrelated reasons, also looked over their shoulders as Chopper opened his book on Pokémon notes.
"Type chart, type chart, type chart—there it is! Ghosts are immune to Normal and Fighting attacks and resistant to Poison (and Bugs), but they're weak to Dark and—other Ghosts?"
"Other Ghosts?" Franky repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, Dark-wise, I can confirm he's weak to a good sucker punch," Nami said, side-eyeing the skeleton. "Seriously, whatever you are, if you want to sexually harass someone, go bother Franky."
"HEY!" the cyborg barked. He held that indignation for a few seconds before shrugging. "Eh, that's fair."
"All of that aside, perhaps we should ask more about this," Robin said, giving Brook a slow once-over. "Are you a product of a Devil Fruit?"
"Yohohoho!" the skeleton chuckled, far less exuberantly. "Indeed, I ate the Revive-Revive Fruit. My soul left my body but later returned to it. Though, as it took me a year to find my way through all this fog, all that remained of my body were the bones and the hair. Thank goodness I had such strong roots, or I would've never recognized it!"
The crew slowly calmed down at that. Well, most of them.
"So, you're just a human? Are—or, well, were you a pirate?" Chopper asked eagerly.
"Indeed," Brook said, still melancholically cheerful. "I was acting captain of the Rumbar Pirates, a crew known for their musical prowess above all else."
"YOU'RE A MUSICIAN?!" Luffy yelled exuberantly. And most of the crew slumped as any chance of him not joining the crew seemed to disappear.
"Ah, how upsetting," Robin sighed, though for an entirely different reason: "I had hoped we had stumbled upon one of many revenants that may have been reanimated by the power of a Devil Fruit. That would have been interesting."
"You say interesting, Robin; I say I could go a lifetime without seeing anything like Giratina ever again!" Usopp protested.
"That is a rather interesting description you gave."
All amusement died, and tension increased at the skeleton's tone. His stance had also shifted, gripping the cane he held almost like a weapon.
"Are you just wandering through this ocean? Or did you come here with a specific purpose?" Brook asked dangerously.
"We're on our way through the Grand Line, but we came here to kick Gecko Moria's ass!" Luffy answered, seemingly oblivious to the change in the skeleton's demeanor.
Brook started, and the tension faded from his body. "Well, I can't say that's what I expected," he remarked. "The first friendly faces I've come across after all this time, and it seems that we even share a common enemy."
"Moria has the power to raise the dead?" Robin asked, her tone unreadable.
"To the untrained eye, yes. Not that I have eyes," Brook said, the gravity of the situation preventing him from making a joke. "If you would be so kind as to provide a mirror?"
A network of Robin's arms was quick to provide, and several of the Straw Hats gasped as they realized that the skeleton in front of them had no reflection.
Robin blinked. "Goodness," she commented with a macabre sort of amusement. "Does this mean we have a vampiric skeleton on our hands? I suppose we can ask Sanji to be careful with the garlic."
"Yohohoho!" Brook chuckled, somewhat uplifted. "While I appreciate the thought, I'm afraid that the state of affairs is much more sinister," Brook explained. "For you see, the lack of reflection is a mere symptom of the real problem. Namely, that I have had my shadow stolen from me by the power of Moria's Shadow-Shadow Fruit."
While that was enough to pique most of the crew's interest, Chopper in particular was frowning with a mix of anger and contemplation. "Brook," he asked slowly, "What exactly are the consequences of not having a shadow?"
Brook turned his sightless eyes to the reindeer, who swallowed in fear.
"As you can see, I have no reflection. Nor, I am told, would I be seen in a photograph. But easily the gravest consequence is that I can no longer exist in the light. If even a ray of sunlight were to touch my body, it would be reduced to naught but ash. I have seen it happen to another victim: driven mad from isolation, he ran into the light and disappeared from this world."
Whatever reservations remained about Brook being a skeleton faded in the face of bigger issues to address. He turned to face Luffy.
"I do appreciate the invitation to join your crew. And if you plan to engage Moria yourselves, I am still willing to accept it. But until I reclaim my shadow, I may not set foot outside the Florian Triangle; the endless fog is all that protects me from the sunlight."
"No problem," Luffy said, cracking his knuckles. "We'll get him to cough up your shadow and anyone else's that he stole."
"So, where's he keeping it? Locked up in a vault?" Nami asked, half-smirking. "Wouldn't be anywhere near an issue for an expert thief like me."
"Yohohohoho," Brook chuckled, this time with no humor at all. "I'm afraid it's nowhere near as simple as that. Let me tell you of Moria's domain: the wandering ghost island, Thriller Bark."
-o-
The Fish covered a lot of ground (or water) quickly, even more so when we entered the Calm Belt. Before I knew it, I was getting called up to the bridge as our destination came into view.
"There she is," Zephyr said. "Amazon Lily, the Isle of Women."
It was quite the sight, too. The island's center was dominated by several large mountains, many of which had large Ekans-like sculptures carved out of them in a highly impressive display of stoneworking. The word "Kuja" was engraved into the side of the central mountain, large enough to be legible despite the distance. The rest of the land was covered in what I recognized as a rainforest from pictures of Hoenn and Alola. And if those two regions were any indication, it was probably host to a wide variety of plant and animal life.
Hopefully, Boa Hancock wouldn't mind a brief expedition into the island to get some samples. Neither Dawn nor Professor Rowan would have forgiven me if I had the chance to visit a tropical island and brought nothing to show for it.
Or maybe… I frowned, remembering the one rule of the island that was known by the wider world. Maybe Gardevoir could lead that expedition, then. Her, Togekiss, Luxray, and—maybe not Houndoom. Gardevoir could probably snuff out any fires before they got out of hand, but that was no reason to be reckless.
"The Isle of Women…" I said thoughtfully, before scowling as one particular thought came to mind. "If this is her home, I can understand some of why Boa Hancock took up the Warlord title." One of the benefits, after all, was the ability to declare an island as 'territory,' publicly placing it under the Warlord's protection. And for an island of only women, I could unfortunately imagine that such protection was very necessary.
"Don't expect a warm welcome," Zephyr commented. "The Pirate Queen doesn't show her face outside of the island except for the most direct orders. The ones that come paired with threats against her position."
Well, that wasn't reassuring.
"The Kuja Pirates get the news, right?" I asked. "Otherwise, they might get the wrong idea from a strange ship touching down next to their island."
Zephyr snorted. "Knowing her, she'll take anything we do as a provocation regardless."
Awesome. I sighed, already making my way to my room and the writing implements inside of it. "Hopefully, she won't respond too drastically before I can convey our message."
I heard Zephyr and Ain coordinating the landing as I went, adjusting my steps and breathing as the air pressure slowly decreased.
-o-
The island had been in an uproar ever since they saw the giant fish flying towards their island and touching down right outside their gates. The Kuja Pirates had returned mere minutes before from a raid, and the Snake Princess Boa Hancock was extremely annoyed to face such an interruption.
"Snake Princess, that ship has been all over the newspapers! It's—"
"I do not care, you old crone," Hancock said, not even glancing at her foster guardian as she glared at the gate. "The sheer audacity of drawing this near to my island is inexcusable, and impeding us from enjoying the fruits of our labors is likewise."
She turned back, shouting to the gathered women even as Elder Nyon attempted to open her mouth again. "KUJA PIRATES! It seems we have one more raid to accomplish. Ready the ship and the gates!"
"YES, CAPTAIN!" the Kujas answered as one. Then, almost immediately, all of them drew their snakes and nocked arrows, aiming above her. Hancock looked back at the outer wall to see a strange white-winged creature perched beside the gate, looking down at them.
"IT'S LUCAS!" Elder Nyon exploded. And to Hancock's own surprise, that brought her up short enough to turn back to the red-faced woman.
"Snake Princess, it's been all over the nyewspapers that 'Pokémon Champi-nyon' Lucas commissioned a special ship that used his compa-nyons' unique abilities to fly. I don't knyow why he's here, but I doubt it's a declaration of war on us. Unless you strike first."
Hancock pressed her lips together, her eyes narrowed. She looked back at the creature atop the wall, now recognizing it from the newspaper a month ago. It was still perched there and looking at them unmovingly.
"Hmm," Hancock hummed, acknowledging the respect it seemed to be showing. "Everyone, stand down," she called over her shoulder before raising her voice again. "And you may approach."
At once, the creature leaped off the wall, transitioning immediately into a smooth glide toward her ship. With nary a discernible movement, it lighted down before her, leaning its body forward and inclining a wing in an obvious bow. Hancock then noticed a small quiver on its back with a letter inside.
Wasting no time, she took the letter and unfolded it, her sisters looming over her shoulders to see as well:
To the Esteemed Pirate Empress Boa Hancock.
I am 'Pokémon Champion' Lucas, a fellow Warlord of the Sea. I have come to your island hoping to become more acquainted with the others who share my title. I am aware of your laws and customs that forbid males from setting foot on the island, hence my sending this message with Togekiss instead of Crobat.
She spared a second glance at the quiver, seeing that the harness for it appeared missized.
Hence, I request a meeting on your ship or my own.
I don't know you or your character, and I'd rather not assume based on everything I've heard. I know well enough that the ones in charge of this world don't put a lot of value in the truth. But if it's true that you've ignored every order received since you got your title, I don't blame you; I have every intention of doing the same if what I'm told to do doesn't align with my goals.
But again, I'd like to see your character—and, if possible, your power—for myself. I'll wait as long as you need to be ready. And you don't need to write a response; just tell Togekiss your decision, and she'll pass it on to me.
Sincerely, Lucas
"I'd talk about audacity, but from this kid, I'm not surprised," Boa Sandersonia muttered.
"Indeed," Hancock said, frowning as she reread the note. It was almost unthinkable that she would even consider accepting. Just the same way that it was almost unthinkable to attack one of the World Nobles.
And Lucas had nearly killed one of them and even stolen his ship. It had been curious to see that he became a Warlord, but she knew firsthand that the title did not guarantee loyalty to the Government. And then there was the last article she'd seen a month ago, which had made it clear that he had a different definition of 'celestial dragon,' which was far more deserved.
But he was still a man.
"His reputation does precede him," Hancock said haughtily, looking down on the creature before her. "But what makes him worthy of my presence? Let alone my courtesy."
"Snake Princess—!"
Nyon's words fell on deaf ears once more as Hancock finally reacted to the lovely creature before her with the same treatment she would give any creature that crossed her path: she lashed out with a powerful kick.
Togekiss was in the air and out of reach at once, a scowl in place of her gentle smile.
"Your 'Champion' has some modicum of my interest," Hancock said coldly. "But I have no time for someone who must rely on the strength of others to fight his battles."
Hancock turned her back and extended her arm, pointing deeper into the island.
"If you feel that strongly about it, gather the females of your group and come to our colosseum at midday tomorrow. We shall see your power and spirit without the man who commands you. If by some miracle you can overcome us, then I will deign to meet with Lucas. Now begone."
She didn't turn back as a furious burst of wind heralded Togekiss's departure. Elder Nyon faced her with an unreadable expression.
"He attacked one of the World Nyobles. He wouldn't be like them."
"We shall see," Hancock answered coldly, marching back down to the shore as she spoke to her people. "We shall witness these creatures' powers at midday tomorrow. Now, prepare the banquet!"
The Kujas burst into an excited flurry as they complied. Sandersonia and Marigold followed their sister almost immediately while Elder Nyon looked on with a frown, disappointed but unsurprised.
Hancock's deep-seated trauma wouldn't yield to the possibility of trust that easily. And she didn't fault the trial the princess had set, only its timing. From all they saw, the Pokémon Champion's team was powerful, but their true strength was in unity. Seeing how far they could go without their trainer was a worthy test.
-o-
"A battle in the colosseum, females only?" Zephyr muttered as he mused over the Snake Princess's words. "Not what I expected from her."
"What did you expect?" I asked tightly, still on edge after learning that the woman had tried to attack Togekiss before offering the challenge.
The old Marine snorted. "I expected her to either ignore us until we literally sailed up next to her ship or attack immediately and damn the consequences. The last and only time she went to Marineford, she made her thoughts on visitors to Amazon Lily very clear."
"Hmph," I muttered, rubbing Togekiss in a way meant to ease her anger as well as my own. "She doesn't make a good first impression, but a good battle should show what's underneath."
Zephyr shook his head as he started walking away. "You've blown 'possible' out of the water plenty of times, but I'll still be shocked if you can earn her respect." He paused and looked back. "Though I can't say I'll be shocked if your friends can beat her even without your help. Just mildly surprised."
That invited a few chuckles as he headed back inside, and I looked around at my team.
"Well, we may as well train a little while we have time. Boys versus girls, let's go."
Sparks of friendly rivalry entered my team's eyes as they took their places on different sides of the deck.
-o-
Early in Brook's explanation, he'd touched on the barrel trap that Thriller Bark used to mark targets. And he'd accelerated his explanation as soon as they explained that they'd already opened one.
By the time their ship was 'eaten' by the island's gate, the Straw Hats knew everything that Brook had to tell them about Moria's zombies: how he built them, how he animated them, and how to kill them. Chopper, in particular, was distraught at hearing the terrible things that the great Dr. Hogback had been up to, while Zoro expressed an interest in the samurai that held Brook's shadow.
The Straw Hats' moods varied as they began circling the island, looking for the dock. Grim silence blanketed the deck, broken only by the sound of Usopp preparing salt pellets with a mortar and pestle. It was Franky who finally broke it.
"While you're still in a mood to talk, there's one more burning question that I still need an answer to," he said, turning to Brook. "Even after you get your shadow back, if you go out in public looking like that, you know how people are gonna react, don't you?"
Brook stiffened with a quiet gasp.
"I mean, you're a talking skeleton. There's no way someone as creepy as you is ever gonna make friends with anyone. People are gonna run away in terror."
"Franky, why are you telling him that?" Robin asked incredulously, summing up the emotions of everyone on the deck.
"I've been there myself," Chopper cut in, slowly stepping up to Brook. "Before I met Luffy, I could count the number of people I trusted who actually cared about me instead of seeing just a monster on one hoof. And I mean that," he added, showing the two-digit hand of his hybrid form. "But the more you put yourself out there, the easier it'll get. And I know that Lucas, at least, won't think a lot of it."
"Oh, he'll think a lot of it," Zoro scoffed. "A lot about how to use the fact that you're a skeleton to your advantage in fighting."
All of the other Straw Hats nodded in fervent agreement, and Brook chuckled.
"Well, I have already found my body's lightness accelerates my swordplay, which was already quite fast. But leaving that aside for now, I don't believe we got to the point you were trying to make," he said, turning back to Franky. His tone was a bit dry as he added, "After all, I imagine it's similarly difficult to make friends being half-metal and half-naked."
Franky smirked briefly before growing dead serious once more. "You said before that you were so lonely that you wanted to die. You've had it rough for a long time. If I were you, I would've given up on life a long time ago. And yet, you still act like a gentleman. You laugh, you sing, you can act like you don't have a care in the world. What is it that's keeping you alive?"
Brook's expression was, of course, unreadable. For a few seconds, he didn't react.
"Yohohohoho…interested in me, are you?" he asked quietly. "The story is quite simple: at a certain point in the past, before we came to these waters, my crew left behind a good friend of ours. It was a troubling situation, but we did it out of necessity. The only consolation we could offer this friend was a promise that we would return one day, no matter the cost, but then the crew was annihilated. And the promise we made was left unfulfilled. Since I am the only survivor, it is my duty to return to our friend, even if I must bear sad news."
Brook's tale, the promise that had preserved him through five decades of despair, unfolded there and then upon the deck of the Thousand Sunny. And the moment that the name 'Laboon' left his nonexistent lips was the moment that any chance of not joining the Straw Hat Pirates disintegrated.
Even as they found the entrance to the island beside a giant spider web, their conversation continued, Brook tearfully pouring out all of the memories he had of Laboon as he knew him while the Straw Hats shared what they themselves knew of the whale, both the good and the bad. Half the souls aboard the Sunny were teary-eyed as the story came to light. The resolve was ironclad that they would overcome Thriller Bark and Moria so that Brook would be able to keep his promise.
But throughout the conversation, while their senses remained alert for any threats coming from the island, they didn't look beyond what they could see. None of them knew that a grim grinning ghost just out of sight over the ship's side had heard every word. Nor that ectoplasmic tears had formed in the ghost's eyes when it finally flew off.
-o-
The morning of the duel came without much fanfare, as several of the Kuja Tribe were still busy nursing hangovers from the previous night's feast. By midday, however, most of them had recovered, and even those who hadn't refused to miss out on the upcoming challenge. Even on Amazon Lily, the power of rumors was on full display, and the colosseum stands were packed full of tribeswomen eager to get a glimpse of the strange creatures that were to battle their rulers.
Hancock frowned as the same creature from earlier, Togekiss, soared down to the arena floor, the one the Government had called "Lady Devil" on her back. A moment later, two black creatures ran into the arena on paws, one canine and the other feline. The "Devil's Dog" and the other recent addition, one who had no bounty.
Hancock hadn't acknowledged it earlier, but these creatures were pinging strangely against her Haki. They didn't quite feel like any people she'd encountered before, but they were different enough from a mere beast that they stood out as individuals. It was an altogether odd, if distinctive, sensation.
The disturbingly human-like woman bowed in their direction, and Hancock felt herself tense as her eyes glowed, only to relax slightly as another note was levitated over to her.
Gardevoir is only able to communicate through telepathy, the note read. While she and I will both swear that no memories or knowledge will be taken from your mind without your consent in the process, she is willing to communicate through writing if you deem it necessary.
Hancock frowned, giving Gardevoir a considering look, before finally coming to a decision. "Your man has been far more respectful than I had expected," she admitted grudgingly. "Therefore, I will permit your mental communications in this instance. Leave my memories untouched, or I will have that permission rescinded and you punished."
As you wish.
Most of the arena jolted as the ethereal voice echoed clearly through their minds. Hancock was only barely an exception.
We have come here for no more or less than a fair battle, at your request. So long as you abide by the rules you lay down, we shall do the same. But I hope you understand that if Champion Lucas does not receive an all-clear signal within the next few hours, he will expend no small efforts in figuring out why. Up to and including requesting the involvement of ex-Admiral Zephyr.
Marigold and Sandersonia, both very aware of the power an ex-Admiral could theoretically wield (though not of the name Zephyr), flinched minutely, but Hancock merely scoffed and tossed her hair back.
"Hmph," she said, forming her hands into her preferred heart-shaped sign. "I would not provoke a response from the Government over such a trifling matter. Your damages will not be permanent."
She barely considered before standing from the coils of her throne. "After me."
The three women leaped from the platform, Hancock touching down on the arena herself and Sandersonia and Marigold landing on either side. Salome shot down the stairs and coiled around his mistress seconds later.
"Four against four will do," Hancock stated, one hand stroking Salome's neck. "Your restriction on reading our minds still applies, and you," she added, looking at Togekiss, "may not fly higher than we can clearly see you."
Both creatures nodded in assent.
"Beyond that, fight to your heart's content," Hancock said flippantly. "The match will end when one side surrenders or is unable to fight. But I would advise against falling into the pit of spikes outside the arena."
All four nodded, and Hancock smiled warmly.
"Of course, I trust you'll simply surrender now and allow me to win. After all, I am beautiful," she purred, waving her hair with one arm.
The arena went mad from her subordinates' cheers, and despite seeing that the creatures seemed more concerned about that than Hancock herself, she still raised her hands in a heart shape.
"Love-Love Beam!"
Credit to the four targets, though, they did not merely stand still and allow Hancock's attack to land. Togekiss took off almost instantaneously, and Gardevoir teleported straight up in a flash of light, landing daintily on the back of her airborne companion. The quadrupeds, meanwhile, ran off in different directions. Houndoom leaped off to the side with surprising speed, outside of the arc of her attack, but the other one, Luxray, charged straight into it and tore through the other side unharmed, fangs bared as she lunged for Hancock's own throat.
While her sisters were surprised at the feline's immunity, Hancock merely raised a brow before snapping her leg up to catch Luxray's fangs on a Haki-protected shin. "As expected, then," she proclaimed haughtily. "As with other beasts, you cannot acknowledge my beauty."
We acknowledge your aesthetic qualities, Gardevoir answered dryly from above, And I'm sure some Pokémon would find them attractive. But we are not among them.
Luxray, meanwhile, was busy snarling through her grip on Hancock's leg, fangs pressing ineffectively against her Haki. Hancock scoffed again, pulling her leg back to kick the offending beast away, when Luxray's fangs sparked, and Hancock seized up with an inadvertent shout of pain as electricity coursed through her. Cries of surprise rang out from around the stadium as the spectators saw their Snake Princess staggering from pain.
"Sister!" Sandersonia and Marigold were already reaching out for her, and Salome, though recoiling from the electricity surrounding Luxray, also moved to assist, but Lucas's other beasts intercepted them. Sandersonia barely evaded a pair of swords that embedded themselves into the arena floor, and Gardevoir teleported down after them to give chase. Marigold was blown several feet back by a gust of pink-tinged wind, and Togekiss dove after her, wings shining with white light. Salome, meanwhile, was tackled away by an actively ablaze Houndoom, and hissed in pain as the flames seared her underbelly.
Hancock gritted her teeth, focusing her will and fighting back control over her own body. Her leg spasmed, kicking Luxray away with less force than she'd have preferred, and she stumbled back as the effects of the shock dissipated.
Perhaps I set my expectations too low, Hancock reflected sourly, before bringing her hand up to counter the blast of electricity Luxray sent her way. "Pistol Kiss!" The Haki-infused heart bullet didn't petrify the approaching lightning bolt, but the clash of energies was enough to nullify it with a loud explosion and a cloud of smoke. Hancock didn't wait for the smoke to dissipate, taking a deep breath and kissing out a large heart, which she pulled on like a Kuja's bow and arrow.
"Slave Arrow!" she proclaimed, sending a barrage of heart-tipped projectiles flying into the smoke cloud, doing her best to track Luxray's Haki. There was a yelp of surprise from the other side, but her attack was not sufficient to dissuade the even larger blast of electricity that pierced through the remainder of the smoke. Hancock, though, was able to avoid the attack well enough, ignoring the tingling sensation from the near miss, and as the last of the smoke cleared she scowled at the realization that her barrage had not actually landed any significant hits on her target.
Granted, her guarantee of no permanent damage made her standard tactics less viable. Stone, after all, was nothing to the strength she and her sisters wielded, and no matter her confidence in her own powers, to provoke retaliation for a mere misplaced attack would be foolish.
There was a brief lull, and Hancock took advantage of it to check on her sisters with her Haki. Sonia and Mari had switched opponents at some point, and it wasn't going well. Togekiss was harrying Sonia, as even with Haki and the length of an Anaconda hybrid, the oddly shaped bird easily dodged every attack. Mari, meanwhile, was clashing weapons with Gardevoir, but the Lady Devil had started warping around and controlling her swords remotely, and Mari was struggling to keep up. Panicked hissing from Salome, along with the increased heat from her direction, told her all she needed to know about how well her companion was faring.
We've only just started! she thought in outrage, before having to duck away from another of Luxray's lightning bolts.
"Mari, increase the pressure!" Hancock snapped. Immediately, her sumo-like sister took on her own Zoan form and began spitting venom.
And she and Hancock both saw the flash of panic in the fae's eyes as she barely evaded the blow. Emboldened, Mari kept barraging the area with poison, and it wasn't long before the poison mist started surging, and Hancock allowed herself a smirk; immunity to snake venom was a requirement among all Kujas, but it would suffice for their opponents.
Unfortunately, a cry from Togekiss caused Gardevoir to notice. She warped to the arena's edge, brought her arms to her face, and then spread them with a great exhale.
And thick sea-green mist surged across the battlefield from her form, rolling with all the force and mass of high tide. It smothered the poison globs, dispersed the mist, and even flooded over the edges of the arena, shrouding where the stone ended and the pit of spikes began.
The sisters and the snake had no way to avoid it. Both Marigold and Sonia attempted sweeping it away with their tails, barely making an impact as Gardevoir continued pouring it forth until they all seemed to be walking in clouds. Soon, however, they realized there seemed to be no danger from the mist. In fact, Hancock felt a strange sense of safety from how it was touching her.
As soon as she realized that, she forced the thought away and snarled, "What is this?! What are you doing to us?!"
This mist weakens the power of Dragons and imbues the power of Fairies to those who can harness it, Gardevoir answered calmly. Its main usage, in this case, is protection against physical ailments, such as paralysis, burns, and poison. The only disadvantage is that you are as immune as we are.
As though to demonstrate the point, Houndoom spat out a burst of eerie blue fire, causing Salome to howl in pain. Hancock snarled as she surged over, one powerful kick successfully landing and sending the dog hurtling to the arena's edge.
But she looked over Salome, and while the snake was struggling to stay conscious, her scales were completely clean; the mist had washed away the worst of the fire.
"How interesting," she found herself murmuring, but refocused on the battle as Gardevoir and Togekiss both gathered over to Houndoom, fire and swords fending them off.
"I'll handle this," Marigold spat, slithering fast over to the fire and letting it brush over her skin to bring her halberd down hard on the group. Gardevoir's ring sheath blocked the blow, but quickly slipped away, leaving its wielder to take the attack and be knocked back a ways away.
The dog, however, was back on her feet and running up Marigold's back, fangs sparking with electricity. Sonia quickly slithered over to try and bat her away, but a lightning bolt from Luxray cut her off, her Observation Haki warning her just in time. Hancock herself tried to take advantage of her opponent's distraction, but was stymied herself by a barrage of elements from Togekiss. The Warlord scowled, batting aside the more tangible projectiles with a mixture of her powers and Haki, and swaying around and underneath the ones she couldn't parry.
And then Mari was shouting in pain as electrified fangs dug into her side, Sonia was yelping as Gardevoir teleported next to her and blasted her into the air, and the moment of distraction was enough to let one of Togekiss's attacks slip through Hancock's defenses. The deluge of wet and cold sent Hancock into undignified spluttering, and with it, the last of her patience was gone.
"ENOUGH!" Hancock snarled, finally letting her restraints go and pouring all of her frustration into a wave of Conqueror's Haki that encompassed the entire colosseum. And she took in the aftermath.
Half of the audience passed out, and another quarter was stunned. Even Sonia and Mari struggled to stay conscious beneath the weight of their sister's spirit.
But to their astonishment and horror, her adversaries barely seemed to slow down. In fact, even as they continued moving, she saw the defiance in their eyes—no. That was more than defiance; that was a challenge.
'Impressive' does not do your power justice; the magnitude of your Pressure is one we associate with gods, the inhuman woman declared. But you seem to require utmost concentration for a short burst. By our standards, the more impressive skill with Pressure is turning it off.
That took a moment to sink in. When it did, Sandersonia and Marigold both paled at the idea of someone putting off Conqueror's Haki not only constantly but passively, and Hancock wasn't fully able to hide her own unnerved expression. A suspicion crept into her mind that she may have bitten off more than she could chew, but she crushed it firmly.
"Fine, then," Sandersonia growled. "We were trying not to cause permanent damage, but if actively trying to kill you is the only way we'll win, you can clearly take it! MEDUSA HAIR: EIGHT-HEADED SERPENT!"
Her long green hair shaped into seven massive snake bodies, and a moment later, Marigold struck a match, lighting herself on fire as her own hair took the form of two snake heads.
"MEDUSA HAIR: SALAMANDER!"
All four of their opponents seemed to grin at the challenge. Salome, meanwhile, curved back around her mistress, devoting her remaining stamina to guarding her as she looked for her own opening.
But as the hair serpents closed in, Gardevoir and Togekiss simply smirked as shining auras surrounded them, rainbows shimmering in the light. Then, all at once, the auras exploded outward, and both towering serpents' hair constructs fell apart as they clutched their hands to their eyes and heads.
"AAGH! That was just a bright light! How does it hurt so much?!" Sonia screamed.
"Focus, sisters! Don't get caught off-guard!" Hancock snapped, dashing between them and breathing out a heart to attack.
But her warning came far too late, as the two ethereal creatures had already begun stirring the mists up into a tornado-like form on the other side of the arena, both so close to the stands that Hancock knew they were hovering above the pit of spikes.
The windstorm continued surging as Hancock fired another Slave Arrow, the projectiles meeting only stone as the creatures wove around the attack.
Then the two quadrupeds breathed out a torrent of fire, which got swept up into the gale-force winds and turned into a veritable tidal wave of flames hurtling towards the Snake Sisters. And it only seemed to grow bigger and hotter as the dog let out a piercing howl, and the sunlight intensified around them.
Hancock grimaced, grabbing hold of Salome and summoning up a single giant heart-tipped arrow. "Slave Ballista!" she yelled, firing off the projectile and dashing after it immediately. Again, her Fruit's abilities couldn't petrify the burst of flames, but the force from the attack coupled with her Haki was enough to blast an opening in it large enough for her and Salome to slip through.
Marigold's Haki allowed her to withstand the worst of the flames, but even returning to her human form wasn't enough to allow Sonia to dodge it; she fell down with a howl, rolling through the mists to put out the fire.
And at the moment that Sonia held their attention, a great beam of sunlight struck Marigold. Though her Haki muted most of the damage again, the power was more than her body could endure, and she too fell forward.
Hancock glared murderously at the creatures. Her sisters' best pincer attack had just been smacked aside and effortlessly upstaged, and she was running out of ways to fight without turning her opponents to stone. And it was a wonder she still cared about keeping her word. She looked at her sisters' fallen forms—
And her heart leaped into her throat. The dog's fire had incinerated Sonia's cape, and the way she had fallen left her hair draped to the side. Mari was in a similar state; the sun-beam had surpassed her clothes' fireproofing and left a tattered mess that concealed nothing. Her own hair was also to her side.
The misty terrain was the only thing that kept her from hyperventilating, the clouds just thick enough to submerge their bare backs. She took a deep breath to force a sense of calmness before raising her voice.
"Sonia! Mari! Cover yourselves!"
They snapped out of their stupor at once, scaly hands hastily maneuvering their long hair to cover their backs before carefully straightening back up, panic in their eyes.
"The mists kept you covered," Hancock stated, looking back at their opponents. The Lady Devil had an unreadable expression as she looked at them, and Hancock's fists clenched. But as she opened her mouth, the creature spoke again.
I have kept my word not to look into your minds, she said, her voice far quieter than it had been; Hancock understood at once that it was restricted to them. But the ability to sense the emotions of those around me is one I can only control so much, especially with feelings so intense. But I don't believe you wish to discuss it at the moment.
Hancock and her sisters all continued gazing at their opponents, the battle at a standstill. She closed her eyes and shook her head before raising her voice.
"We must not risk exposing the Gorgon Eyes! Everyone, leave the arena at once!"
The women in the audience departed loudly and quickly with a mixture of terror and discontent. In a mere minute, the stands were practically bare.
You still have one watcher. A short older woman whose snake is in the form of a walking stick.
"Granny Nyon," Sonia sighed as she and Mari donned replacement tops. "That's fine; her we can trust. Did you see anything?"
No. But given the magnitude of your fear, I can venture a guess.
All three stilled at the hatred and disgust in her tone.
You are protective of your backs and acutely afraid of anyone seeing what is upon them. There were echoes of deep trauma in your fear, ones that I have experienced only one other time in this world: When we stole Rhode's ship and found several men and women aboard kept in chains.
Hancock felt her fear spike and cursed herself as she saw the confirmation in Gardevoir's eyes.
The only consideration in our mind was to free them and give them whatever help we could. There is nothing more disgusting to us than slavery.
Marigold returned to normal, all three sisters grouping together with guarded grimaces.
"If you've figured it out anyway, we may as well ask: what's the difference with your master?" Sonia spat.
A question that they asked as well, Gardevoir responded calmly. It is very simple: he loves us, and we love him. We are his, and he is ours. Our bond goes in two directions, not one.
They blinked slowly, and Hancock's reservations began to fade. Was it that simple?
"And your freedom?"
If we wished to leave Lucas, he would allow it. That much has been clear since the day each of us met him.
If that wasn't enough to fully satisfy them, it was enough to focus on a different topic.
"And do you plan on telling anyone else about us?" Mari demanded.
This is not the first time that I have come across deep trauma in the mind of another, and I have never shared such knowledge without an excellent reason, Gardevoir answered. It may come to light depending on how your conversation with Lucas goes. Until then, we shall say nothing, and whether we do or not, none outside our team—our family—will know.
She hesitated noticeably, and an undecipherable conversation quickly passed between the four of them before she spoke again.
I will not say there will be no consequences if you go back on our bargain. But come what may, your secret will not pass beyond the nine of us. That's far beyond our business. In any case, our battle has not ended yet. How do you wish to proceed?
Hancock stared at the inhuman creatures before her, four pairs of utterly lucid eyes staring back at her with firm understanding. She sighed and slumped back into Salome's coils.
"I concede. Go, and tell Lucas that if nobody aside from you and your kin are present to listen, I will meet him tomorrow morning."
With your permission, we can heal your injuries before we depart.
Hancock barely fought down a glare at that, hating the idea that they could possibly seem weak. But a shiver from her throne made her glance at Salome, who was clearly in considerable pain. She sighed.
"So be it."
Gardevoir nodded, and she and Togekiss came forward. Salome hissed in relief as Gardevoir's off-pink energy washed over her with the chimes of tinkling bells, while Sonia and Mari both relaxed (insomuch as either could with their secret having been exposed) as they were touched by drops of water from Togekiss's wingtips. To Hancock's surprise, Gardevoir waited for her permission to apply healing to her as well, and she felt a brief surge of energy as her few relatively minor injuries were wiped away. Neither the mental or physical fatigue was completely erased, which was an interesting tell of the limits of these creatures' healing abilities, but the sight of her burns fading away sparked an idea.
"How far can your healing abilities go?"
Her true question was obvious to everyone present. For several moments, nobody spoke.
How long ago? Gardevoir asked at last.
They shivered, and Hancock's voice was barely a whisper as she answered, "Twenty-one years ago."
Gardevoir closed her eyes, gathering herself before carefully responding.
It would not be impossible. It would be beyond our powers. But continual applications of our medicine over several weeks would be sufficient. You will need to negotiate with Lucas for that; we have not yet allowed anyone in this world to take our medicines.
"Then I believe we will have much to discuss. Now leave us. We will speak again on the morrow."
The four nodded and silently departed the arena, leaving Hancock shivering beside her snake and her sisters.
-o-
The sun had risen well past the horizon when the Perfume Yuda came up beside the Fish.
Per Hancock's request, and to Zephyr's great reluctance, all Marines aboard were below deck or watching from the bridge while my team and I stood on the deck alone. Torterra and Lucario stood behind me, Crobat resting in the shade of the tree, and Vaporeon perched on my shoulders.
The rest of my team stood around me as we watched the approach, and I noticed several women on the deck, mostly with minimal clothing and all with snakes curled around their bodies. Then the two towering serpents that towed the Kujas' ship stretched out their heads, allowing the four figures atop them to disembark onto my deck. And I have to admit, I was speechless for a minute when I finally laid eyes on them.
Boa Hancock was gorgeous. She didn't tower over me like Sengoku or Smoker, but she was still very tall. Her long black hair flowed down to her thighs, she had gold snake-shaped earrings, and she wore a sleeveless purple dress covered in her jolly roger. Her expression was neutral, giving away no emotion, but she seemed calm. Surrounding her was a giant white and red snake with a skull helmet, eyeing all of us with the same alertness as my team.
Two other women came to stand beside her, flanking her like bodyguards. Both were more than twice as tall as she was; the green-haired one was even taller than Binz, while the orange-haired one was…well, to put it tactfully, she was the biggest. I also noted that neither one of them had snake companions, but the green-haired one had a forked tongue coming from her lips. Definitely Sandersonia and Marigold, according to my team's reports.
Zoans, both of them, just like you said, I thought, Gardevoir nodding imperceptibly.
With that, I stepped forward and bowed respectfully, like I had to King Cobra, and my team followed suit.
"Your Highness, thank you for accepting my invitation. I am Champion Lucas, and I am pleased to make your acquaintance. These four are the remainder of my team: Torterra, Crobat, Vaporeon, and Lucario."
"Hmm," she hummed, her entire party moving forward unhurriedly. "I would not expect you to be the first to bow your head when we are supposedly on equal standing," she said, a hint of challenge in her tone. I raised my head.
"I am a guest in your kingdom, and first impressions can be deceiving," I responded evenly.
"Hmmm," she said again, still not smiling but giving me the impression of sizing me up, her eyes passing between my team and me. "I suppose it is proper that I return the introduction. I am Boa Hancock, the Snake Princess of Amazon Lily and captain of the Kuja Pirates. My partner's name is Salome," she continued, caressing the large snake just below its mane. "And the two behind me are my sisters, Boa Sandersonia and Boa Marigold. Their authority among the Kujas is second only to mine."
They inclined their heads, unsmiling but not disrespectful.
"Right," I said abruptly with a clap of my hands. "I'm sure you'd like to get this meeting over and done with as soon as possible, so let's get started." I indicated a large table with a set of chairs off to the side, built into the deck and braced against the bridge. Cynthia's lessons on proper etiquette as a Champion were not quite as fresh as they probably should have been, but Mom had long since taught me how to treat guests. "I can get some refreshments ready if you'd like, food and drink from my homeland. I don't suppose there's any allergies to worry about?"
Boa—er, Hancock scoffed. "As if a simple foodstuff would lay one such as myself low."
"We will be fine standing," the orange-haired woman, who I think was named Marigold, said.
"If you're sure. I think we have a few chairs below deck that could accommodate you," I said, silently retracting my thought about Franky stockpiling our storage space so much.
The sisters exchanged glances, but shook their heads regardless, and walked over to stand at one side of the table. Well, the two larger sisters remained standing. Hancock's snake, Salome I think her name was, coiled up behind her, the small mountain of coils forming into a throne that she sat upon. Through it all, she kept staring at me. There was no hostility behind it, but there was definitely curiosity.
"I guess my first question is why you became one of the Warlords. I understand hating the Government, but it still seems like you could be doing more with your freedom."
Her eyes narrowed, as did her guards'.
"I mean no disrespect," I added quickly. "I just know that it was a lot more stressful for me to sail around once I had a target on my back."
And now they were scowling. I winced.
"I'm not trying to insult you here! I know you must all be powerful warriors. And I wouldn't disrespect anyone who wasn't a complete self-absorbed fool like that Celestial Dragon."
…Wow, I hadn't seen anyone that angry since that one time Crobat's Razor Wind tore up Cynthia's clothes.
"Gardevoir, you'd smack me if I were being that tactless here, right?" I pleaded, not daring to take my eyes off of Hancock.
Of course, she said, stepping up beside me. If he is saying something amiss, please inform us so he can be properly chastised.
Hancock's eyes slowly turned to Gardevoir, her expression turning back to a frown. Gardevoir seemed to say something, but I didn't hear it. After a moment, Hancock untensed, and Gardevoir looked back at me.
Lucas, if I may. I believe this requires a woman's touch.
I smiled and waved her off, not trusting that I wouldn't trip over my tongue again somehow. And they did seem more at ease as Gardevoir spoke.
I will clarify that serving the World Government was a choice that I, personally, was the most resistant to after that so-called 'Saint' Rhode demanded that I become his wife. I regret that I was unable to make my displeasure clear to him more personally. Though I'm not sure delving into his mind would have been worth it.
"Potentially, if only to rip him apart from the inside out," Hancock muttered darkly.
Indeed. My doubts about the Government began shortly after we helped the Nefertaris of Alabasta, but it took less than a minute of tolerating Rhode's presence for us to lose any remaining good faith. And our opinion dropped even lower after stealing his ship, discovering the now-ex-slaves we had stolen with it.
The three sisters shifted, and I started to piece things together.
We have heard the stories of Sabaody Archipelago, and we have every intention of giving it a very thorough examination, she emphasized. And part of our reasoning for looking into other Warlords is to see how many allies we could have for that time.
I didn't need to see her face to recognize her vicious grin.
After all, she said quietly. What can the Government do if so many of those under their command claim that nothing is happening and that they know nothing about a few Nobles who might have somehow 'disappeared' in all of the confusion?
That got all three women… smiling, but in the predatorial way where it's all teeth and no humor. But Salome jabbed Hancock gently in her side, and she sobered quickly, her sisters doing the same. She calmed herself as she looked between Gardevoir and me. Then between her bodyguards, with an unspoken conversation passing between them. Finally, she looked back at me.
"Your actions speak for themselves," Hancock stated, her tone calm again. "Only one other person in living memory has publicly assaulted the World Nobles and gotten away with it, and he perished for it ten years ago."
"Fisher Tiger, right? I've met one of the Sun Pirates myself," I said, inviting surprised looks from them. "Killed for the crime of wanting freedom…I just don't get how people so rotten can be in charge of this world."
"Oh, believe me," Sandersonia hissed. "Even without a grudge as personal as yours, plenty of people who have to suffer a World Noble's presence for ten seconds would want to strangle them to death."
"Unfortunately, not all of us are powerful and hot-blooded enough to challenge an Admiral for fun," Marigold drawled.
I chuckled. "I won't apologize that our lives revolve around battling. Aren't the Kujas a proud tribe of warriors as well?"
"To the extent that we can enter a fight at a moment's notice. Not to the extent that we do so at every possible opportunity," Hancock said blandly. "In any case, let me refocus this conversation: you came to our island and sought to meet me personally. What, precisely, did you hope to gain from this interaction?"
"To be blunt?" I shrugged. "I was hoping for an alliance."
"Elaborate."
"The world is rotten, and the Fleet Admiral has approved of me doing whatever I can to fix it until my next rematch with Giratina. For now, I'm focusing on purging whatever corruption I can find among the Warlords and the Marines and hunting down whatever pirate crews I find that have earned their bounties. I'm going to stretch the freedom of my Warlord position as far as it can possibly go. And when I hit that limit?"
We'll return to the Revolutionaries, Gardevoir whispered, and the three women stiffened. Let this confession of treason be confirmation for you: Your secret is safe with us.
Their fists clenched. Then, ever so slowly, they relaxed, Hancock's eyes boring into mine.
"What mattered most to me is confirming that you're not committing any crimes that go against the Warlord contract or basic decency," I said. "Ideally, I'd like to persuade you to help me purge as many places as possible of rotten pirates or soldiers, or being able to call on your help. But I'd settle for being on speaking terms with you."
Hancock inhaled and exhaled slowly.
"I have not violated the agreement, and I have little interest in the world beyond Amazon Lily."
Her eyes passed from me over my team and across the deck, and she shook her head slightly as she looked back at me.
"I will consider your request. I am inclined to object to anything that benefits the Government. But I have no qualms with putting coldhearted and arrogant men in their place."
I nodded. "That's perfectly fair. Thank you. I only have one other request."
"And that would be?"
I grinned, glad to be back on more familiar topics. "Well, if I can, I'd like to see your power for myself. I missed my chance yesterday, after all."
"Hmm, of course," Hancock exhaled, almost laughing. "I should not have expected anything less." She looked over the deck of the Fish with something that would have been open curiosity on a less haughty person. "Men are not permitted on Amazon Lily. That is a law I will not bend." And something that could have almost been a smile appeared on her face. "This ship, however, will suffice for some light exertions.
"But first," Hancock leaned forward, speaking with a tone that brooked absolutely no argument, "There is a deal I am interested in making."
I blinked, doing my best to hide my nerves under the intensity of her stare. "Go on."
-o-
Elsewhere on the Grand Line, however, others had more important things to ponder.
"Uh… Captain?"
Captain Jacob Stash did not respond. He was too busy staring at the large, wide-open field he and his crew had woken up in. His ship, his beloved Cobalt Chest, was utterly grounded, his night crew gone, with no water in sight to explain how this could have happened.
"Aoga," he growled, "Get the crew on their feet. I want to know who did this, because when I get my hands on them, I swear I'll–"
"You'll what?" A voice from behind them interrupted. Above, where there weren't any trees or other rocks… "What're the Bluestache Pirates gonna do about it?"
"It's Stash! Blue Stash!" Jacob snapped, a familiar anger overriding any confusion as he rounded on the source of the interloper. "Do you see any mustaches on my… damn… face…" His voice trailed off into nothingness, anger completely gone when he came face-to-sword with a man's… legs? Those were his legs, alright, with swords replacing their lower halves. Jacob's gaze slowly turned upward to find an older, yellow-maned man with a large ship wheel sticking out of his head. And that's when his memory clicked.
"Y-you!" Jacob stuttered, staggering back as he realized exactly who was floating before him. "W-what do you want with me?"
"Me?" The man rumbled, unconcerned by the panic radiating from the pirates around him. "Why, I just need you and your crew to test some things for me." One of his hands slowly raised into the air and snapped, the sound echoing throughout the terrified silence.
"After all," Shiki the Golden Lion, the only man to have ever escaped Impel Down and former contemporary of the Pirate King, leered down at them. "I happened to pick up a little birdy recently, and he told me that some upstart's running around with what people are calling the strongest beasts on the Grand Line. I can't be having my own grand return upstaged before it's even begun!"
A series of roars and loud crashing noises pulled Jacob Stash's attention to the edge of the clearing, where a mass of… They couldn't have been anything other than monsters crashing through the undergrowth, oversized, slavering animals clambering over each other in a berserker rage, aimed right at him and his crew.
"So try and survive for as long as possible, yeah? I've got some beasties of my own that need proper testing!"
The Blue Stash Pirates fought their hardest.
It wasn't enough.
Their world ended in blood and despair, to the sound of the mad laughter from the pirate hovering overhead.
"JIIIIIIIIIIHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
So I told myself I'd get this chapter done for the new year, and, well, technically I'm right! Happy Year of the Dragon everyone!
Funny story, I wanted to split this into two but since it's been a long time and also I couldn't come up with other scenes that felt adequate, you get this one which has a good amount of the important bits for Amazon Lily.
Also, I had to upload this on my phone to the app b/c FFN desktop version has decided to be a stupid, and it borked all the formatting. So if something looks off, that's why.