"Shugoshina" Chapters 12-23
To my loyal readers, it has been a long time.
This is officially the start of the Shugoshina Arc, an arc I have been planning for months and probably rewrote countless times to meet my standards. It has been hard, but overall, it has been worth it to create this fanfic and finally build up to the arc I envisioned for this story.
This is where the real story begins.
If you've made it this far, please leave a review. Thank you for sticking with me through this journey. I hope you like this just as much as I do.
Enjoy :)
Chapter 12: The Secret Base of the Revolutionary Army: New Baltigo Island!
Joker.
Who could that be? Lucian scanned his surroundings. He ran pretty far from the mainland. Did the Black Pearl escape? He was on a small island, and the sun almost dipped under the horizon. The orange and blue spectrum of lights began to fade slowly.
Lucian needed answers; he paced around nervously until he heard a crunching noise. He looked down and saw a broken transponder. Lucian picked it up and investigated it. It had burn marks on it and an insignia as well. Interesting, what could this be, he wondered as he cleared the dust from it.
The insignia showed a creepy face with a wide smile and a crossed diagonal line running through the middle of the face. What organization was this?
He had no clue.
Lucian walked up to Reiju, handing her the burned transponder, "Who is this...Joker?"
Reiju was too busy moving her unconscious brother onto a boat; she placed him down gently and then turned around to address his question.
"I`m surprised you don`t know. Joker is an infamous alias. He is the king of the black market—human trafficking, illegal weapons, imported goods—you name it, he has it."
Lucian thought back to his training. Rayleigh spoke about many important figures that he had to look out for in the Grand Line, and now that he was on the edge of the New World, his mind was blank when he needed it the most.
He looked at Reiju. She seemed sad, so Lucian asked her about what she remembered. "You are a fool, Lucian. I wish you trusted me. Why didn`t you tell me Mateo Valois was on your crew?"
Fuck, how did she know? "What are you talking about?"
"I heard tales of Ilir Abrojo. That man was not Ilir Abrojo. But for some reason, I forced myself to trust you!"
Lucian felt like shit, he doubted Reiju, and it seemed to have cost him. "I know, I know."
He had no witty comeback to defend himself. This was his fault, and he had to take full responsibility; he had made mistakes along the way. Clouded by his ego, he was now faced with a particularly dark aftermath, one he had never anticipated.
Lucian picked up Renee and began to carry her. "Tell me, Reiju, what did Joker do?"
"He took Mateo Valois."
Lucian sighed. Why act surprised?
In the back of his mind, he didn`t want to believe it, but Mateo was really gone. This was no time for self-pity.
The truth was finally unveiled before his eyes. He had been played this whole time. He knew Mateo was a target, and Lucian forgot to account for the other unforeseen variable, this Joker figure. That nagging feeling had been bothering him. That must have been it.
Reiju sighed, "My father, he accounted for everything. He knew the prince of Lulusia was near, so he contacted Joker for his whereabouts in exchange for a favor from him. I wish I knew what my father wanted from Joker, but he never told me. I assume he negotiated something to help Germa 66 grow more powerful," Reiju said.
"I need to get him back," Lucian said. As he walked towards the shore, he saw another small canoe. He gently placed Renee in it. Reiju stayed silent.
"You can`t stop Joker," Reiju said.
"I need his real name, and I need to get out of here," Lucian said as he began to undress his bloody shirt, ripped it into small pieces, fashioned tourniquets, and wrapped them around his arms and legs. The pain subsided slightly.
"Are you coming with?" Lucian asked. Reiju looked anywhere but Lucian`s eyes. Lucian felt she would say no, but he needed to try.
She was his friend and could prove a powerful ally, but he gave her no reason to trust him. So why did it matter?
"I cannot, Lucian; I am bound to my family obligations. My place is with them," Reiju responded. Lucian wanted to fight for her, but he stopped himself. Reiju wasn`t going to leave for him. As much as he wanted to, the timing was not right.
"I'm sorry, Reiju. I hope you know that I truly care about you," Lucian said.
Reiju approached Lucian and began to readjust his self-made tourniquets, which she rewrapped and tightened. After a couple of minutes of silence, Lucian grabbed Reiju`s hand. She looked at him.
"Your ship isn`t far; go, Lucian. This is where our journey ends," Reiju said.
Lucian gripped Reiju`s hand tightly, and he hugged her. Lucian wasn`t sure when the next time he would see her again.
Maybe soon, maybe never.
They hugged for quite some time, and Reiju slightly pulled away. "Leave. Your friend needs your help." Reiju kissed Lucian on the cheek and pulled away.
Lucian stood there, shirtless and cold. The winds began to pick up, but Lucian never took her eyes off Reiju as she walked away.
"Hey, Reiju," Lucian called out. Reiju turned back, and she managed a slight grin right when she was about to board her ship.
"You`ll always be my friend. Call me if you ever need anything. I hope I see you again soon," Lucian said.
Reiju smiled and waved away as she got in her boat. She sailed back to where Lucian came from. In the distance, he saw flickering lights. The Germa navy must have been scouring the area for Reiju and Niji.
Lucian carefully placed Renee into the boat and rowed north as quickly as he could.
It was nice that the shade of night concealed his presence. After half an hour of rowing, his muscles began to get numb, the cold air breezing against his wounds stinging his body, but he persevered. Until he saw the Black Pearl, he sighed a breath of relief as he saw the outline of his ship anchored on the last small island up north of the Bayou Isles.
Lucian rowed faster once he saw the ship. Once he got within a good distance, he stopped. Where was Jory? He was usually up and about.
Lucian grabbed Renee gently and stood up. He used whatever stamina to activate Geppo, reaching the Black Pearl and setting Renee down. Lucian ran around the ship to find Jory until he found him.
Jory was covered in blood and unconscious in his room. "HEY JORY!"
Lucian grabbed Jory and began to shake him. He needed his help to get the Black Pearl moving at top speed. The Germa navy would be here soon, and he was in no condition to take them all on.
He finally came to life after a couple of slaps to the face and buckets of water thrown.
"Jory, bro, what happened to you?" Lucian exclaimed.
Jory began to adjust to his senses. "VERGOOOOOOOOOOOOOO," Jory yelled.
His giant friend erupted to life and began stumbling around, making his way to the deck. Lucian followed, and in the distance, he saw a faint glimpse of the Germa Navy, over twenty ships lined up.
"We need to leave, NOW!" Lucian yelled to Jory, urgency thick in his voice.
Without wasting a second, they sprang into action. Jory dashed to the helm while Lucian untied the sails, allowing them to catch the full force of the wind. The Black Pearl groaned as its massive frame began to shift. Jory expertly maneuvered the ship's wheel, adjusting their course as the sails snapped taut with the gust.
"More speed!" Lucian shouted from the deck.
He rushed to the engine room, firing up the ship's auxiliary propulsion system, adding a burst of power. The Black Pearl surged forward, cutting through the waves like a beast unleashed. The sails billowed wide, and with every turn of the wheel, Jory pushed the ship faster, navigating the open sea with the precision of a seasoned sailor. The Black Pearl sped ahead leaving the Germa navy biting the dust.
Lucian slumped down on the deck as the Bayou Isles disappeared in the distance. Collapsing from exhaustion, he tried to control his breathing as they sailed into the night.
Lucian stared at the stars. He usually loved to stargaze. It was his favorite thing to do as a kid alongside Mikasa; it gave him a sense of nostalgia, when life was simpler. Now, he was engulfed in a pirate's life—oh, how chaotic it became.
When Jory returned to the deck where Lucian was lying, Lucian turned his head to Jory. He poorly bandaged himself up and sat beside him.
"So you wanna tell me what happened? You yelled out Vergo," Lucian asked.
"I don`t know how to tell you this, captain, but... they took Mateo," Jory cried out in tears. Lucian sat up and began to pat his giant friend, easing him from the pain he had experienced.
"I know, we will get him back. But Jory, you need to catch me up. Who attacked you?" Lucian said.
Jory wiped away the tears and began to explain. "It was so quick. We had just arrived at the target island, and I anchored the Pearl. Mateo was steering at the helm. We were waiting for you until... I blacked out.
But before that happened, I saw him. That dirty, dirty marine, Vice Admiral Vergo. When I came to it, I searched the ship for Mateo, but he was nowhere to be found. As I made my way back to my room, I fainted again. Too much blood loss." Jory concluded, rubbing his head.
"Vice Admiral, damn," Lucian muttered under his breath.
This all seemed to be organized, specifically to break up the crew. By leaving Mateo alone on the ship with Jory, they would be able to ambush. This Joker character orchestrated this to perfection. It went off without a hitch, and they accomplished their goal.
"It`s not your fault, Jory, but you used to work with the Mafioso. Do they know who the Joker is?"
Surprised, Jory turned to his friend, "I thought Rayleigh told you. You know that Joker is... Donquixote Doflamingo."
Lucian was shocked. "Doflamingo! He's one of the seven warlords of the sea. But what does he want with Mateo?"
Jory shook his head. " I have no clue. But we need to find out. Vergo is a dangerous Lucian; he works directly under Doflamingo. If he wants Mateo, it means nothing good."
Donquixote Doflamingo
He heard stories about him. As one of the seven warlords of the sea, he had immunity from the World Government and had the authority to do whatever he wanted. He needed to decipher his motive in capturing Mateo.
"Out of all the warlords of the sea, Doflamingo is the cruelest member. He kills without hesitation. He is a demon in human form," Jory added.
Lucian looked behind them. The Black Pearl was picking up speed, and the Germa army was long gone—just the three of them on the open sea. Lucian was confused. He needed to know where Mateo was being taken.
Did the World Government order Doflamingo to capture him?
Then he thought back to Mateo`s story and his family. They wanted him. The Valois ordered Doflamingo to capture Mateo! It made sense, but Lucian felt as if there was a missing piece to the story. He needed to figure it out. Sadly, though, he had no idea where to start.
Jory ran back to him, "Hey, Captain, we`re running low on supplies. We need to dock at the nearest island and resupply."
Lucian agreed and ordered Jory to set a charter to the nearest island. They sailed through the night, and as sunrise approached, they were catching top speed.
In the morning, Jory informed Lucian that they`d dock at the nearest island in an hour. This was great news, but he was worried for Renee. She had been sleeping ever since he found her with Reiju.
Lucian needed to know her side of the story.
As they approached the next island, Lucian threw himself into his workouts and focused all his energy on lifting as heavy as he could. He`d reopen his wounds, but he decided against a full recovery.
He needed a distraction from reality for a while, and training usually did that for him. Until Renee woke up, he had to make sure he was occupied doing productive activities.
"Hey, Captain, Renee is awake," Jory said, barging into the gym.
Lucian put down the barbell he was benching and wiped the sweat off his face. He ran up to the deck, where Renee was standing near the dragon figurehead. She was holding onto the railing and staring out into the sea. Not a cloud was in sight, and the weather was perfect—chilly but warm at the same time.
"Hey, Jory, let me know when we dock."
"Itraxen Island is inbound in about 15 minutes. Get ready to depart," Jory responded as he went back to the helm to steer the Pearl into the port.
Lucian put on his sweater, approached Renee, and stood next to her. He leaned against the railing and stared at the blue sea before them. In the distance, a faint outline of the next island appeared.
Lucian decided to break the silence: "How are you feeling?"
Renee continued to stare out into the scene, not diverting her eyes to meet Lucian`s question. She took a deep breath and began to tear up. She quickly wiped it away. She was hurting deeply, her best friend had been kidnapped, and honestly speaking, could be dead by now.
No negative thoughts, he said to himself.
But Lucian wasn`t going to mention that. He needed to give her hope because, well, that was his job as captain.
"I just can`t... can`t believe they took him. I lost concentration and told that man everything. He was going to kill me," Renee finally said.
"You mean Vergo," Lucian replied. Renee finally turned her head to Lucian and nodded. Renee was hurting badly as tears rolled down her cheeks, but she shouldn`t blame herself. There was nothing she could`ve done in that situation. However, Lucian also understood the deep bond those two shared. They were lifelong friends.
"You know I am going to get him back right, no matter the cost," Lucian said.
Renee managed a faint smile. "I knew you would say that, so I am not beating myself over it too much. Cause I can depend on my captain."
Lucian put his right arm around Renee and consoled her. He was amazed at her trust in him; he couldn`t let her or Mateo down. The island in the distance became increasingly visible.
"Can you tell me what happened?" Lucian asked as he pulled away. Renee nodded and began to explain.
Once Renee was done clearing the path for Jory and Mateo, she was immediately met by Niji, who captured her. Niji beat Renee up for betraying Germa and demanded an answer. Renee refused to answer, and Niji's patience grew thin. But out of nowhere, Reiju appeared, incapacitated him, and saved her.
Reiju promised to fly Renee to the pearl, and she did.
"But halfway to the Pearl, a man attacked Reiju from below, and we crashed and landed on a nearby island. He said his name was Vergo, which Reiju seemed to understand.
Reiju she...she... protected me. But this Vergo dude was too strong. The last thing I remember is him asking for Mateo, and then he attacked me and knocked me out. My head still hurts," Renee said.
Lucian regretted not fully trusting Reiju. She saved his crew, but Renee`s description of the events seemed to match what Reiju said. Lucian spent too much time fighting the Vinsmokes when he should`ve protected his friends.
But the past was the past; he needed to focus on the future and think of a plan to save Mateo. That was his number one priority.
"HEY, Captain, we are docking now," Jory roared.
Lucian snapped out of his state of deep thinking and saw that Jory was parking the ship on the dock. Renee ran to assist Jory with unloading the anchor. The worker motioned with his hands to help Jory park the ship.
After a couple of minutes, Jory finally positioned the Pearl, and Renee threw the anchor overboard. The man tied the ship to the port, and Lucian and his friends descended to the port.
The man approached them and said, "Wow, I've never seen a ship this big in a long time. It may cost you extra. How long do you plan on staying?"
Jory stepped up. "Only for a few hours. How much will that run us?"
The man crossed his arms and began to ponder what price to give them. "I`ll do you a favor and give you a discount for 500 berries, but due to the size of the ship, I should be charging you more."
Jory reached into his pocket and paid the man, "Thanks." Jory walked away, and Lucian and Renee followed.
"Hey, Jory, where did you get that money?" Renee asked. Jory chuckled. "May have stolen some berries from the town." Lucian and Renee laughed.
As they walked around town, Lucian noticed how lively it was. Many people were out and about, and they all looked cheerful. Families were out to lunch, the bars played music, and people danced and drank.
"Hey, Jory, what do we need?" Lucian asked.
"Fuel, hardware supplies, sheetrock, paint, etc. Just the essentials to repair the ship. That`s my baby."
"I`m going shopping; we are low on food," Renee said.
"Cool, we can meet back up at the port soon, then," Lucian said.
Renee and Jory nodded, and they went their separate ways. Lucian had to find out what was going on, so he asked a couple of strangers for directions to the center.
The town center looked even more crowded as he saw people dancing, music blasting, and many chairs and tables spread throughout. In the middle was a giant fountain with two naked ladies holding vases of water, the water blasting in the air. A man was yelling, holding newspapers in his hand.
"New issue, new issue. Get here now for only 10 berries a pop," the man yelled. Lucian checked his pockets. Luckily, he had some money on him. He walked up to the man and paid him for the newspaper.
Lucian studied the newspaper, and the issue is dated today. The cover page was titled 'Reverie Summit Occurring Tomorrow: What to Expect!'
So the Reverie was commencing soon. Lucian remembered yesterday when he injured the celestial dragon. What was that loser`s name...ummmm yeah Saint Mysogard. He seemed like a proper dickhead.
"Oh shit," Lucian muttered. The next page was a picture of Saint Mysogard calling for the capture of Lucian Xebel, a now-known pirate fugitive. Then, it caught his eye and updated Lucian`s wanted poster. It stated...
Lucian Xebel, Wanted Dead or Alive Bounty... 200 million berries!
No way, two hundred million berries, that was just insane. At least they got a good picture of him.
He began to read the rest of the article...
Saint Mysogard identifies mass murderer Lucian Xebel, who unhatched a plot to assassinate the World Nobles and poor citizens of the Bayou Isles.
Warning! This man is considered to be extremely dangerous. Be careful of him and report any information to your nearby Marines!
Of course, they spun the truth around, and Saint Mysogard continued rambling about the importance of maintaining order within the world by exterminating pirates like him. He was now in the New World with a large new bounty, so he had to be careful. Once he took his eyes off the paper, he looked around. Every one of the citizens had a paper in his hands.
What! How did they get them so fast? He had been reading the paper for only a couple of minutes. Did everyone have one already? One woman then looked at Lucian. She looked back at the paper and then back at him. Her face dropped.
Fuck, she clocked who he was.
She whispered something to her friends, and they stared at Lucian. Within a few seconds, this became a domino effect, and the whole town center had eyes on him. Lucian hadn`t moved an inch since he bought the newspaper.
"Amazing, they clocked me that quick," Lucian whispered to himself. A little boy then approached him and showed Lucian his newspaper. He pointed to the Wanted Poster.
"Hey, sir, is this you in the paper?"
A woman ran and grabbed the boy. "Gerald, you fool. He is a dangerous man. Hey, you pirate... please don`t harm us," she hugged the boy tightly and began to tear up. This woman really feared him.
Lucian approached slowly and knelt, the woman shuddering in fear. "I`m not going to hurt you, I promise," Lucian said.
Then he felt a tap on his shoulder. Lucian turned around, and behind him was an angry mob of men. They were carrying weapons such as swords and guns, and they looked angry.
He meant these people no harm, but they only knew what the news told them. In their eyes, Lucian Xebel was a monster who needed to be killed for his crimes.
"Stop scaring that woman and her kid; we are taking you in, you despicable pirate. Before you cause our town any harm," a man said. The rest of the mob roared in agreement and chanted, "Capture him, Capture him!"
How the fuck in the span of a couple of minutes, the scenery changed from a fun, festive crowd to everyone armed with weapons and stakes gunning for him. He should've never let his guard down.
Lucian didn`t want to harm these people, but he could not allow himself to be captured.
"I mean you no harm," Lucian said, raising his voice for everyone to hear. I just wanted to pick up some supplies and be on my way," Lucian added.
The mob got angry at Lucian`s response, "I don`t believe you, BOYS CAPTURE HIM!" All the nearby citizens began screaming and panicking as the mob mobilized in a coordinated effort to subdue Lucian.
The mob of men rushed towards Lucian at once—he counted at least 30 of them. He didn`t want to hurt them, and he wasn`t going to prove them wrong.
"Soru," Lucian muttered under his breath. The world around him froze, and using his extraordinary speed, he maneuvered gracefully around the mob of men. He used Geppo to get on top of the roof of the nearest building.
"Hey, where did he go?" yelled a man.
"He disappeared, but how?" said another.
Lucian looked above at the confused mob. One man turned around and pointed at Lucian. "He`s there, but how did he move so quickly?"
"Never mind that, GET HIM." The mob of men began to chase once again. Lucian rolled up the newspaper and put it in his pocket. He began to jump between buildings. The mob of men was too slow to catch up. He began roof-jumping and scouring the area for his friends. They were nowhere to be found. At this point, the whole island seemed to be looking for him.
He led them on for an hour or more to give his friends time to return to the ship.
He zig-zagged through stores, alleyways, and empty streets. The mob always sensed his presence somehow, and this was starting to get annoying.
Lucian jumped off the roof and landed in an alleyway. He seemed to have lost them for now. The situation seemed way worse than he thought. He hoped Jory and Renee were fine. But he needed to sneak back onto the ship until he heard a voice behind him.
"It really is you, Lucian Xebel," said the voice.
Lucian honed in on his Observation Haki; the voice was 10 feet behind him, and the person was tall and large. Lucian turned around. Who could it be, a bounty hunter, a world government official, a PIRATE!
Before him stood a man towering with an exaggerated posture, hands on hips, and a grin so wide it practically stretched from ear to ear. His purple, spiky hair stood out like a crown, and his enormous, expressive eyes blinked dramatically, lashes fluttering as if even they were performing for an audience. His bold makeup and flamboyant attire screamed for attention as if his mere presence demanded the entire world's stage.
"Who are you?" Lucian asked.
The large man approached him, his smile starting to creep him out. "Well, I`m happy I found you so quickly. It seems like you made quite the impression recently. But don't worry; I am here to help you, hee-haw."
What a weirdo! What was going on here?
Lucian's Observation Haki picked up the presence, smaller and lighter than the first, moving with swift precision. He turned quickly, his eyes landing on a new figure stepping out from the shadows.
"Don`t intimidate him, Iva. He has been through enough," said another voice.
Before him stood a young woman with short, messy reddish-brown hair, her amber eyes both warm and intense. Her slim frame was clad in practical attire—a white shirt, red jacket, black shorts, and boots. She carried herself with quiet confidence, and Lucian could sense that they were powerful.
"Oh, shush you. I was simply teasing Lucian-boy. He is very important to the mission, and I didn`t want to scare him off," said the large man to the girl.
Lucian asked, "Who are you guys?"
The young woman walked up to Lucian and extended her arm, asking for a handshake. "My name is Koala, and my friend here is Emporio Ivankov. We are commanders for the Revolutionary Army."
Lucian shook her hand. These two were with the Revolutionary Army.
He had heard stories about the Revolutionaries. They were the sworn enemies of the World Government, so did that make them his allies? He assumed this since they both hated the Nobles. On top of that, he also recalled that their leader was the legendary Monkey D. Dragon. This was a serious organization, but what did they want?
Ivankov stepped forward, "Our leader would like to talk to you, Lucian-boy. It is a very urgent matter that must be addressed soon. You must come with us unless you want to choose to stay with this angry mob. Hee-haw!"
As always, Lucian tried to sense their emotions, but nothing came up. It was harder to read the mental state of strong-willed people.
"We need to leave quickly, Lucian. Ivankov and I have to get you to our base quickly; we don`t have much time," Koala said.
"Look, I don`t understand. What do you guys want with me?" Lucian asked. He wasn`t sure why high-ranking members of the Revolutionaries were recruiting him, but it had to be important.
"You made some noise in the Bayou Isles, but we noticed a member of your crew was missing. Mateo Valois," Koala said.
Yeah, it made sense now. They were interested in Mateo`s capture. What did the Revolutionary Army want with him?
Before Lucian could speak, Ivankov stepped in. "We don`t have much time. The locals alerted the nearest Marine presence nearby. So tick-tock." Ivankov pointed at his imaginary watch and mouthed the words, 'Time running out.'
Lucian didn`t have much of a choice; logically, it made sense. Both he and the Revolutionaries opposed the Marines; a common enemy equals an alliance!
"I`m interested in what you have to say. Follow me," Lucian said, motioning both of them to follow.
Lucian snuck around the town, but it wasn`t easy when Ivankov looked massive, nearly the size of Jory. Wearing a cloak didn`t seem to help his appearance, as they ran through the town and back to the ship, the locals seemed to notice. They pointed at Lucian and started gossiping with each other, the Black Pearl was near, and he saw Jory`s big ass head in the distance, Koala and Ivankov right behind him.
Lucian used Geppo to jump onto the ship, to the surprise of Jory and Renee. Jory was loading supplies into the storage room, and Renee was carrying bags of groceries into the kitchen.
"Hey, JORY, set sail now!" Lucian yelled.
With worry in his voice, Jory said, "What did you do now?"
"Not my fault, bro!" Lucian screamed back.
He rushed back to the deck, untied the rope, and picked the anchor back up. He heard a noise coming from a distance. The mob got bigger, exponentially bigger. It looked like hundreds of people had accumulated out of thin air.
"NOW, JORY!" Jory appeared on the deck. "Man, come on." Jory ran to the helm and activated the ship's boosters. Then, Jory reversed and turned the ship 360 degrees. The mob reached the port and began shooting at the pearl.
"Get down!" Jory yelled. Lucian, Ivankov, and Koala ducked. The bullet holes started to pierce the exterior of the ship, and the mob began to scream. They stopped shooting after the Pearl sailed far enough.
Jory ran up to Lucian, grabbed him by the shirt, and lifted him. "LUCIAN, I just repaired part of the ship. Now I have bullet holes AGAIN. Can`t you stay out of trouble at ALL!"
Lucian tried hard not to laugh, but he argued that it was not his fault.
"Jory-boy, is that you?" Ivankov said. Jory turned to Ivankov and Koala.
Jory screamed again, this time but happily. "NO WAY, IVANKOV AND KOALA."
Jory ran to Ivankov and hugged him, and they jumped around like little kids who hadn`t seen each other in years. How did Jory know these people? Renee ran up to the deck.
She was wearing an apron and had her hair in a ponytail. "What`s all this commotion, Lucian? There are bullet holes in the kitchen. And who are these two?"
Lucian updated Renee on current events.
"They can really help find Mateo," she asked with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. Lucian smiled and nodded. "Hopefully!"
"I haven`t seen you in so long, Jory; how have you been?" Koala asked.
"Amazing, ever since I joined Lucian`s crew. Life has been awesome!" Jory exclaimed.
Ivankov and Koala exchanged confused looks. "We apologize...for not reaching out after that mission. We understand the burden it must have had on you," Ivankov said.
Lucian was confused. What was Jory`s relationship with the Revolutionaries? He had never mentioned them before. "Um, Ivankov, what are you talking about?" Lucian asked.
Jory turned to his friend and said, "I forgot to mention Lucian, but I used to be a revolutionary."
"WHAT!" Lucian and Renee yelled in unison. "Damn it, Jory, why would you never tell me this," Lucian asked angrily.
"Even though I left the Revolutionary Army, it was still my duty to carry out my mission. To protect the origins of Pluton."
"That`s why you were on Water 7! That story about you and the Mafioso was a lie!" Lucian said.
"I`m sorry, Lucian. I never lied to you but chose to withhold part of the truth."
Ivankov stepped in between them, "Lucian-boy! Do not blame Jory. He was simply fulfilling his duty to the revolutionary cause. He was a great commander."
Was Jory a commander? He didn`t want to be angry at Jory, but why did he never tell him the truth? This truth-withholding thing seemed to be a common theme in his circle, though Lucian could not complain since he did the same.
"Guys, we can have a reunion later, Jory set the course for New Baltigo Island," Koala ordered. They all turned to Koala, confused, "Um, Koala, where is that?"
Koala`s embarrassed expression showed, "My bad, I`ll set course, hehe."
"It`s a three-day journey, so get ready, hee-haw!" Ivankov screamed at the top of his lungs.
Jory laughed and joined Koala at the helm. "Don`t worry, old friends. I can make it there in two, Koala. Give me the directions, and just watch!"
It had been an interesting couple of hours. Now, he had two Revolutionaries on his ship, a new bounty, and a new lead on Mateo. Things were starting to look up. Lucian descended to the kitchen with Renee.
"Here, eat up. You need to rest, Lucian. You're still not fully recovered yet," Renee instructed. Lucian began to eat his chicken soup as Renee changed his bandages.
"You really think Dragon can help with Mateo?" Renee asked. Lucian flinched from the pain. Renee administered a lot of alcohol to his wounds, which burned a lot.
"Let me talk to him. They definitely know more than they`re letting on."
Once Lucian was done hanging out with Renee, he went up to the deck. The night sky was as beautiful as the night before, so he lay down at his spot and began to stargaze. They had three days until they reached the Revolutionary Base, and he had a feeling that a big fight was imminent. He continued to stare at the sky.
Mateo, just wait!
You will come back to us.
2 and a half days later...
When Lucian awoke from his bed, Renee urged him to rest as much as he could. So Lucian took her advice, and he slept for the entire day. When he woke up, he forgot what century he was in. He hadn`t had that long of a rest in months. He awoke to his body feeling sore. He then heard a knock. Renee entered the room with breakfast. She set it down on the countertop next to his bed.
Lucian rubbed his eyes and thanked Renee, "How long until we arrive?"
"Jory has been nonstop at work at the helm. He bet Ivankov he could make it in under three days, and he is determined to win," Renee said. It sounds like something he would do; he was quite a competitive man.
Lucian ate his breakfast and took a shower. After that, he made his way up to the deck, where Ivankov and Koala were sitting at a table playing cards, and Jory was at the helm, navigating through the thick fog. It was quite chilly, so Lucian grabbed his sweater. He walked up to the helm and asked Jory how long they had.
"Almost there, man. I can feel it," Jory said. He looked tired, and he could bet anything that Jory hadn`t slept at all.
"After we reach their base, take a rest. Captain`s orders."
Jory muttered something in response, but he then took a bucket of water by his side and threw it at his face. It seemed to rejuvenate him. "COPY CAPTAIN." Lucian smiled and walked down to the table. He pulled up a seat and joined them.
"Look who`s finally up," Koala said. "How do you feel, Lucian-boy?" Ivankov added. Lucian smirked, "Are we almost at your secret base?"
Ivankov stared at his cards and grinned, slamming them down. "Full house, Koala, eat it!" Koala looked defeated and handed the money to Ivankov.
Koala then turned her attention to Lucian. "Yeah, we are almost at New Baltigo. Jory has been a machine. He hasn`t sat down since we left."
The thick fog made it hard to see in which direction they were going, and Lucian wished he knew how Jory managed it.
Lucian got up. He felt like an old man. His injuries were worse than he thought, but the rest of the medicine definitely helped.
"Take it easy; Dragon is expecting you as soon as we land," Ivankov said, stuffing the money into his pocket.
Renee came up with beverages and handed them to everyone, "Bless your hand, Renee, hee-haw," Ivankov exclaimed.
"You need to drink this, Lucian." Renee handed him hot tea. He drank it, and it tasted pretty sweet. After a while, the three of them began to converse and joke about their adventures and experiences worldwide. Sooner than later, the fog started to clear up, and Lucian saw an island covered in dark clouds.
Lucian got up and ordered Jory to go to his room and sleep. The man was running on fumes. "Thanks, bro, I can take it from here," Lucian said.
Jory stumbled and approached Ivankov, "Less than three days, I win," he managed to spit out as he collapsed from exhaustion.
Ivankov laughed and escorted a delirious, exhausted Jory to his room. Lucian grabbed the helm and steered the Pearl into what looked to be a worn-out port. In the distance, he saw some people standing by. Koala ran to the bow of the Pearl and waved to them.
He anchored the Pearl and stepped off the ship with Ivankov and Koala. Renee chose to stay behind.
The soldier approached them and said, "Commander Ivankov and Koala, thank goodness for your safe return. I see you were successful. Nice to meet you, Lucian Xebel." The soldier aggressively shook Lucian`s hand.
"Thanks, Ahiru, but we need to see the supreme commander right now," Koala said.
The soldier nodded and signaled for them to follow. They walked into a forest and continued to walk for about 15 minutes until they reached an oasis. It was beautiful, and in the middle was a small fort. The soldiers stopped, and Ivankov stepped forward and entered. "Give me a second, Lucian-boy," Ivankov said.
Ivankov entered the fortress. "Don`t worry; just give Ivankov a bit of time," Koala said. Lucian nodded in agreement, and after a couple of minutes, Ivankov opened the door and motioned for them to enter. Lucian and Koala walked toward the door while the soldiers around them lined up in a formation outside it as it slammed behind them.
They walked up a spiraling staircase until they entered a room with two guards at the entrance. Ivankov opened the door, and inside, he saw a tall man wearing a dark green cloak. He had spiky black hair and a tattoo on the left side of his face. He had a serious face. Lucian walked in, and the guards shut the door behind him.
The supreme commander of the Revolutionaries, Monkey D. Dragon, was in front of him. A living legend.
"Take a seat," Dragon said. Lucian pulled a chair and sat while Ivankov and Koala sat opposite him. Dragon began to pace the room. Lucian was interested in seeing why Dragon sent two of his commanders to seek him.
"You know why you`re here; it is because you recently befriended a man named Mateo Valois," Dragon said, finally addressing Lucian.
Lucian crossed his arms. "Yeah, he`s a part of my crew now."
"Hmm, this crew of yours has a name," he asked.
For the life of him, Lucian could not think of a cool enough name for his crew. But he knew inspiration would strike one day. Lucian shook his head.
"To be quite honest, sir. I was surprised you wanted to see me. Ivankov and Koala speak highly of you. Can you help me?"
Dragon's facial expressions did not budge. Would it kill this guy to smile once? Lucian looked to Ivankov and Koala, who were pondering their thoughts.
"Do you know anything about the Valois Family, Lucian?" Koala asked. Lucian thought back to the day Mateo told him his story. Lucian then began to explain to them that he had been told the Valois Family were the former rulers of Lulusia and that they were linked to the celestial dragons.
"Interesting, so you know virtually nothing of the man you will save. They fear Mateo the most. They are trembling with fear," Dragon said. Lucian was missing pieces of the puzzle here. He knew that he was important, but how important?
"I know what he told me, but did you recruit me because Mateo was my friend? No, there must be more to it," Lucian responded.
"I sought you out personally, Lucian Xebel, son of Caius Xebel." Lucian clamped up. How did he know his father?
"How... do you know my father? " The conversation slightly deviated from Mateo and transitioned onto another topic.
Ivankov began to tear up, and Lucian turned his head to him. What was going on?
"Caius Xebel, he...he... freed me Lucian-boyyyyyyy!" Ivankov exclaimed, unable to contain his emotions.
"Your father freed Ivankov from God`s Valley. He was the former commander of the Revolutionary Army," Dragon said.
Lucian`s world collapsed in front of him within mere moments. What was happening? This could not be real life. Was he dreaming? Lucian got up and slammed the table.
"YOU HAVE TO BE JOKING ME. My father is a simple man who leads a simple life. He can`t be this person," Lucian yelled.
What? His father was a simple bar owner in the South blue of Aragonia. He couldn`t be this man. Is this why they sought Lucian out? Because of his dad!
"No, Lucian-boy, Caius Xebel freed me and countless others from that hellhole of God`s Valley, it was true. I didn`t want to scare you off when I confronted you on Itraxen Island. But you look so alike to Caius, it`s uncanny," Ivankov said.
"My father saved you? From God`s Valley?" Lucian questioned.
"God`s Valley was a secret operation that occurred 33 years ago in the West Blue; the supreme commander's father, Garp, and King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger, teamed up to defeat the infamous Rocks Pirates," Koala said.
Who. What. Where now?
Dragon then began to explain God`s Valley in detail, a secret battle featuring the strongest pirate crew.
The Rocks Pirate, led by Rocks D. Xebec, had the likes of Whitebeard, Kaido, Big Mom, and Shiki the Golden Lion.
"You`re telling me Rocks D. Xebec captained legends on his crew. HOW COME I NEVER HEARD OF THIS!" Lucian yelled.
"Because Lucian-boy, once Xebec was killed in God`s Valley by the alliance of Garp and Roger. The World Government destroyed any evidence of his existence. But his memory lives on with his monster crew, hee-haw," Ivankov said.
"So tell me, what did my father do in God`s Valley? I need to know," Lucian asked.
"He was a marine, but he told me that he saw the Celestial Dragons' true colors in God's Valley.
God`s Valley was truly a hunting ground for the World Nobles. They captured slaves, dispersed them on the island, and hunted them for sport. Caius turned that day. He left the World Government and established the Revolutionary Army and took me under his wing," Dragon said
There were so many questions, but his father never told him the truth. Why not? Did Karas know? Maybe he did. His father trained the legendary Monkey D. Dragon.
"I thank your dear father every day, Lucian-boy. Without him, I wouldn`t be alive. Those celestial dragons had me dead to rights," Ivankov exclaimed. Lucian got up from his chair and approached Dragon, and he had to tell him the truth.
"Then I assume you heard about what happened to Aragonia," Lucian said to Dragon. He nodded his head in agreement.
"That day, a suited man, a Holy knight, came for a book. He mentioned God`s Valley to Ilim Abrojo and then ripped out his heart."
Dragon looked slightly surprised for the first time. "Explain more, please."
Lucian then told him the events he remembered six years ago, about meeting Rayleigh, finding the cursed book, and hearing about the Mother Flame and Pluton as he watched the suited man tear through his country.
Ivankov and Koala gave each other worrying looks.
"I promise to answer your questions, boy. But first, you must help me with Mateo Valois. Once that matter is arranged, I will tell you everything you need to know." Dragon reached his hand for a handshake, and Lucian instinctively grabbed his hand and shook it.
Lucian had the urge to hear everything Dragon knew right at this instance, but he refrained from acting like a fool. Mateo was still out there, and that was his main focus. He extended his hand and shook hands with Dragon.
Deal!
Lucian sat back down, and Dragon motioned for Koala to stand. Koala walked over to the wall and pulled down a map.
"Back to business, everyone.
Listen here. We know Doflamingo captured Mateo Valois to gain favor from the World Nobles, but we heard a rumor that they intend to execute him a few days from now. Discreetly away from the public`s eyes," Koala said.
"Damn it, do you know where they are taking him!" Lucian asked. Koala nodded and pointed to the map of the New World, "Shugoshina Island."
Shugoshina Island?
Lucian excused his ignorance and asked what Shugoshina was.
"A marine base where I expect Mateo to be kept. It is heavily guarded and almost impenetrable. That is where you come in to aid us. We intend to storm the base and rescue him," Dragon said.
"Cool, thanks for the help. But other than meeting me, why is there a desire to save Mateo? I know he`s important, but I want to know the actual reason."
Dragon sighed, "Because Mateo Valois is part of a special bloodline, one of the original 20 families that created the World Government. The Valois family of Lulusia has been marked for death by the Nobles, by the supreme ruler."
Supreme Ruler?
"Elaborate, please," Lucian asked.
"We suspect that the celestial dragons are not the true power of the World Government, but instead, there are specific members behind the scenes pulling the strings. The Holy Knights that you mentioned are one faction.
That suited man that came to your country is one of those members. They are beings so powerful that we have yet to fathom their true power. They are hiding behind the veil that separates them from the world, using the Celestial Dragons as figureheads to operate in the shadows. Mateo Valois brands the mark from them," Dragon said.
Lucian thought back to that day. Dragon`s words made much more sense now. What did the suited man tell Karas...
In smaller terms, you`ll understand you are worms because you fulfill only one purpose, Karas: to serve us and die for us.
They balance the world in their favor; they control everything from behind the scenes. The suited man could be the leader of the World Government. And what about Mateo? What mark does he hold?
"Mateo Valois knows the truth. He knows of the secret family. I fear that Lulusia won`t live to tell the tale, either. Whoever knows...dies," Dragon said.
If what Dragon was saying is true, then why didn`t Mateo tell Lucian the whole truth? Lucian bit his tongue, and he couldn`t be mad at Mateo for not telling him the truth when Lucian was also secretive.
The only thing that matters is Mateo`s survival.
"We have no time, sadly; we need to move quickly, Dragon," Ivankov chimed in.
"We chose you because you are not only the son of our former leader but also Mateo`s crewmate. You created quite the reputation for yourself, Lucian-boy. Now, prove to us that you are who you claim to be. And help us free Mateo Valois!" Ivankov said.
Lucian got up from his chair. "Dragon, after I am done rescuing my friend, you will tell me everything about my father and what you know of Aragonia."
Dragon nodded, "I promised you I didn't. Now go."
Ivankov and Koala led Lucian back to his ship.
He learned more in a 5-minute conversation than in his last 6 years of adventuring. He had a thousand theories playing out in his mind about the events of today, his father, the book, and the suited man. He pushed it to the back of his mind. He was focused on one thing and one thing only: Mateo Valois.
"Where to now?" Lucian asked.
"We are headed to the Prodence Kingdom," Koala said.
"Why?" Lucian asked.
"To meet up with the second in command of the revolutionary army, Sabo."