Chapter 20: New Crewmates
Vega 40 was in a test tube as a newborn alongside her twin, seeing her mother stabbed on the floor.
"Human nature is to blame! Why must people be tempted by that which is explicitly forbidden...? Just obey our whims...it would be better if they were programmed.," said a thickset, elderly man with a full white mustache and beard. He possessed white dreadlocks which he wore a flat black hat over. He had a scar on the left side of his face, stretching diagonally over his eye.
"Say, father. This is morbid...experimenting on your own grandkid.," spoke a triangle-headed man with a pointy nose wearing glasses.
The elderly man, Jaygarcia Saturn, shot him a sharp look. "You think I enjoy this, young fool? It is for the sake of science! This will be the first step in being able to regulate those unnecessary defiant emotions. With her unique lineage, she could be the key to achieving the perfect human," he replied, his voice filled with determination.
She then saw a man with a carrot on top of his head punch the triangle-headed man to rescue both girls then. He cried as he saw his lover go limp with a smile.
"Test...I'm...sorry...Talos...and Vega 40...I'll make sure to...raise...them like you wanted...Sorry...for losing you...," said the man as he continued to look at the girls.
Present
Vega 40 woke up on a massive ship, as she realized that her father, Vegapunk the 39th was dead. Killed to protect her from the World Government. And now both he and the kindly old man, known as Vegapunk Stella were dead.
She looked around as she saw the crew all managing to deal with the situation that was Egghead. They had managed to escape from the clutches of the World Government, but at what cost? The loss of Stella and her father weighed heavily on her heart. Tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision. It was a bittersweet victory, one marred by loss and regret.
Suddenly, Punk Records warped in front of whatever new ship they were on before splitting in two.
"You should go to the Revolutionary Army. No. 2.," said a familiar voice from the egg-shaped dome to its copy as it warped away. The tortoise figurehead of the ship then extended to eat it.
Vega 40's tears dried as she was baffled at the sight.
"You should come down.," said this voice.
"Stella...how...why are you alive?" asked the cyan-haired girl.
"After I split my brain and cloned myself. It's hard to say how the Brain-Brain Fruit will reincarnate now...How does death judge this situation?... What is my existence now...? Anyway, I managed to get a good talk last night.," said the voice to Vega 40.
Luffy got up as he asked simply with a placid expression-
"So you're alive? Ok then."
He then looked around and looked puzzled as he asked,
"This looks like a ship I punched...Wait it's that Noah thing! It's got a turtle head now and wings!," Luffy shouted as he walked around.
He then felt a breeze where his right arm used to be. And he remembered how Cortez the CP0 officer had rotted it away during the Egghead Incident.
"Hold on...this is the Noah?... It looks different. It feels like both wood and metal at the same time.," said the chef as he tapped the floor.
"How'd you know, shitty cook?," asked Zoro.
"I've been on a ship for most of my life with Zeff, damn grass-head. You have to navigate and understand its condition since it's your home...who built this?," replied Sanji.
"They might be an ally. I don't think any of our remaining enemies would be this subtle in dealing with us this way.," said Jinbe.
"Wait, is the World Government gonna come after us now?," asked Chopper with concern.
"Yeah, they're probably pissed off we escaped!," shouted Usopp.
"Wait, I don't see any ships trailing behind.," said Nami.
"Well, we have new members with us. That's the bigger thing to think about now," said Robin.
"Bonney. The Lunarian Girl...and Ms. Vega 40.," Brook noted.
He then noticed Kuma remaining still.
"Wait, is he going to attack us again?," asked the reindeer.
Bonney defended him as she yelled with tears,
"Daddy's finally free of them. He's gonna stay with me. And I won't let you hurt him!"
Bonney's fierce words echoed through the deck, her eyes glistening with determination as she stood in front of the inert cyborg, Kuma. The room fell silent for a moment before Vega 40 stepped forward, her eyes scanning the machine.
"It seems like Stella had guilt over a potential scenario that her dad would be used to kill her. So there's a failsafe now to allow her to control all Pacifista that resemble Kuma," she explained.
"That's some keen observation, little chipmunk.," said Franky as he carefully walked towards the Buccaneer.
"Besides, they have a trait that allows them to fight of their own will. I'm actually a beaver-," said the scientist.
"Yeah, guess dads are awesome.," said Luffy with a shrug.
"That's not what I meant-," said Vega 40.
Nami then noticed Clisson the former Oracion Seis member and a half-Lunarian.
"Oi, we're not saints. We'll drop you off somewhere safe and then remember those short fun times. Bonney can stay a little longer though.," Nami spoke to Clisson.
"Actually, it'd be in my best interest to remain with you along with the rest of us. I'm half-Lunarian and those catch a larger bounty from bounty hunters to have killed. And I know my limitations. And Vega is a wanted figure for her knowledge. And I think Bonney would like to stay with the representative of her deity.," replied the dark-skinned girl.
"Wait! We're getting a lovely lady on the ship with us?! Yahoo!" Sanji cried with hearts in his eyes. Vega 40 gave him a skeptical look while Bonney was oblivious.
Luffy then looked at Clisson as he said, "You're not our tenth crewman yet. The Sunny isn't big..."
He then realized that they had lost the Sunny after two years of departure. After getting it from Iceberg with Franky's crafting. It had been destroyed by Cortez and in the commotion, they had managed to escape with the ship in ruins- likely being used by the World Government as a trophy of their defilement of the ship...if they managed to salvage it from the explosion earlier.
"Thesus, A shipwright of a long forgotten time said this- Even if every part of the ship vanishes and is replaced. As long as the people treasure it, that ship's soul will persist to aid the ones who love it. Those who know the Klabautermann would understand this concept.," spoke a stern voice as it walked up to the deck.
Luffy, Jinbe, and Nami stared for a bit as the man had a resemblance to a certain figure of their past.
He had light purple skin with gills on his neck, and a blue iris eye peaking from the left side of his face. He was human-like, very tall, and well-proportioned but definitively a Fishman. He wore a blue trenchcoat with an exaggerated blue color blue pants and dark shoes. On the lower end of the trenchcoat was the eight-sided symbol of the sun but with an odd twist of the sun being split into light and dark halves.
"So you reforged the Noah? Wasn't it the ship of Promise to be used by the Sea Kings to use to liberate the Fishman? I don't see the reason why it could be used for our getaway.," Jinbe said trying to keep his cool.
"Let's not beat around the bush. Arlong is my glorified sperm donor and I don't care what he's doing now, especially since it caused Jones to cause his campaign with the late queen being the catalyst. I built this ship because I felt the voices of a certain sheep and lion who wanted to continue on a journey even if they became a dragon because they really love you wackos of a crew. I'm Lancelot Galahad.," the Fishman replied.
The revelation stunned the crew. Nami didn't even realize that Arlong had a kid and from her traumatic past, she had hoped she would never cross paths with anyone related to the fish-man pirate again. Sanji's expression shifted from joy to suspicion, eyeing the newcomer. Luffy, ever the optimist, just nodded and smiled, accepting Lancelot without question.
"Yeah, I kicked that Arlong jerk, and that other guy's super old now so he can't do anything...wait, you heard Merry and Sunny's voices...this ship...they're here?," asked Luffy.
"Oi, he's the son of Arlong. He might be saying it before he plans to get revenge on us.," Sanji argued. "Apologize for being born!"
"A World Noble named Mjosgard was influenced by the late Queen to be more human, which led to his death just recently for standing up for her daughter being kidnapped by Charlos- a fellow World Noble, which was his redemption. I actually knew her before I went to Tom.," Galahad spoke, ignoring Sanji.
"Wait, somebody tried to kidnap Wimpy Hoshi... Oh wait, he saved her...but he died...hmm...so he was a nice guy?" asked Luffy.
"So there's good men amongst the World Nobles?," asked Jinbe.
"You knew Tom?," asked Franky.
"We butted heads over when to make a counter-ship to Pluton so I went with Den who was more tolerant of me, but I've been usually a loner because I'm not the right kind of Fishman according to Jones due to my Lineage Factor. He managed to convince me to help out when the time was right.," Galahad explained.
"So all this boils down to is that you made this ship for us and you also want to join our crew.," asked Robin.
Galahad nodded.
"Wait, you're not the tenth crewmate. That's reserved for someone. And Yamato also asked a lot before he left so he gets an honorary spot. Don't decide that without my permission.," Luffy argued.
"You heard the news about the OLD WORLD? Even if you went with Sunny to get the 5th red rock and the One Piece- your ship would've been turned to gold on the weakest of the other seas because it's not equipped with the combo of Adam, Lily, and Lilith Trees.," Galahad replied.
"Wait, there was a gold ship being picked up by a big bird...Vega has it.," said Nami as she grabbed the cyan-haired girl and began to shake her upside down.
Galahad waved his hands no as he shushed her. He darted around as he checked the skies.
"The same ship that sank Lulusia might get us too. Better to go inside.," said Galahad as he opened the door.
He beckoned them inside much to their confusion and the more childlike members' curiosity of the dark path. They walked down their future ship as they saw a marvelous sight-
A collection of floating spheres in an iridescent space, a meadow green one that had a helm on it, another topaz sphere with lounge chairs, a quartz-colored sphere with countless Log Poses for every island in the world plus some for unknown territories, brown spheres with anchor symbols, a pink sphere that had a range of sizes of the ship that implied something ridiculous, a transparent sphere with a camouflage symbol, magenta spheres with the women's symbol, cyan spheres with the men's symbol, a dull orange sphere with a kitchen symbol, a sunset orange sphere with a dining room symbol, a periwinkle sphere with a doctor symbol, a deep blue sphere with a visible aquarium, and countless other spheres for Libraries, Workrooms, Baths, Crow's Nest, Survey Rooms, Energy Rooms, Gardens, Weaponry, Coating, Balloons, etc.
"What is this place?" Chopper asked in amazement.
"The Sea Kings spoke that this was really commonplace before 800 years ago...but people abused it...more likely they wanted it wrecked because they were afraid of change. So they waited for the right people to use it...," said Galahad.
"People who haven't been jaded by the world by retaining that childlike wonder or people who have rekindled that spark of childhood. Those who see it not as a weapon but as a way to explore.," said a familiar voice as the Punk Records appeared to connect with the spheres with energy cables.
From the egg emerged seven figures- Stella and the Satellites.
Vega 40 cried at the sight and darted to see who else was there but she didn't see Vegapunk 39.
"He's of the Sun. Shining brightly before exploding in a blaze of glory with the remnants shining even eons after the star has gone. The lights that make up the night sky to inspire our dreams.," said Shaka.
"What are you guys now?," asked Usopp as he leaped from the staircase and was shocked as he was floating. He then phased through them.
"We'll make physical bodies soon but I believe become sentient data.," said Edison.
"Wha? Usopp's floating!," shouted Chopper.
He then bonked into something solid that didn't feel like the spheres. It was a familiar wood...given by Merry before they left Syrup Village. His eyes glistened as he saw the familiar sight.
The Going Merry.
And behind it the remains of the Thousand Sunny.
"Merry?!," exclaimed Usopp as he cried.
"What the?," Sanji asked.
Luffy started to cry as Franky noticed.
Franky at first clenched his fist and glared at Galahad as he readied to punch him.
"You're tryin' to be a comedian? This is sick? You show the new ship with its funky features and somehow got our old ships to brag how they're nothing but junk-," the Cyborg started to yell only to be shocked as Galahad bowed to him and Usopp and asked-
"I've heard their Klabautermann and they won't be separated from you guys in this next leg of the journey. I don't know how they were built...I beg for your instruction to build them so they can still be a part of the ship and the journey.," he said.
Franky was shocked by how earnest he was. He looked at Luffy who was crying with joy. The Straw Hat captain had never forgotten about their first ship and had hoped to somehow fix it.
As did especially, Usopp though he never voiced it.
"Leave it up to a pro.," said Franky before Vega 40 tugged at his shirt.
"I don't want you making it too weird. You need a Super genius like me to help out.," she said.
Franky smirked at Vega 40's confidence and nodded, wiping a tear from his eye. "Alright, little miss know-it-all, you're on." He turned to Galahad, "But you better keep up, 'cause we've got two legends here to integrate, and I don't want to hear no slacking."
She smirked in turn, revealing her buckteeth as she turned into a metallic beaver and started to help with Franky build the parts of the ship into the space with Galahad's guidance.
Luffy then noticed Bonney looking at Stella as she had used her Buccaneer Alternate Future to lift Kuma down to the odd space.
"I would say he's a goner but Buccaneers are special. I initially thought they were Giant-Human Hybrids but they're a hybrid of a very ancient and religiously important race. Two places can restore him...Vira and Lodestar Island...they're on the way and near Vira. He merely lost his mind...but since his soul remains...as unscientific as it sounds...he can still return himself long enough to give some closure...He's on borrowed time.," said Pythagoras to the girl as she cried but resolved herself.
He then turned to Clisson and he placed his hat on his head as he said resolutely-
"Joining us means you're gonna have to face your buddies in the Orange Six and the world's against ya. Still wanna come?"
Clisson nodded as she replied with a blush, "I'm prepared...I've long since made up my mind."
She stared at him for a long time before she stoically blurted, "That's 200 berries."
Luffy scratched his head and said, "What's that supposed to mean?"
Robin chuckled as she realized that Clisson had additional motives involving Luffy, "You wallflower."
Nami complained as she saw the space, "This ship's a lot more complex than anything I've seen. It's gonna be difficult to navigate. And we have more oddballs on the crew. Wait, 900 to 800...that's the Vo-"
Suddenly, warping into the room were Carrot, Vivi, and an orange-haired girl with glasses who dressed similarly to Nami initially before she met Luffy.
The crew were baffled at the appearance of the others.
Next Chapter: Elbaf
Author Notes: This was mainly a very necessary cooldown chapter after the intensity of the previous arc. Now we head to my iteration. Maybe in two-three-four years real time, we'll be able to compare how my version holds out.