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Creative Writing

Stranger Tides (One Piece x Pokémon SI)

Thread starter Drakefire Start date Dec 27, 2023 Tags one piece pokemon self insert crossover

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Threadmarks Chapter 11 - Drum Island Part 3

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Drakefire

You just had to set that dragon on fire.

Oct 2, 2024

#302

It was far from quiet as the sled was pulled through the snow, even with the powder covering the ground softening the thunderous footfall of hoofs.

"So you know what his power is?"

Dolton was unsure of how to have such a conversation, especially when one that was involved was not presently capable of speaking, yet was so aware of every word being said.

"Not exactly," he admitted, taking things slow. Seeing the transformation had stirred up memories in him. It had been some time ago, not long after Blackbeard attacked the island.

He knew what it wasn't though. A Devil Fruit. While there were Devil Fruits of the same species, usually Zoan's like his own, there were no Devil Fruits that granted identical abilities.

Or abilities so close they might as well be identical. He already felt that calling it a Devil Fruit was a stretch. A needed lie at best, but this did it in.

Still, it wasn't that particular man that concerned Dolton at the moment. It was the man's partner. The one who told him to deliver a message to a Luffy, wearing a Straw Hat.

Dolton was internally kicking himself for forgetting. He had been right there, and he had forgotten! Still, he had time to deliver that message if all went well.

"It's not a Devil Fruit. Of that, I am certain," he spoke again, as the three-tailed bull made its whip like tails snap erratically. Why did he get the suspicion it came out to some variation of 'I told you so'?

"And how can you be sure of that!" Usopp shouted, even as the ice cold wind buffeted his face.

"Because I've met one with similar abilities," Dolton felt the sled briefly lurch beneath them, before a steady pace was again reached.

A surprise to him as well? He figured they would know. Then again, Dolton was certain this crew was fresh. If they had much knowledge of the Grand Line, much less the New World, he would be surprised.

Most knew what Whitebeard's 'Monster' was capable of. Or at least, they liked to pretend they did. Dolton had learned firsthand just how dangerous the man could become. How me made things so cold, it was as if the air itself was still.

"When?" Vivi asked. Dolton was unsure about her. For some reason, her face continued to tickle at the back of his mind. She seemed so familiar, yet for the life of him, he could not recall where he had seen her.

"Two Pirates arrived after Blackbeard's raid. They'd been trying to track him down for some time," Dolton admitted, feeling another sway of the sled. "But they hadn't had much luck."

He'd wait to deliver the message to their Capitan. It didn't help that he thought about the second raid, from a different group of pirates. The still air before a massive lizard unleashed ice and snow that made the winter look like spring.

"They stayed for a time, helping a bit with recovery, but left not long afterward," Dolton explained, frowning slightly. "They were capable of transforming into various creatures."

Dolton lacked any better word to describe them. Monsters, maybe. That was one of the man's unofficial titles. None of the forms Nathan had taken on were anything like the other man, but some instinct told him that their powers were similar. And while Dolton was first to admit he was far from a good judge of character, this was an instinct he refused to ignore.

"We knew it wasn't a Devil Fruit because Nathan says he never remembered eating one, and we've seen him handle salt water without sinking," Nami said towards the front of the sled. "Nathan, we'll need to go east at the upcoming fork in the road."

Dolton felt the sled sway as Nathan began to turn. But it wasn't toward the east. Nathan was heading west.

"The other way!" Nami shouted, Dolton watching her restrain herself from going for the reigns as Nathan self-corrected, heading down the proper route toward the village.

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"Come on, Sanji, even I know that isn't true," Thomas chuckled, before coughing, as Norris stepped around a small white rabbit, one doing its best impression of a wolf as Luffy punted it into the distance.

"Ah, really?" The same Luffy pouted, as if learning some sad truth of the universe wasn't what he thought it was. Then again, she blamed Sanji for this, filling Luffy's head with misinformation.

"Yes, as I've explained, skin color is largely determined by sun exposure over generations," Norris continued, realizing not for the first time that Luffy was not the most, educated pirate to sail the Grand Line. Which was truly saying something. Though by now, she had learned for all of Luffy's gullibility and lack of book smarts, it was inversely proportional to his emotional intelligence and stubbornness. "Colder climates like this tend to get less sunlight, thus, people tend to be paler."

Luffy cocked his head to the side as if he was trying to digest this information. She wasn't entirely sure that he would, but it didn't matter. Most of that conversation was Sanji's fault in the first place.

Still, it was a bit surprising. Vivi had always been soft. While she had no idea of the young Princess's true origins, something that Norris felt she was going to have to apologize for at some point down the line. But Luffy had been just as willing to divert them to get a doctor as Vivi had. Possibly even more so. It was weird. Luffy clearly considered them part of the crew already.

And Norris wasn't sure how she felt about that. Technically, as it turned out, she had been working under a pirate before now, one that was by all accounts, considerably less ethical than the Straw Hats. Crocodile. One of the Warlords of the Sea. Who was, by Vivi's account, making an absolute mess out of Alabasta. Normally, she wouldn't expect much, if anything, out of a pirate keeping their word, but still. A Warlord. One that had clashed with Whitebeard at that. Granted, he lost, as would most who challenged the strongest man on the seas.

It certainly hadn't been what she had signed up for. It didn't surprise her the Borque Works was shady, but she didn't think it was ever going to be this bad. Vivi, and her country, did not deserve it. Norris fully intended to help undo at least some of the damage she had unknowingly inflicted. She owed Vivi at least that much. But the fact that Luffy was willing to go this far for Thomas's well-being? It pulled at her. She intended to ask at some point just how Luffy got his bounty. Norris had a hard time believing that he had a bounty of that size, out of the East Blue of all places. At least, he should have had a bounty far sooner than recently. And he didn't even need to fight at Whiskey Peak.

Hopefully, they'd be able to pick up a doctor sooner rather than later. Maybe they'd be able to bribe the old crone at the top of the mountain. Dolton wasn't lying about her age. The man was too straight-laced for that. She knew the type, and she knew it well. How she had managed to live well past what any person should be beyond Norris. A Devil Fruit was probably involved somehow. The list wouldn't have been that long, either.

Sanji came to a stop, causing her to pause as well, the man pulling out a cigarette.

"That might be an issue."

Norris's eyes followed the man's gaze, seeing what lay in front of them. She had to agree. That was going to be a pretty major problem. Those had to have been the Lapin that Dolton had warned them about. And they were just as large as he claimed they were. Great beasts, the size of bears. And they all looked very hungry. Getting hit by something that large would be unpleasant, even for her. Even without Thomas on her back.

Yes, she had enough mass to soften any blows that did connect. She wasn't Luffy. He was without a doubt tougher and could take far more of a beating than she ever could. But he was made of rubber. Anything that hit him was going to be felt by Thomas. Badly. Not that she or Thomas would like feeling that hit much better.

For once, she was thankful that Sanji was here. Getting hit would spell disaster, and while Luffy was here, it was better that they had two, rather than just one. As much as she'd love to get a chance to fight these things, Norris had a far more important job to do than punch rabbits.

The rabbits began to break into a run as a single mass, almost a tidal wave of fluffy bodies, bounding towards them with the intent of eating their flesh. The first was easily avoided, even before Luffy's kick caught it square in the chest, sending it flying backward. The rest? Norris already began booking it towards the woods. Hopefully, something of that size would be unable to navigate through the trees as easily.

"We'll cover you!" Sanji shouted, before launching a kick of his own. The Lapin went far, but at the same time, she knew Sanji could do better. The snow. There couldn't be any other explanation. Neither of them could gain as much traction, or balance as well, or bring as much force to bear as possible.

Norris felt the cold air push in and out of her lungs and she pumped her arms and legs, making her way through the trees as quickly as she could. The cries of the Lapin as well as the splintering of wood told her that they were right on their tail, even as she made it over the edge of a small cliff face. A cliff face that hardly did anything to slow the Lapin down.

Or so she thought. The distance between them and their pursuers only began to grow and grow. Instead, they were just, hopping up and down, over and over. That, couldn't be all that they were doing, right? They wouldn't give up that quickly. Right?

Then Norris's eyes went up slope, her blood running cold. They couldn't be. There was no way that they could be willing to do something like that. But they were. No matter how she tried to look at it, they were doing just as she feared.

"I'm starting to think it would be better to risk Nathan's promised tick disease," Thomas looked over her shoulder, certainly less loopy than he'd been the past few hours.

But when you had a bunch of rabbits the size of bears causing an avalanche? Norris believed that was a somewhat rational response.

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I let out a snort as we pulled into the village. I'd heard Dolton's explanation of why he seemed so surprised, even if it left me with far more questions than it did answers. Who was this person? Why had they been going after this pirate called Blackbeard?

Why did they have supposedly similar powers to me?

Frankly, I didn't know much about how this world worked. But Dolton was treating the fact we had the same ability as abnormal, so it had to be the case. I didn't even know where these things were coming from. Looking gift horses in the mouth wasn't something I tended to do, but there were too many questions left unanswered. Hell, this person could have answers to my questions! If he was stronger than me, he probably had these abilities longer than I had. And if he had them longer, he might know things I didn't!

Though I had to imagine the odds of us crossing paths were pretty low. He was involved with tracking down a dangerous pirate, after all. Then again, we were trying to fight one who was on the government's payroll, who was certainly breaking a ton of laws and his contract with the Navy in the process.

I stayed out with the sled. We didn't have much time, and taking it to undo the harness, letting me transform back, then if she wasn't there, redoing the whole process? Too much waste. Which left me sitting outside with not much to do. I got some odd looks from the villagers as I stood there, tails twitching as if by a mind of their own.

It felt out being looked at like that as if I was some type of animal. Which I suppose I was, from their perspective. Still had no idea how to handle it, but given how this was surprisingly the first time I'd been around civilians before when using my powers? I think I was handling things pretty okay, even if pretty much everyone was keeping a healthy distance from me.

I wasn't getting anything too hostile, though I think pulling up with Dolton in the back killed any chances of that being the case. However, I saw a man suddenly run into the building I had seen Nami and the others disappear into, a look of worry on his face. It didn't take long before Dolton surged out of the building, grabbing one of the nearby horses, and rushing back the way we had came.

That wasn't a good sign. Dolton wouldn't just up and leave unless he had a good reason to do so. And there wasn't a particularly long list of things that I could think of off the top of my head that he'd been willing to do something like that.

An attack? I snorted, stamping my feet as I pulled the sled around. That was just about the only thing I could think of that Dolton would just rush out there for. And there was no way he was going to be able to turn back a bunch of pirates on his own. Yeah, he looked pretty strong, but he could likely use all the help he could get.

But, Thomas. He needs that doctor, the sooner, the better. I didn't know if we could also cut off Luffy, Sanji, and Norris's progress up the mountain. But if we could at least manage to redirect her? Though Dolton. My mind was conflicted. Dolton had shown us no small degree of hospitality. Well, once we had convinced him that we weren't a threat to him or the people under his care.

I didn't just want to leave him. But at the same time, Thomas needed medical attention. Badly. And he was a member of the crew at the end of the day. I was caught at a crossroads. I wanted to help Dolton, but there was no way I could also help Thomas, the very person we came to this island to save. It was maddening.

Though it hadn't taken long for the rest of the crew to arrive, hopping into the sled.

"We need to head toward Gyasta!" I heard Nami shout as I began to pull, stomping through the snow. The faster we got the doctor, the faster they would return to the castle, and the faster we could get back and help Dolton.

I just needed to follow the road signs.

"It's north along the lake. We're going to need to move fast to catch up!" Nami continued as I nodded, picking up speed as I headed out of the village.

As I did, I failed to notice many of the men were gathering weapons.

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"Turn to the left!" The pain in Nami's voice was clear, but I had no way to tell me east from my west right now. I pulled into the turn, stomping my way through the snow as fast as my feet could carry me.

Usopp was saying something about seeing a lake like this before. I could see it out of the corner of my eye. It did look quite beautiful. The ice looked solid enough to walk on, and the snow was enough to grant some measure of traction.

But if the road didn't go over the ice, I wasn't going to try. It could probably handle a human, but three humans and a bull pulling a sled? That was far more risky, and while Kansas wasn't cold, it was cold enough for water to freeze. And I had no intention of having a doctor have to fix three to four cases of hypothermia on a good day.

And I doubt she'd be able to fix death. So no unintended swims for us.

My hoofs dug into the cliffside road, still keeping my top speed.

"What is that noise?" Vivi perked up suddenly. I strained my ears, trying to hear anything over the sound of my labored breathing. It was faint, but I could hear it if I focused on it. It sounded, like a rumble?

I was feeling it through my hooves, too. Born and raised in Kansas, I may have been, but I knew rocks. Mountains were common near fault lines. Fault lines meant earthquakes. Earthquakes meant rock slides, mudslides, and.

Avalanches.

And that was a lot of snow. That was a concerning amount of snow.

I didn't think I could get much faster than I already was. But as it turned out, death was a potent motivator. With cliffs overlooking the lake on the left and the avalanche on my right, I had no choice but to push ahead.

"It's gaining on us!" Usopp shouted in panic, even though he wasn't wrong. It was getting way too close, way too fast. At least I had a solution. Tauros, alongside many generation one Pokémon, learned several moves they frankly shouldn't have. The normal types in particular. Tauros was no exception to the rule. Two moves in particular stood out. Fire Blast and Flamethrower.

Asking for them to burn through all the snow was a tall order. But what choice did I have? I turned my head, preparing to release a gout of flame into the onrushing tidal wave of snow.

"Burff!"

Instead, all that left my throat was a weird cough, ash and soot exiting my mouth and noise.

"Nathan?" Nami's voice was full of edge. That didn't go according to plan. Okay, new plan time. What was the best way to avoid an avalanche?

To get above it. Well, get out of the way. But I had no clue what was on the other side of those cliffs, and there was no shelter in front or behind me.

That meant having to go up. But there was no.

I'm an idiot. I'm such a freaking idiot. There was a way out! There was an easy way out!

"Nathan, what are you doing!" Everyone screamed as I turned toward the avalanche. I dug my hoofs deep into the earth, before stamping down.

Earth and stone erupted, rising into the sky. It was narrow, but that was all it needed to be. My hooves dug into the stone, pulling the sled out of the snow and onto the rocks. Friction became more, but I still pulled, not stopping until I reached the top.

I turned around to see how everyone was doing behind me. I saw the three of them clinging together for dear life, looks of terror written all over their faces.

"Let us know that you have a plan next time!" Nami shouted as I did my best to give her a look. It wasn't like I could talk like this.

"Is this even going to work?" Usopp looked over the edge of the sled. I could understand why. This was merely the best solution. At this point, all we could do was hope and pray.

There was a reason I turned to face the avalanche. It gave a smaller profile. Less area to hit, like how a fence with gaps did better during windstorms than fences without gaps.

It didn't take long to feel the impact. The entire structure rattled from the force as the avalanche hit the makeshift ramp. Snow quickly began to swallow the lower portions into its mass. The roar was almost deafening as if cannons were going off in my ears.

The entire structure rattled and shook, bits of rocks beginning to fall. Each passing second brought more reasons to worry. Cracks were starting to form, entire chucks were devoured by the tide of snow. Entire portions lower down began to crumble, unable to resist.

I did my best to hold my ground, but the ground I could hold was getting smaller and smaller with each moment.

Then came a thundering crack, as the earth beneath my feet opened up. Screaming reached my ears as we all fell into the snow.

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Nope. Just nope.

Norris didn't even take a second to break into a sprint, heading down the mountain. They weren't fighting that. She'd rather wrestle a dozen of those rabbits than fight that.

They needed to find elevation. Her eyes went to a nearby ledge. It jutted out of the slope. But looking up at the crashing wave of snow, it wasn't going to be enough. Maybe a tree? No, the trunk wouldn't hold up.

Unless.

An idea bloomed inside her mind. It would be risky.

But it would make for a good story if it worked.

"Norris, what are you doing!" She heard Sanji shout, as the tree came down.

"Hold on!" She shouted, keeping her balance as a sense of nostalgia came over her. Three. Two. One.

The force of the snow sent them downhill like a bullet.

"Wahoo!" She found herself shouting, even as the cold cut into her face. The tree wasn't maneuverable, but they were staying above the snow.

Luffy was also shouting in delight as they sped downhill.

That was one problem solved. It stunk that they were losing all their progress, but they could regain that once they were out of harm's way. They just needed to ride this out, and they would be perfectly fine.

Just as the thought passed through her mind, Norris spotted a glint in the corner of her eye, ducking. The glint was attached to claws that were in turn attached to a white, furry arm. The imminent danger passed, letting her look up.

For the first time in a while, Norris was completely, truly, confused. She was surfing down a mountain, on an avalanche, and around them were a horde of bear sized rabbits, also riding trees. This was her life at this moment.

"I'm going to bake these things into a stew!" Sanji shouted, as Norris began to steer. It wasn't her old board, but it would do. She wasn't going to be outperformed by rabbits, lack of water be damned!

Norris leaned in, curving through the throng of bodies, keeping them overshooting their attack runs. They were going to make it. They might have to start at the bottom again, but they would live through this.

They weren't. Before her, an unburied ledge loomed. Well played. It took her a few moments to calculate everything. This was going to hurt.

But it wasn't going to hurt everyone. Just her. She grabbed Luffy and Sanji, tossing them up into the air, before grabbing Thomas.

"Best of luck, prince," she said, before tossing him into the air as well. She knew Luffy would catch him.

"Bawahahaha!"

Norris laughed, deep within her gut as she felt the tree splinter beneath her feet, flinging her into the avalanche.

89

Drakefire

Oct 2, 2024

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Threadmarks Chapter 12 - Drum Island Part 4

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Drakefire

You just had to set that dragon on fire.

Oct 30, 2024

#331

For me, Novel November begins now.

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Uh. That was odd.

Things hurt less. Slowly, Thomas opened his eyes. The air was chilly against his face. But the pain he was in felt lessened. And, well. He wasn't familiar with this place. It wasn't the Going Merry, nor was it the man's hut.

Slowly, he reached up, feeling his forehead to make sure that the cold feeling on his face wasn't coming from a bug. Thankfully, it was not, the moisture being clearly from warm towels.

Thomas let out a sigh of relief. If he had been in his right mind, he would have thrown Nathan. He didn't mean any disrespect toward his crewmate, but Thomas didn't like bugs.

Really, really didn't like bugs.

Thomas pushed up, looking around the room. It was spacious, somewhat chilly. But the stonework made it clear, as did the view out the window, make the nature of the structure clear.

It was a castle.

Luffy had done it. Thomas knew he shouldn't have expected anything less.

Or this could be the afterlife. The fuzzy thing standing in the door frame made it hard to tell.

Wait, fuzzy thing?

Thomas turned his head, doing his best to suppress his surprise. It looked like a deer of some kind, with a blue nose. Yet, it was wearing pink pants and a pink, tall hat, all while standing upright. Like a human.

Also, it looked as if it was trying to peek around the door frame, but doing it wrong in just about every possible way.

It was certainly one of, no, Thomas wasn't going to lie to himself. He had seen bug samurai and a cloud have an existential crisis. Among other things. This was not the strangest thing he had seen this week.

"Hello there," Thomas threw on his best smile. "Are you the one responsible for my care?"

He did his best to avoid calling it a little thing, or anything else. For all Thomas knew, this tiny deer man very well could be the one nursing him back to health. Offending it would not be wise, given his current position. Also, he had no idea where the rest of his crew was. Luffy, Sanji, and Norris had brought him up if he remembered correctly. The only reason they wouldn't be here was if a doctor had kicked them out for his sake.

Or they got injured themselves.

He almost didn't expect it to talk back. It looked more deer than human. None of the things Nathan could transform into could speak like a human. But the only thing Nathan had transformed into that looked even close to human was that one wolf-like one.

"Why does that matter, human!" The man deer spoke, almost taking Thomas by surprise. "Are you feeling better?"

While the first part was harsh, the second was considerably softer in tone. That was odd. It didn't make the question of what he was any easier. Thomas knew about some Devil Fruits giving the powers of animals. Maybe this was someone who ate the Deer-Deer Fruit?

Well, that was as good an explanation as any.

"I'm feeling much better now, thank you," Thomas smiled. "I think I'm ready to get up now."

"KAK KAK KAK KAK! I'll be the judge of that, sonny!"

Old. And young. How did someone give off both the energy of a teenager and yet a crotchety old woman at the same time? It had to be the navel piercing.

"Your temperature has stabilized, at least," the woman removed her finger from his head, taking a swig of the drink in her hand.

"Thank you. And who are you?" Thomas paused. "And the three people who brought me here? And, him?"

The deer man had seemed to have made himself scarce after the woman's arrival. An assistant of some sort?

"I'm Kureha! But you can call me your Doctor," the laugh that left her sounded like a rattle. "As for your friends? The three of them are resting in the next room. Some are more hurt than others, but they're unusually sturdy."

Thomas let out a sigh of relief. He didn't want anyone to be hurt, but everyone was alive. He'd, settle for that. Even if he found the comment about some being more hurt than others foreboding. Had they run into trouble on the way up? Okay, that was a stupid question for several reasons.

"As for Chopper?" The old woman continued, before there was a loud bang, as the door exploded open again. What Thomas saw was, beyond what he expected. Luffy was biting into the deer man, Chopper's, leg. Sanji, on the other hand, was shouting something about venison. Unlike Luffy, this was because their cook was restrained. Granted, it was the best restraint for Sanji, as attempting to escape with force meant hurting the already injured Norris, who managed to stuff the man underneath her arm.

"Captain, stop trying to eat the doctor!" The strong woman shouted as she tried to pry Luffy off Chopper. Tried, given that she was using one arm to restrain Sanji, and the other was in a sling. Not that she would have been able to do much, even with both hands. Zoro was strong enough to defeat the four of them on his own, and Luffy was stronger than that.

"I'm not food!" Suddenly, Chopper's body swelled up, expanding to the point where he was taller than even Norris was, hitting Luffy's rubber head hard enough that it stuck inside the floor for a few seconds, giving Chopper enough time to scurry off. It didn't take long for Luffy to pull his head out of the stone floor to take off in pursuit, as Norris tried fruitlessly to coral their hunger captain.

He wasn't sure about Sanji, as the man seemed to be caught between being embarrassed about being carried around like a sack, and pleased as punch that Norris was doing so, or annoyed because he should be the one carrying her.

"So rambunctious," Kureha shook her head, laughing as she did so. "I didn't think they'd be up so soon."

Her voice sounded both impressed and annoyed. "As for you!"

Suddenly, she lifted up his leg, pulling down Thomas's sock, to reveal a large red mark.

"The tick," he breathed, getting a good look at it for the first time.

"Ah, so you know the cause?" Kureha cackled again.

"We saw the tick," Thomas decided to admit. "One of our crewmates thought it could be any number of things."

"Did they, now?" Kureha stared deeply at him, ancient eyes seeming to judge him. "You're lucky you managed to hold up as long as you did. Your cook helped your blood levels well enough. I didn't think I'd see a case of Ehrlichiosis again, much less a case as bad as yours."

"You're a very lucky man. What did you do? Let it latch onto you and not remove it?" The heat the question brought to Thomas's face wasn't entirely from the remnants of the fever.

"Something like that," he muttered. He didn't want to see what it was!

"Unbelievable," Kureha pushed him down back onto the bed. "You need to stay in bed until your treatment is complete."

"Thank you, but I feel a lot better, and we're in a hurry," Thomas began. They couldn't afford to be held up much longer. Vivi's country depended on them getting back as quickly as they could. Getting Vivi back as quickly as they could. He was thankful that they diverted course to save his life, but he wasn't in danger anymore! They could keep going!

"You're being foolish. Do you want your illness to come back and kill you next time?" The woman's eyes narrowed at him. "Treatment normally takes several days. So you will stay there and take your medicine."

Several days? They couldn't wait even a few!

"Ma'am, with all due respect, we need to leave as soon as!" Thomas's words died in his throat as a scalpel appeared just inches from his throat.

"KAK KAK KAK! There are only two ways a patient leaves my care," Kureha pinned him to the bed. "Fully recovered, or dead!"

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Where's Nathan!"

That was a question that none of them knew the answer to. As the artificial cliff of rocks collapsed, Nathan had shifted back into a human, only to begin transforming into something else as his body hit the avalanche.

From there? It had been a rough and tumble before the avalanche finally stopped, and they were able to miraculously dig their way out. It had taken some effort to wake up Usopp, but Nathan was nowhere to be found.

"He has to be buried under the snow somewhere!" Usopp shouted, digging at a random pile. The statement was true, of course. There was nowhere else Nathan could be.

But there was so much snow. Sure, he should be around where they woke up. And yet, he wasn't. Did the form he transformed into get curried further? Or was it something that sunk even deeper into the snow? It didn't look large.

Nor was that the only thought on Vivi's mind. If she had been enough to knock Nathan out mid-transformation? Then what would an avalanche be capable of? That last thought scared her. Was Nathan, dead? He couldn't be! But he was so much, softer, compared to the others. But he couldn't just die like that?

And why was she suddenly feeling even more shaking?

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Could hardly breathe. The air tasted scale. I couldn't move, struggling as even my cold body felt the chill of the snow surrounding me. I tried to push against the weight, but I couldn't. I tried to shape-shift back, to create space.

It hurt. If nobody found me, I was going to die here. It almost felt peaceful, despite my struggles. The cold felt pleasant. As if it was trying to rock me to sleep.

But I refused. I didn't want to die! I didn't want to die here! Trapped in a world that wasn't mine! Not when people were likely trying to rescue me! I had to fight! No matter what! I just. Had. To. Push!

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Why is the snow glowing!" Nami shouted as the snow began to shift more and more. There was something inside, shifting. Growing. A rainbow of colors erupted beneath the snow, emanating from something beneath their feet. The small body began to expand outwards, body pushing aside the snow. Its neck and tail became longer and longer, until it burst free from its prison. For a moment, it continued to flicker, before the light faded away.

In its place was something large. While it was smaller than some of the dinosaurs in Little Garden, its body plan was the same. A long neck reached into the sky, thin flaps flickering in the fading light, almost like an aurora. Its body was two different shades of blue, covering its entire body from head to toe. Crystals ran down its body, its long tail swaying back and forth.

"Nathan, is that you?" Usopp was looking up at it, as it slowly began to push its way out of the snow. It had to be Nathan! Who else could it have been? But it was easy to see why Usopp asked the question.

"Aurorus!" It declared with a nod, emerging fully from the mount of snow, shaking what remained off its body. Vivi smiled, tears in her eyes as she looked up at it. Nami was also smiling, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Well, that was something."

Everyone turned at the voice, coming off Nathan's back.

"Zoro?" The three of them shouted at once, as the look on Nathan's face could only be that of pure confusion.

"How did you guys even get here?" Zoro looked at them, without even wearing a shirt despite the cold.

"We should be asking you the same thing!"

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"Come on, at least give me your shoe! I'm freezing back here!"

To be fair, I imagine all four of them were cold. Aurorus was pretty damn cold as far as ice-types went. It wasn't the biggest either, but at least I could carry the lot of them semi-comfortably. Even if Usopp was trying to scramble up my neck as Zoro more or less tried to make a grab at him.

On one hand, Zoro only had himself to blame for this, to an extent. Seriously, who in their right mind thinks swimming in sub-zero temperatures was a good idea? Secondly, how did he end up getting so off course that he got caught up in an avalanche? And if he was here, who was guarding the ship? But it wasn't as if I felt bad for him.

But it wasn't like I could easily shift back, and lend him a coat. Not with four people on my back. Well, they weren't all on my back. Nami was closer to my head, trying to help us navigate back to something that resembled civilization. She was the most qualified. I knew for a fact all I'd do was wander around, hopelessly lost.

Really, all I was thankful for was that we all survived that. I hoped the town we were trying to visit made it out unharmed, but I doubt it.

How had that even happened? Avalanches were unpleasant things, but they didn't happen without reason. Earthquakes were common, as was accumulation. But, that raised the question of this island being anywhere near a fault line? The volcanic activity on Little Garden could suggest such was possible, but that could just as equally be a hot spot. The mountains suggested that yes, there was some tectonic activity in the past, and the stress from that was just as good as any other cause.

But tectonic activity wasn't a great fit, either. Yes, you needed it to get mountains, most of the time. They required a mixture of things, with different types of mountain ranges being the result of different interactions based on how dense those continental plates were. But an active mountain range did not produce the pillars that emerged from the mountain tops. You'd have to get centuries, millennia, if not more of weathering to get such structures.

Yes, Vivi had stated that the grand line was weird, and I had seen it firsthand. We had gone from an arid island, to a jungle, to a winter wonderland, without much north-south shift. Sure, islands were supposed to have their weather patterns, but that was still weird! Well beyond what should be considered a normal amount of weirdness!

"You're going to need to turn east. We should be getting close now," Nami said as I began to turn. "East! I said east, not west!"

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This looked familiar. Sure, the town was mostly buried in snow, but it was almost unmistakable. Bighorn. They'd been hit too.

But that wasn't the biggest concern. There were men arguing. Some held guns. Some of them had a familiar uniform. These were, Wapo's men? Slowly, everyone else filtered off my back, approaching the group. For myself? My eyes narrowed. I would rather stay transformed for this. Just in case that things turned ugly. My presence was putting some of them on edge.

"The avalanche buried Mr. Dalton!" One of the villagers shouted. "But those men won't let us dig him out!"

My eyes narrowed even more, an anger beginning to burn in my heart. Dalton had been hurt. Injured. He went off on his own to help his people and got hurt for it. We could have helped him. We should have been able to help him. He shouldn't have needed to fight against them alone.

One of Wapo's men began to shout. I didn't care. He looked like the leader of this little group.

"Why is it suddenly getting colder?" I heard Usopp ask the question. But the answer was obvious.

Me.

A pale blue orb had appeared in my mouth, before erupting, looking like cold lightning, arcing towards the man. He barely had enough time to look up as the beam crashed home, causing a blue explosion to erupt. When the cloud faded, the man stood there. Frozen. Everyone looked at me, then to the man, then back to me.

"I was going to take his shirt!" Zoro shouted, giving me a look that I didn't think anyone else had the courage to give me.

But I was a bit beyond the point of caring. The glare I sent Wapo's men should have been abundantly clear. They either stand aside.

Or I start freezing.

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This place was more barn than a castle. Thomas was quick to realize that. After yet another failed attempt at convincing Kureha, who frankly could have fit onto the crew in his opinion, Luffy and Sanji ran off after catching sight of the deer. Thankfully, he was glad that for once, Luffy was running into a recruitment brick wall. He'd heard about how Luffy had managed to get everyone else to join the crew.

How was it that Nathan, of all people, whose entire motivation for joining the crew was that Luffy was nice to a whale, had the most normal recruitment?

Still, the woman was a monster, and she easily could have had a place on the crew. As terrifying as having someone on the crew who was what Nami would be like when older. She knew her craft well, and she didn't take anyone's nonsense. A competence that any crew on the Grand Line would count themselves lucky to have. And as much as he would appreciate yet another voice of tentative sanity on the crew, doubling up on Nami and her temper was not what he viewed as a good time.

Norris had to lay back down too. Apparently, just getting her cost her a large number of broken and cracked bones, including one of her arms. Which, made more of a case for a longer stay. Norris wasn't the strongest among them. Even among the numbers. And she certainly wasn't as strong as Zoro or Luffy. Sanji was probably stronger too. Nathan was where the toss-up began.

But she had been training hard ever since her loss to Zoro. And while catching up to that monster would be difficult, she had a far better chance of closing that distance than he did.

The cold air caused him to shutter. Slowly, he began to pick himself up. It wouldn't take much to get the door closed.

"You need to stay in bed!" Thomas's head tuned, just as his feet were about to touch the floor. "You're still sick."

"But I feel much better though!" Thomas smiled, doing his best to strangle the cough building up in his throat. "But thank you for taking care of me."

Kureha may have been the one in charge, but it was clear the deer man was helping. How much? Thomas didn't know, but every little bit was helpful and appreciated.

"I can't accept thanks from a human!" Despite Chopper's words, he was laughing and smiling, seemingly the happiest Thomas had seen him.

"Doesn't mean you shouldn't get thanks anyway," Thomas countered. Thanks for helping someone was just that. It didn't matter if one wanted to accept it or not, or if they felt like they could accept it. Thanks needed to be given in situations like this.

"So, you're pirates?" Chopper had paused for a moment after Thomas had spoken, before getting closer.

"It's complicated," Thomas admitted. He doubted that Kureha would care all that much. So long as they had the funds to pay. "But I'm working with them toward a common goal."

Why did it hurt so much to admit that? He planned to stay in Alabasta, one way or another. To help pay Vivi back for all the damage he was unintentionally doing to her country. Had Luffy already gotten so far under his skin?

Or was it simply because he could already tell that they all considered him, Vivi, and Norris as part of their number? No questions asked, no, well, Nathan had some degree of animosity before Whiskey Peak, but that had faded by afterward.

"Norris and I are working with Vivi, a," Thomas paused. He probably shouldn't out her as a Princess. Not here. Even if Crocodile didn't have anyone here who could take advantage of that knowledge, it would be good to be in practice once they arrived at Alabasta. Screaming out Vivi's identity was going to draw out trouble. "Important person we are escorting. Luffy and Sanji are pirates, though most of the others aren't present."

"They have a pirate flag?" Chopper asked.

"The Going Merry does," Thomas nodded. He was surprised such a small ship had been able to handle the Grand Line so well. Nathan had called her a fighting ship on more than one occasion. He hadn't explained the nickname, but it seemed to have stuck. But what was with all these questions? It was almost like. "Are you curious about pirates?"

"Of course not!" Chopper shouted, recoiling back in surprise as Thomas rubbed his ears. If nothing else Chopper was certainly loud enough to be one of them, that was certain.

On one hand, this wasn't his wheelhouse. That was Luffy's call when it came to recruitment. He didn't even plan to stay long-term! But at the same time? Chopper was trained. He was more than likely a doctor. If he were to join, they'd be able to get to Alabasta even faster.

"It isn't exactly my place to make the offer, but if you're interested, I'm pretty sure Luffy would be happy if you joined the crew," he had to phrase it carefully, to make sure he didn't make it sound like Luffy wanted to eat him. More. Wanted to eat him more.

"Fool! I'm a reindeer! I can't live with humans!" Chopper shouted at him. "Beside's, doesn't have I look scare you?"

Thomas blinked. Honestly? A week ago, he would have likely been very freaked out by this whole affair. But the month prior, he got slapped around by various aquatic animals. And, well, the last week? He could not describe how just how weird his life was at this point. He was working under a man whose Devil Fruit made him rubber, he'd watched one of the strongest people he knew get defeated easily. Watched two much stronger number agents get knocked unconscious. Twice, and another pair even stronger than them was defeated. He'd met a chief who only fought with his feet, a man who fought with a sword in his mouth, and a woman who could predict the weather with the ease of someone breathing.

"You aren't even the scariest thing I've seen in the past three days, much less the past week," Thomas said. "What anyone on this crew has seen in the past week."

And frankly, given how they were going up against a warlord of the sea in the near future, not even the scariest thing they'd see in the next week, either.

"I'm a reindeer that walks on two legs! And I can talk!" Chopper's voice was faint, almost as if he didn't believe him. "And I have a blue nose."

So he did. That was a bit weird, but it wasn't exactly scary, either.

"I'm pretty sure Nathan could transform into something like a deer if I asked him to," Thomas grinned slightly. He'd be surprised if Nathan couldn't. He'd managed to sneak a peak at the tome that Nathan was writing down information in. Not the one about rocks. That one confused him, and it was almost as if Nathan required an entire bucket of string.

"Who's Nathan?" Chopper looked at him. "And why can he change into something like a deer?" Sadly, Chopper didn't have long to ponder as the doors burst open, sending the young deer man running off as Luffy and Sanji continued their pursuit. Before Thomas could even raise his voice in protest, the three of them had already vacated the room.

"Those two brats can move fast when they want to," Kureha sat down, not sounding as out of breath as a woman of her age should. How long had she been chasing the two of them with knives? "You disappoint me though. I leave you alone for a minute and you already try to snatch up my reindeer."

"KAK KAK KAK KAK!" The woman let out her signature laugh as Thomas sputtered, trying to come up with a way to deflect around the topic of conversation. "If you want him, you can have him. But do you really think you folks can heal the scars on his heart?"

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I expected this chapter to be a bit longer, but I feel like this is simply a good place to wrap this chapter up. I should be able to bring Drum to a close next chapter, then it's off to Alabasta! I'm kinda hoping that I can get through Alabasta as an arc by the time Novel November ends.

But I doubt it.

117

Drakefire

Oct 30, 2024

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Threadmarks Chapter 13 - Drum Island Part 5

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Drakefire

You just had to set that dragon on fire.

Nov 22, 2024

#345

Well, at least he wouldn't feel bad about eating venison anymore. Seriously? How did deers pick up the concept of discrimination? How! No wonder Chopper was so jumpy. He was hated by deer simply for being born different, and that was before he accidentally ate a Devil Fruit! So when he tried to go to the humans, he was shot at by fearful people instead of being welcomed.

Which was sadly, a very human response. Thomas wasn't ashamed to admit that. Something big came out of the woods like that, and he'd be concerned too. But that didn't change the fact that Chopper simply had been given a raw deal. He needed friends. Humans, and deers, he supposed, were social. At the end of the day, all Chopper had was a mentor. One that clearly cared for him. That could never be argued. Period.

But that was it. And while Kureha was an old woman in an age bracket that shouldn't even exist, Chopper was much, much younger. Something that wasn't hard, but Chopper could probably be hardly any older than a teenager at most. In human years. He wasn't sure how that worked in deer years.

Still, Thomas had made up his mind on the matter. He was going to try to get Chopper onto the crew. His long-term presence be damned. If he could get Luffy and Sanji to stop trying to eat Chopper for a few minutes, that would be easy enough to explain how cool Chopper was.

And it wasn't as if Luffy wanted a doctor in the first place.

Seriously, how they had survived as long as they had with only Nami's medical expertises was a testament to both Nami's skill and the rest of the crew's insanity.

Suddenly, the door burst open again. Thomas, expecting Luffy, opened his mouth, only for Chopper to be the one standing there.

"Wapol is back."

The words were simple, though Thomas couldn't quite grasp their meaning. Who was Wapol? And why was this a big deal?

"Again! I'm going to punch him in the face!" Norris's voice echoed down the hallway, causing Chopper to jump as Kureha let out a sigh as she pinched her brow.

"You will do no such thing!" Kureha shouted back, pushing herself out of her chair. "If you try to fight you're going to have your ribs end up in your lungs!"

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"Much better!" Zoro grinned, rubbing his arms inside his newly acquired coat. Very few of Wapol's men contested Nathan's silent declaration. He managed to beat Nathan to the punch on that front. It was maybe half a dozen men?

At the moment, Nathan was helping dig up Dalton, while Wapol's men who surrendered and were not lying in a beaten heap were being disarmed. When one would start making noise in protest, Nathan would just look up at them.

Or he did. Either way, it quickly solved a lot of problems. They were even starting to thaw out the example Nathan made, who didn't seem to be too badly harmed by the block of ice. It either was an impressive show of control on Nathan's part, something likely as he seemed very upset. He wasn't sure who this Dalton person even was, but Nathan was willing to commit uncharacteristic aggression in the man's defense.

Which said enough about Dalton. Nathan was soft. Not just physically, but mentally. Two people attacking a whale for close to a month? Yes, Nathan fought them off each time, but there shouldn't have been a month of fights in the first place.

Benefiting from hindsight? The two were only marginally less harmless, so too extreme measures wouldn't be needed. But even if they were necessary, Zoro could tell that Nathan wouldn't step over that line. Even the man he froze with far more hostile intent was likely fine. Yes, Nathan could fight, and fight well. After Little Garden, Zoro couldn't question that much. But he also couldn't deny that Nathan was sheltered.

It was hard to think of Nathan being the oldest of the crew, no matter how true the statement was. Because he certainly didn't act the part. Sure, Nathan was learned. If there was anyone outside of Thomas and Vivi who had a more traditional education, it was him. And it showed. It wasn't as if Nathan didn't know what he was specialized in, no matter how irrelevant it first seemed. He did.

But that didn't change the fact that Nathan was soft. Quick to care about others, even if he shouldn't have. It was going to get Nathan hurt. Or worse. Luffy was strong enough to deal with it. But if someone got the drop on Nathan or overpowered his forms? It would not take long. And while he was certainly doing his best to improve, even without his transformations, the progress was painfully slow. It was progress, but it just simply wasn't fast enough.

"Zoro, I think Nathan is very angry right now," Vivi looked uncomfortable. It was uncharacteristic for Nathan to be like this, but that wasn't something that needed to be stated. He knew it. Usopp knew it. Nami knew it. Vivi knew it. But it wasn't too bad. Nathan wasn't going to take things further than he already had.

"It's nothing to worry about," Zoro shrugged, still enjoying his warm jacket. It wasn't like Nathan was going to try and kill someone. He was much too soft for something like that.

Of course, the air began to feel very cool. It seemed as if Wapol's men had been right all along. Dalton had been buried under the avalanche, three large arrows sticking out of his chest. And Nathan was not happy about things one bit.

Zoro watched as Nathan's form looked up into the sky and bellowed, a shout that crossed between anger and mourning in equal measure. And with it came snow. Small flutters of flakes began to fall, quickly picking up speed at a rapid rate, Nami let out a groan.

"Of course, it can manipulate the weather," he caught her voice as a frustrated whisper, barely able to hear it over the grinding of her teeth. Manipulate? "Wouldn't be the first time."

At this point, he shouldn't be too surprised. While he had reservations, nothing Nathan transformed into seemed to be purely worthless. In truth, they were often exotic in their abilities.

"It wouldn't be the first time, what!" Usopp shouted, looking around nervously as the townsfolk muttered, a growing sense of unease filling the air. Though it was obvious. Nathan had several forms that seemingly could manipulate the weather.

Maybe he should look through that book sometime. Nathan did say something about a form having sword hands. That would be worth looking into.

Vivi was already rushing over, ready to calm Nathan down, as a group of medics approached Dalton's body. He didn't catch the words they said, but the winds began to die down, the howling and newfound freezing temperatures beginning to fade. Nathan didn't seem happy about what was happening, but he didn't appear enraged anymore.

Then again, it was hard to tell when Nathan was transformed.

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Reviving the dead? That was impossible! Why should I be trusting them with something like that! Why was I trusting them with something like that! Though, it could be that Dalton wasn't dead. Luffy was built differently, yes, but even I had a hard time imagining that he would live through three holes in his chest and be buried by an avalanche.

Maybe that was why? I was holding on to some hope that Dalton could make it out somehow. Despite all this. I'd laid down by that point. Part of me didn't trust them even now, even as they worked. They were doctors, but they had to be with Wapol. Why else would they be here? If the island only had one doctor, then they had to have been brought here. And we certainly hadn't done that!

But if they were, why were they trying so hard to save Dalton? I knew of the Hippocratic oath, or at least the basics of it. Was that why they were trying to save Dalton now? Or was there something more that I just wasn't getting? I did my best not to scowl or shake my head.

I knew what was really bothering me, beyond just Dalton being in a state of near death. It was me losing my temper. Yeah, yeah, me being angry was, always, a bit of a problem. I'd had a temper, and while I hadn't truly lost it fully in years, it was there. It was always in the sense of it was the quiet ones you had to watch out for. The ones you'd least expect. Normally, that wasn't much of a problem. For all my temper, I wasn't that dangerous, and I damn well knew it.

But I also didn't have the power to transform into Pokémon back then. Yes, people around here seemed to be made of seriously stern stuff. But that did little to change the fact I was a lot more dangerous now. Pokémon, even weaker ones, could be devastating. They were magical wild animals, even at their most mundane.

And it didn't help that I wasn't entirely sure how much transformation affects my personality. Aurorus? Even-tempered, while very strong. But what would have happened if I had been a Gyarados?

I already had half of that equation. I just needed the flying type. And that concerned me. In game, despite all of Gyarados's rage issues, there weren't any problems controlling the Pokémon, despite its known temper in the lore. In the anime and other materials?

Gyraados was a swimming natural disaster, enough to take entire towns clean off the map with its overwhelming strength and explosive temper. Don't get me wrong. I expected to need that type of overwhelming power in the future. But I hadn't really thought much of it, beyond just that it could be something to use. It wasn't as if I'd learned interesting tech with the thing in many of my playthroughs and nuzlockes, including that Gyraados was the best counter to Gyarados.

But that wasn't important right now. What was important was that little thought that was worming around in the back of my head. What if? What if I had been a Gyarados at that moment? How would I have reacted? Would I be me? Or would the rage that come so naturally to the line amplify my own?

How many could have died as a result, if I had been a Gyarados? I couldn't afford to lash out like that. Not anymore. I couldn't let my temper take control like that. It was just going to get people hurt or even killed, those who had nothing to do with it. Sure, Zoro could have stopped me, but that's beside the point. I had too much power to not be in control of myself.

And I don't think it was isolated to Gyarados, either. Feralgatr had also been. Problematic. When I had transformed, I felt urges. I attacked Wapol, next to no questions asked. And I had gone for the throat. If it weren't for the man's metal chin, I would have tried to tear him to pieces. And this was not a good thing. It had taken being shot with a cannon to snap me out of it. The wound didn't sting now, but honestly, it would likely scar on my human body.

But I hadn't been able to control at least one form. It wasn't level based. I wouldn't be able to control Auroras otherwise if it was. Was it instinct? Predatory? Feralgatr was based on alligators, one of the oldest species on the planet. It was something that could very easily mess you up. But it was still something I didn't know. Just how little did I know about the full extent of my abilities? Was it just predatory mons that would cause these issues? But Totodile and Croconaw didn't have such issues.

One of these days, I was just going to have to sit down in a semi-safe place and just try to figure this whole mess out. I needed to understand my limits. If there were more strings attached then just levels and types. There had to be. I didn't have access to any of the stone evolutions yet. What even would the stones be? That was yet another question that I had no way to answer. Not even a hint!

The feeling of a gloved hand against my side snapped me out of my thoughts. Vivi looked up at me as I slowly lowered my head. She looked concerned. And I couldn't say that she was wrong to be so. It was just. I was still so mad! Dalton didn't deserve to be buried alive under an avalanche!

Then came the shouting, before Vivi could say anything. I looked up, mentally swearing that if I was going to have to ice-beam another person, I was not going to be happy about things. But, in what felt like the first time today, it was good news. Dalton was awake. And moving!

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Thomas knew a few things at the moment. The first was that the castle was under attack. He still wasn't sure who this Wapol person was, other than that they'd run into him while he was not feeling well.

Nathan had apparently tried to remove Wapol's face, which was uncharacteristic for the man, while Luffy had launched him from the ship. Of course, that didn't explain what he was doing here, exactly. Revenge seemed obvious. Luffy had to have embarrassed the man. He wasn't planning on getting involved in the fight. Thomas knew that he wasn't in good enough shape for that, even if he was healthy.

But it was still a fight he wanted to see, even if from a safe distance. Wapol's Devil Fruit sounded like a potent one, if in the right hands. However, the question was if it was in the right hands. Plus, it would be interesting to see Chopper fight as well. Outside of higher-ranking agents, Devil Fruits weren't common. Seeing such a clash was smart, and could be useful. They'd be figthing them once that got to Alabasta. Any ideas that could give them an upper hand was not something he'd turn down.

And it was an interesting fight. Interesting being the only word that could be used to describe the start. How Wapol used his fruit made Thomas's brain hurt. How was someone seriously expecting eating two people to fuse them together going to result in something greater? It was sorta right, but it didn't make it any less disgusting.

Chopper, on the other hand, more than proved his worth. Thomas wasn't sure why Sanji had stopped, but Chopper had several tricks up his non-existent sleeves. For a Zoan-type Devil Fruit, Chopper was far more flexible than he should have been. It almost reminded him of Nathan, in a way.

Though, with the fight attracting his full attention, he hadn't noticed Wapol slip away in the chaos. Luffy hadn't either, and that seemed to be enough to get their captain moving.

"What do you think you're doing in my castle!" Wapol from a distance looked ridiculous. From the pot-belly to the metal jaw, it was hard for Thomas to take him seriously.

At a distance. Up close? Wapol was a massive man, and his metal chin only managed to make him look more imposing. With the hide of a white animal wrapped around him, and his body seeming as if it was covered in sheets of metal, this was well beyond him.

"Well, you see, I'm just here for the tour, so I'm just going to go," Thomas tried, before booking it in the opposite direction, as much as his sick and sore body could manage.

"Tour!" Wapol bellowed after him. "You have to be with either that brat or the hag! The punishment for defying the King of the Drum Kingdom is death!"

The words made Thomas's heart to freeze. King? King? This man was a king? What had they gotten involved with now?

No, surely not. This man could not be a king.

"HHAARA!" Thomas turned around as a shout hit his ears. Wapol was less lucky, finding a fist colliding with the back of his skull suddenly, burying his face into the stone floor.

"Norris!" Thomas couldn't stop himself from smiling, even as he noticed the strained grin on her lips.

"I think the old woman was right. That hurt more than it should have," Norris's free arm was wrapped around her limbs.

"Okay, let's just retreat for the moment," Thomas offered, hoping having his face buried into the stonework would be enough to stop Wapol, or at the very least slow him down long enough to make themselves scarce.

"You dare!" The crunching of stone made it clear that Thomas's wishes were false, Wapol pulling himself up, chewing up the stone in his mouth as if it were candy. "You dare strike at a king! I will have you!"

"Gum Gum Rocket!"

Just as Wapol had picked himself up, in came Luffy, slamming into Wapol and body checking the larger man into a wall.

Thomas decided to take the opportunity to make sure that they used the time to clear the area. Luffy had this fight.

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"You don't need to do this," Dalton's voice made its way to my ears.

"Nonsense! The great Captain Usopp will carry you!" Usopp's the response reached my ears, but I could tell his heart wasn't entirely in it. He did put on a good display, don't get me wrong. But he was writing a check his body was unable to cash. Someone like Usopp carrying Dalton? The mental image was amusing.

Seeing the actual thing? Much less so. I kinda felt bad for stealing his thunder after such an inspiring speech, but Usopp really wasn't going to be able to carry Dalton where we needed to go. So I picked the two of them up, and put them onto my back. I didn't want Usopp to feel bad, because he was trying his best. But it was either me or Zoro, and I doubt Zoro would be willing to humor him.

Though maybe doing so was making it worse.

I hoped the sound that came from my mouth at least conveyed that it was fine. It was the least I could do, given how he had gotten nearly killed because we weren't there. I'd have to do it with words at some point. But right now, we needed to get to that cable. Luffy was more than likely beating Wapol, just like he did on the Going Merry. That was something I knew in my heart. Luffy had this. He had this in the bag.

But for the people of this island? They needed to see it. Needed to know it. That Wapol had been cast down forever, and would no longer threaten them or their families any longer.

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"I'm honestly getting more intrigued about this woman the more I learn about her," I muttered, partially too myself. Aurorus was not going to fit on that gondola. Which meant Zoro was the one having to carry the injured Dalton. Usopp and I tried to go halves, but Dalton was easily six foot and pure muscle, while Usopp and I were twigs. With Usopp being the stronger of the two of us.

Still, to live in a tree, and connect a cable all the way to the top of the mountain? I could respect that. And how she was able to come and go without being detected was making more sense. I doubt anyone would come all the way out here.

The thing was, the gondola was packed to the brim. Enough to concern me. Yeah, having a fear of heights was fun. And Dalton didn't look like he was in great shape either. The doctors had done the best job they could, but he was still in pretty rough shape. I'd do more to help, but Happiny, just wouldn't and Audino? I still doubt heal pulse was in the cards.

Plus, I was halfway terrified that shifting my weight and mass around too much would make something go wrong. It wasn't like there were guard rails to stop this thing from swaying too much. I did what I could, at least. Mostly helping Nami keep Dalton in as good as shape as we could keep him.

"Hey, isn't that someone on the roof?" I heard one of the soldiers shout, pointing up toward the sky. That wasn't what drew my eyes, though.

It was two, thin long noodles, stretching across the sky.

Oh yeah, Luffy has this. He has this in the bag.

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I was the first one out the door. Not just because I wanted to be the first one off that swaying possible death trap, but because if there was any cleanup, I wanted to be a part of it. I transformed, leaping up the stairs in bounds, before arriving topside, seeing an old woman, Sanji, as well as a deer.

A deer that was standing upright, like a human being. I blinked briefly. Though, it shouldn't be a surprise. Dalton could turn into an ox, then a deer could turn into a human. Weird, but whatever. I could live with weird.

Though, what was weird was how the snow underneath my hoofs didn't feel like snow. I shifted my feet slightly, whatever I was standing on was far squishier than snow should have been. Looking down confirmed why that was the case. I wasn't standing on snow. I was standing on a man that had two faces. Not like the Batman villain. Two separate faces. Yeah, that was weirder than any walking deer.

And why was I hearing Luffy's voice?

"Get out of, oh hi, Nathan!"

"Stantler!"

Protect Protect Protect!

Thankfully, I was quick enough to prevent my demise from ballistic rubber Captain, Luffy's rubber body doing the best impression out of a Tom and Jerry cartoon as he hit the barrier.

"Shishishishishi!" Oh good, he's laughing. That means he isn't hurt by that.

"Get any quicker with that, and I might have you go first more often," Zoro teased, Usopp hiding behind him.

After making sure that Luffy was okay, as far as he ever could be considered okay, I let myself change back, wrapping my arms around myself to keep out the cold. I really didn't know how Luffy could handle being like this.

"Is everyone okay?" I asked our captain. Thomas wasn't present, and neither was Norris.

Was what I thought, before old woman through a kick strong enough to smash through stone, revealing the two of them hiding behind a wall, before dragging them off. I didn't intend on pissing whoever that was off anyway, but having similar kicking power to Sanji increased her factor of not messing with her.

"Yeah, Thomas and Norris are fine," Luffy said, as if I hadn't seen what was going on behind him, and the fact that Norris wasn't injured when she left completely passing him by.

Then Dalton and the rest showed up. Looking about the mess, and getting confirmation that Luffy had defeated Wapol, it almost looked as if a weight had been lifted from the man's chest. Then he caught sight of the deer. A deer that was hiding in all the wrong ways.

"Thank you! This land will be born again!" Dalton didn't bow, didn't kneel. The man straight up got down on his hands and knees in thanks. A smile began to break out on the deer's face. A smile that was quickly quashed.

"What is that?" I heard a man shout.

"Is that a monster!" Said another.

"A monster?" The last one was Usopp, and that was what sent the deer bolting.

"That's our new crewmate, and you just scared him off!" Luffy shouted, lightly bopping Usopp's long nose, before the Luffy went off in pursuit.

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I stayed away from the doctor. She scared me, and I was going to use the calm to get some degree of rock samples. We'd been so busy, that I hadn't been able to collect anything. We'd be leaving in a hurry, so I decided to make the most of my time after checking in on Thomas and Norris, the latter of which had broken several bones.

But that wasn't the only reason I was currently outside. I'd felt a pair of eyes upon me for a while. And it didn't take much to guess their source.

"Got a name, little fellow?" I asked, doing my best to keep my eyes on my work.

"Are you a pirate?" That wasn't an answer to my question, but whatever.

"Yeah. Quite the carrier change, let me tell you," I grabbed hold of the rock fragment and pulled, managing to dislodge it, before storing it away. It was some type of granite, but I'd have to look at it closer to know more. "So, tell me, what can I do for you?"

Luffy was looking all over the place for him, with all the subtly that Luffy was known for. And the deer knew more about this place than Luffy did. But he was coming to talk with me. Why?

I had chosen Stantler to get out the gate. Which was a deer based Pokémon. Was that why?

"I was wondering if you ate some type of deer based Zoan Fruit?" He asked, looking up at me. Oh, this made a bit more sense. Sadly, I think honesty was going to be the best policy here.

"No. I don't think I've eaten a Devil Fruit, period," I admitted, regretting it instantly at the look of defeat in his eyes. "Doesn't mean we still can't be friends regardless."

He seemed to perk up for a moment after that, before frowning again.

"But I'm a deer. Humans and deer cannot be friends," he turned around, seemingly dejected. Oh god, was I really going to say that?

"And who decided that?" I offer, as he paused mid-step.

"Because I'm a freak!" He shouted, whipping around. "I'm a deer that ate the Human-Human Fruit!"

I just, gave him a look. "Look, every single member of our crew is some sort of freak. I can turn into numerous animals with mystical powers. Luffy is made of rubber and is far stronger than someone's whose power is being made of rubber should be. Zoro fights with a sword in his mouth. Sanji fights without using his hands. Nami can read the weather like it's a book. Usopp is somehow the best and worst liar I've ever met. Vivi is a Princess of an entire kingdom and is yet one of the nicest people I've ever met. Thomas fights with baseball bats while wearing a crown. Norris is the closest one to normal, but given the track record, I doubt it."

He looked at me, completely confused as to what my point was.

"The concept of being normal, not being weird, not being a freak, is overrated. Everyone is weird, everyone is strange. Normal is just a polite fiction, made up, so people could make niceties to one another. So you say you're a freak, because others call you a freak? That's because they're freaks, too. We're all freaks. We're all weird. And we have no reason to hide that fact," I smile, offering him a hand. "I know it's not my place to make the offer, but I know Luffy is interested in having you on the crew. We'd be lucky to have you, if you're interested."

He looked up at me, expression torn between shock, tears, and happiness. His body seemed to sway back and forth, as if his body could not contain his glee. And I felt the cool chitin of his hoofs press against my hand.

"I am going to need a name, you know," I smiled, shaking his hand. Hoof. Whatever.

"Chopper."

"Nathan."

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"How exactly were you able to get out of paying her?" Nami looked very smug.

"Oh, I just so happened to find the key to the armory before anyone else did. She let us go when it came to the rest," Nami flashed me a grin. Still, that was saving us what sounded like a yes amount of money. I was more than willing to pay, as any amount of treasure would be worth our crewmate's lives. But it would be nice to have money for supplies.

"It's good to know you're feeling better, Thomas," I nodded, as the man remained bundled up under a blanket. Norris had broken a considerable number of bones, and was somehow stretching out, despite her injuries. If I needed further confirmation that people in this place were simply built different, this was it.

"It is nice to get out early. The sooner we get to Alabasta, the better off we are," he said, his head being the only piece of skin I could make out. I did agree. But if he still needed medical rest. At least we had our doctor now. As unorthodox as he was. Oh well, like I told Chopper, we didn't tend to do things normally around here.

We were just waiting on Chopper to say his goodbyes. I did feel for him. Kureha was basically his teacher. That was going to suck. Still, I was a bit envious.

He was getting to say goodbye. Something that I had robbed from me by circumstance.

The keyword being was. All that envy died a painful death at the sight of the woman chasing after Chopper with an alarming amount of knives.

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I didn't scream all the way down. The historical record was written by a liar.

By the time I managed to come to my senses, it was because of the sound of gunfire, echoing in the distance.

"Wow," I breathed, just taking in the air. It was pretty. Beyond pretty. The snow falling from the sky becoming pink. I don't know why it was important. But based on Chopper's tears?

It didn't matter why. It simply was.

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"Sorry Karoo, I don't have any fire types," I have the formerly frozen duck on the head, enjoying the energy of the party. It would certainly help. But despite my own chilled bones, the moon was high, and the snow fell like pink flowers.

"Probably slipped huh? Clumsy." Zoro laughed, much to Vivi's displeasure.

"Karoo says Zoro was swimming in the river and disappeared. So he dove in to save him and got frozen," Chopper said, as I had to cover my mouth as Nami punched Zoro on the back of the head. Norris just laughed, keeping Thomas close to her side.

"You can understand what Karoo says, Chopper?" Vivi asked with a slight grin.

"Yes. I'm originally an animal, after all," Chopper said.

"That's amazing Chopper! Then medicine isn't your only talent!" Nami grinned, as Chopper looked just as happy.

"I wonder if you can understand Nathan's transformations," Thomas said, as we all looked at him. "What? I can't be the only person to be thinking that!"

"Something to test for another time," I shrugged. It was late in the night, and it was somewhat of a party time.

"Yeah, it's time for Thomas's medicine," Norris said, pushing herself up.

The expression on Sanji and Luffy's face was as priceless as it was concerning. "What is this about medicine?"

Oh god, did they not actually know?

"Did you guys seriously not notice that he was involved nursing us back to health?" Thomas's voice sounded completely incredulous. "Why did you even offer him a spot then!"

"He's a deer with seven transformations!"

"Emergency rations."

Well, I was going to be fighting Sanji in the future, I could tell that much. There were a lot of Pokémon that could also be used as 'emergency rations'.

Still, it was nice. Another victory, another crewmate. As Usopp put it best, a toast. To our new doctor, and our new crewmate! Tony Tony Chopper!

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"Come'on, Nathan you got to try it at least once."

Oh, they were honestly right. I needed to try at some point. I brought the cup of sake up to my lips, taking a sip.

Thump!

I think that just killed my liver.

97

Drakefire

Nov 22, 2024

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Threadmarks Chapter 14 - Alabasta Part 1

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Drakefire

You just had to set that dragon on fire.

Dec 1, 2024

#357

My head. What did I drink last night?

Oh, I knew exactly what I drank. The Merry swayed under my feet, as if we were in a storm. But I knew better.

"You look terrible," Sanji commented, completely accurate, as I let my pounding head rest against the table.

"I figured you were a lightweight, Nathan, but I didn't think you were that much of one," Nami said, giving me a brief pat on the shoulder. I appreciated the gesture, but it did nothing to calm my pounding head. If anything, it made things worse.

"This is why I don't drink," I grumble, hating how the words made my head pulse and throb. It was also why I wasn't going to drink in the feature. If only a little bit were enough to lay me flat, I was correct in my initial assessment to never drink alcohol. "Does anyone know if we've run out of snow already?"

"That has to be one of the biggest nonsequiturs I've heard out of you," Thomas was at the very least nursing his own hangover, unlike Nami, who didn't seem to care about the number of cups she had.

"I want to dunk my head in something cold. It might do something about my headache," I groaned, keeping my eyes squeezed shut. I knew it was a long, long hope that there would be any left by this point in the day. But something to dull the pain would be nice. Especially as this was the start of the day. We had a ways to go before we got to Alabasta, but missing out on planning because my head hurt?

"I could take a look at that if you don't mind," Chopper said, looking up at me with a worried expression. "I could be a sign of something more troubling."

That was a fair point. I wasn't allergic to anything that I tended to eat or drink. But I didn't drink alcohol. And even if it wasn't allergies, what if it was something else? Well, there was no reason to let it fester, now was there?

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"I'll have to run some tests, but I think it's just a hangover," Chopper said, as he finished taking a blood sample.

"At least it's an easy solution," I shrugged. "No more drinking for me."

Not that I was going to miss that. Sake tasted just as bad as I expected it to. Alcohol was off the table. Not that I should have ever put it on the table in the first place.

"Be sure to eat some food and drink some water. You don't wantto become dehydrated," Chopper nodded, placing my blood sample in storage.

"Can do," I groaned, sliding off the improve workbench that Chopper had set up on. "Thanks for the help, Chopper."

I was going to give the little guy all the credit he was worth. It was nice having a dedicated doctor on the crew. Though, I wasn't sure whether or not I didn't notice the sparks of curiosity in Chopper's eyes was because of my hangover, or because I simply didn't wish to see it.

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It wasn't until midday that my head stopped pounding hard enough for me to be useful. And not risk pitching myself off the side of the ship or the rigging. Not that it would have mattered. Thus far, things had been surprisingly calm. I lightly tapped on the wood on the Merry's door, not wanting to jinx things.

"Luffy, what do you have in your mouth?" Sanji was struggling with Luffy, the rubber man having cheeks like a chipmunk. A scene I decided to ignore, as whatever was happening was going to press my sanity. Or show that that Grand Line didn't need to do anything to prove dangerous.

It had something to do with why Usopp and Chopper had fishing poles, and I wanted nothing to do with that. And with the steam coming off the water, I doubt they'd have much luck anyway.

Wait? Steam?

"It's nothing to worry about, Nathan. Just underneath us is an island that will be here in a few thousand years," Nami said, sitting next to Vivi, relaxing as the smooth sailing.

"Ah, a hot spot, then?" So, they did have those here. At least that was a common geologic point, for once. I gazed out over the ocean, taking in the sight. "I didn't think I'd ever get to see one of these in person before."

"That isn't the term I've heard used for it, but probably," Nami nodded, as I let myself think. "I know they aren't common."

"They really aren't. You need the proper activity in the mantle before a volcano begins to form on the surface. Or the ocean floor, as is the case right now," I said, remembering my old classes about volcanology. "So for it to be active enough right now for steam is pretty lucky. For us, I imagine the fish probably aren't having fun."

"Nathan, what do you mean by that?" Usopp shouted from the other end of the ship.

"The water, it's boiling, right? Not, very pleasant to swim in," I started, hoping to get the point across. "Anything that can't take the heat, it's, going to want to make itself scarce. Most of what's around is the really, deep sea stuff. The animals that live in environments where most don't."

"Nathan, are you still hung over?" Thomas asked as he poked his head out of the Merry. I gestured, having my hand go back and forth. My mind wasn't in tip-top shape, but I could at least get the point across. I think.

"Quack!" Karoo's voice cut me off before I could respond, noticing that Chopper and Usopp were using the poor bird as bait. I could expect such from Usopp. But Chopper?

Vivi was already standing up, but the next few seconds happened quickly. It sounded as if voices came from the steam, rushing past us in a blur.

What I didn't expect was that there was now a person hanging off of Karoo. Not just any person. The man's face was lathered in makeup, complete with bright red lipstick, a pair of red dots that I thought was meant to be a blush. His eyes were heavily covered as well.

His outfit, aside from the white cloak, looked kinda like a ballerina. Replace the tutu with very circular pants, and put in a whole lot of swan iconography. A band attached two fluffy balls to his head, completing the look.

"I think I'm still drunk," I muttered, mostly to myself.

"What makes you think that? Because I'm seeing it too," Nami said as I paused.

"Nope."

"What do you mean, 'nope'!" Vivi shouted at me.

"Nope, as in, I refuse to accept this is my reality, Vivi. They just caught a cross-dresser in the middle of the ocean with a duck. A duck!" I exclaimed, throwing up my hands. Just as the man himself let go of Karoo. "Don't tell me I'm going to have to go after him."

"He's sinking!" Usopp's panicked voice came through loud and clear.

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By the time I had managed to fish this guy out of the water, most of the crew had been assembled on the deck. Norris and Sanji both weren't present, but everyone else was.

"Swan thanks!" He said, still dripping with water as I transformed back. At least with the sun I'd dry out quickly. Getting a look at the man, I had no idea what to think of him. He seemed like a goof. But so did Luffy.

"My life has been saved by pirates I've never met before! I am forever in your debt!" He continued, being surprisingly polite. He was lucky the Going Merry had passed away from the hot spot, so the water was uncomfortably warm, rather than scalding. "Do you have any food you can spare, even if it is a nice bowl of soup?"

"We're starving!" Was the response of the vast majority of my crewmates.

"I'm guessing you've eaten some type of Devil Fruit?" I asked, hoping to get the topic off food. He sank like a rock, as if being in contact with the ocean sapped his strength.

"Naturally!" The man beamed. "If I may demonstrate?"

I shrugged, largely uncaring until I found his left hand enveloping my face. Enough old instincts remained as I broke into a roll as everyone tensed, going for weapons.

"Wait! It's all part of my act, see!" My eyes widened as he spoke. But it wasn't with his voice.

It was with mine.

"Ta-dah!" My green-blue eyes stared back at me, matched with an almost too wide grin. Looking at my face for the first time in a while was weird. Especially when it came to that outfit. Then his eyes narrowed, as if he were squinting. "I can see why you need glasses, though."

The break in character was brief but notable.

"That's pretty cool," I admitted. I didn't want to get palm-struck in the face, but that was a pretty neat hat trick. Also, a terrifying one. A power like that? If he knew how to act, then he would be pretty threatening. Then again, that was what any good disguise-based power was. You throw things out of whack, make it so your enemy can't trust their allies.

What was he though? He didn't seem like a pirate, and I doubt a marine would be this, jovial about being around pirates. We really just didn't pull some random, wandering crossdresser out of the ocean, right?

"And with one swipe of my left hand!" One swipe of his hand over his face, and his old one was back. "That is the power of the Clone-Clone fruit!"

"With my right hand, I can touch your face, and exactly like that, I can look like anyone!" His face shifted between Usopp, Zoro, Chopper, and Nami, all in rapid succession.

Still, this was making me a bit curious. About not just his powers, but also my own.

"Hey, could you go back to my face for a second?" I asked, rubbing my hands together as Chopper, Luffy and Usopp crowded the man like excited children. Not that the man was any better, as he seemed to glow from the attention.

But I was feeling scientific. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

"Oh, and why may that be?" He asked, already going back to my face.

"You'll see," I grinned, letting the transformation take hold. My body shrunk down, becoming a small, pink blob. I could tell everyone was looking at me, confusion clear on their faces.

Then I began to transform again. It wasn't like usual, where it was a glow, and I couldn't feel much. My body contorted and twisted painlessly, expanding outward. Slowly, my body became arms and legs, pants and clothes.

My face looked at me in surprise, as I became, me.

"Wow, so cool!" I heard Luffy and Usopp shout.

"Marvelous! Most Marvelous!" My voice said, posing on his tippy toes.

"Don't get me wrong, that is impressive. But what is wrong with the face?" Nami said. Yeah, I should have figured that out.

"What's wrong with it? I can't tell the difference," Luffy said, looking between me and the other man.

"Now that you mention it," the man squinted his eyes. "The face looks a bit off."

Zoro's laughter likely confirmed what was going on. I was stuck with ditto face.

"Ditto!" Yep, couldn't talk either.

"That's its name?" My face asked, giving the rest of my crewmates a look.

"I presume so," Nami said, looking between the two of us with a somewhat amused expression.

"Can you copy his new face!" Usopp shouted, a question picked up by Chopper and Luffy in rapid succession.

A question quickly answered as he put his hand over my face, only for his expression to change to the absolute derp face that ditto was known for, just two empty black dots with a goofy, head-empty, no-thought smile.

"Shishishishi!" Luffy was rolling on the ground laughing, as Usopp hit the Merry's deck, doubled over in laughter.

"Oh my! I never expected to see someone with an ability so familiar to my own! A swan hello to you!" The man went back to his original face, clapping his hands excitedly.

I wonder.

Ditto had the power of transformation. This was generally, not great, as Ditto's base stats were, not great. It was largely something bolstered by its imposter ability, largely in the revenge-killing department. Its impersonations were also flawed on a physical level, marked with a dopey grin. But it did copy powers and abilities. As the man's face and body returned to it's default, I copied his appearance, slowly making my way towards Zoro.

"Nathan, what are you doing?" Zoro asked, as I quickly raised my left hand to his face, before using my right to change mine. Based on Nami's now hardly restrained laughs, and the increasing anger on Zoro's face was a sign of partial success.

"Well, if that form is capable of copying someone's skills," Zoro stood up, unsheathing one of his blades.

I'm good at math. Honest. I just didn't bother to calculate the risks.

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Well, that was going to bite us on the ass. And me doubly on the ass. Or did Zoro wanting to use ditto as a grindstone count as thrice?

Far be it me to criticize people making poor choices right about now, but I was still resting my palm in my hand.

"Vivi, we could have had him right where we wanted him!" I groaned. "We aren't Greeks, we don't play by their rules of hospitality!"

Seriously! He was getting away with just about everyone's faces. Sanji and Norris were spared, as they weren't even here, while Vivi and Thomas were up top and out of reach. More than half the crew was compromised as was, and Ditto was something I'd just made them aware of freely. Not it's full extent, thank goodness. But despite seeming like a goof, this Bon Clay fellow was smart. If he saw that exact same derpy expression on an inanimate object, he could figure it out.

I wonder if I could use that to mess with him.

"It wasn't like I didn't draw the dots either," Thomas protested, trying to draw heat away from his former partner. "And what a Greek, anyway?"

"Irrelevant!" I said. "The real question is, what do we do about the person who stole half our faces, who is an enemy?"

Because I could do paranoid rat, but I didn't think that was a good idea.

"Nathan's got a point. If he disguises himself as one of us, we wouldn't be able to trust one another," Nami said, echoing my sentiment exactly. "He could end up making a lot of trouble for us."

"You think so?" Luffy gave us a confused look. I pinched my brow, annoyed. Seriously, how could he not grasp the situation at hand?

"Hold on. Luffy's got a point, as groundless as it seems," Zoro placed a hand on Luffy's shoulder. "But I don't think we're going to have to worry about Mr. Bon Clay too much. This was a lucky break for us. How we can plan our strategy accordingly."

The grin on his face was promising.

"And that plan is?"

Zoro's grin became even more feral as he told us. Me? I just laughed. If I ever made it back home, this was going to make for a great story!

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"What is that!" I poked my head out the door of the Merry when the sudden shouting happened. Well, that was something you didn't see every day. Looming out of the water behind the Going Merry was what appeared to be a cross between a cat and a sea serpent of some sort. My stomach rumbled at the sight. Which meant.

"MEAT!"

"Our first meal in four days!"

Okay, it wasn't that dire, but if you were a carnivore like Luffy was, then yeah, we were out of food. But things were getting a bit scarce, despite Thomas's best efforts. Sure I could go for some meat myself right now, but we had to be getting pretty close to Alabasta by this point.

Plus, knowing our luck, that thing is scared, or something. Or sacred, I always get the two of those mixed up.

By the time I'd poked my head back out again, the creature was gone. Likely not a successful capture, gnawing on the banister like he was.

"The ocean is full of strange creatures," Chopper said, as Usopp pulled himself up to his feet.

"I don't know, once you get to the stuff that just turns into a blob when it gets to the surface, you've kinda gotten to the point of maximum weird," I shrugged. The ocean was full of all sorts of strange stuff.

"They do what!" Usopp pointed at me. "How do you know that?"

"I've seen pictures of blobfish before. There's a lot of species that live so deep in the ocean, that if they get too close to the surface, they just," I expand my hands.

"Those poor fish," Chopper shook his head.

I heard Nami say that we had entered the Alabasta climate zone, as my stomach released another rumble. However, that was a secondary concern, compared to the ships dotting the horizon. Fourteen in total from what I could see.

"Hey, they're all Baroque Works ships!"

Given their matching insignia, it was either them or the Navy.

"Those must be the billions," Vivi explained.

"They're the underlings of the officer agents. Two hundred at least," Norris crossed her arms.

"This would be a harder fight than Whiskey Peak, even with the three of us," Thomas nodded, as I frowned.

Should we start picking them off now? Sure, compared to their flag officers, they might not be much. But numbers were a quality of their own.

"I don't think we'd take a direct fight on the ocean. Merry is a fighting ship, but she's still outmatched here," I frowned. If I had Blastoise, then I had options.

"Let's blast them all right now!" Usopp shouted.

"If I have Blastoise, I'd be able to hit them at the waterline," I said, stroking my chin. It'd be a cruel trick, but it could work. Putting a hole right at the water line in a ship was a death blow, but it wouldn't sink too quickly. It would take time for the water to lap in.

"What's a Blastoise?" Thomas gave me a look.

"It's a turtle with cannons on its back," Nami said, posturing matching mine. "You know, that might work."

"Forget the small fry," Zoro grinned.

"Yeah, don't lose sight of the real target," Sanji said, causing me to perk up. If you got Sanji and Zoro to agree on something, it was best to pay attention. "There are only twelve of us."

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I made sure to tie the knot tightly. It wouldn't help me when transformed, and whether Bon Clay could copy that was inconclusive.

"This is a good idea. We'll be able to tell who's who," Nami grinned as Vivi helped pull hers tight.

"Is this guy really that good?" Norris frowned, tightening hers with her teeth before working to adjust Thomas's.

"They're pretty much perfect," Usopp nodded, working on his own.

"Still, sounds like a bit of a freak to me," Sanji muttered, frowning to himself.

"Eh, he's alright," I shrugged. "He's not that much weirder than several people on this ship. A shame he's our enemy, but there isn't much we can do about that."

That wasn't entirely true. I imagine Luffy could friendship Shingahi the man, as he had with so many others. But that wasn't here nor there.

Sanji had moved on to adding Karoo, bandaging his wing as well, as we began to approach the harbor. It looked like a small, Middle East town when it came to style. But given the environment, that wasn't too much of a surprise. Arid. It'd probably be smart to pick up some clothes for the weather.

"We're going to need to hide the ship," I turned around, the words cutting through my thoughts. Us, fighting a group of deadly assassins with all sorts of wacky powers I wouldn't comprehend in advance.

Luffy held out his left hand, as we stood in a circle. "Right! No matter what happens from here on out, our left arms will bear the sign of our fellowship!" The eleven of us stood, extending our left arms outward, grinning like mad.

"All right! Let's go ashore!" Luffy shouted. "And eat!"

I laughed, unable to help myself, even as Nami chastised Luffy. So close to being a killer prep speech.

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"Why aren't you worried about your friend there?"

"Because he isn't dead. He just has insomnia. Observe, if you would."

Suddenly there was a quiet but distinct thap, as the man flicked his sleeping partner's ear.

"Ow!"

"See?"

"Do you have to use Haki for that every time?"

"Yeah, my finger goes through you otherwise."

The man laid back, turning to the chief, ignoring the crowd behind them. "Like I said, insomnia. None of this Desert Strawberry nonsense. Though I do have to compliment you on your work."

Splat!

"I'd take it better if your friend didn't keep taking naps in my food," the chief grumbled. "What brings the two of you around these parts, anyway?"

"I was wondering that exact same question," a voice boomed from the back, as smoke began to fill the room. "What exactly is Whitebeard's Second Division Commander and Whitebeard's Monster doing in Alabasta?"

Portgas D. Ace and Jackson looked at each other.

And smiled.

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"Sadly, that is where he would be," I pinch my brow. Luffy had run off, and now that was going to be our problem. Finding him wouldn't be hard, but that still didn't make it any less of a pain.

"He has the right idea of it, though. We all need food, and stock up on additional supplies," Thomas said. "I've done my best, but we're stretched pretty thin, and I wouldn't want to travel through Alabasta without picking up more."

"Thomas is right," Zoro nodded. "Luffy can handle himself. We can eat, and come up with a plan after."

Would the wonders never cease? Still, Alabasta was a beautiful country. The rocks were majestic, especially when they'd been carved into by. Waves.

"I swear, if that's Mr. 3's ship right there," I pointed at the small vessel, and its very clear three theming.

"It is!" Vivi gasped.

Please let it just be some random dumbass who just stole the ship or something.

"Doesn't that require the Wax-Wax fruit to even function?" Thomas's comment rang through my ears.

"Then he's here in Alabasta. Somewhere," the crack of Norris's knuckles could not have sounded more ominous.

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"Okay, so I think that's the last of the outfits we need," *I say, holding several bags. I know Nami had sent Sanji to go shopping for her and Vivi, and he'd probably grabbed extra. But we were walking through the desert, so I wanted everyone to be prepared. And while I didn't know much about deserts, I'd worked in pretty nasty heat. I knew the tricks. Then again, so did the locals. "Thomas, have you gotten all the food ready to go yet?"

"Just a second!" Thomas shouted back, haggling with one of the stall owners. The conversation was going quickly, but Thomas seemed like he was getting the best deal he could. The heat was beating down on us, and I was probably going to have sunburns soon, but it was, relaxing in a way.

I was still on edge, though. Vivi's country this may be, but we were firmly in enemy territory now. If Mr. 3 or Bon Clay had spread the word of our appearance, then Baroque Works could have agents in the city looking for us right now.

"Alright, that should be the last of it," Thomas said, holding several packs of provisions. "Let's head back. Everyone else is probably done."

Everyone but Luffy, most likely. Still. The streets of the city were filled with people selling their wares, children running around playing, and the scents, and sounds a town should have. If it wasn't for the undercurrent of tension, it would be hard to tell that there was a water crisis or a Civil War.

"What'd you get us?" I asked as we made our way through the streets.

"A fair amount of salted meat, but I was able to get some dried fruits for a good price," Thomas grinned, appearing to be pleased with himself. "I don't think Nami will be disappointed. I don't think the same could be said for you. You need to learn to haggle."

"I'm sorry, everything where I'm from is fixed price. Haggling isn't a skill I've managed to develop!" I protested, even if he wasn't wrong. I could have gotten away with getting this cheaper, I just wasn't sure how.

"It's an acquired skill, taking practice and effort," Thomas nodded. "It's not a surprise. You give off the air of coming from one of the larger, stabler islands."

Click.

"And isn't that a shame?" A voice came from the alleyway, a flintlock pistol pointed at us. "Now, hand over everything you got, and you might just walk away with your lives." Several swords glinted in the darkness, a sign that there was more than one person.

"Are we being mugged right now?" Thomas gave me a look.

"I think the proper term is robbed. I'm honestly more impressed how low people pointing guns at me is becoming as a threat," I looked at him back. "I've been shot by a canon now. This is just becoming a whatever. I've had someone pull a gun on me at least three times now."

"What? Put your hands where I can see them!" The man shouted, clearly not impressed with how we were kinda treating him like a joke.

"Do you want to do the honors?" Thomas asked.

"It's my line," I grinned. They were lined up in an alleyway. They were making this way too easy on me. "Good sir, would you like paper or plastic?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!" The man shouted as I threw up the bags of clothes, adding a few more seconds of distraction, as I began to transform.

"Rhyhorn!" My feet crashed into the ground, sending up a wave of earth and stone, sending the men in the alley flying upwards, guns and swords going every which way. By the time it was done, they were in a groaning heap, Thomas balancing the bags around his bat.

"Damn, that one looks pretty tough for something so small," Thomas said, as I did the best impression of a grin that I could. Rhyhorn might as well have been a mini rhino, but covered in plates as hard as stone.

"It's the monster! Get him!" I heard someone shout. Turning to face the source, I found at least ten people in a marine uniform charging at us with swords.

"What?" Thomas's words mimic what mine would have been, if I could speak. But that was a lot of soldiers, and we didn't have time for this.

"Nathan, what are you doing!" Thomas shouted as I flipped him onto my back. Then I began to book it, my feet thundering down the street as I went.

"Why? Are? They? Chasing? Us?" Thomas clung to my back for dear life, holding onto our purchased goods just as tightly as we broke out onto the Main Street, getting the attention of even more marines. Which immediately followed in pursuit, screaming about some monster, or how they had spotted Jackson.

It better have been a coincidence that they were screaming about how I was my brother, or I was going to be pissed.

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"That's a lot of Marines!" Thomas shouted. I saw them too. How had they gotten around us that quickly? It was like a wall of white and blue. And we still had a lot to our backs, too. It looked like we were going to have to go through them. Or over.

"There's another one, above us!" One of the Marine's towards the center of the formation pointed up, but by that point, it was far too late. A shadow dived, slamming into the ground, the street buckling under the force. Earth and stone rippled, as if it were a liquid, knocking aside Marines like they were leaves on the wind.

And at the epicenter? Its hide was a light shade of purple. It had two mighty pincers and a stinger tail. Its joints were covered red, with a black membrane that severed as wings. No way.

What was a Gliscor doing here?

"Well, well. This is a surprise," the voice that came from it sounded weird. "I take it you're with those Straw Hats?"

"What's it worth to you?" I rumbled back, pawing at the ground. God, the type matchup was not in my favor. For a moment, the Gliscor's beady yellow eyes widened, before going back to normal.

"If you are, then I suggest that you take advantage of the path I cleared," it said, as I squinted. It looked like the others were in the distance.

"Fine," I growled out, starting to move again, not in the mood to keep looking the gift horse in the mouth.

"I just watched two animals have a conversation by doing nothing but say their names," Thomas groaned on my back.

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"Great, you guys finally made it!" Norris shouted, already pulling up the anchor as I managed to reach the deck. Thomas barely had enough time to get off my back, groaning in soreness.

"Never again," the man groaned, as I changed back. Not that i blamed him. Even with a saddle, Rhyhorn did not seem like a comfy ride.

"I'm guessing the two of you ran into problems too," Nami asked, crossing her arms.

"Some people tried to rob us, I transformed to beat them up, and next thing I know, we have a bunch of Marines on our tail, shouting stuff including my brother's name, for some reason," I huffed, sitting down against the Merry's deck as everyone else shared a look. "What?"

"Does anyone else have family members they want to disclose right now?" Usopp shouted as Sanji flinched.

"Well, most," Nami paused. "No, not even half of you have met my sister now."

"You have a sister?" I gave Nami a confused look.

"Luffy has a brother," Zoro said, as if such a thing were like the sky being blue.

"Luffy has a brother!" Thomas and I shouted at the same time.

"It sounds like you might, too," Norris looked at me.

"It can't be my brother. It's likely just a coincidence that the person they're looking for share a name with my younger brother," I say. Even if it's voiced sounded passingly familiar.

"And the odds of that are?" Thomas pointed at me.

"How many Jackson's are there in the world?" I shot back, rolling my eyes.

"Given that the name of the Pirate King's ship was the Oro Jackson? Not many. Not many that are younger than you," Norris crossed her arms. Oh. Well, that was concerning then.

"If he is your brother, it's nice that yours and mine are friends!" Luffy beamed, just like his usual self. I wasn't even going to question why the topic didn't come up in the first place. Nami had a sister I didn't know about, as did Luffy. It likely just didn't come up because it never became relevant.

"Still, two members of the same family eating a Devil Fruit is pretty strange though. They're pretty rare outside of the Grand Line," Norris commented as Sanji took a long drag of smoke.

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it either!" Luffy grinned. "Even when Ace hadn't eaten a Devil Fruit and I had, I still couldn't beat him!"

That was a disturbing thought, kids or not. Luffy was the strongest person I knew. Sure, there had to be stronger people out there in the world. But the fact that Luffy couldn't get the one up on this guy was impressive.

"I guess the big brother of a beast would be an even bigger beast," Usopp said.

"You kinda have to be. Comes with the territory," I grin slightly, looking back on old times.

"Oh really? Please, by all means, do tell."

WHAP!

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, stop doing that!" I shouted, ignoring the fact that my fist was currently in his grip.

"Whichever one of you is responsible for teaching my brother how to properly throw a punch, you have my thanks," Jackson's smug expression grinned back at me, as he pulled me into a hug. I blinked in surprise, shocked to even see his freckled face and brown hair, with his green eyes.

"What? How?" I exclaimed, not even trying to struggle in his grip. This was someone who didn't do hugs!

"I'll let you know when I've figured out the answer, big brother," Jackson put me down as I rubbed tears out of my eyes.

"How exactly are you the older brother?" Nami pointed between the two of us.

"The family curse." We said at the same time.

"Curse?" Usopp shuddered.

"Yeah, the younger sibling gets all the height. On both sides of the family," how that happened, I'll never know.

"Greetings all!" Suddenly, a man appeared behind Luffy, knocking him off the banister in a way that screamed sibling energy. "Thank you for looking after my kid brother."

He bowed, bowed! A gesture everyone returned.

"What are you doing in Alabasta, Ace?" Luffy was even more smiles than usual.

"You didn't get my message on Drum Island?" Ace asked as I turned to Jackson.

"You were on Drum?" I gave him a look.

"And?"

"I know about your feelings about jackets!"

"I'm guessing they're a bit more confrontational in their brotherhood," I heard Nami whisper.

"It's just a little cold," Jackson shrugged. "And that's not important right now."

"No thanks," Luffy's voice cut through the conversation, causing my brother to slump as Ace just laughed.

"I thought so, but I figured I would ask," Ace grinned, before giving my brother a look.

"Nathan, a quick word, if you would," I could tell by the tone of his voice that he wasn't exactly asking. Ace's look only grew sterner.

This had something to do with whatever it was the Luffy told Ace no on, didn't it?

"If it's something you don't feel safe asking me in front of my crewmates, it's probably not something you should be asking at all," I glared at him.

"Ace offered your Captain, and the rest of the crew, a spot on Whitebeard's crew, one of the Four Emperors of the sea. It would do me well knowing that you'd be safe under such an aegis," Jackson looked down at me, or more accurately, down on me. Ace groaned in the background, as everyone else went silent, the tension skyrocketing instantly. On one hand, if this Whitebeard was really that strong, then it would be the safest option by far.

On the other hand?

I didn't need the cloth around my left arm, or the itching underneath it, for me to have my answer.

"Get bent," I snarled. "I'm staying put."

"Fine," I blinkled slightly, as the energy seemed to dissipate. Jackson didn't tend to back down that quickly. "But I want you to show me that you can handle yourself."

The tension shot back up again.

"What exactly do you have in mind?" I glared at him. He was always the athlete. He was stronger and faster than me on a normal day. I was the bookish smart one.

"One vs. One. Only a single switch."

I paused. That's how he wanted to settle things? He wanted to challenge me? To a battle?

"You're on."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"I'm sorry about this," Ace rubbed the back of his head. He should have put his foot down harder than he did. But the moment Jackson got a stupid idea in his head, sometimes not even pops could stop him.

"It's okay. Nathan's going to win!" Luffy said. Ace admired his younger brother's faith in his crew. But this wasn't a fight Nathan was going to win. Jackson was a New World Veteran. Even without his Haki, Jackson had spent far, far longer in a harsher environment than Nathan had. Yes, Nathan didn't need to win. Just show he could handle himself. But that was still a high bar to clear.

They'd found a place, isolated enough where even Jackson's strikes wouldn't cause much collateral damage. Rocky outcrops almost created an arena of sorts, with silts, sands, and clay making up the rest. One of their crewmates carried a large book, flipping through the pages, as the two brothers stared each other down. Then they nodded, transforming at the same time.

Nathan's body emitted a light of deep brown mixed with blue, body coming down on all fours, fins emerging from his head and back.

"Swampert!" Nathan roared. It was a form Ace recognized. Jackson had used it too. It was strong, dependable, and hard to bring down.

As for Jackson himself? Instead of blue mixed with brown, the light coming from him was purple and brown. His body narrowed, becoming lean and strong, arms growing razor-sharp fins, hands coming down to a single claw. Its head grew tubes, and as the light faded away, it stepped out.

"Garchomp!"

81

Drakefire

Dec 1, 2024

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Threadmarks Chapter 15 - Alabasta Part 2

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Drakefire

You just had to set that dragon on fire.

Dec 9, 2024

#377

I know, this will be coming out after November, so what gives? Well, with IRL kicking my butt, and the fact that I did start this before December, I'm including it in novel November anyway!

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My fist smashed into the ground, causing it to shake and crack, rumbling across the landscape. The problem?

Jackson had the same idea, his clawed foot smashing into the ground. And the earth responded in kind, buckling under the force alone, ripping outwards, slamming against my quake and battering it aside. Sand, silt, and clay stirred in the air, turning the entire arena into a flat bowl to a mess of hill, jagged rocks, and spikes.

Most of it wasn't mine, either.

He wasn't pulling his damn punches though. Garchomp. Should I switch now? Already? Or, there!

My eyes saw movement, and I attacked. Ice erupted as several blue beams. One of the spikes found itself covered, reflecting the sun as I missed entirely.

The only way I knew there was an attack coming my way was the glow. Go underneath? That was earthquake bait. I pushed back, releasing a powerful blast of water.

Flame met water in an eruption of steam, obscuring the area in front of my face. Something in the cloud of steam just seemed, off, to me. I struck the ground, earth, and stone erupting as I burrowed into the ground, just in the nick of time. A violet mass of energy screamed through where I had just been standing.

Still, I couldn't stay down here for long. That was earthquake bait if there ever was any. Or was it? Garchomp could fly. Jackson could just stay up there on overwatch, taking shots and swipes at me until I messed up.

Then came a thud, as something landed on the ground. I felt it, the vibrations. The movement. That put him right around.

I began to tunnel quickly, hoping to go without being detected, until I reached the spot digging through the stone. This was only going to work once. Ice began to cover my fist, hissing from the heat even inside the rock.

Stone erupted, shattering as I surged forward. I broke out into the sunlight as Jackson raised his leg, preparing to bring it down. There was a look of surprise on his face as I burst from one of the rock faces forced to the surface before his claws erupted with a green aura. My first fist met the projection, Jackson parrying the blow away from his body.

But his back had been turned, and I'd caught him just flat-footed enough. My second punch connected straight to his chest, knocking him away in an eruption of ice and snow as I landed on all fours. Jackson skidded backward, energy already pooling in his mouth. Another flamethrower?

Water swirled in mine, shooting forward like a fire hydrant, directly connecting with Jackson's chest again, knocking him even further away. Then, to my terror, he pointed his head to the sky, releasing the attack.

The fireball screamed upwards, before detonating, flaming rocks descending from on high. I hunkered down, a barrier forming around me as the meteor rained down. Each blow caused the shield to buckle, but it held.

Smoke and dust filled the air around me. I could dig again, but he'd be prepared for that. There had to be something I could do to slow him down.

There was. The soil beneath my feet. It wasn't just sand. Silt and clay were in abundance, the leftovers of many an ancient flood. Mixed with sand. It could.

BOOM!

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It was over. Nathan had been sent flying, slamming hard into the stone outcrop before collapsing.

He'd been clever, hiding in a stone spike and launching an ambush. If he had been using observation, it wouldn't have worked, and it almost didn't anyway.

But this fight was over. He didn't need Haki. It was overkill. This was overkill. But he needed Nathan to understand just how truly dangerous this place was. And sometimes, the only way for someone to learn a lesson was the hard way.

He needs to. Something hitting Jackson's snout snapped him from his thoughts. Was that? Rain? Wasn't Alabasta in the middle of a drought?

Looking up only confirmed this, angry clouds circling overhead as the rain began to fall like a sheet. Either Nathan had gotten lucky, or.

Was that something Swampert could do?

Jackson didn't have time for that line of thought as the ground began to shake, and the now wet desert sand erupted around him.

Nathan was standing back up. A blue aura flickered around Nathan as he rose, water beginning to swirl around his body.

It didn't change anything. All he needed to do was get back.

Jackson tried to leap into the air, only for his body to hardly budge. Looking down, he found that his legs were buried, sinking deeply into the now-soaked soil.

Nathan came at him like a rocket, water enveloping his entire body.

Jackson almost grinned. He couldn't evade the attack. Nathan had found a way to neutralize his speed and flight, all while setting up for a powerful blow.

This was so close to what he wanted to see. And yet, Nathan was trying to make this a contest of strength. Of pure, overwhelming physical force. Again.

Because that was how Nathan battled. No subtly. No little tricks. Just force.

And on the Grand Line that was rarely enough. Only the strongest, like Pops, could make it on pure strength alone. If Nathan kept trying, he was going to die.

So he couldn't let Nathan just win.

Jackson brought his claw back, covering it in green energy. Then came his Haki crackling as he brought it back, ready to parry the strike.

Only for the water to expand outwards, no longer coming towards him like a focused stream but a raging river.

This was better.

But not enough.

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Did I get him?

The area is a mess, with a sizable sheet of water covering the ground. The rain clouds overhead were starting to taper away, sunlight peaking back through. Water dripped off the rocks, giving an almost tranquil feeling.

My breath still rattled in my lungs, and my ribs hurt like hell. Again! Again with being caught in the chest!

Hopefully, he was down. That was what? Rain and Torrent boosted? Type neutrality or not, I had to hurt, and that was with all the other hits I managed to land on him.

But I couldn't be for sure. I had to keep my guard up unless he.

Stone erupted towards me in the distance, bursting out of the ground in a straight line towards me as I leaped to the side. Then I saw it, coming across the water, surging in his wake. Green energy expanded around his claws once again. I fired off a beam of ice, only for Jackson to dodge the attack with ease. Each attack resulted in the same as the last.

I fired one last beam into the water in front of him, creating a massive pillar of ice. Jackson didn't care, cutting through it as if it were butter. Fine. If I had to gamble everything on one final attack, so be it.

Ice began to form around my fist, and a wave of frost froze the muddy water at my feet, making it solid. Then I began to charge, closing the distance as Jackson screamed toward me like a bat out of hell.

It was one final clash. I pulled a fist back, throwing it toward my brother.

BOOM!

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"Ow."

Being flat on my ass was never a good sign.

"I'd say you did a pretty good job," Jackson said, offering out his hand. But I didn't like it when people lied to me.

"I still have the switch," I groaned out, taking his hand anyway. "And I'm not going regardless."

"You pushed me far enough to use my Haki, if only for a moment. After that?" Jackson shook his head. I gave him a confused look, noticing just how different he seemed. While he was always stronger than me, his height made him look more lean than muscular. Yet now he looked built. Not quite jacked, but there was more mass to him now. He had a tan now too, contrasting with his green eyes. If he had blonde hair, he'd almost look like one of those surfer bros. Instead, his brown hair looked completely untamed, almost as long as mine.

"That being said," he suddenly pulled me close, wrapping his arm around my neck, and proceeding to give me a noogy while putting me in a headlock. "You had to get knocked down to Torrent to do it, so don't get cocky!"

"You can stop now please!" I shouted, managing to wiggle out of his grasp as he laughed. "What the hell even is Haki, anyway?"

"Don't worry about it. You'll figure it out," I pinched my brow as Jackson laughed again. "You're still in Paradise."

"I don't like the sound of that," I cross my arms, looking over to the rest of my crew. Ace seemed to be talking things over with them. Specifically, Luffy was sending a very uncharacteristically angry look toward Jackson.

"Trust me, what you're experiencing now? Is the easy half of the Grand Line. It gets way worse on the other side of the Red Line," Jackson laughed again, as I rolled my eyes. I had a hard time believing that. "Still, I have to wonder, how did you even get here?"

"I could ask you the same damn thing," it took long enough for the two of us to stop beating around that bush finally. That was something we were going to need to hash out now, rather than later. "For me, I ended up in the ocean, as a Seel, before I got eaten by an Island Whale named Laboon, before being fished out of his stomach by a doctor. I stayed with him for about a month, before they showed up, and I've been with them ever since."

"That is almost what happened to me. Just replace the whale with a boat that looks like a whale," he paused for a moment. "And can act like a whale, now that I think about it."

I was going to ignore that in favor of other things.

"And since you know more than I do, I'm going to have to ask you," Jackson's face turned completely serious, an expression that sent chills down my spine. "Is there a way to get back home?"

"Maybe?" My face was strained. It was a big maybe and required things about our powers that I wasn't even certain of. "Either of Hoopa's forms, as well as Solgalo and Lunala could be able to do so. But all of them are physic type, and legendaries to boot."

Could we even reach that level of power?

"Legendary and physic? I've never been able to get to a legendary or mythical form before," Jackson frowned slightly, stating exactly what I didn't want to hear. "I also haven't come across the physic type, either."

I blink in surprise. That wasn't something I had expected. "Really?"

"Only one of the islands I've been to is ghost. Some types are just rarer than others," Jackson shook his head. "I haven't run into electric, either. I have a sinking suspicion on where to find it, but actually going to that island is very risky."

The hell? He had Garchomp in his pocket. A full-on dragon! And yet he found going to a particular island risky? What even was it? Still, that was, disappointing. Legendary was always a long shot no matter what, but if he hadn't found an island that corresponded with the physic type? That was a problem. It wasn't like I wanted to.

I shook my head. I didn't want to think about that right now. Just because Jackson hadn't found them, didn't mean they didn't exist.

"Well, it wasn't like I had plans of leaving, but it's good to know that options exist," Jackson stretched. The look I gave him was, not as judgmental as I expected it to be. "What? I've been here a few years at this point."

"Wouldn't that make you the older brother?" I tease, elbowing him. The look on his face was one of pure terror.

"Impossible, I would have shrunk," he said as if that somehow managed to make any sense. Jackson's face returned to normal. "Still, I'm kinda concerned if any other family members somehow made it."

That. Fuck, that was a problem. If two, why not more? Though, there was jack shit either of us could do on that front.

"I'll keep an eye and ear out," I said, but the world was a large place. Who knows who else was where? If they were here at all.

"Still, stay safe. No taking stupid risks," Jackson ran his hand through my hair as I scowled, trying to bat them off.

"Yeah, I know. Just got to punch a Warlord in the face," I admit, at least trying to sound somewhat impressive. What was impressive was the expression that Jackson's face went through, before he settled on nursing his head in his hand.

"God, you've picked a fight with Crocodile," Jackson groaned. "Why did you pick a fight with Crocodile?"

"A long and complicated story that involves an otter sketch artist, a vulture, and a Princess," I said. Jackson looked at me for a few moments.

"Beats having to fight an eggman," he said, pinching his brow. Damn, I was hoping to get the one up on him on strangeness. "At any rate, on that front, I can give you some advice, given how he's fought Pops before."

"Which means?" I gave my brother a look. I'm guessing this Pops was Whitebeard, but that didn't give me much information other than he likely had a white beard.

"Pops ate the Quake-Quake Fruit," Jackson paused, as I began to put the pieces together. Quake-Quake Fruit. Earthquakes. I stifled a giggle, holding myself back. "It always concerns me when you do that."

"I'm going to play with his trauma response so much," I rubbed my hands together. Was it mean? Yes, it was. But when you started a Civil War by causing a nationwide drought? You kinda deserved someone being an asshole to you.

"Well, at least you have the pirate part down if you're willing to go that far. But while I'm thinking about it," Jackson turned around. "Yo, Ace, let's get him topped off before we head out!"

What?

"What? I don't even think he has fire yet!" Ace shouted back, even as he slid down, approaching us.

"Consider it a future investment. Besides, it's not like we're going to be running into each other anytime soon!" Jackson was grinning, that wide, twitchy grin. Never a good a sign. "Besides, he already has the cat-dog. He can make use of it."

Cat-dog? Was he talking about Eevee?

"I hate that thing so much," I heard Ace mutter, as he stopped a few paces from me. Then flames began to flicker on his body, wisps of flame that suddenly launched through the air toward me before I could even react. I raised my arms to defend myself, only for them to wrap around my body, before vanishing entirely. Left in its place was a warm feeling in my chest, almost as if a small spark of flames was beating in my heart.

"What was that?" I ask, testing my chest. It didn't feel any different. Outside the slight tingling in my chest, I didn't feel any different. I guess I was just going to have to plan on running into more people with, whatever Ace's Devil Fruit was in the future?

"You're smart. You can figure it out," Jackson laughed as I crossed my arms, thoroughly unimpressed. "Hey, I'm not going to spoil everything about your powers. You're going to need to figure out some of these things on your own."

I scowled slightly, tempted to flip him the bird. I hated being told to figure it out on my own, because I wouldn't be asking otherwise. But I just got my ass beat like a drum. And it wasn't like I could make some guesses.

"We're going to need to head out," Jackson grinned, offering me a hand, one that I took. Then I grabbed his shoulder and pulled Jackson into a tight hug.

"You better stay safe out there yourself," I said, keeping a firm grip on him. If we were dealing with Warlords, he had to have been dealing with worse, if Ace and him were sent off to deal with the problem. "You may be stronger than me, but I'm your older brother. You need to take care of yourself."

We broke apart, as I rubbed my eyes.

"I'll do my best. It shouldn't be too dangerous. Blackbeard may be New World material, but it's two on one," Jackson said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Keep it up, and you guys will be in the New World in no time!"

The New World. The second half of the Grand Line. Where my brother, and the rest of his crew were. Who was able to manhandle me without hardly any effort. That is what we would be fighting in the future. Two people cannot inhabit the same throne.

I was going to need to get stronger. Much stronger.

72

Drakefire

Dec 9, 2024

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