A couple of hours later, I found myself nursing my wounds in my hammock belowdecks on the Merry. Despite the rather severe pain I was in, I still managed to doze off, as did Soundbite. I might have even missed Merry's arrival, were it not for an ill-disguised show of good fortune in every definition of the word.
"Puru puru puru puru!"
My eyes snapped open at the sound, and I glanced around frantically as it repeated, spying Soundbite near the transceiver with a glazed look in his eyes; despite having received a call, he seemed not to be conscious.
With a groan, I forced myself out of bed, barely managing to feel gratitude through my drowsiness. But as I picked up the speaker, I comprehended the fact that I was receiving a call from MI3 at this hour, and wondered what was so urgent.
"Tiny Tim's Galoshes, for sizes extra-small and down!" I said, tiredly yet cheerfully.
"Where does he come up with this stuff?" Hina's voice wandered.
"Probably the same place where he learns all of his Marine and World Government secrets," Tashigi's voice answered.
"If you two are done…" Smoker cut in. "Cross, we're calling about something important."
"Considering the hour and the fact that all three of you are calling, I very much hope so for the sake of our continued partnership," I deadpanned. "What do you need?"
"We're planning on going after our first recruit for another leader in MI3; we want to persuade someone around our rank before we try going for anyone higher up," Hina stated.
"I've set up a meeting with Captain 'Ship Cutter' T-Bone," Smoker continued. "We're planning to meet with him first thing in the morning; I did my research on him, and I don't think I have any better bet for a decent Marine of that rank. But I wanted to run it by you first; if you know him, is there any reason he wouldn't be a good choice?"
I frowned, closing my eyes as I recalled the zombie-like captain from the Puffing Tom. He was a bit creepy, but a master swordsman and definitely a decent Marine.
"No. He's the Captain I was thinking of; he treats his men almost like sons, and he dedicates his life to helping the innocent, and with how much he claims to hate crookedness, I think he's your best bet. Might wanna be careful, though; from what I've heard, he thinks that the World Government's brand of justice is the right one, so if you're not careful…"
"We will be, Cross. Believe me, I've taken that facet of him into account."
"Sir, we'll still have to convince him that this is the best thing to do—"
"Trust me, Tashigi, that's the least of our worries. For now, Cross, after we recruit T-Bone, we're planning on trying to find someone higher up in the Marines to join us. You mentioned Vice Admirals, which ones?"
"Um…" I racked my brains, calling the details to mind. "Momonga might eventually be willing to join, but it would take a lot more work. He's a jackboot through and through. Straight-lace, but… I don't know where on the moral line he stands. Garp… It's hit or miss with him. I know for a fact that he's willing to go outside the rules, but he has faith in the Marines, and it would take something serious to shake that… something personal. And even then… But on the other hand, when you get the chance, you should definitely look into his students, especially Coby. Helmeppo's shaky, but his dad was corrupt and almost killed him while he was escaping, so his firsthand experience of just how bad men in uniform can be could be a tipping point. But anyway, short-term… I think your best chance right now is with Tsuru. I know that she's close with Sengoku, but—"
"No, Hina agrees. Tsuru seems stern, but she has a good heart underneath it all, and wisdom befitting her age."
"And I'll keep that in mind about Momonga. I'll see what I can do to sway him… and what sort of 'personal' thing are you talking about for Garp?"
"Oh, you'll find that out later," I said cheerfully.
"Tsk… huh. Shouldn't Soundbite be snarking at us right now?" Tashigi asked curiously.
"Sleep-answering," I shrugged. "I didn't know it was possible, but it apparently is."
"Interesting… well, are those the only possibilities you can think of, Cross?"
The image of a certain red-haired, anime-exclusive Marine came to mind. "There… might be one other, but odds are that my crew will end up crossing paths with him before you're done with recruiting those two. If we do, I'll screen him myself; if not, I'll run his name by you, see what you can come up with."
A long-suffering sigh came from the other end. "Fair enough, Cross. Just do us a favour and make sure that if you broadcast tomorrow, you make it a meaningful one."
"Speaking of which, what happened up there today?" Tashigi asked curiously. "I thought you were planning on continuing your broadcast later."
"For the sake of whatever sanity you have, I'm going to suggest you wait for the next SBS; the highlights are fighting a talking cream puff of a priest with clouds filled with snakes, explosives, and other tricks and traps; fighting another priest riding a giant dog with a shape-shifting sword and weaponized barbed wire; having a party with a group of wolves—"
"OK, OK, point taken, I'll wait for the SBS," Tashigi cut in.
"Aw, you didn't let me get to the—"
"Goodbye, Cross. We'll contact you again after T-Bone joins us."
"When you do, Smoker, I'm going to want to know why you're so confident about being able to," I sighed as I started to lean back into my hammock and started to drift back to sleep.
"Ah, wait a second! Cross, Hina has a suggestion that she'd like you to weigh in on."
"Hm?" I cracked my eye open blearily.
"An officer who served with Hina under Vice-Admiral Tsuru way back when. It's been years, but Vergo's a Vice-Admiral himself now, and—"
"Hell no!" I snapped hastily, suddenly very wide-awake as my adrenaline shot through the roof. "If you get in contact with Vergo, you can consider this partnership to be fucking done!"
Soundbite's dozy expression snapped to one of abject shock. "What the—?" Tashigi started incredulously before Hina interrupted her.
"Cross, I know Vergo, he's a good man! He cares for his men, he thrives in spite of the fact that he's in command of G-5, he'd give us a foothold in the New World."
"That traitorous son of a bitch is a deep-cover plant for Donquixote Doflamingo, and one of his closest confidants to boot," I summarized frigidly.
And just like that, Hina's expression froze. "W-what?" she breathed.
I grit my teeth as I pinched the bridge of my nose, dredging up the best way to handle this. "When Vergo first joined, it wasn't for justice or fame or fortune or anything. It was for the sole, singular purpose of providing Doflamingo with an into the Marines. Every second he spent climbing the ranks, every connection he made and bond he forged, it was all to help further Doflamingo's information network within the ranks. The man is a cold-blooded monster, and if you confront him with this, he will not hesitate to kill you."
"No… no, that's not possible!" Hina shook her head in denial. "Hina knows—I know him! Vergo is kind, he's warm, he—!"
"Eleven years ago, Vergo came face to face with the mole that the Marines had in Doflamingo's organization," I cut her off. "That mole gave Vergo a capsule of information meant for Sengoku's eyes only, whose contents would have prevented the massacre that occurred in the Kingdom of Dressrosa a year later, a massacre that Doflamingo orchestrated. Vergo destroyed that information and then beat the mole and the ill child with him within an inch of their lives." I was silent for a moment before sighing despondently. "I'm sorry, Hina. But when you say Vergo's name… You don't even have the first clue what you're talking about."
"…You'll forgive me if I don't take accusations like that against such a high-ranking Marine at face value, Cross, "Smoker dryly replied after a moment.
"Commodore…" Tashigi hesitated slightly.
I shrugged in response. "Hey, do whatever the hell you want, take my words with a grain of salt or the whole shaker if you have to…" I glared as I jabbed my finger at the snail. "But I was entirely serious earlier: if you contact Vergo, then I'm writing this whole venture off. He scares me more than you ever could, and that is a hard-wrought fact. And you know as well as I do that nothing I've told you so far has been wrong."
"…Good night, Cross," Smoker finally bit out.
"Yeah, yeah, same to you, jackass…" I grumbled as I defaulted to popping a specific finger at the person on the other end of the snail, then rammed the mic back into its cradle and cut the connection.
As my adrenaline ebbed and I stopped being distracted, I became acutely aware of the extensive collection of bruises I'd acquired a few hours prior. I mean, they were healing really fast and I'd probably be fine tomorrow morning, but… well. Being on the receiving end of half a dozen infuriated superhumans was not a pleasant experience. But the end result was being forced out of camp to spend the night on the Merry, which was ultimately exactly what I wanted. Now, if only—
Thud.
I froze as I heard the sound echo above me.
Thud.
There it was again, wood against wood.
Acting fast, I rapped my fist over Soundbite's shell, causing him to jerk awake with an annoyed snort. He glared at me in irritation and started to open his mouth, but before he could roar, I held my finger to my mouth and waited.
Thud.
Thankfully, the next thud served to silence him, causing him to glance upwards before nodding at me. Moving slowly, I scooped him onto my shoulder before sliding out of my hammock and making my way towards the ladder and trapdoor leading out of the men's bedroom, pushing it open to see—
…Alright, I know that I've already gushed about Oda's design and how it measured up to reality, but honestly, I was looking at one of the closest things to an honest-to-goodness ghost I'd ever see outside of Perona's facsimiles; what else am I supposed to do?
The first thing that stood out to me about her was how… indistinct she was. A silhouette, more than anything. It was as though she'd stepped out of an out-of-focus sepia-toned picture; her borders were blurred, as though she were melded with the air. Her substance, or what she had of it, was focused more on her hands and her feet. Looking at her center mass and head, I could see through her to the other side. And as for her face, well, there wasn't much to see. What little of her face I could see beneath her hood was featureless and blank, as if she were a mannequin. The only defining part of her I could discern was her mouth, which was closed in concentration as she hammered in bolt after bolt to the metal plate she was affixing to one of the more burnt-up sections of the mast.
Finally, after watching her for a minute, I cleared my throat.
Merry jumped almost a foot in the air, which was impressive for her stature, before wheeling around to stare at me in shock. She gaped for a second before sighing and hanging her head. "You knew…" she groaned, her voice little more than a wispy sea breeze. "I knew this was a risk… You got beat up and sent back here on purpose, didn't you?"
I chuckled and scratched the back of my head sheepishly. "That was part of it, yeah," I admitted. "Though it was also revenge for that stunt Nami, Vivi, and Chopper pulled back when we met Masira."
Merry grunted and moved her head in a motion that indicated she was rolling her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I guess I should have seen that coming…"
An uncomfortable silence grew in the air, neither of us sure what to say.
Finally, I coughed and nervously glanced away. "So, ah… do you want an extra pair of hands or…?"
Merry stared at me for a second before shrugging and returning to her hammering. "I wouldn't be much of a pirate ship if I kept you from doing what you wanted, would I?" she grumbled morosely.
Soundbite and I exchanged surprised looks before I ultimately shrugged. I took a moment to spin my finger in the air and jerk my thumb across my throat before climbing out of the trapdoor, thus indicating for Soundbite to put up as good a barrier of noise as he could forge and hopefully prevent Usopp from catching sight of us and fainting from terror.
Once on the deck, I got to work, handing Merry plate after plate after plate as she slowly patched herself up. It was… grim work, to say the least. Merry was an absolutely incredible ship, and for her to be so beaten, so bruised, so... injured… it was just… hard to look at.
We worked in silence for a few dozen panels or so until I finally worked up the courage to speak. "So, ah… how are you… holding up? The whole burnt mast thing notwithstanding, I mean, that's pretty—"
"My keel isn't cracked, Cross," Merry cut me off with a slam of her hammer, an exasperated tone in her voice.
I allowed myself to sag in relief, entirely uncaring about her demeanour. "Oh, thank God…"
Merry was silent as she glanced up at me before seeming to sag in defeat. "But… It's coming."
And there was the shot of ice in my veins. "W-what?" I asked numbly.
Merry shook her head as she slowly got back to work, hammering away. "What were you expecting, Cross? I'm an East Blue caravel in Grand Line waters. These seas are just… too rough. The waves, the winds, the Marines… I've felt it coming for a while now. Creaks and cracks everywhere… and day by day, it takes more and more for me to hold my keel together. There's only so much I can take, you know?" She didn't wait for an answer before shaking her head sadly. "There's only so much any of us can do…"
I was no expert on marine engineering, but what she was saying made sense. My mind flashed back to Krieg's galleon at Baratie, and how ravaged she had been. And she was several dozen times the size of the Merry.
And that last line… God, how I thought of that every day.
"Yeah…" I sighed. "I know exactly what you mean."
Another awkward silence descended upon us, Merry hammering and me passing materials to her as I tried to think of something to say.
Finally, I gave her a hopeful glance. "Well… either way, that doesn't mean we can't try, right?" I took the way she shifted silently as a sign to continue. "I-I mean, well, we're Straw Hats, right? Breaking past all the limits, defying every expectation and all that."
"ROW ROW FIGHT DA POWAH!" Soundbite cheered, though his heart didn't seem to be in it.
When Merry didn't respond, I allowed myself a slight chuckle. "Really now, just look at our track record. We've all come out of more near-death scrapes than I care to count, and every time we've managed to pull through. Human or not, flesh and blood or not, you bear our pride more than any of us, so I daresay that luck extends to you too, right?"
For some reason, Merry's hammering became… jerkier and somewhat sporadic, her swings coming at odd intervals.
I frowned at her in concern before turning away to pick up another metal sheet. "So… look, I'm not always a maestro with words, alright? Just… don't worry about it. No matter what happens, you'll always be—"
SKRANG!
I spun around in shock as the screech of tortured metal sang out and boggled at the sight of one of the metal plates wrapped around Merry's hammer like so much tin foil. "The hell—!?"
"Stop it…" Merry hissed out, her entire wispy frame shivering violently.
I tried and failed to make sense of what I was hearing. "Merry, what—? Look, if you're worried about what's coming up next—!"
"I SAID STOP IT!" the ship's spirit shrieked, wrenching her hammer out with a shriek of metal and sending the panel flying into the bay before wheeling on me, her mouth set in a snarl. "STOP BEING SO FUCKING NICE AND JUST DO IT ALREADY!"
"Oh my!" Soundbite barked nervously.
I stumbled back in shock, more than taken aback by this turn of events. "The hell—!? Do what!? What are you talking about?"
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK I'M TALKING ABOUT!?" Merry spat as she spread her arms wide. "STOP PUSSYFOOTING AROUND AND BLAME ME ALREADY!"
…it took me a while to come up with a response for that.
"W-what?" I finally managed to get out.
"BLAME ME!" Merry repeated, slapping her hand to her chest. "YELL AT ME, CURSE AT ME, TELL ME THE TRUTH! STOP SUGARCOATING THINGS AND JUST SAY IT: THIS IS MY FAULT! IT'S MY FAULT FOR BEING SO WEAK THAT I NEED REPAIRS SO BAD, THAT EVERYONE HAS TO WORRY ABOUT ME SO MUCH! IT'S—!" Merry cut herself off with a ragged gasp, and a few drops of something dripped out of her hood. "I-IT'S MY FAULT THAT I'M… I'm so weak… So… so f-f-fragile… so… so u-useless…"
I promptly took a knee and swept up the poor spectre in a hug as she broke down and started to sob. My arms sank into her a bit more than I was comfortable with, but I kept at it and held her nevertheless, letting her sob into my chest and grasp at me desperately while I shushed her and whispered what reassurances I could manage.
"Come on, come on, it's alright…" I breathed, rubbing her back as nicely as I could manage. "None of us blame you, none of us think that this is your fault, of course we don't, why would you ever think that we thought that? Why would we ever do something as stupid as blaming you?"
"Because you shou-u-uld…" Merry wept, tears and more than a bit of snot somehow bubbling out as she buried her face in my shirt. "B-because it's true… I'm weak… I'm so, so weak… I c-can't stand up to the stupid Marine battleships, I can't s-stand up to the s-stupid Sea Kings, I can b-barely stand up to the stupid se-e-e-ea…" She shook her head in denial. "I'm just… I'm not strong enough… I'm small and w-weak and stupid and… and…" Merry hiccupped. "I…I should have just sunk myself at the Sandora and been done with it…"
"What!?" I held Merry out from me by her shoulders and stared at her incredulously. "No! No, no, no, Merry! Are you—are you insane!? Are you deranged or something!? Look at yourself! Look at where you are! Merry, you're in the sky! And more than that, you took the Knock-Up Stream to get here! Only one other ship in living memory has gotten here that way, and it was an East Blue ship, too, Gold Roger's ship before he got the Oro Jackson! How can you possibly call yourself weak when you've come so far, so far into where so few ships have come before?!"
Merry choked and sniffed heavily as she refused to meet my gaze. "B-b-back on J-J-Jaya… when we docked… the-the other ships… th-they saw just how w-w-weak I was and… and they said that I had to-to sink myself… t-they said that… I was gonna, gonna sink anyway, so…" She gasped desperately. "So I should have done the right thing. They said I should have cracked my keel then and there, that it was my duty to sink myself so that-that I wouldn't take you all down with me in the middle of the se-e-ea…"
I felt a sudden urge to start burning things rise up in me. An urge that only intensified at what she said next.
"I… I didn't listen to them at first…" she sobbed, shivers ravaging her body. "I-I told them that I was stronger than that, that I was a Straw Hat, and that-that I wasn't going to go down that easy. I-I told them that I'd reach my dream, that I'd see the world with you all…" A wistful smile started to spread across her face before breaking down with another sob. "A-and then… then he started talking… t-the biggest ship around, t-the scary one… h-he said that w-weak rowboats like me didn't have any place in the real waters and that i-if I put my dreams ahead of my crew's lives then… then…" Merry promptly started bawling into her hands. "Then I was a disgrace to ships everywhe-e-eeeere!"
I swear my blood pressure skyrocketed as I processed that statement, and I reached a very grim conclusion. "Merry, the ship you're talking about. It was the one that we saw later that night, wasn't it?"
Merry snorted heavily for a second before shaking her head vigorously.
I growled beneath my breath as I vehemently cursed the colour pink before trusting myself to speak. "Merry, listen to me: everything that comes out of the mouth of anything and anyone flying that flag is an absolute load. That flag is fucking toxic, and anybody who follows it, and I mean truly follows it and all that it stands for, is irredeemable. You cannot, cannot take their words at face value."
Merry sniffed and stared up at me for a second before snapping her head away as though she'd been struck. "…but he was right…" she whispered.
"Merry—!"
"He was right, Cross!" Merry repeated desperately, tears streaming out from beneath her hood as she stared up at me. "He-he was right… I-I am weak… and I'm so stupid stupid stupid!" She emphasized the point by rapping her knuckles against her skull. "I… I'm a ship, Cross. I'm not part of the crew; I'm not an equal; I'm not meant to do anything other than get you to your destination! We-we don't hope, we don't pray, we don't d-d-dream…"
Merry tugged miserably on the edges of her hood. "But I… I did dream… I-I got it in my head that I could d-dream of staying with you all f-forever… t-that I could go with you all the whole way, t-that I'd see the Grand Line with you all…" Merry started to shake her head back and forth desperately. "It was a s-stupid, impossible dream, a-and I let it put you all in danger… stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid—!"
And that was when I brought this bullshit train to an end.
"MERRY!" I roared, grabbing the sides of her face and making her look at me. "Merry, listen, listen, listen to me, Merry! You are not weak, and you are not stupid. You are a brave, smart, incredible ship, and absolutely none of us blame you for your injuries; those are all on us. Do you understand me? All on us. You are the most incredible ship to sail since the great Oro Jackson, and you are loved. We all love you with all our hearts, Merry, and no matter what, we want your dream to come true! We want to reach Laugh Tale sailing with you, and we will make that happen. Do you understand me?"
Merry hiccupped and sniffled as she stared at me, then finally shuddered and shook her head desperately. "I-It's no use, Cross…" she choked out. "I-it's just no use… I've been fighting the sea for so long… so hard… I-I don't want to give up, but… I-I'm just too weak… I'm…" Merry pitched forward, and I hastily caught her, holding her to my chest where she just leaned and sobbed. "I'm so tired…"
I found myself without a response to that. All I could do was hug her again, holding her pseudo-corporeal form close to me. I couldn't see Soundbite's face from the angle I was at, but the snail was silent in the face of the development, for which I was half-grateful; killing the moment now would do nothing good… but I had nothing good to say myself.
"It's alright, Merry. Everything will be alright," I found myself whispering, staring out into the woods, barely conscious of what I was doing.
And then I did the stupidest thing I could have done.
"I promise, Merry, I'll save you and keep you sailing with us, no matter what."
Merry fell silent and slowly pulled away from me, staring at me with a sad smile and tears cascading down her face. "Big-mouthed dumbass… we both know that you can't keep that promise. It's impossible."
I let out a bittersweet chuckle, resolving to ride that statement as far as I could. "Merry, I stopped seeing that as relevant the day I was ripped from my home and met Soundbite, and not a damn thing that's happened so far has done anything but reinforce that opinion. I mean, for crying out loud, I'm talking to a Klabautermann! At least half of the world would call that impossible! I'm not about to let that stop me."
"For the world is full of zanies and fools~, who don't believe in sensible rules~, and won't believe what sensible people say~, and because these daft and dewy-eyed dopes keep building up impossible hopes, impossible things are happening every day~!" Soundbite sang out.
Merry swapped her teary gaze between us for a few seconds before finally smiling, sniffling as she wiped her tears away. "Y-you have a point. It's not too late yet." She moved back over to me and hugged me again. "Thank you, Cross."
I smiled back, holding her close. How the hell I would keep that promise, I don't know, but damn if I was going to spare any effort. For now, I'd tell the crew as soon as we had her loaded up with gold. If we made it to Water 7 before the keel cracked, problem solved. And if not… then we'd just have to ask Franky for help. Between his experience as one of the best shipwrights still alive and his clout in the black market, he was sure to know of something we could try… anything. Anything we could try.
…because in the end, there was just no chance that I was going to just take shit like this sitting down. Not a chance in hell.
"Uh, C-C-Cross?"
All attention snapped to the side of the boat, where the voice of a very ill at ease Usopp was wafting up from. "Are you p-practicing for another ghost story or something?" he posed hesitantly.
I blinked in surprise as I processed this turn of events before shooting a questioning look at Soundbite, who shrugged sheepishly. "GOT CAUGHT up in the moment?"
"Fair enough," I sighed with a roll of my eyes before considering the current situation. I then interposed myself between Merry and the source of Usopp's voice. "No, Usopp, nothing like that. I'm… talking with one of our crewmates."
"What the—?" I heard Usopp start to ask before he clambered into sight and looked around in confusion. "What are you talking about? I saw all the dugongs back at camp, nobody else was awake—"
"Usopp…" I interrupted him firmly. "I need you to promise that you're not gonna freak out. Okay?"
The sniper blinked at me in confusion. "Cross, what are you—grgh!" His voice died in his throat when I took a step to the side, revealing the figure behind me. Usopp promptly began to tremble like a leaf. "W-w-w-who—!?"
Merry stared at Usopp impassively for a second before slowly allowing a massive grin to spread across her face. "I'm the only person who knows that you had to dive into my bilge for the Clima-Tact's components when you dropped them in there while working on them on the can."
Usopp's first reaction was to flush in embarrassment when Soundbite and I started snickering… before paling in realization. "W-w-wait, d-did you just say your—!?"
I smiled and nodded kindly before walking towards the trapdoor to the guys' room, clapping Usopp on his shoulder as I passed him. "I'll… just let you two get acquainted, then, shall I?"
"Huh?" Usopp jerked his gaze at me. "W-wait a second, Cross!"
"Usopp."
The sniper froze as Merry's gentle tone swept over him. Looking back at her… she had a kind smile on her face.
"We…" Merry started before chuckling lightly and pressing a hand to her head. "We've got a lot to talk about."
And for better or worse… that was where I left them.
-o-
Somewhere in the waters of Paradise, in the stomach of one of the Marines' many sea prism stone-lined battleships, two figures of extreme power and influence were meeting in person for the first time. Both were capable of eliciting feelings of terror from their foes and allies alike for entirely separate reasons, and both were just as capable of inciting feelings of awe from their allies as well. And today, one way or another, these two juggernauts of justice would become inextricably linked.
And it all started… with a handshake.
"Captain T-Bone," Smoker said neutrally, extending a hand.
"Commodore Smoker," wheezed the Captain in question, accepting the handshake. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Your reputation precedes you; I'm quite honoured to meet someone else with such strong dedication to our most illustrious Navy. Although…" The somewhat decrepit-looking swordsman glanced around the storeroom they were meeting in. "I will admit to some measure of confusion as to why you insist that we meet here, as opposed to either of our cabins…"
Smoker blew out a heavy cloud as he sat on a nearby crate, giving the captain an evaluating look. "Because I've gone over every inch of both my cabin and this room, and when stacked against one another, this room is much more insulated against eavesdropping than the standard Naval Captain's cabin. All that water-tightening, at a guess."
T-Bone slowly blinked at Smoker. "Eavesdropping? What are you—?" He was interrupted by the door to the storeroom opening, allowing a third figure carrying a Transponder Snail to enter the room.
"Captain T-Bone," Smoker grunted as he gestured at the individual. "Meet my second, Ensign Tashigi." The Ensign in question nodded respectfully at the Captain before placing the fully aware and attentive Transponder Snail she was carrying on a nearby crate and standing at attention by her superior. "And on the other end of that Snail is my long-time friend and confidant, Captain 'Black Cage' Hina."
"Hina is grateful for your agreement to meet with us, Captain."
T-Bone looked rather nonplussed. "The… pleasure is mine, Captain, but I would like to know what all of this is about."
"To begin to answer that, Captain… what is your opinion of the Navy?" Smoker asked neutrally.
T-Bone paused at the apparent non sequitur. "My opinion? I should say that that is obvious, Commodore." He confidently rapped his fist against his breastplate. "Our organization stands as a bastion of justice and righteousness, and one that I am proud to dedicate every fibre of my being to serve. I dare say that you feel the same if your performance against the former Warlord Crocodile is any indication."
Tashigi shifted uncomfortably as she listened to the spiel, glancing at Smoker. "Commodore…"
Smoker stared at T-Bone silently for a second before sighing out a cloud of smoke and grinding out one of his cigars on the crate he was sitting on. "Let me tell you a story, Ensign Tashigi," he started slowly, eyes shut in concentration. "A story whose details I picked up on when I was still a green rookie back in Marineford." He flicked a glance at T-Bone. "Have you ever heard of the 13th Royal Marine Flotilla?"
Every muscle in T-Bone's body seemed to tense up, while Tashigi merely looked confused. "I… can't say that I have, sir. And I've… never heard of any divisions that were designated as 'Royal' either, for that matter."
Smoker shrugged as he dug out a new cigar and set about lighting it. "Not surprising, Ensign. The tradition of labelling divisions and fleets as specifically 'Royal' is a West Blue practice, where there's a stronger monarchical presence than in the rest of the world. The 13th were particularly renowned back in the day for their indisputable and uncontestable sense of brotherhood, dedication…" Smoker finally got a spark going and ignited the end of his cigar. "…and justice."
Tashigi glanced around as the mood hung thick and heavy over the room, feeling uncomfortably behind. "That's… very impressive, sir…" She stiffened as something clicked with her. "You… you said that they were renowned, sir?"
T-Bone slowly reached up and tilted the visor of his helmet down, shading his eyes solemnly. "I am… sorry to inform you of this, miss," he stated evenly. "But you see, the 13th Royal Marine Flotilla was made defunct a little more than twelve years ago."
"O-oh, I see, I'm sorry…" Tashigi scratched her arm uncomfortably as she tried to find something to say. "What… what happened?"
Hina's snail mimicked the shake of her head. "Twelve years ago, all Marine forces of the West Blue were collectively recruited for participation in a singular operation known as the 451 Degree Campaign."
"It was a manhunt of epic proportions," Smoker summarized darkly. "A wave of white and blue that went from the Calm Belt to the Red Line and encompassed every inch of the West Blue in between, every island and patch of sea… all for the sole purpose of locating a single fugitive who had evaded the forces of the World Government for the past eight years."
Tashigi frowned as the numbers she was given began to tickle something in her memory. She ran a quick calculation and paled at the result. "Nico Robin…" she whispered numbly.
Smoker nodded solemnly. "Bingo. She'd have been sixteen at the time. Obviously, the 451 Degree Campaign failed. We believe that it was that self-same maneuver that drove her out of the West Blue and into the Grand Line. She only managed to avoid the pursuit of the collective might of the world thanks to a crime ring that had been operating in the shadows for the past few decades. Arms trading, black market dealings, assassinations, slavery… It's only the fact that it would require an extortionate amount of force to prove their crimes and connections that let them keep going for so long. The Campaign wiped out every trace of the ring, but Nico Robin slipped through their fingers. It's only the fact that they had taken out such a blight on the West Blue that kept those twelve fleets from being court-martialed by Marineford itself, and even then, only just."
Once again, the numbers stuck out to Tashigi. "Twelve fleets? But what about—?"
"The… 13th was made defunct prior to the start of the Campaign…" T-Bone wheezed. "Due to… differences of opinion."
"They disagreed with the undertaking as a whole," Hina clarified. "To a man, the soldiers of the 13th disagreed with the basis of the operation. They viewed it as a gross misappropriation of resources, leaving the majority of the West Blue to suffer at the hands of countless other pirates while they pursued a single criminal, and an underage one at that. They just didn't see how the costs could justify the means. So, they started to organize a protest against the campaign, and they were apparently about to make overtures to the rest of the Royal Flotillas as well for a show of unity…"
"When they were discovered by the chief officer of the Campaign," Smoker ground out darkly. "The highly acclaimed Vice Admiral Sakazuki."
The blood drained from Tashigi's face, while a minor tremor shook T-Bone's gaunt figure. "Oh, no…" she breathed. "He didn't…"
Smoker drew in a lungful of smoke before blowing it into the air, watching it twirl in the lamplight. "To the last man," he confirmed solemnly. "For the crimes of high treason against the World Government, insubordination and mutiny. And when the 451 Degree Campaign started two weeks later, it was led not by Vice Admiral Sakazuki… but by Admiral Akainu."
"I think I'm going to be sick…" Tashigi gurgled as she put a hand to her forehead and staggered around the room in an effort to calm her stomach.
"Be strong, Ensign," T-Bone intoned, adamant conviction strumming through his words. "To oppose the justice of the World Government is an unforgivable sin. The punishment they received for their actions was swift, just and true."
Tashigi shot a horrified look at the Captain, but before she could say anything, she was interrupted by a dark chuckle filling the room.
"That's ironic, coming from you, Captain," Smoker remarked. Shock registered on T-Bone's face for the barest instant before fading back into his adamant façade, but nobody missed it. "After all, that's not the end of the story. Among the 13th Royal Flotilla, nobody escaped from Sakazuki's assault. Everyone there was subjected to his Absolute Justice, and all of them were burned alive… but there was one who survived long enough to be put on a bed and given the medical treatment necessary to save his life. He was apparently native to the Grand Line; that natural power is supposedly what let him survive."
"Still, with magma burns over ninety percent of his body and breathing only possible via the extensive usage of machinery, he could barely speak, much less move, when the newly appointed Admiral heard of him," Hina recollected. "And when Akainu came calling, fully intent on completing his inquisition, the survivor began to speak. He told of how he had seen the light, the error of his ways, and come to understand the glorious mission of the Marines. He looked Akainu in the eye, inasmuch as he could, and he thanked him for what he'd done. For killing his fellow sinners and for sparing him from death so that he might devote his life to the World Government's Divine Justice, protecting civilians from criminals and punishing those criminals for their crimes. In a show of approval that Akainu has never performed since, he not only spared the survivor's life, but promised him a promotion as soon as he was fit to return to duty, and personally put in the efforts needed to ensure that that time came as soon as possible."
"With all the medical treatment that the World Government could provide, that survivor soon gained the ability to breathe independently again, though every breath was an effort." Smoker blew out yet another cloud, his gaze never deviating from T-Bone's stony face. "His face recovered to a degree that could be deemed 'presentable', though it remained gaunt and somewhat skeletal. And from that day on, he never strayed again from the Navy; he was a model commander, a father to his men, a hero to any civilians he helped, and a demon to any criminals who crossed him. But above all, he gained a reputation for never allowing the slightest hint of crookedness to enter any aspect of his life that he could control."
Tashigi's mouth slowly opened again as she turned to stare at T-Bone. His fists were clenched, but his expression remained unreadable.
"Personally, though," Smoker stated as he held out his cigars and examined them. "I wonder about the truth of that aftermath. On the one hand, it's possible that he could have truly converted like that… but on the other, he could have just been so scared he decided to always stay well away from the mere thought of angering the World Government from then on. And yet, he always maintained that sense of duty and integrity that drove him to stand alongside his brothers in the 13th to do what they felt was right. I think that it's possible that the good Marine…" He looked at Captain T-Bone dead on. "May have remained decent to this day."
T-Bone stared impassively at Smoker for a few moments. "…How do you differentiate the two terms?" he asked quietly.
Smoker exhaled. "As someone defined it to me not long ago… a good Marine follows his orders to the letter, and will sacrifice all for the sake of Justice."
"But decent Marines will sacrifice everything for the sake of all those whom they swore to protect," Tashigi continued firmly, conviction in her voice.
"Even Justice, if it comes down to it," Hina finished.
T-Bone's eyes widened marginally for a bare fraction of a moment. For a time, he just… stood there, staring dead ahead at nothing.
Finally, he turned around without a word and started to stride towards the door.
"Captain T-Bone?" Tashigi asked hesitantly.
The Captain halted in the doorway, staring at it for a second before leaning his head back, a smile on his barely present lips.
"Ah, what a beautiful day…" he sighed euphorically, apparently speaking to himself. "I am so glad I chose to go for a walk. I look forward to seeing Commodore Smoker tomorrow when he arrives. I've heard good things about him. I hope he lives up to my expectations."
The two Marines and the snail sagged in defeat.
"C-captain T-Bone, please—!" Tashigi started to plead desperately.
"I truly hope that nothing untoward happens during the meeting," T-Bone forged on, heedless of the Ensign's protests. "I would hate for the meeting to be… sullied."
And with that, the Captain made to reach for the door—
"Don don don don!"
When he was given pause by the telltale ringing of a snail behind him.
Tashigi glanced at the ringing snail in shock before hastily rallying. "C-Captain T-Bone, I am begging you! Just ten minutes of your time, ten minutes, that's all we ask. Listen to the SBS with us, and then afterwards…" She bit her lip hesitantly before looking away. "Afterwards… you can decide what you will. Just… please, give us a chance?"
T-Bone's smile was gone, and his face betrayed no emotion. After another two rings, his hand fell back to his side, no longer reaching for the door. He made no more movement than that and said nothing. Smoker took that for what it was and looked at the snail before pausing. "… Does anyone know how to answer the damn snail with a call already running?"
"… Hina still wonders how we can hold calls despite the broadcast," the other Marine Captain admitted.
Tashigi thought it over for a minute before snapping her fingers. She then knelt before the snail with a hopeful grin. "Would you mind connecting to the SBS, please?"
The snail's expression shifted from Hina's uneasy one to a look of surprise before shrugging and letting out a CLICK! It then started whistling patiently. "—three, four, five, six—"
Tashigi smiled beatifically. "Thank you."
"…I will have to remember to treat Transponder Snails with the utmost respect in the future," T-Bone muttered.
"Nine, and woo, that's a pretty number! Alrighty, I'd say we're good! Oh, wait. Soundbite, have you got the Gastro-Scramble up?"
"Yup yup yup!"
"OK, good. And now, ladies and gentlemen—!"
"So this is the part where you usually start the SBS?" came a feminine voice.
"Exact—SONNUVA BITCH! NOT EVEN BY THE DAMN SNAIL THIS TIME!"
"Leave my mother out of this!" Lassoo barked with a snicker.
"OH THE insect-ity of it all! I'VE BEEN OUTFOXED!"
"Gee, did you hurt yourself thinking of that one?"
"Only, however MUCH IT PAINS ME whenever I think of you, PUFFBALL!"
"Oh, hell, no. Two of them?" Tashigi groaned miserably.
"One of these crates has got to have sake in it," Smoker grunted, getting up from his seat and looking around.
"Oh, please, allow me to assist you," T-Bone said fervently, moving away from the door.
"I knew keeping a bottle at my desk was a good idea," Hina muttered.
"Ugh… alright, with another attempt for me to start my own freaking radio show foiled, let's go ahead and get this rolling. First of all, as you can tell, I'm not alone on this broadcast. I might regret this, but why don't you introduce yourself?"
"Oh? Well, alright. Heso, everyone!"
-o-
"…And that's basically the long and short of it," I concluded. "Personally, I still think it's incredible. A long-lost city of gold in the sky, apparently watched over by a cruel and despotic 'god' who can fling down lightning at a whim. Just when you think the world can't get any more ridiculous—"
"It thwows yah anothah cuhveball!" Carue finished with a snicker.
"As the duck said," I nodded in agreement. "But anyway, allow me to catch you up on the game plan we decided on this morning. We've split into four separate groups. The first group, composed of Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Leo, Raphey, Isaiah, Gan Fall, Pierre, and Aisa, are currently handling our escape route. They're navigating the Going Merry out of Upper Yard and to safer waters, so that our ship stays unmolested. The second group, composed of Luffy, Chopper, Zoro, Terry, and our anonymous crewmate, is heading towards where we determined the city of gold is located, thanks to the map we picked up while we were in Jaya. According to Aisa, she can tell that Enel is thereabouts, so they'll have the dual task of finding us our payday and proof of Noland's claims, as well as kicking god's ass. Third are our Shandian allies, who are accompanied by Boss, Mikey, and Donny. They're regrouping with the main Shandian invasion force, and then going on a priest hunt. Shura first, to be specific. Boss is keen on getting his rematch. And finally, the last group is composed of us: Soundbite, Lassoo and I, Conis, Su, Vivi, and Carue."
I frowned darkly as we moved through the severely untamed flora of Upper Yard, massive roots, branches, and rocks impeding our progress at every turn. Carue was having the least amount of difficulty, it seemed; I could only guess that he'd had plenty of training for different terrains. "The fact is that Enel is an egotistical bastard with the mother of all God Complexes. Chances are that when we try to take him down, he won't go down easily. At minimum, he'll want to take his 'followers' with him. Hence, we're making our way to Conis's home, Angel Island, in an effort to try and convince the locals to evacuate, at least until the danger's passed. Hopefully, nothing will come from it, but honestly—"
"Baa-a-a-a~"
We came to an abrupt halt when we heard the unmistakable sound of a goat coming from nearby. "Vivi, how confident are you now with those Lion Cutters?"
By way of response, the princess began spinning one of the weapons in question, while Carue exchanged looks with Soundbite. The snail frowned in concentration.
"Baaaaa~"
It was closer this time.
"Three of them… 7 O'CLOCK!"
The hand-scythe lashed out at Soundbite's cry. The three goat-like Enforcers attempted to dodge, but only one succeeded; one took the hit head-on, falling down in a bleeding mess, while the second got a nasty gash on his side. The third evaded the blade entirely… and was instead shot off into the depths of the forest as he caught a baseball moving as fast as a cannonball in his gut. I then moved to confront the remaining, minorly sliced enforcer… and promptly widened my eyes in shock as I noticed that the one in question was wielding a bazooka; weren't these dumbassess only supposed to be packing Axe Dials?!
Said Enforcer promptly began circling around the group on his skates, bringing his bazooka to bear. Unfortunately for him and luckily for us, while Dial Skates were fast, Supersonic Ducks were much faster; before he knew what was happening, Carue was behind him, and a quick jump and lash of his talons later found the would-be attacker sprawling and landing hard on the ground. He attempted to get up—
CRACK!
And promptly collapsed with a groan as a fallen tree branch cracked over the back of his skull.
The rest of us looked in surprise at the very clearly incensed Conis, who had a ferocious scowl on her face as she looked down at the Enforcer. She huffed several breaths, and after a few seconds, managed to unclench her fists around the branch she'd used as an impromptu club. Then, tossing it aside, she bent down and took the Enforcer's bazooka, slinging it over her back with what I swear was practiced ease.
"It looks like I'm going to be putting those combat lessons from the White Berets to good use after all," the angel sighed grimly. "And here I just thought I'd only ever have to use them in case hostile pirates or guerrillas decided to attack the beach…"
"I told you so, didn't I?" Su asked with a visible grin. "Conis was comparable to Captain McKinley himself with how much effort she put into strengthening herself to protect her and her dad; she just opted for a more peaceful lifestyle because of the shit Enel had her doing."
"…Wow," Vivi finally managed.
"You said it," Lassoo whistled.
I finally managed to get my wits about me with a grin as I remembered that I was still broadcasting. "Well, I guess this just goes to show: first impressions are worth absolutely—!"
Looking back on it… It just happened so fast…
Three warnings, three simple warnings, all at the same time and all within seconds… how could I have reacted? How could anyone have reacted?
It just… it just happened.
A crackle in the air, like static.
An acute stench of ozone.
And that voice… that voice…
"Be quiet, worm."
In the split second I had, the split second where my neurons fired, I just… I just reacted. I grabbed Soundbite and my bag, and I flung them… somewhere. Anywhere, really, just so long as they were away from me, and then… and then I jerked. Lunged, more like it, shoulder-checking Conis in an effort to get her as far away from me as was physically possible.
As I fell to the ground from the sheer overbalancing I'd done, I turned around, twisting my torso.
All I saw was a finger, a single index finger, pointing at my chest...
And then my world became white.