A world away, a large and imperious man puffed on a cigar, his eyes scanning over the dominion he had claimed for himself. The dominion that would be the vehicle of his conquest… and his vengeance.
At the sound of farting rubber behind him, the man cocked an eyebrow but didn't look away from his view. "Something you need to tell me, Doctor?" the Imperious Man rumbled.
"Piro piro piro," a high-pitched voice chuckled behind him. "Oh, nothing too critical, I assure you. I just thought I'd inform you that I've just gotten a report: the Amigo Pirates have been soundly defeated."
"…the who?"
"Piro piro, I'm not surprised you don't remember them." The Laughing Man grinned as he crossed his arms behind his head, his shoes flatulating quite loudly as he shifted his weight from side to side. "They were the crew that applied to be our 51st Division. You set them the condition that they retrieve an old prototype from the Kaen Kabuto line that escaped a few years back. Long obsolete by now, but it would have been nice to dissect it, see how time affected its evolution. But, ah, well."
The Imperious Man was silent for a few seconds before scratching his head and grunting. "Ah, right, I remember 'dem now. Eh, no big loss, they were just intended to be cannon fodder anyway. Still, so long as we have an opening…" The Imperious Man reached a hand into his jacket and held a sheet of paper over his shoulder. "Send an invitation to them. They've quieted down recently, but they did raise some impressive hell in a short amount of time. They'll fill in our ranks quite nicely."
"Piro piro~! As you order, Captain!" the Laughing Man sang as he snatched up the paper.
The Imperious Man glanced back at the laugher. "What's got you in such a good mood?"
"Two things, sir!" The Laughing Man donned a massive grin as he held up a gloved finger. "First, even though they were total failures, the plant I had in the Amigo's crew has sent me back some excellent data on a project I've been working on!"
"Which would be?"
"Behold!" The Laughing Man proffered his hand, displaying a pair of vials that contained a viscous, reddish-orange solution. "Booster IQ, or BIQ for short. Basically, IQ Serum for the common footsoldier. Heals wounds, replenishes stamina, the whole nine yards. In essence, a supersoldier elixir!"
"Hmmm…" The Imperious Man took a long drag from his cigar before side-eyeing the Laughing Man. "And I take it the reason you had yet to tell me about it is that it's still incomplete? And you used these… Amigo Pirates or whatever as lab rats?"
"PIRO PIRO PIRO PIRO PIRO!" the Laughing Man cackled, eagerly tossing the vials in the air and juggling them about. "The morons never suspected a thing! Bought my spiel about it being 'a sign of our allegiance and trust' hook, line, and sinker and didn't even ask for change! Ahh, but for all that they were weak idiots, at least they gave us some valuable data!" The Laughing Man's grin then became downright savage as he clutched the vials. "In more ways than one."
The Imperious Man snorted out a cloud of smoke. "How could a bunch of weaklings who couldn't even capture a single obsolete beetle be good as anything other than warm bodies?"
"Why," the Laughing Man sneered as he replaced the vials in his pockets. "Precisely because it wasn't the beetle that defeated them."
"Oh? Then what did?"
"Who, sir, not what. And in this case'…" The Laughing Man withdrew a sheet of paper from his lab coat and held it out to the Imperious Man, displaying the picture printed upon it to him.
The picture of a widely smiling kid.
"The 'who'," the Laughing Man chuckled grimly. "Was none other than the Straw Hat Pirates."
The air around the Imperious Man suddenly tensed as he stared at the bounty held before him, and it was with slow, deliberate movement that he grasped said paper for himself. "Is 'zat so?" he asked in the rumble that was his version of quiet.
"I'm completely certain," the Laughing Man nodded politely. "In fact, it was the Voice of Anarchy himself who personally dealt with the lot of them. Hard to mistake that voice when it's throwing out taunts, you know."
The Imperious Man tuned out the Laughing Man's words, instead focusing all his attention on the bounty. On a single aspect of the picture.
An aspect that had been burned into his mind on that fateful day twenty-two years past.
"That… damn… smile," the Imperious Man snarled, the paper crumpling in his grip.
"Pi~ro pi~ro," the Laughing Man sang, swinging back and forth on his flatulent heels. "I take it this means we're taking a detour after we reintroduce ourselves to the good soldiers of Marineford?"
The Imperious Man exhaled a malevolent rumble of smoke, his mouth set in a deep scowl. "You've got that damn right, Doctor."
"PIRO PIRO! Wonderful!" the Laughing Man sang gleefully as he clapped his hands together. "I'll go and prepare that which I can for the festivities! If we don't sink them outright, then they'll make wonderful whetstones for my creations! See you later~!" And with that, the Laughing Man turned to swagger off.
"Hold it."
Before suddenly freezing in place, cold sweat coating his body as existential terror filled his body.
"Relax, relax, you're not in trouble," the Imperious Man waved his hand dismissively, causing the Laughing Man to relax. "I'm just curious, is all. You haven't been miming your responses lately, Doctor. Why is that?"
And just like that, the Laughing Man tensed up again, but for a completely different reason, as his tense smile revealed. "Forgive me, sir, if I've been a bit serious lately. But I've had no choice but to double down and focus on my work. After all…" The Laughing Man's hands snapped into trembling fists, his teeth starting to grind against one another. "At the cusp of the unveiling of my twenty-year masterpiece, I'm at risk of getting shown up by a little pirate brat who hasn't been on the sea for more than a year, and who hasn't even reached the age of majority! Why do you think I came up with BIQ, hm!? I need to prove that that little furry rat doesn't have shit on me! I—ah…piro piro piro…"
The Laughing Man trailed off into a grim chuckle, a hand hiding his murderous grin. "My apologies, sir, I lost my composure for a moment. But. Rest assured, my mind is still as on-task as ever. And if you do indeed miss my dancing, well. Rest assured, you will see it once more in this lifetime. I shall dance anew. Oh yes, I shall dance…"
The Laughing Man spun around, his face the mask of insanity that spewed forth maddened laughter, a pair of viridian flames dancing in the palms of his hands. "I SHALL DANCE IN THE PHOSPHOROUS-CHARRED ASHES OF THE ACCURSED EAST BLUE! PIRO PIRO PIRO PIRO!"
The Imperious Man adopted an evil smile of his own as he watched the mad doctor. "That's an excellent answer, Doctor…"
The Imperious Man then turned to face his dominion and spread his arms wide with a raucous roar. "A MOST EXCELLENT ANSWER INDEED! JIHAHAHA! JIIIIHAHAHAHAAAAA!"
-o-
"…and as we left, his last word to us was congratulating us for beating him at his own game. Last I heard, the base got rid of any lingering budget problems thanks to relocating a nearby training ground to inside the base. They certainly had the room for it, from what I saw."
Cross sat up from his reclined position against one of the barrels set up to be loaded onto the Sunny, a soft smile on his face. "But anyways, yeah. Decent Marines are those kinds of people, and anyone who puts their life on the line like that has my respect."
Yoko nodded slowly, her expression carefully neutral; the differentiation between good and decent Marines was even more eye-opening for her than the way Cross had fought off the Amigo Pirates, and the countless examples he had cited of the nicer sorts of pirates like Whitebeard and Shanks, and the wicked Marines like Nezumi and Onigumo…
Her image of her father remained as untarnished as ever. Improved, even, seeing how he'd managed to stay moral and uncorrupt in a world like this, but the fact remained: beyond him, her black and white view of the world had been forced into colour.
"Wow…" she breathed softly, her mind awhirl as she contemplated the new information she'd been granted. She then glanced up at Cross as a thought struck her. "But, wait… I-I'm just a kid. A kid who spent the whole day trying to get you and your friends kicked off this island! Why… Why tell me all this? Why… spare me a second thought?"
Cross blinked at her in surprise before quirking up a smile, standing and adjusting his cap. "That, little lady," he chuckled. "Is a question whose answer is entirely up to you."
Yoko frowned thoughtfully, but before she could ask anything further, Cross had already walked off, intent on doing one last round through his crewmates before they set off.
His first stop was the most prominent feature to be found on the beach: a titan-sized beetle that the crew's human-reindeer doctor was keeping drugged into drowsiness. Once he was close, Cross looked over the makeshift barrel-turned-IV that Chopper and Donny were making use of. "Lemme guess… You never thought you'd wind up in a situation like this, am I right?"
Chopper sighed, shaking his head with a wry smile. "Well, while I never could have foreseen having to use my new Cherry Blossom Slumber on my captain, a kung-fu fighting dugong, and a giant beetle because they were at risk of splitting the island or each other's heads in half, I'm not complaining. At least Project Panacea's gotten a lot more data out of the deal!" He then graced Cross with an honest smile. "Plus, in between the heart-pounding, life-threatening situations, it's been really fun too!"
"PLUS THE TERRIFYING STUFF IS FUN TOO!" Soundbite laughed, though he just as swiftly waved his eyestalk dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, I know, different opinions. By the way, on the bash brothers, didn't you give them a chance to CALL IT OFF?"
"Whether you were listening to me when it happened or not, you should know that they wouldn't, and didn't," Chopper responded with a roll of his eyes, tugging the mega-sized needle he was using out of a chink in Boss-K's armor and giving his carapace a final pat farewell. "Anyways, I estimate this one won't have his dose wear off until we're past the horizon, even though his immune system is insane, and I have our own crazies chained up in my office and drugged to the gills. So we should be good to go."
Boss-K warbled morosely as he shifted in place, trying and failing to get his dizzied legs under himself. "Gwowowooooooooot fair, I just wanted a… good…" Boss trailed off, blinking in surprise on account of how he'd actually started talking, in a deep voice. "What the—!?"
"Finally!" Crossed a look at his partner out of the corner of his eye. "Nice choice for Andre, but still, it took you long enough, didn't it?"
"LICK MY SLIMY ASS. It took me hours to get a start on just WHAT HE WAS SAYING!" Soundbite tsked sharply.
"I'm with the wild-tongued wonder," Chopper concurred.
"SASSY! YOU'RE LEARNING!"
The reindeer-human flashed a sign at Soundbite with his hoof before continuing. "Boss's dialect, whatever it is, is as foreign to me as it is to him. For once, I can only understand one of the animals' voices."
"Well, I for one am perfectly happy with the results!" Boss Kabuto rumbled happily, rubbing a leg beneath his horn. "I'm still a bit sore that I can't finish one of the best fights of my life, but this is a close second!"
"Hmm…" Chopper frowned inquisitively as he looked the titan-sized beetle over. "Yeah, speaking about that, you were going at it pretty rough. Boss and Luffy are no pushovers, and you look good, but are you sure you're alright?"
"Oh, yeah, I'm perfectly fine," Boss said dismissively, tapping a leg to the underside of his thorax. "I've gone through way worse in the past. They're tough, sure, but a couple of lightweights like them aren't going to cause me any kind of permanent damage. When I was younger, I'd have been food. But now, after all this time…" Boss bobbed his head side to side. "Way I am now… probably take a hit from an Alpha or something to really ding my shell."
Chopper's frown deepened. "And… you know that how exactly? And what's an 'Alpha' for that matter?"
Boss froze in place, staring at nothing. "U-Uhhhh…"
"UNASKED QUESTION, BIG BOY: WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU FROM?" Soundbite unabashedly queried. "SERIOUSLY, YOU'RE GRAND LINE-NATIVE, that much is clear, but you're completely out of synch with this island's ecosystem! Everything else has East Blue as a BASELINE, BUT YOU'RE WAY ABOVE THAT LINE!"
"Final count," Cross brought up the rear, though his tone was far more cordial. "How… exactly did you come to live here?"
"I… ah… I…" Boss blinked dimly, bringing a leg to his armoured brow. "I-It was so long ago, but I… I remember, I… I-I fell. I fell on the island. From high up… farther than I could ever fly, going either way?"
Chopper and Cross exchanged surprised looks. "A… sky island, you mean?" Cross clarified. "An island made of clouds?"
Boss rumbled uncomfortably and shook his head, his gaze slowly turning skyward. "No… it was… it was normal. There was earth, there were trees, there were… there were…" The beetle's voice hitched, his mandibles clicking together.
"…other… animals?" Chopper offered warily.
Boss warbled again, this time mournfully, and it was with no small amount of alarm that the pirates watched the beetle's eyes slowly cloud over. "So many…" he whispered. "So many… always fighting… never stop, can't rest, can't stop. Stopping means dead. Weak means starving. Means dead. Have to fight… have to live…" Boss suddenly hunched over, chittering furiously as his wings fluttered and spasmed beneath his shell in obvious panic. "Have to… have to run… have to have to have to… can't stay, can't… Had to leave… had to leave madness… had to leave the… had to leave the… the…"
At that point, the beetle's newfound eloquence vanished, replaced by the feral rumblings as he sank into what all present could tell was a PTSD flashback. It was only allowed to last for a couple of seconds before Chopper managed to replace Boss's IV and put him back under.
"I think I'll let him drain the barrel," Chopper stated sadly.
"Smart move," Cross nodded before glancing at his partner. "What was he saying at the end?"
"Same thing, over and over. COULDN'T GIVE YOU A DIRECT TRANSLATION, SO I think IT WAS A NAME. Closest I can give you…" Soundbite gave Cross an honestly morbid look. "He was saying 'Realm Ruled by Power', over and over again. AND I DON'T THINK YOU NEED ME TO TELL YOU THAT HE WAS TERRIFIED OF THE PLACE."
"Completely traumatized," Chopper shook his head sadly. "I shudder to think what could have scared someone like him so bad it's still fresh in his mind, even now."
"Easy money says we'll be finding out soon, little guy."
All three of them looked up in surprise as someone made their presence known.
"Sanji?" Chopper asked.
The cook blew out a cloud of smoke before gesturing at the other blond on the crew. "Walk and talk, Cross."
Perplexed, the tactician followed the chef away from the reindeer and beetle. His perplexion grew when the chef led him to where Zoro and Nami were relaxing and drinking as the TDWS loaded the supplies. Before Zoro could open his mouth with a customary insult, Sanji spoke.
"It's obvious that you don't know about any of what's going on here, Cross," he said sternly. "But whether you saw it or not, this world is still part of the story you read, and while I was growing up, I learned way more about comic book plotlines than I ever wanted to."
Zoro remained silent, while Cross and Soundbite both seemed bewildered. Naturally, it was Nami who leaned forward and spoke up. "What are you saying, Sanji?"
"I'm saying that it's no coincidence that we wound up here just in time to keep this place from being blown off the map and that beetle from being spirited away to who-knows-where," Sanji huffed around his cancer-stick. "This is just a preview for us; I'd bet my best shoes that whoever this 'Indigo' is, we're going to be running into him soon. And I'd bet just as much that he and whoever he's with is no pushover if he could hire an entire pirate crew to act as mercenaries. More importantly, that beetle isn't normal even by Grand Line standards, and when you couple that with those faulty steroids that the Amigo Pirates had—"
"Indigo was behind Boss Kabuto, too," Cross finished, frowning. "And if you add that to the PTSD, Boss wasn't the only monster he created…"
"In short, Cross," Sanji finished. "If you don't have a plan, you need to make one."
The first and second mates both contemplated that for a second before turning their own gazes on the tactician.
Cross stared at Sanji, and it was several seconds before he spoke. "I'll admit that that's good reasoning, Sanji, but there are two problems with that assumption. First, Oda acquired the nickname 'Goda' and the phrase 'Goda never forgets' for his brilliance in crafting long-term plots. Things like meeting Brook and befriending Laboon, or meeting Oimo and Kashi and befriending Dorry and Broggy, or whatever Lola's Vivre Card will do for us in Totland. Pft, hell!" Cross shrugged casually. "Easy money says that one day, the fact that you're a North Blue native'll rear its head in more ways than just familiarity with the tale of Noland."
Sanji's jaw tightened to the point that he almost sliced his cigarette in half, and the back of his neck suddenly soaked in cold sweat. "Looking forward to it," he mumbled.
"But anyway, that's beside the point. The more important implication, for me, is that all of this just screams 'New World' to me. I mean, seriously…" Cross waved his hand at the slumbering beetle. "An island full of that? And a normal island in the sky at that? Apart from Upper Yard, I can only see that happening on the other side of the Line. The story didn't show much beyond a few islands, but what it did show? There's a reason this half of the Grand Line is called 'Paradise'."
Sanji frowned, clearly not satisfied.
"There's just one problem with that theory, Cross."
Everyone looked at Zoro, who had his arms folded and was staring at Cross with narrowed eyes. "Everything you know is based on a world where you never existed, where the SBS never existed. In this world, we've been letting the entire world know about our adventures for months. We can't assume we haven't given anyone on that side of the Red Line any ideas, given everything you've broadcast. Just look at Chopper."
"…fair point," Cross nodded his head in concession. "But there's also a counterpoint—!"
"And I know it!" Soundbite piped up swiftly. "LEMME SUMMARIZE WHAT YOU'RE TELLING US: Something could go down somewhere in some way at some point in time, SO WE NEED TO LOOK SHARP!" The snail adopted a flat look. "I trust you see the issue?"
Sanji and Zoro's faces reddened, and the former lit a cigarette while the latter took another swig of sake in an attempt to shake off the blunt statement about the issue with their points.
"Yeah, I see the problem, too," Nami sighed, shaking her head. "We do know just how hard it is to fight a ghost-enemy."
"I could give you a few pointers if you want~!" came a sing-song ethereal voice above their heads.
Cross's response was to flash the faux-princess a specific finger. "Keep moving, phantom bitch, I'll deal with you in a moment."
"Right!" Perona yelped, shooting off into the distance.
Nami watched her go with a cocked eyebrow, then gave Cross a chastising look. "She's not that bad, you know."
"Mountain! Faceplant!"
"Alright, alright," the navigator said, her hands raised in surrender. "Just don't hurt her, okay?"
"Hurt? Oh, no, never." Cross grinned as he splayed his fingers against one another. "Majorly inconvenient, however? Pfheheheh…"
Nami shook her head, then turned her head in the direction of the Dugongs, who were just finishing up. "Alright, looks like we're just about ready to go. Soundbite, who else is out on the island besides Chopper?"
The snail took a moment to concentrate before answering. "Just Vivi, Robin, and Conis, AND THEY'RE ALL HEADING THIS WAY with their respective partners. PLUS, CHOPPER'S FINISHING UP WITH BOSS TOO."
"Perfect!" Nami got to her feet and dusted her hands off. "Let's get going, then."
"Ah, just one second," Cross said, then looked at his partner. "Connect me to Fabre and Yoko."
Soundbite didn't question it, nor did anyone else. As soon as the snail nodded, Cross spoke a few soft sentences before chopping his hand across his neck. No sooner was that done than the pirates boarded their ship.
As he passed by Robin, Cross couldn't help but notice how there was a slight… no, a visible spring to her step. "What's got you so happy?"
Robin's response was to beam in the most childish, endearing, and un-Robin-ish manner possible, which almost incited a straight-up heart attack from the poor bastard and his partners. "Oh, I've just finally achieved one of my most cherished dreams. …er, well…" She tapped a finger to her chin. "Not the one you're thinking of, a cherished childhood dream. But still, very near and dear! I'd love to stay and talk, but I'm afraid I have things I must attend to, so if you'll excuse me~!" And with that, she was gone as fast as she'd come.
Cross stared after her in slack-jawed horror before slowly turning his gaze on Conis and Vivi, and at the dead look in their eyes, he suddenly understood on a primal level what a thousand-yard stare was. "…dare I even consider asking?"
Su and Carue gave their partners comforting pats on their shoulders before glancing at Cross. "You really don't want to know,"
Cross nodded in understanding, but before he could say anything further, a sharp whistle cut across the deck, snagging his attention.
"ALRIGHT, YOU BUMS!" Nami shouted from where she stood, positioned next to Merry and the helm. "MUSCLEMEN, WEIGH ANCHOR! THE REST OF YOU, I WANT THOSE TOPSAILS AND FORESAILS DOWN TWO MINUTES AGO! WE'RE BURNING FOAM FOR SABAODY, THEN FISHMAN ISLAND!"
"AYE-AYE, MA'AM!" most of the Straw Hats crew chorused.
"And I'm still our communications officer, why, exactly?" Cross muttered to himself.
"WHAT WAS THAT!?"
"YOU HEARD THE WOMAN! WEIGH ANCHOR, DROP MAST! LET'S GO GO GO!"
And so the Straw Hats leapt to action, maneuvering their vessel up and out through the island's reefs…
"HEEEEY! STRAW HATS!"
But they all paused when a voice suddenly sounded out, and some quick maneuvering allowed them to see that the whole of the island's population was arrayed on the shore, waving them farewell, but none more animatedly than Yoko, the girl seated on a still-bleary Boss's back and waving her arms as a girl possessed.
"THANKS SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU DID FOR US!" she called out. "WE'LL NEVER FORGET IT! AND… I KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO DO WITH WHAT YOU TOLD ME! I'M GOING TO MAKE MY FATHER PROUD! I'M GOING TO FIGHT FOR JUSTICE! HONEST, TRUE JUSTICE! BUT…"
Yoko smiled from ear-to-ear and crossed her arms over her chest, which puffed out in pride. "I'LL STILL BE A MARINE, AND YOU'LL STILL BE PIRATES! THAT MEANS THAT IF WE CROSS PATHS, I'LL BE ARRESTING YOUR ASSES IN A HEARTBEAT, SO WATCH YOUR BACKS!"
In response, Cross plastered on a cocky smirk and signalled for Soundbite to amp him. "YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO MOVE FAST TO DO THAT, SHORTSTACK! THERE'S A WHOLE WORLD OUT THERE THAT'S GOT AN INTEREST IN OUR HEADS!" He then turned and pointed at the horizon. "WHAT SAY WE GO MEET THEM!?"
"YEAH!"
And with that final resounding cry, the Thousand Sunny and the Straw Hat Pirates departed from the Little East Blue.
Though it should be noted that before they truly departed, Cross ambled up to the Ghost Princess's astral form and smirked up at her. "Just for the record," he purred in a too-innocent tone. "I'm not going to torture you by holding my vengeance over your head the whole time we're together."
"Oh-thank-God!" Perona allowed the non-breath she'd been holding to whoosh out. "You're serious?!"
"Eeeyup!" And then suddenly, Cross's grin lost all of its innocence. "I'm gonna have it right here, right now."
"Oh, well, that's al—WHAT!?"
But before Perona could say anything else…
BOOM!
An explosion of discoloured smoke erupted from the Sunny's crow's nest. Perona stared up at the structure in blatant horror, choked noises crawling out of her throat. "Did you just… bomb my body?!" she squeaked.
"Bribed Merry to plant it!" Cross thumbed his non-existent suspenders as he swayed back and forth on his feet. "And… technically yes? I used a specific bomb, as it was."
That was when the pieces fit together. "You. Stinkbombed. My body," Perona wheezed in horror.
"And my room is not only airtight, but I don't mind wearing a gasmask to sleep to boot!" Cross walked off, laughing all the while. "Enjoy, Ghosty!"
Perona was an inch away from draining every bit of happiness from that insufferable young man, but somehow, she retained enough mental capacity to realize that that would lead to a cycle of revenge. And getting involved with one of those with the Voices of Anarchy was not something she had any desire to do.
…And ultimately, that reasoning wasn't quite enough to keep her from sending a Negative Hollow rocketing his way.
Or at least, she tried sending a Negative Hollow at him, but she found that she… just couldn't find the will to do it. She just… couldn't draw up the sheer 'will to terrorize' she needed to do the deed.
Perona stared in horror at her hand, the implications sinking in, before she slowly drifted away with a haunted look on her face. "I need to get the hell off this ship as soon as possible…" she muttered to herself.
-ONE WEEK LATER-
"Captain, land ho! Kansorn Island is coming up on the port side!" called down the watchman.
"Very good," the captain rasped, approaching the edge of the ship to observe the island. His eyes narrowed almost immediately, picking something out of the air a moment before the watchman identified it.
"Captain, incoming! Gigantic Hercules beetle heading straight for us… with a girl in a Marine uniform on its back? And... I think the beetle has our symbol painted on its flank?!" he added questioningly.
"Typical Ophiuchus: no shortage of help, no chance of normalcy," remarked one of the grunts.
"Indeed," Captain T-Bone agreed as he stood to his full height, his men clearing a large spot on the deck to allow the beetle to land.
The courtesy turned out to be unnecessary, however, as the beetle instead buzzed clean over the deck before circling around to hover in front of the deck, snorting and bucking its horn in defiance. The girl riding the mega-insect showed just as much nerve as she stood upon the beetle's back, folded her arms and fixed the Marines with a severe stare. Not quite a glare, but certainly far from inviting.
"State your business here!" the girl called out. "And I'm warning you, don't just take our markings for granted. If you're anything less than perfectly polite..."
The beetle snorted out a gout of flame from its horn, punctuating the point.
The display cowed most of the Marines, who lowered their weapons and stepped well back from the not-quite-hostile megafauna, while others drew their arms and prepared for combat.
Captain T-Bone did none of these things and instead stepped forward to regard the girl and her beetle with an even gaze. "Your name is Yoko, yes?" he rasped out over the buzz of the beetle's wings. "Daughter of Captain Ryudo? And your friend would be Boss Kabuto, correct?"
The pair of them gave no visible reaction, and after a moment, T-Bone continued. "My name is T-Bone. Captain 'Ship-Cutter' T-Bone. I'm here on a personal recommendation from a..." T-Bone hesitated slightly before sighing with a defeated smile. "From a friend of mine."
"And I should care why exactly?" Yoko questioned neutrally.
T-Bone allowed what little mouth he had left to quirk up into a smirk. "Because I think you know this friend of mine. One… Ophiuchus?"
It took all of three seconds for that knowledge to process, following which Yoko and Boss's jaws promptly dropped open. "Holy shit," the girl breathed.
"And that's proof enough for me that you've met the man in person," the Captain chuckled good-naturedly, a sunny demeanour shining through his gaunt visage. "Now, if you no longer suspect me…?"
"Ah!" Yoko gasped, hastily dropping to her knees and slapping Boss's shell, which in turn got the beetle dropping down onto the ship's deck. "I-I-I'm so sorry, Mister Captain T-Bone sir, t-t-that was, I-I-I was just trying to—!"
"Fahahaha, it's fine, it's fine!" The good Captain waved off the child's pleas, his smile unwavering the whole while. "I understand, I myself have recently come around to the same line of thought you hold. I can hardly fault you for exhibiting some measure of caution. But, for now!" T-Bone clapped his hands together. "We have business to attend to. I'm led to understand that your island's leader is one Mayor Fabre, yes?"
"A-Ah, yeah, that's right, but… Why do you ask?"
"Why, because I'd like to meet him, of course!" the gaunt Marine laughed pleasantly. "And, more importantly, I have a proposition for him—and you, for that matter—that I believe you will find to be mutually beneficial."
-o-
In short order, the ship was docked, and Yoko and Boss had informed Fabre of the situation. The mayor promptly welcomed the Captain publicly, leaving his men to shore leave while leading him on a tour. Almost immediately, Fabre led him to Boss's burrow, where the beetle and Yoko already waited. Leaning against a tree, the portly man cautiously regarded the captain.
"I don't know what I was expecting when he told the two of us as he left that he'd be sending long-term help our way and to trust anyone who knew that name, but the fact that he told us with utmost seriousness not to repeat it to anyone we didn't trust with our lives made me expect something much more… under the table, I suppose," he stated.
"I assure you, our work requires the utmost secrecy, and simply the knowledge of our existence is dangerous," T-Bone responded gravely, shaking his head. "And in any event, that's hardly relevant to why I am here; apart from my reference point, this is strictly Marine business. When I said mutually beneficial, I was referring to the terms of this island and the Navy as… well, not a whole, but a large amount, at least."
"How so?" Yoko tilted her head questioningly. "I mean, it's a small island with not a lot of people, it doesn't have any natural resources, it's far from patrol… routes…" The girl blushed and shrank in on herself as the mayor and Marine looked at her in surprise. "I, uh… I looked up the criteria for Marine bases. I hoped I could put in a petition for the Little East Blue, but… yeah."
"Heh," T-Bone nodded with a kindly chuckle. "You are indeed as smart as Cross claimed."
Yoko's blush deepened even further.
"In any case," T-Bone continued. "It is, in fact, exactly because of your island's qualities, which Cross listed to me, that I believe the Little East Blue would be perfect for what I have in mind. A small island out of the way of patrols is indeed not a terribly convenient location for a base…" He smiled, his melted skin pulling taut across his skull. "But it is the ideal location for a way station."
That got the island's natives gaping in shock.
"You... want to turn the Little East Blue into a Marine vacation spot?" Fabre confirmed in an amazed tone.
"An idyllic island in the hell of the Grand Line, with absolutely no environmental issues and a perfectly normal populace? But of course!" T-Bone nodded. "Weary Marines will come by the battleship to relax and take in the taste of the East Blue..."
"And only an absolute moron would think to attack an island with a half-dozen battleships at a time floating in its port! A-And even then they'd be met with a wall of blue!" Yoko finished in an eager rush. "Little East Blue wouldn't ever have to worry about pirates again!"
"Precisely," T-Bone confirmed. "All we would require would be a good number of Eternal Poses we can put to use, and those can be fashioned with all due swiftness. Unless I'm ill-informed, so long as you agree, you'll see your first visitors within the month."
"You're damn right we'll agree!" Fabre cheered before standing up and shaking T-Bone's hand. "Thank you so much, Captain, this is beyond anything we could have ever imagined!"
"Yeah!" Yoko nodded eagerly, a motion that Boss mirrored. "There'll be loads and loads of Marines here all the time and—!" Yoko's cheer suddenly died mid-word, and her previous enthusiasm slowly drained out of her. "And they'll... all be able to meet... Boss..."
Boss glanced up at his friend, warbling inquisitively.
Yoko's head drooped for a long moment before she looked back up to the Marine captain. "We can't go through with it," she said sadly. "If we did, other Marines would see Boss, they'd see how strong he is..." The girl splayed her fingers out against the beetle's shell. "And they'd take him away, wouldn't they? To use against other pirates?"
T-Bone pressed his non-existent lips together and nodded solemnly, a sad look in his eyes. "That is the most likely scenario, yes."
Fabre stiffened at the admission, and Yoko sighed sadly. Her head drooped again, brow coming to rest against Boss' horn, which drew another concerned warble from the beetle. "Thank you for your offer, Captain," Yoko mumbled despondently. "But... if it's a choice between my dream and Boss, then... There just isn't a choice."
"...and what if I told you that I could give you both at once, no choice needed?"
Yoko snapped her head around so fast she came within a half-inch of whiplash. "R-Really!?"
Nodding, T-Bone began to pace, a finger held up in a clear sign of an impending lecture. "It is true that under normal circumstances, the Navy may express an interest in the unusual nature of your friend and take him away to research him. However, there are times when Marine Headquarters makes allowances that subvert typical ordinances. These allowances are in respect to…" The Marine waved his hand airily. "Shall we say, eccentric officers and their oddities. Examples include being permitted to wear a helmet and cape over a standard uniform, using a non-standard issue weapon, or being able to recruit a former pirate…"
The gaunt Marine smiled at the local guardians. "Or a giant beetle." All present could only gape as T-Bone continued. "Though, of course, recruiting one such as Boss Kabuto would be exceedingly difficult without also happening to have someone who was capable of working with him. Someone who knew him well."
At this point, Yoko was practically vibrating with joy, and Boss had his best grin on his face.
Fabre, however, was chewing on his pipe, clearly deep in thought. "Captain T-Bone… I have no doubt that you can train her well, and that Boss will be more than enough to protect her in the meantime. And believe me, I know better than anyone that Yoko is more than willing to protect and serve, but…" Growling in frustration, he threw his hands up. "But she's still only a child! Would your superiors honestly be able to accept this?"
T-Bone's mood visibly darkened, and his head tilted down just enough for his helmet to shadow his eyes. "There is a… specific clause in the Navy's procedural rules. This clause allows minors to enlist in the Marine Corps… provided they have seen a loved one die before their eyes." He paused, a cold silence hanging over the group. "It is known… as the 'Bloody Tragedy' clause."
A breath hissed past Yoko's teeth, some of them biting into her lip hard enough to draw blood. "…that clause," she breathed. "It's supposed to breed indoc—uh, brainwashed soldiers who'll kill without asking any questions, isn't it?"
"It was penned by the most ruthless Marine alive today, Admiral 'Akainu' Sakazuki, to forge ruthless, vengeance-thirsty killers out of war-torn orphans," T-Bone confirmed with a ferocious glower. "As such, I feel it is only fitting to apply that policy in the pursuit of bringing about a kind, honourable, decent Marine." The glower turned to Yoko, softening into a mere stern gaze in the process. "I do warn you, I will not go easy on you because of your age or your partner. Your training will be harsh, rigorous and thorough. I was trained in the methods of a strictly traditional branch of Marine culture, and I will put you through the same gauntlet through which I once walked. Are you truly, honestly willing to follow in the footsteps of the countless others who came before you?"
For either an eternity or several seconds, Yoko kicked the idea around in her head. Finally, she looked up at Boss, met his eyes, and when he smiled down at her, she smiled back, and as one, they smiled at the Captain.
"We're in," she said, Boss warbling in agreement.
Fabre promptly heaved out a heavy breath. Walking over to Yoko, he patted the girl on the back. "I honestly can't say that this is what your father would want," he stated. "But I can tell you that he'd be proud. As am I."
"And I," T-Bone concurred. "There will be more pomp and circumstance…" The Marine winced as a thought struck him. "And paperwork… at a later date. But at the moment?" The skeletal man held his hand out to the girl. "Allow me to be the first to welcome you to the illustrious ranks of the Marines…" His grin widened noticeably. "Seagirl Recruit Yoko."
Yoko outright squealed with joy, leaping up to hug Boss's horn as he warbled just as happily.
"I suppose I'll leave you two to become acquainted," Fabre said, turning to walk away. "I need to inform the rest of the village of the way things will be from now on anyway."
"My second-in-command is Warrant Officer Knalf; he will assist you with spreading the word," T-Bone called after him. Once the mayor was off, he turned back to Yoko and Boss, looking serious as a heart attack. That sobered up the two in a hurry. "Now that you're in my chain of command, however informally, there is another matter to attend to—"
"Puru puru puru puru!"
T-Bone's face twitched minutely, and he quickly retrieved a ringing snail from his jacket. Just as he was about to pick it up, though, he hesitated and then looked at Yoko. "And that would actually be it. As you will be joining me as my protégé, you are entitled to certain… privileges. But I caution you, this is not for the faint of—"
"Sign me up," Yoko said firmly. "I've spent my whole life blindly chasing an ideal, and you can damn well bet I'm willing to fight to make that ideal into reality. I don't know what Cross is mixed up in, but if it's the right kind of pirates and the right kind of Marines, then I definitely want in."
T-Bone smiled wryly. "Glad to hear it, except for one detail. Mixed up in? Hardly… he's the founder."
The captain hid a smirk as the girl's jaw dropped briefly, only for her to click it shut and mutter about how that made too much sense.
The smirk fell from his face almost as soon as he picked up the receiver; his codename had barely crossed his lips before the snail adopted a dead-serious expression, and Black Cage Hina's voice sounded out in the same tone as a death knell.
"We have a situation."
A Crisis of World-Shattering Proportions
"Close to a dozen islands annihilated in less than a month, all in the East Blue, and recently, islands with civilians have started getting hit as well. Whoever's doing this—and I am confident that they are a who—they're only getting started."
"I think it goes without saying that the threat being presented is all too dangerous and all too real."
An Odyssey into the Pits of Pandæmonium
"This place is insane…that's not a generalization, I'M BEING LITERAL! THIS WHOLE PLACE HAS LOST ITS MIND ON A PRIMAL LEVEL! Everything we've seen, everything we've experienced, it's all trumped by THE SHEER MADNESS OF THIS HELLHOLE!"
"Damn… whoever's doing this has to be some seriously special brand of twisted."
All orchestrated by an Old Threat intruding upon the New Age
"You actually think you can hurt me? Jihahaha! Oh, this oughta be good for a laugh. Go right ahead… give me your best shot."
"Well, at least we ain't going into this shitshow alone, right? All for one, one for all!"
With Salvation and Devastation hanging in the balance, it's All Hands on Deck
"Looks like the Straw Hats have entered the building…"
"Which means that sanity can exit stage left! Kyahahaha!"
"Hehahaha! Ain't that the fuckin' truth right there!"
"No matter what might come, we won't back down until the job is done and it's done right!"
One Rallying Cry can be heard on the Killing Ground: No Retreat, No Surrender
"…Captain. I can give you a hundred and one different plans, right here, right now, but only you can tell us what direction we're headed. Only you can tell us our destination. So… what's the play?"
"…I want to make him pay."
"Then we'll make him pay."
"Everybody watch their backs. Something tells me that we're venturing into something this world has never seen before."
In this War for the Right to Live, the only Law that reigns is Survival of the Fittest
"So. Final count, it's us two, a loud-mouthed third mate tactician with his partners and a first mate swordsman, against fifty of the strongest captains in Paradise, along with the top fighters in their crews. Close to five hundred pirates against two."
The Name of this Hell, where the Only Options are to Fight or Die, is…
"…bring it on."
STRONG WORLD
"In the end, no matter who rises or who falls, the facts remain the same. All this…"
"A dozen. TWO DOZEN. FIFTY, A HUNDRED, TWO HUNDRED… Sonnuvabitch, I THINK THE WHOLE DAMN ISLAND WANTS TO TRY ITS LUCK!"
"Cross, do you have a plan?"
"Well, Luffy, considering how we're surrounded on all sides, vastly outnumbered, and have no way out and no hopes of backup or rescue… yeah, I think I have one."
"What is it?"
K-CHK!
"How does 'make a stand' sound to you?"
"IT SOUNDS GREAT! BRING IT ON!"
"Is nothing but a prelude of the days to come."