One Piece : Wild Hunt

Though it was an incredibly brutal sight, Thomas couldn't help admiring how casual Drake was as she showed him how to skin and butcher her prey with a relaxed smile on her face. It, unsurprisingly, wasn't her first time killing and dismantling a tiger. However, as she tore the monstrous creature apart, she remarked how the organs were placed differently and how the flesh and tendons were much stronger than the animals she had killed in the past.
While observing Drake's lesson, Thomas continued channeling his Mana into the Cook Card. Drake conceded she wasn't the most skilled chef, so, for both their sakes, Thomas did his best to summon their Cook as quickly as possible. He wasn't able to do so before the sun went down, but Drake knew how to salt-cure using salt harvested from pools of seawater, so they ate what remained of the fruit in the satchel before transporting the sun-dried meat, pelt, and sinew of the tiger back to the ship.
As she had neglected to do so earlier, Drake gave Thomas a tour of the Golden Hind's interior, explaining the purpose of each room and facility. There were quarters for ten ranking crewmates, including the Captain's quarters at the back of the ship, a surprisingly modern shower, a cargo hold that seemed much bigger on the inside than it had any right to be, a small greenhouse that could be used to cultivate plants, and, of course, a brig(prison). There was also a small rec area with a lounge and bar, but it was currently unstocked, much to Drake's chagrin.
What Thomas found curious was that the Hind didn't actually allocate space for its canons, not even the four artillery batteries at the front of the bow. The projectiles it fired were a form of Projection Magic, mana constructs that materialized at the mouth of the cannon ports. To power them, and the rest of the Hind's facilities, there was a rather futuristic engine room at the heart of the ship, a place Thomas would apparently be spending a lot of time in the future.
Patting the luminous golden engine, the front of which resembled the firebox of a steam train, Drake explained, "This bad boy here is called an Equivalence Engine. You feed items that have value into it, and it converts them into energy that can power the Hind's cannons and even permit it to fly. It accepts everything from organic matter to manufactured items such as bank notes, but the most 'efficient' source of fuel we have available, at least for the time being, is you."
Following her explanation, Drake added, "Once we finish assembling our crew, you will spend around 4-8 hours a day feeding your Mana into this engine. If the threats in this world are as powerful as you suggest, we'll need to accumulate as much Mana as possible. The strength of my Noble Phantasm, the Golden Wild Hunt, is entirely dependent on the amount of energy stored within the Hind. With enough, we can level entire islands or circumnavigate the globe without touching the ground."
Though he had already known the Hind could fly, as it often did so in the media it was depicted, Thomas couldn't help smiling. The ability to fly was a near-absolute advantage in the world of One Piece. Not only would it let them fly over the Calm Belt without risk of encountering Sea Kings, but if they had enough power, they could soar up to Skypiea, pass over the Red Line, and even conceal their ship inland, hidden from passing pirate ships and Navy vessels.
Imagining Drake bombarding Marineford from thousands of meters in the air, outside the range of ordinary Marines and pirates, Thomas replied, "I'll do it. Exhausting my Mana should help increase the quantity I possess, so I'll do my best to fill the engine as much as possible."
Clapping Thomas's shoulder, Drake mused, "Good answer. It seems you might actually have a backbone under all that excess flab. Now, return to your quarters and get some rest. You can continue trying to summon our Cook in the morning."
Without waiting for Thomas to respond, Drake made her way for the exit of the engine room, departing without sparing him a second glance. As for Thomas, he just stood there for a little while, frowning as he looked down at his slight paunch. He was a little over 6'2'', around 188cm, so his weight of 238lbs, 108kgs, wasn't 'that' bad. However, if he was to have 'any' hope of wooing some of One Piece's more famous beauties, he 'had' to improve his figure. His face wasn't bad looking, at least in his opinion, so he should clean up nicely if he put a bit of effort into it.
Determined to do exactly that, Thomas returned to his simple quarters and cycled between doing push-ups, planks, squats, and crunches. He was a little annoyed when he couldn't even do twenty complete push-ups without 'cheating,' but every path to power had to start somewhere...
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"Ugh..."
Though Drake had assigned him the room closest to the center of the ship, Thomas couldn't sleep due to the constant rocking of the boat and the sunburn he had accumulated sitting under the Sun for half the day. The Hind was fortunate enough to have a regulated climate, meaning it was a lot cooler inside than it was outside, but that actually made things worse for Thomas as he felt like he was freezing despite it being around 72&deg;F, 22&deg;C.
Giving up on sleeping, at least for the time being, Thomas sat up in his bed before reaching for the logbook given to him by Zelretch. When he opened it, he was a little surprised to find that it had recorded many of his actions throughout the day, even keeping track of the amount of time and the number of exercises he had done.
Reading the entry about his aspirations of building a harem, Thomas's left eye twitched a bit. He had just transmigrated to a world that he previously thought to exist only in anime and manga. He had also been reading One Piece for more than twenty years, so it was natural to have at least 'some' expectations for the world and its characters...right?
Exhaling a sigh, Thomas picked up the rather old-fashioned pen slotted into the log's spine, formalizing his plan by writing it down. Most of his actions would depend on 'when' he was in the canon timeline, but there were a few things he had to do. There were obvious ones, such as visiting Skypiea, Fishman Island, Zou, and Wano, but if the opportunity presented itself, he would at least try to save people like Ace and, if he was far back in the canon, characters like Bell Mere and Kuina...
While it would be easier to bide his time and let canon events unfold until the defeat of Kaido, Thomas wanted to 'experience' the plot that had left such a profound impression on him over the past 23 years. A part of him didn't want to damage the integrity of the plot, but a much larger part of him wanted to change things for the better. After all, he was supposed to be fighting against fate. Why shouldn't he change things...?
Though he genuinely wanted to improve things for the better, Thomas would be lying to himself if he said he didn't have ulterior motives. If he were to have 'any' chance with someone like Nami, he would need to do something pretty major to catch her attention. Even if he just liberated her village while she was traveling around the East Blue and gathering funds, he could leave an everlasting impression that would 'compel' her to seek him out...
By the time he was finished drafting his plan, Thomas was beginning to feel at least a little sleepy. Focusing on something had allowed him to get over his motion sickness, at least for a short while, so he jumped at the opportunity to get a bit of rest before the start of a new day...
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After less than four hours of sleep, Thomas dragged himself out of bed to use the restroom before making his way up to the ship's deck. He needed some fresh air, so, while continuing to channel Mana into the Cook's Card, he made his way outside to greet the day.
Though he half-expected to find Drake standing on the bowsprit, Thomas wasn't too surprised to find her absent. She had her private quarters for a reason, so he suspected she was either still asleep or lounging about until breakfast. The Sun had barely started its ascent&mdash;
Noticing a group of derpy-looking white birds with large beaks, black-tipped wings, sailor's caps, and newspapers tucked under their wings flying overhead, Thomas immediately tried to flag them down. Luckily, the group of News Coos had noticed him long before he noticed them, so one of them immediately swooped down, perching on the edge of the portside taffrail(the handrails that prevent people from falling off a ship).
As there was a convenient little tab that showed the cost of a newspaper, Thomas handed over a 100 Belly coin, slotting it into the red satchel tied around the News Coo's neck. In response, it used its black-tipped beak to fetch one of the papers from its newspaper tote, handing it to him before flying off to join its companions.
After watching the flock of News Coos fly away, Thomas opened the wax-covered newspaper to try and make sense of its contents. There were a few fliers listing updated bounties for pirates in the South Blue, articles related to rebellions in distant kingdoms, and recruitment notices asking for brave and righteous individuals to join the Navy. However, the thing that caught his attention were two articles, one with the title 'Spade Pirates Enter the Grand Line!' and 'The Birth of a New Supernova!'.
As the Spade Pirates were the crew founded by Portgas D. Ace, Luffy's blood-brother, Thomas immediately deduced that the canon events had yet to start. Ace would join the Whitebeard Pirates shortly after the Spade Pirates' debut in the Grand Line, and he was with them for at least a year before Luffy set out from Foosha Village. In other words, he had at least a year to travel from the South Blue, his apparent location, to the East Blue.
Fortunately, while he couldn't remember the exact layout of One Piece's world, Thomas knew the East and South Blue were sister seas. They were separated by the Calm Belt and the Grand Line, but with the Hind's ability to fly, they may be able to circumvent both. If not, they could always sail up the Reverse Mountain and simply fly down in the direction of the East Blue...
Though he doubted things would be that straightforward, Thomas felt it would be worth it so long as he could cross paths with the Strawhats at least once before the Paramount War. He had no plans to accompany them on their voyage directly, but establishing rapport with them early on would make things much easier for him. If he was serious about Nami, he could even track down the location of Weatheria and just happen to meet her there when Kuma sends her flying over from Sabaody.
Interrupting Thomas's thoughts, the Cook's Card suddenly flashed white, disappearing from his hand as what could best be described as a magic circle appeared beneath him. He was startled by its abrupt appearance, but he was far more surprised by the diminutive, 130cm tall little girl that popped out. She had auburn, reddish-brown hair that was cut in a bob, a long ponytail that nearly reached the ground, and an outfit that resembled an apron formed of white feathers. A large blue and black ribbon was tied around her waist, red and gold sleeves resembling the oversized sleeves of a Japanese Shrine Maiden adorned her arms, and she had white tabi covering her feet, each elevated atop platform shoes. However, the thing that stood out the most about her, other than the black beak protruding from her forehead, was the creepy-looking bird nested within her hat. It was nearly spherical, and its red, ostensibly lifeless eyes seemed to peer directly into Thomas's soul...
While Thomas was staring at her with a stupefied expression, the little girl was staring up at him with an earnest and curious look on her face. Then, increasing Thomas's feelings of incredulity, she suddenly lowered herself to the ground, sitting on her knees before bowing forward with her hands touching the deck as she said, "Benienma greets her Master..."
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(A/N: Mascot acquired?)

After recovering from his initial stupor, Thomas adopted a wry smile as he said, "Welcome to the crew. Also, you don't need to call me Master. It's a little cringe, even for me..."
Without rising from her seiza position, Benienma looked up at Thomas, head tilted to the side as she questioned, "Are you not Benienma's Master, dechi?"
"I mean...I am..." replied Thomas, prompting the diminutive bird girl to say, "Then Benienma will call you Master, dechi. Manners are the backbone of good morals. Benienma must set a good example so that others do not go astray, dechi."
"..."
Since it would be pretty senseless to use a Command Seal to 'convince' Benienma not to call him Master, Thomas just pulled out the next card, the Navigator Card, as he said, "Well...welcome aboard, Benienma. Drake is still in her quarters, but she should be out soon."
Nodding her head, Benienma issued an affirming "Nn. Nn." before asking, "Might I inquire as to the location of the kitchen? I see that the Sun is in the process of ascending, so Benienma will prepare a sumptuous meal to ensure Master and Lady Drake have sufficient energy to get through their day, dechi."
Returning a nod, Thomas said, "Follow me." before leading Benienma to the kitchen. Their only ingredients were the tiger meat from the previous day, but they had everything from a blender to a Mana-powered stove to facilitate cooking. There was also a full array of knives and other kitchen utensils, but Benienma apparently didn't need them, manifesting smaller versions for her convenience.
With nothing better to do while he was channeling Mana into the Servant Cards, Thomas sat at the dining table and supervised Benienma cooking atop a crate. She was too short to use the stove, sink, and countertops without something to stand on, so they would need to pick her up a stool or something in the near future. Fortunately, her skills were as 'legendary' as Thomas was expecting, her speed and skill with a chef's knife so adept he could barely even see the afterimages of her movements as she sliced through thick meat and tendons as if they were tofu...
While Thomas was wondering who would win in a cook-off between the diminutive Oni and Sanji, Benienma abruptly turned to him, a radiant smile on her face as she said, "Everything should be finished within the next ten to fifteen minutes, dechi. It will taste gamey, and a little oily as the only seasoning we have on hand is salt. If you get a stomach ache later, just let Benienma know. I will lend you my lap and caress Master's head until you feel better, dechi."
Adopting a wry smile, Thomas replied, "I'll keep that in mind..." while also resolving to suck it up if he got a stomach ache. Benienma was adorable, and likely much older than both him and Drake combined, but the thought of using her lap as a pillow just seemed...sus. He appreciated her concern, but the thought of a little loli doting over him as if she were his mom made him uncomfortable...
Intruding upon Thomas's thoughts and the dining room, Drake's glistening blue eyes immediately zeroed in on Benienma, a broad smile adorning her face as she said, "Nice. At least now we won't have to worry about taking turns cooking. What's your name, little girl? You can call me Drake, by the way. Captain Drake."
Hopping from her perch, Benienma trotted over to Drake, stopping in front of her before bowing nearly 45 degrees as she earnestly replied, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Captain Drake. This little one's name is Benienma, dechi."
Amused by Benienma's words and actions, Drake mused, "Hoooo~? This one's pretty formal, isn't she?"
Surprising the little bird girl, Thomas revealed, "She used to be a warden of Hell, one of the guardians of the Sanzu River. After her original death, she was adopted by Enma, the King of Hell, and placed in charge of an Inn called Enma-tei. She's very hospitable and regarded as one of the best Chefs among Heroic Spirits. Just be careful never to tell a lie around her...her origin ties to the legend of the Tongue-cut Sparrow. I don't think she will attack her allies, but she's known to cut the tongues of anyone who tells a lie..."
As a fan of Type-Moon and someone who had been playing Fate Grand Order since its English localization, Thomas knew a fair amount about the more fan-favorite Heroic Spirits. Benienma was A-Ranked on the Tier List and appeared in several character events and skits. He couldn't recall if she ranked highly in the official Popularity Survey, but she was one of the more famous 'loli' archetype characters.
Not expecting her 'secret' to be exposed so suddenly, Benienma showed a complicated face. Even if Thomas was her Master, no one liked having their background revealed arbitrarily.
Realizing he may have spoken out of turn, Thomas's smile became wry as he asked, "Should I not have said anything? If so, then I apologize. Two days ago, both you and Drake were just fictional characters that appeared in a purely fictional franchise known as Fate. There is no Magic back in my previous world, much less things like Servants and Heroic Spirits..."
Out of curiosity, Drake crossed her arms and inquired, "What do you know about me?"
Though he anticipated Drake's question, Thomas's smile became wrier as he replied, "Not much, sadly. You appeared in a game and an anime called Fate/Extra, but you were the Servant of one of the Antagonists. I know a little bit about your history and how your Noble Phantasm works, but you were overshadowed by the main Heroine, Nero..."
Furrowing her brows slightly, Drake asked, "I was a villain? I mean, I'm no Saint, but most of my privateering was done for the benefit of my country, England."
Feeling even more awkward, Thomas replied, "Yeah...about that. England doesn't exactly have the best reputation in the modern era. Your country started a rampant slave trade and made an enemy out of pretty much the entire world during the colonial and industrial era. You weren't presented as an outright villain in the games. In fact, a lot of people really liked you as a character. When you were defeated, you went out like a complete badass. Your Master, however, is one of the most hated characters in the entire fandom..."
Exhaling a faint sigh through her nose, Drake adopted a teasing smile as she playfully remarked, "Let's hope this Master is a bit better..."
"..."
Frowning at the thought of being compared to Shinji Matou, Thomas was about to defend himself when Drake added, "Relax. It was just a little joke to lighten the mood a bit. Don't get your skivvies in a bunch."
Without waiting for Thomas's response, Drake shifted her attention to Benienma, adding, "I'm not going to tell you how to do your job, but you should probably pay attention to the stove. Our Master over here is going to need a lot of protein if he intends to bulk and lose that belly fat."
Maintaining control of the conversation, Drake immediately returned her gaze to Thomas, asking, "Have you ever fired a gun before? Firearms are a convenient alternative until you gain the strength necessary to protect yourself."
Nodding his head, Thomas answered, "I spent two years in the Reserve Forces of the United States Coast Guard. I've never fired a pistol, but I've done competition shooting up to 500 yards with a rifle..."
Blinking in surprise, Drake parroted, "500 yards? That's significantly better than I was expecting. The range of a musket from my era was around 50-100 yards. The rifles from your era must be pretty incredible."
Before Thomas could answer or even think about bragging, Drake raised her hand and whipped out one of her ornate flintlock pistols, teasing, "Too bad you're stuck with the weapons from my era. Tell you what. If you can hit a human-sized target in the head or chest from 50 yards away before the day ends, I'll give you a little peck on the cheek. Manage it ten times in a row, and I'll let you take a shower with me."
Seeing the pupils of Thomas's eyes contract before subsequently dilating, Drake chortled in amusement. Men like Thomas were easy to deal with, as there were generally only two things they cared about when an attractive woman was involved. Could they, or could they not fuck them? If there were even a slight possibility that the answer was yes, they would do just about anything...
Flipping the pistol around, Drake entrusted it to 'resolute-looking' Thomas before walking around him to sit at the dining table. She half-expected him to run up to the deck and set up a few practice targets. Instead, he sat in the chair next to her, silently channeling Mana into the Navigator's Card with a thoughtful look on his face...
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After eating the barely palatable meal provided by Benienma, Thomas rowed the three of them to shore. Immediately afterward, Benienma split off from them to gather ingredients for lunch.
Despite her diminutive stature, Benienma was typically a Saber-class Servant, widely regarded as the most powerful of the standard Servant Classes. Her skill with a katana bordered on legendary, and when she moved at her fastest speed, not even Drake could follow her movements. More importantly, she was a skilled hunter and could identify whether or not a plant, fruit, or fungi was edible at a glance. Thus, while she ran off to gather food and ingredient, Thomas remained on the beach, learning how to fire and operate a flintlock from Drake.
Though the literal power of Magic allowed them to skip the usual process of operating a flintlock, Drake insisted that Thomas knew how to use and maintain the weapon properly. Even with his foreknowledge of the future, there was no way of knowing what fate had in store for them. If he found himself in a situation where he had to rely on a normal flintlock and didn't know how to use it, he might pay for his negligence with his life.
As he didn't actually mind learning how to use a flintlock the 'right' way, Thomas listened attentively to Drake's instructions. He planned to learn swordsmanship or simply punch things in the future, but knowing how to use a pistol might prove useful if they managed to acquire some ammo made from Sea Prism Stone. He suspected that was what Ben Beckman used to make an Admiral like Kizaru 'nervous,' and it never hurt to learn a new skill...
Unfortunately, while he was able to hit target around 20 yards away consistently, no amount of compensation allowed for Thomas to hit the same target from 50 yards. Flintlocks had a 'massive' deviation, so even if he aimed at the same place repeatedly, the impact point was all over the place. Even Drake could only manage an average of 7 out of 10 shots on target, and she was a literal superhuman. Her accuracy increased to 100% when a wager was involved, but, inversely, Thomas's seemed to plummet down to 0%. He spent the entire day trying his best but never once hit the target in the intended location...
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(A/N: Drake has EX-Rank Luck. In other words, depending on the circumstances, she can effectively manipulate reality to guarantee a favorable outcome. She's the type of person that could fire her pistols at random during a firefight, and the bullets would ricochet off random posts and polls, hitting even concealed targets without having to aim. When she gets 'serious,' not even Domino from the X-Men can compete xD...)

After being tossed unceremoniously onto the deck and left to dry out in the Sun, Thomas pushed himself to his feet to get a better glimpse of his surroundings. There wasn't much to see on the deck itself, so he walked over to the bow to look at the sapphire sea below.
Noticing Thomas's actions, Drake narrowed her eyes and said, "If you fall overboard, I'm letting you drown for a few minutes before saving you. I'm not against taking a dip in the ocean, but doing so fully clothed is a good way to get an infection in places the Sun doesn't typically shine."
Though he nodded his head, Thomas didn't step away from the bow as he mentioned, "We'll need to be careful when we enter open waters. There are giant creatures in this world known as Sea Kings, some of which can exceed five kilometers in length. I'm not sure how powerful you and the other Servants are, but I can't imagine taking out such a massive creature with the cannons we have available..."
Raising her brows slightly, Drake questioned, "Are you being serious? Five kilometers...?"
Nodding his head, Thomas added, "There are whales the size of islands, turtles with active volcanoes on their backs, and a colossal elephant that exceeds 35km in height. Beyond that, there are islands floating in the sky, places where tens of thousands of lightning bolts strike continuously, and a carnivorous plant so large it's classified as an Archipelago..."
"..."
Realizing she may have underestimated the world of One Piece a bit, Drake took a moment to consider how she might deal with the threats Thomas was referencing. Her Noble Phantasm could level entire islands if she had enough funds or was supplied with sufficient Mana, but if there were monsters as powerful as Thomas suggested, there had to be people capable of dealing with them. If not, there should be weapons capable of doing so.
While telepathically piloting her ship, the Golden Hind, around the island, Drake turned to Thomas and said, "Tell me about the people who stand at the peak of this world. For you to aspire to stand among them, you should have at least a basic understanding of their strength, right?"
Nodding a second time, Thomas revealed, "Those standing closest to the peak, at least on the surface, are the Four Emperors. Among them, there is a man called Whitebeard, known as the Strongest Man in the World. He consumed a Devil Fruit that lets him create tremors, not just through the ground but the sea itself. At full power, he can flip islands or produce tidal waves more than a thousand meters in height. When he traded blows with another of the Four Emperors, a man named Shanks, their attacks caused the clouds tens of thousands of meters in the sky to split..."
"..."
Sensing no falsehoods in Thomas's words, Drake fell into a lengthy period of silence before stating, "We may need to put a pin in our plans to sail to Laugh Tale. If there are threats like that lurking about, we'll need to focus our efforts on stockpiling wealth and increasing our strength. Fortunately for you, I happen to have 'incredible' luck, so gathering funds shouldn't be an issue. I have a sixth sense for treasure and booty."
As Drake had never donned her captain's jacket after jumping in to rescue him, Thomas's eyes lowered to her voluminous and shapely ass. Her white trousers were almost like yoga pants in their texture and quality, so there was very little left to the imagination...
Though she could sense Thomas's gaze, Drake just shook her head and exhaled a faint sigh through her nose. If he were an ordinary member of her crew, she would have drawn and quartered him. However, as he was her 'Master,' she had to tolerate his presence for the sake of her dream...
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While the average frigate would struggle to reach 30kn, Drake's Golden Hind had a cruising speed of 65 knots, roughly 120km/h. This was 'much' faster than any non-powered vessel in One Piece, so it only took them a few minutes to circle the fairly small island Thomas had been marooned by Zelretch. Unfortunately, there wasn't so much as a single port or town in sight.
"Looks like we got ourselves a deserted island," mused Drake. She was a little annoyed they hadn't found a town, meaning no alcohol, but after learning about the perils that awaited them out at sea, she was marginally more cautious than usual.
Turning to Thomas, Drake asked, "What do you think about mooring here until we've finished assembling our crew? At the bare minimum, we need a cook, a doctor, and a navigator if we want to set out to the open seas. If you want to stick around for the rest, that's up to you."
As it had only taken him half a day to summon Drake, Thomas figured it would only take around 4-5 before they could completely assemble their crew. That would give them considerably more options moving forward, so he didn't hesitate to reply, "I say we stick around until everyone has assembled. Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and summon someone who can fodder even the largest Sea Kings...?"
With an affirming nod, Drake controlled the Golden Hind toward the shore, laying anchor in a remote, crescent-shaped bay. She could take the Hind 'much' further inland but didn't think Thomas's Mana would hold out at its current levels. Thus, after ensuring the ship wouldn't drift too far with the changing of the tides, she taught Thomas how to lower one of the ship's two dinghies into the water before having him row them to shore.
Though he suspected Drake could steer and propel the dinghy with her mind, Thomas did as she instructed. He wasn't in the best condition, so if he was serious about standing at the top of the world, he needed to begin training his body immediately. People like Zoro could casually lift tens of thousands of tons post-time skip, and monsters like Kaido could 'erase' small mountains with a single Boro Blast. Struggling to row a boat placed him closer to the bottom in terms of strength in One Piece...
Seeing through Thomas's thoughts, a faint smile adorned Drake's face. Being weak wasn't a sin, but 'remaining' weak, especially in a world filled with monsters, was asking for death. She and the other Servants would do their best to protect him, but only a handful of them might be willing to die for him. After all, doing so meant the end of their dreams, negating the reason they agreed to summons in the first place.
If they had to choose between him entrusting everything to them and doing his best to improve, Drake and the other Servants would obviously prefer Thomas to be as powerful as possible. His knowledge gave them an edge if they bided their time and didn't introduce any drastic changes, so, depending on where they were in the timeline, they were incentivized to sit back and do a bit of training. Not just Thomas, but all of them...
After making landfall, Drake instructed Thomas to drag the dinghy ashore before saying, "You stay here and focus on summoning our cook. I'll head inland and see if I can't hunt something. Try to steer clear of the forest's edge, even if the temperature rises. For all we know, there could be tigers, lions, bears, or wild boars inside. If you get attacked and I'm not around, it's game over. Others could flee into the sea to escape, but you'll sink to the bottom even in knee-deep water."
"..."
Looking to the dinghy, Thomas seriously considered flipping it over and just concealing himself underneath. Drake immediately saw through this, asserting, "It's not a terrible idea, but the mentality of hiding away will not permit you to get stronger. Just stay alert, and if you feel like you're being watched, you probably are. If that happens, shove off with the dinghy and just float around in the bay until I return."
Finished with what she had to say, Drake materialized a pair of ornate flintlock pistols before making her way into the jungle with a predatory smile. Thomas had told her guns were fairly common, even among the most powerful pirate crews, so she was confident she could deal with most threats. If someone were willing to wager with her, she could shoot the wings off a fly from 20m. She also didn't have to worry about ammo, as, much like her pistols, she could materialize as many as she needed. It just consumed a bit of Mana...
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With nothing better to do, Thomas stood near the edge of the dinghy, ready to shove off at a moment's notice. Instead of just paying attention to the jungle, however, he periodically shifted his gaze to the sea, wary of any amphibious creatures that might lurk up from the depths. There were even humanoid Fishmen in the world of One Piece, so caution was always advised.
Fortunately, nothing disturbed Thomas's contemplative vigilance besides the periodic sound of pistol fire. That was a good thing, as he had a lot to think about now that he was absolutely sure he wasn't simply dreaming or having a very realistic hallucination. More than a day had passed since his arrival in One Piece, so unless he had spontaneously awakened the ability to have prolonged and incredibly lucid dreams, this was his new reality.
Though he had considered what he would do if he found himself in the world of One Piece, several times, actually being inside of it left Thomas feeling uncertain. He had imagined himself having all kinds of Systems, assembling a harem of all the most attractive women from the series, and going toe-to-toe with people like Kaido as if they were beneath him. Now, with the power of a relatively normal human, he felt so far out of his depth it was difficult to decide his next course of action.
The most obvious thing to do was simply focus on his training, scratching and clawing his way to the top inch by inch. However, if they were already post-time skip and events like the Paramount War had already happened, Luffy and the rest of the Strawhats may very well discover the One Piece before he had even a fraction of the strength needed to set sail. As for his 'dream' of creating a harem...he could go to a bar every night for a month and maybe only pick up a single woman. Unless Zelretch had blessed him with an insanely handsome face or something, attempting to woo world-class beauties was simply that, a dream...
Fortunately, while his prospects of getting together with women like Nami and Nico Robi were fairly slim, Thomas was fairly certain he would have at least a little luck if he ventured to Zou or Wano. He didn't consider himself a furry, but some of the members of the Mink Tribe were pretty cute. They were also 'very' affectionate, so he might be able to manage something if he lent them a hand during a time of need.
While thinking of the women he had dreamed about forming a harem with, one stood out among the rest, largely because she was a relatively recent addition to the series, Yamato. She had a fairly exotic appearance, but she was his favorite female character in One Piece, even if she identified as Kaido's son. He didn't know how the mechanics of fucking a woman more than two and a half feet taller than him would work, but he was more than willing to try...
Freeing Thomas from his reverie, Drake emerged from the jungle dragging a leaf-green tiger that was more than 4m in length and had a unicorn-like horn protruding from its head. Seeing it caused a powerful shudder to run through Thomas's body as, for a brief moment, he believed that Zelretch might have deposited him on a safe island.
What Thomas didn't know was that he 'was' on one of the safer islands in the South Blue. A few hundred kilometers away, a 4m long tiger may as well be considered a cub...
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(A/N: The MC is 6'2'', roughly 187 cm. Yamato is 8'8'', roughly 263cm xD...)

Chapter 4: Learning One's Place