One Piece : Wild Hunt

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...)

Compared to the gamey, unseasoned meat she served for breakfast, the lunch and dinner tenaciously prepared by Benienma were among the best meals Thomas ever had. She not only managed to hunt down a giant pig with bull-like horns, but she also uncovered apples, wild onions, potatoes, and even a few herbs to use as seasonings. She even started fermenting a custom blend of soy sauce but said it wouldn't be ready for six to eight months, depending on how well it was stored.
With more to work with than meat, bones, sinew, and salt, Benienma was able to prepare a veritable feast for dinner. Even Drake praised her to the high heavens, complimenting the petite bird girl until she was practically preening. Her mood diminished when Thomas refused to let her wash his back as 'consolation' for not getting to shower with Drake but immediately perked back up when the latter assigned her the cabin across from him.
Just as she was presented in Fate: Grand Order, Benienma had a doting personality and took Thomas's health and well-being very seriously. She was a quiet, reserved, and earnest girl who made sure he cleaned his plate, adequately washed his hands, and brushed his teeth before seeing him off to bed with the reminder to stay warm and ensure his belly was covered while sleeping. The next morning, she seemed to materialize in his room soundlessly, gently stirring him awake before offering him a cup of tea, fixing his hair, and making his bed.
Though he was a little unnerved by Benienma's actions, Thomas would be lying if he said he didn't appreciate them. Back in his previous world, he had lived alone for the better part of eight years. He occasionally went on dates and had the option to move in with other people a few times, but he had gradually become more introverted over time. It had been a long time since someone seemed to genuinely care for him, so, while he felt a little disconcerted by Benienma calling him Master, he offered her his gratitude whenever she did something for him...
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After a very hearty breakfast, Thomas spent much of the early morning disassembling, reassembling, and cleaning one of Drake's flintlock pistols while Benienma sat in seiza off to the side. He was half-tempted to ask the petite bird girl to teach him her Iai-style swordsmanship but wanted to wait and see who else he summoned before committing to any serious training.
While writing in his log-turned-journal the previous night, Thomas spent several hours thinking about how he would train to become stronger. He knew the basic and the advanced training methods for Observation and Armament Haki, but 'knowing' about something was drastically different from being able to apply it. Without a system to promote his growth or a teacher to watch over him, grasping even the basics was easier said than done.
Once he summoned all of his Servants, Thomas intended to discuss Haki and the matter of his training with them. The First and Second Mate Cards should afford him a fairly powerful, combat-oriented Servant, so he would hopefully be able to apprentice beneath them. Benienma could also teach him how to utilize his Mana to empower himself, but if Thomas were given the option, he would rather train under someone like Scathach than a little girl more than 50cm shorter than him...
Though he doubted he would be lucky enough to summon someone like Scathach, Thomas held out hope that at least one of his Servants would be a capable teacher. If he could summon a Caster, he may even be able to learn actual Magic, creating barriers, shooting lasers, flying through the sky, and even teleport.
While he would prefer to be a physical powerhouse that could go toe-to-toe with the likes of Luffy and Kaido, the path of a Mage had more than a few redeeming qualities. The more powerful Caster-class Servants could nuke cities or erase entire mountains from existence. Combined with Haki, specifically Observation Haki, such firepower would make him an absolute nightmare for anyone lacking the ability to fly. On the opposite side of the spectrum, he could theoretically reinforce his body to such an extent that he was functionally indestructible. Potent Reinforcement Magic combined with Armament Haki? Yes, please, and thank you...
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Following a fairly uneventful morning, Thomas made good on his promise to Drake by spending much of the afternoon pumping Mana into both the Equivalence Engine and the Navigator's Card. They lacked even a basic sea chart, so while Drake was an incredibly competent Navigator, being the second person in history to circumnavigate the globe, they needed someone with the associated 'Skills' if they wanted to sail the open seas without getting lost.
As Heroic Spirits, Drake, Benienma, and anyone else Thomas summoned had Basic Parameters and a list of Skills graded from E-EX Rank in terms of potency. Thomas presently had no way of checking these, but it didn't matter much as Drake and Benienma seemed to have an inherent grasp of their respective capabilities. Drake, in particular, possessed a Skill derived from her status as a Captain, allowing her to assess the capabilities of any member of her Crew.
Though Drake could not ascertain the grade of Benienma's additional Skills due to the latter having a 'very' high-ranking version of Presence Concealment, she could see her Cook Skill was A-Rank. She also knew what Skills the other members of her Crew would possess, which was why she suggested summoning a Navigator as quickly as possible. There was a map within the Captain's Quarters that would automatically update as the Navigator scouted the area, so their Skills would be instrumental in mapping the world of One Piece and ensuring they didn't get lost.
While the Cartography Skill of their Navigator would basically 'break' the world of One Piece, Thomas didn't mind. There were theories in his world that speculated One Piece to be as large as Jupiter in size, roughly eleven times the diameter of Earth. To support this notion, Oda, the creator of One Piece, had suggested there be around 20,000,000 islands within the world he had created. If that were true, Thomas would much rather have a hax map than force their Navigator to draw one from scratch...
"Oh...?"
Interrupting Thomas's thoughts, the Navigator Card in his hand abruptly dissolved into motes of light before another summoning circle appeared beneath him. Thomas was half-expecting another girl to pop out, so he was both surprised and horrified when a familiar figure with pale-pink hair emerged from the summoning circle. They had a long braided ponytail, black ribbons in their hair, cutesy facial features, a short-skirted black top, stockings, and a garter belt beneath white, knightly accessories, but Thomas knew 'very' well that the person he just summoned wasn't a girl...
While Thomas was staring at 'him' with a slack-jawed expression, the feminine-looking Servant promptly struck a pose, making a peace sign near their eyes as they exclaimed, "Hi, hi~! My name's Astolfo, one of the Twelve Paladins of Charlemagne! It looks like I'll be your Navigator from now on! It's nice to meetcha, Master~!"
Though he was lamenting internally, Thomas did his best to return a smile as he awkwardly replied, "It's nice to meet you...and you don't have to call me Master. Just Tom or Thomas is fine..."
Adopting a radiant smile, Astolfo unhesitantly invaded Thomas's personal space, bringing their face to within a few centimeters of the latter's as they narrowed their amethyst eyes and mused, "Let's be good friends and take care of one another from now on, okay~?"
Despite knowing what kind of 'creature' Astolfo was, a knot formed in Thomas's throat when the former brought their face so close. Back in his previous world, he had followed a V-Tuber named Taiga and even joked with a few people on his Discord about the redeeming qualities of Traps and 'bussies.' Never, even in his wildest dreams, did he imagine he would come face-to-face with one of the most 'infamous' Traps in all of anime and manga...
Realizing they were making Thomas a very particular form of 'nervous,' an amused, snaggle-toothed smile developed across Astolfo's face. Thomas wasn't the most handsome man they had ever met, but anyone who could appreciate how cute they were deserved similar appreciation.
Drawing their face even closer, Astolfo asked, "Not going to respond~?" in a faint, playful tone.
Blinking back to awareness, Thomas pulled back and turned away from Astolfo as he asserted, "I'm not gay..." in an equally faint tone. Then, in a slightly louder voice, he added, "You should go and introduce yourself to the Captain. She should be in her room or on deck..."
Though they furrowed their brows slightly when Thomas mentioned he wasn't gay, Astolfo quickly retained their smile as they playfully replied, "Okay, then. See you later...Master."
Without waiting for Thomas to respond, Astolfo departed from the engine room like a little kid that had successfully pulled a prank. They could tell that Thomas was 'nervous' around them, so, even if he weren't 'gay,' that wouldn't stop Astolfo from teasing him. After all, they weren't gay either. They had certainly been on the receiving end more than a few times, but they appreciated the charms of men and women equally...
With Astolfo leaving him to his own devices, Thomas sat with his head in his hand for a few moments, cursing whoever designed the pink-haired Paladin. Astolfo lacked even a single masculine trait. They lacked a visible adam's apple, their waist was as thin as a woman's, and even their thighs looked soft and plump. It simply didn't make sense for them to be a man.
Shaking such thoughts from his mind, Thomas took solace in the fact that his Servant Cards could summon male Servants. He wouldn't mind being the only man among a group of cute or attractive women, but he knew it wouldn't be good for his mental health. He wasn't exactly the most social person in the world, so if he were severely outnumbered, interacting with them would become increasingly difficult.
Though he always pictured himself as suave, charismatic, and extremely capable whenever he imagined himself journeying through various anime and manga worlds, he wouldn't have 'let himself go' if he possessed such traits. He was determined to get stronger, but it would take a tremendous effort to become the person he had always imagined he could be...
Fortunately, while he had lived a fairly mundane life in his previous world, Thomas was now in a world where even a weak chore boy or a complete wastrel could become strong if they worked hard and applied themselves. Now that he had been given a chance to go from ordinary to exceptional, Thomas didn't care how much pain and suffering he had to endure. There was no way in hell he would settle for being mediocre...
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With Benienma arriving to inform him that dinner was ready, Thomas washed up before making his way to the dining room. There, he found Drake and Astolfo in the middle of chatting, but they stopped when he entered. Not because they were trying to keep things a secret from him, but to acknowledge his presence. The moment he joined them at the table, Drake revealed, "I had Astolfo fly around and map the area on her Hippogriff. Once we're finished here, you should come to my quarters to take a look. She managed to locate an island with a decently sized port, so we should consider sailing over to stock up on supplies and gather information."
As he was already aware that Astolfo could summon a Hippogriff, Thomas wasn't particularly surprised by Drake's words. He was also in desperate need of some new clothes, so he replied, "I don't mind, but we don't have a lot of Belly on hand. Even if we sell the pelts you and Benienma have collected, I can't imagine them providing the funds we need for a proper resupply..."
Snorting through her nose, Drake seemed genuinely offended as she asked, "Have you forgotten who you're dealing with? I already told you about my Luck Parameter. I also possess a Skill called Golden Rule that practically guarantees that wealth will fall into my lap, so I only had to walk around the island for a few hours before discovering the ruins of a hideout and a small cache of gold and jewels. Did you seriously think I would propose resupplying without the means to do so...?"
Though he knew about the existence of the Golden Rule Skill, Thomas found himself at a loss in the face of Drake's accusatory tone. He knew she was incredibly lucky, but discovering an abandoned treasure cache by simply wandering around aimlessly...wasn't that a little 'too' broken?
With Thomas remaining silent, Drake added, "We'll set sail shortly after sunrise. There's only 128km between us and our destination, so we can resupply and return before noon. I'll have you accompany me when we go to shore, so ensure you get plenty of rest tonight."
Adopting a wry smile, Thomas replied with a half-hearted, "Right..." before turning his attention to the meat and potato stew Benienma had prepared. He was half-tempted to tell Drake she didn't have to be so rude, but even if he was the Master in their relationship, he understood he would need to earn her respect. If he relied on his Command Seals to 'make' her respect him, neither she nor his other Servants would ever trust him...
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(A/N: It takes time to go from sad to Chad...)

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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..
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(A/N: Mascot acquired?)

Chapter 5: Fortune Favors the Bold