One Piece : Wild Hunt

After a peaceful night's sleep, Thomas awoke early and headed toward the kitchen. Benienma was still in the process of cooking breakfast, so he just mulled over his thoughts as he waited for everyone else to trickle in gradually. Once everyone but Astolfo and Asclepius had arrived, he revealed, "Now that we've gathered our entire crew, I've been thinking about our path moving forward..."
Raising her brows slightly, Drake mused, "Oh? Isn't it a bit too soon for you to be leaving the nest? You only recently started your training, and it hasn't even been a full month since we arrived."
Undaunted by Drake's teasing, Thomas explained, "I intend to continue my training. However, we can't just idle about forever. My idea is to have us act as Bounty Hunters, clearing the surrounding area of Pirates to both collect their Bounties and begin building our reputation. It's only a matter of time before we're labeled as Pirates by the World Government, but if we only target other Pirates, the Marines won't feel as inclined to get rid of us. Once a spot opens up, we could even be appointed the position of Shichibukai, allowing us to travel freely."
Though she didn't think Thomas's proposal was bad, Drake pointed out, "We can already travel freely. Also, didn't you say the World Government is filled with wannabe Gods who tyrannize, suppress, and enslave others? Do you really want to work with them 'just' to make things easier for us? I believe a certain cat and horse girl might oppose such an approach..."
Prompted by Drake's words, Caenis said, "I'm done for hunting Pirates, but you're out of your fucking mind if you think I'll cooperate with these 'World Nobles' in any way. If we didn't have an agreement, I would go to that Mary Geoise place and slaughter the lot of them."
Following Caenis's words, Atalanta was much more succinct, stating, "The World Government is the enemy..." with slightly narrowed eyes.
Nodding his head in approval, Thomas replied, "You're right. However, we aren't in a position to declare war on the World Government. I'm nowhere near powerful enough, and the strength of the Marine Admirals is no joke. We don't even know if the powers you all wield can harm a veteran Logia user, so we should take things slow and pretend to play nice until we're in a position to stab them directly in their heart..."
With no one offering a rebuttal, Thomas felt a little more confident as he added, "Besides, if we 'do' become Shichibukai, we can actually claim the Bounties of other Pirate crews, even the Four Emperors. Defeating them as regular Pirates would be the same as giving up billions of Belly. I'm not overly concerned with our finances, but it's better to have an abundance of money than none..."
Changing her tune immediately, Drake stated, "I'm with our Master on this one. I'm down for crushing other crews just for the hell of it, but if we can profit off it, we might as well. The power of my Noble Phantasm is highly dependent on the amount of wealth and treasure I've accumulated. With enough funds, I could produce a flying armada and an army of phantoms numbering in the tens of thousands. Then it won't matter what the World Government throws at us."
Following Drake's words, Thomas attempted to convince the two animal-eared girls by saying, "I'm not suggesting we jump at the chance to ally with the World Government or do their bidding. I'm proposing we take advantage of a loophole within the current system so that we can travel, punish the wicked, and aid the helpless with impunity. Not everyone on the side of the Marines is a villain. Most are people who genuinely believe in justice and helping others. If possible, I would rather focus our efforts on eliminating the truly malevolent actors within this world, not the honest fools who simply wish to protect their friends and families."
Snorting through her nose, Caenis retorted, "It's fools like those who let tyrants stay in power. Listen, I'm fine with playing along if this is what you want to do, but the moment one of those 'Celestial Dragon' bastards gets on my nerves, that's it. I'm killing them. If you try and stop me, I'll kill you as well."
Narrowing her eyes slightly, Musashi adopted a challenging look as she mused, "You can try, but things might not end the way you expect..."
Meeting Musashi's gaze, Caenis's eyes gained a hint of bloody red as she said, "You're playing with fire, Musashi..."
Responding with a wink, Musashi mused, "And you're playing with all five elements, my dearest Caenis..."
As the tensions within the galley quickly reached a palpable level, Chiron inserted himself into the conversation, assuring, "It shouldn't be an issue. According to our Master, the Celestial Dragons only leave their Holy Land to purchase slaves within Sabaody Archipelago. With the Hind's ability to fly and submerge, we need not moor at their harbor. If we encounter one of them 'outside' their territory..."
With Chiron looking at him, Thomas straightened himself as he added, "I would prefer to deal with them after we're strong enough to stand against the Four Emperors, but if a Celestial Dragon crosses our path and tries to take advantage of us...we show them no mercy. I would rather become a fugitive hunted by every Marine Admiral in history than lower my head to those inbred sacks of shit..."
Having heard everything she needed to hear, Caenis adopted a smile that exposed her prominent canines as she replied, "Now you're speaking my language. If that's the case, you have my support and my spear. Once you get stronger, we'll butcher every single one of those bastards."
Though he had misgivings about 'butchering' anyone, Thomas nodded in response before shifting his gaze to Atalanta. Like Caenis, she also had a Berserk transformation, so he would prefer to have both girls on the same page as him to avoid future accidents or 'misunderstandings.'
Closing her eyes, Atalanta's expression and tone were largely neutral as she stated, "I care not for these Celestial Dragons. So long as they do not come to me, I won't go to them. My priorities are saving any children we encounter on our journey, performing my duties as a Sniper, and keeping you safe from harm. I will only concern myself with the Celestial Dragons if they imperil these three things..."
With Drake, Caenis, and Atalanta on board, Thomas could breathe a sigh of relief. Chiron, Musashi, Benienma, and Astolfo would naturally support him. As for Asclepius, the errant God was perfectly content with holing himself up inside his room or roaming the island to research various flora and fauna. So long as he was allowed to treat any mysterious diseases or illnesses they encountered during their expedition, he wouldn't care about their destination or objectives.
Realizing there was still one more person whose opinion he needed to consider, Thomas directed his gaze to Beethoven. When she sensed his gaze, she raised her own from the sheet music she was working on, tilting her head to the side as if to ask, 'Do you need something?'
As it was a good opportunity, Thomas asked, "Just out of curiosity, what is everyone's wish? You don't have to share if you don't want to, but it could bring us closer as a crew if we knew what each other longs for. I can start us off...?"
Since Thomas was looking at Beethoven as he spoke, everyone's gazes turned to the ashen-haired girl to see how she would respond. She shrank in her chair under the intense stares of so many people but didn't hesitate to reveal, 'My dream is to complete a Symphony that encapsulates the essence of humanity. I completed the first Movement before my death, so I intend to use my time as a Heroic Spirit to complete the remaining three.'
Before anyone could ask, Beethoven wrote on another slip of paper, 'My wish is to perform my Symphony in front of the entire world. If my melody can resonate within the hearts of the masses, I believe they can put aside their differences and strive for a brighter future. Together.'
Voicing the thoughts of Thomas and several others, Chiron smiled as he said, "That's a wonderful dream. My own wish is rather selfish, so much so that I'm somewhat reluctant to share it..."
Despite his words, Chiron showed very little hesitation as he went on to say, "My wish is to reclaim what was once mine, the Immortality I passed to Prometheus. I do not wish to live forever, but it is one of the few things that links me to my parents. Relinquishing it was one of my only regrets in life..."
Earning the chagrin of everyone who sympathized with Chiron, Drake playfully mused, "How lame&mdash;clinging to something you willfully gave away? Harboring regrets from a previous life? I didn't take you for the sappy, sentimental type. As for me, my dream, ambition, and wish are all the same. I want to burn as brightly as possible during the moments I'm alive, no matter how many times I'm summoned or reincarnated. There is no meaning to an existence that clings to the past or fusses over a future that has yet to be shaped. If you want something, take it. If you fail, keep trying. The world may label you a villain, but there's no good or evil once you're six feet under or feeding the fishes."
Directing her gaze to Thomas, Drake's expression became even more playful as she added, "Take our Master here. He threw away everything just for the opportunity to realize his dream. Now, he's slowly clawing his way up from being a mundane sack of shit to someone capable of trading blows with monsters that can shake continents. He might be useless right now, but I respect the hell out of his determination."
Taken aback by Drake's unexpected praise, Thomas found himself at a loss for words. He still felt betrayed after she slept with Chiron, but as neither of them 'belonged' to him, he at least pretended it didn't bother him. Now that she was abruptly saying she respected him...he honestly didn't know how to feel...
Instead of waiting for Thomas to recover, Drake directly her piercing blue eyes to Caenis, asking, "What about you, horse girl? You give off the vibe of a woman spurned, so I imagine you're out for revenge of some sort...?"
Narrowing her eyes into a scowl, Caenis unhesitantly replied, "I won't be satisfied with ordinary revenge. I intend to supplant Poseidon as the God of the Sea and then slaughter every God who regards humans and those beneath them as playthings. Since I have been summoned to this world, I will start with these Celestial Dragons. I'll plan my next move once they're all dead."
Adopting a fairly vicious smile, Drake remarked, "I like you. You're hung up on the past, but you're not clinging to it. You've also got a pretty amazing body, so let me know if you ever feel lonely. I'm more than willing to keep you company."
Clicking her tongue, Caenis left Thomas wide-eyed as she asserted, "If I have needs like that, I'll go to our Master. I wasn't bestowed Independent Action like the rest of you, so I'll need to store excess Mana before we get into any major conflicts."
Directing her penetrating gaze to Thomas, Caenis's blue eyes narrowed as she asked, "That won't be a problem, will it?" in an overtly threatening tone. Thomas got the impression she wouldn't take no for an answer, but, at the same time, he had absolutely no reservations about having sex with a Divine Spirit that could humble even the most attractive sports models from his previous life. Thus, before his brain could fully process what he was being asked, his mouth replied, "Not at all. In fact, I would consider myself one of the luckiest men in the world..."
Furrowing her already wrinkled brows, Caenis was about to ask what Thomas meant by his words, but we preempted by Drake interjecting to say, "The two of you can argue as much as you want later. For now, let's hear what everyone else has to say. Now that we're talking about it, I'm actually a little curious to hear what everyone's wishes are."
Though her horse-like ears twitched in frustration, Caenis tore her gaze away from Thomas, directing it to Benienma. She and Musashi talked a lot, so she already knew the pink-haired samurai just wanted to continue honing her swordsmanship. If she were to wish for anything from the Holy Grail, it would be a worthy opponent.
With everyone directing their gazes to her, Benienma readily revealed, "I plan to wish for everyone to have full stomachs and for no child to starve as I once did. If that is beyond the Grail's power, I will remain at Master's side and help him fulfill his ambitions, dechi."
Hearing Benienma's response, a wry yet appreciative smile developed across Thomas's face. He suspected that if anyone were to stay at his side, it would probably be Benienma. He had no plans of accepting her 'services,' but he had come to appreciate her care. She could be a little overbearing at times, but it was nice to have someone constantly thinking about his well-being...
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(A/N: It seems Caenis found a ship other than the Hind to work on...)

Though pretty much everyone agreed with Thomas's proposal, it was decided they would remain on the island for an additional 2-5 months before setting sail. If they departed now, he would be stuck watching battles from the sideline, unable to contribute. That wouldn't give him a lot of opportunities to grow, so, for the time being, Thomas was to focus on strengthening his body, improving his survival skills, and deepening his understanding of Reinforcement Magecraft.
After rowing everyone to shore, Thomas was preparing to race Atalanta, Benienma, and Caenis around the island when the latter stopped him, an accusatory expression on her face as she asked, "What was that remark about considering yourself the luckiest man in the world? Are you trying to court me or something...?"
Not expecting such a question, nor such an outdated term, Thomas was a little slow to respond, causing Caenis's ears to flatten like an angry dog as she growled, "Stop fucking around and answer me..."
Adopting an awkward smile, Thomas asked, "What do you want me to say? You're an attractive woman, and your figure is incredible. Any man would be lucky to be your partner, making me one of the luckiest men in the world just to have your consideration..."
Exhaling a sigh of relief, Caenis muttered, "So, that's how it is..." before adopting a significantly less hostile expression. She hated when people treated her overtly like a woman, attempting to charm her with flowery words and compliments. She also despised being regarded as something to obtain, so Thomas had dodged a speartip by pointing out that she was the one considering him as a partner.
Adopting a smile, Caenis said, "Tell you what. You complete ten circuits around the island before lunch, and I'll consider rewarding you. Complete fifteen, and it's a guarantee."
As it was currently around 8 AM, and it took Thomas roughly 20 minutes to circle the island, it would take him approximately three and a half hours to finish ten laps. That was assuming he didn't slow down or take a break, so Caenis was fairly certain he couldn't complete her challenge. If he did, without cheating, he deserved at least a small reward. She might not give him a ride, but she could use her hands, tits, or mouth.
Feeling sufficiently motivated, Thomas skipped his usual warm-up and stretching routine, taking off as fast as his feet would carry him without immediately winding himself. His actions earned him confused looks from Atalanta and Benienma, but they effortlessly caught up to and overtook him while Caenis just observed his retreating figure with a smile...
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Though Thomas shaved nearly three and a half minutes off his previous record, surprising Chiron, his second lap was much slower at twenty-five minutes. By the time he was on his third, he could barely keep up a power walk, even with Caenis walking beside him, teasing, "Maybe I should have set the goal at five laps. But the island is only like 4-5 kilometers around. I never expected you to putter out after a mere ten."
Slowing to a stop, Thomas took several labored breaths, sweat covering his entire body as he stared at Caenis and replied, "Give me two weeks..." with as much solemnity as he could manage.
Shaking her head, Caenis retorted, "You've barely been training that long, and you've already improved by a decent amount. I'll give you two weeks, but you'll need to complete twenty laps. Thirty if you want a chance at the 'grand prize.'"
As his first lap around the island had taken him well over an hour, Thomas didn't think Caenis's request was too outrageous. Rather, even if she had set the bar at fifty, he would have done his best. Having a goal drastically impacted training results, and a woman like Caenis was worth a bit of pain and suffering.
Instead of answering Caenis's words directly, Thomas resumed his slow jog around the isle. There was no way he would be able to complete all ten laps, but he could at least continue running until it was time for lunch. With Caenis following behind him in little more than a black bikini, he had a lot of motivation to do so...
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After thoroughly exhausting himself in the morning, Thomas was given a half-hour for lunch before jumping into his Reinforcement training. Chiron had explained the fairly simple process to him multiple times, so Thomas sat shirtless and cross-legged atop a smooth stone platform with a bunch of twigs at his side. His goal was to Reinforce the twigs with the image of durability and elasticity in mind. When he could bend the easily breakable twigs to form a circle, he would be determined to have a very basic grasp of the simple yet infinitely complex form of Magecraft.
In accordance with Chiron's instructions, Thomas kept his eyes closed as he channeled his Magical Energy into the twig and slowly bent it. He had made decent progress since he first started the training, but the moment he had formed the twig into an arch with nearly parallel sides, it snapped in two.
Tossing the twig into his ever-growing pile of kindling, Thomas grabbed the next one and started the process anew. Unlike a typical Magus, who exhausted their internal Mana fairly quickly, requiring them to replenish it over time or draw it in from their surroundings, Thomas's body continually produced it at the cost of his stamina. However, because his control and output were still horrendous, he could continue the basic training exercise almost indefinitely.
While Thomas focused on his task, Chiron adopted a smooth and calming tone as he advised, "Try imagining that the twig was freshly pulled from a young sapling. At its highest levels, Reinforcement Magecraft can breathe new life into an object, rejuvenating corpses and granting corporeal forms to Phantoms. It's at that point that you enter into the domain of Projection Magecraft, allowing you to materialize weapons, armor, and materials that no longer exist. You mentioned an inordinately rare material known as Sea Prism Stone previously. Once you learn Projection Magic, you can produce as much of the material as you please. It will turn to ash once you cease supplying it with Magical Energy, but it will give you an edge against other Devil Fruit users."
Though there were at least two levels even higher than Projection, Chiron didn't mention them as one was considered a 'unique' Skill while the other delved into the realm of the Gods. To trespass that realm as a mortal, the only person Thomas could rely on was himself. If he continually relied on others, he would eventually hit a wall that could never be overcome as he simply wouldn't be 'qualified' to do so. At that point, the only way to reach even greater heights was if a God lent their Divinity to him in the form of a Blessing, effectively making him their Apostle even after death...
Unaware of Chiron's thoughts, Thomas nearly got the ends of the twig to touch before it snapped. This time, however, it didn't snap in two. Instead, there was a 'very' thin strip of healthy wooden fiber connecting the pieces together...
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With the promise of Caenis's 'reward' driving him, Thomas managed to go from being unable to complete five laps within four hours to finishing ten within the first week. This garnered him a considerable amount of teasing from Drake, Musashi, and Caenis herself, but that wasn't anything new. So long as he could get stronger and achieve his goals, he convinced himself he could endure just about anything...
Fortunately, while Thomas was pushing himself well beyond his limits, he had the blessed trinity of Chiron, Benienma, and Asclepius to prevent him from breaking. Chiron motivated him and helped to replenish his stamina, Benienma provided him upwards of five meals a day, and Asclepius would treat any injuries he sustained during his intensive training. The only thing the errant God of Medicine couldn't treat was mental exhaustion. Well, he could, but Thomas elected to decline Asclepius's experimental medicines and narcotics, even if the silvery-haired God assured him that there would be no 'untreatable' sequelae.
Upon realizing that there was a very real chance of Thomas completing her challenge, Caenis began avoiding him. Not completely, but she wasn't nearly as chatty as she used to be. Instead, she just silently observed his training with her arms crossed or spent her time conversing with Musashi. The two of them had become close frenemies, so they spent a substantial amount of time together despite constantly heckling one another.
On the eve of Thomas's ninth day of 'serious' training, Astolfo returned from her most recent scouting trip. Her Hippogriff could casually exceed the speed of sound while flying, so she could cover the 6,835 kilometers between their present location and the Conomi Islands in under six hours. Establishing a route took much longer as, even if she flew side to side like a laser-jet scanner, it would take more than a hundred passes to map one of the grid spaces on Drake's nearly blank world map.
With Drake's map having 17,712 grid spaces, it was estimated that Astolfo would need just as many days to map the entire world. That was roughly 48 years, so while Astolfo's ability to map the regions she flew over was 'incredibly' useful, it wasn't absolute. Even if she flew at a cruising speed and didn't stop to rest 'at all,' it would still take sixteen years to complete an accurate map.
Fortunately, while it would certainly be useful to have a detailed map of the entire world, it wasn't really necessary. The most important thing was knowing the location and names of various islands, so instead of mapping every meter of a region, Astolfo flew from island to island until she found a city or a large settlement. After landing, she would ask one of the local children for information before purchasing any maps they had available. If it were an island Thomas had informed her about, she would spend extra time ascertaining the 'situation' on the island before quickly moving on to her next target.
In the span of a single month, Astolfo had not only located the Conomi Islands, she had uncovered the Marine's G2 Base, Jaya, Alabasta, Baratie, Syrup Village, Cocoyasi Village, and, most surprisingly, Skypiea. Once she had discovered Jaya, she just needed to ascend ten thousand meters and fly around for a bit before locating the legendary sky island without much of a fuss. She ended up being attacked by lightning, but one of the many capabilities of the Hippogriff was the ability to teleport to avoid danger. It could even pass through the boundaries between worlds and ascend into space, so there wasn't a lot that could hinder Astolfo from flying wherever she pleased.
The only real downside to Astolfo's scouting was that it meant she was alone when she faced dangers or witnessed the 'many' tragedies present within the world of One Piece. She was a very kind-hearted girl, so it was difficult for her to see suffering and atrocities without doing something to help. As a result, she became the first member of the Wild Hunt to have a Bounty after using her golden-tipped lance, Trap of Argalia, to assault a group of Marines tormenting a small village.
One of the unique abilities of Astolfo's lance was to inflict a curse that caused them to fall incessantly. It had been 'unstrengthened' to such an extent that it was nearly impossible to kill with it, but it was remarkably effective against even the most powerful foes unless they possessed a high curse immunity. Marines in the East Blue were among the weakest in the entire world, so by the time Astolfo was finished with them, the group couldn't take more than three full steps before stumbling. As a result, she had earned herself the curious epithet 'Pink-haired Trap' due to shouting the name of her spear upon its release...
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(A/N: For those curious about Astolfo's Bounty, it's only 3,000,000. She didn't kill anyone, and the existence of her Hippogriff is unknown as, due to its nature as an 'impossible' existence, it's basically invisible to anyone that doesn't possess Advanced Observation Haki.)

With only the Musician Card left, Thomas was only one Servant away from completing 'his' crew. Drake was the Captain, but even if he didn't have them refer to him as such, he was still the Master of each of them. Thomas didn't mind taking detours if someone had a specific destination or purpose in mind, but unless their reasons were compelling, he would be the one determining most of their destinations and goals.
Fortunately, even without vocalizing these thoughts aloud, most of the members of the 'Wild Hunt,' the name Drake had given their Pirate crew, had similar thoughts to Thomas. They were there to help him achieve his goal in exchange for the chance to have their wishes granted, so unless he went of his way to antagonize them, they would abide by his decisions and support him...
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Expecting the process to take several days, Thomas was surprised when the Musician Card activated in the evening of the same day he summoned Atalanta. What made this especially awkward was the fact he was lying in his bed, the summoning circle appearing beneath him.
Passing through Thomas's bed and body like a phantom, his final Servant appeared to be a young woman with amber eyes and ashen grey hair that grew wild and untamed near her scalp and formed an extraordinarily long ponytail that fell past her butt. Her attire consisted of a white blouse that loosely clung to her petite frame, a black overcoat with a red checkered pattern near the bottom, a red scarf, thin black shorts that clung to her hips in a manner resembling spats, and black boots with large outsoles, golden adornments, and red heels.
As the unknown, androgynous-looking Servant fully materialized, she ended up stepping directly on Thomas. Fortunately, he had 'gained' a lot in the past couple of weeks, so her 45kgs of weight only caused him a bit of discomfort in the brief moment before she lost her footing.
Falling onto her butt, the ashen-haired Servant fell into a pseudo-m-pose that made it 'very' clear she wasn't a man in disguise. She quickly righted herself, but instead of getting off of Thomas's body or the bed as a whole, she outright straddled him, observing his befuddlement with an apathetic look on her face.
Just as Thomas was about to ask the girl to get off of him, for numerous reasons, she preempted him by materializing a white notebook and a quill, writing something down before turning the pad around so that he could read, 'My name is Ludwig van Beethoven. Apologies, for I cannot hear or speak.'
After blinking several times in surprise, Thomas gradually came to terms with the fact he had a girl seated on his lap, asking, "Can you read lips...?" out of curiosity.
Nodding her head in approval, Beethoven wrote something down on her notepad before turning it around, revealing, 'I can also feel what people are saying through the vibrations of objects I am in direct contact with.'
Adopting a wry smile, Thomas asked, "Is that why you're seated on top of me? Also, just to be certain, you 'are' a woman, right...?"
Raising her brows slightly, Beethoven looked down at herself and their current position, a very faint shade of red coloring her cheeks as she scribbled something down rapidly, revealing, 'Forgive me. My heart is not prepared for such things...'
After waiting for Thomas to read what she had written, Beethoven got off him, standing at the side of the bed with a gradually deepening blush. Her expression didn't change in the slightest, but it was fairly easy to see that she was embarrassed.
Rising to a seated position, Thomas adopted an apologetic smile as he said, "Sorry. I honestly didn't expect you to pop out when I was getting ready to sleep. Also, while it's a little late, my name is Thomas. Welcome to the Wild Hunt, Beethoven."
Adopting the faintest of smiles, Beethoven used her notepad to convey, 'The pleasure is mine.' and 'Will this be where I stay from now on?'
Shaking his head, Thomas answered, "No. Each member of the crew has their own private quarters. Come on; I'll give you a quick tour of the ship and introduce you to anyone still out and about."
Since he was the type that slept fully clothed, at least when he was alone, Thomas just had to slip on a pair of sandals before he could show Beethoven around the ship. Most of the crew had already retired for the night, but that didn't stop Benienma from surprising Beethoven with her usual appearing act, asking, "Is Master going on an evening stroll? Then Benienma will accompany you, dechi."
As he had largely gotten used to Benienma's apparent teleportation, the combination of her extreme speed and A-Rank Presence Concealment, a Skill typically reserved for the most skilled Assassins, Thomas just smiled as he replied, "I'm showing our Musician, Beethoven, around the ship. She is deaf and mute but can read lips. I'm unsure how your Ventriloquism will work on her, so you'll need to speak directly to her."
Blinking in surprise, Benienma directed her gaze to Beethoven, remarking, "Deaf and mute? It's a wonder you're able to be a Musician at all, dechi..."
Adopting a faint smile, Beethoven scribbled something down on her notepad before turning it around to reveal, 'Music comes from the heart and reverberates through the soul. I may have lost my hearing, but there is nothing that can take away my passion for symphony and song.'
Punctuating her words, Beethoven placed her hand over her heart and closed her eyes. To the surprise of Thomas and Benienma, the faint yet growing sound of symphony could be heard, emanating from Beethoven but quickly spreading to her surroundings like an echo. More surprisingly, Thomas actually recognized the song, muttering, "Symphony Number 9, Ode to Joy..."
Though she had her eyes closed, Beethoven's smile broadened when she 'heard' Thomas's words. When utilizing her Skills, she became one with the sound in her surroundings, tuning in to the symphony of the 'world' itself. When used as a weapon, she could paralyze or at least reduce the mobility of her enemies. When utilized for support, she could boost the morale of her allies, diminish the effects of fatigue, and, most importantly, incite the masses to action through song.
Understanding that it wouldn't be proper to allow her symphony to grow to its loudest in the middle of the night, Beethoven gradually restrained her zeal, regaining an apathetic look as she wrote something down on her notepad. When she eventually turned it around, Thomas was surprised to read, 'Thank you. It made me happy that you recognized my symphony. If you ever want to hear more, please let me know. I am always delighted to share my music with others.'
Punctuating her words, Beethoven adopted a happy smile that pierced through Thomas's heart like an arrow. The former had never appeared as a Servant in any media he was familiar with, but her words managed to secure her a position in his Top 10 female Heroic Spirits. He hadn't been into classical music since his time as a member of his High School Band, but he was more than happy to listen to Beethoven's music if it made her this happy...
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After escorting Beethoven around the ship, introducing her to Atalanta in the process, Thomas helped her get situated in her room before returning to his own. Now that he had summoned all nine of his Servants, he had a fair amount of thinking to do.
Though it had only been twenty-eight days since his arrival in the world of One Piece, even fewer since he started training, his strength, speed, and endurance had increased 'tremendously.' Even without the enhancement of Magical Energy, he could already pump out more than a hundred push-ups without issue, a stark contrast to a few weeks prior when he couldn't even do twenty without 'cheating.'
While he initially wasn't sure if Zelretch had given him the physique of someone from One Piece, Thomas's rapid progress and cartoonificiation led him to believe that was the case. Even when he went through Basic Training at Camp May, training for eight weeks to get into the best shape of his life, he couldn't do more than a hundred push-ups without slowing down or taking a break. Now, he could complete a full circuit of the island, navigate through the jungle, and race through the increasingly evolving obstacle course that Chiron had prepared as if he had been doing so for several years.
Unfortunately, even though he had explained the existence of Haki to Chiron, the latter didn't hesitate to inform him that it was 'impossible' for him to teach. His Personal Skill, Wisdom of the Divine Gift(A+), could not grant him knowledge of Skills outside the 'domain' of Greece's Mythic Era and the Skills derived from it. In other words, he couldn't teach things like Computer Programming or Advanced Robotics. Furthermore, as a Heroic Spirit, neither he nor the others could enhance their Parameters or learn Skills outside the scope of their Class. It was one of the many reasons he was teaching Thomas Reinforcement Magic, as the latter was one of the only known ways to empower a Servant outside of killing, ritual, and blood magic.
Though Thomas was initially concerned by the revelation, Chiron assured him it wouldn't be an issue. Even the weakest Heroic Spirits were already exceptionally powerful, and so long as they killed strong foes, particularly those with high bounties, their existence would be strengthened.
Like Magic itself, much of the power of a Heroic Spirit was derived from perception and belief. By defeating powerful foes or performing feats that would increase their reputation, either positively or negatively, their power would grow accordingly. With enough belief, they could even be elevated from Heroic Spirits to Pseudo-Divine Spirits. If the masses then began to worship them, they could develop a Divine Core and become literal Gods.
Unsurprisingly, the process of a Heroic Spirit becoming stronger based on feats, merit, and accumulating beliefs was known as Ascension, just like in Fate Grand Order. To that end, each of Thomas's Heroic Spirits had Three Stages of Ascension, their 'base' form representing their First Stage. If he wanted to Ascend them further, they would either need to kill Pirates with high bounties or perform grand feats on the world stage.
Since he wasn't 'really' a Pirate, despite what his BitTorrent history might imply, Thomas had come up with the idea of having the Wild Hunt act as Bounty Hunters or Mercenaries. It was only a matter of time before the World Government classified them as Pirates, but they could potentially secure the status of Shichibukai if they continuously hunted famous and powerful Pirate crews. That would make things much easier for them, as the Shichibukai, also known as the Seven Warlords, were globally famous and allowed to operate with relative impunity.
As he had no intention of tagging along with the Straw Hats, only getting to know them, becoming a Shichibukai seemed the most sensible course of action. It allowed them to travel about freely, hunting down infamous Pirate groups while also affording Thomas the time he needed to become more powerful. He only had around 3-4 years to become strong enough to contend with monsters that had dominated the seas for decades, so he would like to be able to focus on his training without fear of Cipher Pol or the Marines hunting him down...
With such thoughts in his mind, Thomas gradually succumbed to the sweet embrace of unconsciousness. There was so much he wanted to do in the world of One Piece, but nearly everything required him to be strong enough to 'survive.' Thus, while he had grand ambitions that involved the destruction of the World Government and space exploration, his absolute highest priority was becoming stronger...at least strong enough to deck Kaido hard enough to impress Yamato...
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(A/N: Beethoven's design is based on the character from Honkai Impact. I'll post the image here and in the comments.)

Chapter 13: Dreams, Ambitions, and Desire