One Piece : Wild Hunt

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Not expecting such a question, nor such an outdated term, Thomas was a little slow to respond, causing Caenis's ears to flatten like an angry dog as she growled, "Stop fucking around and answer me..."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.)

Though Astolfo also had Independent Action, the Mana within their body was still finite. Whenever she returned to the Hind, it was Thomas's job to replenish her reserves. Fortunately, while sex was indisputably the fastest way to restore and provide a Servant additional Mana, it was far from the only way...
While Astolfo used a towel to cover the front of her body, despite being a biological male, Thomas sat behind her with his palms against her back, slowly directing Mana into her body. She had made a few playful remarks about his Mana piercing deep inside of her and filling her belly until it was about to burst, but she eventually stopped when asked.
"So, how were things in Cocoyasi Village?" asked Thomas. "Did you get a glimpse of Nami...?"
Exhaling a sigh, Astolfo replied, "I hate that place. It took a lot of restraint for me not to sweep through all those cruel and hideous Fishmen. And no, I've yet to see Nami. I located the orchard you mentioned previously, but the only person tending to it was a cute, blue-haired woman."
Since Nami spent most of her time away from home, collecting Belly to buy her village's freedom, Thomas wasn't surprised to hear that Astolfo hadn't met her. The latter had only visited the Conomi Islands twice, so it would have been an amazing coincidence for their paths to cross.
"That blue-haired woman must have been Nojiko, the adoptive sister of Nami. Did the two of you talk?" asked Thomas.
Shaking her head, Astolfo replied, "I didn't stay for long. If I stay around a place like that for too long, I'll 'have' no choice but to take action. It pains my heart to see people being oppressed like that."
Adopting a wry, apologetic smile, Thomas said, "I'll talk to Drake and see if you can't take a break from scouting abroad. You've already done more than enough by establishing a route for us to follow over the Grand Line..."
Smiling broadly, Astolfo replied, "A break would be nice, but I'm not the type that can sit in one place for too long, especially when I know there are injustices occurring elsewhere. I'm thinking of scouting the Red Line and Reverse Mountain next. After that, I'll see if I can't find Wano, so we can sail there whenever you feel like it."
Though he appreciated Astolfo's enthusiasm, Thomas warned, "I've said it before, but the second half of the Grand Line is extremely dangerous. I know you and your Hippogriff are incredibly capable, but if you encounter one of the Four Emperors or their crew, they should be able to attack you. There was a lot of debate regarding the integrity of the calcs, but people in my previous world determined that certain individuals have relativistic, if not faster-than-light speed and reaction times. I always assumed it was Oda utilizing the 'Rule of Cool,' but there are people who can dodge lasers and predict lightspeed attacks at short range."
Leaning back slightly, Astolfo half-turned to face Thomas, a mischievous glimmer in her eyes as she asked, "Are you worried about me~?"
Exhaling a sigh, Thomas replied, "It would be stranger if I weren't...you were a fan-favorite character back in my previous world. Some even said things like, 'sometimes, it takes a real man to be the best girl.' Even I find your appearance pretty cute. I'm just not into dudes..."
Narrowing her eyes slightly, Astolfo asked, "Does that mean you 'would' be into me if I were a woman?"
Without hesitation, Thomas nodded, answering, "One hundred percent..." despite an awkward smile on his face. The truth was that he had thought of at least two ways to turn Astolfo into a girl. It was incredibly selfish and pretty fucked up to consider, but he felt he would regret it immensely if he didn't bone Astolfo at least once before their journey concluded...
Playing into Thomas's hand, even though he wasn't trying to lure her into a trap, Astolfo mused, "Well, there seems to be a lot of mysterious powers in this world. If I find a way to become a girl in the future, be sure to treat me kindly, okay~?"
With a 'serious' glimmer in his eye, Thomas revealed, "I know at least two ways you can become female..."
After blinking several times in surprise, a nervous laugh emanated from Astolfo's throat as she awkwardly replied, "That's...good? To be perfectly honest with you, I was mostly fooling around. However, if you 'really' want me to be a woman, I don't mind giving it a try..."
Though she didn't think their relationship would be very healthy, Astolfo would be lying if she said she wasn't curious about what it was like to be an actual woman. She didn't think people should have to change who they were to receive someone's care and affection, but if it was only for a short while, she didn't mind too much.
Noticing Astolfo's discomfort, Thomas's expression became apologetic as he shook his head and said, "Forget about it. I don't want to force you to do something you're uncomfortable with..."
As there was no way he would become a woman just to let someone fuck him, Thomas wasn't going to force someone else. Astolfo might behave and dress like a girl, but it shouldn't have been difficult for her to become one if she really wanted to. The world she originated from was filled with Magic, various forms of faerie creatures, and even gods. Any one of them could have helped her to change her gender.
Since Thomas had made the proposal and she had already agreed to it, Astolfo adopted her characteristically carefree smile as she replied, "It's fine. I'm actually 'really' interested to know what it's like to be a woman, so I'd like to try becoming one. If nothing else, it will make wearing cute and feminine clothes a lot easier."
Though he got the impression Astolfo was forcing herself, Thomas gave a slight nod before explaining, "There is a Devil Fruit wielded by a shemale named Emporio Ivankov, also known as the Okama King. Their Devil Fruit, the Horu-Horu-no-Mi, allowed them to control and manipulate hormones. They have the power to turn men into women and vice versa with a single injection..."
Blinking in surprise, Astolfo remarked, "That's a pretty terrifying ability..." before asking, "Are there no side effects?"
Though he wasn't certain, Thomas replied, "People who swap genders frequently will end up becoming monstrous-looking Okama. However, if it's just a single injection, there don't seem to be any side effects. If there are, I'm certain that Asclepius could remedy them..."
"Mmm...and what's the second method?" asked Astolfo. She didn't like the sound of receiving an injection that forcibly changed her gender, so she wanted to hear what the alternatives were before making a decision.
Adopting a wry smile, Thomas revealed, "The second option is to ask Asclepius. There are numerous stories of Greek Gods changing people's genders, and if something like a hormone injection can get the job done, I imagine he could do something similar..."
With Thomas bringing up the notion of Greek Gods changing genders, Astolfo couldn't help asking, "Are you sure that's a good idea? If Asclepius truly can change a person's gender, Caenis might ask him to turn her into a man. I noticed the thoughtful looks she kept casting your way at dinner. Your butt might be in danger if you're not careful."
"..."
While trying and failing to suppress the image of a futa Caenis, Thomas retracted his hands from Astolfo's back, saying, "Let's just forget we had this conversation. You're fine the way you are. In fact, if you weren't right in front of me, I would probably criticize anyone that wanted to make you into a woman. I'm just being selfish..."
Understanding the 'greater meaning' behind Thomas's words, Astolfo narrowed her eyes in amusement as she teased, "No one here is going to judge you, you know? Well, some might, but does it matter? You came to this world to be free and have an adventure. We're even fated to become Pirates, so why should we live according to the conventions of others...?"
Shaking his head, Thomas stated, "It's just a personal preference. I'm not homophobic, but the notion of having sex with a man, even one that looks like a cute girl, makes me uncomfortable..."
Shrugging helplessly, Astoflo asserted, "Then you're arbitrarily limiting yourself. There are beautiful men and handsome women in this world. And if you knew you could change back, wouldn't you want to 'try' at least and be a woman? It sounds like a lot of fun to me."
Offering a casual shrug of his own, Thomas replied, "I guess I'm just not as comfortable with my sexuality as you are. I can easily imagine myself going to town on a beautiful woman, but if the situation was reversed...it's honestly terrifying. If I ended up enjoying it more than when I have sex as a man, it would fuck me up pretty badly..."
Exhaling a faint sigh, Astolfo was tempted to ask 'why' it would fuck him up but decided against it. She knew that Thomas's mentality was likely the result of his upbringing, so, without being 'forced' out of his comfort zone, he would likely remain close-minded on the matter. She believed he would be happier if he just did as he pleased, but not everyone could face the fears that had been ingrained into them since birth.
Rising to her feet, Astolfo kept her chest covered as she said, "We'll put a pin in this for now. And thanks for the top-up."
With nothing else to say, Astolfo promptly departed Thomas's room and made a beeline toward Asclepius to see if it was possible to change her gender. It was a little mean-spirited of her, but if it turned out he could do so without making it 'too' obvious, she intended to have him transition her in secret. Then, when Thomas eventually succumbed to her charms, she would be able to surprise and teach him a lesson...
Unaware of Astolfo's 'mischievous' thoughts, Thomas resisted the urge to sniff his hands as he began a late-evening workout. He only had five days left to complete Caenis's challenge, and he was determined to do so even if he had to sacrifice his sleep...
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With the benefit of Chiron's Recovery Magecraft, Benienma's food, and Beethoven's music to help relax his mind, Thomas's progress was much faster than anyone expected. He advanced more in two weeks than most people would improve in two months. More importantly, his gut had all but disappeared, and while he might not have a six-pack, it was only a matter of time with the perfectly balanced diet Benienma had him on.
What surprised Thomas, even more so than his rapid growth, was that his height had noticeably increased. He had already been fairly tall at 6'2'', roughly 188cm, but after training with Chiron for around a month, he was now 6'4'', just over 193cm. It was a little disconcerting, but as he had girls like Yamato in his sights, Thomas was more excited than anything else. He couldn't imagine surpassing Yamato's tremendous height of 8'8''(263cm), but the closer he got, the better.
Fortunately, while Thomas's height and weight had increased, most of his newly acquired mass was muscle. His gait had also become longer, so if he went all out, he could complete a circuit around the island in under nine minutes. This was fast enough to shatter even the Olympic Record in his previous world, but, as his stamina was far from inexhaustible, Thomas gradually slowed down, barely managing seventeen laps in four hours. He pushed himself far beyond his limits, but it simply hadn't been enough...at least, that's what he believed.
Just as Thomas was preparing to stop and accept his defeat with grace, Caenis surprised him by asking, "Why are you stopping? I know for a fact you can complete twenty laps. Keep going."
As Benienma was already waiting with his lunch, Thomas pointed out, "But it's already been four hours..."
Crossing her arms, Caenis narrowed her eyes in an ostensibly threatening manner as she stated, "Our agreement was that you complete 20-30 laps, not that you do so within four hours. If you stop now, you will 'never' have another chance to be with me. Now show some spirit."
Though he got the distinct impression that Caenis was simply taking pity on him, Thomas wasn't going to protest. The moment he knew he still had a chance, he gained a second wind and increased his speed to around his maximum from a few weeks prior. Then, even though it took an additional six and a half hours, he kept running until he finished all thirty laps...
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(A/N: Thomas when he hears Caenis's words: *Neuron Activation*)

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...
...
..
.
(A/N: It seems Caenis found a ship other than the Hind to work on...)

Chapter 14: Incentive