One Piece : Wild Hunt

Once Drake was satisfied with the destruction she had wrought, she lowered the Hind into the harbor attached to Arlong Park. Then, while Atalanta and Astolfo kept watch over their ship, she disembarked with Thomas, Chiron, Musashi, and Benienma.
Seeing the destruction caused by Drake's Noble Phantasm, Thomas couldn't help asking, "Think you might have overdone it a bit? We were supposed to capture, not kill them..."
While he had no intention of holding back against Arlong, Thomas would rather the group end up rotting in Impel Down than six feet under. One of their members, Hachi, an Octopus Fishman, also had a close relationship with one of Thomas's favorite One Piece characters, a man known as the Dark King, Silvers Rayleigh. The latter was the second in Command of the Roger Pirates, so Thomas would rather not make an enemy out of the kind yet exceptionally powerful old man.
Giving Thomas a sidelong stare, Drake remarked, "Yet again, you appear to have forgotten who you're dealing with. With my EX-Rank Luck, do you think I would 'accidentally' kill someone? A few of them might have grave or fatal injuries, but I can pretty much guarantee they're alive."
Though it was difficult to believe, Thomas nodded in response to Drake's words. He recalled a scene in Avengers Endgame where Thanos's flagship bombarded the Avengers' Compound with dozens of missiles, completely leveling the heavily reinforced building and even cracking apart the earth beneath it. Yet, despite the destruction, several ordinary humans emerged from the plasma-based explosions completely unharmed...
Lending credibility to Drake's claim, a rather disgusting-looking man with massive red lips, light-blue skin, and curly brown hair crawled from the wreckage of a nearby building. He was covered head to toe in injuries, but he was very clearly alive as he raised a pair of maraca-like clubs and said, "You...despicable humans! You dare...sneak attack...the Arlong Pirates...!?"
Seeing the maraca-wielding Fishmen, Thomas inadvertently scowled. He didn't consider himself specist, but the blue-skinned man was a lot uglier than he was anticipating the Fishmen to be. While there appeared to be a cel-shaded filter applied to the world, it possessed a touch of realism that even the most advanced anime lacked. The Fishman in front of him might have appeared fairly ordinary through the lens of anime, but he resembled a 'monster' in real life...
Voicing Thomas's thought aloud, Drake remarked, "That's one ugly fish..." before aiming her pistol at the severely injured man and asking, "And you want to try and 'befriend' these monsters?"
As Thomas had explained the circumstances surrounding Fishman Island and characters such as Neptune and Shirahoshi, Drake had been looking forward to visiting the mysterious underwater kingdom. Now that she saw what Fishmen actually looked like, she was significantly less enthusiastic.
Though he felt similarly, Thomas forced himself to say, "We can't judge people based on their outward appearance. There are kind-hearted and noble Fishmen. Mermaids are also famed worldwide for their beauty, so we shouldn't base our opinion of their entire species on a few outliers..."
Since Thomas knew more about the world than she did, Drake replied with a half-hearted, "If you say so..." before pulling the triggers of her ornate flintlocks, shooting the maracas out of the wounded Fishman's hands. For good measure, she also blew out his knee, leaving the blue-skinned man curled up in pain as she turned to Thomas and said, "Let's get this over with."
Despite feeling as though things had already ended, Thomas gave a curt nod, following silently and attentively as Drake led the way into the heart of the destroyed park. Along the way, they found several other severely injured Fishmen, but, as Drake had attested, none of them were dead. A few looked like they were barely clinging to life, but the rain pouring down on them from above caused their wounds to slowly close up, healing at a rate visible to the naked eye.
Noticing how rapidly some of the Fishmen were recovering, Drake ordered Chiron to begin tying them up. Even the weakest member of Arlong's crew had a Bounty of around 3,000,000 Belly. When summed up, the Wild Hunt was looking at a minimum payday of 72,500,000 Belly, 64,500,000 if they excluded Hachi, so Drake wouldn't permit a single one of them to escape.
While Drake was envisioning the Hind's cargo bay filled with treasure, a large stone came barreling at her head with enough force to leave a trail through the rain. She effortlessly destroyed it with a casual shot from her pistol before narrowing her eyes in amusement as the person who threw it at her, a hulking Fishman with pale-blue skin, visibly pulsating gills, shark-like teeth, and a nose resembling a saw blade.
Recognizing the 263cm tall, incredibly fierce-looking Fishman as Arlong, a teasing smile developed across Drake's face as she turned to Thomas and said, "Look's like you're up."
Recovering from the horrified stupor he had fallen into upon seeing Arlong in person, Thomas resisted the urge to back down, replying, "Just leave it to me..." as he stepped forward, a hazy blue aura immediately enveloping his fists and body. Arlong was 'a lot' bigger than he was expecting, but he wasn't going to back down without a fight...
Seeing Thomas approaching him, Arlong's eyes became increasingly bloodshot as he growled, "You disgusting and cowardly humans...you can't defeat us fairly, so you attack us from a distance with weapons instead of depending on your pathetic strength..."
Exhaling through his nose, Thomas continued to gather Magical Energy into his fists as he responded, "Listen, man. I honestly don't give a damn about the hate between humans and Fishmen. I know you went through some shit as a child, but all you've accomplished since then is ensuring your people will continue to suffer and be discriminated against..."
As his left arm was both broken and dislocated, Arlong waved his right hand, propelling drops of rain like sharp needles as he bellowed, "Don't you dare talk down to me, you human trash!"
Crossing his arms to protect his eyes, Thomas's heart beat like a drum as his body was peppered with a stinging sensation. None of the droplets managed to pierce his defense, but they stung like decently-sized pieces of hail. Had he not veiled his body with Magical Energy, the casually flung droplets might have pierced several centimeters into his flesh...
Realizing it wasn't the best time for a dialogue, Thomas followed Arlong's surprise attack by rushing at the much taller man. Arlong's massive frame, sharp teeth, and saw-like nose filled him with alarm, but he knew that size wasn't the deciding factor in a world like One Piece.
Though he was slightly surprised by Thomas's speed, Arlong stood his ground and swept his webbed hand toward his would-be attacker like a horizontal guillotine. The hazy blue aura around Thomas's body made him feel slightly apprehensive, but he would never turn his back and flee from a human. Not after the last time...
Ducking under Arlong's chop, Thomas landed a right straight in the man's muscular abdomen. A sound comparable to a sledgehammer striking a metal plate echoed through the surroundings, but, even though he was sent skidding back several meters, Arlong adopted a contemptuous sneer as he dusted off his abdomen and asked, "Seriously? You want to take me out with 'that' level of strength? Pathetic..."
With his left arm healing thanks to the rain, Arlong spread his arms in a challenging manner, his body visibly swelling until he was nearly three meters tall as he said, "You should have stayed on your ship and attacked from a distance. You, humans, were born inferior to Fishmen, so you have no hope of defeating us in a fair and just contest. All you can do is rely on your numbers, technology, and the power of Devil Fruits. Now, thanks to this blessing from the Heavens, I will show you where you stand..."
Punctuating his words, Arlong charged at Thomas with terrifying speed; his shark-like maw opened wide as he intended to take a bite out of the latter's shoulder. Fishmen were roughly ten times stronger than humans on land but twenty times stronger in the water. With rain blanketing the battlefield in sheets, Arlong was nearly as powerful on land as he was in the sea.
Panicking a bit, Thomas instinctually erected a magical barrier to protect himself from Arlong's charge. It cracked like glass as the latter's saw-like nose pierced into it but managed to hold its form and arrest the massive Fishman's momentum. Even Thomas wasn't expecting this, however, so he wasn't able to capitalize on the opportunity he had created. Instead, he stepped backward as Arlong grabbed the barrier and crushed it with his monstrous strength.
Spitting away the glass-like shards of Magical Energy in his mouth, Arlong adopted a taunting sneer as he said, "As I suspected. Just another human who ate a Devil Fruit and misconstrued the power it awarded as their own. Without relying on cheap tricks and outside power, you humans are just a bunch of pathetic worms..."
Furrowing his brows, Thomas asked, "And what about people like Gol D. Roger, Silvers Rayleigh, and Monkey D. Garp? Humans who haven't eaten a Devil Fruit yet can overpower even the strongest Fishmen with ease? Do they simply not exist in your distorted version of reality...?"
"..."
Taking advantage of Arlong's silence, Thomas added, "And don't forget about Dracule Mihawk, the fruitless members of the Revolutionary Army, the Happo Navy, and one of the literal Four Emperors, Red-haired Shanks. Then there are the members of Cipher Pol, Marines that have mastered-"
Annoyed by the countless examples discrediting his assertions of innate Fishmen superiority, Arlong swept his hands toward Thomas, interrupting him with a volley of hundreds of water droplets. Then, as Thomas moved to protect his face, Arlong charged toward him, using his webbed hand to grasp his opponent's head as he shouted, "Know your place...!"
As Arlong raised him from the ground with ease, the pupils of Thomas's eyes shrank to the size of pinholes as he abruptly changed direction, his face barreling toward the ground. He was fairly confident in his durability, but a tremendous amount of panic washed over him as he closed his eyes and prepared for the impact.
Before Thomas could eat hardened coral pavement, Arlong was sent flying back by a powerful kick, his body becoming a blur as he crashed through several ruined walls and disappeared into a mountain of debris. At the same time, an arm wrapped around Thomas's body, preventing him from crashing to the ground, as a familiar voice flatly remarked, "Once this is over with, I'm going to teach you how to wrestle properly..."
Opening his eyes, Thomas was both relieved and ashamed to find he was being held under Caenis's arm. The latter had been watching his fight as intently as she promised, so the moment it looked like he was in danger, she immediately stepped in to rescue him.
Setting Thomas on his feet, Caenis gave him a once-over, pretending to dust him off despite rain pouring down on them in buckets. Once she had confirmed he wasn't injured, she exhaled a faint sigh before crossing her arms in a condescending manner as she remarked, "You're really pathetic, you know that? Six months of training, and you can't even defeat a fish on land? From now on, you should stay back and leave everything to us until you've gained enough strength and experience to fight without tensing up or cowering like an idiot."
Though Caenis's words were more than a little biting, Thomas adopted a faint smile as he realized she was actually worried about him. He could be mistaken, but her action of checking him over for injuries before sighing in relief was pretty telling.
Before Thomas could potentially say something he might regret, Arlong erupted from the mountain of debris with bloodshot eyes and a gigantic sword resembling the teeth of a shark in his right hand. There was a literal footprint in the center of his chest, but even though he was clearly in immense pain, he pushed himself to his feet and growled, "Both of you are fucking dead..."
...
..
.
(A/N: Caenis is letting her dere, not just her derriere, show...)

Unable to contain herself, Caenis burst out laughing when she heard Arlong's threat. The enraged Fishman charged toward her, but she didn't even bother to dodge as he swung his sawtooth blade, the Kiribachi, at her neck.
To demonstrate just how outclassed Arlong was, Caenis raised her chin slightly, giving the former easier access to her neck as she stood with her arms crossed in contempt. The Endurance Parameter gave Heroic Spirits an exceptional degree of Shock Nullification, so Caenis stood her ground without moving a single centimeter despite the tremendous force behind Arlong's blow.
Parodying Arlong's words to Thomas, Caenis adopted a teasing sneer as she asked, "Seriously? You're this weak and dare to lecture others...?"
Seeing Caenis tank his full-powered blow without flinching, Arlong's eyes wavered as he instinctually took a step back, pulling his Kiribachi as if it were an actual saw. The moment he did so, Caenis reached up to grab the blade with her bare hand, shattering it like glass before kicking him in the gut faster than he could leap backward.
As Arlong was sent skidding across the ground like a stone across a pond, Caenis charged forward, intercepting him with a punting kick that sent the severely injured Fishman flying hundreds of meters into the air. Then, with a predominately red spear in hand, she reared back before releasing it like a crimson beam, piercing Along's body and the clouds above with enough force to create a void revealing the clear skies above.
While Thomas looked on in utter stupefaction, Caenis snorted through her nose, muttering, "Pathetic..." before raising her hand to casually catch the spear that came flying back to her like a sonic boomerang. A few seconds later, Arlong's body crashed into the ground, cratering it slightly as he lay sprawled out, unmoving, on the coral pavement.
Without sparing a glance at her downed opponent, Caenis returned to Thomas's side, asserting, "As feeble as he was, that deranged fish was beyond your capabilities. But don't let it bother you. You only recently completed your basic training. Once we start sparring 'seriously,' you'll get a lot stronger."
Exhaling a sigh, Thomas resisted the urge to dispute Caenis's assertion. He was sure he could have done 'something' against Arlong, but she had intervened the moment he was in danger. Even Luffy sustained near-fatal injuries during his battle against the specist Fishman, so it wasn't like he expected to come out completely unscathed...
Shaking such thoughts from his mind, Thomas adopted a wry smile as he replied, "Thanks for the assist..."
Nodding in approval, Caenis was about to tease Thomas even more but stopped as she noticed Arlong attempting to stand. She hadn't aimed for anything particularly important, but she was surprised to see he was still conscious, remarking, "Tenacious bastard..."
Following Caenis's gaze, Thomas felt a mixture of guilt and determination as he said, "Let me handle the rest." The thought of beating someone who could barely stand felt wrong, but he was well aware of the kind of person Arlong was. The man was many things, but deserving of mercy wasn't one of them...
Rolling her eyes, Caenis dematerialized her crimson spear before crossing her arms and stating, "If you slip up a second time, no fucking for the next two months."
Though Caenis's words nearly caused him to trip, Thomas caught himself, regaining his wry smile as he replied, "Now I can't lose..." before making his way over to Arlong with a vibrant blue haze surrounding his fists. The latter looked up at him as he approached, coughing up a worrying amount of blood as he managed to get one of his feet under him, kneeling on the ground with a sizeable hole in his stomach.
Covering the hole with his left hand, Arlong glared at Thomas as if the latter was his nemesis, stating, "You...coward...needing to gang up...on a single person..."
Furrowing his brows, Thomas was tempted to call Arlong out on all of his bullshit but ultimately decided against it. Treating their battle like he was in a shonen anime had allowed Arlong to sneak attack him multiple times. He also had nothing to prove to the extremely specist man, so he raised his right fist and said, "You talk too much..." before attempting to slam it into Arlong's left cheek.
Though he was too injured to dodge Thomas's attack, that didn't prevent Arlong from trying to slice open the former's hand with his saw-like nose. However, while he managed to angle his nose properly, a sound similar to metal scraping against metal filled the area as the razor-sharp edges slid across Thomas's hand and forearm without penetrating the veil of Magical Energy protecting him.
Realizing what Arlong had attempted, the look on Thomas's face became ugly as he raised his fist and condensed enough Magical Energy to make it seem like his hand was swathed in cerulean flame. As he did so, Arlong stared up at him with an indignant yet fiercely resolution expression on his face, unwilling to bow his head or beg for mercy from a 'human.'
As the Magical Energy in his fist reached the point where pieces of his skin began to peel away, Thomas's expression softened as he said, "Don't worry. Despite your intolerance, Fishmen will eventually be able to live on the surface without fear of humans. Queen Otohime's legacy endures..."
Blinking in surprise, Arlong's expression lost a bit of its ferocity as he opened his mouth to say something. That was the exact moment Thomas was waiting for, his fist resembling a ghostly blue meteor as he smashed it into the left side of Arlong's face. The latter had interrupted him several times, so this was a bit of petty revenge, resulting in the burly Fishman's left eye disintegrating as the upper half of his body spun around, nearly separating from his lower half due to the massive hole created by Caenis.
Though he was still alive, Arlong toppled over, blood leaking from his abdomen and empty eye socket as his body contorted unnaturally, a tell-tale sign that his spine had been snapped in two. It was a terrifying sight to behold, but Thomas felt an emotion similar to catharsis as he exhaled a breath he didn't even know he had been holding.
Shifting his attention from Arlong's collapsed form to the 'flames' around his fist, Thomas's complexion paled when he saw that his ring and pinky fingers were twisted in the wrong direction. At that exact moment, intense pain radiated from his hand and through his arm, but he managed to avoid crying out as he cradled it close to his chest and groaned, "Thick-skinned bastard..."
...
..
.
As Chiron reset and mended Thomas's broken fingers, Drake wandered around the destroyed Arlong Park with a broad smile and sparkling blue eyes. She had been feeling increasingly horny since she disembarked the Hind, so she 'knew' there was treasure nearby.
Reaching a patch of debris that made her especially 'tingly,' Drake pulled out her flintlock and fired a bullet that caused a decently-sized explosion rather than simply penetrating the rubble. When the smoke cleared, Drake found a large trapdoor, the smile on her face broadening as she kicked off the broken lock and opened the hatch to reveal a ladder and a room filled with chests, lock boxes, and a pallet topped with gold bars.
"Jackpot~!" exclaimed Drake before dropping into the secret storage room without hesitation. There were bundles of explosives in each corner of the room, set to go off if anyone attempted to enter the room forcibly, but the triggering mechanism had 'conveniently' been damaged, either by Drake's explosive bullet or the Hind's bombardment.
Kicking open the lid to one of the chests, Drake's eyes lit up as gold coins, gemstones, and neatly stacked piles of Belly entered her view. The Arlong Pirates had been extorting the communities of the Conomi Islands for the past eight years. During that period, they mandated that each citizen pay a monthly survival and protection tax of 100,000 Belly for each adult and 50,000 Belly per child. Most of the communities averaged between 100-300 residents, but that was still an average of 200,000,000 Belly a month for eight years.
Though Arlong had spent millions each month to purchase the silence of the local Marines, Drake's ability to calculate the value of objects revealed the horde to be worth 12,484,058,900 Belly. A standard Caraval cost just over 100,000,000 Belly, while a fully-rigged battleship had a market value of around 1,300,000,000 Belly. With 12.5 billion in additional funds, Drake could manifest at least three Frigates and twelve Corvettes to serve as an escort for the Golden Hind.
As tantalizing as that notion was, Drake immediately dismissed it from her mind as she knew Thomas wouldn't be 'comfortable' with hundreds, if not thousands, of crewmen joining their fleet. Her Master was possessive and a bit of a control freak, so he wouldn't be able to accept recruiting random people to fill their ranks and serve as extra hands. It was honestly kind of annoying, as the Hind was built to complement twelve officers and a crew of eighty. Right now, it felt more like a ghost ship than a proud vessel that sailed the seas without equal...
...
..
.
After receiving treatment, Thomas stood off to the side with Benienma, silently awaiting Drake's return while the Chiron and Caenis transported Arlong and his crew to the ship's brig. He noticed that Hachi was missing from the group of unconscious Fishmen, but as he always intended to let the comparably friendly Octopus go, Thomas didn't mention his absence to the others.
Since it never took her long to sus out the location of treasure, Drake emerged from the ruins of Arlong Park mere minutes after she wandered off, a tremendous smile on her face as she remarked, "Coming here was the correct choice. These damnable fish had close to six-"
With Benienma narrowing her eyes and placing her hand on the hilt of her katana, Drake's smile visibly cramped as she supplanted, "I found a stash of around twelve-and-a-half billion Belly in a hidden cellar. And since we don't have any lackeys, you get to help me carry it. Let's go."
Though he immediately followed after the pink-haired Pirate Queen, Thomas had a disbelieving expression and tone as he asked, "Twelve-and-a-half billion? With a B...?"
Raising her brows, Drake asked, "Why are you so surprised? You're the one who told us about the survival tax. As backwater as this island is, it still has a few thousand residents. Arlong and his crew must have been raking in between 200-400 million each month for the past eight years. If they hadn't spent any of it, we would have been looking at a payday of 20 billion, easy."
Realizing that Drake was telling the truth, Thomas's steps slowed until he had stopped entirely. The former initially turned to him with a confused look on her face, but when she saw the expression on his, it immediately morphed into a scowl as she declared, "We aren't turning over our booty to the people of this island. I don't mind if you want to help the villagers get back on their feet, but these are the spoils of our victory and the price of their lives. Maritime Law dictates that the spoils of a Pirate crew belong to the group that subjugated them. Do you think the Marines would return these funds to the people?"
Though he could see where Drake was coming from, Thomas couldn't help feeling conflicted.
Before Thomas could potentially make an enemy out of Drake, Benienma tugged on his sleeve, a serious expression on her face as she said, "Even spirits must pay a toll to traverse the Sanzu River, dechi. These people did not petition our aid, so we are under no obligation to return their money to them."
Blinking in surprise, Thomas stared down at the petite sparrow, asking, "Even you, Beni...?"
With a completely serious expression, Benienma asserted, "They willfully handed that money over to preserve their lives. We also have a lot of uses for it, so returning it to them would be punishing ourselves for performing a good deed, dechi."
Though he didn't fully agree with Benienma's take, Thomas only hesitated briefly before nodding in approval. He couldn't recall anything about Luffy and co returning Arlong's extorted loot, so it most likely ended up in the hands of the Marines. Thus, even though it made him feel like a complete and utter bag of dicks, he agreed to keep the money they had legally and 'fairly' plundered...
...
..
.
(A/N: Benienma be like, "Just enough money to start up my Inn...")

Hearing the mustached man say he was no longer welcome in Baratie, Fullbody's expression turned especially ugly as he growled, "Don't say anything you're going to regret, Chef Zeff. The neutrality of Baratie and the surrounding seas is predicated on the fact that the Marines allow it. If I informed Headquarters that your restaurant willfully serves Pirates, how long do you think your permit would last?"
Undaunted by Fullbody's words, Zeff snorted through his nose, stating, "As if a mere Lieutenant possesses such authority. Go ahead and file a false report, you little shit. I've been operating this business and paying taxes for twelve years without incident. We'll see how long you maintain that little commission of yours once your actions come under the scrutiny of your superiors. Cowards like you can't prevent the more honest men on their crews from disclosing the truth."
Though he clenched his teeth and balled his hands into fists, Fullbody didn't say anything. Baratie was one of the most reputable restaurants in the world and one of the most prominent locations in East Blue. Several higher-ups from Marine Headquarters frequented the floating restaurant, so it wouldn't take long before someone questioned the integrity of his report.
As his career was marginally more important than petty revenge, Fullbody took a moment to pop his collar as he said, "I'll remember this incident..." Then, with a nasty expression on his face, he directed his beady-eyed gaze to Drake, adding, "I'll be monitoring the activities of the 'Wild Hunt' closely from now on. Greedy bastards like Bounty Hunters always turn to piracy sooner or later. The moment you do, I'll be there waiting to arrest you..."
Exhibiting even less concern than Zeff, Drake mused, "You can run along now, little boy. Pray our paths don't cross again. Because if they do, I can promise you'll live to regret it."
Narrowing his eyes, Fullbody cast one final look at Drake's breasts before storming out of the restaurant. As much as he resented her, she was still one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. If she were willing to express a bit of 'sincerity,' he was certain they could reach an agreement. Until then, she and her Wild Hunt had secured the second spot on his shit list...
As Fullbody stormed off, Drake shifted her attention to Zeff, a teasing smile on her face as she asked, "Are you going to kick me out as well? I don't mind, but a certain member of my crew would be disappointed."
Shaking his head, Zeff replied, "Though you violated the sanctity of these waters, it was in self-defense. As this is your first visit to Baratie, I will not disbar you for standing your ground."
Finished with what he had to say, Zeff turned around and retreated to the kitchen. In his wake, a slim, muscular, long-legged man with short blonde hair, a sparse goatee, and swirly eyebrows made his way over to Drake with a bottle of wine in hand, saying, "A bottle of wine for the pretty lady. Consider it an apology for the trouble you've had to go through."
Narrowing her eyes in recognition, Drake mused, "My, what a gentleman," as she accepted the bottle of wine, uncorked it, and downed its contents in a single go. As she did, she felt the blonde-haired man's gaze shift to her breasts, but by the time she exhaled a contented sigh, he was staring at her face with a cool and composed look.
Adopting a fairly charming smile, the swirly-browed man mused, "Quite the drinker, aren't you?" before pulling out a handkerchief, offering it to Drake as he added, "My shift ends at eight. If you're still around by then, I'd be happy to pour you a few drinks privately..."
Exhaling a light chuckle, Drake left the blonde-haired man disappointed as she teased, "Sorry, kid, but I like my men with a bit of meat on their bones. You're plenty handsome, I'll give you that, but your arms and legs are even thinner than mine. Feel free to ask again once you fill out a bit."
Punctuating her words, Drake gave the tall and lanky man a comforting pat on the shoulder before walking past him with confident strides. In her wake, the swirly-browed man pulled out a cigarette, stepping out onto the balcony before lighting it up, inhaling a deep drag, and exhaling a sigh as he watched Drake depart the Baratie and return to her ship...
...
..
.
Although Caenis's thighs weren't as soft as Benienma's, they were pliant, springy, and comfortable. Before Thomas realized it, he had dozed off for nearly six hours, only waking once Musashi came over to inform them that dinner was ready.
As he was originally planning to eat at Baratie, Thomas was more than a little confused when he heard Musashi's words and noticed the ship was swaying from side to side, accompanied by the familiar vibrations of the Hind cutting through the water.
Preempting Thomas's query, Musashi explained, "Because of an incident that occurred at the restaurant, the Captain decided to weigh anchor and vacate the premises. Don't worry; we weren't booted out or anything. Our fearless Captain just had a bit of an altercation with a Marine and refused to step down when he tried to throw his weight around. We already shook them off, but we should expect them to badger us for the rest of our stay in the East Blue."
Exhaling a sigh, Thomas said, "I'm not surprised. Not with Drake, but with the Marines. Since East Blue is considered the 'weakest' of the Four Blues, it's where outcasts and troublemakers with no upward mobility are sent to rot. When Luffy and his crew first embarked on their journey, nearly every Marine Officer they encountered was either a swindler or a corrupt tyrant ruling over their posts with an iron fist. If not for a literal rat-themed cunt named Captain Nezumi, Nami's village wouldn't have had to suffer under the tyranny of Arlong and his crew..."
Shrugging her shoulders, Musashi replied, "Well, the Conomi Islands are less than a day's journey away. If we sail through the night, we can be in the area first thing tomorrow morning. Once we get there, Benienma or I can take out this 'Captain Nezumi' without anyone realizing it."
Though she didn't have Presence Concealment, Musashi's Emptiness(A) let her move about undetected and even phase through objects. If they wanted to make it look even more like an 'accident,' they could also have Caenis attack the ship from below. She could breathe underwater and, if given time to prepare, conceal their movements by generating a powerful storm. Either way, this Nezumi guy clearly needed to die if they wanted to avoid being demonized by the Marines.
Hearing Musashi's proposition, a serious and somewhat conflicted look marred Thomas's face. He was initially planning to wait until Luffy made his debut, but if he could end the suffering of Nami and her village sooner, shouldn't he? The only reason not to was to ensure she met Luffy, but so long as he didn't recruit her to join the Wild Hunt, there was a fairly high chance they would meet.
As it was the 'right' thing to do, Thomas eventually nodded, saying, "We'll discuss our plan of action tonight. I kind of wanted to learn how to control my strength a bit before we fought, but I vaguely remember Luffy leveling a multi-story building to take Arlong out. I'm nowhere near that level yet, so I doubt I could defeat him if I held back..."
Deciding to chime in, Caenis assured, "I'll keep a close eye on you during the battle. If it looks like you won't be able to defeat him, I'll intervene and beat the shit out of him. Though, if he's only 10-20x stronger than an ordinary human, you should be fine. Your punches have high penetrative power, so he should drop pretty quickly if you catch him in a soft spot on his body."
Prompted by Caenis's words, Thomas recalled the scene of his fist sinking into the body of the watermelon-themed man. His complexion noticeably paled, but his stomach didn't twist and turn as intensely as before. He still felt a little queasy, but he willed himself to overcome it as he said, "Arlong is a specist asshat that has tormented humans for decades. When the two of us face one another, I won't hold anything back..."
Understanding that Thomas's words were more for himself than either of them, Caenis and Musashi remained silent, permitting his words to settle before the latter suggested, "Let's discuss this over dinner. Come on; you must be hungry after skipping lunch."
As he had gotten used to eating upwards of five meals per day, Thomas nodded his head, answering, "You're right." before rising to his feet and following after the buxom samurai. Then, alongside Caenis, the three of them made their way to the galley. Benienma had prepared a light meal that was easy on the stomach, so, even though he still felt a little sick, Thomas managed to get down quite a bit as they discussed their plan of action...
...
..
.
As Drake was more than happy to see some action, she violated her usual policy about never sailing at night to ensure they would reach the Conomi Islands by morning. Astolfo had already circled the entire archipelago and made stops at each of the twenty-three communities occupying. She had also flown over the base of the Arlong Pirates, Arlong Park, several times, so they had a detailed map of the enemy base and its surroundings.
Before conducting their raid, Drake dispatched Astolfo to scout the sky, Benienma to scout the interior of Arlong Park, and Caenis to survey the sea floor. The Arlong Pirates were known to swim out and sink any ships that tried to come close, but that wasn't much of a concern for Drake as even Musashi would struggle to cut through the Hind's hull, at least with 'normal' attacks. The only reason she dispatched the trio to scout was to ensure there were no civilians present before she started bombarding the park from afar.
Though she had every intention of letting Thomas fight, Drake wasn't just going to sit on the sidelines. She was the Captain of the Golden Hind and the Wild Hunt, so she at least wanted to lay siege to Arlong Park and take out most of the fodder. According to her, if Arlong and his Officers were too weak to withstand even a 'light' salvo, they weren't worth the time it would take to disembark and face them directly.
Once Astolfo and Benienma had returned, Drake sneered as she made the Hind rise into the air. She wanted Arlong and his crew to feel as helpless as the people of the Conomi Isles, so she planned to bombard them from the sky while Caenis blocked off the sea route. The latter was markedly more powerful underwater than she was on land, so she could intercept and incapacitate any Fishmen that attempted to flee into the sea.
With most of her preparations completed, Drake turned to Thomas with a vicious smile, sapphire eyes glistening as she asked, "Do you know what time it is, my esteemed Master~?"
Though he had misgivings about Drake's plan, Thomas adopted a smile of his own as he answered, "Hunting time...?"
Blinking in surprise, a look of genuine bafflement briefly adorned Drake's face before she regained her grin and shouted, "Ding, ding, ding! That's the correct answer~!" before aiming her pistols toward Arlong Park. The moment she did so, four additional canons materialized around her as the front-facing batteries of the Hind hummed to life. Overhead, dark clouds began to gather rapidly, followed by rainfall as Drake began to unleash a salvo of highly destructive lasers on the unsuspecting Fishmen...
...
..
.
(A/N: There's no kill quite like overkill...)

Chapter 22: First Obstacle