One Piece : Wild Hunt

After watching Lucy put down enough fruits and vegetables to feed an elephant, Thomas tracked down and explained the situation to Drake. When she learned that the person he had been raving about for the past year had their gender swapped, she laughed like there was no tomorrow. Fortunately, she had no qualms about engaging the Straw Hats in a 'mock battle,' weighing anchor and leading the way in the Hind while the Going Merry struggled to keep up.
During the brief voyage, Drake surprised Thomas by calling him into her Cabin and saying, "I think you should join the Straw Hats..."
Blinking in surprise, Thomas instinctually responded with a confused, "Pardon?" before furrowing his brows and asking, "Are you serious...?"
Nodding in affirmation, Drake, sitting behind her desk, linked her fingers together, saying, "Before you get too upset, let me explain my reasoning. If you disagree with me, we'll continue to do things as we always have..."
Inhaling a steadying breath, Thomas suppressed his growing anger and frustration, stating, "Let's hear it..." in a dull monotone.
With an uncharacteristically serious expression on her face, Drake said, "I've been watching you for the past year, Tom. In that time, I've come to understand many things about you. First and foremost, you didn't come to this world to experience your own journey. You came here to experience 'their' journey..."
Before Thomas could respond or try to defend himself, Drake raised her hand to silence him, adding, "Secondly, you're obsessive and have self-esteem issues. You're constantly fretting over one thing or another, and you can't help comparing yourself to the rest of the crew. Not only does that stress you out, but it also forces us to measure our actions so that we don't upset or offend you somehow."
Narrowing her eyes slightly, Drake declared, "Put simply, you're holding everyone back. Instead of focusing on your journey and making the most of your situation, you're constantly pushing yourself to try and catch up to us and people you haven't even met yet. By joining the Straw Hats, you'll be able to grow alongside them without having to worry about constantly being in our shadow. Furthermore, that frees us to travel into areas of the sea you simply aren't ready for."
Pulling out the guidebook Thomas had written for her, Drake added, "We already have a general understanding of where you'll be heading during your journey, so we can make preparations for the future while you focus on the present. That gives us the chance to grow without having to worry about your safety, and if shit 'really' hits the fan, you can always call us to your side using a Command Spell."
Setting the guidebook on the table, Drake wrapped up her pitch, stating, "This isn't a permanent arrangement. Once you reach Sabaody, we'll be primed and ready to pick you up at your leisure. We could also meet up sometime after the Paramount War. I have a few ideas in mind about how we can most benefit from that situation, and I can't implement them with you acting as a leash."
Though Drake's argument was fairly compelling, Thomas's brows remained firmly furrowed as he asked, "So, that's it? I'm in the way...?" Without sugarcoating things, Drake nodded her head, answering, "Yes, though, keep in mind, I don't blame you. By your admission, the world you came from was a mundane and perfectly 'ordinary' world. Even after a year, you haven't truly adapted to life within this world. The Hind offers you too many advantages, and you've never really had to struggle. You train hard, sure, but you always act with the knowledge that we will bail you out the moment shit hits the fan. While that's true, to an extent, you'll never be able 'reach the pinnacle' so long as we're babysitting you."
"..."
Taking advantage of Thomas's silence, Drake's expression softened a bit as she added, "Listen, Tom...you may be a fool, but you're not an idiot. I'm sure you realized most of these things before I laid them out. If you didn't have us as a crutch, we both know you would do everything in your power to become a member of the Straw Hats. That sense of 'responsibility' you feel, the thing that drives you to prepare exhaustively, is holding you, me, and everyone else back. Instead of planning for life, go out there and live it."
After drawing in another deep breath, Thomas exhaled a prolonged sigh through his nose. He knew Drake was right, but, at the same time, he felt like he was being 'discarded.' Their separation might only last a year or so, but by the time they reunited, Drake would have invariably recruited many additional members to the Wild Hunt. He would basically be an outsider in his own crew...
Seeing through Thomas's thoughts, Drake asserted, "Relax. I won't make any promises regarding myself, but I can assure you that Caenis, Musashi, Atalanta, Benienma, and Beethoven won't be sleeping around. The former would never admit it, but we both know she's developed something of a soft spot for you. Even if our future crewmen and women attempted to hit on her, I imagine she would just beat the shit out of them..."
Noticing Thomas was on the verge of relenting, Drake narrowed her eyes in amusement as she added, "You could also take her with you, but her ability to manipulate the sea and storms would make things too easy for you. Her presence would also remove your need to conscript that Franky fellow, and, depending on the situation, she might get in the way of you 'wooing' those lasses on the Straw Hats. Caenis might not be the jealous type, but her presence would be a powerful deterrent to any other women that want to get close to you..."
Hammering her point home, Drake mused, "What were their names again? Nami, Robin, Vivi, Shirahoshi, Scarlett, Carrot, Wanda, Reiju, Yamato, and now Lucy? As a member of the Straw Hats, you will invariably cross paths with each and every one of them..."
Smiling wryly, Thomas pointed out, "Shirahoshi is barely sixteen three years from now, and she's also like ten to fifteen meters tall..."
Rolling her eyes, Drake retorted, "She's also a living weapon with the power to destroy the world. Besides, with the power of the Mana-mana-no-Mi, you can do anything you put your mind to. Just look at how much you've changed in a year. You're more than 210cm tall, and your face and hair and indistinguishable from when you arrived in this world. If you want to grow to fifteen meters, I'm sure you could figure something out."
"..."
As frustrating as Drake's words were, Thomas found himself increasingly convinced. He no longer had plans to build a massive harem out of all the One Piece heroines, but he would be lying if he said he had renounced the idea completely. Each of the girls Drake mentioned had their charms, and if he played his cards right, he should have a chance with at least a few of them...
After letting Thomas's thoughts wander for the better part of a minute, Drake revealed, "We'll be reaching our destination shortly. Once we get there, I plan to make a 'bet' with that Lucy girl. If their side manages to secure the victory in our skirmish, they'll be permitted to let you join their crew. If our side wins, I'll ask them to look after you for the next year or so. Then, if things play out as they did in 'canon,' we'll either pick you up after Bartholomew Kuma has separated you or sometime after the end of the Paramount War. Sound like a plan...?"
Though he still had the impression he was being 'discarded,' Thomas only hesitated for a moment before nodding his head, answering, "Fine...as you pointed out, I 'do' want to travel with the Straw Hats. But what will you be doing in the meantime...?"
Without hesitation, Drake replied, "First and foremost, I'm going to go pick up that treasure at the Jewel Ice Sheet. After that, we'll follow your plan, becoming Shichibukai before spending the next year or so drafting people and preparing for the Paramount War. On that note..."
Narrowing her eyes, Drake said, "If and when you encounter Marshall D. Teach fellow, ignore him. So long as that Ace kid isn't dead for more than twenty-four hours by the time we recover his body, Asclepius should be able to do something about it..."
Before Thomas could question her, Drake regained her smile as she said, "There is a method to my madness. If you have Musashi kill Blackbeard, it will completely derail the 'plot' you're familiar with. And if Ace doesn't die, at least for a short while, Lucy and the Straw Hats won't feel compelled to train during the two-year 'time skip.' I don't mind if you want to accelerate things, but if you enter the second half of the Grand Line early, you risk never crossing paths with characters such as Kinemon and Momonosuke. You also imperil the 'prophecy' of Toki, so no matter how much you loathe Blackbeard, you should do your best to tolerate his existence. He is one of the many whetstones that will help you and the Straw Hats reach their full potential."
"..."
Realizing that Drake had likely memorized everything he wrote in the guidebook, Thomas asked, "Just how long have you been thinking about getting rid of me?"
Adopting a mischievous smile, Drake replied, "From the moment you first summoned me. I don't like to be bound or restricted, so even though we have a Master-Servant relationship, I've wanted to do my own thing from the beginning..."
Rising to her feet, Drake walked around to the front of her desk, stopping just in front of Thomas as she added, "Like you, I came to this world to experience the thrill of a new adventure. I initially planned to share that adventure with you, but you have far too many 'attachments' that prevent you from making the most of the opportunity we've been presented. That may change in the future, but only after you leave the proverbial nest and figure out what you 'truly' wish to accomplish in this world..."
Fixing Thomas's collar, Drake's smile softened as she said, "You wouldn't have been able to summon me if we weren't at least a little similar. Once you embrace that aspect of your character and blossom into the man you wish to become, I'll be waiting. That's one of the perks of being a Spirit...I never have to worry about getting old. Even if you spend the next century trying to figure things out, I'll be ready and waiting to accompany you on whatever journey you have planned. Just make sure it's exciting..."
Retracting her hands from Thomas's collar, Drake gave him one last look before walking around him, revealing, "We've reached our destination. Do your best in the upcoming battle. Even if the outcomes appear similar, there is a difference between 'joining' a crew and 'accompanying' one on its journey. If you want to stand on equal footing with that Lucy woman, don't be afraid to punch her in the face and prove your worth...both as a man and a potential partner..."
Finished with what she had to say, Drake pushed open the doors to her Cabin and departed without looking back. In her wake, Thomas lowered his gaze to the ground, his mind uncharacteristically empty except for the words Drake had just spoken. He honestly wasn't comfortable with hitting a woman, but for the sake of his future and to earn Lucy's respect, he was prepared to give it his all...even if he was 'very' likely to get his ass kicked. After all, even if he charged up for a full hour, he wouldn't be able to level a normal-sized building, much less a five-story pagoda...
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(A/N: For those who are apprehensive about the novel following the canon timeline, don't be. While many of the locations and people will be the same, everything Thomas does will create ripples that affect events later down the line. Lucy's gender will also factor heavily into how events play out, so treat this as a 'spin' on the original story. One with adult themes and a lot more killing xD...)

A few minutes after Drake had departed, Thomas left her quarters to find Astolfo waiting for him with her Hippogriff. The latter drew a considerable amount of attention from the Straw Hats, specifically Lucy and Usopp, but Drake quickly got everyone on track, saying, "Now that we've finished the introductions, let's get this party started. Musashi, you're up."
Though she didn't think Zoro was at a level where she could enjoy herself, Musashi stepped forward with her hand resting on the end of her katana, teasing, "Do your best. Just know that once you run out of techniques, it's my turn to attack."
Furrowing his brows, Zoro said, "You shouldn't underestimate me so much..." before placing a white-hilted katana in his mouth and drawing his remaining two. His actions earned him a brow raise from Musashi, but she didn't call him out for his ridiculousness. Instead, she just spread her feet slightly, ready for whatever the green-haired man might throw at her.
Leaning forward, Zoro crossed his swords at a single point, exclaiming, "Oni-giri...!" as he rushed forward like a blur. Oni Giri was Zoro's bread and butter, the signature technique that had allowed him to take out numerous Pirates and bandits. No one had ever been able to see through or block the combination of three swords slicing from different directions, so his eyes widened to their limits when Musashi casually intercepted his attack with the pommel of her katana, remarking, "You have a lot of power..."
Before Zoro could respond, Musashi sent him skidding back by simply using her thumb to unsheathe her katana a few centimeters. As a Heroic Spirit, she had been vested B-Rank Strength, so, while she typically relied on her nearly-perfected techniques to defeat her adversaries, she wasn't lacking in raw power.
After recovering from his momentary stupor, Zoro's expression became severe as he rushed at Musashi. He was initially reluctant about fighting a woman, but now he 'had' to know the distance between him and Musashi.
Without drawing her swords, Musashi effortlessly evaded each of Zoro's attacks, no matter whether they were executed intentionally or as a result of him flailing about randomly. There was a tremendous difference in their respective speed and overall skill, so she could see through and react to Zoro's attacks before his body could catch up with what his mind wanted to do.
Seeing Musashi weave in and around his attacks with an almost bored look on her face, Zoro internally exclaimed, ("This is absurd! There can't be this big a difference between me and another swordsman!")
Creating some distance between himself and Musashi, Zoro raised his swords over his head, angling them behind the blade sticking out of his mouth as an illusory tiger formed around him. Even Thomas could see it, so Musashi perked her brows and mused, "Good spirit as well..."
Moving even faster than when he executed his Oni Giri, Zoro exclaimed, "Tora-Gari...!" through gritted teeth. At the same time, an audible tiger's roar echoed through the area as his figure briefly overlapped Musashi's, passing by her as if she didn't have time to react. At least, that was how things appeared from the perspectives of Thomas, Lucy, Nami, Usopp, and the two Bounty Hunters, Johnny and Yosaku. On the side of the Wild Hunt, each of them saw clearly as Musashi casually side-stepped Zoro's attack before returning to her initial position.
Feeling no feedback, even though his swords appeared to pass through Musashi's body, Zoro's breathing became progressively ragged. He was giving it his all, yet he hadn't even been able to force the former to draw her sword. It was maddening...
Looking back at Musashi, a fierce glimmer flashed across Zoro's eyes as he said, "The distance between us can't be this great..."
Sensing the pressure emanating from Zoro abruptly increase, a faint smile developed across Musashi's face. She suspected the former was tapping into the mysterious power known as Haki as, for a brief moment, he gave off a dangerous, seemingly indomitable aura.
Grabbing the hilt of her sword in a reverse grip, Musashi surprised Zoro by saying, "Remember that feeling." before abruptly 'disappearing' from view. In the very next moment, she appeared behind Zoro, sword resting on her shoulder as she added, "You will become strong in the future."
Immediately following Musashi's words, Zoro collapsed onto the ground, his eyes rolled back despite no visible wounds on his body. Musashi had reached the level where she could slice even concepts, so rather than cut Zoro's body, she directly attacked his 'consciousness.'
"Zoro...!"
Feeling slightly panicked, Lucy ran over to Zoro's side to confirm that he was still alive. When she didn't find any injuries on her body, a relieved sigh emanated from her throat, followed by confusion as she looked up at Musashi, asking, "What did you do to him...?"
Adopting a faint smile, Musashi stated, "I just knocked him out. He'll wake up on his own in an hour or two. You could also just toss a bucket of water onto him. That ought to do the trick."
Instead of using Musashi's proposed method, Lucy abruptly punched the sleeping Zoro on the head, shouting, "Oi! Wake up, Zoro...!"
Hissing in pain, Zoro abruptly sat up, rubbing a visible knot on his head as he grumbled, "What was that for...?"
Pointing toward Musashi, Lucy plainly stated, "You got beat up," with a deadpan expression on her face.
Following Lucy's finger, Zoro's expression paled when he saw Musashi standing relaxedly nearby while he had just awoken from being face-down on the ground.
The moment Zoro's gaze met her own, Musashi reiterated, "You have the potential to become much stronger. Once you do, feel free to challenge me again."
Returning her sword to her sheathe, Musashi turned away with the intent of rejoining her crew. Before she could take more than a few steps, Zoro called out to her, saying, "Wait! Tell me how you became this strong as a woman! What kind of secret method did you use...!?"
Half-turning, a confused look marred Musashi's face as she asked, "What does my gender have to do with my strength or skill? Once you attain true mastery, there are only two things that matter. Your desire to cut, and the object being cut..."
Punctuating her words, Musashi looked toward the cloudy skies above before drawing her sword at an ungraspable speed. Thomas had claimed there were people in this world that could part the clouds in two, so she was 'absolutely certain' she could do the same.
While other Swordsmen produced terrifying auras when they attacked, Musashi's swordsmanship gave off 'no' impression whatsoever. She had yet to master it fully, but she had stepped into the Realm of Nothingness long ago. As a result, unless her opponent possessed a similar degree of mastery or something like Advanced Observation Haki, it was impossible to perceive even the afterimage of her techniques.
Following Musashi's gaze, everyone from the Straw Hats stared in utter disbelief as they witnessed the clouds split in two. Thomas was similarly awed by the demonstration, but he also genuinely believed that Musashi could defeat Mihawk. Since the latter was considered the rival of Shanks, the first person in the series to exhibit a sky-splitting attack, it wasn't too surprising that Musashi could perform a similar feat.
Returning her sword to its sheathe, Musashi stated, "Swordsmanship has no limits whatsoever. Men may have the advantage in the early stages of development, but that's only when comparing common, everyday people against one another. There are women in this world that can destroy small mountains with their punches. If gender were a truly insurmountable wall, every man in the world would be able to accomplish such feats with ease. The only people who care about such notions are the weak..."
Finished with her words, Musashi returned to where the other members of the Wild Hunt were waiting, winking as she passed Thomas. He had asked her to show off a bit since he feared that Don Krieg and Mihawk might not show up. This was the result.
Nodding his head in approval, Thomas whispered, "Thanks, Musashi..." before breaking off from the group. There was no way Usopp could face Atalanta in a Sniper/marksmanship contest, so the next match would be him against Lucy.
As Luffy was still seated on the ground next to a visibly shaken Zoro, Thomas asked, "Should we continue this another day? Your First Mate looks like he's about to take the biggest shit of his life..."
Recovering from his stupor, Zoro growled, "Bastard..." while Lucy laughed in amusement. A few seconds later, she bounced to her feet, stating, "I'm ready when you are, Tom. But are you sure about this? Now that Zoro lost, I have no choice but to get a little serious."
Before Thomas could reply, Drake chimed in to say, "You speak as though you've already won. While it's true that Tom is the weakest member of the Wild Hunt, he isn't a slouch. He has worked hard to reach his current level, so if you look down on him, you'll end up experiencing a lot of pain..."
"Hmmm..."
Though she got the impression there was something 'off' about Thomas, Lucy didn't feel the same sensation from him that she got from people like her Grampa. He was tall, muscular, and had a rugged appearance, but he didn't 'feel' like a seasoned warrior. It was difficult to put into words, but there was a certain lack of 'conviction' in his expression and movements. He kind of reminded her of Usopp, just a lot beefier.
Taking advantage of Lucy's silence, Drake attempted to move forward with her proposal, stating, "Since you seem so confident, why don't we spice things up with a bet? If you win, Tom will join the Straw Hats as a member of your crew. If we win-"
Before Drake could finish baiting her trap, Caenis, Astolfo, and Benienma interrupted her, stating, "Bullshit!" "No way~!" and "Inconceivable, dechi!" Even Atalanta seemed displeased by the turn of events, glaring at Drake with a disproving look on her face.
As she expected a bit of pushback from those closest to Thomas, Drake remained calm as she said, "Don't get your knickers in a twist. I wouldn't be suggesting this if it wasn't for Thomas's benefit. Being trapped within our shadows is stunting his growth as-"
Though she raised her arm to try and protect her face, Drake was sent flying by a haymaker, courtesy of a crimson-eyed Caenis. Chiron quickly moved to restrain her, but Caenis sent him reeling with an elbow to the face before charging toward Drake, shouting, "You treacherous snake! I knew you eventually do something like this...!"
Before Caenis could reach Drake and give her a thrashing, the tip of her toe managed to catch a tiny yet uncompromising pebble, tripping her as the pink-haired Pirate Queen leaped into the sky to avoid her. When she landed, she spat out six teeth, blood trailing from her lips as she adopted a gruesome smile and remarked, "Man, you really got me good with that one..."
Materializing her two flintlocks and four of the Hind's artillery batteries, Drake's smile became especially vicious as she teased, "Attacking your Captain with the intent to kill is a fairly mutinous action..."
Generating an aura that caused stray dust and rocks to rise around her, Caenis glared at Drake with murderous intent as she growled, "You may be our Captain, but you are 'not' our Master..."
As the sky overhead began to darken and the seas became turbulent, Caenis manifested her spear, fully intending to kill Drake. Before the two of them could engage each other, however, Thomas abruptly raised his hand, shouting, "That's enough...!" as an invisible force radiating from the Command Spells on his hand...
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(A/N: Oh, wow, would you look at that? It turns out that Drake doesn't speak for every member of the Wild Hunt. Who could have possibly imagined such a thing? It's almost like events can occur outside the characters' expectations (O o O). Not that this is one of them...)

As innumerable thoughts filled Thomas's mind, the Going Merry, Luffy's ship, pulled around to the opposite side of the Baratie. This gave Thomas the idea of having Drake relocate the Hind, not to put them closer to the Straw Hats but to ensure they wouldn't be in the firing line when Mihawk showed up to slice Krieg's ship into three pieces.
With such thoughts in mind, Thomas turned around and made his way into the Baratie. As unexpected as this development had been, he still planned to meet Luffy and the other Straw Hats. Fullbody wasn't around to try and sink their ship, so the odds of Luffy accidentally destroying the roof of the Baratie were slim. On that same note, there was a real possibility that Gin, the Combat Commander of the Krieg Pirates, wouldn't show up. Without him to lure Krieg over, the events of the Baratie Arc, including Mihawak's arrival, may not occur at all...
Realizing how drastically even minor actions could shape the course of 'set' events, Thomas exhaled a sigh. If Mihawk didn't show up, they would have no choice but to depose one of the other Shichibukai to secure their nomination. However, the two best options, Crocodile and Geck Moria, were opponents that the Straw Hats 'needed' to overcome to ensure their growth, forge future alliances, and recruit members to their crew...
As Thomas moved over to sit at her table, Musashi remarked, "You look like someone who just found their childhood pet lying dead in its kennel. What happened?"
Smiling wryly, Thomas answered, "Luffy is a woman...and I now have no idea what to expect..."
Raising her brows slightly, Musashi mused, "That must have been quite the shock. However, considering there are many Heroic Spirits who were men in the 'greater' history of their worlds, you shouldn't be too surprised by such an outcome. After all, we wouldn't even be here if this were the One Piece you're familiar with."
As there was a considerable amount of truth to Musashi's words, Thomas inhaled deeply before exhaling a long, exasperated, and accepting sigh. Unfortunately, this was immediately followed by Caenis remarking, "Look on the bright side. If things go well, you might have another hole to shove your cock into. With a body made of rubber, she should be able to accept you no matter how big you grow."
While Musashi's smile became wry, Thomas reached up to massage his abruptly aching forehead. He would be lying if he said the thought hadn't crossed his mind, but there was a difference between thinking something and voicing it aloud...
Before Thomas could fully recover from how taken aback he was, the front entrance to the Baratie was practically kicked open, followed by the petite future Pirate Queen shouting, "Give me some vegetables~!" loud enough to shake the restaurant to its keel. Behind her, Zoro, Usopp, Nami, and two other men whose names Thomas couldn't remember off the top of his head, entered with wry, curious, or bored looks on their faces.
Following her outburst, Luffy looked around the dining area, zeroing in on Thomas, Caenis, and Musashi. Her gaze caused the remaining Straw Hats to look over, Usopp exclaiming, "Holy sea cows!" while Zoro narrowed his eyes, his hand naturally gravitating to his swords when he met Musashi's gaze.
After punching the back of Usopp's head, causing him to bite his tongue, Nami turned to Luffy, asking, "Do you know those people, Lucy?"
Shaking her head, Lucy unhesitantly replied, "Nope. But I can tell those two girls are 'really' strong."
As the group was speaking loud enough that everyone could hear them, Thomas exhaled another tired sigh. He knew his strength was nowhere near Caenis's and Musashi's, but he never expected to be 'disregarded' while sitting between them.
Adding insult to injury, Nami asked, "What about the guy? He seems like their leader or something, doesn't he...?"
As if she only noticed him once Nami mentioned him, Lucy looked at Thomas before crossing her arms in a manner that made it look like her breasts would burst out at any moment. Then, after several seconds of silence, she tilted her head to the side and remarked, "He seems kind of weak...?" as if there was an invisible question mark over her head.
Suppressing yet another sigh, Thomas rose to his feet, forcing a smile as he said, "For now, perhaps. However, so long as I never give up, it's only a matter of time before I stand at the pinnacle of this world..."
Blinking in surprise, Lucy issued a curious "Oh?" before adding, "If that's the case, then you should join my crew. I'm the woman who's going to be the future Pirate King. If you're going to be strong one day, we should be Nakama."
Inserting herself back into the conversation, Nami had a helpless look on her face as she said, "You can't just go around inviting everyone you meet to join your crew, Lucy. Besides, look at the situation. He already has two beautiful women eating with him. Inviting a womanizer onto the crew will jeopardize the safety of our female members..."
Tilting her head to the opposite side, Lucy asked, "How? He doesn't seem like one of the bad guys my Grampa and Dadan told me to avoid. I get the feeling he actually wants to help us."
Blinking in surprise, Thomas opened his mouth, but no words came out. He knew Luffy/Lucy had a powerful intuition, but he didn't think he would be seen through so...effortlessly. She also seemed a lot smarter than the character he was familiar with...not to mention her call for 'vegetables' in place of meat. It was almost like she was a completely different person...
Adopting a broad smile that would be impossible for a normal person, Lucy asserted, "We can trust him." before making her way over to sit at Thomas's table. Nami reluctantly joined her while Zoro, Usopp, and the two 'nameless' Bounty Hunters sat at the table next to them. Around the same time, Sanji emerged from the kitchen with a plate of vegetable soup, asking, "Who ordered the veggies...?"
Raising her hand much higher than a normal person, Lucy replied, "Me, me, me! Bring it over here~!" in a spirited tone.
Following the direction of the voice, Sanji's eyes widened when he saw the bevy of beautiful girls seated around a single table. The presence of Thomas bothered him, but he had already gotten accustomed to ignoring the brutish eyesore that seemed to have the Devil's luck.
Making his way over, Sanji set the soup in front of Lucy, a charming smile on his face as he mused, "One vegetable soup, for the beautiful lady. This one's on the house."
Hearing Sanji's remark, a mischievous smile appeared on Nami's face as she leaned forward slightly, accenting her still-developing charms as she asked, "And what about me, Mister Waiter? Do I get a free meal as well~?"
Though the expression on his face remained fairly calm and composed, everyone at the table heard Sanji swallow as he met Nami's hazel-brown eyes and struggled to hold her gaze. In response to her words, he gave a slight bow and smoothly replied, "Of course. For beautiful ladies, being given the opportunity to prepare your meals is payment enough. It would be criminal of me to charge you more..."
Narrowing her eyes in amusement, Nami replied, "Then we'll need a lot more than a single plate of soup. Despite her diminutive appearance, my friend here can eat her body weight in fruits and veggies. As for me, I'll take the house special and a bottle of your finest wine."
Despite a bead of sweat appearing on his brow, Sanji retained his smile and replied, "As you will, my lady." before returning to the kitchen without bothering to ask Zoro, Usopp, and the others what they wanted. He also didn't look toward Thomas until the latter said, "Get Beni to help you. I'll also foot the bill and the cost of the ingredients, so feel free to show off as much as you like."
Realizing he had given Thomas a chance to flex his wealth, Sanji clicked his tongue and returned to the kitchen without responding. Immediately following his exit, Nami's eyes were practically sparking as she leaned across the table, smiling radiantly as she asked, "Are you perhaps super wealthy, mister...?"
Though it felt awkward being referred to as a 'mister,' Thomas replied, "Thomas D. Jensen. Feel free to call me Tom. And yes, my crew is...fairly wealthy..."
Keying in on the word crew, Lucy asked, "You already have a Pirate crew of your own?"
With Musashi and Caenis leaving the discussion to him, Thomas shook his head and replied, "Not quite. We might become Pirates at some point, but our current occupation is Bounty Hunters. The three of us are members of the Wild Hunt, sailing aboard a vessel called the Golden Hind."
Hearing Thomas refer to himself as a Bounty Hunter, the bodies of Nami, Zoro, and Usopp tensed. Lucy, however, was completely carefree as she asked, "The three of you are 'members' of the Wild Hunt? Does that mean you have a Captain...?"
Nodding in affirmation, Thomas revealed, "The Wild Hunt currently has ten members, and our Captain is Francis Drake. These two remarkably beautiful women are Caenis and Musashi, the Shipwright and First Mate of our crew. As for me...you could say I'm their patron? I basically get to pick and choose our destination and target."
Exhibiting a complete disregard for the antagonistic relationship between Pirates and Bounty Hunters, Lucy replied, "You seem pretty important. As for me, my name is Monkey D. Lucy, the future Pirate King. And these are my friends and crewmate, Nami, Zoro, and Usopp. If the three of you are Bounty Hunters, I guess that means you'll be chasing us in the future...?"
Shaking his head, Thomas seized the opportunity to assert, "Our group only targets evil and malicious Pirates, the type that harms others and commits all kinds of heinous acts. As far as I'm aware, none of you even have Bounties. Even if you did, I don't think you're bad people. Certainly not like that Arlong fellow we took down a few months ago..."
Slamming the table, Nami rose to her feet, shouting, "What did you just say!? Did your crew really take down Arlong...!?" with a disbelieving yet hopeful look on her face.
Though he was a little taken aback by Nami's outburst, Thomas managed a smile, nodding his head as he replied, "Indeed. We handed them over to the 45th Branch of the Marines around three months ago. We managed to earn around 65 million after turning them in."
Plopping onto her seat, Nami's gaze became unfocused as she muttered, "I can't believe it..."
Choosing to chime in, one of the nameless Bounty Hunters, a bronze-skinned man with short black hair and sunglasses, stated, "He's telling the truth. The Bounties for Arlong and his crew were rescinded around three months ago. However, the identities of the people who defeated them were never made public..."
Nipping Nami's disbelief in the bud, Zoro added, "Johnny's right. I was originally planning to take out Arlong and his crew after dealing with the other infamous Pirate crews in the area, but his Bounty was canceled a few months ago. If these people really took him out, their power must be pretty incredible..."
Seeing another excellent opportunity, Thomas narrowed his eyes as he replied, "Strong enough to take out pretty much any crew in the East with ease. I'm the weakest member of the Wild Hunt, but I'm fairly confident I could give your Captain a run for her money..."
Raising her brows, Lucy offered a surprise "Oh?" before adopting a toothy grin as she questioned, "Are you challenging me to a fight? I may be a girl, but you'll regret it if you look down on me."
With a 'serious' expression, Thomas shook his head, firmly asserting, "I'm not looking down on you. In fact, I 'know' you have tremendous potential. It's one of the many reasons I want to fight you...I want to test my power against the future Pirate King..."
"Hmmm..."
Placing her index finger on her chin and tilting her head slightly to the side, Lucy appeared to be seriously considering her response. She would prefer to fight Thomas's Captain, but if he was 'serious' about fighting her, she didn't see the harm in accepting his challenge. He had also offered to pay for her meal, so she 'owed' him at least that much.
Nodding her head, Lucy replied, "Okay. Once we're finished eating, let's find a nearby island where we can cut loose. I'm pretty curious about the abilities of your crew, so we can have a friendly match to determine who's the strongest."
Immediately following Lucy's words, Sanji emerged from the kitchen with a silvery pushcart full of food, effectively bringing the conversation to an end. Nami looked like she still had a lot she wanted to ask but ultimately remained silent, deciding she would wait until after the fight to ask about the details of Arlong's defeat...
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..
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(A/N: For those who weren't aware, Oda actually revealed a genderbent version of Luffy in one of his AMA/SBSs. According to the man himself, the genderbent version of Luffy is a vegetarian with the same dream, just a more 'delicate' personality.)

Chapter 27: Heart to Heart