One Piece : Wild Hunt

Though the crimson didn't fade from Caenis's eyes, she stood at attention with the pommel of her spear embedded in the ground. At the same time, Drake pointed her flintlock pistols toward the sky, the cannons behind her fading as the weather and seas began to calm.
As two of Thomas's Command Spells faded from his hand, accompanied by a burning sensation, an uncharacteristically fierce glower developed across his face as he exclaimed, "We're supposed to be allies, not fighting one another!"
Gripping her spear tight enough that her fingers were nearly white, Caenis barked, "That bitch isn't our ally! All she cares about is herself and doing as she pleases! You can't let her fool you...!"
Instead of refuting Caenis's words, Drake retorted, "What are you talking about, you foam-brained bimbo? I'm not trying to fool anyone, and this arrangement is for our Master's good! How do you expect him to achieve his dream of standing at the pinnacle if you keep babying him all the time? He'll never reach his full potential if we continuously remove every fucking obstacle in his path!"
Hearing Drake's words, conflicted looks appeared on the faces of Astolfo, Atalanta, and Benienma. Caenis wasn't even remotely convinced, but the crimson glow in her eyes wavered when Thomas abruptly stood in front of her, pleading, "Please, calm down..." in a soft, placating tone.
Looking up to meet Thomas's pained expression, a hint of blue returned to Caenis's eyes as she said, "But she's deceiving you...she wants to take away the Hind and do whatever she pleases..."
Shaking his head, Thomas replied, "The Hind has always belonged to her. And even if she 'does' leave, that's fine..."
Realizing that Drake might be trying to ostracize herself rather than him, Thomas placed his hands on Caenis's shoulders before giving the pink-haired Pirate a profound look as he added, "Even if people part ways, they can still support one another..."
Returning his attention to Caenis, Thomas's expression softened as he said, "Besides, there is some truth to her words. My power has increased tremendously over the past year, but it feels like I've been trapped in one place. Even if it's only for a short while, I want to try spreading my wings and experiencing the adventure that has captivated me these past twenty years..."
As her eyes alternated between red and blue, Caenis asked the question at the forefront of her mind, specifically, "Can I come with you...?"
Feeling a fluttery sensation in his chest, Thomas couldn't help smiling as he replied, "Of course. If Drake and I have decided to do our own thing, it makes sense that everyone else would be given a similar choice..."
Exhaling a faint, audibly relieved sigh, the crimson glow faded from Caenis's eyes, her animalistic ears perking up as she adopted a snide smile and remarked, "Then that settles it. I mean, you would pretty much be helpless without me around. After all, I'm the only one qualified to be your sparring partner. You also need to help replenish my Mana if it starts to run low, so, yeah...I'm coming with you..."
Feeling slightly embarrassed, Caenis broke from Thomas's grip on her shoulders before glaring at Drake as she asked, "You got a problem with that, 'Captain'...?"
Shaking her head, Drake maintained her usual calm and confident smile as she replied, "I firmly believe people should walk the path they choose. If you want to keep dragging our Master down, feel free. Who knows, the additional 'weight' might prove useful?"
Directing her gaze to the remaining members of the Wild Hunt, Drake asked, "What about you guys? I imagine Musashi will want to roam the world in search of powerful opponents?"
While Musashi adopted a wry smile, Benienma unhesitantly replied, "I am Master's Kosho, dechi. Even if I must remain in his shadow and become a kagemusha, Benienma will remain at Master's side, dechi...!"
Following Benienma's dutiful response, Astolfo was uncharacteristically reserved as she met Thomas's gaze and said, "I would also like to stay at your side. However, if it's true that we're holding you back...I might just fly around helping people...?"
Deciding to lend Astolfo a hand, Drake pointed out, "You would need him to recharge your Mana if you're going to fly around saving people on your Hippogriff. Besides, this is supposed to be us deciding what we 'want' to do. Forcing yourself to do something else because you're afraid of getting in the way is senseless. Isn't that right, Master~?"
Though his smile was wry, Thomas was sincere as he stated, "I would be happy to have you accompany me..."
Regaining her usual vigor, Astolfo smiled before darting over like a pink phantom, nearly knocking Thomas off his feet as she squeezed his body and replied, "Thank you, thank you, thank you~!"
Feeling the inordinate softness of Astolfo's body, Thomas floundered a bit as he freed himself from the petite pinkette's clutches, saying, "It's not a big deal..." with a flustered look on his face. His reaction earned him a sly smile from Astolfo, who, after a moment of hesitation, grabbed Thomas's arm and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"..."
Amused by the look on Thomas's face, Astolfo was tempted to tease him but ultimately decided against it. The atmosphere was still pretty tense, and the Straw Hats had been watching them with a mixture of confusion, intrigue, and fear on their faces. As tempting as it was, she didn't want to steal the spotlight and complicate things further.
As Astolfo gave Thomas a bit of space, Chiron felt compelled to offer his response, smiling apologetically as he stated, "I will accompany Drake. I have already taught you the fundamentals of Reinforcement, Alternation, and Projection Magecraft. Whether or not you master them will depend on your effort."
Though Caenis clicked her tongue, muttering, "Traitor..." Thomas returned a smile, stating, "That's probably for the best. Drake will need someone to act as her moral compass and train her future crew members. I'll trust you to keep things from getting out of hand..."
Placing his hand over his heart, Chiron gave a slight bow as he said, "You have my word." before raising his head and adding, "You have tremendous potential and a kind heart, Thomas. Follow the voice within, and it will never lead you astray..."
Nodding in affirmation, Thomas replied, "I'll keep that in mind..." before shifting his gaze to Musashi. In response, she exhaled a faint sigh through her nose, stating, "I would like to travel this world and measure myself against the strongest it has to offer. Also, the Pirate lifestyle doesn't suit me, so I'll most likely travel to Wano or join the Marines. I figure we would benefit from having someone on the inside, so I might give becoming an Admiral a go. If I can manipulate everyone's Bounties, that would put us in a pretty good position."
Blinking in surprise, Thomas parroted, "You want to become an Admiral?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Musashi replied, "I honestly don't care. My only purpose in life is to refine my 'zero sword' to the highest possible level. I'm just thinking about how I can help everyone else achieve their goals. We don't have anyone in the Marines, so I figure I can secure one of the top spots, collect information, inflate everyone's Bounties, and then stab them in the back once everything comes to a head."
Though he had no idea how Musashi would fare in the Marines, Thomas knew she could take care of herself. He would miss their chats, but if she could become an Admiral, it would benefit them tremendously. After all, this was a world where Luffy was a woman&mdash;having someone in the upper echelons of the Marines could give them access to important information about the world's structure, major events, and important characters that could drastically impact their plans moving forward.
Nodding his head in approval, Thomas said, "If it's you, I'm sure you could become an Admiral in no time. Just don't do anything to compromise your morals or integrity. If the World Government or the inbred Nobles backing them attempt to force you into something..."
Rolling her eyes, Musashi mused, "If that happens, the world will have a lot fewer Nobles. I would also receive a pretty hefty Bounty, so everyone wins. Easy peasy."
Inserting herself back into the conversation, Drake mused, "Then I guess that settles it. Our resident kitten will doubtlessly accompany you, so that leaves me with a centaur, a mad doctor, and a deaf/mute musician. Things are starting to get exciting."
Furrowing his brows, Thomas was about to 'insist' that Beethoven would accompany him, but Drake saw through him, asking, "Do you really think that girl would want to abandon the modern conveniences of the Hind...?"
"..."
Taking advantage of Thomas's silence, Drake asserted, "She'll be much safer and more content with us. And besides, you haven't even secured your 'own' position among the Straw Hats. At this rate, I may have to lend you a ship to start your own journey..."
With Drake suddenly looking toward her, Lucy perked up and replied, "I don't mind. You all seem like pretty interesting people, so it would be fun to travel together for a while. I just don't know about letting you become permanent members of my crew."
Electing to offer her input, Nami added, "Yeah. And what's the deal with you all referring to Tom as your Master? Is he like some kind of Noble or something...?"
With everyone looking at him, Thomas's body briefly tensed before he adopted a wry smile and replied, "It's complicated. I'm not a Noble or anything, but I do have a Master-Servant relationship with everyone in the Wild Hunt. The simplest explanation I can provide is this..."
Holding up his hand, Thomas began to condense Magical Energy around his fist as he explained, "I ate a Devil Fruit known as the Mana-Mana-no-Mi. It provides me with innumerable abilities, but the one most pertinent to this situation is something akin to summoning magic. It might be hard to believe, but everyone here is a Spirit I manifested with my power..."
While Nami, Zoro, Usopp, Johnny, and Yosaku had looks of disbelief on their faces, Lucy's eyes lit up as she exclaimed, "So you're like a Wizard or something!? That's so cool...!"
Smiling wryly, Thomas replied, "The technical term is 'Magus.' However, I'm more of a punchy-kicky kind of Magus than one who weaves complex magical spells. I can create barriers and fire blasts of Magical Energy, but I prefer to enhance my physical parameters and fight with my fists. It's a lot cooler..."
Punctuating his words, Thomas unleashed the gathered Magical Energy in his hand, destroying a small boulder a few dozen meters away. It was an incredibly inefficient way of utilizing his Magical Energy, but being able to unleash energy beams was every Otaku's fantasy. He had even created a version of the Kamehameha, but it was horrendously unstable and burned the shit out of his palms...at least for now.
Inserting himself into the conversation, Usopp's teeth clattered as he asked, "D-D-Does that mean everyone in the Wild Hunt is a g-g-g-g-g-ghost!?"
Shaking his head, Thomas replied, "No, though Benienma is technically a Demon from Hell. It would be best if you didn't tell lies around her. If you do so with malicious intent, she'll cut off your tongue..."
As the Straw Hats shifted their gazes to her, Benienma surprised them by speaking from the beak on her forehead, stating, "It's not good to tell lies, dechi..."
...
..
.
(A/N: Who could have imagined the people who spent the last year at Thomas's side might want to accompany him on his journey...?)

After assuring Usopp he wasn't in 'too' much danger, Thomas found himself standing a few meters across from Lucy. The two had already decided to fight, so the stakes had changed somewhat. Now, whoever won would become the Captain of the Going Merry.
Though he had no desire to be Captain of the Straw Hats(or whatever they would be called under his command), Thomas intended to go all out against Lucy. He had grown tremendously since the embarrassing fiasco that was his encounter with Arlong, so he needed to know how he fared against the person who would have defeated him.
While winding her arm up in a cartoony manner, Lucy's expression was calm yet serious as she asked, "Are you ready, Tom...?"
Lowering himself in a wrestling stance, hazy blue energy began to rise from Thomas's body as he replied, "Let's do this..."
Nodding her head, Lucy suddenly flung back her fist several tens of meters, her body rearing backward as she shouted, "Gomu-gomu-no..."
Clenching his teeth, Thomas prepared to be hit instead of planning to dodge. He wanted to know how strong Lucy was, so he focused his Magical Energy around his face and chest as the obsidian-haired Pirate lurched forward, shouting, "Pistol...!" as her fist flew toward him like an actual bullet.
Lowering his head and bracing himself, Thomas greeted Lucy's fist with his forehead, standing firm despite his feet digging into the ground and creating deep channels as he was driven back nearly ten meters. He felt like someone had rung his brain like a gong, but he managed to retain his focus, rushing forward the moment Lucy retracted her bloodied hand and shouted, "Ah! It hurts...!"
As Magical Energy functioned similar to Haki, Lucy punching Thomas's reinforced forehead was like an ordinary person punching a plate of steel. Her hand and knuckles hadn't broken, a credit to her tremendous strength and durability, but it was the first time in a 'very' long time since Lucy felt pain while punching someone.
Suppressing his apprehensions, Thomas did his best to ignore the fact that Lucy was a woman, tackling her with his face pressed into her soft yet notably 'springy' breasts. When she was forced onto the ground, he immediately got her in a mounted position, knees squeezing into her ribs and feet tucked under her knees as he began pounding her crossed arms with his fists. It was a brutal sight to behold, at least for ordinary people, so Nami immediately shouted, "What do you think you're doing!? Get off of Lucy, you bastard...!"
Before Thomas could even think to comply, Lucy shouted, "No...!" before bucking her hips, knocking the former off balance. Then, despite having very little clearance for a solid punch, she buried her fists into Thomas's body with enough force to propel him several tens of meters into the air. She could lift well over a hundred tons when she wanted to, so launching Thomas's 123kg of muscle was a simple feat.
Flipping onto her feet, Lucy spat out a mouthful of blood before adopting a smile and asserting, "You're pretty strong...!" with sparkling eyes. Then, as Thomas began his descent, she squared her feet and drew her fists near her sides as if she was preparing to power up. Instead, she waited until Thomas was within range before throwing increasingly swift punches at his body, effectively halting his fall as she shouted, "Gomu-Gomu-no-Gatling...!"
("Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck...!")
Though he curled up like a ball to try and resist Lucy's attack, Thomas felt excruciating pain in his arms and legs. Even with a veil of Magical Energy protecting his body, her blows felt like someone was smacking him with a sledgehammer. He had initially panicked when she sent him flying more than 30m into the air, as falling from such a height would have killed him back on Earth, but now he 'wanted' to hit the ground.
Fortunately, just as Thomas was thinking that Lucy wouldn't allow him to fall until he had been knocked unconscious, the attack ended after only a few seconds. Due to her limbs heating up and becoming sore, the current Lucy could only maintain her Gatling Gun for around ten seconds before she 'had' to stop. Just a few seconds longer, she would lose feeling in her limbs, temporarily making them useless...
Despite falling from a height that would have shattered his bones just a year ago, Thomas sustained no injuries as he hit the ground. In fact, he barely felt the impact at all, blinking in surprise as he raised himself from the ground and gave himself a quick once-over.
Interrupting Thomas's brief stupor, Lucy leaned her body forward as she kicked her left foot back, extending it nearly fifty meters as she shouted, "Gomu-gomu-no..."
Instead of waiting around and 'letting' himself be hit, Thomas charged forward like an Olympic sprinter off a starting line. Early Luffy/Lucy had a pretty major weakness that was fairly easy to exploit, so Thomas waited until Lucy began sweeping her legs like a harvesting scythe, leaping over it as she shouted, "...whip!"
Seeing Thomas jump over her attack, a slightly panicked look appeared on Lucy's face as it was nearly impossible for her to cancel her attacks once launched. It also took time for her to retract her limbs, so she was practically defenses as he landed on top of her, pinning her to the ground as he shouted, "Grit your teeth...!"
With force comparable to what he used to break Arlong's neck and spine, Thomas dropped his fist like a hammer into Lucy's unprotected face. He felt an ominous crunch as Lucy's face literally caved under his fist, but he didn't have time to regret his actions as the rubbery woman's fist abruptly connected with his cheek, the force contained within sending him flipping across the rocky terrain several times before his momentum was arrested by his face sliding across it.
"..."
Though he hadn't lost consciousness, Thomas was in so much pain that all he could do was tremble as blood pooled beneath his face. He felt like a motorcycle enthusiast that had just fallen off his bike without a helmet, the friction from his collision with the ground giving him the impression his face had been sanded down until it was a flat, bloody mess...
While Thomas was lying face-down on the ground, Luffy bounced to her feet, her features indistinguishable as the entire front of her face was still caved in. Then, like a literal cartoon character, she 'popped' it back out to reveal a bloodied, presumably broken nose as her only injury. At least that was how things appeared before she abruptly spat out a tooth, remarking, "That was a pretty solid punch."
Hearing Lucy's voice, Thomas reluctantly moved his hands into a push-up position before raising his body to reveal he wasn't nearly as injured as he suspected. There were some pretty nasty friction burns on his forehead and the tip of his nose, but he wasn't the gory mess he pictured within his mind.
Seeing Thomas rise to a knee, Lucy adopted a broad smile that showed off her missing incisor as she asked, "Can you keep going? I don't want to injure you too severely."
Though his pain made it impossible for him to focus, Thomas eventually forced himself to his feet, a grim expression on his face as he stated, "I want to continue until the end..."
Nodding her head in approval, Lucy replied, "Good answer!" before rearing back her right fist, this time adding a bit of twist to it as she exclaimed, "Then this is the last blow! Gomu-Gomu-no..."
Instead of standing in place, Lucy charged toward Thomas for the first time, her speed catching him off guard as she closed the 43m distance between in the blink of an eye, appending, "Rifle...!" as she planted her fist into his stomach with a frightening amount of force. Fortunately, the moment Lucy's fist made contact with his body, giving him the impression he was about to vomit up every single one of his internal organs, Thomas immediately lost consciousness...
...
..
.
Waking with a start, Thomas's hand instinctively gravitated toward his abdomen, confirming he didn't have a massive hole in place of his abs and intestines. As he did so, a familiar voice stated, "You sustained bruising to your internal organs, but Asclepius was able to treat you without incident, dechi."
Ignoring his unfamiliar surroundings, as he already had a pretty good idea where he was, Thomas looked to Benienma, a wry smile adorning his face as he muttered, "I lost..." in an ostensibly defeated tone.
Nodding her head, Benienma replied, "Lucy-taichou is very strong. Master should not feel bad about losing to her, dechi."
Exhaling a sigh through his nose, Thomas raised his head and passed his gaze over his cramped yet clean surroundings, asking, "Is this the interior of the Going Merry...?"
Offering a second nod, Benienma replied, "Indeed. More specifically, this is the Men's quarters. We moved you here shortly after Asclepius treated you, dechi."
Though he understood the implication of Benienma's words, Thomas's expression became notably melancholic as he asked, "Does this mean Drake already set sail with the Hind...?"
Offering an apologetic smile, Benienma replied, "Indeed...she felt it would make things easier for you if she departed succinctly, dechi. She did leave you a few gifts before departing, however."
Hopping to her feet, Benienma retrieved a bundle from the corner of the room, opening it to reveal Thomas's logbook, a binder filled with sheets of music, an ornate flintlock pistol, a neatly penned letter, a folded map, and two pairs of panties...
"..."
Ignoring the contrasting undergarments, Thomas picked up the letter and read its contents. He expected it to be a farewell letter, but it was a memo detailing Drake's immediate plans for the future. There was nothing even remotely resembling a farewell within the message. Instead, she included a post statement reminding him that he was their Master, so he shouldn't hesitate to call upon them if he required their assistance.
Though he felt slightly touched upon reading Drake's reminder, Thomas's smile cramped when he read the pink-haired Pirate's post-post statement revealing that the larger pair of panties belonged to her while the delicate, lace panties belonged to Beethoven. He already suspected that was the case, but her comment about hugging and sniffing them whenever he felt lonely completely ruined the sentiments contained within the letter...
Dealing critical damage to Thomas's already exasperated mind, Benienma inquired, "Would Master like a pair of Benienma's panties...?"
Closing his eyes, Thomas took a steadying breath before responding, "No, but thank you for your concern..." in a dull monotone. Then, after folding up the letter and tying up the bundle, he asked, "Where is everyone else? Have we already set sail...?"
Shaking her head, Benienma answered, "Everyone else is either on deck or getting settled into the Women's Quarters. We're currently moored near the island where Master and Lucy-taichou did battle, dechi."
"Right..."
As he didn't feel any aches or pains, Thomas rose from the couch he had been lying on, looking around for a set of stairs. Instead, the entrance to the room seemed to be a column beneath the main mast, requiring him to climb through a hatch to reach the deck. It was a peculiar layout, as the central hold was typically used as storage, not a living space, but Thomas didn't question it.
After climbing onto the deck, Thomas was immediately seized by the notion that the Going Merry was 'much' smaller than the Hind. Its main mast was only eleven meters from keel to tip, and its length was a mere thirteen. Despite this, Thomas couldn't help smiling as he gazed around at the 'familiar' setting, excitement comparable to when he first entered the world of One Piece swelling within his chest...
...
..
.
(A/N: Thomas gave it his all, but there is a reason Lucy has the status of a Main Character 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...
...
..
.
(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...)

Chapter 29: Divergence and Choice