One Piece : Wild Hunt

After telling everyone else he would take care of it, Thomas spent nearly an hour trying to get Crocus to answer the door while Lucy explored the surrounding cape. When the man finally opened his door, he had the same grim expression as before, stating, "You're starting to get on my nerves..."
"That wasn't my intention," replied Thomas. "But we kind of 'need' a Log Pose if we're going to get out of your hair. Beyond that, there is something I wanted to ask you..."
Instead of responding to Thomas's words, Crocus removed his circular glasses and gave them a length cleaning using a red cloth. While doing so, he started directly into Thomas's eyes with his intense stare, his own becoming progressively more bloodshot as he didn't blink for nearly four minutes.
Once he was finished cleaning his glasses, Crocus placed them into his pocket instead of putting them on his face, questioning, "Well, what are you waiting for? I might be a Lighthouse Keeper, but I have better things to do than stand around waiting for you to ask your question."
"..."
Suppressing the urge to smack the elderly man upside his balding head, Thomas adopted a cramped smile as he questioned, "Has anyone from Baroque Works come around to badger the Island Whale in the last few weeks?"
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Crocus replied, "Not yet. Though I suspect they'll show up within the next month or so. The real question is, how do you know about that? You were foolish enough to enter the Grand Line without a Log Pose, but know about something only a select few passing through the Twin Capes are aware of..."
Maintaining his smile, Thomas replied, "I know many things. However, I'm not here to interrupt your retirement. Once you sell us a Log Pose, we'll be on our way."
Opening his eyes wide, Crocus issued a seemingly startled, "Hmmm!?" as he stared up at the slightly taller Thomas. Then, after another inordinately long and awkward silence, he remarked, "I can't see without my glasses," before removing them from his interior breast pocket and donning them to get a better look at Thomas's face.
"..."
As he was fairly certain Crocus was trying to goad him into attacking or losing his cool, Thomas took a deep breath through his nose, doing his best to remain patient. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait several minutes for the man's reply as Crocus abruptly stated, "100,000 Berries." in a firm, no-nonsense tone.
Nodding his head, Thomas reached into his own pocket to pull out a stack of 10,000 Berry notes. When Crocus saw the thick stack of paper, his eyes briefly widened as he supplanted, "100,000 Berries for each minute of my time you've squandered. The Log Pose, you can have for free."
Instead of trying to reason with the seemingly senile old man, Thomas exhaled a sigh through his nose before handing Crocus all the Berries he had on hand. In response, he pulled out a peculiar compass with a needle suspended in a glass sphere. Unlike a standard compass, it didn't record the cardinal directions. Instead, it synchronized with the magnetic fields produced by the various islands in the Grand Line, allowing the wielder to traverse one of seven routes until they reached the endpoint of 'Paradise,' Sabaody Archipelago.
Seeing the needle of the Log Pose pointing directly to the East, Thomas asked, "Does this lead to Whiskey Peak...?"
Narrowing his eyes, Crocus remarked, "Someone's well informed..." before extending his hand and stating, "If you expect me to answer more of your questions, you'll need to pay..."
Shaking his head, Thomas replied, "Then forget about it. I already gave you all the money I had on me. I'm not going to tap into the crew's funds to sate my curiosity..."
Turning around, Thomas began to walk away, raising his hand in a gesture of farewell as he added, "See you around, old man Crocus..."
"Hmmm...!!"
As he hadn't introduced himself, Crocus's eyes genuinely widened for the first time. However, instead of calling out or attempting to stop Thomas, a thoughtful glimmer reflected across his wisened eyes as he remarked, "I never thought I would encounter yet another person without Haki..." before retreating into the interior of his Lighthouse...
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After using Reinforcement to strengthen the glass housing the Log Pose's needle, Thomas handed it over to Nami, the latter questioning, "This is a Log Pose? It doesn't even show the cardinal directions..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Thomas replied, "As I explained before, ordinary compasses spin randomly within the Grand Line. Trying to navigate based on directional headings is next to impossible. Also, the Log Pose is formed into a bracelet because you need to check it often to avoid getting turned around. There are a bunch of random currents produced by colossal Sea Kings swimming around the seafloor, so you could be traveling toward your destination one moment only to find yourself turned 180 degrees in the opposite direction less than a minute later. Also..."
Looking toward the skies on the horizon, Thomas added, "Nearly every island within the Grand Line possesses a unique climate. One even has a waterfall that produces literal ramen and plants that resemble ice cream shakes. As such, the weather can go from sunny and incredibly humid to completely wintery during a storm..."
Raising her brows, Nami focused on Thomas's mention of an island with a ramen waterfall, questioning, "How can an island have ramen flowing like water? That makes absolutely no sense..."
Recalling one of the theories from his previous world, Thomas explained, "Concerning Devil Fruits, there is a concept known as Awakening. Once Awakened, a Paramecia or Logia Fruit user can affect their environment with the properties of their fruit. A Logia User with the ability to produce Lava could turn a previously ordinary island into a chain of volcanoes. If I had to guess, there is a Devil Fruit out there with the ability to turn regular plants and animals into various food products. As strange as that sounds, it isn't too difficult to believe. One of the Four Emperors, Big Mom, lives on a literal island-sized cake where a lot of the food is capable of singing and dancing..."
Opening her mouth, Nami wanted to call Thomas out for making such a 'ridiculous' claim but couldn't find the words to do so. He sounded even more unbelievable than Usopp, but the expression on his face indicated he was telling the truth.
Interrupting Thomas's and Nami's conversation, Lucy returned from her brief exploration of the surrounding cape, groaning, "There's nothing to do here. The ground and cliffs are hard and super jagged, and all the plants are the same kind of prickly bush."
Nodding his head, Thomas replied, "I'm not surprised. There is evidence to suggest that the Red Line was 'created' several hundred years ago by an ancient race of winged beings. They likely constructed it to make living along the periphery and climbing it impossible. The only person known to do so was the Great Fishman Adventurer, Fisher Tiger. Several years ago, he ascended the Red Line and entered Mary Geoise with his bare hands, freeing countless slaves before forming the Sun Pirates."
Opening her eyes wide, Lucy remarked, "Wow, this Fisher Tiger sounds pretty cool. I hope we'll be able to meet him in the future."
While Nami had a thoughtful look on her face, Thomas shook his head, revealing, "The original Sun Pirates disbanded ten years ago, following the death of Fisher Tiger. Jinbe, one of the Seven Warlords, inherited the position of Captain but had the group become the protectors of Fishman Island while he, alone, became a 'dog' of the World Government..."
Scrunching her face into a frown, Lucy remarked, "The way you speak of the World Government makes them seem like the bad guys..."
Nodding again, Thomas asserted, "If you believe in the notions of good and evil, the Celestial Dragons and the World Government are probably the most intrinsically evil beings this world has to offer. They look down on anyone who isn't a Celestial Dragon, kill people on a whim, and enslave those they take an interest in. Even worse, any country that isn't a part of the World Government is considered to have no rights, an excuse that lets them justify all kinds of inhumane treatments..."
Looking up at the Red Line, Thomas was tempted to inform Lucy that she would probably need to destroy it if she wanted to become the 'free-est' person in the world. He didn't mind telling her about the atrociousness of the World Government and the Celestial Dragons, but he wanted her to be able to make her own decision about whether or not to oppose them.
Following Thomas's gaze, Lucy appeared to fall into deep thought before asking, "Want to try climbing it...?" a few moments later.
"Huh...?"
Returning his gaze to the petite Pirate, Thomas adopted a wry smile as he replied, "I actually considered climbing it as a form of 'special training' in the past. Now, I'm more interested in experiencing this journey we're on. I don't mind training, especially knowing what dangers await us in the New World, but it gets pretty mundane repeating the same actions every single day. Besides, unlike you, I would die if I fell from such an extreme height. I'm not made of rubber..."
Scratching the back of her head, Lucy gave her characteristic "Shishishi~" laugh before responding, "Your Magical Energy is pretty useful, though. If I could fire off beams, I would never get bored."
Emulating Thomas's actions, Lucy squared her feet, lowered her hips, and brought her hands near her waist in the iconic stance of a Kamehameha. Instead of firing out a beam, however, she launched her hands forward a good twenty meters before snapping them back and stating, "It just isn't the same..." with a melancholic smile on her face.
Resisting the urge to point out that her Devil Fruit could likely fire off beams if she 'really' wanted to, Thomas earned a disproving look from Nami as he ruffled Lucy's hair, saying, "If we could swap Devil Fruits, I would happily accept your Gomu-Gomu-no-Mi. When combined with an active imagination and Haki, it's probably one of the most versatile Devil Fruits in the entire world."
As no one had ruffled her hair since the day Shanks sacrificed his arm to save her, Lucy's mind momentarily blanked. Nami, however, was quick to swat his hand away, warning, "Keep your hands to yourself, or I'm going to tell Caenis. I know how 'close' the two of you are. If she learns you're playing around with other women, she'll beat the crap out of you..."
Though he retracted his hand from Lucy's head, Thomas raised his brows, issuing a confused, "Huh?" before furrowing his brows as he remarked, "I think you have a severe lack of understanding about Caenis and myself..."
Crossing her arms, Nami's expression and tone became defiant as she asked, "Oh? Care to elaborate...?"
Nodding his head, Thomas explained, "First of all, Caenis doesn't care if I have relationships with other women. She has even asked me if I wanted help with 'wooing' the two of you, but I refused. Not because I don't think the two of you are beautiful women, but because I'm not as perverted as you seem to think I am. I'm fairly content with spending time with Caenis, but her nature as a Spirit means our paths will eventually diverge at some point. I'll eventually have to find someone else if I ever want to have kids, so our relationship is intimate but unrestrictive..."
Blinking in surprise, Nami asked, "Spirits can't have children...?" as if it was the only part of Thomas's statement that carried any value.
"Not without some kind of miracle," replied Thomas before inhaling a deep breath and exhaling it as a sigh, admitting, "I won't lie, Nami. There was a time when I considered you as a potential partner. You're a beautiful and capable woman, and I thought we would make a good pair exploring and mapping the world together. However, with my height steadily increasing, I've already given up on pursuing you. As for Lucy...she is too innocent for me to view her with such intentions..."
Tilting her head to the side, Lucy questioned, "What do you mean? Aren't we already partners...?"
Realizing they shouldn't be having this discussion in front of Lucy, Nami pulled the obsidian-haired girl to her side, asserting, "I'll tell you about it later." before giving Thomas a thoughtful yet 'warning' look. In response, he just smiled wryly, resisting the urge to point out she was the one that broached the subject. After all, even in a world based on anime/manga, attempting to reason with a stubborn woman was harder than reaching the absolute pinnacle of the world...
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(A/N: Thomas just unintentionally whipped out his Chad card o_o...)

Once Astolfo returned with Zoro, who somehow got lost on a straight stretch of land, the Going Merry set sail for its first destination in the Grand Line, Whiskey Peak, the sole town on an island known as Cactus Island.
Instead of actual cacti, Cactus Island was named as such due to a series of massive stone structures known as Cactus Rocks. From a distance, the island resembled a collection of gigantic spherical cacti floating atop an arid stretch of land. However, when you got closer to the colossal stone structures, you would quickly discover that the countless spines adorning the giant cacti were actually gravestones.
As there were no freak blizzards or thunderstorms during their brief, six-hour journey, Thomas spent most of it standing on the quarterdeck with Caenis and Nami, lifting weights and answering whatever questions the latter threw his way.
After calling Thomas's 'bluff' and asking Caenis directly what she thought about the possibility of him having relationships with other women, Nami found herself humbled as the pale-haired horsewoman didn't care in the slightest. Rather, the moment she brought it up, Caenis encouraged her to 'give Thomas a go' before he outgrew her completely...
Though she had no plans of heeding Caenis's advice, Nami's perception of Thomas shifted. Previously, she viewed him as someone who might use his future knowledge to manipulate her and Lucy. There was still a case to be made in that regard, but Thomas's willful admission, combined with his claim that he had given up on her, left Nami feeling a combination of relief and a peculiar sense of conflict. She was no longer 'afraid' of him, but she also had a strange impression that she had lost something...
Garnering the attention of everyone onboard, Atalanta tersely called out, "People are gathering on the shores..."
With her position at the front of the Going Merry, Lucy had a decent view of the sea and surroundings. However, despite her rapid advancements with Observation Haki, she couldn't make out so much as a single person on the distant shore, asking, "Are you sure? I don't see anyone."
Without hesitation, Atalanta calmly replied, "There are 113 people present, each carrying concealed weapons."
Hearing Atalanta's words, Usopp panicked, exclaiming, "Oh, no! Could they be planning to board us!?" while Zoro just approached the bow of the ship, a somewhat vicious grin on his face as he remarked, "I finally get to test out these new blades of mine..."
Though Thomas had already informed her that Whiskey Peak was a nest for Bounty Hunters, Nami said, "Don't get too carried away, Zoro. Except for Astolfo, none of us have active Bounties. Unless they intend to rob us, we should be able to pass through this town without a fight."
Clicking his tongue, Zoro muttered, "Boring..." before sitting with his back against the taffrail and preparing to doze off. If there wasn't any fighting to do, he would rather 'meditate' to refine his Observation Haki...
As the Going Merry got closer to the channel cutting through Whiskey Peak, many of the people gathered along the shores began to disperse. The Going Merry was flying a Jolly Roger with a Straw Hat on it, but, as Nami had pointed out, not even Lucy had a Bounty. Even if every citizen in Whiskey Peak was a Bounty Hunter, they had no reason to antagonize a group of 'no-name' Pirates.
Fortunately, while most of Whiskey Peak's residents dispersed, some of the more notable ones remained. Among these was a fairly tall, broad-shouldered man with a small red nose and pale-blonde hair resembling a powdered wig. Accompanying him was an orange-haired man wearing a golden crown, a tall and muscular woman with black skin and contrasting pink hair, and, most notably, an attractive young woman with wavy, light blue hair tied up in a ponytail. She was wearing makeup, both as a way of masking her identity and making herself appear older, but the thing that caught Thomas's were her form-fitting white short-shorts, fur-lined coat, and skin-tight top, the latter of which had a blue and white pattern of swirls that accented her breasts and abdomen, drawing peoples' gazes and making them feel dizzy if they ogled her for too long.
Waiting until the Going Merry had slowed to a crawl, the powder-wigged man placed his hand over his chest, his voice loud and carrying as he issued a musical, "Ma-ma-ma~" before spreading his arms and shouting, "Welcome, brave Adventurers! My name is Igarappoi, Mayor of Whiskey Peak! Our town is famous for its hospitality, music, and bountiful liquors. Before you continue your journey, let us welcome you to the Grand Line by hosting a small banquet in your honor! Ma-ma-ma~!"
Never one to refuse an invitation to a party, much less a banquet, Lucy unhesitantly replied, "Sounds like fun~!" before jumping off the ship and leaving everyone else to furl the sails and fall the anchor. Once they had, everyone except Caenis, Atalanta, and Astolfo disembarked. Igarappoi noticed this, adopting an inviting smile as he suggested, "Why don't the rest of you join us as well? I can assure you, so long as you're within the confines of Whiskey Peak, there is no risk of anything happening to you or your ship."
Before Caenis could tell Igarappoi to fuck off, Thomas remarked, "Even the most inexperienced of crews know to leave a few hands on deck to secure our cargo and prevent our ship from being stolen. Even if Whiskey Peak is as hospitable as you claim, expecting us to forgo security entirely is a bit suspicious, don't you think?"
As it wasn't uncommon for their quarries to show some degree of caution, Igarappoi maintained his friendly smile as he replied, "Ma-ma-ma~! Then at least allow us to present your friends with food and drink to make their wait more enjoyable."
Though Thomas had no intention of refusing Igarappoi's suggestion, his heart skipped a beat when the blue-haired woman suddenly hugged his arm, pressing her breasts against him as she practically purred, "Don't be so uptight, big boy. Come, let Miss Wednesday pour you a drink and make all your troubles go away..."
Accompanying the blue-haired woman's words, an intoxicating fragrance invaded Thomas's nose, causing him to feel muddleheaded. Fortunately, both for Thomas and Miss Wednesday, better known within the One Piece community as Princess Nefertari Vivi, the former had already told Caenis and the others that she wasn't a threat. Had he not, Benienma might have appeared from his shadow, slicing off Vivi's hands at the wrists. Instead, thanks to the effects of the perfume, he was allowed to place his hand directly on the Princess's pillowy bottom, eliciting a playful yet slightly awkward laugh from the blue-haired beauty as she escorted him toward the tavern where the banquet would be held...
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While observing Usopp regaling people with tales of his heroism, Lucy eating to her heart's content, and Nami and Zoro engaging the people of Whiskey Peak in a drinking contest, Thomas enjoyed the company of Vivi at an isolated corner of the bar. She had attempted to pawn him off onto some other girls several times, but he insisted he would rather drink with the woman who had invited him over in the first place.
Though she was doubtlessly uncomfortable, Vivi remained seated atop Thomas's lap, actively flirting with him as she probed him for information and brought alcohol directly to his lips. Her body tensed when he touched her butt or grabbed her breasts, but she didn't condemn, chastise, or coil away from him. Instead, she leaned into him, asking increasingly personal questions about himself, the members of his crew, and whether or not he had any interesting treasures or other valuable items.
Despite sobering up thanks to a handy little spell that Chiron had taught him to avoid this exact situation, Thomas pretended to be intoxicated as he willfully tested the limits of Vivi's 'resolution.' His actions could be seen as scummy due to knowing the Princess's circumstances, but the truth was that 'she' was the one attempting to take advantage of him and his crew.
Before encountering the Straw Hats in canon, Vivi had been an active member of Baroque Works for two years, working her way up through the organization's ranks until she had become a single-digit Frontier Agent. In order to attain her current position, she had been forced to kill or assist in the capture of countless pirates, so her hands were far from clean. When the Straw Hats first met her, she was actively trying to kill Laboon, fired a bazooka at Crocus, attempted to kill Zoro, and took an unconscious Luffy hostage, threatening to kill him if Zoro didn't comply with their demands.
Though it was eventually revealed that Vivi was a brave and determined girl who would do just about anything to protect her friends and citizens, it didn't change the fact that she had ruined hundreds of lives in pursuit of her goals. She justified her actions by convincing herself that most of her victims were 'evil' Pirates, but the situation with Laboon and Crocus, a harmless whale and a retired old man, made it clear Pirates weren't her 'only' victims. If she was ordered by Baroque Works to deal with a group of people or a threat to the organization, she had 'no choice,' as it was the only way to protect her status and cover.
With such thoughts in mind, Thomas happily 'endured' Vivi's attempts to seduce and get him drunk. He even egged her on by providing her with a few useful tidbits of information. So long as he answered her questions in a relatively straightforward manner, she felt less inclined to get him drunk, prolonging their flirtatious encounter for several hours. At some point, Vivi even began enjoying herself, imbibing quite a few drinks until Igarappoi, better known as Captain Igaram of the Alabasta Royal Guard, walked over with a forced smile on his face, questioning, "Are the two of you enjoying yourselves~?" while staring daggers at Thomas.
Though she sobered up a bit in response to Igaram's intervention, Vivi made no attempt to extricate herself from Thomas's 'clutches,' arguing, "Everything's under control, Igarappoi. Thomas was just telling me about a process called 'drip irrigation.' You should hear some of his ideas about enriching soils and distributing water through arid regions. He's a lot more scholarly than I *hic* expected..."
Blinking in surprise, Igaram gave Thomas a double-take, not expecting the 'brutish' man to be anything more than his appearance suggested. He also knew about his Princess's fondness for knowledge and fervent desire to improve the situation of their people. If Thomas possessed knowledge that might prove useful to improving conditions in Alabasta, she would try to squeeze every ounce of it from his head.
Suppressing an exasperated sigh, Igaram made a hand gesture behind his back, effectively signaling the other members of Baroque Works that they would not be executing their plan that evening. It wasn't uncommon for them to butter up more powerful Pirate crews over multiple days, waiting for them to lower their guard, so while people like Mr. 9 and Miss Monday expressed discontent with their expressions, the lower-ranking members of Baroque Works immediately got to work cleaning things up, even going so far as to put blankets over the 'sleeping' members of the Straw Hats as a means of building rapport.
Before leaving to have a private discussion with the executive members of their opportunistic organization, Igaram narrowed his beady black eyes at half-conscious Thomas before directing his steely gaze to Vivi and saying, "Enjoy the rest of your evening...Miss Wednesday..."
Confident she had everything under control, even though she was more than a little tipsy, Vivi gave an affirming nod as she replied, "Just leave it to me." Then, while Thomas acted as though he could barely stand, she guided him to a nearby room so they could speak 'privately.'
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(A/N: When you set a honeytrap, and a bear shows up...)

Once Thomas finally returned to the Going Merry, Nami and Caenis were there waiting for him, the former pointedly remarking, "You sure took your sweet time. Were you the one that caused that strange phenomenon that knocked everyone out...?"
Doing his best to appear more confident than his status made him out to be, Thomas adopted a relaxed smile as he replied, "My path was blocked by a Marine Captain named Smoker. And no, that was caused by someone else. If I possessed that kind of power, I would already be standing at the pinnacle of the world."
As everyone else on the deck had walked over in response to Thomas's arrival, Zoro, now wearing two new swords on his hip, asked, "Anyone we need to worry about?"
Shaking his head, Thomas replied, "Not anytime soon," before adding, "And nice swords. I was a little worried you wouldn't be able to locate them. Did you also meet Tashigi...?"
Furrowing his brows slightly, Zoro answered, "Yeah...I was going to ask you about her. She isn't who I think she is, is she...?"
Though there was 'a lot' of speculation about Tashigi and Kuina being the same person, especially after the reveal that Sabo had survived, Oda, the creator of One Piece, had gone on record saying they were different. They just happened to look identical, had a similar obsession with swords, and were around the same age as one another...
Shaking his head, Thomas replied, "I'm not omniscient. You'll have to find the truth to that question on your own."
Clicking his tongue, Zoro seemed dissatisfied by Thomas's response but didn't press him further. Instead, he split off from the group to continue testing his newly acquired swords, the cursed sword, Sandai Kitetsu, and one of the 50 Skillful Grade swords, the Yubashiri. He felt like the pair of katanas were made specifically for him, but he still wanted to familiarize himself with their weight and balance before fighting a proper opponent.
As Zoro walked off to do his own thing, Nami suggested, "We should set sail as soon as possible. I don't want to be here when the Marines begin searching for someone to blame for the citizens losing consciousness..."
Before anyone else could reply, Lucy responded excitedly, "Yosh! Weigh anchor and unfurl the sails! Next stop, Reverse Mountain! After that, the Grand Line...!"
Though everyone had varying degrees of enthusiasm, even Caenis responded with a half-hearted, 'Aye aye, Captain..." before moving to her assigned position. She had been tasked with piloting the ship, so she moved to the interior steering column while Thomas coiled the anchor and Usopp unfurled the sails alongside Astolfo and Zoro. Atalanta was already in the crow's nest, so Nami made her way onto the quarterdeck, the location of five tangerine trees, while Benienma moved to the kitchen. The only person who didn't have anything to do was Lucy, who, as usual, moved to her perch atop the Going Merry's sheep-like figurehead, a broad smile on her face as she gazed toward the horizon...
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[Six Days Later]
Seeing the 'legendary' Reverse Mountain for herself, Nami couldn't help remarking, "Incredible...I've heard the stories, but I never expected to see the sea flowing up the side of a mountain like this. Even if the current is exceptionally powerful, it shouldn't be able to drive water ten thousand meters at such a steep angle..."
Despite originating from an era of myths and Gods, Caenis found herself agreeing with Nami, retorting, "It's fucking ludicrous. Even with my power over the seas, a feat like this is impossible. This is clearly manufactured in some way..."
Though she could generate massive tidal waves with enough prep time, Caenis couldn't fathom the force required to push a 100m, 50m deep river up a steep incline at more than a hundred knots(185km/h). Not even Poseidon could pull off such a ridiculous feat with his power alone, so she was convinced there was a hidden mechanism driving the feat. She even suspected the entire mountain to be artificial. Otherwise, such a powerful current would have cut through it long ago.
"We'll worry about that near the tail end of our journey," said Thomas. "For now, our immediate objective is to ensure the Going Merry isn't destroyed as we ascend the mountain. It's rumored that more than half the ships entering the Grand Line are destroyed before they reach the Twin Peaks near its entrance..."
Snorting through her nose, Caenis asserted, "With me on board, we don't have to worry about crashing into any walls. Just don't fall off as we make our ascent. If I have to choose between the ship and rescuing your dumb ass from drowning, it isn't much of a choice."
Though Caenis's words seemed to suggest she would prioritize the ship, both Nami and Thomas knew she would readily abandon the Going Merry to ensure his safety. Thus, while Caenis manipulated the currents to keep them from crashing into the walls, Zoro and Usopp teamed up to control the steering column, just in case. Nami had proposed having Thomas stay inside the ship, but there was no way in hell he was going to miss such an incredible view...
As the Going Merry was invariably drawn toward the Reverse Mountain, the strength of the current increased to the point it became impossible for them to turn around. The only way they could go was forward, so, while Lucy shouted, "Yahoooo~!" at the front of the ship, Thomas clung to the rails of the quarterdeck hard enough to leave indentations in the wood as the Going Merry began its steep ascent towards the clouds. Of course, as exciting as the two-hour ascent was, it was comparably boring compared to their six-minute descent...
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As the Going Merry escaped the Reverse Mountain's current and entered far stabler seas, Thomas joined everyone onboard in celebrating despite feeling confused. In the timeline he was familiar with, Laboon, a massive, island-sized whale, was waiting for the Straw Hats during their descent. It was also where the Straw Hats first encountered Crocus, the doctor of Gol D. Roger, and Nefertari Vivi, the disguised Princess of the Kingdom of Alabasta.
Noticing the conflict in Thomas's eyes during their celebration, Nami waited until things began to calm down before approaching him to ask, "What's wrong? We just entered the Grand Line. Shouldn't you be a little happier...?"
Choosing to believe they were a little early, as the opposite would almost certainly mean that Vivi was dead, Thomas forced a smile as he replied, "I was hoping to see the Island Whale that has been known to linger around these parts for the past fifty years."
Narrowing her eyes slightly, Nami moved a little closer to Thomas, her breasts nearly touching him as she asked, "What's the 'real' reason you're disappointed? For someone who flew over the Calm Belt and witnessed Sea Kings the size of islands, I refuse to believe you're this troubled over a simple whale..."
Instead of answering Nami's question directly, Thomas suggested, "We should moor the ship near the coast and speak to the Lighthouse Keeper. As useful as Astolfo's ability is, we should get in the habit of navigating the Grand Line properly. Without a Log Pose, we're bound to get turned around in one of the region's many storms..."
Rolling her eyes, Nami replied, "Fine, then. Keep your secrets. Just know that I'll hold you personally responsible if something happens to Lucy or anyone else in the crew..."
"..."
With Nami turning and walking away from him, Thomas followed her with his gaze until Astolfo approached to ask, "Lover's quarrel~?" in a teasing tone.
Exhaling a sigh, Thomas forced a faint smile as he replied, "I wish..." in an ingratiating tone. He liked to think he and Nami had grown closer the past two and a half months, but there was a particular 'distance' between them that never seemed to shrink. She came to him for advice and to probe him for information, but that was about it. Unless Lucy was around, they never simply 'chatted.'
As there was quite a substantial difference in their heights now, Astolfo had to stand on the tips of her toes to pat Thomas on the head, saying, "There, there..." in a comforting tone. She was only 164cm in height, so Thomas was nearly 60cm taller than her.
"..."
Gazing down at the smiling, pink-haired Paladin, a number of conflicting thoughts crossed Thomas's mind. His updated logbook recorded Astolfo's gender as female, but he lacked the courage to 'confirm' whether or not it was true. He would be stepping on a rather sizeable landmine if it wasn't, but he would have to be a massive cunt to take advantage of the situation if Astolfo truly were a woman...
Shaking such thoughts from his mind, Thomas issued a faint "Thanks..." before 'rewarding' the petite trap with a headpat of her own. The size of his hands had increased with his height, so he covered nearly the entirety of her crown as he gently ruffled her silky smooth hair. That was another reason he had yet to extend his clutches to the petite pinkette, as, even at 174cm, Caenis was beginning to have difficulties accepting all of him. She argued she could easily endure 30cm, but Thomas had serious doubts as he was nearing 24 and felt like he was pushing up her guts...
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While Thomas's thoughts wandered all over the place, the Going Merry carefully pulled up to the cliffs surrounding the Twin Capes. There were at least 40m between the surface of the sea and the lowest ridge, but Lucy was able to use her Gomu-Gomu-no-Bazooka to propel herself up without issue. Then, using her stretchy arms, she pulled up everyone who wanted to go ashore.
As he wanted to speak to Crocus about Vivi, Thomas accompanied Lucy, Nami, and Zoro while Usopp, Atalanta, and Benienma protected the ship. Caenis and Astolfo used the opportunity to collect food, the former diving into the seemingly bottomless sea while the latter boarded her Hippogriff to search the surrounding cliffs for fruit-bearing trees.
Fortunately, while Crocus was initially encountered in the belly of Laboon in the original series, the flowery man eventually answered after they rang the doorbell at the entrance to the Lighthouse.
Despite his advanced age, Crocus gave off a fairly intimidating aura due to his intense gaze, 208cm height, and muscular, scar-covered body. His strength had weakened greatly, but he was still a former comrade of the Pirate King. In the anime and manga, he tanked several cannonballs with his body, barely sustaining any injuries despite being in his 70s and acting as a Lighthouse Keeper for 50 years.
With an intense gaze that looked like he was about to activate a powerful Conqueror's Haki, Crocus glowered at Thomas, Nami, Lucy, and Zoro for several intense moments before stating, "Whatever you're selling, I'm not interested...!"
While Lucy made an off-handed remark about the literal flower petals growing from Crocus's head, Thomas adopted a wry smile as he revealed, "We were actually hoping to purchase something from you. Do you have any spare Log Poses...?"
Opening his eyes as if he were shocked to his core, Crocus stared directly at Thomas, the atmosphere around him nearly becoming palpable until he replied with a curt, "I do...!"
Before Thomas and Nami could sigh in relief, Crocus abruptly closed the door to his Lighthouse, locking it behind him as he added, "Not for sale...!" in a loud, codgerly tone.
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(A/N: For those that are concerned, the Straw Hats are quite a bit ahead of schedule due to the time spent reconstructing Nami's village in canon. I wouldn't kill someone as significant/popular as Vivi just to spice things up...at least not off-screen (O w O)...)

Chapter 38: Obstinance