One Piece : Wild Hunt

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...)

After allowing Vivi to guide him to a fairly isolated room, Thomas's eyes widened slightly. There was a large canopy bed in the center of the room, several large bookcases, and a disorganized desk. However, what stood out more than anything else were her innumerable bottles of perfume, her fully-stocked liquor cabinet, and her dozens of stuffed animals...
Though she felt a little embarrassed by Thomas's reaction, Vivi did her best to maintain a bold front as she directed him toward the bed, saying, "Why don't you make yourself comfortable while I mix us some drinks...?"
Instead of responding with words, Thomas made his way over to the bed, spreading his arms before plopping face-first onto the thick, comfortable, and fragrant bedding. He knew the odds of Vivi having sex with him were astronomically small, so he simply relished the opportunity to rest on an actual bed for the first time in months. Sleeping in a hammock at his size got very old, very fast...
Seeing Thomas plop down onto her bed, Vivi delayed lacing his drink with a sedative, asking, "Are you going to sleep...?" in a curious tone. Similar to Igaram, she didn't exactly 'trust' Thomas. If he were to force himself upon her, there wasn't much she could do except endure until Igaram came to her rescue.
Without raising his face from the bed, Thomas slowly shook his head. He was currently thinking of the best way to take advantage of his situation without being an 'irredeemable' scumbag, so his mind was racing despite his growing desire to sleep.
Had Vivi not gone out of her way to honeytrap and drug him, Thomas would have looked for an opportunity to reveal that he was aware of her identity before offering his assistance. Nami would probably be annoyed, but there was no way Lucy and Zoro would turn down the opportunity to take down a Warlord. Thomas was equally excited by the prospect, but he was also a very 'forward-thinking' individual. If he was going to risk his life to help stabilize a Kingdom, he should receive more than just gratitude for his assistance...
Pouring half the usual dose of sedative into Thomas's drink, a very strong and expensive brand of bourbon, Vivi approached the bed and took a seat, her voice a sultry purr as she said, "Here, something to sip on while we talk..."
Rolling onto his side, Thomas accepted the offered glass, taking a sip as Vivi made herself comfortable, lying on her side and staring back at him with a sultry smile. However, unlike when they were sitting together at the bar, a bit of distance separated them. Just enough so that Vivi could turn and run if he attempted anything 'remiss.'
Voicing his honest thoughts, Thomas remarked, "You're beautiful..." before taking another sip of his drink. In response, the drunken glow on Vivi's face became slightly more prominent as she changed the subject, asking, "How did you become so knowledgeable about so many things? Were you a noble or the son of a scholar before setting sail...?"
Adopting a genuinely melancholic smile, Thomas replied, "My father was a Civil Engineer, and my mom was a fairly successful Architect. I used to look up to them when I was younger, so I studied hard to try and make them proud. Unfortunately, I got into trouble when I was around fifteen, cutting off many of my career paths. After that...let's just say my parents were no longer very caring or concerned about my future..."
Punctuating his words, Thomas took a 'big' drink of his bourbon, nearly emptying the glass. He wasn't fond of talking about his family or personal life, but he was getting better at it. After a year in another world, he was even beginning to miss some of the people he had become estranged to...
Feeling genuinely apologetic, Vivi averted her eyes and softly whispered, "I'm sorry to hear that...maybe one day, you can make amends with your parents. Even if you're never as close as you once were, I'm sure it would put their hearts at ease knowing you're happy and healthy..."
Returning her gaze to Thomas, Vivi presented a somewhat awkward smile before taking a sip from her own bourbon and questioning, "Is your family the reason you decided to become a Pirate?"
Shaking his head, Thomas lazily replied, "We became Pirates to be free and to pursue our dreams. We're not the type of Pirates that go around harming people or pillaging villages. Instead, we hunt down bad Pirates and do our best to lend a hand when people are in trouble..."
Blinking in surprise, Vivi issued a somewhat adorable "Eh...?" before asking, "What kind of Pirates go around helping people? It sounds more like you're Bounty Hunters or Missionaries..."
Before responding to Vivi's words, Thomas emptied the remnants of his glass, feeling slightly confused. The bourbon hit his brain like a truck at high speeds, but he didn't feel sleepy or have any difficulties moving his body. He was certain that Vivi had spiked his drink, but she either mixed up their glasses or used a very small amount of sedative...
Dismissing his concerns, Thomas explained, "One of our Captain's dreams is to be King of the Pirates. She believes it will make her the freest person in the world. If it weren't that, we would probably refer to ourselves as the Straw Hat Mercenary Group or something similar..."
"..."
Though there was a chance Thomas was lying to her, Vivi got the distinct impression he was telling the truth. If that were the case, they were about to rob and execute a seemingly innocent group of philanthropists.
Recalling how the Straw Hats' vessel was a miniature Caravel with a derpy sheep as a figurehead, a mixture of realization and panic washed over Vivi as she leaned a little closer to Thomas and whispered, "You should leave this place as soon as possible. It's not-"
Adopting a relaxed smile, Thomas surprised Vivi by stating, "We are fully aware that Whiskey Peak is a den for Bounty Hunters. Don't worry; even if everyone in the city were to band together and attack us, we could settle things without severely injuring or killing anyone..."
Tensing in response to Thomas's words, Vivi asked, "How did you figure it out...?"
Maintaining his smile, Thomas replied, "Your organization, Baroque Works, attempted to recruit Zoro in the past. I'm also fairly knowledgeable about the Grand Line, particularly the islands in Paradise..."
Though Thomas didn't directly imply he was aware of her identity, Vivi felt her throat tighten, compelling her to take a large gulp of her bourbon. The moment she did so, the dizziness in her mind compounded, causing her to drop her glass and fall limp despite screaming ("Oh no, oh no, oh no! I got the drinks mixed up...!") in her mind.
Seeing Vivi fall limp, her expression becoming absentminded as a bit of drool leaked from her lips, Thomas waved his hand in front of her, asking, "You in there...?"
As the sedative she used functioned as a muscle relaxer, Vivi's response to Thomas's words was an insensible, "Auwaaah..." as she tried to turn her body and move away from him.
Exhaling through his nose, Thomas remarked, "Calm down. I'm not going to take advantage of you, especially while you're defenseless. Just blink twice if you can understand what I'm saying..."
After calming down, Vivi blinked twice, indicating she wasn't without her mental faculties. In response, Thomas gave a curt nod before asking, "Do you mind if I pick you up and move you? I have a few things I want to tell you, and I can't imagine it's comfortable lying in bourbon..."
Though she would prefer it if Thomas left her room and gave her a few hours to recover, Vivi only hesitated for a short while before answering with another two blinks. When she did, Thomas got off the bed before taking special care not to touch her anywhere inappropriate as he picked her up in a princess carry, relocating her to the left side of the bed, close to where she usually slept. Then, to make her feel a little safer, he picked up one of her larger teddy bears, placing it into her embrace before moving to the opposite side of the bed and lying down with nearly 2m of space separating them.
As he had laid her on her left side, facing him, Thomas could see the combination of alarm and panic in Vivi's eyes when he revealed, "I know your true identity..."
Adopting a faint smile, Thomas said, "Relax...if I wanted to harm you, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Now, go to sleep. We'll discuss the specifics once you recover your faculties..."
Though he originally planned to lay out his intentions while Vivi listened in silence, Thomas could see the alarm in the blue-haired woman's eyes. He reasoned he would be pretty frightened in the same situation, so instead of surprising her with additional revelations, he rolled over, allowing Vivi to stare at his broad and muscular back instead of having to worry about him opening his eyes and ogling her throughout the night...
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Believing that Thomas was only pretending to be asleep, as she had already had time to wake up, take a shower, and fix her makeup, Vivi's tone was tinged with exasperation as she said, "You don't have to keep pretending. I'm ready to continue our conversation from the previous night..."
"Hmmm...?"
Stirring awake, Thomas reluctantly separated from the comfort of Vivi's bed, sitting up with a curmudgeonly expression on his face as he glanced at the window and groaned, "It isn't even morning..."
Realizing that Thomas may have actually been sleeping, an apologetic smile developed across Vivi's face as she replied, "Sorry. I thought you were pretending to be asleep so I wouldn't kick you out while I took a shower and changed clothes..."
As he was still half-asleep, Thomas issued a long yawn before replying with a lazy, "Looks like I missed a golden opportunity..."
Smiling wry, Vivi got to the heart of the matter, asking, "Do you truly know who I am...?"
Nodding his head in affirmation, Thomas replied, "You're the one and only Princess of Alabasta, Nefertari Vivi. And that man with the wig-like hair is the Captain of the Royal Guard, Igaram."
Furrowing her brows, Vivi questioned, "If you knew who I was, why didn't you mention it sooner? I wouldn't have acted so...brazenly when we were at the bar."
Adopting a teasing smile, Thomas replied, "If that's the case, I'm glad I didn't say anything. Beyond that, it was more 'convincing' to let you play your part as a Baroque Works agent while others were around. If I tried broaching the subject of your identity in public, your reaction might have given us away."
Unable to argue with Thomas's words, Vivi exhaled an exasperated sigh. At the same time, she felt a slightly fluttery feeling in her chest due to the 'shamelessness' of Thomas's past behavior and openly flirtatious remarks. There was a rather significant difference in their ages, but Thomas was a tall, muscular, and handsome man. After sitting on his lap and flirting with him for more than six hours, followed by sleeping in the same room, she couldn't help being 'aware' of him.
Unaware that he had inadvertently nudged his way into Vivi's maidenly thoughts, Thomas caused the young Princess's heart to skip a beat as he abruptly rose to his feet, walked over to her, and declared, "I want to help save your Kingdom..." with a serious expression on his face. He towered over her by more than fifty centimeters, but instead of feeling frightened, Vivi felt nervous and uncharacteristically demure as she averted her eyes and pressed the tips of her index fingers together...
"O-Okay..."
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(A/N: Could this be the legendary EX-Rank Luck in effect...!?)

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...)

Chapter 39: Entrapment