One Piece : Wild Hunt

With several pairs of arms growing from his back and shoulders, using his own body as leverage to keep his hands pinned behind his back, Thomas remarked, "This is more uncomfortable than I thought it would be..."
Seemingly amused by Thomas's complaint, Robin covered her mouth and issued a dignified "Fufufufu~" before teasing, "Now that your friends have departed, I could capture you and take you back to Crocodile. Make sure to choose your words carefully, Tommy boy..."
Raising his brows, Thomas parroted, "Tommy boy...?" before shaking his head and confidently asserting, "You're not the kind of woman that would condemn another to their fate. I might be concerned if I was your enemy, but I'm probably the best ally you have outside the executive members of the Revolutionary Army."
Stopping in place, Robin turned around to meet Thomas's gaze, looking deeply into his eyes with a practiced smile on her face. She was pretty good at reading people after spending twenty years concealing herself and fleeing from the World Government, so she could tell he wasn't lying when he said they were allies.
"How curious..." remarked Robin. Then, after staring at Thomas for several more seconds, she added, "You speak and behave as if you know me. Yet, as far as I can recall, this is the first time we've met. And I'm very good at remembering people's faces..."
Adopting a wry smile, Thomas replied, "It's because I've seen your past and one of your possible futures. You're one of the people I came to this world to help, so I plan to lend you a hand and help uncover the truth of this world."
Raising her brows, Robin asked, "You're from a different world? You're becoming more and more 'curious' by the moment..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Thomas replied, "My circumstances are pretty crazy. And I'll be happy to tell you about them. Preferably without the danger of you dislocating my shoulders or snapping my neck..."
"Hmmm..."
Catching Thomas a little off guard, Robin suddenly snapped her fingers, dismissing the hands she had binding him. Then, with crossed arms, she said, "Tell me what you know. If your story is compelling enough, I might at least 'pretend' to trust you."
While rolling his shoulders to ease some of the tension, Thomas replied, "I don't mind telling you everything you want to know. Afterward, I'd like you to explain where you acquired that 'Install Card.' I have a pretty good idea of where they originate, but I'd like to hear the specifics..."
Nodding her head, Robin replied with a curt, "Of course," before adopting a marginally more serious expression and adding, "Now, tell me what you know about my past and this 'future' you've seen..."
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Though he couldn't remember everything about Robin's past, the details Thomas was able to recall were more than enough to convince the raven-haired beauty he wasn't trying to pull the wool over her eyes. Several of the things he mentioned were things she had never shared, so unless he had peered into her memories, he couldn't have known about them unless he had witnessed them directly.
As surprising as the revelations of her past were, it was the details of her 'future' that convinced Robin that Thomas wasn't simply trying to deceive her. She had only heard rumors about the Road Poneglyphs, and that was from an obscure text in the Library of Ohara. Hearing Thomas mention them wasn't too much of a surprise, but he also knew of their approximate locations and, most convincingly, the resting place of at least two Ancient Weapons...
With Thomas's recount coming to an end after more than an hour, Robin's usually unreadable expression revealed a hint of excitement as she asked, "Is Poseidon truly a Mermaid Princess...?"
Nodding his head, Thomas revealed, "Her name is Shirahoshi, daughter of King Neptune and the late Queen Otohime. She's currently locked away in a tower due to a stalker named Vander Decken attempting to marry or kill her."
Covering her mouth, Robin issued a somewhat insincere-sounding, "Oh my..." before lowering her hand and expressing, "Your story is undeniably compelling. However, without confirming the existence of the Poneglyphs with my own eyes, I can't simply take your word for it..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Thomas replied, "That's fine. Most of what I just told you relates to an alternate reality, so I can't say for certain everything I said was accurate. I just wanted you to know that neither myself nor the Straw Hats are your enemies. If it takes a few weeks, months, or years to convince you fully, that's understandable."
Sensing no falsehoods in Thomas's words, Robin allowed a faint smile to adorn her face. She was skeptical by nature, like any qualified scholar, but she could tell Thomas was doing his best to be candid and sincere. If she was wrong, he was an impossibly good actor...
Crossing her arms in a way that deliberately emphasized her breasts, Robin mused, "You know so much about me. Now, why don't you tell me about yourself? You claim not to know what Install Cards are but mention you have an idea of where they stem. I'm guessing the power you wield is somehow related...?"
Shaking his head, Thomas answered, "All I have is a guess based on my circumstances. I'm not sure if the two are directly or tangentially related, so it would help if you could explain what the Install Cards are and how, exactly, they function..."
Since Thomas had provided her with far more information than she could have anticipated, Robin gave a curt nod before explaining, "They grant the user the ability to channel an incredible power for a short period. Beyond that, all we know is that if you manage to acquire nine of a specific kind of card, it qualifies you to have your wish granted. As for how they function, you just hold up the card and shout 'Install' with as much spirit as you can muster."
Blinking in surprise, Thomas asked, "That's it?" before questioning, "Do you know where they come from and how many there are...?"
Shaking her head, Robin replied, "The card in my possession seemingly materialized out of thin air a few years ago. When I touched it, a voice in my head explained the card's mechanics and what to do once I obtained the other eight. Unfortunately, even though Baroque Works has spent the past three years searching for them, we've only managed to acquire three unique cards. Mine is the Grade-3 Assassin Card. The two in the hands of Crocodile are the Grade-6 Caster and Grade-3 Lancer Cards."
Though he heard everything Robin said, Thomas focused on one specific part of her explanation, parroting, "Three years...?" with a bewildered look on his face.
Amused by Thomas's reaction, Robin issued a suppressed laugh before smiling as she answered, "Indeed. Crocodile and I acquired cards around a year after we began 'collaborating.' The previous owner of the Grade-3 Lancer Card claimed to have received their card around the same time, so it's reasonable to assume the others materialized within a few days of one another. At the very least, mine and Crocodile's appeared five days apart."
Raising his eyes skyward, Thomas could practically envision Zelretch staring down at him with a shit-eating grin on his face. He didn't know if the elderly vampire had sent him to this version of One Piece 'specifically' because he had already meddled with it or if he had pulled some time fuckery to interfere with the past 'after' his arrival. Either way, things just got a lot more complicated...
Deciding not to let it bother him, at least for the time being, Thomas returned his gaze to Robin, asking, "Do you mind showing me how your card works...?"
Without hesitation, Robin replied, "I'd rather not. Install Cards utilize a form of energy that doesn't exist naturally in this world, so it takes around a month to replenish just one minute of power. Using the card expends all the accumulated energy, so they're best saved for emergencies."
Adopting a wry smile, Thomas asked, "Could the energy you're referring to be Mana?"
Returning a smile of her own, Robin replied, "Indeed. That's the reason Crocodile is so eager to capture you. Your Mana-Mana-no-Mi is of great interest to him, myself, and presumably anyone in possession of an Install Card. If I had to guess, that includes the World Government..."
Prompted by Robin's words, Thomas immediately recalled how he had casually revealed the name of his fruit to Smoker. At the same time, he could practically hear Zelretch laughing his ass off from atop his throne...
Instead of cursing the old man aloud, Thomas reached up to massage his forehead and temples. He knew Zelretch was a troll, so this type of thing wasn't 'completely' unexpected. The old man never made things easy for the people he had taken an interest in, so unless he promptly decided to throw himself into the sea, he was subject to the inconceivably powerful man's whims for the remainder of his time in One Piece. Potentially much, much longer...
Shaking such thoughts from his mind, Thomas met Robin's gaze, asking, "Mind if I take a look at your card? I promise to return it..."
Whipping out her card, Robin replied, "Sure. The cards are bound to the person who discovered them, so it's impossible to steal them. The only way to claim someone else's card as your own is to defeat them in their transformed stare or kill them."
Demonstrating her point, Robin waited until Thomas had accepted her card before making a flicking gesture with her right hand, materializing the card between her index and middle fingers before handing it back to him.
Smiling wryly, Thomas remarked, "Pretty neat..." before trying to channel his Mana into the card. The moment he did, the card released a blinding silver light as a sensation similar to being electrocuted radiated through his hand, causing him to exclaim, "Fuck...!" before grabbing his hand and hissing in pain.
Raising her brows, Robin calmly stated, "That's new..." before snapping her fingers to materialize the card in her hand, adding, "Nothing appears to have changed..." after checking both faces.
Though he heard Robin's words, Thomas was focused on the severe burn marks on his hand. He could move his fingers and feel sensations through them, but he was having trouble channeling his Mana into them, similar to when Chiron inflicted him with a Curse.
While working to expel the invasive energy pervading his fingers, Thomas looked to Robin, discovering the raven-haired woman staring at his hand with a curious look on her face. She raised her gaze to meet his when he looked at her, but she was clearly interested to know what had transpired.
Adopting a pained smile, Thomas revealed, "I tried channeling Mana into the card, but, as you can see, it rebounded and inflicted a curse on me. I was warned this would happen if I attempted to interfere with a magical contract, but this is my first time experiencing a rebound directly...it really fucking hurts..."
Holding up his hand, Thomas demonstrated he wasn't exaggerating by showing Robin the charred 'splits' running down his index, middle finger, and thumb. There was even a bit of bone visible on his index finger, so he was doing his best not to scream bloody murder.
Though she had long noticed the injuries on Thomas's hand, Robin was surprised by how severe the damage was, asking, "Will you be okay...?" in an ostensibly concerned tone. In response, Thomas gave a curt nod as he replied, "Yeah, I just need to expel the energy of the Curse from my hand. After that, it should heal fairly quickly. Just...give me a few minutes..."
As the pain was quickly reaching a point beyond his ability to tolerate, Thomas followed his words by taking a seat and focusing all his attention on fixing his hand. It took nearly a full hour, but if nothing else, it taught him never to underestimate the power of a magical contract. There was a reason magical contracts were considered one of the foundational pillars of Magecraft...
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(A/N: He's lucky he didn't try to 'break' the contract...)

After healing his hand, Thomas told Robin about himself, his past, and what he wished to accomplish in the world of One Piece. The existence of the Install Cards was bound to shake things up a bit, but it didn't change his penultimate goal, only what he would be doing in the interim.
As Thomas's explanation included the existence of Zelretch and Heroic Spirits, Robin eventually asked, "Will you use your Heroic Spirits to defeat Crocodile? I saw the explosion in the sea earlier this afternoon. That was one of your companions, yes?"
Though he would have felt inclined to shake his head previously, Thomas wasn't entirely sure Lucy would be able to defeat a Crocodile empowered by an Install Card. Even the weakest of Heroic Spirits could probably net a Bounty in the hundreds of millions, and Casters were especially tricky to deal with...
Inhaling and exhaling in mild exasperation, Thomas replied, "I'm honestly not sure at this point. If shit hits the fan, I'll doubtlessly ask for their help, but I'd like to try and settle things before then."
"I see..." muttered Robin. Then, after a contemplative silence, she added, "Then this is where we part ways, at least for the time being. Once you've defeated Crocodile, I may or may not make an appearance."
Following her words, Robin's body began to 'dissolve' into thousands of pink flower petals, starting from her feet. The process happened rapidly, but she still had enough time to adopt a teasing smile, saying, "See you around, Tommy boy..." before disappearing completely.
As the last of Robin's flower petals vanished into thin air, Thomas exhaled a faintly exasperated sigh, muttering, "There she goes..." before glancing at his surroundings. There was a decently high chance that Robin had left one of her eyes or ears behind to observe his actions or hear what he had to say, but he couldn't find any.
Shaking his head, Thomas dismissed his wayward thoughts and decided to return to the Going Merry. It was paramount that he updated Vivi and the rest on the situation. Crocodile's Install Cards likely wouldn't be used until the 'climax' of their encounter, but they were still something that had to be taken into consideration.
According to Robin, the power of the Install Card depended on its Grade, one being the weakest and nine being the most powerful. Crocodile was in possession of the Grade 6 Caster, so they would need to be cautious as even a minute powerup, combined with his Logia powers, would make him exceptionally dangerous. On a more positive note, once they defeated the oppressive Shichibukai, Thomas would acquire Crocodile's Install Cards for himself. They could be just what he needed to overcome his current bottleneck...
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Upon returning to the Merry, Thomas was unsurprised to learn that Usopp had been taken away by a giant named Broggy. The latter had also invited Caenis and Atalanta to come and join him for a feast, but the duo declined on the grounds they needed to repair and safeguard the ship.
Fortunately, Broggy's arrival had taken place while Thomas and the others were away, so Vivi, Nami, and Astolfo were present upon his return. There was no pressing need to inform them of what he had learned, but he liked to get such things out of the way as soon as possible. Once he was done, he took a much-needed bath, accompanied by Astolfo.
With the bubbly pinkette reclined against him with a content look on her face, Thomas asked the question that had been lurking at the back of his mind, specifically, "Do you think your ability to find things would work with Install Cards...?"
Without needing to consider her response, Astolfo replied, "I don't see why not. Unless they have a nature that allows them to remain hidden, I should be able to locate them. Want to try flying around for a bit after we get out...?"
Since the Merry would be out of commission for several days, Astolfo's words were extraordinarily tempting to Thomas. He also 'needed' an Install Card if he was to assist Lucy during the battle against Crocodile, so he only hesitated for a moment before responding, "Sure. If possible, we should track down any unclaimed cards. If they each have an owner, we should target someone with a Caster Card. With my Mana-Mana-no-Mi, even the Grade 1 Caster should be busted..."
Nodding her head, Astolfo replied, "Then that's what we'll search for. My ability works best when looking for something I 'want' to find. I also have super high Magic Resistance, thanks to my Casseur de Logistille, so even if they use the card against us, I should be able to deal with it. Just make sure to pamper me and shower me with praise afterward."
Exhaling a light chuckle, Thomas wrapped his arms around the loveable pinkette and replied, "Of course..." before planting a kiss atop her head...
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Early the next morning, Thomas informed everyone of his intention to depart, at least for a few days. Vivi inevitably asked to come along, so, with Astolfo's approval, the three of them set out in search of Install Cards.
With the Hippogriff's tremendous speed and a barrier of wind keeping them from being knocked off, traveling just about anywhere was a breeze. If not for them having no idea where they were going, relying purely on Astolfo's intuition, they could have reached a destination on the opposite side of the world in just a few hours. Instead, they spent six hours flying around before reaching a small island whose central mountain had been carved to resemble snakes...
"You've got to be kidding me..." muttered Thomas. He couldn't read the massive Kanji inscribed into the face of the mountain, but he knew where they were even though it was his first time seeing it in person.
Hearing Thomas's utterance, Astoflo asked, "What's wrong? Is this not a good place to land...?"
As she could actually read Kanji, it was Vivi who responded to Astolfo's query, exclaiming, "No way! Isn't that Amazon Lily!? Did we really fly all this way in just a few hours...!?"
Smiling proudly, Astoflo replied, "Of course! Hippogriffs are some of the fastest flying creatures, and Griff is exceptionally even among his kin! If he was serious, we could have easily flown here in less than half an hour."
Opening her mouth, Vivi wanted to respond but found herself at a loss for words. As for Thomas, he had a serious expression on his face as he said, "The culture of Amazon Lily forbids men from entering the island without the express permission of their Empress. We may have to look elsewhere to obtain an Install Card..."
Instead of feeling deterred by Thomas's words, Astolfo's eyes lit up like the 4th of July. She had been waiting for this kind of development for a long time, so she directed Griff to land on a rocky outcrop detached from the island before pulling out a tiny glass bottle filled with circular pink and blue pills.
Before Thomas could ask what the pills were, Astolfo happily explained, "If the only restriction is based on gender, we should be able to enter the island freely. You just need to eat one of these pink pills, and it will rapidly transform you into a woman...!"
"..."
"..."
With Thomas and Vivi staring at her as if she had lost her mind, Astolfo rolled her eyes before popping open the glass vial and ingesting one of the blue pills. The moment she swallowed it, her shoulders became broader and her facial features marginally less delicate. Then, despite the presence of Vivi, she lifted the front of her skirt to reveal a sizeable bulge in her black panties...
"See? It works quickly, and there are no side effects," asserted Astolfo. Then, when Thomas opened his mouth to reply, a 'fierce' glimmer flashed across her eyes as she shouted, "Bottoms up...!"
With Astolfo flicking a pill into the back of his throat, Thomas swallowed it on instinct. When he realized what Astolfo had just done, his eyes became as round as saucers as he stared at the smiling pinkette in disbelief. At the same time, his height decreased drastically, but that was frankly the least of his concerns...
Unlike Astolfo, who didn't change much between transitioning from male to female, Thomas's chest and ass swelled as his waist contracted. Once the rapid transformation was complete, he was around 190cm tall with a physique comparable to Robin, Nami, and Vivi. The latter even felt a little jealous upon seeing him, a stark contrast to the feeling of existentialism Thomas was experiencing after the loss of a certain part of his body...
Seeing the disbelief and 'dread' on Thomas's face, the realization she might have done something wrong finally crossed Astolfo's mind. The look in his eyes made it clear he felt betrayed, causing the smile to fade from Astolfo's face as a sensation similar to her heart being gripped filled her chest.
Holding up the pill bottle, Astolfo meekly uttered, "Please don't be too mad...so long as you eat one of the blue pills, you'll be back to normal. I just thought it would be fun if..."
Feeling overwhelmed by guilt, Astolfo's words trailed off as she hung her head and began to tear up. The thought that Thomas might never forgive her was too painful to bear, nearly causing her to collapse on the spot and cry her heart out. Fortunately, just as she felt like her world was about to come crashing down, Thomas exhaled a clearly exasperated sigh, shook his head, and said, "It's fine..." in a faint, nearly inaudible tone.
Hearing the sound of his own voice, a frown marred Thomas's face as he reached up to massage his throat. One of the few redeeming qualities he carried with him from his previous life was a fairly deep voice. Now, while it was still deep, the sound coming from his throat was unmistakably the voice of a woman...
Before Thomas could ponder his situation further, Astolfo pounced on him, burying her face into his bosom and causing him to feel strangely flustered. Luckily, she had already downed a pink pill shortly after flicking one into the back of his throat. Had she not, Thomas would have been a lot more upset. Instead, he grimaced awkwardly, patting the pinkette on the head as he whispered, "You're so emotional..." in a wry yet soothing tone.
Baring her heart, Astolfo revealed, "I thought you might hate me..." in a chipper tone tainted by melancholy. She was still a little teary-eyed, so it would only take a few harsh words to set her off completely.
Exhaling a sigh through his nose, Thomas gave Astolfo a comforting pat on the back as he said, "I could never hate you. I am, however, going to ask you to get off of me. This is really uncomfortable..."
Though she was reluctant, Astolfo separated from Thomas, allowing him to get a good look at himself. The pills in Astolfo's possession were a type of Mystic Code, so they didn't simply alter his body but his outfit. It was really strange, but, considering the pills originated from the literal God of Medicine, Thomas wasn't 'too' surprised...
Suppressing his discomfort, Thomas attempted to stay positive, forcing a smile as he said, "This is actually pretty convenient. I was worried about how I would approach Hancock and other Amazons in the future. In this form, I can at least rest assured she won't immediately turn me to stone."
Comparing his situation to a scene from a niche yet amusing anime called Interspecies Reviewers, the tensions in Thomas's body gradually relaxed. He still wasn't comfortable being a woman, but he could endure it for a short while if it meant he could increase his strength and get closer to the woman regarded as the most beautiful in the world. Luckily, as he was in a completely separate reality, he didn't have to worry about his friends, family, and the people on his discord condemning him for getting gender-swapped...
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(A/N: Don't worry, Tom. There are plenty of people in the comments section who will happily condemn you (U w U)~!)

After maintaining his energy blast for several seconds, Thomas retracted his hand to find Mikita within a crater, glaring at him with a vengeful look on her face. The durability granted by her Devil Fruit extended to objects in her hands and clothing covering her body, but she was still a bit worse for wear, her hair frazzled and dress visibly worn.
"You bastard..." growled Mikita. However, before she could even think to launch an attack, a series of explosions compelled her to shield her face as Thomas was forced backward by Gem's invisible 'bullets.'
Like Mikita, Gem had eaten a Devil Fruit, specifically the Bomu-Bomu-no-Mi(Bomb Bomb Fruit). It allowed him to generate strong explosions from any body part, including his breath and blood. It also made him immune to shockwaves, especially those produced by explosions, so he was a fairly troublesome opponent unless you had a cutting or piercing weapon.
Following his sneak attack, Gem brought his revolver to his mouth and breathed into the chambers. Once he was finished, he aimed at Thomas, suggesting, "You should just give up and allow yourself to be captured..." before firing six more invisible rounds in rapid succession.
After blocking the attack with crossed arms, Thomas emerged from the explosions with a fierce expression as he growled, "You're getting on my nerves..."
Hmphing in response, Gem prepared to reload his revolver but was forced to dodge when Thomas abruptly fired a penetrating laser at him. The fact that he could dodge caught Thomas by surprise, but it turned out the man was simply reacting to the movement of his hand, not the laser itself. By sweeping his finger in the direction Gem had evaded, Thomas cut several centimeters into the man's legs, drastically reducing his mobility.
Though he was surprised by the efficacy of his attack, Thomas didn't let it distract him. Immediately after disabling Gem, he formed several barriers with his left hand, blocking a literal wave of wax before leaping into the air with his hands over his head like the Hulk about to smash something.
Preempting Thomas's attack, Galdino constructed a thick wall of wax, hardening just in time to block a destructive blast of fiery magical energy. The outer layers of the wax melted rapidly, but he was able to increase the wall's thickness even faster.
Landing on the ground, Thomas brought his right hand near his waist, his expression cold as he punched forward, creating a drill-like construct that rapidly burrowed through Galdino's barrier. Had the waxy man not dodged at the last moment, it likely would her pierced through him as well.
Pushing up his glasses to prevent them from falling, Galdino exclaimed, "Just what is your power...!?"
Ignoring Galdino's outburst, Thomas turned around, surprising the 'little girl' that had attempted to sneak up on him as he said, "Even if you're not a little kid, I'd rather not hit you. Mind sitting this one out...?"
Before Marianne could answer, Gem fired off another round of explosive bullets, impacting Thomas from behind. The consequent explosion was 'much' stronger than any of his previous attacks, so it knocked Thomas into Marianne, allowing him to act as a kind of shield against the resultant inferno.
Seeing his partner enveloped by Gem's sneak attack, Galdino shouted, "What do you think you're doing, Mr. 5!? We're supposed to be capturing him alive!"
Unable to stand due to the massive gashes running across his thighs, Gem glared at Galdino as he groaned, "He's too dangerous to be left alive. Just look at my legs. If we don't finish him off, he'll kill each of us..."
Dissipating the explosion with a burst of wind, Thomas rose to his feet, staring at the injured but still alive Marianne before shifting his fury-filled gaze to Gem. Before he could 'execute' the man for sneak attacking him at the expense of one of his allies, however, Mikita abruptly drop-kicked him from behind, shouting, "Don't forget about me, asshole...!"
Though his barrier was strong enough to endure high-caliber cannon fire, Thomas felt a sharp pain spread through his back and body as Mikita sent him crashing through several trees with her heels. All of her 10,000kgs had been focused on two points, so Thomas's barrier shattered like glass, resulting in him gaining two deep puncture marks around the small of his back, mere centimeters from his spine.
Despite feeling as though his back was on fire, Thomas sprang back to his feet the moment he gained control of his momentum, his expression akin to a wild beast as he glared at Mikita and growled, "Now you've pissed me off..."
As the coating of magical energy around his body became 'much' thicker, Thomas squared his feet and adopted an iconic pose. Fortunately, there was no one around to sue him for copyright infringement, so he brought his hands together and began condensing a terrifying amount of magical energy.
Realizing she may have poked a sleeping dragon, Mikita promptly leaped into the air, screaming, "Stop him, you nitwits...!" toward Galdino and Gem. The latter reacted by scooping up his blood with his revolver, but Galdino seemed to realize they had lost the fight, turning around and retreating as fast as his feet could carry him.
Seeing Galdino run off, Mikita's expression became even more panicked as she shouted, "You sniveling coward! And you call yourself an Officer of Baro-"
Before Mikita could complete her outburst, a column of energy more than 3m in diameter enveloped her body. Fortunately, she had kept her weight low, so she was propelled backward at extreme speeds rather than simply getting caught up in the energy blast. Unfortunately, she ended up being launched several thousand meters into the air, hovering over the sea and being propelled 'away' from the island due to a strong wind...
Though he didn't know the fate of Mikita, Thomas didn't care, launching himself toward Gem the moment he sent her flying. The latter attempted to stop him with explosive bullets formed of blood, but while Thomas was knocked around a bit, he was ultimately uninjured, releasing a loud battle cry once Gem ran out of ammunition.
Fearing for his life, Gem activated his ultimate technique, generating an explosion from his entire body just as Thomas reached him. The resultant explosion was so powerful that it enveloped more than a hundred meters of the surrounding forest with just the fireball. The shockwave it produced was much stronger, rippling out for several hundreds of meters, uprooting multiple trees, and severely burning Thomas's face, chest, and arms.
Despite burns covering his body and blood pouring from his nose and ears, Thomas wasn't pushed back by Gem's explosion. He had expected the man to do something desperate, so he had created a wedge-shaped barrier in front of his body at the last moment. It had shattered like glass but succeeded in redirecting much of the force of the explosion, leaving him with more burns than anything else.
Staring down at the severely injured, clearly exhausted Gem, Thomas's expression and voice were cold as he declared, "If you live a life killing and hunting others...you have no right to complain...about being hunted..."
Before Gem could respond, Thomas raised his foot and stomped on the man's face. To his surprise, Gem's head didn't immediately explode under the force of his stomp. Rather, since impact force was effectively a wave of energy passing through an object, much like a shockwave, Gem's Devil Fruit allowed him to endure what should have been a lethal blow. He was severely injured, having his nose crushed and several teeth knocked out, but he was still alive.
Not wanting to ruin the impression of Vivi, Astolfo, and, to a lesser extent, Nami, Thomas didn't continue stomping Gem's face after he failed to end the man's life. Instead, he closed his eyes and used Reinforcement on his body, accelerating his natural recovery to the point the burns on his body appeared to 'evaporate.' The holes on his back also healed, but the thing Vivi, Astolfo, and Nami noticed when they approached him was his hair. It was around shoulder length before, but it now extended halfway down his back after growing at an accelerated rate.
Suppressing her other questions, Vivi approached Thomas, caressing his bloody, soot-covered face as she asked, "Are you okay...?" in a concerned tone.
Returning a smile, Thomas replied, "Don't worry. I just need a bath, and I'll be good as new. Before that..."
Looking in the direction Galdino had fled, Thomas paused to consider letting the man escape. If Lucy somehow ended up in Impel Down in the future, she would need Galdino's help breaking free. Turning him over to the Marines directly was an option, but the Going Merry didn't really have a place to store captured prisoners...
Shifting his gaze to where he had left Marianne, Thomas found the girl had fled when he wasn't looking. With that being the case, he shook his head and muttered, "Forget it..." before returning his attention to Vivi and adding, "Let's head back to the Merry. I'm not so vindictive that I would pursue someone that has already given up..."
Adopting a smile, Vivi was about to respond that magnanimity was an important trait for a ruler but tensed when a feminine voice remarked, "My, how considerate of you..."
Following the sound of the voice, Thomas, Vivi, Nami, and Astolfo found a raven-haired woman seated atop a tree branch, her body veiled in a dark purple, incredibly revealing cowgirl outfit. Her top was similar to a corset that showed off her ample cleavage, while her skirt was incredibly short, adorned with white tassels. Over that, she wore a rather stylish fur coat, its color predominately white but accented with solid gold buttons.
Staring at Thomas with her piercing blue eyes, the woman cupped her cheek as she remarked, "You're a bold one, aren't you? You must have a fairly compelling wish to challenge a Warlord willfully."
Blinking in surprise, Thomas parrotted, "Wish...?" before directly asking, "What do you mean...?"
Exhibiting surprise of her own, the cowgirl-hat-wearing woman raised her brows as she questioned, "Are you trying to take me for a fool? The power you possess is clearly the result of an Install Card. Aren't you challenging Crocodile to claim the cards in his possession...?"
As he genuinely had no idea what the woman was talking about, Thomas replied, "We're taking on Crocodile to help Vivi and restore the Kingdom of Alabasta. I've never even heard of an Install Card."
Reaching into the breast pocket of her fur coat, the raven-haired woman pulled out a very familiar-looking card. In fact, besides the silver coloring and the image drawn on the front, the card was virtually indistinguishable from those given to Thomas at the start of his journey. As for the image, it depicted what appeared to be an Assassin and the roman numeral for the number three(III)...
Seeing the recognition and shock on Thomas's face, the woman adopted a teasing smile as she playfully mused, "So you 'are' familiar with Install Cards. Now, if you don't mind my asking, which cards do you possess? No need to be coy. Who knows, we may even be able to work together if you possess a powerful enough card..."
Recovering from his stupor, Thomas shook his head and asserted, "First off, I don't possess any Install Cards. Secondly, I know your identity and have been waiting for you to appear so we can converse. Mind joining me in Mr. 3's wax house...?"
Raising her brows, the raven-haired woman asked, "You know who I am?" before adopting a smile and adding, "Humor me..."
Nodding his head, Thomas replied, "You're Nico Robin, the sole survivor of Ohara's Archeologists, the woman seeking to expose the truth of the Void Century..."
Though she was surprised by Thomas's response, Robin didn't show it in her expression. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and adopted a smile as she replied, "It seems we've much to discuss. However, I won't enter any place I can't escape. If you really want to have a discussion, you'll let me bind your arms and accompany me into the jungle..."
Without considering his response, Thomas replied, "Sure," before turning to Vivi, Nami, and Astolfo, advising them to return to the Going Merry and promising he would meet them in a few hours. Vivi was reluctant to leave him alone with Baroque Works' top-ranking female agent, but, trusting he knew what he was doing, she wished him luck before accompanying Nami and Astolfo without a fuss...
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(A/N: The plot thickens (O w O)...)

Chapter 54: Revelations