One Piece : Wild Hunt

Though there were a few delays, the Going Merry was ship shape and ready to sail after seven days on Little Garden. During that time, Thomas had the chance to meet Broggy and Dorry, but, other than their size, there wasn't anything particularly interesting about them. They had spent the last hundred years fighting to settle a dispute over who killed the biggest Sea King, so they were pretty detached from the rest of the world.
More notable than Thomas's encounter with the pair of giants was Lucy, Zoro, and Usopp's first encounter with Chloe, Illya, and Ruby. The former, somewhat surprisingly, had aspirations of being a Magical Girl that could fire off laser beams when she was just a small girl. When she realized it was possible to be a Magical Girl 'and' a Pirate, she had an expression like her entire life had been a lie.
Like Lucy, Zoro and Usopp also took an interest in the magical trio and, more notably, the Install Cards. The discovery that Chloe and Illya had Bounties of 500,000,000 gave Zoro an overwhelming desire to challenge them. Chloe happily accepted his challenge, and, as could be expected from someone with B-Rank Agility, the ability to teleport, and the ability to feel the 'optimal path' during combat, she wiped the floor with him.
Though she only had the False version, Chloe's Mind's Eye(B) functioned similarly to Advanced Observation Haki. Even without consciously guiding her actions, she could evade Zoro's attacks even when he started flailing at random He nearly caught her off guard with his Sanzen Seikai(Three-Thousand Worlds), but she managed to teleport behind him, evading the attack completely.
While most people would have had their spirits broken after being 'toyed with' by a vixen resembling a little kid, Zoro threw himself into his training with even greater vigor. Chloe happily accepted his challenges the first couple of times, but by the time the Going Merry was repaired and ready to depart, she was actively avoiding him.
Though she surpassed Zoro in speed and skill, Chloe couldn't compete with him in strength and endurance. She was the type that had terrible fuel efficiency, so she could only fight for a few minutes at a time before needing to take a break and resupply her Magical Energy. Since she did her best not to injure Zoro during their spars, he was almost always ready and raring to continue, eventually culminating in her using Thomas as a scapegoat.
As excited as he was by the prospect of contending against and even defeating Zoro, Thomas only sparred with him a handful of times using the EMIYA Card. He won every one of their matches, benefitting from EMIYA Mind's Eye[True](B), but having someone swinging swords at his face and actively aiming for his vitals was extremely stressful. Not just for himself but Vivi, Caenis, Astolfo, Atalanta, and Benienma.
To preserve his sanity, Thomas restricted Zoro's challenges to once a day. He might have been willing to do more, but as Ruby had warned, most of his memories of their battles were hazy, like trying to recall details from a dream. His Mastery with the Card had increased from E- to E-Rank, but he didn't feel like he was learning anything, only accumulating stress.
Fortunately, while Zoro could be very 'passionate' about training, he was a fairly reasonable person. If Chloe and Thomas didn't want to fight him, he wouldn't press or pester them until they accepted. Instead, he would click his tongue before wandering off to hunt dinosaurs with a blindfold.
With the hope of awakening his own Observation Haki, Usopp attempted to emulate Zoro's behavior with limited success. Witnessing the perennial battle between Broggy and Dorry had inspired him to work harder, but he still had a long way to go before he could call himself a 'Great Warrior of the Sea.'
When he wasn't fumbling about with a blindfold, Usopp, along with Vivi, Nami, and even Lucy, sat in on the lessons Thomas was receiving from Chloe and Ruby. Even non-magical beings could practice Magecraft if they had the proper knowledge, a catalyst, or a magical item with stores of Magical Energy. The Install Cards were a good example, but there was actually an entire school of Magecraft known as Formalcraft, colloquially called 'thaumaturgy for dummies.'
Since Lucy had readily agreed to help them collect Install Cards, Chloe had no qualms about teaching them the basics of Formalcraft and how to create magic catalysts. She even talked Illya into letting Usopp and Nami experiment with using Install Cards, lending the Grade 3 Archer(David) to the former and the Grade 4 Lancer(Diarmuid) to the latter.
Seeing Nami in a dark-green, skin-tight bodysuit was quite the feast for the eyes, but it quickly came to light that lending her and Usopp Install Cards wasn't practical. Like other Install Cards holders, they lacked the internal Magical Energy to sustain the transformation for more than a few minutes. Chloe proposed the two form a Master-Servant Contract with Thomas, allowing him to provide them with additional Magical Energy, but neither were particularly comfortable with the idea.
Fortunately, just by being around Thomas, the Install Cards gradually filled with Magical Energy. Even when he wasn't shrouded in his veil, he constantly exuded it from his body like a radioactive stone. Thus, while other Install Card users would have to wait a month to get a single minute of use out of their Cards, Nami and Usopp only had to wait a few hours to get an equivalent number of minutes. Using the Cards didn't help the duo get any stronger, but having a fully charged Card on hand could save their lives in an emergency...
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Though no one got sick during the stay on Little Garden, Nami listened to Thomas's suggestion to make a detour at Drum Island before sailing for Alabasta. He had already informed everyone of his decision to leave the crew, at least temporarily, once they liberated Vivi's people, so revealing the existence of Chopper was necessary to ensure they made it through the Grand Line without succumbing to illness.
With Astolfo providing directions, it took the Merry seven days to reach a Winter Island whose skyline was dominated by several enormous, drum-shaped mountains. They looked more like smoke stacks or nuclear towers from Thomas's perspective, but he was far more interested in the island's residents than its topography.
Exhaling a sigh that caused a large plume of icy condensation, Thomas muttered, "Looks like my influence has fucked the timeline sideways..."
As she was only a few meters away, Nami, wearing thick winter clothing, asked, "Is something wrong?"
Since Lucy had permitted him to 'spoil' things until they parted ways at Alabasta, Thomas nodded his head and replied, "In the timeline that I'm familiar with, the Straw Hats encountered a villainous King by the name of Wapol on their way to Drum Island. Defeating him leads to the creation of a new Kingdom under a man named Dalton. In other words, if we don't take care of Wapol during our stay, the people of Drum Island will suffer once he returns."
Recognizing Wapol's name, Vivi's expression hardened as she added, "Wapol is a cruel and vicious man. Once, when I was just a little girl, he made an excuse to strike me after my father embarrassed him. There are even rumors claiming that he banned the practice of medicine among his people, forcing them to pay exorbitant fees to be treated by his personal army of Physicians..."
Hearing Vivi's remark, Illya, wearing an outfit remarkably similar to her Fate Stay Night counterpart, exclaimed, "That's awful!" before adopting a resolute expression as she added, "We have to do something!"
Smiling wryly, Thomas pointed out, "I wouldn't have brought it up if I planned to ignore it..."
"Ah..."
Feeling embarrassed, a faint blush colored Illya's cheeks as she half-turned and hid the lower half of her face in her scarf. As she did, Ruby used her wing-like appendage to cover her non-existent mouth, giggling in amusement.
Inserting herself into the conversation, Caenis asked, "So, what then? Are we just going to wait around until they show up?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Thomas replied, "I don't know. The people that sent Wapol fleeing from his country happened to be Blackbeard and his crew. With the introduction of Install Cards, there's a chance he and his men never even came to Drum Island. We'll need to go ashore to gather information and confirm the situation."
Raising her brows, Caenis asked, "And then what? If Wapol and his men are still in power, we'll have to overthrow them directly. And then we're just going to hand the reins of the Kingdom to a group of people who lack the power to liberate and protect themselves?"
Though Caenis's words weren't directed at her, an awkward smile marred Vivi's face. A King or Queen that lacked the power to protect their country and lead its citizens wasn't qualified to rule. This thought had crossed her mind several times since her initial encounter with Thomas and was one of the reasons she had been prepared to give him 'everything,' as, without external help, Alabasta didn't have a future.
Noticing the awkwardness in Vivi's expression, Thomas placed his hand on her shoulder, a silent attempt to comfort her as he said, "Once we free the people, it's up to them to decide their path. If I recall correctly, Dalton was elected as King by the people of Drum Island. He also chose to live among them instead of ruling from the castle, so even if we destroy the latter and raid its treasury, it shouldn't matter too much. Blackbeard and his crew would have cleared it out during their raid."
Though Nami was more than satisfied by Thomas's proposition, Illya's expression revealed discontent as she said, "That money belongs to the people of Drum. We can't just take it for ourselves!"
Shaking his head, Thomas replied, "You're wrong. While Wapol certainly extorted them, the people parted with that money to preserve their lives. Also, even if we tried distributing the money equally, the people most affected by Wapol's policies would protest because they would know who was least affected by it. The more sensible thing would be to entrust the funds to Dalton, but if he is suddenly given a massive fortune, others will eye both it and the position of Monarch with envy."
Blinking in surprise, Nami remarked, "Wow...you can be pretty smart when you want to be."
Ignoring the orange-haired woman's remark, Thomas directed his gaze to Illya, his expression and tone softening as he said, "Don't worry. I'm not suggesting we empty the treasury and leave the people of Drum to fend for themselves. We'll find a way to ensure the money finds its way back to the people, just not directly."
Refusing to be ignored, Nami asked, "Are you thinking about having Beni create one of her Inns? If it's true that you can move people and objects between them, you could use the treasure to acquire goods and supplies from other islands, transporting them to places like Alabasta and Drum for a fraction of what it would cost to ship them."
As Nami had inadvertently exposed the plan he had spent weeks coming up with, Thomas's left eye twitched. He originally planned to discuss the matter with Vivi once they had liberated Alabasta, replacing Crocodile's casino and much of Baroque Works' existing infrastructure with Enma-tei. By spreading them across various islands, he could effectively control the flow of goods and money, eventually establishing them as a substitute for conventional banking...
Exhaling a sigh through his nose, Thomas replied, "That depends on the situation we find ashore. But yes, if possible, I plan to build an Enma-tei. Not just here but on several islands throughout the Grand Line..."
Recognizing the endless potential of such an idea, illusory Berry symbols appeared in Nami's eyes. If Thomas could construct an Enma-tei on every major island, he would invariably become one of the wealthiest and most influential people in the entire world. If the World Government fell, which seemed increasingly likely, it was virtually guaranteed...
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(A/N: Thomas D. Jensen, the Seventh Emperor of the Underworld. AKA, the Bathhouse King xD...)

After locating the inlet leading further into the island, the Merry traveled upstream until it encountered a waterfall of ice and snow.
As it was impossible to travel further inland via ship, Nami asked, "Does this island not have a port?"
Before Thomas could answer that he didn't have a clue, Vivi chimed in to explain, "Following the death of his father, King Wapol isolated the Drum Kingdom from the outside world. He hasn't even shown up at the Reverie since the one I attended as a child."
Massaging her forehead, Nami groaned, "What an idiot. How can an island nation hope to survive without trading with other islands?"
Inserting himself back into the conversation, Thomas answered, "Piracy. Even before Wapol was chased out of his country, he possessed a unique ship specialized in ambushing prey out at sea. It's capable of submerging itself underwater, waiting for unsuspecting Pirates and cargo ships to get near before revealing itself."
Raising her brows, Nami questioned, "Seriously? This Wapol guy sounds more ridiculous the more I hear about him..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Thomas replied, "All the more reason to take him out before he can do even more damage. What say you, Captain...?"
While everyone else was wearing thick winter clothing to counteract the -34 degree temperature, Lucy wore her usual straw hat, blue jean shorts, sleeveless red tee, and sandals. In response to Thomas's question, she adopted a toothy grin, raised her fist, and replied, "Let's kick his butt...!"
Having heard everything he needed, Thomas adopted a smile of his own as he said, "Wapol's castle should be at the top of the tallest mountain in the region. If he's already been defeated, that's where we'll find Chopper and Dr. Kureha."
Shifting his attention to Caenis, Astolfo, and Atalanta, Thomas surprised them by asking, "Feel like taking a stroll...?"
As she had expected Thomas to ask them to guard the ship, Caenis had an incredulous look on her face as she asked, "You serious...?"
Nodding his head, Thomas explained, "Recent developments have caused me to reconsider my views on certain things. I still plan on getting strong enough to trade blows with people like Kaido, but I can't keep prioritizing my growth at the expense of everyone else's. From now on, we'll face our enemies together."
Catching everyone by surprise, Caenis abruptly burst out laughing like an asylum patient. She wasn't angry, but her usually aquamarine eyes gained a crimson hue as she screamed, "Now you're speaking my language! Let's fucking do this...!"
Without waiting for Thomas's response, Caenis changed into her combat attire and leaped off the Merry, covering hundreds of meters in a single bound before turning back and shouting, "Well, what are we waiting for!?" with a massive, murderous grin on her face.
Turning to Lucy, Thomas adopted a wry smile as he said, "Sorry, Captain. It looks like I'll be going on ahead."
After snicking in her usual shishishi-like manner, Lucy replied, "It's okay, Tom. Just remember, even if we're on opposite sides of the world, we're still Nakama."
Punctuating her words, Lucy extended her fist toward Thomas, waiting for him to respond with a fist bump before donning her straw hat, leaping off the Merry, and exclaiming, "Last one to the top of the mountain's a rotten cabbage...!"
Seeing Lucy run off, Nami exhaled a sigh, grumbling, "That idiot..." before approaching the taffrail and shouting, "At least put on a jacket before you go running off...!"
As if to spit in the face of Nami's concerns, Zoro promptly removed his shirt, exposing his ripped torso as he asked, "You think a bit of cold will take down the future Pirate King?" before jumping off the ship.
While Nami was at a loss for words, Thomas called out to Beni, tasking her with keeping an eye on Zoro while Astolfo chased after Lucy. As for himself, he decided he would tackle the snowy terrain and the mountain using his own strength. Canon Luffy managed to climb the Drum Rockies with the added weight of an unconscious Nami and Sanji, so he wasn't going to let a bit of ice and snow deter him from an opportunity to train...
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Though Drum Island had a number of dangerous fauna, the most well-known being a type of rabbit with a bear-like physique, the presence of Caenis was enough to scare off every wild animal for tens of kilometers. As a result, Thomas's journey to the base of the Drum Rockies was more like a casual hike, the only real threats being the weather and the people accompanying him.
Since it was the first time Thomas had invited them to accompany him, Atalanta accepted his invitation despite being weak against the cold. She could materialize winter clothes to protect herself, but the snow was well over a meter deep. Walking through it was like trudging through a waist-high swamp in the middle of winter, so her tail eventually became frozen solid as the cold gradually seeped into her body.
To provide Atalanta some relief, Thomas allowed the petite woman to crawl into his coat with her head poking out behind his. It was incredibly awkward, but it was also fairly exciting to have her snuggling against him for warmth as he slowly made his way up the mountain path. The problem was that she wasn't the only person utilizing his jacket for warmth...
Though they could have easily flown up the mountain ahead of everyone else, Illya, Chloe, and Ruby decided to travel with Thomas. However, as they were even shorter than Atalanta, the snow nearly came up to their shoulders at certain areas along the path. They could protect themselves from the frigid temperatures using Magical Energy, but it drained their Od, the energy contained within their bodies, fairly quickly.
Thanks to his Mana-Mana-no-Mi providing him functionally unlimited Od, Thomas could sustain his personal magic barrier indefinitely. Thus, shortly after Atalanta crawled into the back of his jacket, the two lolis nestled into the front, supported by his hands and forearms.
While Illya was pretty obedient, remaining silent and as still as possible, Thomas could feel Chloe siphoning his Magical Energy as she frequently adjusted her position. She also nestled her face into the nook between his head and shoulders, her breath briefly warming his neck before the sub-zero temperatures immediately cooled it...
Waiting for Thomas atop the corpse of a large, hippo-like creature covered in white fur, Caenis, seemingly unaffected by the cold as she was wearing her characteristically scant armor, asked, "Since when did you go and become a Hydra...?"
Adopting a wry smile, Thomas jokingly replied, "I am apparently very warm..."
Snorting through her nose, Caenis flatly retorted, "More like gullible..." before adding, "If the three of you are going to get in the way, you should return to the ship. Do you expect Thomas to carry you up the mountain as well...?"
Narrowing her eyes in amusement, Chloe replied, "No need to be jealous. I'm sure if you asked him to, Tom would be happy to hold you for as long as you like. Considering your relationship, he would probably be willing to do a lot more~."
Before Chloe could goad Caenis even further, Thomas set her and Illya down, stating, "Caenis is right. I don't mind being depended on, but the two of you aren't as susceptible to the cold as Atalanta. I also need my hands to ascend the mountain, so the two of you can either scout ahead, return to the ship, or wait in a nearby town. By now, Lucy is probably at or near the summit..."
Confirming Thomas's suspicions, Caenis revealed, "She and Astolfo flew up to the top on Griff like half an hour ago. Though, I'm guessing they're waiting for us since I haven't heard the sounds of fighting or explosives."
Turning her gaze to the drum-shaped mountain behind her, its plateau-like peak sitting 5000m above sea level, Caenis added, "This is a pretty big mountain. Are you sure you'll be able to climb it...?"
Though the mountain was pretty intimidating up close, Thomas didn't hesitate to nod, stating, "It's just a big rock. I've never actually climbed one, but I'm sure I can manage."
Returning a nod of her own, Caenis said, "Well, just in case, we're going to climb in tandem, okay? The cat on your back can probably save you in the worst-case scenario, but I'd rather not leave things to chance."
Without waiting for Thomas to respond, Caenis returned her gaze to Illya and Chloe, asking, "What are the two of you still doing here?"
Smiling awkwardly, Illya looked up at Thomas as she offered, "If you'd like, I can fly you up to the top. Or maybe I can watch over you while you make your ascent...?"
Understanding that Illya was just trying to be helpful, Thomas extended his hand to caress the bright-eyed loli's head, responding, "You're free to do as you please. If you decide to rush off to fight Wapol, just be careful. His Devil Fruit allows him to eat anything, and he isn't opposed to eating people..."
"Eh...?"
Though she was initially embarrassed to have her head caressed, Illya's expression morphed into one of disbelief when she heard that Wapol ate people. It wouldn't be the first time she encountered a human-devouring monster, but she never anticipated that the King of a nation recognized by the World Government would be a cannibal...
Inserting herself into the dialogue, Chloe narrowed her eyes and asked, "What about me? Don't I get a headpat and some encouraging words~?"
With his expression morphing into a deadpan, Thomas replied, "You're lucky I didn't toss you into the sea half a dozen times on our way here..."
Narrowing her eyes in amusement, Chloe licked her lips and remarked, "Then it seems my charms are slowly starting to have an effect. Give me another year or two, and I'll crack your defenses wide open..."
Surprised by her bronze-skinned doppelganger's remark, Illya exclaimed, "Chloe! W-W-What are you saying!?"
Rolling her eyes, Chloe replied, "Relax, Illya. I'm just teasing him. Both you and he should know better than to take everything I say seriously."
Contrasting her words, Chloe directed a wink at Thomas before donning her ever-skimpy Archer attire and approaching the base of the mountain. She had never climbed one before, so she figured she might as well give it a try. If she positioned herself correctly, she could even guarantee that Thomas spent the next several hours staring up at her from below.
Seeing through Chloe's intentions, Thomas exhaled a thick plume of icy condensation from his nose before turning to Illya and saying, "If you're going to keep pace with someone, watch over your succubus of a sister. I'm going to start at a different point with Caenis and Atalanta."
Though it felt weird hearing Thomas referring to Chloe as her sister, not to mention calling her a succubus, Illya gave an affirming nod before flying over to ensure the former didn't slip and fall. Doing so wouldn't kill her, as she could easily catch herself, but, as Caenis pointed out, it was better to be safe than sorry...
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While Thomas's group was slowly scaling the mountain, Lucy and Astolfo were snuggled up next to Griff, enjoying a picnic as they monitored Drum Castle a few hundred meters away. Several rifle-wielding guards patrolled the area, but due to the castle's location, they were pretty lax. Most of the security was focused on the various lifts connecting the mountain plateau to several towns, so Lucy and Astolfo went completely unnoticed within the small forest of pine trees serving as both a windbreak and the castle's perimeter...
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(A/N: Thomas is gradually running out of fucks to give xD...)

Interrupting Thomas's contemplative reverie, Ruby phased 'through' the wall separating the male and female cabins, musing, "Magical Ruby has appeared~!"
Without rising from his position on the sofa, Thomas asked, "What's up?" with slightly furrowed brows. In response, Ruby darted over and hovered above him, her voice apologetic as she expressed, "I wanted to apologize for earlier. I shouldn't have called you an idiot."
Surprised by Ruby's apology, Thomas's eyes briefly widened before he shook his head and replied, "It's fine. I know I can be a little cynical and obstinate at times. You don't have to apologize. Rather, now that you're here, there's something I want to ask you..."
Revealing his logbook, Thomas explained his hypothesis about using the Cards as a Summoning Catalyst, only for Ruby to quickly shut him down, explaining, "While it is certainly possible to manifest the Spirits associated with the Install Cards, those Graded seven and lower have had their Egos completely stripped away. Even if you were to summon them, they would be like puppets who act on instinct. Furthermore, their existence would be very unstable, similar to when Chloe first materialized from Illya's body. It would require power comparable to a Grail to stabilize them."
Exhaling a sigh, Thomas muttered, "Well, there goes that plan..." in a tired tone. Before he could grumble any further, however, Ruby gave a feathery shrug and replied, "That isn't necessarily the case. With sufficient Mana and adequate preparation, it is possible to manifest the missing Egos and bind them to their Cards. The problem is, without some kind of 'incentive,' there is no reason for the average Heroic Spirit to obey you."
Smiling wryly, Thomas admitted, "You make a fair point. Still, it's good to know the possibility exists."
With a twinkle in her gem-like eyes, Ruby mused, "Oh~? And why is that? Eager to 'sample' some Heroes and Goddesses, are we~?"
Instead of denying it, Thomas's smile became even wrier as he replied, "I won't lie. The thought has crossed my mind..."
Nodding her 'head,' Ruby supplied, "Well, if it's simply their bodies you're after, you could summon them in their egoless state and order them with a Command Spell. It isn't the most tasteful approach, but it should suffice to sate your curiosity."
"..."
Seeing Thomas's expression morph into a deadpan, Ruby asked, "What's wrong? Since they're egoless manifestations, it's not like you'll be harming anyone. Rather, once your curiosity is sated, you'll be able to put the head on your shoulders to proper use. Allowing your lower one to sway or outright dictate your actions is rarely a good idea."
Though he could understand Ruby's logic, Thomas couldn't help shaking his head. He wasn't the type that sought an emotional connection during sex, but the thought of fucking an emotionless 'puppet' felt sad and more than a little wrong...
"Yeah, I think I'll pass on that one..." said Thomas, adding, "I might be shameless, but if I crossed that line, I wouldn't be able to summon their corresponding Egos in the future. It would be way too awkward..."
Shrugging her 'shoulders,' Ruby replied, "Well, it was just a suggestion. We'll be traveling and working together for the foreseeable future, so I figured I would lend you a hand and offer you some advice. I can even prepare love and truth serums, though, with you being a good person and all, I can't imagine you accepting, much less using them."
With Thomas staring back at her with a silent deadpan, Ruby gave one final shrug, remarking, "Yeah, I thought so..." before flittering away from him as she mused, "Being selfish and perverted doesn't make you a bad person, Thomas. If that were the case, Illya might very well be the most wicked person aboard this ship. Ohohohoho~"
Without expanding upon her statement, Ruby phased through the wall separating the male and female cabins, leaving Thomas alone with his thoughts. Now that his plan to supplant Sanji with EMIYA had stalled at the starting line, he needed to think of another solution to keep Nami and Usopp safe once he separated from the crew. The former may not have treated him fairly the past few months, but he wouldn't condemn her to death or let her be taken advantage of by Absalom...
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After a fairly restless night, Thomas awoke to the sound of hammering, prompting him to check the time before dragging himself out of bed for his morning training. The Sun had risen hours ago, but he could still get in an hour or two before lunch. Afterward, he could explore the island, meet Dorry and Broggy, and fight a few large Dinosaurs to see if his Affinity and Mastery with the EMIYA Card changed.
Before Thomas could decide between doing weight training on the ship or cardio on the shore, Caenis abruptly shouted, "Oi, Tom! If you've nothing better to do, come and give me a hand!"
Though it wasn't how he planned to spend the morning, Thomas didn't hesitate to return a wave, answering, "Sure thing." before heading up to give Caenis a hand with the Merry's secondary mast. She was more than capable of getting the job done without assistance, but four hands were better than two. It was also a good opportunity to learn more about fixing and maintaining a ship, so Thomas spent the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon working alongside the bronze-skinned beauty, stopping only once Benienma arrived with a large picnic basket.
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With Caenis having chased off everyone that came to gawk at them while they worked, she and Thomas were relatively alone, eating in the shade of Nami's tangerine grove, when she softly muttered, "From now on, don't run off someplace I can't see you..."
Though he was more than a little surprised by Caenis's words, Thomas managed to appear calm, nodding his head in silence as he still had food in his mouth. Caenis's words weren't exactly a confession, but they gave a 'very' similar impression, causing Thomas's heart to begin pounding in his chest.
Noticing the increase in Thomas's tensions, Caenis narrowed her eyes and adopted a 'ridiculing' smile as she asked, "Is that all it takes to get your horned up? You dog..."
Contrasting her words, Caenis took a moment to spread her senses through the area, ensuring they weren't being spied on before freeing her breasts from her black bikini top and teasing, "Let's see how you react to these..."
Since she was practically demanding he look, Thomas lowered his gaze to Caenis's breasts, his throat tightening when he noticed her nipples were already hard. When he invariably swallowed, the teasing smile on her face became wolfish as she narrowed her eyes and practically growled, "Lower your trousers..."
Though he was tempted to obey Caenis's instructions without question, Thomas retained enough sense to shake his head and say, "Not here. Not with other people around..."
Clicking her tongue, Caenis responded to Thomas's words by picking up a &nbsp;large piece of sausage and biting off the tip before saying, "Then meet me in the jungle in half an hour. Don't worry about looking for me in a specific location. Just take off running, and I'll come to you..."
Adopting a wry smile, Thomas replied, "The way you word it, it sounds like you'll be hunting me..."
Narrowing her eyes even further, Caenis adopted a 'malicious' grin before taking another large bite out of her sausage. Then, without another word, she took a moment to fix her top before leaping off the back of the Merry and darting into the jungle...
"..."
Seeing Caenis run off, Thomas felt equal parts excitement and trepidation. The thought of being 'hunted' made him uncomfortable, but there was no way he would refuse the bronze-skinned woman's invitation. Caenis was close to Vivi in terms of women Thomas had a deeply-rooted appreciation for, so even if she sometimes dragged him out of his comfort zone, he felt compelled to meet her expectations.
With such thoughts in mind, Thomas was about to leap off the Merry and give chase but nearly fell off when Chloe abruptly appeared behind him, teasing, "I knew you were a beast, but are you seriously about to do it in a dinosaur-infested jungle?"
Adopting a 'serious' expression, Thomas met Chloe's gaze as he stated, "There is a time and a place for everything. Intruding at a time like this is a good way to piss someone off..."
Undaunted by Thomas's words, Chloe narrowed her eyes and adopted one of her characteristically impish grins as she replied, "Don't worry. I'm not trying to get in the way of your fun. I just wanted to let you know that Illya and I will be exploring the island. It's not every day we get a chance to meet and even fight with dinosaurs."
Exhaling through his nose, Thomas answered, "Fine. Do whatever you want. Just stay out of trouble..."
Nodding her head, Chloe replied, "I'll keep that in mind..." before lowering her gaze and adopting a cheeky smile as she playfully mused, "I see that it isn't just your height that's big..."
Resisting the urge to grab the precocious brat and throw her overboard, Thomas just shook his head in exasperation, turned around, and leaped off the Merry. Before he ran off into the woods, however, he turned back and said, "You're treading on thin ice, Chloe. Don't make me regret letting you accompany us..."
Leaning over the edge of the railing, Chloe maintained her mischievous smile as she replied, "Don't worry. Once you set aside your meaningless inhibitions, I'll make sure you enjoy every moment of having me around. Now, run along. You don't want to keep your little friend waiting."
"..."
Though Chloe's words gave him the sudden urge to order her back to Amazon Lily, Thomas eventually turned around and departed without responding. He had far more important things to deal with right now, so he decided to simply ignore her as he made his way into the jungle to be hunted by Caenis. If she decided to 'surprise' him by appearing while he was in the middle of the act, however, her bronzed ass would be back at the Emiya residence before sunset...
Fortunately, as brazen as her behavior was, Chloe wasn't an idiot. She had a pretty good sense of when people were nearing the limits of their patience. More importantly, she could tell that Caenis wasn't the type of woman that would react kindly to being intruded upon, so, no matter how tempting the notion was, she had no intention of interrupting the duo's private rendezvous in the prehistoric jungle...
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After wandering around for nearly two hours, Thomas began entertaining the possibility that Caenis had pulled a prank on him. She wasn't exactly known for her patience, so he expected her to 'assault' him within minutes of him entering the jungle. Instead, he made it all the way to the opposite side of the island, defeating several dinosaurs without her appearing.
Just as Thomas exhaled a sigh and was prepared to turn back, Ceanis landed a few meters away from him, falling from the sky like a meteor before dusting herself off as she declared, "Now you know what it feels like having to wait for someone without knowing where they are or when they might show up. Sucks, doesn't it?"
Without waiting for Thomas's response, Caenis crossed her arms, adding, "This makes us even. Now, start removing your clothes before I decide to rip them away..."
Though he had several questions and felt as though they really needed to talk, Thomas responded to Caenis's threatening remark by yanking off his belt with a single tug. Just as he had conveyed to Chloe, there was a time and a place for everything. And now was a time for action, not words...
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(A/N: Caenis is surprisingly cute...)

Chapter 66: Endless Possibilities