One Piece : Wild Hunt

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...)

Climbing mountains isn't easy. At the very least, that was the thought going through Thomas's mind as every muscle in his body screamed in protest after two solid hours of climbing.
Exhibiting none of the fatigue Thomas was showing, Caenis had enough leeway to turn around, clinging to the mountain face with just the tips of her fingers as she asked, "Are you good? Pushing yourself to overcome your limits is commendable, but doing so at the risk of life and limb is just retarded."
With Caenis positioned above him, Thomas should have been enjoying the view. He did, at first, but now he was thoroughly focused on not falling, a possibility that seemed increasingly likely due to his bloodied, numb, and virtually frozen fingertips.
Fortunately, while the condition of his hands and fingers wasn't pretty, Thomas didn't have trouble clinging to the mountain. His muscles were continuously cramping, but his desire not to fall had caused the Magical Energy veiling his body to develop an 'adhesive' quality.
Within the power structure of the Nasuverse, there was a concept known as Thaumaturgical Attributes or, more commonly, Sorcery Traits. Virtually every Magus possessed one, generally tied to their lineage, and it was one of the components that determined their affinity with various types of Magecraft.
As vessels containing Holy Grails, Illya and Miyu possessed the 'Wish-Granting' Sorcery Trait. Due to her nature as an impossible existence and her association with the Einzbern Family, Chloe actually had two. The first was the Einzbern Family's hereditary 'Flow and Transfer of Power,' while the second was a completely unique Trait that allowed her to 'Actualize a Desired Outcome.' This was what allowed her to teleport and, to a lesser extent, the reason she was able to get away with teasing people without serious repercussions.
Before teaching Thomas anything, Chloe had Ruby help her conduct a ritual to determine his Sorcery Trait. While it was possible to learn and practice any form of Magecraft, focusing on the Thaumaturgical System most suited to your Trait saved significant time and effort. Fortunately, while the notion of Sorcery Traits was too 'modern' to be encompassed by Chiron's Wisdom of Divine Gift, the course he set Thomas on was the one most suited to his Trait: Adaptation.
As the name suggested, the Adaptation Sorcery Trait gave Thomas the rather 'enviable' ability to apply various properties to his Magical Energy. So long as he had a clear image or desired it strongly enough, he could make his Magical Energy burn like flames, use it to freeze objects, and, now that his life was on the line, it was what allowed him to cling to the Mountain like Spiderman.
After taking a moment to collect himself, Thomas looked up to meet Caenis's gaze, a stubborn look on his face as he said, "I can keep going. I'm just not used to having my arms and legs positioned like this. I keep getting a cramp in my thighs..."
Though he was able to adhere to the mountain, Thomas was forced to stay in a 'frog-like' posture while climbing. As his size implied, he wasn't the most flexible person in the world. Thus, his inner thighs felt like they had become solid as he did his best to remain relatively flat against the mountain's face.
Nodding her head, Caenis said, "Once we've settled down somewhere, we'll focus on increasing your flexibility. Despite his size, Heracles could do the splits and cross his feet behind his head. Instead of focusing on the size of your dick and pure aesthetics, you should prioritize balance and ensuring you have a full range of motion."
Before Thomas could adopt a wry smile or exhale an awkward laugh, Caenis donned one of her characteristically wolfish grins as she teased, "Not that I mind you having a big dick. I'm a woman who can appreciate a good challenge."
Punctuating her words, Caenis snapped her teeth before turning around to continue her ascent. Thomas eventually followed suit, but not before Atalanta, still nestled in his jacket, whispered, "Now isn't the best time to be aroused..."
Exhaling an awkward chuckle, Thomas resisted the urge to look down as he replied, "You're not wrong..." before ignoring his body's objections and continuing his ascent...
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After four excruciating hours of climbing, Thomas finally reached the plateau supporting the Drum Castle and its estate. Unfortunately, except for Zoro, who likely wandered someplace completely random, he was the last to arrive. Lucy and Astolfo had managed to remain hidden for several hours, but the arrival of Chloe and Illya had kicked off the battle to claim the castle nearly an hour before Thomas's arrival.
Hearing no sounds of conflict and seeing numerous bodies littering the area, most still alive, Thomas exhaled a tired sigh and allowed himself to fall face-first into the snow. This prompted Atalanta to wriggle out of his jacket, but instead of getting off of him, she took a moment to stretch her body before looking around while seated atop his back.
Voicing what Thomas already surmised, Caenis remarked, "It looks like the party has already come to an end. Guess those two brats got caught coming up over the ledge. Not too surprising, considering they wear pink and red outfits."
Since he was something of a cat person in his previous life, Thomas did his best not to disturb Atalanta, raising his without moving the rest of his body as he replied, "Well, it wasn't like there was anyone truly powerful in this castle. Wapol's Devil Fruit is pretty dangerous, but he's a complete joke in terms of combat sense and strength. The same can be said for his Ministers. I mean, one of them literally uses boxing gloves covered in afro hair as a weapon..."
Realizing that she was preventing Thomas from rising, Atalanta eventually dismounted him, her usually expressionless face carrying an undertone of embarrassment as she avoided Caenis's mocking gaze.
Rising to his feet, Thomas took a moment to wipe away the snow from his face and body before suggesting, "We should head inside. I imagine Lucy and the others are waiting for us."
Though she nodded in affirmation, Caenis passed her steely gaze over the soldiers collapsed in the snow, asking, "And what about these clowns? It's like -50 degrees up here. If we leave them lying in the snow, there's a good chance they'll die from exposure or frostbite."
While she didn't give two shits about the people lying in the snow, Caenis knew that Thomas, Astolfo, and Illya would feel guilty if they simply froze to death. The former had killed before and was prepared to kill again, but he also clung to his 'humanity.' Astolfo and Illya were simply too 'innocent' to kill people willfully, so Caenis decided to remind Thomas of the guards' mortality before they went inside and left the men to their fates.
Matching Caenis's expectations, a conflicted frown developed across Thomas's face as he looked around. Most of Wapol's men only obeyed him out of fear, but it didn't change the fact they had willfully persecuted their people at his behest. If they had stood up to the man and rebelled alongside Dalton, Wapol's reign would have ended years ago.
Deciding it would be best to leave the men's fates to the people they had persecuted, Thomas exhaled an exasperated sigh through his nose before looking to Caenis and adopting a wry smile. However, before he could ask for help, she rolled her eyes and started to walk off, saying, "Yeah, yeah. I wouldn't have mentioned it if I didn't expect you to ask for help. Now, why don't you take the little kitten and head into the castle before she catches a cold? I'll take care of these morons."
Following Caenis's departure with his eyes, an unabashedly affectionate look developed across Thomas's face. She could be brash and incredibly harsh with her words, but Caenis was ultimately a considerate person, at least toward those she cared about. Of course, she would never admit to caring about others, but that was actually one of the things that made her so endearing...at least to Thomas. There was a reason his 'Top-10 Waifus' included several Tsunderes...
Demonstrating her own appeal, Atalanta gently tugged Thomas's sleeve, a paradoxically expressionless yet 'insistent' look on her face as she said, "Let's go inside..."
Unable to resist, Thomas extended his hand to caress Atalanta's head, his smile broadening as he replied, "Sure..." before asking, "Want me to carry you the rest of the way?"
Understanding that Thomas's question was more of a 'personal request,' Atalanta briefly hesitated before nodding in affirmation. The moment she did so, Thomas picked her up in a princess carry, cradling her snugly in his arms as he approached the remarkably beautiful Drum Castle. It was like something straight out of a Disney/Dreamworks movie, and, for the briefest of moments, Thomas couldn't help thinking about claiming it for himself...
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While Thomas was slowly making his way over to the Throne Room, its former owner, an obese man with dark violet hair and a cylinder-shaped jaw formed from tin, was groveling on his hands and knees, tears and snot streaming down his face as he begged, "Please! If you spare my life, I...I'll make each of you my Queens! We can rule the Drum Kingdom together...!"
Though she usually politely refused such requests, Illya had a rare look of disgust when she heard Wapol's plea. This was still fairly polite compared to Chloe's reaction, however, as she promptly fired a condensed blast of Magical Energy into Wapol's face, a contemptuous look on her face as she said, "Not even in your dreams, you disgusting hippo."
Despite being severely beaten and bloodied, Wapol managed to preserve his consciousness, stating, "I...I am the King of Drum Kingdom. If you kill me, the World Government won't remain silent. The only way you can get out of this without being hunted for the rest of your lives is if you beg for forgiveness and work with me. With your power-"
Unable to stomach Wapol's continuous, completely asinine attempts to try and leverage the situation in his favor, Astolfo abruptly exclaimed, "I can't take this anymore! This guy is driving me crazy...!"
Though it was completely overkill, Astolfo surprised everyone present by activating one of her Noble Phantasms, a giant black hunting horn called La Black Luna. It was an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm that, when blown, produced a sound comparable to a dragon's roar, a giant bird's cry, and the neighing of a divine horse all at once. It wasn't useful against other Heroic Spirits due to its C-Ranking, but it caused chaos and disorder in the minds of ordinary people while also depriving them of their ability to hear.
Before anyone could stop her, Astolfo took a deep breath before blowing into her horn with enough force to puff out her cheeks. As she did so, a visible 'column' of sound emerged from the end of the horn, crashing into Wapol with the force of a railway car. He opened his mouth in an attempt to eat the pressurized wave of sound, but the only thing he accomplished was giving it easier access to the interior of his body, pulverizing it from the inside.
Having exhausted more than half of her Magical Energy, Astolfo allowed her horn to disappear, exhaling a tired sigh before crossing her arms and saying, "That ought to teach him a lesson..."
With Wapol collapsed on the ground, bleeding from his eyes, nose, ears, mouth, and several other parts of his body, Lucy, Illya, and Chloe stared at Astolfo with mouths agape. The former had no idea what a Noble Phantasm was, but she could tell Astolfo had just done something utterly ridiculous. However, instead of mulling over it or asking for an explanation, she shattered the growing tensions by bursting out laughing...
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(A/N: Evaporation of Reason strikes again xD...)

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...)

Chapter 67: Ascent