One Piece : Wild Hunt

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...)

Spurred by the ridiculously loud sound produced by Astolfo's La Black Luna, Thomas hastened to the throne room, guided by Atalanta's nose. Fortunately, what awaited him was the scene of a massive, exceptionally fat man lying face down on the ground while Lucy laughed her ass off at the side.
Noticing Thomas's arrival, Chloe couldn't help adopting a teasing smile as she mused, "My, someone's out of breath. Were you worried about us~?"
Before Thomas could respond to Chloe, Astolfo abruptly leaped across the room, shouting, "Master~!" as she tackled him to the ground. Dealing with Wapol had stressed her out and exhausted her reserves of Magical Energy, so she was even friskier than usual.
Patting the pink-haired Paladin on the back, Thomas replied, "I'm happy to see you as well..." before rising to a seated position with Asotlfo sitting on his lap, nuzzling against him without shame.
Never one to miss an opportunity to quip, Chloe mused, "How enviable." with narrowed eyes. Illya heard this but just gave the bronze-skinned succubus a sidelong look before directing her attention to Thomas and saying, "We're sorry for attacking the castle in advance, but a group of soldiers tried to surround us the moment we came over the ridge. A few even recognized who we were, so things quickly spiraled out of control..."
Though it was a little awkward to engage in a conversation while Astolfo was proactively sniffing him, Thomas raised his brows and asked, "Really? I guess Drum still receives News Coos and information about the outside world."
While Illya just smiled wryly, Chloe stepped on the unconscious Wapol's head, revealing, "Get this, Tom. This massive hippo actually believed he could blackmail us into becoming his playthings. He said if we didn't obey him, he would report us to the World Government and have us turned over to the Celestial Dragons. What an idiot..."
Punctuating her words, Chloe sent the 207cm, 450kg Wapol flying with a simple kick. She only possessed D-Rank Strength, but her precise control over her Magical Energy gave her exceptional power in short bursts, kind of like Tsunade and Sakura from a popular anime/manga called Naruto.
Though she was similarly disgusted by Wapol's words and actions, Illya stepped between him and Chloe, arms spread wide as she shouted, "Stop it, Chloe! You're going to kill him...!"
Raising her hands, Chloe replied, "Relax. Insects like that don't die easily. I just wanted to kick the face of the man that kept leering at my chest like he wanted to eat me."
Lowering her hands, Chloe adopted a somewhat 'scary' smile as she proposed, "Now, how about we send this humanoid hippo down one of the cable cards and let the people decide how to deal with him? I'm sure they have many grievances they would like to 'discuss' with their former King."
Furrowing her brows, Illya was about to protest on the grounds they would be sending Wapol to his death, but Thomas beat her to the punch, stating, "The man who will likely replace Wapol as King should currently be in the dungeon. We'll let him decide Wapol's fate. For now, we should check the treasury and armory to see what we're working with."
Looking at Lucy, Thomas added, "We can take care of things here. Why don't you head down and see if you can't locate Dr. Kureha and Chopper? If I remember correctly, her clinic should be in a massive tree. If you ask around, the citizens of Drum should know where it's at."
Tilting her head to the side, Lucy asked, "Is Astolfo not coming with me? With her help, finding the Doctor should be a breeze."
Smiling wryly, Thomas was going to point out that Astolfo was currently indisposed, but she surprised him by hopping to her feet, raising her right hand, and answering, "Sounds like fun! Let's go~!"
Rising to his feet, Thomas's expression and tone softened as he asked, "Are you sure?"
Nodding her head, Astolfo adopted a broad as she explained, "Since we'll be parting ways after saving Alabasta, I want to spend as much time with Lucy and Nami as I can. I know you and Nami have had your differences, but we're all still friends, right...?"
Exhaling a faint sigh through his nose, Thomas extended a hand to caress Astolfo's head as he replied, "Of course we are..."
Despite Nami's treatment of him, Thomas didn't hold a grudge against her. He knew why she behaved the way she did, so unless she crossed a line, he would still lend her a hand or offer advice. And who knew? Maybe after some time apart, they might actually grow closer...
Giving Thomas a big hug, Astolfo surprised him by saying, "That's what I love about you, Tom. Even when someone has wronged you, you at least try to see things from their perspective. It may be limited to cute girls, but no one's perfect..."
Releasing Thomas from her hold, Astolfo bounced up to kiss him on the cheek before scurrying over to Lucy and dragging the befuddled-looking girl away. Their abrupt departure prompted Chloe to make a few teasing remarks, but Thomas largely ignored them, putting Atalanta in charge of ensuring Wapol didn't flee while the three of them inspected the castle's treasury and fully-stocked armory. He would have placed Chloe in charge of the former King's watch, but, much like Illya, he was worried she might actually kill the man if he woke up and said something to offend her...
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Contrasting Thomas's expectations, Drum Castle had a significant amount of gold, treasure, and Berries stored within its treasury. He half-expected it to be barren due to Wapol's isolationist policies and wasteful nature, but it appeared the man had stockpiled most of his Kingdom's wealth within a single vault.
Seeing piles of gold larger than she was tall, Illya's expression became increasingly awkward as she asked, "We can't possibly be keeping all of this for ourselves, right...?"
Adopting a wry smile of his own, Thomas replied, "It's a little more than I expected. However, as I pointed out earlier, simply handing over this kind of wealth to the people is bound to create issues. Using it to improve their quality of life is infinitely better..."
Seeing through Thomas's thoughts, Chloe teased, "Are you saying that to convince us or to justify your actions to yourself...?"
Shaking his head, Thomas adopted a serious expression as he answered, "We're not simply fighting to save the Drum and Alabasta Kingdoms. Our enemy is the World Government and the Celestial Dragons that have ruled this world with an iron fist for the past seven to eight hundred years. I'm not going to lie and say I don't have selfish intentions with the money, but I'm also telling the truth when I say it will benefit the people..."
Shrugging her shoulders, Chloe adopted a teasing smile as she remarked, "It doesn't matter to me. So long as I can utilize the baths freely and eat without having to worry about being spirited away, I don't care how many Enma-tei you decide to open."
Though she had no skin to speak of, Ruby couldn't help chiming in to say, "Oh, that sounds marvelous~! Hot springs do wonders for my complexion and shine!"
Realizing she was in the minority, Illya exhaled a defeated sigh before looking up at Thomas and saying, "Just make sure you never forget where this wealth came from. If you begin hoarding it like Wapol and using it to do whatever you please..."
Though she didn't finish her words, Thomas knew what Illya was trying to convey. If he became an opportunist or a villain who only cared about himself and his personal gratification, she would do everything she could to stop him. She wouldn't kill him unless it were absolutely necessary, but she would find some way to strip him of his power and imprison him. With the Holy Grails sealed with her and Miyu's bodies, there was a reasonably high possibility they could pull it off...
Adopting a wry smile, Thomas replied, "Don't worry. I may have a Skill related to Self-Doubt, but I can confidently say I would never become a villain. Not because I'm righteous by nature, but because I know there's a certain justice nut paying attention to my every action. He's the one that gave me this opportunity, so, even though I'm making an effort to be free of his influence, I'm not going to spit in his face by becoming evil..."
Supporting Thomas's claim, Ruby mused, "Smart decision. The Creator is usually hands-off when it comes to fostering his new toys, but he isn't against eliminating them directly if they get ahead of themselves. Unless you want to spend an eternity falling through dimensional gates, I would suggest you remain on the straight and narrow."
As she only had a brief encounter with Zelretch before entering the world of One Piece, Illya couldn't help asking, "Is Zelretch truly such a terrifying person? He can't be that scary if he was able to create something like the Kaleidosticks..."
Before Thomas or Ruby could respond, a tiny dimensional gate opened above Illya, dropping a piece of rainbow-hued hard candy onto her head. When it promptly fell off, she managed to catch it in her hand, staring at it with a mixture of awe and confusion as she questioned, "Did...did this just fall out of nowhere...?"
Recovering from his stupor, Thomas answered, "This is a situation where it's better to just go with the flow..."
Taking Thomas's words literally, Chloe looked above her head, smiling as she asked, "Do I not get a piece? How cruel..."
As she was mainly just playing around, Chloe was a little surprised when a tiny slip of paper materialized above her, drifting into her open palm like a feather. When she read the Kanji inscribed on it, her smile visibly cramped before she crushed it in her fist and stared at Illya like a predator eying its prey.
Before Illya could ask, Chloe revealed, "Since we're technically the same person, he said we'll need to share the candy you received. I'm starting to understand why Ruby and Sapphire are such perverts..."
Though Illya was confused, Chloe knew 'precisely' what Zelretch had in mind, snatching the rainbow-hued piece of candy from her counterpart's hand before tossing it into her mouth. Then, as Illya opened her mouth to protest, Chloe's Kiss Demon(B++) Skill apparently triggered, allowing her to seize the perfect timing to steal Illya's lips, slipping the piece of candy into her mouth before exchanging it between them several times over the course of three full minutes...
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Despite sporting a glowing red handprint on the right side of her face, Chloe had on a relaxed smile as she accompanied Thomas to check out the armory. Illya had flown off to get some fresh air, so it was just the two of them as they made their way through the palace's many corridors.
Breaking the tense silence, Chloe abruptly inquired, "So, did you enjoy the show~?" in a teasing tone.
Exhaling a faint yet exasperated sigh, Thomas asked, "You're really not going to stop unless I send you back, are you?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Chloe replied, "This is who I am. I'm not going to pretend to be someone else just to make things easier for the people around me. Besides, if you stopped to think about it, you would probably be even 'more' uncomfortable if I suddenly started behaving like a prim and proper young woman. It might 'frustrate' you to no end, but we both know you 'prefer' me like this..."
Slowing to a stop, Thomas found himself at a loss for words. His instinct was to refute Chloe's claim, but the moment she voiced it aloud, he knew there was some truth to it...
Turning back, Chloe's eyes narrowed, her smile becoming mischievous as she appended, "Also, no matter what I say or do, it's up to you to decide if you want to reciprocate. Though, if you actually showed signs of doing so, I would probably stop teasing you. Despite my words and actions, I'm not exactly in a hurry to have my body 'broken' by that little monster you keep hidden in your trousers."
After punctuating her words with a wink, Chloe turned around and began walking away with her hands linked behind her back. She would be lying if she said she wasn't interested in 'experimenting,' but Thomas wasn't even second on her list of candidates. Even if they did have sex in the future, it would almost certainly be in the form of a 'Mana Transfer.' As far as things like love were concerned, she didn't have any to spare until Miyu's world had been restored and she had a chance to reunite with her beloved Onii-chan...
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(A/N: Not all physical relationships stem from romance...)

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...)

Chapter 68: Adapt and Overcome