One Piece : Wild Hunt

After procuring clothes, Thomas, Vivi, Nami, Chloe, Illya, and Ruby returned to the port to procure food and water from a business closer to their ship. However, before they could reach their destination, someone Thomas both expected and was surprised to see barred their path.
"Thomas Jensen..." growled Smoker in his usual gravelly tone, a pair of lit cigars in his mouth.
Instead of responding to Smoker's words, Thomas briefly looked at the young, raven-haired woman standing next to him. She had short raven hair, similar to Nami, but her features were markedly more 'average.' She was far from ugly, but she gave off the impression of a 'girl-next-door,' especially with her thick, red-rimmed glasses. As for her body...she was deceptively curvy...
Shifting his attention from the woman, Thomas didn't need Chloe to inform him that they were surrounded by dozens, if not hundreds, of Marines.
While staring at one of the Marines aiming their flintlock rifle at him, Thomas's expression morphed into a frown as he asked, "What's this about, Captain Smoker? You and your little lady friend a long way from Loguetown..."
Maintaining a scowl, Smoker exhaled a plume of thick white smoke as he revealed, "Orders from up top. I was told you stole something important from the World Government. Now, are we going to do this the easy way, with you surrendering peacefully, or are we going to have to involve your friends...?"
Passing his gaze over Vivi, Nami, Illya, and Chloe, Smoker's expression didn't change in the slightest despite the group's scant attire. The girl at his side, however, gripped the hilt of her katana as she grimly remarked, "Captain...unless I'm mistaken, those two young-looking girls with him are the infamous Pirates, Illya and Chloe von Einzbern. Last I checked, both had Bounties of 500,000,000..."
Hearing the woman's words, the Marines accompanying Smoker became even tenser than usual. As for Smoker, he had a faintly incredulous look on his face as he re-evaluated Illya and Chloe, asking, "You're telling me these little squirts have a combined Bounty of one billion? What are their crimes...?"
Before the raven-haired woman, Tashigi, could explain, Thomas stated, "I haven't stolen a damn thing, and I don't appreciate being falsely accused just so you have an excuse to try and arrest me."
After raising his hand to silence Tashigi's response, Smoker reached into his breast pocket, pulling out a piece of wax paper as he said, "I honestly didn't buy it when I first received the order. However, recent events have led me to believe differently..."
Seeing Smoker unfurl the Bounty Poster of Drake, Thomas's expression morphed into a deadpan as he said, "I cut ties with the Wild Hunt before I departed the East Blue..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Smoker responded, "That may be the case, but it doesn't change the fact you were once affiliated with them. You may have critical information that can lead to Francis Drake's capture. If that wasn't a good enough reason to arrest you, you're now traveling with at least two infamous Pirates...how do you plan to explain that?"
Without missing a beat, Thomas retorted, "Easily," before crossing his arms and explaining, "We have something the World Government wants. We didn't steal it, and it never belonged to them, but that won't stop them from labeling anyone possessing the items they seek as criminals. Now, even though we haven't committed any crimes, we're going to be vilified and accused of assaulting Marines just because idiots like you choose to carry out illegitimate orders..."
Before Smoker or Tashigi could respond, Thomas gestured to Illya and Chloe, asking, "Want to know the crimes these girls are actually 'guilty' of...?"
Staring into Smoker's eyes, Thomas's expression and tone hardened as he revealed, "A random Celestial Dragon took an interest in them and wanted to enslave them against their will. Because they refused to become some inbred piece of shit's pet, they were pursued and nearly killed by Admiral Kizaru. Now, unless you intend to explain to me how it's 'wrong' to resist being enslaved against your will, you and your Marines can fuck off before someone gets hurt or someone else's property is damaged..."
Though he had heard the rumors about Celestial Dragons, Smoker had never witnessed their atrocities. He also believed that the Marines were 'necessary' to protect the people and counteract the growing number of Pirates tormenting the seas, so, while he could empathize with Thomas's, Illya's, and Chloe's plights, he was determined to take them in.
Catching Tashigi and his subordinates by surprise, Smoker half-turned away from Thomas's group, saying, "There's a large clearing to the North of the city. If you're genuinely concerned with causing collateral damage, we can settle things there..."
Adopting a severe expression, Thomas replied, "I'll accompany you to the outskirts, but only if you let these girls go. They didn't do anything wrong, and your orders were to capture me, not them."
Surprised by Thomas's words, Vivi attempted to say something but was silenced by the former shaking his head. As heroic as his words sounded, the truth was that he simply wanted to test his strength against Smoker and his Marines. With the EMIYA Install Card and his Command Spells, he could escape even if he was captured and imprisoned.
Seeing the 'resolute' expression on Thomas's face, Smoker only hesitated for a moment before answering, "Very well."
"Captain Smoker...!" shouted Tashigi. "We can't just-"
Before Tashigi could finish voicing her protest, Smoker narrowed his eyes, staring down at her as he said, "As Marines, our top priority is protecting the citizens and ensuring they're able to go about their daily lives without interruption. Also, our mission is to capture Thomas Dale Jensen. We can worry about apprehending other Pirates once we've achieved our primary objective..."
Directing the final few words at Thomas, Smoker signaled his men before turning around and leading the way. In response, Thomas turned to Vivi, greeting her anxious expression with a wry smile as he softly asserted, "Don't worry. Even if I get my ass handed to me, I'll be able to escape the moment I recover..."
Instead of responding to Thomas with words, Vivi threw her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. She didn't doubt his claim about being able to escape, but that didn't change the fact he was 'sacrificing' himself to buy them time and to preserve her people's way of life.
Though he suspected Vivi had misunderstood something, that didn't stop Thomas from returning her embrace, gently cradling the bluenette within his arms as various people stared at them with mixed expressions...
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After parting ways with the girls, Thomas did his best not to mind the small army of Marines surrounding him as he followed behind Smoker, followed by Tashigi. The latter had mellowed out a bit after seeing his interaction with Vivi, but she still had a hand on her sword, prepared to unsheathe it the moment he attempted to flee.
Since it took nearly an hour to walk from the port to the city's outskirts, Thomas attempted to break the ice after seventeen minutes of awkward silence, asking, "Your name's Tashigi, isn't it?"
Furrowing her brows, Tashigi pushed up her glasses as she snappily replied, "I don't fraternize with Pirates..."
Adopting a smile, Thomas retorted, "Then I guess I'm lucky, as I haven't actually done any pirating. If I have, feel free to point out my Bounty and crimes. I'm curious to know."
As the World Government had yet to issue a Bounty for Thomas's capture, Tashigi found herself at a loss for words. All she knew for certain was that Thomas was a fairly honorable Bounty Hunter that had intervened when Pirates attempted to cause a scene and murder a group of policemen in Loguetown. Now, he was willfully accompanying them to the outskirts of the city to avoid causing trouble for the people who inhabited it...
Unable to suppress her curiosity, Tashigi eventually inquired, "What do you have that the World Government would go out of their way to label you as a criminal to possess?"
Raising his right index finger, Thomas produced a wisp of blue 'flame' as he revealed, "They believe there is a connection between my Devil Fruit, the Mana-Mana-no-Mi, and something called Install Cards. However, as there is no direct connection between them, I ended up blabbing to a lot of people about the name and abilities of my fruit. That included a certain cigar addict, so now I get to be hunted and treated like a criminal despite only wanting to help people..."
Hearing Thomas's words, Smoker's perpetually grim expression became even more so as he stopped in place, turned around, and asked, "You're saying this is my fault...?"
Shaking his head, Thomas answered, "This is entirely the result of the World Government being heralded by being greedy, irredeemably corrupt asshats. You and your subordinates just happen to be the instruments they're using to try and get their way. In that regard, you, me, the citizens of Alabasta; we're all victims."
Unwilling to be left out of the conversation, Tashigi asked, "What does this have to do with the people of Alabasta...?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Thomas retorted, "Does it matter? As far as you people are concerned, I'm guilty because someone neither of us has ever met told you I am. There's no evidence linking me to a crime, but you're prepared to detain and hand me over just because someone ordered you to do so. Shit like this is exactly why I became a Bounty Hunter instead of joining the Marines..."
Puffing out her cheeks, Tashigi looked like she wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. Smoker, however, readily asserted, "I won't try to argue that the Marines are perfect. But our existence is necessary to counteract the spread of piracy..."
Adopting a deadpan expression, Thomas countered, "The only thing that makes someone a 'Pirate' in this world is their unwillingness to bend the knee to the World Government. You might be fighting to curb the spread of piracy, but that isn't why the Marines exist. If that were the case, the World Government would have constructed bases near the Twin Capes or before Sabaody Archipelago..."
Shaking his head, Thomas said, "Forget it. These types of discussions are pointless. The World Government has spent 700 years convincing people they're the good guys, so I don't expect you to listen to reason. Once you increase your rank or spend some time at Saboady, you'll understand the true nature of the people you serve. Just pray that your little friend here doesn't catch the eye of a stray Celestial Dragon. She's pretty cute, so if she doesn't want to be labeled a Pirate, her only options would be to kill herself or accept being someone's pet for the rest of her life..."
Refusing to believe Thomas's words, Tashigi exclaimed, "Don't think you can deceive us! If the Celestial Dragons were truly as monstrous as you claim, the people would have revolted years ago...!"
Instead of looking toward Tashigi, Thomas narrowed his eyes, holding Smoker's gaze as he replied, "Literally anyone who's visited Sabaody can verify what I'm saying. I'm just warning you so that you and your Captain aren't forced to become Pirates for 'daring' to resist enslavement..."
Directing his gaze skyward, Thomas added, "We should hurry and get a move on. I have a good woman waiting and a lot of people relying on me to help save, so I don't really have time to play with you. Just make sure that when you report me to the higher-ups, you inflate my feats as much as possible. After all, I'm an associate of the Wild Hunt and a cohort of two people with Bounties of 500,000,000. If I'm going to be forced into becoming a Pirate, I may as well have a sizeable Bounty to wave around."
Furrowing her brows even further, Tashigi asked, "Is this a game to you?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Thomas retorted, "I'm an innocent man about to be attacked by a platoon of Marines for a crime I didn't commit. If I make a single mistake, my life and freedom are forfeit. If I succeed, I'm guilty of resisting arrest and assaulting affiliates of the World Government. There's no way I get out of this without receiving a Bounty, so I may as well have a big one. I mean, I'm a pretty big guy, so it would be pretty embarrassing to have a smaller Bounty than the two girls I'm charged with protecting..."
Understanding that Thomas was referring to Illya and Chloe, Smoker asked, "You're protecting those two?"
Adopting a smile, Thomas replied, "Something like that. Either way, I have something the World Government desperately wants. Might as well have a Bounty that matches their desperation."
Catching Thomas a little off guard, Smoker gave a curt nod and said, "I'll keep that in mind when I make my report..." Then, without another word, he turned around, signaling for his men to pick up the pace so they could wrap things up as quickly as possible...
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After reaching their destination, a large clearing surrounded by rocky buttes, Smoker said, "This is far enough," before drawing his custom-made, seastone-tipped jitte from its sheathe.
In response to Smoker's words, Tashigi got into an iai stance while his subordinates, numbering seventy-three people in total, formed a loose encirclement around the area, rifles aimed at Thomas.
Though he was practically bulletproof, Thomas still felt 'itchy' whenever someone pointed a gun at him. Despite this, he did his best to appear calm, staring down Smoker as he asked, "How do you want to do this? As much as I'd like a high Bounty, I don't want to severely injure or kill any of your men."
With a characteristically grim expression, Smoker stated, "My men aren't cowards. They knew what they were getting into when they signed up to become Marines..."
Without waiting for Thomas to respond, Smoker's left arm turned to dense white smoke before his still-solid hand, wielding his jitte, shot forward fast enough to break the sound barrier.
Though he wasn't at the level of being able to dodge supersonic attacks, Thomas surprised Smoker, Tashigi, and their subordinates by standing his ground. The tip of the jitte should have pierced his shoulder, disabling his Devil Fruit powers. Instead, a sound similar to a sledgehammer striking metal echoed through the area as the flesh beneath Thomas's clothes gradually turned black.
Feeling a little more confident, the nervous expression on Thomas's face became noticeably more relaxed as he said, "Time to earn my Bounty..."
As Smoker retracted his jitte, Thomas ripped away his shirt to reveal his muscular upper body. His physique was eye-catching in and of itself, but the thing Smoker and Tashigi paid attention to was the black metallic hue spreading through his skin and the circuit-like pattern emanating from the glowing 'ᛇ' between his shoulder blades.
Taking advantage of the duo's surprise, Thomas charged toward Smoker, his movements leaving behind a bluish-white trail as he accelerated far beyond his physical limitations. Smoker dodged by launching himself into the sky like a smoke-propelled rocket, but the Marines behind him weren't as lucky. Thomas controlled his momentum to ensure he didn't turn them into meat paste, but with the Eihwaz run making his skin and muscles as hard as tungsten, even his casual 'swats' were enough to dent metal and shatter bone.
Before Thomas could 'rampage' too much, Smoker sent a massive column of smoke crashing into him like a bullet train. A normal person would have been blown away, but Thomas was barely sent stumbling, almost as if his body weighed thousands of kilograms.
As the smoke attempted to coil around him, the magical energy veiling Thomas's body gained a luminous green hue, followed by a fierce wind swirling around him.
Seeing Thomas counteracting his powers by simply blowing his smoke away, the expression on Smoker's face darkened. Ordinary wind had no hope of dispersing his smoke, but the peculiar green swirl surrounding Thomas's body seemed like a natural counter to his Devil Fruit abilities.
Recalling Thomas mentioning that his 'Mana' functioned similarly to Haki, Smoker concluded it would probably be impossible for anyone below the rank of Vice-Admiral to apprehend him. He wasn't going to give up, but there wasn't much he could do against Thomas's apparent invulnerability and ability to resist seastone.
Sheathing his jitte, Smoker punched both fists into the ground, grunting, "White Eruption...!"
Feeling the ground beneath him rumbling, Thomas looked down just in time to see it explode, an enormous geyser of smoke propelling his body into the air faster than he could disperse it.
Determined to test the limits of Thomas's durability, Smoker extended his limbs as smokey tendrils, grabbing two of the larger pieces of debris and attempting to smash them together.
Realizing Smoker was trying to crush him between two boulders, any thoughts Thomas had about holding back disappeared. It didn't matter that he could easily endure such a blow in his current state, protected by the Eihwaz Rune Chloe had carved into his nape. Such an attack would be lethal in most other circumstances, so Thomas's expression darkened as he extended his hands outward, obliterating the two boulders with blasts of magical energy.
With the threat of the boulders taken care of, Thomas suspended himself in the air, shouting, "You're starting to piss me off!" as he aimed his finger in Smoker's direction. There was no bright light, but, having seen Kizaru's light-based powers in action, Smoker immediately realized Thomas's aim, exploding into a massive cloud of smoke just as a laser-like beam pierced the area where his left thigh had been.
Though it wasn't the first time someone had evaded his much-slower-than-lightspeed laser, Thomas clicked his tongue, muttering, "Tricky bastard..." before making finger pistols and taking aim at the Marines scattered throughout the area. His training with Chloe, Illya, and Ruby included lessons in Rune Magecraft. He wasn't at the point of being able to carve Runes directly, but he could now utilize one of the core skills of any 'proper' Magus, Gandr Shot.
As tiny black spheres collected at his fingertips, Thomas began rapid firing beams of magical energy that contained about as much power as a strong punch. More importantly, they were hundreds of times more cost-effective than his standard laser attack. As a result, he wouldn't exhaust himself even if he unleashed hundreds of 'rounds' per minute.
Feeling a little like a mecha, Thomas strafed the Marines that had been peppering him with gunfire the moment he was launched into the air. His attack was eventually interrupted by Smoker's jitte erupting from a cloud of smoke and striking him in the back, but it didn't cause him any harm. It did, however, knock him out of the sky.
As he was still under the effects of the Eihwaz Rune, Thomas impacted the ground like a meteor. The penalty for increasing his durability to rival tungsten was a weight increase of nearly 20x. This clocked him in at over 5200kgs, so his collision with the ground created a thunderous sound and produced a rather sizeable crater.
Fortunately, as the Eihwaz Rune also increased the density of his bones and muscles, Thomas's Strength Parameter was boosted from 15 to 30, roughly the same as a Heroic Spirit with C-Rank Strength. He felt like he was trying to move through syrup or an area of increased gravity, but he could still move about freely.
Rising to his feet, Thomas swept his hand, producing a gust of wind to clear away the cloud of dust obscuring his vision. What awaited him when he did so was an encirclement of rapidly moving white smoke, giving the impression he was in the eye of a hurricane.
Just as Thomas began to wonder what Smoker's aim was, a foul aroma assaulted his senses, causing his throat and lungs to feel itchy. One of the traits of the Moku-Moku-no-Mi was a debilitating effect on other people's respiration. Smoker rarely made use of this ability, but seeing Thomas fire off hundreds of black lasers caused him to get 'serious.'
Having endured a gas chamber while in boot camp, Thomas immediately realized what Smoker was attempting to do. Fortunately, he had already developed countermeasures during his anti-sea training with Chiron. If he needed to, he could even breathe in a vacuum by recycling his breath and converting it using Material Transmutation, so filtering out a bit of smoke was relatively simple.
Cracking a smile, Thomas condensed magical energy around his body as he confidently asserted, "You'll have to do better than that if you want to take me out. Now, what say we wrap this up before more of your men get hurt? They may have joined the Marines with the conviction to face death but are you really going to force them to go all out against someone who hasn't even committed a crime? Well, besides defending myself."
Realizing that Thomas wasn't being affected by his asphyxiation attempt, Smoker emerged from the swirling white vortex to state, "We can't just let you go. Whether or not you were falsely accused doesn't matter. We have our orders..."
Exhaling a sigh, Thomas muttered, "I thought you might say that..." As someone who had served in the armed forces in his previous world, he understood the pressure of 'having' to follow orders. He couldn't count the number of times he had been forced to do something against his will, so he couldn't condemn others for doing the same.
Meeting Smoker's gaze, Thomas asked, "Then how do you propose we settle this? As it stands, neither of us can harm the other. Your attacks are too weak to penetrate my defenses, and I'm too slow to land a solid hit on you. If I find myself backed into a corner, I'll have no choice but to target your subordinates or utilize one of my trump cards..."
Understanding that Thomas's words were an expression of reluctance, not an implied threat, Smoker took a moment to consider his response before asking, "Why did you come to Alabasta? You mentioned that the people here were 'victims' of the World Government..."
Shaking his head, Thomas replied, "I also said it doesn't really matter. As it stands, you and your men are patsies of the Celestial Dragon, incapable of exerting your own will. Even if you learned one of the Shichibukai was breaking the law and tormenting the people of an affiliated Kingdom, you would have no choice but to ignore it. Now, enough chatter. Let's end this before things become even more complicated."
Without waiting for Smoker to respond, Thomas pulled out a bright purple gemstone with a Rune resembling the letter M. When he told Smoker his attacks were too slow to land, he hadn't been lying. However, the moment he smashed the gem-like stone against his chest, right over his heart, the world around him slowed to a crawl as his own 'time' accelerated.
Accepting that he would spend the next few hours bedridden, Thomas forced his arms and legs to move, enduring the pain as he rushed toward Smoker. The latter blinked in surprise, but his actions were so slow that his eyelids were still in the process of closing when Thomas slammed into him with his shoulder.
As time abruptly started flowing normally, Thomas clenched his teeth and clutched his shoulder while Smoker was sent flying into a butte more than 300m away in an instant. However, instead of crashing into it like a normal person, his body exploded into a large plume of smoke before reforming a few seconds later, revealing a still-conscious Smoker with blood pouring from his mouth.
Adopting a blood-stained smile, Thomas remarked, "Tough bastard..." before pulling out a green Runestone with an angular 'ᛒ' carved into its surface.
Instead of smashing the Runestone against his chest, Thomas threw it into his mouth and swallowed. Doing so without water was difficult, but it was worth it as the moment it reached his stomach, steam rose from his body as his wounds rapidly healed. Even his dislocated shoulder set itself, allowing Thomas to roll his right arm as he shouted, "You ready for round two!?"
In place of Smoker, Tashigi abruptly appeared behind Thomas, answering, "I'll be your opponent!" as she drew her green-hilted katana in a sweeping arc. Unfortunately, while her attack managed to land, it only left a thin red line across Thomas's back, failing to break the skin.
Resisting the urge to backhand the bespectacled swordswoman, Thomas stared down at Tashigi as he stated, "Try against once you've learned the Rokushiki techniques or mastered Haki..."
Undeterred by Thomas's words, Tashigi tried to slice across his chest but only succeeded in dulling the edge of her katana. In response, the former aimed a blast of air at her, blowing her off her feet and sending her flying back several meters as he said, "Tend to your Captain and subordinates. This fight is over..."
After looking over to confirm that Smoker was still sitting on the ground, too injured to pursue, Thomas allowed the effects of his Eihwaz Rune to dissipate before leaping into the sky and 'flying' away. It was extremely Mana intensive, but running away was a lot slower and incentivized the Marines to give chase. Seeing him fly into the sky gave the impression it was impossible to chase him, so none bothered trying. That was fortunate for Thomas, as, midway through his flight, he nearly fell out of the sky and crash-landed in the middle of Nanohana. Instead, just as he began to fall, Astolfo and Griff appeared out of nowhere, the former catching him in her arms before carrying him back to the Merry...
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(A/N: Rune Magecraft is OP...)

Seeing the look of befuddlement on Thomas's face, Vivi made her way over to his side, linking her left arm through his right as she asked, "What is it? Did something happen?"
Furrowing his brows in consternation, Thomas showed Vivi Drake's Bounty Poster, explaining, "This is one of my Heroic Spirits. Before we separated, she promised me she wouldn't go out of her way to attack any Marine vessels. Her second in command is someone I trust, so I can't believe she would do something like this..."
As vicious as Drake could be, Thomas considered her to be honorable or, at the very least, prideful. She was also supposed to be aiming to become a Shichibukai, so it didn't really make sense for her to sink an entire fleet of ships. Something, or someone, must have forced her hand...
Diverting her attention from Drake's dauntless smile and ample bosom, Vivi looked up at Thomas, suggesting, "Why not send Astolfo over to find out what happened? With Griff's flight speed, she should be able to make a round trip in just a few hours."
Though he was tempted to do exactly that, Thomas ultimately shook his head, stating, "I gave Drake free rein until we encountered each other in the New World. Even if these crimes are accurate, I want to trust that she had a good reason to commit them. If not...I'll deal with her myself..."
Nodding her head, Vivi replied, "I understand," before leaning against Thomas's arm. She had never met Drake, but if Thomas trusted her, she would give the pink-haired Pirate the benefit of the doubt. After all, she knew better than most that circumstances sometimes forced you to do things you otherwise wouldn't...
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With Caenis ensuring they didn't get swept away by stray currents, the Merry still had food and water to spare as the Desert Island of Alabasta came into view. As a result, Lucy didn't immediately rush off when their ship anchored at Nanohana, the central port city that managed most of Alabasta's exports.
"Wow, if you just looked at this city, you wouldn't think there is a drought," remarked Nami.
Smiling sadly, Vivi replied, "Nanohana is considered the 'face' of Alabasta. If Crocodile plans to rule the country, he can't compromise the major port cities. Without them, there is no Alabasta..."
Inserting himself into the conversation, Thomas asked, "So, what's the plan? Will we rush to the capital, focus on taking out Crocodile, or bring an end to the drought? It's your decision to make, Vivi."
Though the original plan was to lure out Crocodile and his forces by returning Alabasta's rainfall, that was before Thomas knew about the existence of Install Cards. He also felt guilty about delaying Crocodile's downfall to give himself and the Straw Hats a chance to grow, so he was prepared to rush over to Rainbase right then and there if Vivi asked him to.
As this wasn't the first time Thomas had placed the decision in her hands, Vivi maintained a calm and dignified countenance as she answered, "First off, we should focus on acquiring food, water, and suitable clothing. Once we have everything we need, we'll sail up the Sandora River and get a feel for the situation while Karoo races to deliver a missive to my father. I want to hear what he has to say before we make our final decision."
Nodding in affirmation, Thomas replied, "Sounds good," before shifting his gaze to Lucy to see if she had anything to say. In response, she returned a smile and asserted, "This is your and Vivi's adventure. We're just here to lend a hand."
Smiling wryly, Thomas was tempted to point out that he was the one who was supposed to be accompanying them. Instead, he gave a second nod before passing his gaze over everyone present. Depending on how long it took to deal with Crocodile, he would be parting ways with the Straw Hats in as little as a few days. They were bound to meet again, but the thought of parting with friends was rarely pleasant.
Interrupting Thomas's thoughts, Lucy's smile became even broader as she donned her straw hat and shouted, "Adventure waits for no one~!" before leaping off the ship.
Bolting to the taffrail, Nami shouted, "Lucy! Don't rush off on your own...!" Unfortunately, once Lucy set her mind to something, there was very little anyone could do to stop her.
Exhaling an exasperated sigh, Nami turned to Thomas and asked, "Can you send Benienma to keep an eye on her...?"
As Nami's behavior and tone had become progressively more 'amicable' over the past few days, Thomas didn't hesitate to answer, "Sure," before calling out, "Beni."
Appearing from Thomas's shadow, Benienma asked, "Is there something Master requires of me?"
Nodding, Thomas explained, "Lucy ran off to explore the city. You don't have to intervene unless she is in serious trouble, but keep an eye on her for us, okay?"
Cupping her hands together, Benienma lowered her head and replied, "As you will," before disappearing faster than the people present could blink. In the wake of her departure, the people remaining discussed splitting up into three groups. The main group, consisting of Thomas, Vivi, Nami, Illya, Chloe, and Ruby, went to acquire food, water, clothes, and other supplies. While they were away, Atalanta, Usopp, and Chopper would stay behind to guard the Merry while Astolfo and Caenis scouted the area, the former by air and the latter by sea. There were a few Marine and Baroque Works ships in the area, so leaving the Marry unguarded wasn't an option...
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"How do I look...?" asked Vivi, her body garbed in a purple and pink outfit reminiscent of a belly dancer. The top accentuated her ample bosom and left much of her back, shoulders, and abdomen completely exposed. The bottoms were comparably tame, consisting of a skirt that hung low on the hips and extended to the ankles, but if you caught it at the right angle, the fabric was fairly light and translucent.
Without hesitation, Thomas replied, "You look incredible," with a fiery light in his eyes. His 'intensity' caused a potent blush to color Vivi's cheeks, but before they could enter into their own little world, Chloe chimed in to ask, "And what about the rest of us~?" in a teasing tone.
Resisting the urge to exhale an exasperated sigh, Thomas looked over to find Chloe wearing a turquoise outfit that gave her the appearance of a Djinn/Genie. Except for a bikini-like top and bottom that left very little to the imagination, the fabric covering her arms and legs was transparent, accented by golden accessories.
Having gotten used to Chloe's preference for scant attire, Thomas wasn't even remotely surprised by her ensemble. What 'did' surprise him was the fact that Illya was also showing off more than a bit of skin. She wore an ankle-length skirt similar to Vivi and Nami, but her top was little more than a strip of white fabric accented by black and gold, hugging her lithe body like a strapless tube top.
Covering her chest, Illya's face lit up redder than a cherry tomato as she turned her body to the side and stammered, "D-D-D-Don't look at me like that! They didn't have a lot of tops in mine and Chloe's sizes, okay!?"
Stimulated by Illya's behavior, Ruby wriggled in a 'disconcerting' manner as she exclaimed, "Magnifique~! What a marvelously charming reaction~!"
Glaring at the writhing magical wand, Illya growled, "You're not helping, Ruby..."
Undaunted by Illya's threatening tone, Ruby teased, "Staring at me with such an intense and passionate gaze is only going to make me even more excited. When will you learn that there is nothing more endearing than an angry and teary-eyed magi-"
Before Ruby could finish speaking, Illya promptly grabbed and threw her away with the finesse of a professional discus thrower. It wouldn't take long for her to return, but Illya had bought herself at least a momentary reprieve.
Exhaling a weary sigh, Illya retreated into the clothing store to purchase a shawl while everyone observed her with varying degrees of empathy. The moment she was gone, however, Chloe acted as if nothing had happened, returning her gaze to Thomas as she asked, "Well? How do I look~?" while spinning around.
"Like a brat," replied Thomas. Then, shifting his gaze to Nami, he briefly considered complimenting her before returning his attention to Vivi. Chloe just laughed off his remark, but Nami was slightly annoyed. She might not be fishing for compliments, but very few girls enjoyed being 'ignored.'
Crossing her arms in a manner that emphasized her breasts, not that she could avoid it, Nami remarked, "You don't have to be so 'cautious' around me, Tom. Vivi and I are friends. She isn't going to get upset if you stare or compliment me."
Shaking his head, Thomas preempted Vivi's response by asserting, "It has less to do with Vivi and more to do with my pride. I simped for you like an idiot, and all it got me was pain and frustration. I don't hate or resent you, but I'm not going to let you keep breaking me down or treating me like a fool..."
Furrowing her brows, Nami lowered her gaze as she muttered, "I said I was sorry..." in a faint, nearly inaudible tone. She had actually apologized multiple times at this point, but, despite 'accepting' her apology, Thomas still behaved distantly around her. His past trauma, related to the betrayal of the woman he loved and his best friend, made him extremely reluctant to give people second chances. He wasn't lying about not hating her, but the 'appreciation' he once held for her was long gone.
Suppressing her urge to lash out, Nami said, "I need to cool my head..." before following after Illya. As she departed, Chloe, reading the 'room,' added, "And I'm going to go check on Illya," before giving Thomas and Vivi a playful wink.
Waiting until they were alone, Vivi grabbed Thomas's hands, staring up at him as she whispered, "You know Nami isn't a bad person, Tom. She truly is sorry for the way she treated you..."
Exhaling a tired sigh, Thomas replied, "I know...however, the only reason she feels that way is because of the distance between us. If I pandered to her like I used to, there's a chance she might default to treating me like a lackey or errand boy. If that happened, I don't think I could stop myself from resenting her..."
Wrapping his arms around Vivi, Thomas's expression and tone softened as he added, "I don't mind strong and independent women. What I can't stand are those who break down and try to use others. Nami is a good person. I know that. But she is also greedy, selfish, and prone to violent outbursts when she's scared or doesn't get her way. The past me would have tolerated all of that because of her beauty. Now, I have incredible women like you, Caenis, and even Astolfo to support me...why would I let myself be broken down by someone who only sees me as a means to an end?"
Without waiting for her response, Thomas lowered her face to plant a kiss on Vivi's lips. There was a lot the blue-haired Princess wanted to say, but she briefly set them aside to focus on reciprocating Thomas's kiss. At the same time, hidden just out of view, a certain orange-haired, brown-eyed woman had a despondent look on her face as she considered the type of person she was, compared to the kind of person she wanted to be...
...
..
.
(A/N: Every time Nami got excited to learn about how affluent Thomas would be, she dug deeper and deeper into the hole of his mistrust. Also, sorry for the late releases. I'm very ill at the present moment.)

Chapter 77: Conflicting Ideologies