One Piece : Wild Hunt

While making their way towards Crocodile's location, Thomas transmuted the explosives of one more pillar before deciding to conserve his strength. He likely wouldn't be fighting against Crocodile directly, but he needed a fair amount of Mana for what he had in mind.
Fortunately, while Crocodile wasn't the only member of Baroque Works in the underground waterway, most of the Officer Agents were at Rainbase, serving as a kind of decoy. Everyone else was too weak to even buy time, so Thomas's group went largely undisturbed until they reached a flooded chamber occupied by several massive alligators with banana-like growths on their heads. Each was over ten meters tall and well over five times that in length, so even though he had the EMIYA Card installed, Thomas felt a little nervous entering a room filled with creatures whose individual teeth were nearly as large as he was.
Putting Thomas on the spot, Caenis asked, "Want me to save the smallest one for you, or should I just kill them all and be done with it?"
Recalling how Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji were able to defeat Bananawani on their own, Thomas shook his head and replied, "I should be fine..." before materializing a black longbow. EMIYA's D-Rank Strength probably wasn't enough to penetrate the thick hide of a Bananawani, but his arrows were more than capable. He could use Projection Magecraft to reproduce and modify Noble Phantasms into arrows, turning legendary weapons such as the Caladbolg into powerful projectiles capable of 'nuking' enemies from several kilometers away.
Adopting a teasing smile, Caenis remarked, "Just try not to shoot me in the back," before brandishing her spear and charging forward fast enough to part the water. In the very next moment, one of the Bananawani that had been trying to encircle them had half of its head blown off, the force behind the blow so immense that everything from its durable hide down to its bones was practically vaporized.
Seemingly surprised by how weak her prey was, Caenis paused for a moment before bursting out laughing. The remaining Bananawani could have used that as an opportunity to attack, but those closest to her had frozen in fear while those further away focused on getting as far away as possible.
To cut off the retreat of those closer to Caenis, Thomas leaped into the air and began sniping those further away. By targetting the base of the banana-like protrusions on their head, he was able to pierce their brains with arrows whose tips exploded after a delay. As a result, each arrow he loosed resulted in a death, as, despite their size, the Bananawani weren't nearly as durable as expected.
Refusing to let Thomas steal all the glory, Caenis swept her spear to the side, causing the water surrounding her to turn into a 'blade' that cut off the heads of every nearby Bananawani. With another sweep, she created a swirling vortex that expanded rapidly, pushing away and dicing up the corpses surrounding her.
Seeing Caenis manipulate the water within the chamber, Robin's dark blue eyes gleamed with expectation. Before, she still harbored doubts about Thomas's and Caenis's ability to defeat Crocodile. Now, she was almost certain they could pull it off. After all, once he got wet, Crocodile's power decreased tremendously...
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After clearing the room filled with Bananawani, it wasn't long before Thomas, Caenis, and Robin reached the chamber containing Crocodile, seated atop a throne-like chair with Cobra pinned to a pillar behind him.
Seeing the condition of his 'father-in-law,' Thomas's expression darkened despite feeling relieved that Vivi wasn't present. He knew Cobra suffered a similar fate in the anime and manga, but it was better if she didn't have to witness such things...
Mirroring Thomas's expression was Crocodile, who, despite sitting down, was taller than most people standing. His actual height was 253cm, and his expression, hardened by a life of crime and accented by stitching that ran horizontally across his face, gave the impression of a ruthless tyrant that killed as easily as he breathed.
Without rising from his throne-like chair, Crocodile almost sounded bored as he remarked, "Good job, Ms. All Sunday. You guided them here, just as I ordered..."
Maintaining her usual smile, Robin calmly replied, "Indeed. Unfortunately, the Princess separated from our group to return to the palace and order an evacuation."
"Hmmm..."
Directing his gaze to Thomas and Caenis, Crocodile was about to taunt them before noticing the former was muttering something with his eyes closed.
"...unknown to Death, nor known to Life. I have withstood pain to create many weapons, yet, these hands will never hold anything..."
Realizing that Thomas was 'chanting,' the pupils of Crocodile's eyes contracted as he shouted, "You punk...!" in an enraged tone. At the same time, he rose to his feet, discarding the fur-lined coat he usually wore to reveal a muscular frame and a left arm bearing a large gold-alloy hook in place of a hand.
While Crocodile's speed was nothing to scoff at, he barely managed to rise to his full height before Caenis's spear pierced through his chest and caused his entire upper body to disperse into a flowery explosion of sand. A typical Logia user would have been killed on the spot, but Crocodile had mastered his Devil Fruit to the extreme, instinctually dispersing his body the moment he sensed danger.
Using the time Caenis had bought him, Thomas opened his eyes to reveal glowing pupils, his voice echoing through the chamber as he said, "So, as I pray...Unlimited Blade Works...!"
Following the conclusion of Thomas's chant, a fiery circle spread out from his feet, spreading through the chamber in the blink of an eye. By the time Crocodile had reformed his upper body, a fierce grimace on his face, they were no longer in the underground waterway. Instead, they were in a fiery landscape dominated by countless swords. There were clouds in the sky, but the features that stood out the most were the massive gears that floated and spun aimlessly in the distance, their size dwarfing mountains.
Before Crocodile could speak or ask questions, Thomas firmly asserted, "Unless you surrender now, this place shall be your graveyard..."
With a ghastly look, Crocodile reached into his breast pocket, intending to retrieve the detonator and the snail-like Den Den Mushi that served as his deadman's switch. As he did, a ridiculing sneer developed across Caenis's face as she asked, "Looking for something~?"
Failing to find what he was searching for, the look on Crocodile's face became even grimmer as he growled, "So, that was your aim. You forced me to disperse to secure the detonator..."
Maintaining a mocking smile, Caenis replied, "That was actually Plan B. Plan A was killing or crippling you before you had the chance to talk shit and monologue."
While gradually dispersing his body into sand, Crocodile looked behind him to confirm that Cobra and the team he had watching him hadn't been drawn into the strange space created by Thomas. The moment he did so, Caenis charged forward like a humanoid meteor, crashing through him as she shouted, "Where the fuck do you think you're looking...!?"
Having predicted Caenis's attack, Crocodile allowed his body to disperse while manipulating a tendril of sand to try and grasp her. He succeeded in doing so, but that ended up being a tremendous mistake as, the moment he grabbed her wrist, his body rematerialized as if he were in contact with seastone.
Grinning like a demon, Caenis grasped the stunned Crocodile's golden hook as she said, "Divine Cord of the Sea God, bitch," before tearing it off without mercy. Crocodile reinforced himself with Haki at the last moment, but Caenis's A-Rank Strength completely ignored his increased resilience, claiming the golden-alloy hook as a trophy before kicking him away with enough force to create multiple shockwaves.
Though he was able to disperse his body the moment he was no longer in contact with Caenis, Crocodile sustained several injuries as his sand came into contact with the blades populating the battlefield. Each contained at least a trace of Magical Energy, so he needed to protect himself with Haki to avoid being minced to pieces. Unfortunately, the moment he attempted to reform his body, Caenis was there waiting for him, a murderous grin on her face as she said, "Boo."
Before Crocodile could even think to respond, Caenis punched him in the face hard enough to make his features temporarily disappear. He tried to disperse at the last moment, but Caenis's speed drastically exceeded the reaction time of his stagnant Observation Haki. It had been decades since he trained seriously, and his Haki had stagnated due to a lack of powerful opponents.
After skipping like a stone across the terrain, Crocodile avoided Caenis's follow-up attack by flying into the air, reforming only the upper half of his body as he cursed, "Damn you..." in a gravelly tone.
Looking up at the severely bloodied man, the scorn in Caenis's expression and tone became even more prominent as she asked, "You think I can't hit you in the air?"
Before Crocodile could respond, Caenis materialized her red and black spear before throwing it like a streak of crimson light. Thomas had asked her to avoid killing Crocodile outright, but she would be damned if he was able to walk away.
Though Caenis's base spear lacked the seastone-like properties of her body, it was still packed with a tremendous amount of Magical Energy. Crocodile evaded to the side, but the spear tore through a section of the sand supporting his upper body, creating a large gash on his outer right thigh.
Realizing he couldn't compete with Caenis's speed in his current state, Crocodile materialized a silver card bearing the silhouette of a Lancer and the Roman Numeral III. He initially planned to hold out until Caenis's 'transformation' wore off, but her ability to counteract his Logia powers put him at a tremendous disadvantage.
"You're not the only ones with Install Cards...!" shouted Crocodile. Then, as Caenis reared back to toss her spear a second time, he held the card in front of him and shouted, "Include...!" causing a bright light to envelop his body.
Undaunted by Crocodile's attempts to transform, Caenis tossed her spear, this time intending to remove his leg. To Thomas's surprise, she actually succeeded, causing Crocodile's left leg to plummet to the ground as the light around him faded, revealing the grimacing man in a light green tunic, white trousers, and black riding boots. He also had on a black mantle and a metallic gauntlet covering his right arm down to his hand, within which sat a vaguely familiar black and gold spear.
Before Thomas could inform Caenis of who Crocodile had transformed into, she beat him to the punch, shouting, "Holy shit! Is that Hector!?" in an excited tone. As a Greek 'hero,' there was no way in hell she wouldn't recognize one of the most famous figures from the same period.
Gaining some of Hector's knowledge and insight, Crocodile's expression darkened even further as he muttered, "Caenis..." He couldn't recall any of the legends surrounding her, but the sense of 'familiarity' he gained made him aware that the power of Hector wasn't her match. At least not on his own.
Utilizing one of Hector's more niche Skills, a haze of glowing white energy enveloped Crocodile's body before erupting outward, similar to Thomas's use of Unlimited Blade Works. When the light faded, everyone was in their initial positions, Crocodile's leg and hand having returned to their original state, albeit at the cost of the Hector Card's stored energy.
Realizing that Crocodile had used the Hector Card simply to heal himself, the smile faded from Caenis's face. She had never gotten the opportunity to battle Hector before his death against Achilles, so her eyes turned red and her blood began to boil as she growled, "You cowardly sack of shit..."
Ignoring Caenis's remark, Crocodile met Thomas's gaze as he declared, "You made a big mistake by isolating us from the outside world. Now, I have no choice but to kill you..."
Without explaining what he was talking about, Crocodile pulled out a golden card bearing the silhouette of a Caster and the Roman Numeral VI. Caenis reacted by manifesting and throwing her spear, but this time it failed to find purchase. Instead, it impacted a wall of sand, reinforced by a magical barrier. Shortly after, Thomas understood exactly why Crocodile 'had' to kill them...
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(A/N: Caenis is a beast O_O...)

Instead of the domineering man with broad shoulders, muscular arms, and a thick neck, what emerged from the light produced by Crocodile's transformation was a tall, fairly attractive, and fierce-looking woman. This wasn't too surprising, as Thomas was well aware of the theory concerning Crocodile's gender, but her attire caught him completely by surprise...
In place of a formal outfit that made him look like a crime boss, Crocodile was wearing a scant white garb that could easily qualify as an expensive, high-fashion bikini. It exposed her arms, legs, abdomen, and much of her back. However, rather than focusing on her figure, Thomas focused on her Egyptian-themed accessories and the rabbit-like ears protruding from the top of her head...
As there weren't too many Egyptian Heroic Spirits, Thomas immediately recognized the card Crocodile had installed, muttering, "Nitocris..." in a low, severe tone.
While her obsidian-black staff, bearing the visage of Horus, hovered next to her, Crocodile took a moment to comb back her dark purple hair as she remarked, "As I suspected. You're no ordinary Install Card user. No one in this world should know the identity of Nitocris, yet you were able to-"
Interrupting Crocodile's monologue, Caenis charged forward with her spear in hand, shouting, "You talk too much...!" as she thrust forward to skewer the purple-haired Divine Spirit through the abdomen. Instead, just as before, her attack was stopped by a wall of sand, this time possessing a blackened quality.
While exuding arrogance from every pore of her being, Crocodile exhaled a slow kuahahaha-style laugh before asserting, "It's futile. While this form weakens me physically, it grants me the blessings of Mana and drastically strengthens my Logia abilities. And that's not all..."
Grabbing her staff, Crocodile tapped the end, resembling a tuning fork, against the ground. As she did, a circle of white light emanated from the point of contact, spreading several hundred meters before an Egyptian-style Temple emerged behind her.
Narrowing her eyes, Crocodile remarked, "As I suspected. While this place is isolated from the outside world, it grants no 'authority' to the user. Now, experience the wrath of a God...!"
Pointing her staff forward, Crocodile generated a tremendous volume of blackened sand to try and envelop both Caenis and Thomas like a wave. As the wave advanced, innumerable scarabs emerged from within, flying into the sky to cut off the aerial escape route.
Undaunted by the advancing wave, Caenis's eyes glowed red, a bestial cry emanating from her throat as she swung his spear with enough speed and strength to distort the space around it. Her attack created a large gap in the encroaching sand, but the moment she charged through it, a group of mummified soldiers blocked her path. They were individually weak, but even when she cut them down, they rapidly regenerated to try and swarm around her.
Though he was confident that Caenis would emerge the victor, especially in a war of attrition, Thomas raised his right hand, shouting, "Advance...!" as one of his Command Spells burned away. At the same time, a powerful pulse of Magical Energy erupted from Caenis's body, creating an opening that allowed her to charge toward Crocodile with murderous intent.
Speaking a language that caused Thomas to feel disoriented just hearing it, Crocodile generated what he recognized as the Eyes of Ra and Horus above her, shimmering with golden light. From the Eye of Ra, a laser-like beam of light shot out, intercepting and pushing Caenis away. The heat it produced caused the surrounding swords and terrain to immediately melt, but it also appeared to drain Crocodile's reserves immensely as she could only sustain it for a few seconds before stopping. Afterward, sweat could be seen covering her body as her chest heaved.
Seeing the veritable lake of magma her attack had produced, a smile developed across Crocodile's face as she asserted, "Nothing can oppose the power of the Sun..."
Directing her attention to Thomas, Crocodile was about to capture him with her sand when a nearly naked figure leaped from the pool of magma, shouting, "You're so fucking dead...!"
"Imposs-"
Before Crocodile could finish her befuddled utterance, Caenis punched through the barrier surrounding her body and landed a heavy blow on her face. Crocodile scattered immediately, leaving behind countless scarabs to try and drain Ceanis's vitality, but the latter simply ignored them as she charged forward like an enraged beast.
Taking to the sky, Crocodile reformed long enough to shout, "Just what are you!?" in an irate, disbelieving tone. She no longer had the memories and intuition of Hector, so Caenis's origin and abilities were completely unknown to her.
Grinning like a demon, Caenis replied, "I'm your worst fucking nightmare!" before leaping into the sky in pursuit of the panicking warlord.
Demonstrating the power of the Caster Class, Crocodile teleported away from Caenis, fleeing to the safety of her Temple. Her power was strongest
within, so she planned to lure Caenis and Thomas inside before turning it into their tomb.
"You fucking coward!" shouted Caenis, unable to sense where Crocodile had disappeared to. Her intuition, however, told her it was the massive Temple a few hundred meters away, prompting her to manifest her spear and charge toward it with the intent to level the entire complex.
As Caenis neared the Temple, the enormous statues depicting various Egyptian Gods came to life, swinging their colossal weapons to bar her passage. Their attacks were capable of fracturing the ground and causing explosions of dust and debris, but Caenis charged through them, quite literally leaping at one of the stone giants' chests and punching through it as a bloody aura began to surge from her body.
Leaping from her first victim's chest cavity, Caenis grabbed the head of a giant depicting the God Anubis, tearing off its head before hurling it like a meteor at the entrance to the Temple. A winged statue depicting the God Horus intercepted the meteor, blocking with its back and wings, but that left it open to Caenis's follow-up attack, the bronze-skinned woman landing on its back before tearing away its wings with a thunderous cry.
Before the Horus statue could try and dislodge Caenis from its back, the latter exhibited her remarkable flexibility by raising her right leg nearly 180 degrees, bringing her foot over her head. Then, with a speed that caused a black trail in its wake, she slammed her foot down on the statue's back, causing its entire upper body to explode into countless fragments.
"Weak, weak, weak...!" shouted Caenis, her eyes glowing crimson. She had yet to succumb to her EX-Ranked Madness Enhancement, but she was getting dangerously close, teetering over the edge of a murderous rampage. The only thing that prevented her from doing so was Thomas's presence. She refused to consider them close, but, if nothing else, she didn't want him dead...
Exhaling a cloud of steam, Caenis forced herself to calm down as she dealt with the remaining statues. Crocodile fleeing to the Temple actually worked in their favor, as, unlike them, the purple-haired woman had a time limit to her transformation. This duration decreased as she used powerful spells, so they really only needed to bide their time. Once her Install Card wore off, Crocodile's only options were surrender or death.
Confident in her assertions, Caenis broke through the encirclement of scarabs to find Thomas hovering high in the sky, shrouded by blue flames that burned anything that tried to get near him. When their gazes met, he immediately descended to the ground, allowing Caenis to charge over to his side, saying, "This bitch wants to play hide-and-seek? Let's see how long her patience lasts."
Without waiting for Thomas to respond, Caenis grabbed and tossed him over her shoulder before taking off like a rocket. The scarabs and black sand attempted to pursue them, but their speed was nothing compared to Caenis's. It only took her a few seconds to get out of their range, forcing Crocodile to come to them if she wanted to continue the battle.
In preparation for this inevitability, Caenis returned Thomas to his feet before saying, "Take off your pants," in a no-nonsense, almost threatening tone. She still had Mana to spare, but it was always better to have 'more' in a battle of attrition.
Understanding Caenis's intent, a wry smile developed across Thomas's face. Despite this, he only hesitated briefly before removing his belt and allowing his trousers to fall. The moment they did so, Caenis dropped to her knees, grabbing his temporarily flaccid cock and breathing life into it by drawing it into her mouth. With the amount of suction she produced, blood was literally forced into his shaft, making him painfully erect as she slowly retracted her lips.
As she had just emerged from a battle, Caenis was sopping wet when she removed her tattered black panties. Thus, after pushing Thomas over, she impaled herself atop his cock in a single go, a rare, throaty moan escaping her throat as she placed her hands on his chest, practically holding him down as she began moving her hips vigorously. Now wasn't the time for games, so she intended to make Thomas cum quickly and as many times as possible.
To escape the feeling of being one-sidedly assaulted, Thomas grabbed Ceanis's ass and began bucking his hips like a wild beast. The situation felt incredibly surreal, but he knew what he was getting himself into when he asked Caenis for assistance with Alabasta. After all, for her to manifest and sustain a raincloud capable of covering such a large island, he would need to 'replenish' her Mana every 2-3 hours, if not more frequently.
Spurred by Thomas's 'ferocity,' Caenis began tearing away the red and black fabric covering his body. In response, Thomas attempted to do the same with the remnant of her armor, but his Strength was nowhere near enough to perform such a feat. Fortunately, once she was done 'disrobing' him, Caenis allowed her armor and bodysuit to dissipate as she said, "You need to get stronger..."
Without waiting for Thomas's response, Caenis surprised him by leaning forward to kiss his lips. She rarely allowed him to kiss her, to the point he could count the number of times on a single hand, so he never expected her to be the one to kiss him. At the same time, she clamped down on his dick so hard that he felt like the suction of her pussy was trying to use his urethra as a straw to drain his balls.
Though he usually tried to endure for as long as possible, Thomas didn't hesitate to let out one of the thickest and most voluminous loads of his entire life. The moment he did so, Caenis's body shuddered violently, her lips parting from his to form a smile as she teased, "Looks like I'm not the only one who's excited by battle and bloodshed..."
Returning a smile of his own, Thomas gave Caenis a 'very' light smack on her bottom as he retorted, "As exciting as those things are, I only have a single thing on my mind right now..."
Understanding that Thomas was referring to her, Caenis's expression soured, accompanied by the sudden urge to punch him. Instead, she grabbed the sides of his face, stating, "You really know how to piss me off..." before leaning forward to seal his lips...
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Though she was unaware of what Thomas and Caenis were doing, Crocodile trembled with rage atop her Horus-themed throne. She had been planning to make the duo despair by luring them into her domain. Instead, they immediately ran off, undoubtedly with the intent to exhaust the remaining time of her Install Card.
Gritting her teeth loud enough to produce a crunching sound, Crocodile growled, "Those bastards...I swear, even if I fail today, I will eventually rise up and slaughter them both..."
Having formed her conviction, Crocodile rose from her throne before turning around and kneeling with her hands together. She still had one more card up her sleeve, but using it would exhaust both her stamina and the Mana within her Install Card. She was planning to save it for the very last moment, but now that Thomas and Caenis had 'run away,' she had no choice but to utilize her Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, Anpu Neb Ta Djeser...
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(A/N: There is a time and a place for everything. When you give no fucks, that time is anytime, and the place is anywhere...)

With Robin agreeing to show them the way, Thomas installed the EMIYA card and entered the underground waterway alongside Caenis, Astolfo, and Vivi. Benienma sank into the shadows to scout ahead, so the group proceeded in relative silence until Robin remarked, "I see you've acquired an Install Card of your own..."
Feeling a mixture of confidence and apathy as a result of equipping the EMIYA card, Thomas calmly replied, "After learning about the existence of Install Cards, I immediately set out to acquire one. Not just to counteract Crocodile's, but to uncover the truth behind their origin."
Raising her brows, Robin asked, "And did you? Uncover the truth, I mean."
Nodding his head, Thomas offered a curt, "Indeed," without going into further detail. He believed he could trust Robin, but she had yet to join him or the Straw Hats. Until they were 'officially' allied, he had no plans of disclosing even more information to her.
Seeing through Thomas's thoughts, Robin narrowed her eyes slightly, her perennial smile becoming marginally more prominent as she remarked, "It appears you've wisened up since our previous encounter..."
"Not really," replied Thomas, adding, "I've just figured out the path I want to walk. Once this is over, I'll tell you the specifics."
With an expression that looked as though she was restraining a chuckle, Robin asked, "Does it have anything to do with the Prism Pirates? It was quite a surprise to learn such big-name Pirates were traveling with you...."
Shaking his head, Thomas answered, "I won't deny there is a connection, but my aspirations are my own. I'm even considering pawning them off on the Straw Hats for a while..."
Since Crocodile and Baroque Works had already cleared out most of the dangerous animals occupying the waterway, Caenis had little to do. As a result, she decided to insert herself into the conversation, grinning as she remarked, "I guess they would get in the way of you collecting women for your little imperial suite, huh?"
"Imperial suite...?" parroted Robin, unaware of the existence of the Enma-tei.
Narrowing his eyes, Thomas stated, "As I said before, we'll discuss the specifics once we've wrapped things up with Crocodile. But, to make a very long story short, I'm planning to conduct business and expand an information network throughout the Grand Line."
"I see..." muttered Robin. Then, after several seconds of contemplative silence, she postulated, "I take it this is your effort to ensure the events you are familiar with transpire as intended?"
Shaking his head, Thomas replied, "I've already given up on that. Now, I just want to experience a journey of my own. One that doesn't interfere with the growth of Lucy and the Straw Hats..."
Adopting a teasing expression and tone, Robin asked, "By 'collecting' women...?"
Exhaling through his nose, Thomas retorted, "By doing as I please and helping those in need..."
Nodding her head in approval, Vivi asserted, "Thomas may not be perfect, but he is a very considerate person. He didn't force me into a relationship. Rather, he tried talking me out of offering myself as a reward. I'm certain that any women who join him in the future will do so of their own volition."
Maintaining her usual smile, Robin asked, "Does that include me...?" while staring up at Thomas.
Though he felt somewhat exasperated, Thomas's expression and tone were calm as he replied, "That's up to you. I may be an opportunistic pervert, but I'm fairly content with the company I keep. I'm not going to force anyone to sleep with me."
With the corners of her smile curling up slightly, Robin mused, "I'll keep that in mind." She truthfully had no desire to sleep with 'anyone,' but she wasn't against skinship and using her feminine wiles to get her way. Not if it meant realizing the dream she had nearly given up on...
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While Thomas's group slowly and cautiously made their way through the underground waterway, a massive complex of cavernous aqueducts that seemed large enough to facilitate ships, Benienma bypassed most of the physical obstacles by passing through the 'boundary' between reality and imagination. Shadows served as a gateway to this sub-dimensional plane, a monochromatic representation of the world it existed beneath.
Though she would ordinarily need to be wary of phantoms and other beings trapped within the boundary, Benienma was able to make good progress as the world of One Piece functioned on different principles than the reality she originated. There were 'echoes' of entities passing through the boundary, but the only creatures capable of inhabiting it were herself and those summoned to work in the Enma-tei.
With nothing to bar her passage, it only took a few minutes for Benienma to locate Crocodile and the captive Cobra. When she did, her usually stoic expression turned grim as, rather than being held in chains or imprisoned, Cobra had been nailed to a stone column. He was being kept alive by an old man and a team of nurses, but Benienma could sense that his life was nearing its end. Yokai were especially sensitive to the essence of humans, and Cobra's had just about run out.
Having witnessed people being flayed, turned inside out, boiled alive, and even eaten, Benienma wasn't particularly bothered by Cobra's crucifixion. What concerned her was how her Master and his bride-to-be would react. Both were empathetic by nature and restrained by mortal sensitivities, so the sight of Cobra being strung up was bound to upset them...
Caught between her desire to protect her Master and allowing him the opportunity to grow, Benienma failed to notice a distortion in the space behind her. When she did, she spun around, eyes briefly widening as a very familiar figure appeared before her.
Staring down at Benienma with her snake-like eyes, Datsue-ba remarked, "You useless girl. This is an excellent opportunity to groom that boy into a proper Demon King. Why are you hesitating?"
Though she would ordinarily never talk back to her adoptive mother, Benienma's expression became firm as she asserted, "Master is a good man. He should not be wrapped up in the politics of Hell..."
Rolling her eyes, Datsue-ba lazily retorted, "There is no good or evil, only opportunity and intent. Your Master may be a good man, but humans are among the most fallible of all creatures. Without discipline and consistent guidance, every last one of them submits to temptation and desire..."
Shifting her gaze to Crocodile, who was currently frozen in time, Datsue-ba remarked, "Just look at this one. Pretending to be something she's not in a vain attempt to 'overwrite' her trauma. She believes she can create a peaceful utopia where all people live in harmony but actively perpetuates the suffering of millions, all to spite a single person."
Returning her gaze to Benienma, Datsue-ba added, "You've found yourself in an extraordinary set of circumstances, my fool of a daughter. The Gods of this world are either dead or sealed away. The essence and resources of this world are ripe for harvest. All you have to do is give your Master a push in the right direction..."
Catching her adoptive mother a little off guard, Benienma didn't hesitate to respond, "I refuse! Benienma's duty is to protect and serve her Master, not manipulate him! I will continue to send gold and essence through the Enma-tei, but I will not facilitate Hell gaining a foothold in this world...!"
Recovering from her shock, Datsue-ba's expression darkened, an intense and malicious aura exuding from her body as she asked, "You dare to defy me...?"
Puffing out her chest, Benienma replied, "You have no authority over this world, so my actions within cannot be seen as defiance."
Narrowing her eyes, Dotsue-ba hissed, "You ungrateful wretch...is this how you thank your Ou-sama and me for adopting you? You have the opportunity to spread our influence to an entirely new world and choose loyalty to your Master over piety to your family?"
Maintaining her resolution, Benienma asserted, "Benienma's gratitude towards Hahaue and Ou-sama is as vast as the sky. However, betraying one's Master is the penultimate shame, second only to betraying oneself. Benienma could not call herself a proud daughter of Enma-o if she lacked proper morals and integrity."
Unable to refute Benienma's words, Datsue-ba clicked her tongue in frustration. The Laws of Hell were pretty strict, so there was only so much she could say or do before incurring a penalty. Just manifesting without a contract was already toeing a dangerous line. If not for the absence of an 'overseer,' she would be in a lot of trouble.
Suppressing her anger, Datsue-ba's expression and tone softened as she said, "You've passed my test. Continue to serve your Master, and be sure to send funds and resources back to Hell. Your Ou-sama and I have high expectations for you..."
Though she knew her mother was lying about her presence being some kind of test, Benienma cupped her hands together and bowed her as a sign of deference. By the time she straightened her back, Datsue-ba was already gone, leaving behind a single black feather that slowly dissolved as the flow of time returned to normal...
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After descending several levels, Thomas and co found themselves on a stone bridge in a vast circular chamber. Several other bridges connected to a massive pillar more than a hundred meters in diameter, rising from a pool of surprisingly luminescent water to support the ceiling far overhead. It was a remarkable feat of engineering, but what caught Thomas's attention were the dozens of TNT-like explosives encircling the towering support structure.
"I was wondering how they planned to destroy the city by setting bombs this far underground..." remarked Thomas. "They're going to collapse the pillars supporting the artificial plateau..."
Nodding her head, Robin revealed, "There are a total of sixty-three pillars similar to this one. By collapsing just a few of them, the entire city would capsize, sinking into the massive reservoir atop which Alubarna was built."
"We must remove them!" exclaimed Vivi.
Crossing her arms, Robin retorted, "You're free to try, but disconnecting any of the bombs would cause the others to explode. It would also cause the timers for the others to trigger, an action that could only be stopped if you had access to the primary control switch..."
Hearing Robin's retort, Vivi once again felt helpless. Before she could succumb to it, however, Thomas confidently stated, "That might have been the case in any other circumstance, but you forgot one thing..."
Adopting a smile, Thomas briefly met Robin's gaze before looking down at Vivi as he said, "I'm here."
Though it wasn't his own power, Thomas didn't hesitate to use the EMIYA card's unique Trace ability to analyze the structure of the bombs before converting the explosive material within to inert sand. Then, as an added precaution, he drained nearly his entire reserves to use Reinforcement on the pillar itself, strengthening it to the point normal explosives wouldn't be able to scratch it.
After explaining what he had done, Vivi leaped into Thomas's embrace, linking her arms around his neck to give him a deep and passionate kiss. This particular pillar supported the palace, so even if the rest of the city were destroyed, the castle would remain intact. If they reinforced the pillar supporting the central square, they could evacuate all the people in Alubarna to safety.
As it was a fairly good idea, Thomas permitted Astolfo to escort Vivi back to the castle so they could begin organizing the evacuation. There was a chance that Crocodile might set off the explosives in retaliation, but Robin had made it clear that destroying Alubarna was a last resort. Unless they went around trying to disable 'all' the explosives, he wouldn't go out of his way to set them off early. After all, his penultimate goal was to rule over Alabasta as its King, not destroy it outright...
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(A/N: EMIYA Card OP...)

Chapter 83: First Contact