One Piece : Wild Hunt

A few minutes after her abrupt departure, Chloe appeared on the deck of the Feilong with Illya, Ruby, and Astolfo in tow. Thomas spotted them, but it wasn't until Astolfo summoned Griff that he understood their intentions.
Approaching the trio, Thomas asked, "Seriously? You couldn't wait a few more weeks...?"
Though his words were directed at Chloe, the first to react was Illya, who, upon hearing him, abruptly yelped before covering her beet-red face with both hands.
"..."
Grabbing Illya by the arm, Chloe shepherded her toward Griff as she replied, "We'll be back in a few days. Don't slack on your training just because I'm not around to supervise you!"
Finished with what she had to say, Chloe directed Illya to climb on Griff's back while Astolfo hopped and skipped over to Thomas, freeing him from his statuesque state as she nuzzled against him and said, "Even if it's only for a few days, I'm going to miss you..."
Reciprocating the pinkette's embrace, Thomas habitually replied, "I'll miss you as well..."
Adopting a broad smile, Astolfo jumped up and linked her arms around Thomas's neck before kissing him. She would prefer it if he accompanied them, but she also wanted to help Chloe and Illya. The former would have a much easier time convincing Shirou and Miyu if Thomas wasn't present, so Astolfo was willing to part with him for a few days to help her friend.
Sufficiently pepped, Astolfo released her hold on Thomas and teased, "If you miss me, stand on the bowsprit and shout my name at the top of your lungs. I'll fly over like a meteor empowered by our love if you do."
Knowing it would be harder for her to leave the longer she delayed things, Astolfo gave Thomas a kiss on the cheek before hurrying over and joining Chloe, Illya, and Ruby atop Griff. Then, with one final wave, she flicked Griff's reins and had him take off into the sky, racing toward the horizon at a breakneck speed.
While following the group's departure with his eyes, Thomas's expression gradually morphed into a deadpan. He was used to Illya being skittish around him, but her previous response was...different. He hoped it was because she was anxious about him potentially sleeping with someone that looked like her, but his 'intuition' told him a different story...
Momentarily forgetting about the existence of 'flags,' Thomas muttered, "Let's just hope Miyu was able to seduce her brother..."
...
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With the departure of Astolfo, Chloe, Illya, and Ruby, daily life aboard the Feilong became markedly quieter. Thomas still had Caenis, Benienma, and Artoria to hang out with, but even the former was a little testy without her usual conversation partners. She was the type that 'really' enjoyed talking and messing with people, so, in the absence of Astolfo, she began tailing Thomas a lot more than usual.
While Thomas enjoyed spending time with Caenis, having her heckle him during training and continuously disrupting his magic training was a little annoying. However, as he knew she just wanted attention, he didn't mind it too much. Rather, as silly as it sounded, it made him feel like they were an actual couple.
Fortunately, as much as she enjoyed heckling Thomas, Caenis likewise enjoyed hunting Sea Kings. The Feilong spent most of its time traversing the Sea of the Boundary, but Meng Zhi would periodically have it return to the surface to get her bearings. During those times, Caenis would go for a swim, returning within an hour or two with a Sea King in tow.
As capable as Meng Zhi's crew was, their average strength wasn't much higher than a Marine from Headquarters. There were outliers, such as Meng Zhi herself, but the majority of her 308-person crew would struggle to defeat a Marine Ensign. Sea Kings were far beyond their means to deal with, so having Caenis onboard was a tremendous boon. They had more than enough supplies for the entirety of their journey, but Sea King meat was a delicacy only the strong and affluent could typically afford. Eating it not only filled you to the brim with energy, but if you consumed enough, it would even make you stronger.
With Benienma taking over the ship's galley, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that everyone aboard the Feilong was eating like Kings. The best food was reserved for Thomas, but no one dared to complain openly. Doing so was a good way to get chucked overboard by Meng Zhi, dooming them to return to Hell. As such, Thomas didn't have to worry about them betraying or openly antagonizing him for at least fifty years, the span of Meng Zhi's provisional contract. If he completed his journey sooner and migrated to a different world, they would be free to do as they pleased...
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During one of the Feilong's trips to the surface, Thomas was waiting for Ceanis to return from her fishing trip when he noticed a group of News Coos flying overhead. He doubted there would be any news of the Straw Hats for a while, but he enjoyed keeping up to date on current events.
After purchasing one of the papers, Thomas waited for the News Coo to depart before flipping it open to read the headline. Unsurprisingly, it had nothing to do with Lucy and the Straw Hats. Instead, it was another bold-faced article discussing the appointment of a new Shichibukai to replace Crocodile.
Seeing a 'very' familiar face on the cover, Thomas remarked, "I'm not sure if I should feel relieved or concerned..."
Beneath the emboldened headline was a picture of Drake, standing with her arms crossed in the middle of a large group of predominantly female Pirates. Curiously, though he had never met most of them, Thomas was fairly certain he recognized many of the people in the photograph, two of which were pink-haired women he suspected to be Jewelry Bonney and Sanji's sister, Vinsmoke Reiju.
Speaking of Sanji, he was one of only three men present among the people in the photo. However, rather than a suit or a chef outfit, he was wearing his personalized Raid Suit, Stealth Black. As for the other two men, one was Chiron, while the other was a tall, middle-aged man with slicked-back green hair and an expensive-looking pink suit.
Reading through the article, Thomas's suspicions were proven correct when it mentioned that Drake had forged an alliance with Germa 66 and Gran Tesoro. The latter was rumored to have accumulated 20% of all the money circulating in the world, while the Germa Kingdom had one of the most powerful standing armies. Thus, had she not agreed to become a Shichibukai, it wasn't difficult to imagine Drake being declared the Fifth Emperor of the Sea...
Eyeing the various pink-haired women in the photo, Thomas couldn't help wondering if Drake was attempting to collect them. Alongside Bonney and Reiju, there were five other pink-haired beauties. Thomas had no idea who four of them were, but he recognized the pinkette closest to Drake as the woman who possessed a Devil Fruit that could steal people's luck. Among the One Piece community, this was considered one of the most powerful Devil Fruits in the entire series. Unfortunately, the person who consumed it was an arrogant fool. If not, she would be invincible...
Interrupting Thomas's introspection, a large section of the sea began to bubble up, a tell-tale sign that Caenis had killed something far below the surface. However, as it would take her a while to surface, Thomas made himself comfortable, contemplating his future course.
With the Summit War looking less likely with each passing day, there was a good chance that Blackbeard had never obtained the Yami-Yami-no-Mi. As a result, Thomas had no idea how future events were going to play out. There was even a chance that Lucy and Co would immediately set sail for the New World after reaching Sabaody Archipelago. If that happened, the two years he set aside to expand his influence would be for naught...
While it was difficult to imagine the Straw Hats succeeding in the New World without their post-timeskip powerups, the fact other members of the 'Worst Generation' were able to find success implied they would be fine. They might not be able to take on people like Big Mom and Kaidou right out of the gate, but their growth during the Whole Cake Island and Wano Arcs demonstrated it only took them a few weeks to transcend their limits completely. They just needed the proper motivation.
Deciding that the smartest decision was to focus on improving himself, Thomas set aside the newspaper, rose to his feet, and leaned over the taffrail. Ceanis would be returning any minute, so while the crew of the Feilong focused on processing her catch, he planned to challenge her to an underwater wrestling match. One of the places he planned to establish an Enma-tei was Fishman Island, so learning to endure the pressure of the deep sea and fight underwater was integral to ensuring he wouldn't be at a disadvantage against even the most tenacious of Fishmen...
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With two weeks passing since the departure of Astolfo, Chloe, Illya, and Ruby, Thomas concluded they were probably waiting for him on the island of Amazon Lily. He was half-tempted to have Meng Zhi sail past it, but he wasn't the only one missing Astolfo. Thus, as the Feilong entered the Kuja Tribe's territorial waters, Meng Zhi ordered it to return to the surface only to find a large, predominately red ship being pulled by two serpents a few hundred meters away.
As Thomas spent most of his free time within the Feilong's quarterdeck, he immediately recognized the modified galleon as the ancestral ship of the Kuja Pirates. He promptly informed Meng Zhi of this, who, rather than telling her men to stand down, ordered them to prepare for battle.
Since he had promised not to interfere with Meng Zhi's handling of her ship and crew, Thomas used the time before the ships were in range to ready his countermeasures against Hancock's power. His Valor Skill had the effect of counteracting mental interference, pressure, confusion, and fascination abilities, but it was only E-Rank. Thus, so as not to embarrass himself in front of the 'most beautiful woman in the world,' he prepared a headband bearing the Teiwaz(Warrior) Rune.
With the effect of enhancing a warrior's courage and making them, at least temporarily, fearless, Thomas was hoping the Teiwaz Rune would make him immune to Hancock's petrification ability. If not, there was a very good chance he would spend a brief period as a statue. He likely wouldn't be aware of the passage of time while petrified, but the thought of being turned to stone wasn't the most pleasant...
Fortunately, while both ships uncorked their cannons, making it clear they were prepared to fire, neither unleashed the first volley. The Feilong was smaller than the Perfume Yuda, the name of the Kuja Pirate's ship, but it had more than five times the firepower. The Kuja Pirates also preferred using their strength to conquer their opponents, so they would only open fire if their would-be victims attempted to strafe or broadside them.
Just as Thomas believed things might end peacefully, several bow-wielding members of the Kuja Pirates began unleashing volley after volley of Haki-infused arrows. Each arrow was strong enough to pierce concrete or even dent steel, so the members of Meng Zhi's crew would have been in a lot of trouble if not for the magical barrier that briefly came into view each time an arrow impacted its surface.
Before Thomas could think to try and mediate, Meng Zhi unsheathed her custom Zhanmadao, thrusting it toward the sky as she shouted, "Open fire...!" in a commanding tone.
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(A/N: As expected from a tribe that reveres the strong xD...)

In response to Meng Zhi's command, the Feilong's starboard cannons opened fire, creating a loud, thunderous sound that echoed through the bodies of everyone onboard. Unfortunately, despite receiving a full broadside, the Perfume Yuda barely took any damage. It was one of the few ships whose hull and keel were constructed from wood harvested from the Treasure Tree Adam, so ordinary cannonballs could barely leave a scratch on its surface.
Undaunted by the failure of the first volley, Meng Zhi ordered the ship's sharpshooters to open fire on the Kuja warriors gathered on the Perfume Yuda's deck. At the same time, several of the more fearless members of the Kuja Tribe attempted to board the Feilong by leaping over, weapons in hand and snakes wrapped around their bodies. The barrier protecting the ship was designed to repel fast-moving projectiles, so they had no trouble passing through.
Fortunately, at least for the crew of the Feilong, what awaited the Kuja boarding party was a group consisting of Thomas, Caenis, Benienma, and Artoria. The trio of Heroic Spirits had been asked to avoid lethally injuring their opponents, but that didn't stop Caenis from being her usual brutal self, grabbing members of the Kuja Tribe by the hair before throwing them back to their ship like humanoid cannonballs, willfully aiming for the bright pink 'mansion' that occupied much of the deck.
Seeing how easily their boarding party was repelled, two of the more 'distinct' members of the Kuja Pirates stepped forward. The first had leaf-green hair and an oversized head that sat atop a shapely figure, while the other had orange hair styled to resemble horns and a body whose shape could be compared to an egg.
At 453 and 432 centimeters, the two caped, bikini-clad women were among the tallest members of the Kuja Tribe. They also commanded the respect of the other members, causing the embattled Kuja to shout out, "Lady Sandersonia!" and "Lady Marigold!" like fangirls spotting their idols exiting a venue.
Recognizing the duo immediately, Thomas, guarded by Benienma and Artoria, approached the taffrail of the Feilong to shout, "Sandersonia! Marigold! We're allies of Shirou Emiya!" using Mana to amplify his voice.
As Thomas was already in the limelight as one of the people repelling the boarding party, Sandersonia and Marigold were paying close attention to him. When they heard his words, the two sisters briefly exchanged glances before the egg-shaped Marigold turned around and retreated to the mansion.
While Marigold presumably went to report to Hancock, Sandersonia ordered her women to stand down before approaching the taffrail of the Perfum Yuda, questioning, "What's your name, human man?" with crossed arms and a skeptical look on her face. Shirou had informed them about Thomas, but as the latter had a completely different appearance, she was incredibly suspicious of his words.
Raising his hands to show he meant no harm, Thomas replied, "Thomas D. Jensen," in a calm, assertive tone.
Flicking her snake-like tongue, Sandersonia remarked, "You don't look like Thomas D. Jensen. From what I've seen and heard, you're supposed to be around 220-240cm tall with a mane of brown hair, broad shoulders, and a muscular frame. How did you get so tiny?"
Smiling wryly, Thomas answered, "The same way I got so big in the first place. I used Magic to modify my size and appearance."
To demonstrate his point, Thomas channeled Mana through his artificial Magic Circuits, causing his body to swell gradually and his hair to slowly change color. He couldn't change too much due to the restrictions of his clothing, but his final appearance was fairly close to the one shown on his Bounty Poster.
Raising her brows, Sandersonia remarked, "That's a really useful ability." Then, with a casual gesture of her right hand, the tensions that had been present among the Kuja Pirates promptly disappeared, replaced by smiles and expressions of relief. They reveled in naval and land warfare, but the power demonstrated by Caenis made them feel helpless.
Half-turning away, Sandersonia said, "Though it is typically forbidden for men to board our ship without bindings, you and two of your friends are welcome to come aboard. I cannot guarantee your protection, but if you truly are an ally of Lord Shirou, you shouldn't be made to suffer."
Nodding his head, Thomas replied, "Sounds good," before turning to Caenis and Artoria, choosing them as his escorts. Benienma would also be coming along, but unless shit hit the friend, she would stay within his shadow.
Leaping across the 15m gap between ships without too much trouble, Thomas briefly tensed as the eyes of every Kuja Tribesomwan zeroed in on him like a group of snakes eyeing a single mouse. Amazon Lily was an island that men were typically prohibited from setting foot on, so one of the most important 'resources' collected by the Kuja Pirates were strong men. Their brig served a dual purpose as a breeding stable, so Thomas entering the Perfume Yuda was comparable to a stray lamb wandering into a den of hungry lionesses...
Fortunately for Thomas, he had one of the more ferocious lionesses as his protector. Caenis immediately noticed the 'hungry' glimmer in the eyes of the Kuja warriors, prompting her to sneer as she said, "You lot aren't even in the running. Now, piss off before I toss you overboard."
As Kuja society dictated that the weak obey the strong, most of the Kuja tribeswomen averted their gazes. The few that didn't nearly paid the price, but Thomas intervened, saying, "Just ignore them..." as he followed after Sandersonia.
Though she immediately followed suit, Caenis committed the faces of everyone who didn't avert their eyes to memory. She had experience with the Amazons of her world, so she had a decent grasp of how Kuja society worked. If she didn't discipline those who disregarded her warning, some of the more 'ambitious' women might conspire against her or try to target Thomas. She might not care as much as Benienma, but there was no way in Hell she was permitting some discount Amazons to steal his seed...
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Stopping just outside an ornate set of doors, each more than 5m in height, Sandersonia turned to Thomas and asked, "You have Lord Shirou's Install Card, correct? I suggest Including it before we proceed further..."
Though Sandersonia's words raised numerous flags, Thomas responded with a curt "Understood" before pulling out and making use of the EMIYA Card. Once he had, a broad smile developed across Sandersonia's face as she said, "How nostalgic..."
Without explaining the meaning behind her words, Sandersonia pushed open the double doors to reveal a chamber that appeared larger on the inside than the entirety of the Perfume Yuda. There was plenty of lighting within, but the surroundings seemed unnaturally dark, drawing the eyes of everyone present to the raven-haired woman seated at the back of the chamber. She didn't actually emit any light, but her ambiance, impeccable facial structure, perfect physique, and ostensibly unblemished skin gave her a majesty comparable to the full moon on a cloudless night...
Though Thomas expected Hancock to be beautiful, his mind truly blanked for the first time in his life. For a moment, he even believed he had already been turned into a statue. Fortunately, that wasn't the case as Hancock promptly narrowed her eyes, exuding an aura of bone-chilling fury as she accused, "So, you're the detestable man my beloved Shirou has chosen to inherit his will..."
Before Thomas could respond, an invisible pulse of energy radiated from Hancock's body as she shouted, "Silence! You do not have my permission to speak!"
Rising to her feet, Hancock gave the impression she was twenty meters tall despite barely cresting 191cm as she said, "If it weren't for you, Shirou and his sisters would have continued to depend on me and my Kuja Tribe! You robbed me of my purpose, and now Shirou is more determined than ever to leave this world and return to his own! Just who do you think you are!?"
Without waiting for Thomas's response, the air around Hancock began to crackle with black lightning as she bellowed, "You are nothing but a fool! Now, kneel before me...!"
Following Hancock's assertion, an oppressive aura surged outward, filling the chamber, encompassing both ships, and spreading several kilometers in all directions. As it passed through his body, Thomas felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer directly to his brain. Fortunately, at that exact same moment, the Teiwaz Rune on his headband surged to life, exuding a fiery blue energy that made him feel like someone had poured cold water over his brain and body.
Similar to someone that had been dunked into an ice bath, Thomas felt compelled to shout at the top of his lungs. As for what he said, well, he glared back at Hancock and shouted, "What the fuck is your problem!?" while gesturing for Caenis and Artoria to stand down. They had yet to attack, but both had their armor equipped and weapons in hand, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
Seeing Thomas weather her Conqueror's Haki, a modicum of surprise colored Hancock's face. Based on his initial reaction, she assumed he was the same as the majority of men and women she encountered, becoming completely smitten with her at first sight...
Staring at the Rune glowing on Thomas's forehead, Hancock narrowed her obsidian-black eyes and muttered, "So, that's how it is...you've reinforced your mind using a Magic Spell. It seems you aren't as incompetent as you appear..."
Directing her gaze to Sandersonia, Hancock narrowed her eyes further as she added, "Though, I suspect you had some assistance..."
Raising his hands, Thomas attempted to speak, getting out, "Look, can we jus-" before Hancock snapped back at him, stating, "Leave now, and I will spare you. Stay, or continue to interfere in mine and Shirou's affairs, and I will see to it that you spend the next ten years collecting sediment at the bottom of the sea..."
Furrowing his brows, Thomas asserted, "I didn't come here to meet with you or interfere with your relationship with Shirou. I honestly don't give two shits what the two of you&mdash;are you fucking kidding me!?"
Before Thomas could finish what he initially planned to say, Hancock made a heart shape with her hands and fired a similarly shaped beam of pink energy. Thomas counteracted it with his Rho Aias, a seven-layered magical barrier that resembled a pink flower in full bloom, but his anger had reached its peak, compelling him to shout, "Fine! You want to fight!? Let's fucking go...!"
In response to Thomas's words, Caenis bounced across the hall, her eyes blazing crimson as she shouted, "Now you're speaking my language!" with a vicious grin. Marigold attempted to intercept her, transforming into a massive humanoid serpent using her Hebi-Hebi-no-Mi: Model King Cobra. However, despite wielding an enormous polearm that could slice through ordinary ships like a hot knife through butter, Caenis smashed through it with her bare fist before tackling the much larger woman like a linebacker crushing a kindergartener.
At the same time that Caenis leaped forward, Sandersonia transformed using her own Devil Fruit, the Hebi-Hebi-no-Mi: Model Anaconda. She had promised to stand beside her sisters no matter what, so even though she didn't believe they should be fighting Thomas and his friends, she didn't hesitate to charge at them from behind.
Having been keeping an eye on Sandersonia since the beginning, Artoria charged to meet her, declaring, "I'll be your opponent." in an eerily calm tone. The disparity between her size and Sandersonia was even greater than the one between Caenis and Marigold, but the green-haired warrior immediately realized she was the one at a disadvantage when Artoria hit her with a physical 'column' of magical energy, batting her to the side and sending her crashing through a pillar with tremendous ease...
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(A/N: Hancock's haughtiness knows no bounds x_x...)

Though the Feilong was much faster than other ships its size, Thomas and Co were barely a quarter of the way to their destination after a week on the sea. They had more than enough supplies to last an entire month, but Thomas was becoming restless after getting used to doing paperwork and always being busy.
Fortunately, just as Thomas was beginning to feel as though he had a case of cabin fever, a News Coo arrived with his monthly subscription and a thick stack of Bounty Posters. Before perusing the latter, he opened up the newspaper to find a bold headline, stating, 'ENIES LOBBY ATTACKED!' in all caps. There was also a picture of a beaten and bloody Lucy standing amid a crowd of Marines, seemingly releasing a warcry as she stood over the body of a man Thomas recognized as Rob Lucci.
"What the fuck?" muttered Thomas, his mind unable to comprehend how the Straw Hats found themselves at Enies Lobby. The Water 7 Arc wasn't one he remembered clearly, but he was fairly certain their main reason for assailing Enies Lobby was to save Robin. With the latter safely concealed, the only explanation Thomas could think of was that Franky had captured to obtain his knowledge of Pluton.
Reading through the article, the only things Thomas learned were clearly propaganda. It accused the Straw Hats of attempting to assassinate the Mayor of Water 7, taking advantage of the Aqua Laguna to devastate the city, hijacking the Sea Train, and 'massacring' hundreds of brave and loyal Marines at Enies Lobby.
Though Thomas did not doubt that Lucy had inadvertently killed people, she wasn't the type to perpetrate a massacre. Zoro had fewer inhibitions, but his mastery had reached the point where he could decide when and when not to cut through an object.
Setting aside the paper, Thomas began flipping through the updated Bounty Posters. His Bounty hadn't changed in the slightest, but there were quite a few new Bounties worthy of mention. This included Chiron, who had been assigned a Bounty of 992,000,000 after being recognized as Drake's second-in-command, but the most notable listings were those of Lucy, Zoro, Usopp, Chopper, Franky, and, most surprisingly, the 'Dead Only' Bounty of Nami...
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[WANTED]
[Photo of Lucy smiling and making peace signs]
Dead or Alive
"Straw Hat" Monkey D. Lucy
Bounty: 280,000,000 Berries
Crimes: Attempted Assassination, Hijacking the Sea Train, Attacking Government Officials, Assaulting Marine Officers, Kidnapping, Terrorism, Using a Devil Fruit to Commit Criminal Acts
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[WANTED]
[Photo of Zoro grinning like a demon with a sword in his mouth]
Dead or Alive
"Pirate Hunter" Roronora Zoro
Bounty: 140,000,000 Berries
Crimes: Attempted Assassination, Hijacking the Sea Train, Attacking Government Officials, Assaulting Marine Officers, Kidnapping, Terrorism, Maiming Hundreds of Marines
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[WANTED]
[Photo of Usopp wearing David's outfit]
Dead or Alive
"Slingshot" Usopp
Bounty: 30,000,000 Berries
Crimes: Attempted Assassination, Hijacking the Sea Train, Attacking Government Officials, Assaulting Marine Officers, Kidnapping, Terrorism
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--------------------
[WANTED]
[Photo of Chopper in his Monster Point, hands covered in blood]
Dead or Alive
"Monster Doctor" Chopper
Bounty: 75,000,000 Berries
Crimes: Attempted Assassination, Hijacking the Sea Train, Attacking Government Officials, Assaulting Marine Officers, Kidnapping, Terrorism, Utilizing Illegal Drugs, Using Chemical Weapons on a Civilian Population, Using a Devil Fruit to Commit Criminal Acts
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[WANTED]
[Censored photo of Franky striking a pose]
Alive Only
"Streaking Cyborg" Franky
Bounty: 88,000,000 Berries
Crimes: Attempted Assassination, Hijacking the Sea Train, Attacking Government Officials, Assaulting Marine Officers, Kidnapping, Terrorism, Streaking, Illegal Body Modifications, Stealing Government Property
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[WANTED]
[Photo of Nami wearing traditional Shandoran garments]
Dead Only
"Lightning Tyrant" Nami
Bounty: 500,000,000 Berries
Crimes: Attempted Assassination, Hijacking the Sea Train, Attacking Government Officials, Assaulting Marine Officers, Kidnapping, Terrorism, Theft, Burglary, Extortion, Using a Devil Fruit to Commit Criminal Acts
--------------------
Seeing the ring of drums framing Nami's head, Thomas had an expression of genuine disbelief as he asked, "How the fuck did she acquire the Goro-Goro-no-Mi...?"
Though he always suspected the Straw Hats would eventually encounter Enel, Thomas never expected one of the most powerful Devil Fruits in the entire world to fall into Nami's hands. The only explanation was that Enel had been killed, causing his Devil Fruit to respawn somewhere in Skypiea.
Considering Enel found the Goro-Goro-no-Mi in Skypiea, it wasn't too difficult to believe that it would respawn there. What Thomas couldn't believe was that Nami, of all people, had found it. He knew she had an affinity with weather and lightning, but this was far too ideal an outcome to be coincidental...
Raising his eyes skyward, Thomas imagined he could see the wrinkled face of Zelretch smiling down at him. At the same time, he imagined how his future encounter with Nami would go. She never struck him, but she was prone to violent outbursts even as a fairly ordinary person. With the power to command lightning...well, it wasn't difficult to imagine why she had been given the moniker 'Lightning Tyrant.'
Deciding to look at the silver lining, Thomas muttered, "At least now I don't have to worry about them lacking firepower..."
As the Goro-Goro-no-Mi was a Logia that gave the user the power to transform into, manipulate, and emit lightning, it was one of the few Devil Fruits considered to make the user 'invincible.' It was hard-countered by Lucy's rubber body, but any other person would be overwhelmed by the fruit's ability to pump out lightning exceeding 200,000,000 Volts. If that didn't work, the user could simply escape at the speed of lightning, a velocity that could only be exceeded by the wielder of the Pika-Pika-no-Mi.
"Read anything interesting?" asked a voice from behind Thomas.
Turning around, Thomas found Chloe standing behind him in an outfit not all that dissimilar to Caenis's bikini+jean-shorts combo. The notable differences were that she had on a pair of thigh-high striped leggings and, unlike Caenis, she didn't have much to show even when wearing scant attire.
Furrowing her brows, Chloe asserted, "You just thought something very rude, didn't you...?"
After putting up with Chloe's antics for more than four months, three of which were spent cohabitating within the Imperial Suite, Thomas barely had a reaction to her appearance and accusation, replying, "Despite the changes we've introduced to the timeline, Lucy and the Straw Hats still ended up attacking Enies Lobby. Nami also came into possession of the Goro-Goro-no-Mi, a Devil Fruit that allows her to become and manipulate lightning."
Raising her brows, Chloe remarked, "Sounds OP," before picking up the discarded newspaper. She had gotten along fairly well with Lucy during their short time together, so she was curious to see what the article said despite knowing it was 90% nonsense.
With a reading rate exceeding 20,000 words per minute, Chloe grasped everything written in the article in a single glance, her face forming into a frown as she remarked, "These bastards don't hold back when it comes to laying out accusations, do they...?"
Exhaling a faint sigh, Thomas held up one of the many Bounty Posters as he said, "If only that were the case with my Bounty..."
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[WANTED]
[Photo of Thomas with obsidian-black skin covered in glowing, circuit-like patterns]
Dead or Alive
"Steel-Body" Thomas Jensen
Bounty: 71,000,000 Berries
Crimes: Grand Larceny, Assaulting a Marine Officer, Resisting Arrest
--------------------
Adopting a mischievous grin, Chloe playfully remarked, "You have no one but yourself to blame for being such a 'good guy.' From the perspective of the Marine higher-ups, you probably aren't even considered a legitimate threat. I mean, you literally marched the Marines attempting to catch you out of the city, all to avoid civilian casualties and collateral damage."
Furrowing his brows, Thomas set the Bounty Posters aside, responding with a lazy, "Yeah, yeah..." before meeting the pink-haired imp's gaze and asking, "So, what's up? Today's Sunday, so we shouldn't have any training or lessons."
Shrugging her shoulders, Chloe revealed, "I was playing Mahjong with Caenis, Astolfo, and Ruby when things started getting a little heated. I came outside to get some fresh air and noticed you talking to yourself. I thought you might have finally lost it, so I came over to check. Now that I'm here, it looks like I was worried for nothing."
Exhaling a tired sigh, Thomas turned and leaned against the railing of the ship, staring out at the seemingly endless blue sea as he muttered, "There really isn't much to do when sailing from island to island, is there...?"
Making herself a little too comfortable, Chloe joined Thomas in leaning against the ship's railing with their elbows touching as she said, "Well, if the information we've acquired is accurate, Tokyoku should be similar to Japan in the late 1900s. They even make their schoolgirls wear bloomers during gym class."
"..."
Looking down at the pink-haired nymphette, Thomas waited for Chloe to return his gaze before remarking, "You're such a degenerate..." in a dull, accusatory tone.
Instead of refuting the claim, Chloe narrowed her eyes and grinned from ear to ear. Though she had a keen interest in the relationships between men and women, most of her 'experience' was with other young girls. She enjoyed teasing Thomas, but nowhere near as much as she liked messing with Illya, Miyu, and several other girls from her world.
Bumping into Thomas's shoulder, Chloe teased, "Maybe I wouldn't be so focused on other girls if I had a strong, kind-hearted man to depend on..."
Shaking his head, Thomas retained a cool head as he replied, "At this point, I barely even feel like aiming for my original targets. I might have considered it if you used a Spell or Devil Fruit to age yourself up, but I'm not exactly hurting for intimate partners..."
Exhaling a tired sigh, Chloe propped her head up on the palms of her hands as she muttered, "Illya and I are presently the same age as your little Princess. If the Straw Hats end up training for two years, we'll be eighteen by the time you start getting serious..."
Turning her eyes up at Thomas, Chloe added, "Other than Shirou, there aren't a lot of guys we can 'entrust' ourselves to in this world. Even if we found one, would you really allow a guy to move into the Imperial Suite and share the same bath with your other women?"
Without missing a beat, Thomas replied, "There are baths in each room for a reason. There is also nothing 'requiring' you to stay in the Imperial Suite. It's just safer and more convenient..."
Adopting an uncharacteristically somber expression, Chloe's voice was barely a whisper as she asked, "So, that's it, then? We're completely legal back in our world, mentally mature, and fully willing, but you still won't lay a hand on us? You're going to make us find some random guy or have us wait until the end of your adventures to experience something you get to experience every day?"
"..."
Instead of immediately responding to Chloe's words, Thomas rose from the taffrail and ran his fingers through his hair. He knew he wasn't exactly being 'fair.' In fact, back in his previous world, he would argue in favor of legal lolis being able to enter into physical relationships as the alternative didn't make sense. It was as nonsensical as that female politician from GATE attempting to talk down to and lecture the character Rory Mercury despite the latter being a 961-year-old Demigoddess...
"Tell you what..." said Thomas. "If you can get Illya's, Miyu's, and Shirou's permission, I'll no longer make a fuss over your appearance. Deal?"
Without hesitation, Chloe slapped the taffrail and replied, "Deal!" with a massive grin on her face. She originally had no plans to pursue Thomas seriously, but his perpetually expanding Mana capacity was beginning to drive her crazy. Being around him and his Servants was like having a vast buffet in front of her but only being allowed to eat oatmeal. Sure, it might be her 'favorite' oatmeal, but variety was the spice of life...
Seeing Chloe abruptly vanish into thin air, a wry smile developed across Thomas's face. He felt like his toe had slipped over a line he himself had drawn, but he didn't let it bother him. Chloe had made some reasonable points, and now that he had decreased his height to a comparably tame 190cm, she didn't appear nearly as tiny as she used to...
With such thoughts in his mind, Thomas mused, "At least Benienma will be happy..." Not just because she was suddenly in the running as one of his bedmates, but because he would definitely be going to Hell if or when he died...
...
..
.
(A/N: Don't worry, Thomas. One day, you too will have a big boi Bounty...)

Chapter 94: Listlessness