One Piece : Wild Hunt

While Thomas was in the midst of his journey to Tokyoku, a certain pink-haired Yojimbo was standing at attention in front of a tall, muscular man with a long braided goatee, an afro, and a mustache. He also wore thick circular glasses, but his most distinguishing features were his white and gold Admiral uniform and the many medals pinned to his chest.
Staring at the woman standing across from him, the highly decorated man, known globally as Fleet Admiral Sengoku, narrowed his eyes into a wisened look as he said, "Miyamoto Musashi...it's not often I meet with recruits fresh out of the Officer Training Academy. However, given your performance during the most recent training exercise, I wanted to thank and commend you for a job well done. Who knows how many young and promising recruits we would have lost if not for your timely intervention..."
Though she maintained a straight back, Musashi adopted a relaxed smile as she said, "The Fleet Admiral honors me with his words. I just did what any capable Marine in my position would have done."
Nodding in approval, Sengoku remarked, "That's why I called you here today. Your strength, speed, and endurance are exceptional, and your swordsmanship is unlike anything we've ever seen. If not for your inability to use Haki, I would have nominated you for the position of Rear or Vice Admiral here and now..."
As bylaws dictated that Marines ranked Rear Admiral or higher needed to have a certain degree of mastery over Haki and the Rokushiki techniques, the highest rank Sengoku could assign Musashi was Commodore. While Commodore wasn't exactly a low rank, especially for someone fresh out of the Academy, it wasn't a clear reflection of Musashi's strength. It also didn't give her a lot of upward momentum. Unless she abruptly awakened Haki, she would likely spend the entirety of her career working under men and women much weaker than her.
Linking his fingers together, Sengoku adopted a serious expression as he stated, "I know you seek to prove yourself in the New World, but I would like to extend you the offer of becoming my Adjutant. You will spend most of your time at Headquarters, but I will occasionally send you to deal with situations beyond the scope of ordinary Marines..."
Furrowing her brows, Musashi asked, "Don't Adjutants need to complete a bunch of paperwork? I'm thankful for the Fleet Admiral's offer, but sitting at a desk all day, running errands, and playing the part of a secretary isn't exactly what I signed up for when I joined the Marines."
Nodding his head, Sengoku replied, "I understand that. However, if I were to assign you to an ordinary post, there would be at least two people with higher ranks than you. I don't want you to become bitter serving under those weaker than yourself, so please consider my offer. In exchange, I can assure you that you will not be required to perform mundane tasks or fill out paperwork. Rather, when you're not busy with other assignments, I was planning to have you act as a swordsmanship instructor. Then, once you have proven yourself and yielded results, I can make a case to have you promoted beyond the rank of Commodore..."
Realizing that Sengoku was attempting to 'help' her, Musashi closed her eyes and lowered her head ever so slightly as she replied, "It appears I misunderstood the Fleet Admiral's intentions. I would be honored to serve as your Adjutant."
Suppressing a sigh of relief, Sengoku sat back in his heavily cushioned chair, a somewhat grandfatherly smile adorning his face as he said, "I see great potential in you, Musashi. Twenty-seven-years-old and you already possess strength and skill exceeding the average Vice-Admiral. Before I retire from my position as Fleet Admiral, I'll make sure you've received the recognition you deserve."
Adopting a smile of her own, Musashi replied, "I will never forget the Fleet Admiral's kindness."
Waving his hand in a dismissive manner, Sengoku said, "There's no need for such politeness. I know you're an unfettered spirit. Now that you've agreed to become my Adjutant, the only people you need to be wary of are Sakazuki and anyone the World Government sends down to conduct an investigation. If anyone else gives you trouble, feel free to teach them a lesson or use my name. Just be sure to avoid seriously injuring or killing them."
Narrowing her eyes in amusement, Musashi replied, "I'll be sure to keep that in mind," before pausing for a moment and asking, "Is there anything else?"
Shaking his head, Sengoku stated, "That's all for now. Your promotion and transfer paperwork have already been filled out and should be processed before the end of the day. Enjoy the rest of your day off."
Nodding in affirmation, Musashi turned and attempted to leave the room but stopped when a Marine came bursting in with a panicked look on his face, nearly bumping into her.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! Urgent report from the Meteorological Survey Department! What appears to be a series of massive ships and floating islands are heading toward Headquarters as we speak...!"
Rising to his feet, Sengoku slammed his heavily reinforced desk as he shouted, "Ready the anti-air batteries and have Kizaru report to me as quickly as possible!"
Before the Information Officer could run off to relay Sengoku's orders, a loud and boisterous laugh echoed through the office as a tall, incredibly muscular man with spiky grey hair and a goatee entered the room with a paradoxically fierce look on his face. He had a broad smile on his face and a scar around his left eye, but the most notable thing about him was the 'pressure' he exuded. The moment he entered Sengoku's office, it was like gravity had increased, and the air became thicker.
While most people were cautious or showed deferential respect towards Sengoku, the broad-chested man crossed his arms and remarked, "Looks like that tenacious old lion has finally decided to come out and play. If I-"
Noticing the presence of Musashi, the somewhat elderly man stopped mid-sentence, adopting an even broader smile as he said, "Well, if it isn't Musashi. I heard you saved more than a hundred officer candidates from a surprise raid. Not bad."
Bowing her head ever so slightly, Musashi replied, "That's high praise coming from the Hero of the Marines. I merely did what I had to do to protect myself and my comrades."
"Nice answer!" shouted Garp. Then, while laughing in his characteristic bwahaha-like manner, he attempted to give Musashi a firm clap on the shoulders. His eyes flashed when she effortlessly evaded him, but he wasn't able to comment on it before Sengoku shouted, "Now isn't the time for your antics, Garp! If this truly is Shiki, he must have shown himself for a reason! We need to prepare immediately...!"
While maintaining his nearly perpetual grin, Garp began picking his nose with the pinky of his left hand, lazily asserting, "You're going senile. If we attack him this close to Headquarters, he's bound to send his islands on a crash course with us. Rather than preparing our defenses, we should be ordering an evacuation."
Though he would ordinarily disagree with Garp, Sengoku found himself unable to retort his long-time friend's words. They both knew what kind of man Shiki was. He was remarkably petty, so if he thought there was even a remote chance he might lose, he would attempt to take as many people as possible with him.
Slamming his fist on the table, Sengoku exclaimed, "Dammit...!" before plopping back into his chair and falling into deep thought. It had been twenty years since Shiki was active, but as the former rival of Gol D. Roger and the man who once commanded the largest Pirate fleet in the world, he was a force to be reckoned with...
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Reading the headline, 'Marine Headquarters Attacked!,' an amused smile developed across the face of a pink-haired woman with fierce blue eyes.
"That's enough," said the woman. "Go and prepare us something to eat."
In response to the woman's words, a young man with neatly combed blonde hair and swirly eyebrows ceased massaging her feet, responding, "Yes, Captain Drake~!" before rising to his feet and racing off to prepare a feast. In the wake of his departure, a second, short-haired pinkette, lying next to the first, remarked, "Such an enthusiastic response...I almost feel sorry for him..."
Shrugging her shoulders, the first pinkette, Drake, responded, "He can blame that 'Master' of mine. I don't want him throwing a hissy fit the next time we meet, so I'm trying to limit my interactions with other men. Lucky for you..."
Punctuating her words, Drake gave her lounge companion a firm smack on her exposed buttocks. The impact left a visible handprint, but the scantily clad pinkette didn't seem to mind, smiling as she mused, "Indeed..." Then, after placing her head against Drake's shoulder, she asked, "I am curious, though. When will we have the chance to meet this 'Master' of yours? He must be quite something to command a woman of your caliber..."
Snorting through her nose, Drake flatly replied, "He's a goody-two-shoes; that's what he is. He has all this power and potential at his fingertips, but he's too concerned with what others think to use it properly. I can only hope he's come to his senses the next time we meet..."
Tracing her finger up Drake's abdomen, the short-haired pinkette mused, "Well, he must have 'some' redeeming qualities for you to be doing all this for him. There aren't many women who would readily build an empire for a man they hate..."
Shrugging her shoulders, Drake leaned back, allowing the second pinkette to sit atop her as she replied, "I wouldn't be here if not for him. So, even if he sometimes annoys the shit out of me, I have an obligation to help him achieve his dream. That means you'll need to work hard when he eventually shows up..."
Nodding her head, the short-haired pinkette adopted a smile as she replied, "Of course. I promised to serve you in exchange for my freedom and allowing the Germa Kingdom to continue existing. When your Master appears, I will serve him to the utmost of my ability..."
In the midst of her response, the short-haired pinkette donned a large, somewhat futuristic strap-on. It was bright pink but had the texture and feel of an actual penis. Drake may have temporarily given up sleeping with men, but there was no way she could go several weeks, months, or years without a good dicking...
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Though it hadn't even been a month since Thomas's departure, Vivi found herself picking at her food with a listless look on her face. Governing the city of Erumalu kept her busy, and she enjoyed seeing the smiling faces of her people, but it was hard to feel content without the warmth of the man she loved. Even the delicious meals prepared by the staff of the Enma-tei failed to make her feel fulfilled...
Interrupting Vivi's thoughts, the voice of a mature woman mused, "Ara? Eating alone, are we~?"
Blinking back to awareness, Vivi raised her gaze to find Robin entering the private dining room of the Imperial Suite. A practiced smile immediately adorned her face, but before she could respond, Robin added, "It's okay. Even though I wasn't nearly as close to him as you were, I also miss him. Would you like to talk about it~?"
Though she was tempted to refuse, Vivi found herself unable to do so when Robin made herself comfortable next to her. The two of them didn't really get along, largely due to the fact that Robin was one of the reasons Crocodile was able to cement his position in Alabasta, but Vivi was willing to give her a chance. Thus, after a moment of deliberation, Vivi exhaled a tired sigh before releasing all the complaints she had about her work and the fact that Thomas had gone on a journey without her, a sentiment that just so happened to be shared by the green-haired catgirl lurking in the rafters overhead...
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(A/N: This is the end of Volume 1. If you'd like to vote on what I work on next, feel free to head over to my patre0n. I'll be doing a public poll to decide which story I will invest the next hundred chapters in. It will most likely be Endless Path: Infinite Cosmos, but the decision is ultimately the community's to make.)

Though it was a weekday, meaning he should be training, Thomas found it difficult to separate from the trio of similarly sized magical girls. He hadn't fallen for them or anything. Rather, much like the owner of a cat whose pest had fallen asleep atop them, Thomas felt a peculiar obligation to wait until they had awoken and decided to move on their own before doing the same.
With a few hours to think and reflect, Thomas expected that he might regret his actions. Instead, he felt strangely...liberated. He didn't know how to describe it, but now that he had crossed yet another line he never thought he would cross, he felt like there wasn't much stopping him from doing anything.
Since his arrival in the world of One Piece, Thomas had killed, at the very least, seven people. While not a particularly large number, he could only imagine murdering people in his previous world. Not without some pretty serious consequences. Now, unless he fell into a trap or willfully turned himself in, the only thing preventing him from killing anyone who got in his way was his morals.
Though similar thoughts had crossed his mind in the past, Thomas, now, more than ever, realized he was in a completely different world. A world where, if he were powerful enough, the only people who could hold him accountable were himself and those closest to him.
Looking down at the sleeping faces of Illya, Miyu, and even Chloe, the notion that he 'should' protect them briefly crossed Thomas's mind. They looked so innocent at a glance, but, in reality, they were some of the most powerful people in the entire world. Rather than his protection, what they truly needed from him were his cooperation and resources...
Though he was probably overthinking things, Thomas couldn't shake the feeling he had fallen into a carefully laid trap. He had always planned to help them restore Miyu's world and return home, but it was never his top priority. Now, rather than viewing them as baggage that was preventing him from behaving as he pleased, he felt as though they were in the same boat, working toward the same goals.
"I really am overly sentimental..." muttered Thomas.
Demonstrating she wasn't actually asleep, Chloe softly replied, "That isn't a bad thing...you should embrace it rather than pretending to be someone you're not..."
Shifting his gaze to the pink-haired nymphette, Thomas found Chloe with her eyes closed, nestled against him with a faint smile on her face. After a few seconds, she slowly opened them, looking up to meet his gaze as she asserted, "It's because of who you are that so many people feel they can trust you. Do you really want to be some unfeeling 'alpha male' that uses people and throws them away without feeling anything?"
Closing his eyes, Thomas exhaled a faint sigh through his nose before answering, "I just don't want to be taken advantage of...nice people aren't exactly known to come out ahead in most situations..."
Instead of refuting Thomas's words, Chloe replied, "That's true. However, that's only the case if they're weak. You have the potential to become one of the most powerful Mages across all realities. Once you attain the Third Magic and transcend Time and Space, who could possibly take advantage of you without your consent?"
"..."
After pondering Chloe's words for several seconds, Thomas replied, "That's assuming I can attain the Third Magic. Hasn't the Einzbern Family and their ancestors been trying to acquire it for like 2000 years?"
"Mmm...I have some theories about that..." said Chloe.
Rising to a seated position, Chloe took a moment to stretch her arms above her head while peeking at Thomas to see if he would stare at her breasts. Now that they had crossed the line, she was curious to see how he would react.
Seeing through Chloe's intentions, a faint but teasing smile developed across Thomas's face as he flatly remarked, "Pettanko..."
Instead of being offended by Thomas's remark, Chloe narrowed her eyes and snickered. Unlike Illya and Miyu, who had a slight complex about the size of their busts, Chloe was thankful for her unchanging form. She had a penchant for pouncing on and rubbing against people, so as much as she enjoyed teasing girls with larger busts, she wouldn't change a thing about herself, Illya, or Miyu.
Cupping and pushing up her palm-sized mounds, Chloe stared at Thomas as she asserted, "You might have a preference for girls with plump thighs and large breasts, but you can no longer deny our appeal. Astolfo's three sizes are 71, 53, and 75cm. Mine and Illya's are 69, 49, and 72cm. Given the thirty-centimeter difference in our heights, that makes the three of us fairly 'fleshed out,' wouldn't you agree...?"
Returning to the original topic, Thomas asked, "What did you mean when you said you had some 'theories' about the Third Magic?"
Poking out her tongue, Chloe ceased fondling her breasts and explained, "Though the Einzberns claimed to have achieved it first, the Third Magic was originally discovered around 100 BCE. It's said that the person who discovered it died during the transitory period between the Age of Gods and the Age of Man, but if you understand the nature of the Third Magic, that doesn't make sense..."
Shaking her head, Chloe went on to explain, "While the Third Magic is stated to 'show the future,' its Domain is the Manifestation of the Soul. The Soul contains the memories, mind, and, in most cases, the blueprint for a person's Magic Circuits. The physical body serves as an anchor to the World itself, preventing it from dispersing and returning to Akasha, the Root of Origin."
Adopting an uncharacteristically serious expression, Chloe asserted, "If a person were to attain the Third Magic, they would be able to prevent the inevitable dispersion of the Soul, regardless of whether or not they had an anchor. It is the truest form of Immortality, and due to the boundlessness of the Soul as a container, anyone who attains such a state would be able to draw in and contain a functionally infinite amount of Mana, becoming a singularity capable of subsuming reality itself..."
Narrowing her eyes in a mischievous smile, Chloe mused, "Not exactly the characteristics of someone that would simply 'disappear' without a trace, are they~?"
Furrowing his brows, Thomas asked, "What are you suggesting? That they abandoned their original worlds to create one of their own?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Chloe replied, "It's impossible to know for sure. A few things are certain, though. The ancestors of the Einzbern Family were the disciples of the Third Magus. They attempted to recreate the Magician of the Third Magic in the form of a Homunculus. Their efforts eventually resulted in the accidental creation of a Homunculi with even greater potential than the original Third Magus. However, while she was able to recreate the Third Magic, it wasn't cost-efficient since the Souls of Homunculi are 'incomplete.' In other words, to become the 'true master' of the Third Magic, one must be human..."
"Are you saying that humans are the only beings who possess Souls? That doesn't make a lot of sense," remarked Thomas.
Shaking her head, Chloe replied, "If the nature of the Soul were such a simple thing to understand, it wouldn't have taken us nine hundred years to 'accidentally' create a proper vessel. What we 'do' know is that beings such as Gods, Spirits, and Elementals do not possess Souls as they are an extension of the 'World.' Without specific conditions being met, they can't even exist in what we perceive as the 'real' or 'physical' world."
Directing her gaze to Illya, Chloe's expression softened as she added, "That's why the birth of Illya and myself was such a big deal. We are the byproduct of the Einzbern Family's attempt to recreate Justeaze and a human Magus. Before, it was believed to be impossible for a Homunculi to get pregnant as they have more in common with Elementals and Spirits than humans. However, just as humans were able to procreate with Spirits in the past, resulting in Demi-humans and other impossible existences, we came to be, making us the Einzbern Family's ultimate creation..."
Returning her gaze to Thomas, a wry smile marred Chloe's face as she appended, "Fortunately for us, the miracle of our conception allowed our mother to break free from our family's programming, freeing us from the fate of becoming sacrifices in the Heaven's Feel Ritual. The downside is that her actions came at the cost of more than 2000 years of alchemical research and advancement. Make no mistake; I'm 'extremely' grateful for that. It's just that the original goal of the Heaven's Feel Ritual was to save humanity. Not completing it feels...wrong..."
Though he had long forgotten the specifics of the Fate Stay Night games, Chloe's words reminded Thomas of the interaction between Justeaze and Zouken, one of the three people responsible for concocting the Heaven's Feel Ritual. Their goal was to allow humanity to transcend their physical bodies, allowing them to become independent from the world and beyond the reach of death. Fate/Apocrypha had a very similar premise. However, while it was true that humanity could be preserved by immortalizing their souls in the physical world, it severed the cycle of evolution and progress, ultimately leading to stagnation and madness...
With such thoughts in his mind, Thomas surprised Chloe by saying, "While I kind of get where you're coming from, it was never your family's right to decide the fate of humanity. Not everyone wants to live forever, much less in a stagnant world that never changes. Even if I managed to acquire the Third Magic, I have no intention of using it to perform grand feats such as immortalizing the souls of everyone in the world. Instead, I would use the power to explore and experience life in various worlds before relinquishing or passing it to someone else once I got tired of living..."
After staring blankly for several seconds, Chloe regained her usual impish grin as she mused, "How selfish of you...I kind of like it..."
Adopting a smile of his own, Thomas replied, "Back in my world, there was a show called Rick and Morty. One of the most common themes in the show is that nothing matters and that trying to 'fix' everything often makes things exponentially worse. The only way to attain true happiness is to prioritize the people closest to you, particularly family and friends. The more you involve yourself in things unrelated to those, the more you learn to hate life..."
Though she didn't agree with everything coming out of Thomas's mouth, his emphasis on family and friends was something Chloe could empathize with. It sounded a little contrary coming from a man who had abandoned his previous family and life, but it was apparent from how Thomas treated those around him that he cared greatly about such things.
Returning to her place at Thomas's side, Chloe snuggled up next to him, making herself comfortable before closing her eyes and softly muttering, "You should keep that in mind as you make decisions moving forward. I'm sure you had your reasons for coming to this world, but the more you get involved in its affairs, the greater the burden you will experience. Instead of toppling the World Government and spending decades installing a new one, you would probably be happier passing the reins to someone else and accompanying us to our world. At least until you go off on your next journey..."
Furrowing his brows, Thomas was about to say that was impossible, but Chloe beat him to the punch, adding, "We just need to create a gateway to ensure you can spend time with Vivi and hop over if things suddenly go south. I think...she would really like...Japan..."
As Chloe's words trailed off, seemingly succumbing to fatigue, Thomas found himself seriously considering her proposal. For Illya, Chloe, Miyu, and Shirou to return to their world, it was obvious they would need the assistance of Zelretch or another power capable of linking worlds. The Third Magic should provide such a means, so if he could acquire it, he could potentially link multiple realities, allowing others, not just himself, to traverse them freely...
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(A/N: Probably not the smartest idea, but it's certainly a possibility...)

Chapter 100: Stirring