19 On The Cruise... We Are
( 3rd POV )
When the sun bathed the beach in midday warmth, a small group of individuals gathered by the shore, anticipation etched across their faces. Eagerly awaiting someone's arrival, the girl with a regal aura began to suggest something to the others.
"Hey, why doesn't one of us go to him and say it's time to depart from here?" she proposed, glancing towards the rest.
"Relax, Hancock. Maybe he's already on his way. The lake is in the deeper part of the forest, after all, so it'll take time," reassured the black-haired woman with an orange pair of sunglasses resting atop her head.
"With his speed, I doubt he even needs a minute to get here," retorted Hancock, rolling her eyes at the black-haired woman's response. The other white-haired woman observed their conversation, idly playing with her kanabo.
"Should I inform Vanze-san that we're already at the beach?" a tall guy with massive black wings offered, volunteering to fetch someone named Vanze.
"Oh, let me! Let me! I'll go inform him now," interrupted the white-haired girl, ready to dart toward the forest. Fortunately, Hancock managed to stop her.
"No, you stay. Let Azel do it. If you're the one who does it, you'll just ask him to play with you again, and we'll need to wait much longer," Hancock said.
"Eh, you're boring, Hancock," pouted Yamato in response. Hancock, upon hearing Yamato's complaint, twitched her eyes, almost tempted to engage in a dispute with the oni princess. Despite being educated by Robin and herself for so long, Yamato remained a tomboy unafraid to show her true self. Hancock suddenly found her two sisters in Amazon Lily cuter and more obedient.
"I'll go then." Just as Azel was about to spread his wings, they suddenly heard a loud voice from the forest, resembling music, approaching their direction.
'In pursuit of dreams greater than they've ever dared to imagine! This is the time known as the 'Great Pirate Era'!'
"Um, is it what I think it is?" Hancock looked around to gauge the others' reactions after hearing the distant voice.
"Fufufu, he is doing something weird again," Robin said, listening with an amused smile. She believed that Vanze definitely wanted to set sail with style.
'♪♫ We're gathering up all the pieces of our dreams
And we're going to search for everything we're looking for ... One Piece! ♪♫'
Vanze suddenly emerged from the forest, utilizing Geppo at high speed. He landed near the others with the music still playing from the MP3 hanging on his waist.
"Hahaha, you're here, Vanze, and the music you're playing sounds fun," Yamato said, patting him on the shoulder.
"Sorry for the wait, guys. Let me pull our ship from my inventory." A giant black ship suddenly appeared on the beach in front of them. It even had a few wings or fins that could make it fly, although they were folded and not activated yet.
[Pic]
"It's a good ship, Vanze-san," Azel admired the ship that would carry them on their long journey.
'♪♫ The compass will only slow us down
Filled with excitement, I take the helm
If we can prove the dusty old treasure map
Then it won't be a legend anymore ♪♫'
"Haha, it's indeed magnificent. Let's go aboard the ship." With his signal, the others jumped onto the deck of the ship while Vanze was already in front of the steering wheel.
"Azel, lower all the sails," Vanze commanded. Yamato looked around curiously while listening to the music, following the rhythm.
'♪♫ When it comes from personal storms,
Simply ride aboard someone else's biorhythm and pretend it isn't there! ♪♫'
The sails were already set, and the wings on each side were activated by Vanze. Slowly, the ship started to sail into the sea.
"It is indeed a good ship, but you just want to set sail with style, right? Especially when you choose this music, fufufu," Robin giggled as she heard the lyrics.
♪♫ We're gathering up all the pieces of our dreams
And we're going to search for everything we're looking for ... ♪♫'
"It's a perfect song after all. We gather our dreams and we're gonna pursue it starting now," Vanze said, admitting what Robin had said.
"Yes, it's perfect. Let's sing together, Vanze." Yamato clung her arms toward Vanze's shoulder to sing along with him.
'♪♫ A coin in the pocket
So do you wanna to be my friend?♪♫'
"Finally, we can leave this place. I want to test my strength against a real opponent later and later visit my sisters," Hancock looked eager to start their journey.
"The Infinite Trailblazers Guild, officially started now," Vanze declared the name of their guild, being affected by the songs. The group smiled upon hearing their guild name after it had been kept a secret by Vanze for so long.
The ship that had been sailing on the ocean slowly began to float and fly towards the sky. Vanze chose to fly from the Calm Belt towards the West Blue with the help of Jack's compass.
'♪♫ We are, we are on the cruise...
We are! ♪♫'
.....
( Vanze POV )
We are now at Vuldia Island. I planned to get a newspaper here to update my information about what is happening in the current world, while Robin is also gathering intelligence on her own. The other two girls are also doing sightseeing on this island, while Azel chooses to remain on the ship.
I spot a vendor selling a newspaper in this town and go there to buy it.
"Excuse me, do you sell the newspaper for today, or can you give me the one that has big news from the last year?" I ask the man, who is apparently the owner of this vendor.
"Of course, here it is, sir. It's 500 belly." He gives me two types of newspapers after I pay for them. Let's go back to the ships while reading this newspaper.
'Hmm, let's see.'
'Marigoa in chaos, hundreds of slave escape because one fishman dared to liberating them. Fisher Tiger, a terrorist or a hero?'
'Well, it happened last year from the newspaper date.' This dude deserves respect for doing something this crazy. But if I remember, he will be backstabbed by the villagers in Koala's hometown when he escorts her back home, then the Navy will kill him. If I know where and when, I'll gonna help him; he deserves it after all.
[ If you don't save Hancock back then, maybe she will live her original fate and only escape that place with Tiger's help. ]
Remembering the clingy empress who has a random temper like a storm, sometimes acts coy to me, then suddenly shifts to a jealous woman and easily gets angry when Robin or Yamato competes with her, makes me smile. I can sense the love emotion just overflowing from her; I wonder if her devil fruit also affects it or not.
'I really feel blessed that their feelings are sincere to me.' But I'm still not confirming our relationship to any of them. What a scum.
'Let's move on and see the other newspaper.' I start to read the new ones after I'm done with the other one. 'It is today's newspaper.'
'Revolutionary captain of the eastern forces, Ginny, was captured by a World Noble.'
'Eastern captain of the Revolutionary? Isn't it supposed to be Belobetty? Well, it must be the one before her then.' There is nothing else besides this news; I don't even know who the hell Ginny is.
Right now is the end of the year 1510. I plan to visit Sister Mira first and search for another poneglyph in the West Blue. There should be one in this sea from what I can remember from the original Robin journey. After that, we're going to the North Blue; there is someone I want to invite, hehe.
Without noticing, I already walked near the shore where we parked the ship.
"Hm? Vanze, you're also back at the same time. What a coincidence." I hear a familiar voice from behind me, and it turns out to be my first partner. Damn, she is hot.
"Well, I just came to the town for a newspaper so it didn't take long. How about you, Robin?" I ask her while we are walking side by side towards the ship in front of us.
"I'm also done gathering intelligence, and I didn't get much. Maybe because this island is so far away from the other islands that make it more isolated in terms of intelligence gathering here." Well, it makes sense. It is near a calm belt and it is not a big island, after all.
We board the ship and come across Yamato, who is playing a Game Boy near the mast.
Yes, I got an old Game Boy from the gachas that I pulled years ago, and I gave it to her. Hancock is just chilling near the ship railing while Azel is polishing her nodachi.
"Vanze, you are back," Hancock said to me while running toward me and attempting to hug my arms.
Ouft... so soft... Something is rising in me.
"Oh, you guys are back." Yamato throws the Game Boy away and greets us. Please don't throw it so hard; it's an antique.
"Welcome back, Vanze-san, Robin-san. Has the next course already been decided yet?" Azel asks. He is always straight to the point; what a blunt guy.
"Yes, we will go to my hometown first to meet someone. She always nags me to come and meet her for a long time through Den Den Mushi, and I guess I owe her that. Oh, we will also try to find a poneglyph in this sea along the way." Sister Mira always asks me to come back to visit her after I've been gone for so long. I also want to check if she is okay in the orphanage.
"So we will meet your big sister who always helped you when you were still a kid? It looks like Vanze-chan is missing her, fufufu." She always keeps teasing me even after we grow up; sigh. It's embarrassing, especially the 'chan' part.
"Ah, no, I'm not ready yet..." Hancock is whispering something while holding her reddish cheek. She is in her fantasy mode right now, and I'm gonna pretend to not have heard her words.
We started to get ready to embark from this island. Looking at all of them now, I can say with confidence that as long as we don't meet those old monsters such as Whitebeard, we will be fine.
'Seele, please show the management system and their status.'
[ Okay, brother. ]
[ Management Sub-System
Name: The Infinite Trailblazers
Group type: Guild
Alignment: Neutral
Members: 4
1. Nico Robin
Status
Age: 16
Race: Human
Title: -
Condition: Healthy
Tier: 6 - Continental Warriors
Stats:
Strength: C -
Agility: D +
Endurance: D
Intelligence: B +
Vitality: C -
Luck: D -
Skills:
1. Hana - Hana no Mi (Advanced)
2. Haki:
- Haoshoku Haki or Conqueror's Haki (Beginner)
- Kenbunshoku Haki or Observation Haki (Advanced)
- Busoshoku Haki or Armament Haki (Advanced)
3. Rokushiki (Master)
Equipment: -
---------------
2. Boa Hancock
Status
Age: 17
Race: Human
Title: -
Condition: Healthy
Tier: 6 - Continental Warriors
Stats:
Strength: C +
Agility: C +
Endurance: C -
Intelligence: C
Vitality: C
Luck: D -
Skills:
1. Mero - Mero no Mi (Advanced)
2. Haki:
- Haoshoku Haki or Conqueror's Haki (Advanced)
- Kenbunshoku Haki or Observation Haki (Advanced)
- Busoshoku Haki or Armament Haki (Advanced)
3. Rokushiki (Master)
Equipment: -
---------------
3. Azel Lucifer
Status
Age: 21
Race: Lunarian
Title: 'Lucifer'
Condition: Healthy
Tier: 6 - Continental Warriors
Stats:
Strength: C +
Agility: B -
Endurance: B -
Intelligence: C -
Vitality: B
Luck: E +
Skills:
1. Fire Manipulation or Ignite (Advanced)
2. Hito - Hito no Mi model: Fallen Angel (Intermediate)
3. Haki:
- Haoshoku Haki or Conqueror's Haki (Intermediate)
- Kenbunshoku Haki or Observation Haki (Advanced)
- Busoshoku Haki or Armament Haki (Advanced)
4. Rokushiki (Master)
5. Sun Breathing Sword-Style (Master)
Equipment:
1. An adamantium Nodachi
---------------
4. Yamato
Status
Age: 14
Race: Oni
Title: -
Condition: Healthy
Tier: 6 - Continental Warriors
Stats:
Strength: C +
Agility: B
Endurance: B
Intelligence: D +
Vitality: B +
Luck: C +
Skills:
1. Inu Inu no Mi, model: Okuchi no Makami (Advanced)
2. Haki:
- Haoshoku Haki or Conqueror's Haki (Advanced)
- Kenbunshoku Haki or Observation Haki (Advanced)
- Busoshoku Haki or Armament Haki (Advanced)
3. Rokushiki (Master)
Equipment:
1. Kanabo ]
*Whistle*
'They've grown stronger. Robin and Hancock's Devil Fruit abilities are almost reaching an awakening. Azel has only eaten his Devil Fruit for 2 years; it'll take time for him. Lastly, Yamato is just on another level. She is the youngest, but because of her bloodline and early training from Kaido, she can reach this level of power.' I feel like a proud father somehow; it's weird.
[ It's also because of your teaching that they can achieve this level of strength early compared to the original timeline, Vanze. ]
'Haha, you are right. But all of us have stuck at our Haki development now, Seele. That's why we need to set sail to search for an opponent for us.' Azel and Robin even have Haoshoku now. Azel awakened it when I suggested training all of them to withstand my Haoshoku pressure, while Robin is a special case. I got the Haoshoku skill from a gacha, but instead of using it on me, I gave it to Robin. I mean, I already have it, and it also says the skill is at a beginner level in the description. Gotta power up my girls after all.
The ship is already moving in the ocean and heading towards Ozqalct Island, and this time we are not flying. I want to enjoy and experience the journey with all of them slowly after all. But, we really need a navigator because none of us has a great skill in that particular job. Sigh, why are you still a kid, oh Navigator-chan...
.....
