102 Void
It felt like an indescribable emptiness, something I couldn't put into words. There was no joy, no reason to be happy—just a profound void. I sat on a chair, my gaze fixed in the distance. This massive hotel was one of the most luxurious on Fishman Island.
"Veyron..."
My mom sat beside me, gripping my arm with concern.
"What's wrong with you? This isn't like you."
"I don't know," I replied, holding my forehead. I knew what this was: depression. I had felt it before in my previous life, but back then, there were clear causes. Why was I feeling this way now? I couldn't grasp it.
She looked at me with genuine concern, and I couldn't blame her. We arrived on Fishman Island just two days ago. Everything was beautiful, mermaids abounded, and we were welcomed warmly. Yet, I couldn't enjoy any of it. It was as if something was missing as if this colourful place appeared grey to me.
"I'm sorry, Mom," I apologized. Both of them must have looked forward to this trip so much. They were my wives, and I had always been busy with work or other things. Now that we finally had time together, I was acting like this.
She even checked everything we had eaten and drunk, worried that something might have poisoned me, but I didn't think that was the problem.
"What's happening to you two?" She bit her lip and rubbed the back of my hand, kissing it with a mixture of helplessness.
I wasn't the only one affected. Primrose had hardly left her bed. We had come here for a holiday to rest after five years of hard work, but now that we were here, nothing seemed to make sense.
We had a plan to visit the New Fishman District and meet some "friends" on Fishman Island. I got up from the chair and went to our room, where Primrose was still sleeping, even though it was already afternoon.
She never slept in like this; she was always the first one up.
"Prim..."
"Baby, I don't want to go. You two go without me."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I want to be alone. I promise I'll get better; maybe I'm just feeling my age."
She giggled and kissed me, trying to lift my spirits. She must have thought I was upset because of her, but that wasn't the case.
"Fool, you're not old; you're gorgeous. I'll be back soon, okay?"
I pecked her lips twice and let her go back to sleep.
"Shanks is waiting in the New Fishman District."
To be honest, I didn't want to go either, but lacking enthusiasm was unlike me. Maybe it was some sort of atmospheric condition; after all, unlike Mihawk, this was our first time on an underwater island, and this one was very deep underwater. That must be it.
I sighed and sheathed Youbi, then followed my mom after turning off the lights in the suite room. We walked leisurely towards the "New Fishman District," which, according to her, was like the slums of the island and where the Sun Pirates were based.
It belonged to Fisher Tiger's crew, and I was looking forward to seeing him after such a long time.
"You mentioned it might be an atmospheric disorder?"
"I can't think of any other explanation, Mom. You're the only one among us who has been here before, and you're the only one unaffected."
"That makes sense."
Fishman Island was indeed a fantastical place, but what caught my attention was the abundance of posters encouraging people to "vote" for change. I had read in the newspapers that Princess Otohime had been fighting for about seven years to get the Fishmen accepted by the World Government and allowed to go to the surface.
This might be the reason why Shanks and Whitebeard had asked me to accept Fishmen into Rusukaina, something related to this campaign.
"Pero pero pero pero~"
"Pero pero pero pero~"
One of my communicators rang.
I had several of them with me: one for each island in case Wyper and Gan Fall needed to contact me, one for Amazon Lily for Primrose, one for Stussy, and another for Gion. The last one... was it for Aphelandra?
In any case, this time it was Stussy calling me.
"Master!~"
"My dear Stussy, do you have something important to tell me?"
She usually didn't call unless it was essential, and if it wasn't important, she'd simply show up at my office.
"Yes, it's very important. I just received confirmation from Dr. Vegapunk that your air combustion engine has been successfully tested in his secure environment. It works, although he pointed out some performance issues that don't require your input."
"Did he mention anything about the ULG?"
The ULG (Ultra Light Gas) was a catalyst I used to burn air and convert it into energy. I had already created an isolated chamber for this process to prevent any catastrophic atmospheric consequences, but I needed to test it further. I hadn't yet established such a facility in Rusukaina, but Vegapunk had one in Egghead, so I borrowed it.
"He didn't mention any issues with the ULG. Though it is unsafe to breathe. Should I start listing the services for the underworld right away? I'll need to schedule a meeting with the other Emperors."
"Are you still planning to offer subscriptions instead of selling the entire engine?"
"You know, Master, many underworld brokers and Emperors are eager for faster, resource-efficient energy production. The air combustion engine can run for a month with just one barrel of gas and provide enough energy to power a vessel for that entire duration. It's a great deal for them. Moreover, although the engine works, it's still a delicate piece of machinery. Mishandling it could have catastrophic consequences for the atmosphere. So, I think offering it as a service instead of selling the engine would be more profitable and safer. Let's sell the energy it produces instead of the engine, alright?"
She had a valid point. I had already created the water combustion engine, which worked as expected and was the primary engine in the Kuja Pirate Fleet's vessels. Unfortunately, it didn't work with the Skycrafts since they weren't in direct contact with water and the engine consumed a lot of it, it wasn't profitable for storage.
The air combustion engine, being more advanced, came with higher risks due to the ULG.
"How should we proceed?"
"We'll need to register data on the energy's purpose before providing the service, Master."
"Do you think these people will willingly share their intentions? No one wants their shady dealings exposed, Stussy."
"That's not our concern. This service will also be available to kingdoms and towns. One of the most interesting clients is Germa 66. Judge contacted me directly instead of going through the underworld, and he's very transparent about his intentions—he wants to use this engine for genetic experiments. If they can't provide such information, they won't get access to the engine. That's it. We're already winning, Master. Keep in mind that the air combustion engine's primary use is in Shandora, Amazon Lily, and Rusukaina for our own refineries."
"Very well, Stussy. You know better than me. Carry on."
Listening to her detailed explanation assured me that she could handle this matter without my direct involvement. Right now, I wasn't in the mood to discuss business.
"I apologize for disturbing your holiday, Master. How are you feeling? Would you like me to come there and give you a massage?"
Her tone shifted to something more personal, deviating from the main topic. She must have sensed that my voice lacked its usual confidence.
"Actually... I don't know. Maybe a massage would be nice."
"Ah? You sound down. Would you like me to come?"
"Perhaps... Don't worry about me, Stussy. This is a crucial step in our plans, and I'm relieved you're handling it. Keep up the good work. I might reward you when you return."
"I can tell you're forcing yourself, Master. You can always talk to me; I'm here for you."
I sighed again and nodded, even though she couldn't see me.
"Thank you, my dear Stussy."
"Love you, Master. Kacha~."
'I'd tell you the problem if I knew what it was... but I don't even know.'
"Business is going well," Mihawk said, holding my hand and leading me along. Indeed, everything was running smoothly—we were making a lot of money, and the government had eased off.
"Yes... everything seems to be going well."
So why am I like this?
Mihawk halted me for a moment and planted a tender kiss in the middle of our path. Some mermaids saw us and giggled, but my pouting wife gently turned my head back toward her.
"If you're not feeling well, we can leave. There's nothing tying us here, and even Primrose is uncomfortable."
"But... the Kuja Fleet."
I… remembered.
There was another reason for our visit. It was crucial, and I had forgotten about it. My mom seemed to have a flicker of realization in her eyes too.
"Ah, right... we're waiting for them. Aphelandra and Rindo are bringing the national tributes, isn't that what we're waiting for?"
"Yes."
We were trying to convince ourselves, but as I reflected on my memories, doubts and voids kept appearing, like sudden empty spots in the ocean filled with tons of water.
It didn't matter how much water there was, those empty spots still felt unnatural. But what could I attribute it to? atmospheric disorder…?
As we made our way to the New Fishman District, I realized something: I didn't know what was wrong, but I could feel that something was definitely amiss.
**
**
The Grand Line, New World, Dressrosa Coast.
"What the heck is Joker up to? He should have called us by now to collect our share of the tribute before sending that stuff off!"
A massive man with two horns stood at the front of his ship, fuming. The ship's jolly roger featured a mammoth skull with two massive horns. He was one of the Beast Pirates' all-stars, Jack the Drought, with a one billion-belly bounty!
Upon further inspection of the island, they discovered a massive, unnatural stone hole.
"Boss, it looks like someone ransacked this kingdom!" one of his crew members pointed out.
"It appears so. Get ready; we're going in!" Jack ordered.
He didn't have a good feeling about this. The plan was for the Donquixote Pirates to take control of Dressrosa, pay the national tribute to the World Nobles, and secure Warlord status. Then, they'd use the kingdom as a factory for their new "product."
But things had gone awry. There was destruction everywhere that couldn't have been caused by the powerless citizens. They docked at the port and found a sea of corpses—civilians, Donquixote Pirates, and...
"The Kuja Fleet... was that woman here?!" Jack tried to remember her name, but it eluded him.
"What woman?" his crew was equally puzzled.
"Tch! The captain... what was her name again?"
"The captain of the Kuja Pirates... wasn't she a woman called Boa Primrose?"
"Tch! Not her! The other one!"
The more he tried to recall, the more he forgot.
The crew continued cautiously through the streets, wary of any threats. More and more Donquixote Pirates kept appearing—men and women alike. The Kuja Fleet had shown no mercy, but they had also suffered losses. Blood had been spilt on both sides, but the Donquixote Pirates had drawn the short straw.
Jack transformed into a gigantic mammoth, his every step shaking the land.
Only after a swift turn into the entrance of the main palace did he spot a group of civilians regrouping.
"Well, well, finally some signs of life in this desert."
A man who had lost a leg stood before the crowd, grievously injured but still serving as a voice of reason and leadership. Even facing this colossal creature, he didn't waver.
"Who are you?! Another group of pirates?! Hasn't this kingdom suffered enough?"
"Who, no, what the hell are you, and where is Donquixote Doflamingo?" Jack growled, his crew's lives hinging on the response.
"My name is Kyrios. Doflamingo is dead! The Donquixote Pirates are finished, slaughtered by another group of female pirates! Please leave this island!"
"Tch! Piece of crap talking to me like that. There was so much invested in this. Did that bastard actually lose to the Kuja Fleet?!"
BANG!
"HA!"
An enraged Jack demolished a building with a single sweep of his scythe, scattering the remaining civilians who begged for mercy. A sweep of his trunk sent Kyrgios flying and crashing into a building. Citizens who had thought the chaos was over began fleeing once again, but the Beast Pirates didn't give chase.
"JACK!"
"YOU ARE..."
Two figures appeared: a woman with green hair who manifested as a snowstorm and a green-haired girl holding four toys.
Jack didn't recognize them. He remembered the crushed corpse of Diamante, the melted remains of Pica, and the shocked body of Trebol, but this little girl...
"My name is Sugar, and this is my sister Monet! WE ARE THE ONLY SURVIVORS OF THE DONQUIXOTE PIRATES! EVERYONE ELSE IS DEAD!"
She yelled amid sobs, clinging to her sister. She still held onto those four silent toys as if her life depended on it.
"Useless... all of you are utterly useless!"
Jack had had enough; he was about to crush the two of them when the girl hissed, trying to protect herself. The other beauty, Monet, moved to the front to shield her older sister (who appeared younger).
"WAIT, I HAVE SOMETHING THAT MIGHT INTEREST KAIDO!"
Jack's trunk froze.
"HMM?! SPIT IT OUT... IF IT'S NOT CONVINCING, BOTH YOUR HEADS WILL ROLL."
"I HAVE THE WIVES OF THE LIGHTNING GOD!"
Sugar realized she had been carrying four of those toys. She tossed one aside like trash, retaining the other three.
At first, Jack thought it was some sort of ridiculous joke.
"My Devil Fruit is the Hobi Hobi no Mi! I can turn people into toys when I touch them! I swear these are the wives of the Lightning God: Boa Hancock, Boa Sandersonia, and Boa Marigold! I know Kaido will be interested"
