Chapter 024 – Questions without Answers

[Kaienreki Calendar 1514, March]

A moment later the great winged-wolf vanished, before their very own eyes. It took a few seconds before Bellmere could shake off the dazed state, she found herself in.

She didn't know why Lupin had once again appeared before her to save their lives, but she knew it was a debt she could never repay. The least she could do was accept his gift and make sure he didn't save them in vain.

"H-he … really c-came, B-Bellmere-san. Just-t like y-you told us he w-would.", Nami suddenly uttered tears in her eyes, while still sobbing lightly.

Bellmere took a moment to realize that Nami spoke about the bedtime stories she had told them about the Black Wolf.

"Yes, yes he did.", she answered, as she hugged her daughters tightly and looked at the devil fruit before her with a determined glint in her eyes.

…

Reappearing at the part of the shore where Ina and he had settled down temporarily, Lupin approached her sunbathing form.

"Finally finished your buisness?", she asked drowsily, as she felt him lay down next to her.

"Mmhm."

"Where to next?"

"How about taking a look at the Sky Islands on our way to Fishman Island, before we set sail for the New World?"

"Sounds good. When do we leave?", Ina asked quietly, not caring much for their destination.

"Well, certainly not today.", Lupin answered in a raspy tone moments before she could feel his lips on her bare back and shoulders.

…

[Kaienreki Calendar 1514, May]

Ina had been excited and fascinated the moment the Knock-up Stream brought their little boat to Skypea. Of course Lupin had to coat the whole vessel in a thin layer of Haki or it probably wouldn't have survived the journey.

The Skypieans were mostly curious and polite during their stay in the city and from what information he could gather, the fighting with the Shandians seemed to have decreased in the last few years thanks to Gan Fall's efforts.

Without Enel dethroning him, it was highly probable that he may really facilitate peace between the two feuding races in a few years.

Still, he didn't have much interest in their conflict and simply took Ina around the island for a small sightseeing trip.

Arriving before the giant golden bell, Lupin addressed her: "That's the lost Shandorian Golden Belfry Bell, a monument they they built hundreds of years ago."

"Well, I don't know much about history, but that is really something … What's that obelisk though? What does it say?", Ina asked innocently.

Taking a glance at the Poneglyph, Lupin was about to tell her what he knew about them, when he suddenly fell silent.

The geometrically shapes making up the letters on the Poneglyph suddenly started to shift and move, until finally they had arranged themselves in his mind in way that he was perfectly capable of understanding.

Shocked, Lupin was lost for words.

"What is is? Are you ok?", Ina asked, seeing his dazed look and unresponsive state.

Lupin didn't react to her urging though, as he read about the information of Poseidon and where to find it.

" … How is this possible?", he couldn't help but whisper.

Suddenly he recalled his mysterious heritage, his reactions to eating a devil fruit and the prodigy-like talent he had displayed for Haki and Martial Arts. Adding his newly found ability to read the Poneglyphs to it, without ever learning anything about them, he couldn't help but question his own origins once again.

Questions started to appear in his mind. Questions about his mother and her tribe. Questions he had no answers for.

…

It was later that evening, where he sat in silence at the edge of the Sky Island with Ina at his side and their campsite to his back.

He had already told her about the Poneglyphes and the questions he had about his heritage.

"You will leave again, won't you?", Ina suddenly asked quietly, as she too looked at the ocean of clouds before them, illuminated by nothing but the gently light of the moon.

"I … I need to find some answers and the Poneglyphes are the only clue I have. Finding them isn't the problem, getting to them is."

"Because the Emperors guard them.", Ina said out loud, what he was worried about.

"Mhm", he nodded in assent.

Ina didn't voice out loud what they had both been thinking, which was that she couldn't follow him on his search for answers.

Her strength was simply not enough to confront an Emperor and their crew.

Lupin though was different.

After the last few years of training, even he didn't know where his limits lay, but he was sure that confronting a Yonko was doable. He didn't have to worry about their crew and numbers, as he knew that numbers alone could not stop him anymore.

Trying to tire him out was basically a fool's dream, as his own physical endurance and stamina wasn't something that could be exhausted, and the same went for his Haki.

At this point in time, he could practically keep his whole body coated in Armament indefinitely, while having his Observation Haki was active at all times.

Lupin knew that this wasn't something that could achieved with mere ten years of training, so he was even more sure that his heritage housed a huge secret.

A quiet voiced suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

"I will chase after you.", Ina said as silent tears ran down her cheeks, her head resting on his shoulder.

Turning towards her, Lupin placed his hand on her cheek, as he gave her a soft kiss on the lips.

"For tonight, you won't have to."

Wrapping his arms around her, Lupin brought her towards their tent.

Soft moans soon escaped into the night, as the desperate lovers shared their everything with each other for the next few hour.

Because when morning came, the wolf would return to the wilderness.

…

[Kaienreki Calendar 1514, May]

A few days later Lupin arrived near Sabaody at the Red Line. He hadn't taken anything with him but his sword, a Log Pose that would work in the New World and the clothes on his body.

It had been hard for him to leave Ina at the Sky Islands, knowing that they wouldn't see each other for a long time.

The moment he left he had known that his path was one of no return. He had to find out about himself and his mother. This path would lead him to become an enemy of the whole world, as he had to find all the Poneglyphes, especially the Road Poneglyphes, as they were his only clue.

This was something that neither the World Government, nor the Big Mom or Kaidou wanted to see. Lupin wasn't sure about Shanks or Whitebeard, but he didn't plan to spare either if they blocked his path.

Nineteen years he had lived in this new and unfamiliar world. Fifteen years he had basically tortured himself with inhuman training. Now he was ready to unleash his might and get the answers he wanted.

Using his Armament Haki, Lupin coated his whole body, before using his hair to encase his sword and the compass and also infusing it with Haki.

The next moment Lupin stopped using Blue Walk and plunged into the sea.

Fishman Island was deep underwater only a short distance above the seabed, normally one would have to take a boat that was specially coated to get down there, as normal humans couldn't withstand the water pressure in such a great depth.

Lupin though was different.

For more than a decade now, he had been training using the deep sea pressure to temper his body, so even without Armament he could probably survive at such depth.

Though he didn't plan to take such a risk, as his Haki-covered wings unfolded and he kicked off the water using Kamisoru.

Slowly he increased his speed and when he reached an appropiate depth, he started using the Shockwave Steps causing the water behind him to become turbulent.

Faster than a bullet he descended towards the Ryugu Kingdom, as his wings steered him into the right direction and his legs kicked out in a rythmic manner.

Shockwaves of pure physical strength, intermixed with perfectly contained Haki pulsed out.

The nearby sea life was scared by the massive rumbles originating form his movements and any Sea King that crossed his path was ripped to shreds.

Through the years of training, he learned to stay underwater for hours if necessary, but it took him less than a few minutes before his Observation Haki informed him of a massive number of living beings in front of him – millions even.

A few seconds later his own eyes could see the light emitted by the underwater city.

He had arrived.

Not wasting any time, Lupin slowed down for a moment and let his remaining momentum carry him towards the bubble that protected the Fishman Island against intruders.

Once he was only a few meters away he executed a quick Kamisoru and entered the underwater kingdom easily enough. The bubble may protect them against the average pirate, but I couldn't keep out someone like him.

Using his wings, he slowed down his descent, as his lungs inhaled the life-giving air.

A quick nudge of spiritual energy also took care of his wet clothes, removing the water from them and his body.

His Observation Haki suddenly noticed several incredible strong presences in the distance emerging and he didn't hestitate to approach them.

…

As Jinbe saw the gargantuan Sea Kings emerging from the shore, a feeling of abject horror crossed his mind. Their terrifying and ancient presence invading the atmosphere.

He knew that nothing and nobody could stop these creatures if they decided to go on a rampage.

As he already started to plan how he could buy enough time to at least save his queen and her children, a completely different kind of pressure enveloped him.

"Truly, you are rulers of your species.", a young voice sounded out, a tinge of melancholy in it.

Jinbe stared at the back of the winged-man that had appeared before their eyes without anyone even noticing.

Immesurable power seemed to fill the space, as it was hard for Jinbe to even move. Even the Sea Kings seemed to have been frozen in fear, as their gazes similarly focused on the man.

His black mane tied up in a single ponytail behind his head, while the black sword in his hand seemed to made out of black light due to the amount of Haki that had been imbued into it.

Jinbe knew about Haki himself and he also had fought with several individuals from the Marines who were proficient in the technique, but he had never seen or heard anything comparable.

Using his mere presence the man was able to lock island-destroying Sea Kings in place, as if it were as easy as breathing for him.

Suddenly the man's voice filled space, where absolute silence that had descended since his arrival.

"Uncaring for the ongoings in the world. Immune to the changing tides. Unbothered by uanswered questions.*sigh* Sometimes I wish I had been born as one of you … "

The sword in the man's hand slowly turned from a cross made out of dark light back into a normal black blade, while his wings also shrunk rapidly in size.

"You may go. Today I won't find trouble with you.", he declared.

And as if thankful for his grace, the invinceable beasts bowed their heads before him, before they turned back and vanished in the endless blue that was the sea.

The next moment the pressure locking them in place vanished, before the man turned towards them.

It was then, that Jinbe finally recognized who it was that stood before his eyes, having seen his late captain looking at a bounty poster of the man many times in the past.

'The Monster' Lupin D. Black had come to Fishman Island. And Jinbe prayed that he came with good intentions.

…

Seeing the moderately powerful human pirate, that had most likely threatened the Queen, laying before him, Lupin directly ignored him.

It seemed that this time it wasn't a Celestial Dragon that had caused Shirahoshi to awaken her powers, which didn't surprise Lupin much. Since his massacre in Marie Geoise, the Celestial Dragons rarely left their Holy City and if they did, then not without powerful Cypher Pol Agents or high-ranked Marines at their side.

Also Lupin couldn't be sure that he hadn't killed the one that was responsible for a similar situation in the original timeline, as he couldn't remember all the faces of the World Nobles that fell under his blade, nor the looks of the one from the show that was supposed to be here.

Though as Lupin looked around the still silent shore, he could not only spot Jinbe, Shirahoshi and her sibling, but also Vander Decken, Hody Jones and the other commanders of the future New-Fish-Man Pirates.

"Wh-Who are you, Mister?"

A beautiful and slightly fearful voice sounded out.

Looking at the angelic queen of the Ryugu Kingdom right before him, Lupin knew that he had to make a decision.

Ignore his future knowledge and act as if he hadn't seen Hody and the others, or act on his knowledge.

He knew that if he suddenly started killing Fish-Men that Otohime's efforts to gather the support of her people for her cause would probably never bear fruit. On the other hand she would most certainly survive and Shirahoshi wouldn't be harrassed and threatened from this day forward.

Otohime's story somehow struck the same cord within his heart like Bellmere, so his decision had already been made.

After a moment of silence, Lupin answered the small queen, helplessness in his tone.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. The world isn't yet ready for such changes."

Before his words had even faded into silence, Lupin had already attacked. In less than a second Vander Decken and the commanders were dead. Beheaded without any resistance, while Lupin himself arrived before Hody.

His sword had already pierced the Fish-Man's heart, as all hell broke loose around them.

The civilians started screaming and fleeing, while the guards surrounded their queen and her children, while trying to approach him through the panicking crowd.

Hody meanwhile glanced down at his chest, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. He tried to voice out something, as disbelief and unwillingness were clearly visible on his face and in his eyes.

"Why?", Lupin asked, knowing that this was what the dying man wanted to know.

"Because I am strong … And you are not, Hody Jones.", Lupin answered the man's last question, before drawing back his blade and with another swing of his hand, seperated his head from his shoulders.

A moment later, Lupin's figure vanished into thin air.

…

A few hour later, Lupin reappeared in the Ship's Graveyard the true destination of his trip to Fish-Man Island. Though it didn't take him longer than a few moments to realise that what he sought was no longer here.

The fourth Road Poneglyph, the missing Poneglyph had already gone missing.

Lupin didn't know who had taken it, but finding it was simply impossible if he had to search for it himself.

Lupin knew that Neptun didn't know who had taken it, or he would have told Luffy in the original time line.

He had hoped that by finding them all and locating Laugh Tale, he could get some more answers about his heritage, but without the fourth Poneglyph that wasn't possible anymore. Lupin had no other option then to change his plan and consider a short-cut.

There were several people who had been to Laugh Tale with Roger, so he just had to find one of them and get him to tell him the location.

Fortunately one of these people didn't live very far from here and Lupin also knew in which bar to find him.