Hi, hello, I'm here to complain about my days off, which I didn't get to do much of. In fact, there was one day I didn't do anything at all, since my family forced me to go out into the city with them, and I was out all day. And when I got back, I couldn't do anything either, due to family matters. I'll probably continue finishing the remaining chapters later today, but that's it.
I also want to tell you that I have some ideas for new fanfics to write. More specifically, one from the Naruto universe and another from DxD. I already have almost everything ready in my mind for the Naruto one, while the DxD one is just an idea floating around.
Of course, I'm not going to write two fics at the same time, since writing one already takes up my time; two, I wouldn't have any free time at all. So I'll have to wait until I finish writing this One Piece arc to start this new one. It'll also give me time to reorganize and think carefully about what I'm going to do in the next arc, which is the Fate series arc, which I want to split into two.
Well, that's all for now; let the fic continue.
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It's been a few days since Hades happened, and they've been great; resting after all that is incredible.
Our journey to Sabaody hasn't been very linear; we've passed through different barracks, as there were different Marines from many of these scattered locations, all of whom were called to participate in this skirmish.
Between these places, we passed through G-2, where I met Marie and had a very awkward encounter, at least for me. I don't know if she was like that, but I feel weird right now. The worst part is that if what I did doesn't work, I'll have to go back there. I'll still have to go back, but for other reasons, and that will be another time.
The funny thing is that Doll didn't return to G-2, as she was sort of an intern, if you can put it that way. Right now, she is headed to Marineford; from what I understood from her, she wants to seek more merit and continue rising in rank. I wish her luck; I don't remember her rank in the last arc of One Piece, but she's very young. I didn't know his age because of women's issues, but, being a captain right now, he's on the right track.
But there's something I haven't mentioned until now, and that is, thanks to Kong, for his recording and for giving my fight a good focus, he's started to be called "Great Hero Dante." He's a step above Garp's title, but there's a reason for that.
First, Sengoku explained the situation, saying that Hades was the main opponent to be dealt with and the requirement for victory.
Second, the fight was broadcast, meaning people saw my power and how I stood up to Hades, something Garp didn't do; it's just known, and it's something the Marines say. It's not that Garp didn't earn his title, but mine was given to him by the common people, not the higher-ups.
And third, the final point is that Hades was defeated, and I was given full credit for that. This is a half-truth, since I didn't do it alone, but no one saw it, only my companions and Hades, who was the last one buried underground.
For these three reasons, he has been dubbed the great hero Dante, and the fame and reputation I gained from that are incredible. In all the places I've been, there's no one who doesn't recognize me and call me by my title. Much of this is also thanks to Morgans, with his newspaper and a tape that contained the entire battle recorded, which I don't know how he got and which he also profits from without giving me a single peso.
Now, you could say I fulfilled my dream in a way and could leave here for another world with the help of the system, but if I did, I would feel very empty, given that it's very little but very little possible to return to this place.
First, there's the problem with my blood family; Second, my encounters with some guys I'd like to kick their asses before I leave; third, I haven't yet fully exploited the potential of Haki; fourth, there's still Nix, whom I can't go find until I resolve the first point; fifth and last point, and the most important one, I can't leave my comrades alone. If I leave, I feel like I'd be abandoning them and betraying everything we've done; right now, without all of this, they have nothing. Therefore, before I go, I need them to have their lives back so that when I'm gone, they can still be calm and happy.
Speaking of the system, thanks to this incident, I became super rich. Reviewing what the system told me, I'm going to say:
[You have defeated a pirate with a bounty greater than or equal to 500,000,000 berries. For this achievement, you have been awarded 800,000,000 LP to use in the system.]
[You have defeated a pirate with a bounty greater than or equal to 1,000,000,000 berris. For this achievement, you have been awarded 1,500,000,000 LP to use in the system.]
[Congratulations, you have developed all three types of Haki from basic to intermediate levels; your reward is 900,000,000 LP.]
I received this after defeating Hades; I didn't take it into account as I was exhausted, tired, and thirsty. After we were at G-8, I glanced over him.
With all these points, I now have 4,201,690,000 LP. I remember when I had nothing and complained about not being able to buy anything. Now I have this much, and I can't spend anything either, at least for now, since I have a gun in my sights that costs an arm and a leg.
EA: 9,999,000,000,000
I still have a long way to go.
Back to the present, we're on an island. And you'll tell me, what's the point? Well, Little Timmy, there's an auction on this island right now, and using Trini's Haki, slaves are being auctioned off. And the situation is critical, since there are three Celestial Dragons.
Trini: "What's the plan?" At that moment, I glanced at Arthur, who sighed and started off with his spear.
Arthur: "Maybe I was just itching to fight someone."
Isis: "It'll work."
Dante: "Only with faith and a lot of determination; the idea is to avoid being discovered. While we're at it, I need you to find a large space and rent it; we'll leave the slaves there temporarily."
Sulli: "What do the rest of us do?"
Dante: "You come with me, and Trini keeps watch. Make sure Arthur doesn't get involved in something we can't solve later."
And with that, we set off. The idea is to avoid being discovered; we use Arthur to draw attention and get some guards there, leaving the auction as unprotected as possible. I'm taking Sulli with me in case there are any injuries and for an extra hand.
Infiltrating it wasn't complicated; we knocked out a few. It didn't matter if anything was found out later; the important thing is that they didn't know at the time; they wouldn't be able to do anything afterward.
The auction had just begun, since slaves are usually auctioned off at the end, so none had been sold yet, so there wouldn't be anything to interrupt it.
As we continued toward where they were, I made a mental route to get out with them; the route ended at a window that overlooked an alley.
Well, the rest was child's play. We entered the room, quickly took down the men there, and stripped them of everything they had. We found the keys to the collars but didn't remove them immediately; that would take time, so after telling them everything that was happening and what we were going to do, the slaves followed us silently. It's worth noting that they recognized me, which helped a lot.
Once outside, I realized it was very noisy. It turned out that at the entrance to the auction, Arthur confronted the pirate gangs who wanted to participate in the auction. The marines arrived, but with the chaos and the resulting mess, they decided to protect the civilians rather than intervene immediately.
The funny thing is that the guards helped the pirates because they were customers of the place, so Trini had to go watch their backs. In case something stabbed her in the back, since they are pirates, after all. You can't trust what they'll do, no matter how weak they may be.
I decided to pretend I didn't know anything about what was going on and went about my business. After searching for Isis with Haki and finding her, I headed to where she was. Luckily, it was nighttime, and we were passing through almost pitch-black paths, so no one noticed what we were doing. To avoid attracting attention, we went in three groups; there were 15 of us, so we moved in groups of five, with Sulli leading the way and me at the back.
Some people saw us, more specifically me. When they came to me, they noticed the slave collars. To avoid trouble, I told them that I would hold a meeting tomorrow at noon in the city center and that I would let them hug me, take pictures, ask me questions, and do other things. With that, these people left without saying anything, hoping I would do what I said.
Finally, we found Isis, who rented a warehouse. Worse still, I asked her to buy things so these people could stay warm and rest on the ground. She went immediately, and while she was at it, I began removing the collars from the slaves one by one.
Everything was going well until I came across a little girl with black hair. I stared at her for a while, noticing it.
???: "What's wrong?" the girl said with a little hesitation.
Dante: "You look a little familiar." I decided to be direct. "What's your name?"
???: "My name is Boa Hancock, and those over there are my sisters, Boa Sandersonia and Boa Marigold; all three of us are from the Kuja tribe." She said, pointing to some girls behind her.
No wonder she looked familiar. She was the future pirate empress, but that wasn't the only thing that made her familiar. My father also had a Kuja slave, who looked a bit like Hancock, but I couldn't tell her either reason.
Dante: "What's a Kuja girl doing so far away from Amazon Lily?" I asked as I removed her necklace.
She and her sisters remained silent; they seemed nervous, and I had a good idea why.
Dante: "If they don't tell me anything, I'll understand, but this way I can't leave her where her companions should be."
They looked hesitant, but Hancock finally decided to speak.
Hancock: "We're actually apprentices to the Kuja pirates. We were on a supply run, but we were attacked, and one of us fell into the water. We went to rescue her, but we were caught by the other pirates and enslaved to be sold."
Dante: "I see." I was left wondering what to do with these girls now.
Hancock: "You're not going to hand us over to the Marines, are you?" I blanked out. I expected a different attitude from this girl, something more like the original, but I remembered that this Hancock hadn't been abused and mistreated by the Celestial Dragons. This one didn't have the traumas and bad attitude toward men, hence the difference. She also didn't have much power or strength, so she couldn't draw arrogance from anywhere.
Dante: "I don't plan on handing her over to anyone; I understand the Kuja Pirates' position to a certain extent, so I don't plan on entering into conflict with her." I said as I freed Sandesonia and Marigold.
As I recall, the Kuja tribe engaged in piracy for survival; at least that's what I remember; maybe I'm wrong. So I can categorize them as a group of normal pirates. They weren't good like the Straw Hats nor bad like Blackbeard's pirates, so I categorize them somewhere in between. If I knew who the captain of the Kuja pirates was, maybe I could order the categorization from one side or the other.
Dante: "Everyone here, rest; tomorrow we'll make plans to return you to your homes, but I need you to stay here temporarily without being discovered." I told everyone here, and they nodded.
I waited for Isis to arrive with the things I requested. Then I went to look around the place. I needed an alibi for where I was while Arthur was wrecking the place and the auction slaves disappeared. In the distance, I saw a woman a little older than me, who was walking somewhere. I pondered for a bit before going where she was. I just hope she's not crazy.
And so it was. I don't know how, but they arrived at the house of the girl I spent the night with. I had spoken to her about the situation, but she didn't think much of it, and she gave me an alibi, saying that I was with her all afternoon and evening at her house. The marines couldn't find any loopholes in her statement, so they accepted it as valid.
After preparing breakfast, I left the girl's house to go to the warehouse where the slaves, not quite slaves anymore, were kept. Arthur, Isis, Sulli, and Trini were also waiting for me there. After giving a very lame excuse, we began to decide what to do.
Isis: "How are we going to get these people home? I don't think the marines will let us take them."
Trini: "It's the safest thing to do. A group of slaves disappeared at the auction so that the same number of people would show up to take them home, not to mention that some of them are pirates."
Arthur: "We couldn't rent a boat; we'd take them there, and there would be trouble."
Sulli: "It's better to buy a boat with the money and then have it not be a good one and then have to return it. How much money and time would we have wasted?"
Arthur: "Since when did we start caring about that stuff? We shouldn't mind using that stuff as long as it helps people in need."
Isis: "I support Arthur on that score."
Trini: "But we don't have anyone to steer the boat, and we'd need a navigator; we'd have to add someone else to the group, which is something I'd like to avoid."
Arthur was getting a little irritated by the situation, so he turned his eyes to Dante.
Arthur: "Tell me, what does your boss think?"
Right now, I was petting Hun, who was on my forearm; it seemed like he wasn't paying attention to what I was saying, but that wasn't the case. More than anything, he was seeing the system. He agreed with everything I'd said, but not everything could be done; at least they couldn't, but I could.
Dante: "I have a way, but they'll have to wait a bit. I'll tell the others not to wait for us, that they can leave without us." And with that, I leave Hun behind, as he might end up saying I pulled something out of nowhere to the others. Something I can't explain.
Seen another way, what I'm going to buy isn't easy to explain either, but I can make some sense of it with something that already exists in this world.
Isis: "Can we accompany you?"
Dante: "No, this is complicated, and having someone other than me would complicate things."
Trini: "If you have to do something you don't want to do, you don't have to; we can find another way."
I imagine she thinks I'm going to use my influence as a celestial dragon for someone else. I remember telling her I didn't like doing that kind of thing, especially using that title to get something.
Dante: "Don't worry, there won't be any problems with what I'm doing."
With that, I left and hid. I waited for noon to go to the center of town to interact with the people who saw me with the slaves.
What I didn't expect was that almost the entire town would show up. Thank goodness, I already told the ship we'd be staying here for a few days and they could leave without us, since I don't know how long it'll take to calm so many people down and satisfy them.
After six hours of talking to people I don't know, I was able to go to the seaside, to a secluded spot, basically an empty beach.
I looked at the system, and my heart sank. How am I supposed to get EA at this rate? I know there are better weapons than this, and maybe, just maybe, it's an overrated weapon. But I don't care; I believe a person's power isn't represented by a weapon but by how they use it.
But spending 1,000,000,000 LP is demotivating.
Dante: "What does it matter?" I said to myself and bought the item. I'd read how it worked beforehand, and basically, only I can use it. It's like insurance, and like the other weapons, I can call it into the system if it's stolen, so there's no problem leaving it here.
With that done, I went to the warehouse where the others were supposed to be.
Once there, all the slaves were happy with my arrival. I checked that everyone was okay and that they'd eaten and all that.
With everything ready, I ignored the rumors about me. The consequences of fame. We headed to the abandoned beach, which wouldn't be as abandoned as we left the auction.
After a few minutes, we arrived, and many people looked at the place strangely, especially at the ship that was there.
Arthur: "Is that the solution you came up with that only you could have come up with?"
Dante: "Yeah, isn't it beautiful?"
Trini: "Does it even work?"
Dante: "Hey, don't talk to him like that. You don't know how much my heart ached to get it."
I know it would be weird if it took us from one place to another, given its design, especially because it looks like a fishing boat, only much longer, and it has oars to move it.
Isis: "And it has a name," she said, a little nervously, trying to diffuse the tension, since no one believes this boat will be useful for getting from one island to another.
Dante: "It's called Skíðblaðnir."
Sulli: "Esquin what?"
Dante: "Skíðblaðnir, and don't forget, let's leave all this and get on board."
With that, I got on and waited for the others to follow. Some were hesitant about whether this idea was a good one, but when Trini, Arthur, Sulli, and Isis got on, the rest did too. A few people had placed their hands on the oars to row.
Dante: "They don't need to do that."
Trini: "What do you mean? How are we going to move if we don't use the oars?"
I completely ignored her. There was a lever at the front end. I placed a hand on it and focused my energy.
Suddenly, the boat's oars began to move on their own. I heard gasps from some people, but I needed to concentrate as much as possible.
The boat began to move across the sea, and after a few meters from the shore, it began to rise into the air.
Now everyone gasped in surprise. My fellow travelers remained silent as I was slandering the boat, but now, seeing what I was doing, they had to keep their mouths shut.
At that moment, I took an object out of my backpack and threw it to Trini. She caught it, seeing that it was a log pose.
Dante: "Where are you pointing?" She, now out of her daze, answered me.
Trini: "At 5 o'clock."
With that, using the lever, point the ship at 5 o'clock, the location of the next island.
Isis: "Hey, leader, how is this ship supposed to fly and navigate on its own?"
Dante: "First of all, it doesn't move on its own. I steer it. And second, it has a Devil Fruit that allows it to fly." The reality is that this should be powered by magic, but since there's no magic in this world, the system adapted it to use the energy of this universe. Therefore, this ship is currently sucking my energy so it can move and fly.
Sulli: "Hey, boss, I asked people to tell us where we should drop them off, and I wrote down all the locations on this map of Paradise; all the x's are places to go."
Dante: "Good idea. I was planning on going from island to island until there were no more people around."
Arthur: "Hey, boss, if this ship has a Devil Fruit, how does it work in seawater?"
Ah. I didn't think of that. It frustrates me when Arthur thinks, but it's still good, since it makes me think of something for when someone else asks me that again.
Dante: "Layers."
Arthur: "What?"
Dante: "Double layer: the actual boat doesn't touch the water, but another layer of normal wood that isn't part of the boat touches the water, that's it, and if you don't believe me, well... nothing."
And with that, the conversation ended. At that moment, I looked back at Hancock and her sisters.
Dante: "Hey, kid," I said, getting her attention. The moment she looked at me, I continued what I was saying. "You don't mind that you three are the last to leave, mainly because of your spatial location."
Hancock: "My name isn't 'kid'; my name is Boa Hancock. I told you that, and I have no problem with that, and you sisters..."
Marigold: "I have no problem."
Sandersonia: "Maybe it's for the best."
Dante: "Understood, kids, just wait then." And with that, he turned me away, ignoring Hancock's pout as he called her "kid" again.