2.22 First Stretch 6/Prelude to Baroque Works 2/Merchant Hunt 1
Location: First Stretch, Paradise, Grand Line, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy, Earth-Mayim, One Piece Multiverse, One Piece-jcw3
Date: Monday, May 30, 1532
"Usopp! Back a bit!" you shout, and the sniper narrowly ducks in time to avoid another piece of basketball-sized hail, right before it would have broken his collarbone.
The Merry is retreating through the storm as fast as it can - it doesn't look like it will take much longer, but there have been plenty of glancing blows that have dented or even broken chunks of wood. The larger chunks of hail are mercifully few - only a few as large as a semi-truck tire, and Sanji kicked the last one you saw to pieces before it hit the deck. But the constant pitter-patter of hail, and the odd chunk that's worth worrying about, is having an effect on the Merry.
Unfortunately, the alternative was sailing through an enormous hail-nado the size of some islands. It's going to take hours to repair all of the damage from the past hour, but… at least now it's receding. You coordinate the Straw Hats and guests in clearing the deck, feeling like a bit more of a Leader in the process, and together with Usopp, mark down the spots worst damaged by the storm.
"What do you think? Start with the starboard railing? Decent spike lodged through there."
You shake your head. "Probably a better idea to take a look at that dent above the lounge room," you point. "We get another bad blow and that thing might collapse in."
He stares at it for a moment, before his eyes widen in comprehension. "Crap, you're right."
You beckon him to follow. "Come on. I want to show you how to use some of the tools I brought over."
Usopp's eyes gleam. "Really?"
"Yes, but it comes at a cost," you say, mock sternly. "I need some more free time to handle stuff in general. I teach you how to use the woodworking tools, you take over some of my responsibilities on the ship, and if you're careful, maybe you can use them on some of your own projects. Deal?"
"Deal! Absolutely!" he enthuses, practically bouncing with glee. You smile, despite yourself.
"You're gonna regret that enthusiasm, you know," you say, handing him a saw and patting him on the back. He doesn't look like he believes you.
–
Ah, there it is. You were wondering when the regret would show. "I… still think they're cool," he says, wiping a bit of sweat from his brow. Guided by the greatest non-parahuman carpenter from Earth-Bet (you're sure there's some cape out there who's a woodworking tinker or something), you've just about taken care of the most problematic bits from the morning's hailstorm, yet another battle won in your futile crusade to keep the Merry afloat.
Did you know that Foolshout Island, out of all of the starting islands in Paradise, goes the deepest into the First Stretch? Very few sailors are 'foolish' (hah) enough to take this route. Even Fisher Tiger's famous raid on the island was launched from behind. Cactus Island would have only taken a few days, the next alternative maybe a week. Journeys this long in such dangerous waters are uncommon, and most fleets attempting it fail, let alone a small caravel with a crew of eight.
Just surviving it will make the crew stronger, if you can persevere for a few more days to Foolshout's climate zone. "Oi."
You give Zoro a glance as the swordsman tracks you down. You give Usopp some space - you've assigned him some more homework in the storeroom - and you meet Zoro out on deck. "My wounds. I'm supposed to be able to start training today, right?"
"Light training," you hesitantly agree. "Crocus told me to take a second look at your wounds a few days after today, and then you should be good as new."
"I feel fine," he gripes. "Can't I just go back to normal already? I've been antsy for days." You stare at him. He returns it. You stare back. He eventually wilts. "Agh!" he groans, scratching his hair. "Fine. When you say 'light…" he trails off.
You sigh, and prepare a list of exercises for him, with more restrictions on the level of weights he's allowed to use… after you give a second look to his once-gaping chest wound, now merely horrifically scarred remnants of what it once was. It still looks pretty nasty, but the worst has passed, and not too long, should solidify into merely an impressive battle scar.
With your new upgrades to Medicine skill bolstered by Naturalism, you might have some ideas for ointment to spread over the injury, if Sanji still has some of that facehugger squid ink left over. Who knows. In a day or two, you might be willing to start training with him again.
"Thanks," he says, grudgingly. "Finally get to start training myself. It's been agony watching you and twirly get to train, while I had to sit around and watch."
Not waiting for a response from you, he draws his swords, and looks out over the seas. Aa bit choppier than normal, but not the worst you've experienced thus far. One in his mouth, two in his hands. The Three-Sword Style. Feels like it's been ages since you saw this in action.
Extending his arms in what looks like it must be an uncomfortable angle, he places both swords behind his back, facing down, another katana lodged in his mouth horizontally. Staring at the waves with an expression somewhere between giddiness and hunger, he lunges forward towards the railing! If he breaks it, you swear to God-
"Tiger… Hunting!" he shouts, the incantation muffled by the hilt in his mouth.
A larger wave parts right as he says it, the force of the attack strong enough that even the wind from the strike can cut it in half. "Jeez. I'm rusty," he scowls. He glances back over to you. "You're sure it's only those light exercises?" he asks, almost pleadingly.
You add a dangerous tone to your voice. "Don't make me ask Nami to keep an eye on you."
He winces. "Alright, alright. I'll keep it down," he says, and you almost believe him. You suppose you'll have to settle for the Zoro version of 'keeping it down'.
That interruption done, you head to the little hide-away covered crate you built in the storeroom to justify your disappearances to Horlio, Vivi, and any other future guests, wave a hello to a tired but still enthusiastic Usopp, and head to Bet to get changed for another visit to New York City.
Location: Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States of America, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy, Earth-Mahon, X-Men: Evolution Multiverse, X-Men: Evolution-jcw3
Date: Tuesday, November 14, 2000
Light snow today in Mahon. You were initially planning to wear a polo shirt and slacks for this purchase, but you're gonna get enough probing questions from the shopkeepers. You wound up deciding to head back to Bet to grab a jacket, if only for appearances.
Manhattan Mariners is a no-frills sailing supply store on the Hudson River. Every time you enter a building on this world and have to interact with the locals, it's a little culture shock. They're happier. More innocent. More naive. Just people having a cheerful conversation at the counter, barely forced at all, no distrust or bitterness.
You spend a while window shopping around the store while you wait for the old man at the counter to finish with a long-time regular. There are a few potentially useful trinkets here, but the project to reinforce the Merry is costing you enough of your Mahon funds that you want to start being careful with how you spend your money. It's barely been a week and you've already spent a bit over a fourth of your cash funds.
The clerk looks a bit taken aback by your list. "What kind of craft are you working on, miss? This quantity… what are you trying to do, rebuild the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria?!"
You smile. "Dad and I-" You feel a bit dirty, making up a hypothetical 'Dad', but you've discovered that women have an easier time buying supplies like this if they make up an imaginary man they've been working alongside. You're going for 'fairly wealthy daughter of an eccentric sailboat guy', and hopefully your outfit helps sell that. "-have a few ideas, but want to make sure we have plenty of bulk stock first."
"Phew. That's gotta be a lotta change to throw around," he remarks. "I've got what you're looking for, but if you're working with this much polyester sailcloth, you're gonna need to go to a specialist to get it refitted and sewn right. Otherwise it won't catch the wind the way you're hoping for. And I don't know what you'd need this much rope for."
"We've got a family friend helping us on this. I just drew the short straw when it came to running the errands of actually buying the stuff."
He looks a bit doubtful, but in the end, money talks, even if paying for all of this with cash nearly makes him back out. You leave Manhattan Mariners with around six hundred and fifty dollars worth of modern double-braided nylon rope for the Merry - more than enough to replace the existing hemp on the ship. You also pick up enough raw polyester to use as sailcloth - eight hundred and fifty dollars worth of material for the main and mizzen should be plenty, with a little extra to use in case of tears.
Location: First Stretch, Paradise, Grand Line, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy, Earth-Mayim, One Piece Multiverse, One Piece-jcw3
You peek out of the crate's peephole to make sure the coast is clear, and sure enough, only Usopp's working away in the storeroom, with some cotton pads as makeshift hearing protection, thankfully. You make sure to wait until he turns off the sander before you make yourself known, because… "Ah! Taylor! Why do you always pop in out of nowhere!"... you knew he'd panic when he saw you. "Maaan, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"
You give him a pitying pat on the shoulder. "Mind watching the door for our guests? I've got a bunch of stuff to bring over. Rope and sailcloth mostly."
He tilts his head. "I know we've had a few tears on the mainmast, but you've been able to fix them, right? And our rope isn't that frayed."
"Not necessarily just about durability. The new rope I got is not only more durable, but it's also lighter and easier to work with. The modern sailcloth will catch the wind easier and resist tears easier. Combine that with the new, more responsive whipstaff…"
He shakes his head in disbelief, lifting his goggles. "You've got to be the most convenient person to sail with in the history of the world."
Despite yourself, you smile, a bit flattered. "This doesn't get you out of your homework, you know."
Usopp pouts a little. "Who do I look like, Luffy? I wasn't trying to get out of it."
Snorting, you head back and forth to your currently chosen alley, and start shifting over the sailcloth and rope.
–
At last. Progress with Kachi Kachi. Your face contorts into a grin as you take one step forward… and the rocks on your skin don't noticeably crack or crumble away onto the deck. Oh, they're thin. They're barely connected in some places, only disjointed pebbles forming a poor excuse for armor over your skin, and the fact that it takes three or four minutes just to get to this point means that it's functionally useless in combat.
But you can perform basic, careful tasks with Kachi Kachi activated without everything literally falling apart, and it's only when you make sudden movements that cracks appear or crumpling starts. Calling forth the warmth or even just plain old heat is something that apparently taxes the power as it is now, and you notice increased breakage when you try to generate heat.
The warmth from your pebble-coat is probably strong enough to start fires, and you're lucky Sanji's on lookout so you can use the brick-coated kitchen. It may be worthwhile to start training this on Mahon, but you aren't even sure if there's a good place there to use either. You may buy a fire extinguisher the next time you stop by a hardware store there, just to be safe.
Maybe if you and the Straw Hats make it to a winter island, you could be a mobile fire. Wrap a blanket around you, you'd make a decent kotatsu.
Good progress, regardless. Bear King was a brute who got far in a weaker sea with Davy Back Fights and the natural charisma that comes from being a giantblooded man with a Paramecia, but he wasn't particularly imaginative or a skilled fighter. If you can combine his ability with your superhuman physical capabilities… well, that just opens up all sorts of new possibilities.
Wait a moment. You hadn't thought to try this before. You extend Sube Sube's effect over yourself, covering not only your sailor clothes, but… you drop a spoon on your rocky arm and… it careens off and you barely catch it before it clatters against the floor. Yes! Yes! The slip-slip effect also covers Kachi Kachi's pebble-coat! Which means… yes! Oh hell yes!
You giggle manically. That means these two powers synergize! You can have Kachi Kachi's brute hot-stone resilience, and Sube Sube's slipperiness! Both at once! Sube Sube can be sliced through by well-maintained blades… Kachi Kachi has no such weakness! Sure, exotic attacks are still a problem, but that would have been the case even without it! Does this mean Paramecia fruit powers can combine more effectively than your shape changing abilities?
Oh, that's wonderful! Sanji chooses that exact moment to walk in, and you feel a bit silly almost immediately.
–
"Taylor, I love you," Nami sighs, gently running her hands along the sample of polyester sailcloth.
Your face burns. "Let's not get carried away."
"We're going to make sooo much better time with this. I was thinking that we'd arrive at Foolshout in… maybe ten days or so, but this should shave us down to eight! This is amazing! Hold on, let me double check-" she mutters underneath her breath as she scrawls down some quick formulae. You don't spot any problems. "-Yes! Oh my God, yes!"
She hugs you tight, wiping… a tear out of her eye? "We might actually survive the Grand Line after all!" she exclaims.
"Just a few more days till Foolshout," you say, finding the outpouring of emotion a bit uncomfortable. No, uncomfortable's the wrong word. You just aren't used to being the center of this kind of attention.
Nami nods, staring at you with a frankly intimidating intensity. "When can you replace the sails?"
"Tomorrow, probab-" She squeals inelegantly.
"I'm going to need to redo all of my plans… and I'm not even mad! This is amazing!"
You have two Devil Fruit powers, can turn into a five-foot albatross with a fifteen foot wingspan, a swordfishman, or a freaking bear, depending on your needs, but the thing that always impresses people is something like your bosunry or seamstress skills. You aren't necessarily complaining, it just feels like it should be the reverse.
"After a certain point, we're going to have to talk about my power with Vivi and Horlio," you murmur, glancing quickly at the door to the women's room.
Nami rolls her eyes and waves you off. "Don't worry about it. This crew is so weird, I'm not sure they've even noticed anything that odd about you specifically. Did you see Zoro today? He was cutting waves in half for practice."
You feel your eye twitch. "He has a messed up way of defining 'light exercise'."
"Oh, we're all a little deranged here. That's why I wouldn't be too worried about the princess and her partner. Worst comes to worst, we can just tell them you made this stuff. You're like a crazy good seamstress, it'd be an easy sell, so long as they don't actually see you leave."
You aren't sure you fully believe her on that front, but you accept her argument, leaving Nami to her recalibrations, and head to the storeroom to transition back to Bet.
Location: Brockton Bay, New Hampshire, United States of America, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy, Earth-Bet, Parahumans Multiverse, Parahumans-jcw3
Date: Tuesday, January 18, 2011
After you change into something a bit more comfortable for tedious computer work, you take some time to finish the driving project. You're almost as relieved to finish the stupid course as you were to discover Kachi Kachi and Sube Sube's synergy. At least Headway's enjoying itself - you find yourself going from student to average commuter to competent, experienced driver in the space of about an hour.
Busywork completed, you schedule a test for June 21, the soonest after your birthday you can find. It'll cost thirty-six dollars to take that exam, and a bit more cash and time for all the paperwork, waiting at the DMV, and such things, but hopefully by that point, you'll be powerful enough that resources won't be as much of a concern as they are now.
Nothing substantial in the news. It feels like it's been ages since you scrolled the internet and let your power fill in the blanks of the articles as needed. Factota still only has a stub on the PHO wiki (pending deletion per moderator judgment), and the latest update in her thread was days ago. The general consensus seems to be that you were a fake cape trying to get attention, and you've actually been removed from the Capeball rankings. You are just absolutely heartbroken to be removed from the depraved snuff game.
Not that big a deal, but it could impact your reputation in the future if you don't do something soon. Fortunately… before you finish the thought, you hear the door opening. Dad's back from work, a bit later than normal. Ah. Jeez. It's about to be time for a really uncomfortable conversation. You metaphorically gird up your loins, and head downstairs.
He gives you a wide grin when he sees you. "Boy, it's good to see you."
"You're more cheerful than normal," you reply.
"Some good news at work, finally. I told you that we were having problems, after the Graughton contract went to Boston?" You nod, vaguely remembering that. "Well, Medhall came through! The pharma company?" Seeing your look of recognition, he continues. "They're gonna be expanding their R&D lab in the suburbs. Gonna have a lot of tools getting imported from Europe - lab equipment, stuff like that. And they're wanting to work with us on it!"
You can't help but smile. You've haven't seen him so animated in ages. "It's just a temp job. It'll only last a few weeks, and it'll be done then. But for the first time in… I don't know how long, with this and the usual odds and ends we scrounge up for our guys, we might finally have jobs for everyone."
He sets his briefcase down by the door, and shuffles off his coat. "Gonna suck when it runs out and the guys are used to having a few weeks of steady work. But… it gives me a good foundation for some more cold calls I've been meaning to work on. If we can do a good job with Medhall, it could be great networking with some of their partner companies."
"That's great!" you say, and looking down, you focus in on your power. "My power's, ah, filling in the blanks on the Medhall expansion. World Events. They're working with their joint venture partners in Germany and Austria to trade some manufacturing techniques, equipment, things like that."
"That's what my contact at Medhall told me. Part of why they need guys they can rely on, to not be easily bribed by corporate rivals who might want to copy whatever patented stuff they're bringing over."
It makes sense. "Are they worried about capes trying to steal anything? Exotic materials for tinkers, stuff like that?"
Dad shakes his head. "Above my paygrade. We're just responsible for unloading it all and transporting it without messing anything up. Medhall's security is their business. Anyway. That's enough about me, sorry, I just couldn't resist the urge to share some good news."
You hold your hands out. "No, I don't blame you. It's great news. I just… wish I had better."
He frowns, and sits down, grunting a bit as he does. "What's wrong?"
"I, um… I… there's something I should have told you the day before yesterday. Maybe even the night before that."
You take a seat. You don't trust yourself to build this up gently, so you just say it outright. "The Straw Hats are about to go to war with Baroque Works. I told you that. But it's a bit worse than I told you."
He stares at you for a minute, and sags a little in his chair. "Fuck," he mutters under his breath, likely thinking the curse is imperceptible. "What… what's worse?"
"We reached out to Vivi. Her and Horlio - Mr. 9, though he dropped his cape name once the organization kicked him out. She told us everything. It's not just going to be Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine on the island, not just going to be that ninja weirdo I told you about. Vivi expects Mr. 3, a powerful wax manipulator, and Miss Goldenweek, a hypnosis cape, to be there as well, accompanied by a small army."
He makes a little gulping noise. "O…kay. Is… is there a plan in mind?"
You softly smile. "Luffy's not the type for plans. I'm working to refine my skills, we still have a week or so until we hit Foolshout Island. I'm reinforcing the ship, training, so's everyone else. If all goes well, I'd like to be able to just ambush these guys without even fighting them, but that might not be possible. So I'm trying to cover all of my basis, get that little bit stronger, get where I need to be, so hopefully it all goes well."
"Hopefully," he repeats, saying it flatly.
"...yeah."
All of the good mood from the Medhall news has faded almost immediately. "I wish you'd told me this sooner. I'm glad you're doing it now, but… I wish you'd told me this sooner."
You look down, ashamed. "I'm sorry. There's… there's more."
"Seriously?!" he asks, giving you an incredulous look.
"I have a bounty now. Fourteen million."
He stares at you for several moments, face barely moving a muscle. He mostly just looks tired. "I thought we were getting somewhere. I thought we… I thought we had a degree of mutual trust."
You swallow. "I… I didn't want you to worry. I was still trying to get things together with me on my end, and I didn't know if I could keep you from… I don't know. I didn't want you to worry about me."
He laughs sardonically, staring off to the side. "Jesus Christ, Taylor." He rests his head in his hands. "That's it, right?"
"That's… the immediate problem. The leader of Baroque Works shouldn't be anywhere near Foolshout, but - he's… we're pretty sure he's a Logia like Smoker, but records are spotty. He might be a Paramecia, like Luffy. Something to do with sand."
He's silent for a moment, and for some reason, you keep talking. "Zoro has a bounty, too. Ten million. That's… that's it."
Dad doesn't say anything, and again, you babble. "I can get Fishman Karate up, get Kachi Kachi up. This is still manageable. Baroque Works is trying to kill a country through civil war for some supervillain cape's evil plan. I have to stop them."
"Do you?" he asks, nervously. You stare at him, affronted. "I- I'm sorry. That was a bit too far. Jesus. Sorry - it… Taylor. You…"
He looks like he's not sure how to process all of this information. You aren't sure you can blame him. "This is so far outside my frame of reference it's not even funny. This is it, right? Please tell me this is it."
You nod, wordlessly. Now you learn to shut your mouth. You open your mouth - Well, actually - "I was going to start going after the Merchants - just exploratory, probing gestures, at first!"
"Are you f-" he starts, anger flaring in his face, and then stops, collecting himself. He holds up a hand, probably telling you to give him a moment. He looks horrified, and… ashamed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap like that."
There's a profoundly uncomfortable silence that stretches. He frowns and looks over to you. "Why… why even go after the Merchants in the first place? Why do that now? When you already have to worry about Baroque Works?"
"The Merchants aren't as much of a threat as Baroque Works!" you say, defending yourself. "They only have three capes and some thugs, Baroque Works has an army. Give me two weeks, and the Merchants are gone! Baroque Works - I need resources to fight with. Skidmark and Squealer's power - they could be gamechangers. Even without the powers, just knowing how to investigate, how to scope out enemy territory..." you let the sentence die, having made your point.
He stares at you. "You have your heart set on this." You nod, trying to give the appearance of strength. He sighs, and looks at the empty chair at the table. "I wish I had the ability to stop you."
There's a lull, and you try to interject. "Dad…" you trail off. You aren't even sure what you would have said.
"I love you. I don't say that enough, I feel like life doesn't give me the chance to tell you that enough. Since you've gotten your powers, you've become braver, more driven, more confident. Your mother would be proud of the woman you're becoming."
He hasn't broken the gaze. "But you're going to get yourself killed. I… can't lose both you and Annette."
Hearing her name in this context feels like getting stabbed in the heart with a jagged shard of glass. "So what do I even do? I come home, and for, what, a week, you weren't here, and I had no idea whether you were alive or dead, no idea if you'd just drowned in the middle of some godforsaken alien ocean and I'd never even see your body. I'd just wind up living here, alone, slowly forgetting what my own daughter's voice even sounded like." His voice cracks.
"There's no recourse I have here. It's hell, Taylor. There's nothing I can do to help you, make you safer, especially when you're actively seeking out the danger I'm worried about in the first place. So I just… go to work like normal, and try to ignore that my daughter is fighting pirates who can destroy islands with a thought."
There's a part of you that wants to correct him, point out that you're not fighting that level of enemy yet. You silence that thought, and let him continue. "I… I'm sorry about just now. I didn't mean to blow up on you like that. You didn't deserve that. Never, never let me do that again."
Dad sinks into his seat. You wipe your eyes and swallow again. "I'm not going to leave you alone, Dad," you say. "My friends and I are going to beat Baroque Works. I'm going to save this city. I just need… six months. A year, maybe. And Kaiser, all these bastards, they'll be gone."
Another pause. Dad eventually speaks up. "I think we're having two different conversations, Taylor. I know you believe you can succeed. Frankly, I believe you can succeed! Hell, I know you can! But there's that possibility that lingers in my mind, it gets its claws dug into my head. That some freak accident occurs-" you wonder if that phrasing's intentional. "-that you just die, unceremoniously, dead in a ditch or a current somewhere. And I can't get that mental image to go away."
You can't muster a response. These long silences feel like they're ripping away a piece of your soul for every second they stretch on. "How do I make this better?" you ask, quietly.
He doesn't look like he knows how to reply. "I… that might be the wrong way to look at it, Taylor. It's irreconcilable. I'm always going to worry about you. You're always going to be my little girl. But… someday you're going to grow up. Maybe sooner than I'd like, and maybe I'm going to miss those pivotal moments. Maybe I already have. That happens to every parent, but… with you, there are these catastrophic, world-ending stakes attached, beyond my comprehension. You have these lofty ambitions and you take all of these risks to meet them, and even before you told me what you just did, it just fills me with this consuming sense of dread."
"Should I… have kept this a secret?"
"Fu-uuck no!" he laughs, caught off guard. "Oh my God, no. I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have swore just then. I- it might not sound like it, but I'm grateful you told me. It's… I need some time to think on this a bit. I appreciate that you were open with me. I'm… I'm sorry, I know I keep saying that - I'm sorry I reacted this… like this, and that I blew up on you. But I'm so, so glad you trusted me with this. I know you were probably worried I'd react… like this. Or worse.
I love you. You're my world, Taylor. I'm so proud of the woman you're becoming. I'm just terrified your journey is going to be cut short before you become the person you were made to be, and that there's nothing I can do to stop that from happening. That's… that's where I'm at."
–
You and Dad put the dishes away after dinner. It was… difficult to bring the conversation back to normal after that. You aren't even sure either of you succeeded, or if it was even worth trying in the first place. Heartbreakingly, it reminded you a bit of the conversations before you dropped out of school, when you were both trying to keep conversations compartmentalized to subjects both of you found safe.
You hope it doesn't stay like this, that this was just a wound that can heal, that your mission hasn't destroyed your relationship with your Dad just after you'd started to rebuild it. You wish you'd told him sooner. You don't know if it would have helped, or if anything would have changed, but wouldn't it have been the right thing to do?
It's so frustrating. Why is stuff like this the big thing to worry about? Don't you have enough to deal with, but the universe has to keep throwing this shit at you? Keep you second guessing yourself, hurting your relationship with family?
You must have been staring into space for a while. Dad reaches his arm over your shoulder and pulls you in for a well-meaning, if awkward, hug, and squeezes. "Love you, Taylor," he says. "Always."
You rub your eyes and return the gesture.
–
You spent a few more hours with Dad, talking about nothing in particular. Theoretically, that was time you could have spent training - Sube Sube, Ninjutsu, Fishman Karate, any number of things, but… this felt more important. Tension gradually lifted, the openness returning, both of you letting your guard down after… well. That.
"You're still going after the Merchants, aren't you," Dad says, and the question almost slaps you in the face with its bluntness. You suppose you deserved that.
"It gives me practice. Baroque Works is going to be occupying Foolshout. I'm going to need to help investigate where they are. I can start that here, get some practice. Skidmark and Squealer - even if I get lucky and find them tonight-" you catch Dad mouthing 'lucky' sarcastically, "-their powers won't be ready for use by the time I got to Foolshout, if the Devil Fruit powers were any indication. But the practice when it comes to investigation, noticing things, stuff like that… could be critical for seeing ambushes, patterns, when we fight Baroque Works on Foolshout."
Talking about work is invigorating. But now you have this little fear in the back of your mind that it's scaring Dad, putting him off. You don't see anything like that on his face, but now you have that concern. He shrugs, reclined back into the chair in the living room. "Okay. I'll trust you know what you're doing."
You don't miss his hands shaking around the mug, and it's not cold in here . "I'll come home safe. I promise."
He smiles weakly at you. "You mostly have so far."
You aren't sure how to respond to that. You settle for standing up, giving him a kiss on the cheek and a hug, before heading up to your room to get changed.
–
What a waste of time.
You went out in costume, stealthily, naturally, patrolling two separate spots on the notepad Brandish gave you. Nothing. She did say that these spots were pointed out as potential hotspots, so nothing was guaranteed, but you don't see any signs of Merchant activity.
It's possible Shielder or Laserdream or Glory Girl, the inexperienced capes among New Wave's fliers, were the ones who noticed these streets, thought they saw something, jotted it down in a file somewhere, and Brandish was just the middleman who handed the information over to you.
Geographically, it's close by the warehouse where Skidmark held his accounting meeting, but you can't make out any signs of organized gang activity. There are loose syringes in the street, bums passed out or sleeping here and there, a suspicious looking person skittering by in the dark of night, but nothing substantial at this or the other location. Could be just bad luck, could be that these two areas were duds, at least for the purpose of hunting down and breaking the Merchants.
Regardless, there's something of a silver lining to the cloud. The bare minimum of Investigation and Forensics capabilities joins your skillset. It's not much - you didn't have much to go off of here when training those skills. But it's a start, and maybe you'll have better luck with the other locations tomorrow.
You make your way home, let Dad know you're alright. You ask if he'd feel better if you slept at home tonight. He says not to worry about it, so you transition back to the storeroom on the Merry and get a well-deserved night's rest.
Location: First Stretch, Paradise, Grand Line, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy, Earth-Mayim, One Piece Multiverse, One Piece-jcw3
Date: Tuesday, May 31, 1532
Clear skies today. A pleasant surprise. Perfect weather to do the modifications on the sail. It'll be nice to have something a bit more concrete to distract you. It takes about ten minutes to stitch the sailcloth together for the main and mizzen, and with a bosunry capability most sailors could only dream of, it only takes a few seconds with the help of your giant albatross form to actually attach each sail. Not only that, but challenging yourself to complete the project well in record time means that Headway rewards you by further improving your superhuman seamstress capability, to the penultimate level.
The difficult part of the project to reinforce the Merry, in many ways, is teaching the crew and guests how to use it, adjusting expectations, deflecting probing questions from Vivi and Horlio, putting your foot down with regards to nonsense from the usual suspect, ignoring the captain's pouting at the discipline… well. At the very least, you feel like you come out of it a better Public Speaker.
There's a noticeable difference in the sailing speed of the Merry now, to the point where even those of you on the crew who aren't professional or superhuman (in Nami's case) navigators can spot it. The ropes are easier to work with, there's less odds of ropeburn from a predictably unpredictable calamity. It's a noticeable and easy improvement, and well worth the time spent walking the crew through it.
Usopp has some ideas on using the bulk of the old sailcloth and hemp rope for his own projects, and you'll leave him to it. Not wanting to be alone with your own thoughts, and wanting to accomplish something, you approach Horlio. "What's up? Did you have another magic trick to show us?"
"Don't know much magic yet, sorry," you shrug coolly. Or in what you hope is a cool way, at least. "You're an acrobat, right?"
He grins and reaches for what you assume would be the inside of his suit, but he's not wearing a suit, and his bats are in the men's room by his hammock, last you remember. His face falls a bit. "I was going to say I specialize in acrobatics, but it doesn't sound as impressive when I'm not actually holding my bats."
You tilt your head up at the mainsail, idly noticing Zoro up on the crow's nest, not paying anywhere near the attention a lookout probably should be. "Do you mind showing me a few tricks? I think I'm good enough that we can practice with the mast if need be."
He frowns at you. "What, think you can learn acrobatics before we get to Foolshout? That's… what, a week from today?"
"That's my thing. I learn things fast. If you're not interested, that's okay, but-"
Horlio gives you a lopsided smirk. "No way. If you can be as good an acrobat as you are a bosun, I wanna see that nonsense firsthand."
You give him an eyeroll, before your training starts in earnest. You're a good acrobat, not a great one, and you can do a few flips - backflips, cartwheels, even a decent attempt at a salto, but it's been a pretty decent while since you last trained. You aren't anywhere near as good as Cabaji was with it, or even Horlio.
But you hope to fix that. Horlio notes mistakes in your form - there aren't any problems with your physique, merely your application of it on this specific front. It's helpful, and you allow yourself a bit of inner satisfaction at his frustrated gaping when you go from a good acrobat to a professional in the span of an hour and a half training session.
"That's such bullshit!" he shouts, yanking on his hair. "Aw man, my parents spent years drilling me in this shit and you just learned it like… that's unfair, Hebert!"
You default to the reassuring shoulder pat, before you leave him to his emotional recovery. You're about to search for your other guest, Princess Vivi herself, when the ship shudders. Oh come on! It was shaping up to be a quiet, productive day!
You scramble to pinpoint the source of the shaking - is that a giant fork on the starboard side? No. Not just a fork. It's… a pink, fleshy cartilaginous growth in the shape of a fork, tines stuck in between two rungs of the railing, emerging from a pink, fleshy tentacle. Clumsily, another tentacle rises, this one bonking against the deck of the ship with… that's not a whisk. That can't be a whisk. You refuse to believe that's a whisk.
The definitely-not-a-whisk scrapes against the wooden floor, creating visible strain, and you belatedly lunge forward, manifesting Sube Sube around yourself. Shame Kachi Kachi's activation time is still too long to be practical for situations like this. The… squid, you're guessing… is still trying to get a tentacle-hold on the Merry's deck, and struggling since, instead of suction cups, it has… forks, whisks, and are those chopsticks?
Mayim is so messed up. Your Naturalism skill helpfully pipes in when you notice the third tentacles. The ship is being attacked by what Grand Line scholars call a Giant Utensil Squid. (Some cultures give it the nickname 'Gus.')
Believed to be a typical giant squid in size, this species mimics human and fishman use of utensils through its body, reshaping the ends of its tentacles into growths suited for replicating human dining. This includes forks, chopsticks, whisks… a spork slams up out of the water and strikes the deck where you were just standing!
You dodge the attack almost effortlessly, and, taking bear form, strike a paw at the offending limb. There's an audible cracking sound as the spork-extension tears off, your blow not held back in the slightest. You allow the blow to serve as momentum for grabbing and pulling, and streams of blue blood spurt out. The ship vibrates along with 'Gus' as it recoils in pain
Eugh. It's a bit gross, but it has to be done, to save the Merry. "What the hell is that thing?" Usopp calls out, having rushed out from the storeroom.
Just as you hear his shout and casually yank off a giant fillet knife, Zoro descends from the crow's nest, a superhuman leap towards the intruding megafauna. Sparing a glance down at Gus' worryingly human face and perfectly straight row of gleaming, white teeth, all the same size, you see a look of undisguised rage… but the swordsman's wearing an expression of sadistic glee.
"Three Sword Style…" Swords drawn, Zoro falls, spinning as he does, forming a rough whirlwind. You have to back away as he does, casually maiming the chopsticks tentacle from before as you do, making sure to keep an eye out to guarantee you aren't potential collateral to whatever Zoro's about to do. "...Dragon Twister!"
A tornado of blades shreds the Giant Utensil Squid, and you abandon bear form, ducking back, guided by giant albatross wings, to avoid the worst of the bloodspray. The Merry jolts portside as the squid dies, only a few of the remaining limbs stuck on, the back ends of tentacles wrapped on to the railing, as the attached fork and whisk flail impotently against the ship, the other utensils having failed to find a grip.
You're starting to relate to Dad's calling this a godforsaken ocean. Zoro backflips off of the tumbling corpse bits to land back on ship, presenting himself with an ungainly curtsy, before giving you a little wink. "Light exercise, Usopp. That's what that was."
You snort, despite yourself. "Jackass," you laugh, and he gives a mock salute. Shame about the squid. You don't think Headway gave you anything for that. Just unlucky, you guess. Collaborative battles always form a rougher connection, even with victories. You were lucky to get Kachi Kachi when the Straw Hats took down Bear King.
You take the time to help clean up, snap a photo of the squid's limbs, briefly consider asking if you can take some as trophies… and Luffy's already begging Sanji to cook it up. Ah well. It'll be a fun story for Dad, and you aren't sure how you'd preserve them anyway. Usopp can handle what little repairs need to be done, and he knows to reach out if he needs help.
–
Vivi drapes the… frankly tacky and offputting spiraling monochrome minidress out over on a makeshift barrel table in the storeroom. Seeing the look on your face, she sighs. "It was made to be effective, not pretty," she grumbles quietly.
You stare at it. You… don't feel nauseous, or notice any traces of vertigo. High levels in the Seaman skill come with seasickness resistance, which naturally ties into resisting vertigo, but you should still be able to recognize if something would cause that effect. "Alright. How does it work?"
Vivi shrugs. "Your guess is as good as mine, I'm afraid."
"Seriously?"
"Miss Goldenweek only told me that slow, careful movement would inspire the effect. She told me to take inspiration from the buildup moves of belly dancers from my homeland. Her exact words were 'this style will come naturally to a girl with a figure like yours'."
You're suspecting there was some envy on her part there. "Do you think she might have just been messing with you?"
Vivi doesn't look like she knows the answer. "I didn't interact with her enough to be able to tell. She has this distant manner of acting. Quiet, serious. We were stationed together on Toothpaste Island for a few days while Mr. 3 was handling a bounty, and she said she was curious to see how her style interacted with worn clothing, when projected outwards."
"Does that imply that her technique is new? Or that she's new to using it, at least?"
She makes a face. "I wish I had a good answer for you. I've seen Colors Trap in action briefly, and I've heard the rumors, but I don't know how she came by the skill, whether or not it's a Devil Fruit, or anything about it beyond the effect it has on people."
Shit. You were hoping for a bit more than that. "How did she design it? Did you see her… what, paint the circle pattern on the dress?"
Vivi frowns. "No, she made it in private. I didn't press her for details on how she made it, it… didn't seem appropriate at the time, felt like it would have blown my cover. We did test it together, and I have used it in combat. It does cause nausea and disorientation in those viewing it. It seems to work better on the weak. I suspect someone with a stronger mind or will could ignore it, although I don't know how well strategies like that would work against Miss Goldenweek herself."
Your mind flashes to sections on the PRT's affiliated websites, documents about resisting the effects of Master capes under varying situations and conditions. You'd dismissed them in your head as security theater - sure, some might be effective, but then you run into someone like Heartbreaker who easily no-sells it. You'd thought it better to concentrate on skills with a higher guaranteed efficacy. But you find yourself reconsidering the idea with the threat of Miss Goldenweek looming.
You look over to Vivi. "This might sound like an awkward question, given what it entails, but-"
"I can do the dance. You don't need to worry about me being ashamed of the idea, I wouldn't have accepted Miss Goldenweek's offer if I did." Thankful that Vivi doesn't find the idea offensive, you give her some privacy so she can change into the dress. "Supposedly, this works better on men than women. I haven't actually had the opportunity to fight many women, so don't get too mad if this doesn't do anything."
Nodding, you meet her eyes as she starts the dance, a slow, rhythmic, deliberate thing, carefully controlled so as to be hypnotic. You suspect Alabastan belly dancers use similar tricks to get the audience's attention, not that most men need much prodding to look at a beautiful woman in a tight outfit.
If this were an actual combat situation, you could have lunged forward and crushed her skull before she finished her first gyration. You don't see the technique itself as much of a threat, but you're more hoping to get some insight in Colors Trap here. The spirals start to bleed together and rotate, impossible sequences emerging from the fabric. You wince, feeling a bit lightheaded, and you belatedly realize you were caught in the trick of the Color of Vertigo.
You shake your head and look away. Vivi puts the dance on hold. "You were out for a few seconds there," she notes. "Plenty of time for M- Horlio to smash you in. That's the strategy we used on an eight million beri captain once. I distracted him, Mr. 9 bashed his kneecaps, my Peacock Slashers did the rest."
"Think that'll work on the officer agents?" you ask, the dizzying effect fading with time and the halt of the dance.
She scoffs. "Not a chance. Those guys are monsters. If anyone has the willpower to resist a party trick like this, it's them. You'd be better off trying to figure out how to predict or subvert their ambushes, maybe outpower them, if you ask me."
Vertigo finally receded, you make a deliberate effort to stand a bit straighter. "Could be useful to practice resisting that dress's effects, even if it only barely helps against the creator. Would you mind helping me with that over the coming days?"
Vivi agrees. "I'm not sure if it's the best use of your time. I've only got a fraction of Miss Goldenweek's skill and this was only a halfhearted experiment of hers in the grand scheme of things. But if you want, sure. Sanji mentioned he was interested in learning more about the technique, too - why are you laughing?"
Spoiler: GM's Notes on Master Resistance
–
No joy with further Kachi Kachi practice, disappointingly enough. On top of that, you still can't wrap your mind around the framework of Ninjutsu. You almost hope Nezu's there on Foolshout Island just so you can try to beat some training out of her. You snort at the mental image. Although apparently, from what Zoro and Nami told you a few days ago, you'll need to get in line behind everyone else if you want to kick Nezu's ass.
Location: Brockton Bay, New Hampshire, United States of America, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy, Earth-Bet, Parahumans Multiverse, Parahumans-jcw3
Date: Tuesday, January 18, 2011
After supper with the Straw Hats, you transition home, letting your dad know you're alright. "Hey. Everything alright on Mayim?" he asks, and you don't miss the apprehension in his voice, no matter how much he tries to play it cool.
You nod. "Practiced some Master resistance for Baroque Works' hypnotist cape, a little bit of acrobatics. More training, not much of it successful. Some of my combat skills are pretty hard to learn. Got the Merry some new sails and rope. Um- we fought a giant squid with spork tentacles, I have photos."
His expression softens. "You know, you don't have to give me all of the details in a rush, Taylor."
You feel your face burn a little as you glance away. "Sorry. I… guess I was trying to overcompensate. For… you know."
"I appreciate that. I - we already talked this to death, but I'm sorry about yesterday."
"Me too."
He thinks for a moment, and frowns at you. "Did you say 'squid with spork tentacles'?"
–
It's only night two of hunting the Merchants. You can't believe drug deals are this blatant. There's a guy just standing out in the middle of the sidewalk, casually leaning against a lamppost, piercings glinting in the moonlight, shivering in the night cold. You recognize him from Skidmark's 'accounting meeting' earlier in the month. He exchanges a bag for cash from another guy, more disheveled-looking, greasy-haired, eyes constantly flickering back and forth, even as he tries to project calm and casualness.
Are drug deals this common across the city at night? Last night, did you accidentally pick the two streets in Brockton Bay's north side that don't have regular illegal exchanges? You see cash exchanged, snap a picture of the exchanges, thankful this model of camera doesn't flash. The stress of the situation, worrying whether or not it will come out well, must set Headway off, because you instantly become a below average photography hobbyist, after starting from zero.
The dealer in question processes a few more transactions, steadily emptying his backpack as the night goes on. You snap pictures of all clients, and jot down the directions of arrival and exit for each of them. Most conversations are clipped, short, but some get a bit tense, desperate. You don't see anything escalate into physical conflict, but the entire thing leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
You're tempted to make an arrest right there and then, but this guy isn't the big fish. Skidmark is. Squealer and Mush are. It physically pains you to let those people walk away with that poison, but you manage to convince yourself it's for a good cause.
Eventually, Piercings gets a phone call on a cell phone. He's gotten a few of those tonight, normally they're clipped, short, as far as you can tell, they're 'yep, I'll meet you at the usual spot, bye' kinds of conversations. The cops don't seem to come around this part of town, so he evidently doesn't bother with even basic opsec.
But this time, the tone is different. He normally rushes through the calls, not out of fear as far as you can tell, but out of impatience, tapping his foot all the while. But this time, his posture shifts, and he becomes a bit more tense. "What's up, Skids?" Piercings asks. "Nah, I ain't talked to Mush lately. Why?" "He hasn't tried to go clean in months. You sure he ain't just in one of his moods?" Frustrating you can only hear one side of the situation. "Try Dwayne. He and Mush are tight, ain't they?"
Dwayne. You'll have to remember that name. "A'ight." "I'm here on Bradwell, why?" "Yeah, s'what I said." "No, that's not my street. You gave that to- yeah, her." "A'ight. Tight. G'luck with finding Mush, boss." The person on the line - almost certainly Skidmark - hangs up, and Piercings mutters 'fuck' under his breath, before speedwalking off into an alley.
You follow him home to one of the many apartment complexes on Brockton Bay's north side that probably should have been condemned before you were even born. Crumbling plaster, broken windows shoddily boarded off, flickering lights in the hallway.
It's when you're trying to guess which apartment is his, if it even is where he lives, that you feel a sea change in your mind, and you just know that you're Perceptive enough to no longer need glasses. Like, at all. Heretofore, you'd needed your glasses on at all times, but… not anymore. Not only do you have Perception at a few levels higher than humans could ever hope to achieve, for the first time, you aren't tied down by your eyewear. You'd giggle if you were in a safer situation.
Well. You can't exactly follow him into the apartment without getting noticed, but you can take a degree of comfort in having discovered the likely home address of one of Skidmark's dealers, and having jumped forward in your general capabilities by removing one of your fundamental weaknesses.
Tomorrow night, you'll head to Bradwell Avenue again, see if you can wring some more information out of Piercings without his knowing. For now, you head home, satisfied with your accomplishments thus far.
2.23: First Stretch 7/Prelude to Baroque Works 3/Merchant Hunt 2
Location: First Stretch, Paradise, Grand Line, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy, Earth-Mayim, One Piece Multiverse, One Piece-jcw3
Date: Wednesday, June 1, 1532
You wake up considerably later than normal - the late night spent hunting down information on the Merchants taking its toll on you. You find yourself a little annoyed that no one woke you - apparently you must have looked that tired that Nami and Vivi didn't think it necessary, but you try not to dwell on it.
Thankfully, nothing happened while you were asleep that demanded your direct attention. You take over Horlio's shift as lookout, offering a bleary-eyed good morning to him on his way down from the crow's nest. Lookout duty is rarely eventful, even on the Grand Line, and you spend most of the morning staring out at the sea, losing yourself in thought, enjoying a nice late breakfast courtesy of the cook.
It's not the best mindset to stay in - but the truth of the matter is that the lookout position is often regarded by the Straw Hats as a way to get away from the noise and chaos of the crew, more so than a means to stay aware of land or potential threats.
Any shift in the weather will be foreseen by Nami ages before the lookout spots anything, and any other threats tend to be below the water - especially here in the First Stretch leading up to Foolshout, where most pirate and merchant vessels are smart enough not to be.
The only thing you have to worry about is seasickness. And, unfortunately, the water's a bit choppy. It wouldn't ordinarily be a problem, but you're still feeling a bit off from your interrupted sleep schedule, not really in the right condition for lookout duty (which frankly still makes you more qualified than half the rest of the crew), and you start to feel a bit ill.
You power through it, and that's the straw on the camel's back for the next stage of Age-of-Sail Seaman. Feels like it's been a while. The seasickness recedes into the background, and you try to repay the universe by focusing more on your duty. Nothing particularly worth noting - you spot a giant shearwater in the background, perhaps a distant cousin of the one you slew on Shigeki Island so long ago. You allow yourself a nostalgic smile.
You relinquish your spot in the crow's nest to Usopp. Your mind was all over the place while you were on lookout, and now you finally have a chance to do something. Your plan for reinforcing the Merry with modern materials - at the very least, initiating the changes you have the immediate skill ability to enact.
On Earth-Mahon, a frazzled, tired-looking woman spends a little over five hundred dollars on a damn good manual bilge pump (Clever engineering. One of the more mundane areas where Mahon is ahead of Bet), fire extinguisher, and some other odds and ends that you can use for the Going Merry. Maybe Headway appreciates the subtle exaggeration of how tired you are in your disguise, since your Acting increases, making you one of the best actors on your homeworld.
Going between stores, finding a secluded alley to move stuff over from, transporting items back and forth - it takes long enough that you decide to save teaching the Straw Hats how to use the tools until tomorrow. When you do that, you'll likely be satisfied (for now, at least) with your project to bolster the Merry.
–
"Gooood salto!" Horlio calls out. "Your footing was a bit amateurish on the takeoff - try shifting your ankle like…"
Acrobatics with Horlio progresses well. He doesn't seem to think you're on his level yet, but you could absolutely be a bronze-medalist in the Olympics if you were bringing your A-game, purely off of this skill alone, to say nothing of other, complementary skills.
You towel off when the training session finishes, and glance over at your instructor. "Thanks again," you say.
He waves dismissively. "Not a problem. I'm only doing it to see how ridiculous your growth is." You roll your eyes in his general direction. "It's weird to be on the audience side of the circus for a change."
"So you were actually in the circus?" you ask.
His face freezes, as if he'd revealed something he didn't want to. "Ahhh… yeah. Wasn't- wasn't planning to mention that."
"Sorry. Didn't mean to bring up bad memories."
"It's not-" He stops himself, and makes a face. "Oh, what the hell. Might as well. Why'd you join the Straw Hats, Hebert?"
"To stop evil."
He stares at you for a moment. "No, I was - I was being serious."
"So was I."
Horlio looks like his train of thought was just abruptly derailed. "You… joined a pirate crew… to stop evil and…what, do good?"
"That's right."
"Walk me through that one, please?"
You frown at him. "I told Vivi this story. You and Vivi haven't talked about this?"
He shakes his head. "She trusts you guys. I trust her, so… I figured I'd trust you guys. You're still pirates, but she's my partner."
You wonder what happened between them to give them that kind of mutual loyalty. It was like that in the comic, too. You lean back against the mast, noting Usopp using the metal file on… something… rather than really focusing on his role as lookout. You smile despite yourself. "Well… how much do you know about the Straw Hats? Besides what you've seen here on the Merry."
Horlio thinks for a moment. "Straw Hat's got a thirty million beri. I know you fought a lot of strong guys, strong for the East Blue at least."
You ignore the minimizing there. "Bad guys, too," you nod. "I'm the newest member, so I wasn't here for some of them, but there were a lot of evil pirates who thought they could get away with hurting people. Luffy and the Straw Hats proved them wrong."
"Pirates fight each other all the time. Especially the really monstrous ones. For treasure, loot, revenge, territory, Davy Backs, sea cred. Doesn't mean they're good, if that's what you're getting at."
You frown at him. "You weren't there. We fought those guys because they were hurting people. Same reason we're going to be fighting Baroque Works now."
"Uh huh. I think your opinion of your friends is a bit too high. My take? They're fighting more for revenge and self-preservation. They might not be 'burn the land and salt the earth' kinds of guys, but you become a pirate because you want to fuck around without any consequences, not to save the world. Those kinds of guys join the Navy or the church."
You're starting to get irritated. "So you're saying it's a coincidence that Luffy personally brought down the biggest monsters of the East Blue. That he did it for… what, ego? Have you met Luffy? He doesn't care what people think of him!"
He lets out a little sigh, and scratches the back of his head. "What I'm saying is - he probably didn't do it to save the kids or whatever. Those guys he fought just pissed him off. Monsters have a way of doing that to people, even if you aren't, I dunno, Garp the Hero."
You… doubt you're going to be able to convince him otherwise, so you just shake your head. "Well, whatever the case may be, where the Straw Hats go, evil dies."
Horlio gives a dark look into the distance. "Yeah, that sounds like the same shit Mr. 6 told me about Baroque Works. That they were creating a utopia, free from pirates, where everyone could come together, and get paid doing it. Only it turns out they're actually going to kill a shitload of people and install a tyrant pirate-king as a leader for life."
You're trying not to let his cynicism get to you. "The utopia idea, that appealed to you?"
"'Course it does. I grew up on the Line, Hebert," he says, as if that explains it all. Maybe it does. "Sandal Island. Ever heard of it?"
You shake your head. World Events starts filling you in on details, but you have a feeling you'd rather hear it from Horlio. He continues. "Small island. Maybe seventy, eighty thousand people. Vivi's from a big, important country, but Sandal's kind of a backsea craphole. Pretty far from shipping routes, nothing too valuable there. Run by some rich assholes who live up in the Thongs."
World Events and History support what he's saying. The Thongs are a geographic land formation, similar to arches, that cover Sandal Island. "I grew up there. My parents were performers for those noble fucks. Growing up, I didn't really think anything of it, we kept those people happy, they gave us enough to get by. We were all acrobats. Mom was a juggler, Dad and I were batsmen. We were doing a show at a coastal manor. And then pirates attacked."
He scowls. "My parents died. I got crushed, the pirate ship's cannons hit the stage, it fell in on me and buried me beneath. I didn't get pulled out until days later. The mercenaries died, the maids died, the servants died. Everyone but the rich bastards who hightailed it out of there while the rest of us were getting slaughtered, not even trying to save any of us."
His hand shakes a little, and he squeezes it into a fist to try and make it stop. "Aw, shit. Yeah. Um, yeah. That's when I realized… there are three kinds of people in the world. The monsters, the people that get killed by the monsters, and the people who sit back and laugh at the people getting killed by the monsters. If you want to have a family, if you wanna live… you gotta be one of that last group. Be the prince in his castle, not giving a single shit. Figured Baroque Works would help me do that, all in the name of a decent cause."
"That's… or you could try to make the world better," you say, more than a little… affronted. Contemptuous of Horlio, even as you're ashamed to feel that way, given what he just told you.
He actually snickers. "Yeah, lemme save the world with my baseball bats, Hebert," he scoffs. Apropos of nothing, he continues. "You know, guy who killed my parents wound up heading to the New World. Works for Kaidou now. If you guys make it there, kick Briscola's ass for me. He was out of my league when I was fifteen, he was out of my league when I'd been bounty hunting for a few years, he's out of my league now. Been hoping someone would put him in the dirt for… maybe a decade now? Longer?"
Briscola. You'll remember that name.
"I- I'm not even sure I was talking about revenge there," you retort, quietly.
He shrugs. "Aw, no need to get all sappy on me. The world is the way it is. People like you, Garp, Dragon… I think you're only gonna wind up disappointing yourselves."
You give him a level look. "You including your partner in that list?" you ask quietly.
Horlio's face crinkles. He folds his arms, looking down. "Low blow, Hebert."
"I think it's a fair question."
An uncomfortable silence lingers. "Talk to me again someday about it," he replies, almost inaudibly. "I, um… I worked night watch last night. Gonna go take a nap. Wake me if there's a crisis."
–
You hear a distant loud noise, as if an object had fallen on the wooden floor.
"Ah! Are you alright?" Vivi asks, a note of panic in her voice. Oh. That noise was you. You let out a pitiful little sound from your spot on the ground. "Taylor! Taylor?"
"Mmm fnnn," you say, intelligibly and comprehensibly. "Lss kp gwng."
The princess shakes her hands frantically and covers her hypnotic minidress with a tarp. "Absolutely not. It was a ridiculous thing to keep going with in the first place, you're just going to wind up puking everywhere."
"Chrai-" you swallow, and will yourself to speak like a human being. "Try- try agin lidr?"
She gives you a reluctant, pitying look. "If… if you really think it'll help."
Damn. No luck with the Master Resistance training, obviously.
Kachi Kachi training doesn't go much better. Fire extinguisher in arm's reach the whole time, you fail to find any progress worth mentioning. You can still manifest the effect over your whole body, but you don't hit that crucial breaking point. You were hoping practicing with incrementally more physically involved katas and the like might have helped push your control with the Devil Fruit over the line, but no joy.
You and Horlio shoot each other a few awkward glances over dinner, but it's not too bad otherwise. Sanji serves up the giant utensil squid's eyeballs with rice and vegetables, along with other meat plucked from Gus. The utensil protrusions make for a good equivalent to drumsticks or turkey legs when cooked right, if a lot chewier.
"Maaan, I'm pooped," Nami says, stretching a bit as you, her and Vivi enter the women's room. You aren't planning to go to bed just yet, you have a stakeout on Bet to look forward to, but you enjoy the company.
"I'm ready to crash," Vivi sighs. "How do the clothes on this ship get so dirty, so fast? It doesn't seem fair!"
"Want me to take over laundry duty?" you offer.
"Don't you dare," Nami cuts in. "You're already our bosun, doctor, carpenter, provisioner, if you take on more work, I might slap you upside the head."
You smile. You're tempted to quibble about how you've started delegating some of that, but it doesn't feel right. "Noted, miss navigator!"
"Attagirl. You gonna stick around for a while, or are you going to your happy place?"
"Actually… you know how to pick pockets and stuff, right?"
Nami grins slyly, a bit of a difference from the first time you asked about the shadier type of skills. Maybe because this time she wasn't quite so caught off guard by the request. "Ho? How unheroic, Taylor."
You give her a look. "Not what I meant. Well… okay, it's more… dexterity and misdirection, right? Sleight-of-hand. I was thinking it might synergize with what I've got going on already, help with combat a bit."
"One more thing to learn, huh?" she teases.
"She's insane," Vivi pipes in. "She spent like an hour watching me dance with Miss Goldenweek's dress, just to try to figure out the nausea."
"Yes, yes, she's our little lunatic," Nami says, reaching up to pat you on the head. You retort by reaching down to give her a noogie. "Ow! Tay-lor!"
"Meanness invites meanness," you say, affecting an above-it-all voice. Nami gives you an entirely dishonest-looking pout. You raise your eyebrows. "If you don't want to teach me, that's okay, I can practice something else-"
"You do not pull off the guilt trip thing well enough, Taylor. I ought to give you pointers on that." Nami glances over at Vivi. "Hey, Princess. I know you spent a while dancing for another girl. How would you feel about two putting their hands all over you?"
Vivi's not the only one whose face burns. "My God. You're both such prudes," Nami sighs. "Look, if you want to practice pickpocketing and stuff like that, you need another human subject. One who's less canny-" "Hey!" "-than the instructor. No, really, Vivi, don't feel bad! Most people don't have the experience to keep up with a seasoned thief like moi."
The Alabastan stands up straight, lifting her chin up aristocratically. "I think you'll find yourself disappointed, Nami."
Nami's eyes twinkle. "Here. Put this coin in your pocket."
Already a staggering act of generosity. Vivi gives her a suspicious look, but complies. "Now, Taylor, what you need to understand about misdirection is sometimes all it takes is being close to somebody, and talking. Maybe their attention's on someone else, maybe they aren't looking specifically at you… attention is a limited resource. But the other thing to keep in mind is you gotta have the light touch to pull it off, too. Doesn't matter if someone's sleeping, even, if your brutish grasps are just gonna wake them up anyway. But, if you play your cards right…" Nami holds up the hundred-beri coin and gives a cheeky grin to both of you. "...It's easy enough to get what you want."
"What?!" Vivi exclaims. "I was paying attention!" Nami giggles proudly. "I was! How did you do that?!"
"Bet you ten million beri I can do it again. Aw, no, I should have done that from the start!" she lifts her head up to the sky in regret. "Ugh. Fine. Come on, Taylor. I'll do it again, and keep a closer eye on what I'm doing."
It's successful. A new skill opens up with Headway, and you find yourself the equivalent of someone who's spent a few hours a day for a couple weeks practicing on pickpocketing dummies, or a beginner stage magician's apprentice. It's nothing fancy for now, but this kind of dexterity and misdirection could come in really handy someday.
Location: Brockton Bay, New Hampshire, United States of America, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy, Earth-Bet, Parahumans Multiverse, Parahumans-jcw3
Date: Thursday, January 20, 2011
More quality time with Piercings, your new favorite poison dealing waste of human life.
Not much activity from him tonight, fortunately for the people of Brockton Bay, but unfortunately for you. He only has a few customers, and heads home early. You were almost thinking it might be a better idea to scope out some of New Wave's other recommended hunting spots tomorrow.
But then he gets an important phone call. You become an 'above average' Criminal Psychologist at the very moment his phone vibrates, noticing how he stops short, lets out a little frustrated exhalation, and answers. "What's up?" "Nothing much, Dwayne. You?" "That's good." A pretty long pause, the person on the other line talking for a while. "Aw, that fucking… Christ that guy is such a fucking… yeah, that's gonna blow major ass." "Trash-boy wants to be a fucking bitch again."
Mush? They were talking about him yesterday. What exactly is going on there? "He wanted to talk to you about Stain? That guy's an asshole!" Piercings lets out a little laugh, uncharacteristically high for a guy with his demeanor. "Heh. Yeah. A'ight. Skids is callin' 'round again, this shit with Mush must have 'im all hot and horny." "Ha! Yeah, that is that bitch's job. Why else she missing all those teeth if she ain't sucking dick, dawg?"
Shining example of the human race right here. "Nah, I didn't tell him about you. You tried askin-" He's lying. He was the one who made sure Skidmark knew 'Dwayne' was in contact with Mush. "Yeah, that queer." "Surprised he didn't wanna talk to me 'bout Stain. I ran jobs for that sticky motherfucker last year." Another lull. Piercings shrugs, and gives a contemptuous look to a sleeping homeless woman, spitting on the ground near her legs. "Bring him some hero snow. He'll be good as new." "A'ight." "Night."
There's trouble in paradise with the Merchants. Mush is on the outs with Skidmark, they seem like they're trying to stage… some kind of twisted reverse intervention. Skidmark has a girlfriend, you don't know who, maybe a baseline, maybe Squealer. The big news there is reaching out to Stain. That sounds like a cape name, though you don't recognize them if it is.
That isn't too surprising, there are plenty of small time villains who stay under the radar and don't even have a stub on Parahumans Online. The Merchants are only 'famous' because Squealer is so deliberately obnoxious, and even they only have a few articles of local residents complaining about the noise, police reports on catalytic converter theft rings, low-level tinkertech street races, and such things.
But if the Merchants are looking to recruit or form an alliance with a minor villain with powers unknown… that could be a problem. Stain's been around for a while, judging by how Piercings mentioned doing jobs for him last year. At least a month. An experienced cape joining the Merchants could be a gamechanger. Something else to consider.
You leave your quarry,and home. Crime tends to pick up over the weekend, Friday and Saturday especially, so if you were ever going to find anything, it'd be tomorrow or the day after.
This stake-out project, at the very least, has been incredible for training. Just observing Piercings, trying to form connections between his actions, his demeanor, his phone call, and extrapolating from there - yields boosts in skills like Investigations, Forensics, Criminal Psychology. More bang for your metaphorical buck than the alternative of just sitting around and trying to brainstorm off of a textbook.
You leave a little post-it note for Dad at home, not wanting to wake him, and then transition back to the Merry to get some well-deserved rest.
Location: First Stretch, Paradise, Grand Line, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy, Earth-Mayim, One Piece Multiverse, One Piece-jcw3
Date: Thursday, June 2, 1532
Zoro and his boulders. Nature must be healing. "Two hundred and thirty-four… ngh!" He squats down, sweat droplets pattering against the deck, muscles rippling in the - focus on the wound. It doesn't look like it's about to open up, even with his psychotic training regimen. He gives you a level look, slowly squatting back. "Two hundred and… gh!... thirty-five! I'm… I'm good again, Taylor! Don't get in my way! Two hundred and-"
You shake your head. "Wouldn't dream of it."
The crew, sans Zoro (you doubt he's in the mood), and your two guests assemble briefly thereafter, and you begin walking them through the process of using the manual bilge pump, the fire extinguisher, and some other useful tools. "Oh, this thing is soooo cool!" Luffy beams, looking at the extinguisher tank and - you pull it away before he can undo the latch and pull on the nozzle. "Aw, Taylor!"
"No."
"Pleeaaase?"
You think for a moment. "If we get a boatload of treasure on Foolshout Island-" you pause for a moment, considering Nami's presence, "-if we get a boatload of treasure on Foolshout Island from beating up the bad guys, then I'll buy one for you to use, with supervision."
His face is a picture of mixed feelings. "Al-riiiight," he says, pouting, almost visibly and literally deflated. At the very least, you feel like a better Teacher for having walked them through it. You aren't intimidated enough by the Straw Hats anymore for Public Speaking to be relevant here.
That's about it. There are plenty of ways the Merry could be theoretically further modernized - heating and air conditioning, more automated systems for the bilge pump, maybe some form of mechanism to give it a speed boost in crisis situations, advanced defense capabilities from Mahon, did you mention heating and air conditioning… loads of possibilities.
And that's to say nothing of what unexpected catastrophes could do to the ship - someone with an island-level attack hitting it directly, a Sea King taking an inconvenient route through you… but for day to day sailing, the Merry is now in a much better place.
For now, the Merry's obvious weaknesses have been shorn up, her strengths noticeably augmented. Usopp has the tools and knowledge to keep the ship mostly in tact… there's a lot more to be confident about. The crew returning to normal duties, you pat the Merry on the railing. It feels silly and superstitious, but you wonder, if she were alive, if she'd be grateful.
You take some time to rest in the women's room, needing some time to recharge from the group social contact anyway. You sit cross-legged in your corner as you begin to meditate on Nezu's technique. Ninjutsu.
When you last concentrated on it, you reached the conclusion - or, more pessimistically speaking, theory - that it was a framework, a baseline for more supernatural skills and techniques down the line, like Fishman Karate. You have at least a beginner's understanding of one of that skill's offshoot techniques, Mizudangan, however, which puts you a bit ahead on that front relative to Ninjutsu.
Another way they differ is that Ninjutsu is more linked to mundane human skills and talents, whereas Fishman Karate is more closely tied to fishman bodies, instinct, that natural connection to the sea. If you have a fishman body, or, you suppose, a fishman willing to teach someone with a more exceptional human body, it's mostly just hard work from there.
Ninjutsu is more complicated. It's based in an understanding of subordinate mundane skills and a few more supernatural techniques, like the killing intent Nezu hit you with on Warship Island. You have to endure an involuntary shudder at the flashback. It conjures uncomfortable memories - Arakaki on the Naughty Hurrah.
So even wrapping your mind around the initial framework of Ninjutsu is a challenge, because understanding it requires Headway to comprehend a multitude of related skills and the add-ons Ninjutsu inherently adds to those skills. Which is why, even knowing how absurd Headway's learning capabilities are first hand… you're a bit surprised when you feel the familiar euphoria of growth.
It's not just that initial bare glimpse of something greater, the '0 out of 10', if you will. It's the noticeable increase in subordinate talents. Skills like Stealth, Tactics, Swimming, and Geography, which were already high or even superhuman, see corresponding increases, but on top of that, new possibilities open up - an awareness of Knives and Polearms, a hint at a greater inner understanding with Meditation, and… Horses, of all things.
You have to bite down a near-panic response to the flood of information. But, it's… god, new opportunities keep opening up. A tactical mindset rapidly adopting on the fly, synergizing with your natural instincts to ambush. Blending into the shadows like a real Stranger. If you were dropped off on the Moon, you suspect your geographical skill would adapt easily enough just by glancing around.
Spoiler: Notes on Ninjutsu
The rush of progress from the long-awaited Ninjutsu epiphany almost lets you recover from the disappointment of Kachi Kachi not being as accommodating. That, and a nice box lunch from Sanji. You wander out on the deck. There's a drizzle and the waves are noticeably choppy, but at this point, you're a natural enough Sailor that you barely even notice. You note Zoro casually napping in the rain, paying no heed to the rocking Merry.
You're scarfing down some salted squid meat and canned vegetables when you feel a presence. That's… perhaps not the most specific way you could have described it, but seasoned Sailors often know when one of these is looming. You can feel it in your bones the same way Nami can feel changes in the weather. "Rogue wave! Positions!" you bellow with bear vocal cords.
The Grand Line is a horrible fucking place. The conditions weren't even right for one of these! The crew emerges and assembles, Zoro joining you as you grab the ropes for the mainsail and begin adjusting, grabbing the wind so as to move… east. That's the safest direction, which will avoid the bulk of the wave once it truly manifests. "Luffy! Mizzen!"
"Got it!"
The wave forms, the energy of smaller and larger waves colliding building on each other, coalescing into something much, much worse. The Merry frantically sails away from the impending rogue wave, newer modernized sails carrying her more easily than their predecessors. You can see a thirty-foot monstrosity rising up from the spot where you were just a few minutes ago, and it's only growing.
The force of the wave's edges meets the Merry, and you feel the ship almost skid, shuddering and being pushed away from its steering path. Whoever's at the rudder - likely Usopp - manages admirably, working with the sudden pressure despite barely being able to see it, relying solely on operating by feel. You aren't the only natural talent here.
You realize with dawning horror that what you just saw was only the first rogue wave, that it's building and accumulating strength from its surroundings. Despite its successor not being remotely close to your location, it collides with nearby waves, forming pseudo-whirlpools that splash out on deck and yank on the Merry, nearly capsizing it. You call forth a wing for Zoro to grab as he almost loses balance on the slippery deck, and Luffy has to toss out a limb for Vivi.
You're lucky that you've taught the Straw Hats well. That could have killed each and every one of them if you hadn't. The Merry makes it into calmer waters after a hasty detour, and the crew watches in muted awe as hundred-foot, two-hundred-foot waves start spreading out and battering that slice of sea.
The crisis over, you hand Luffy the bilge pump to remove the worst of the splashes, and you supervise with only a little trepidation. He seems like he's having fun. As if the ocean hadn't just tried to kill you, clear skies bloom from a sky that had presented itself as merely a cloudy, rainy day. You shake your head in bitter amusement.
Everyone seems alright, and so the crew moves on with their day, everyone seemingly fine with their lives having just been on the metaphorical precipice. You bite down a snicker when you see the captain whooping loudly and chasing a furious Nami, using the bilge pump as a makeshift super soaker now that the bulk of the seawater is gone.
"Good job with the rudder there," you tell Usopp, finding him in the lounge room, as expected. "Nice instincts."
He shakes his head. "Lucky. That's all. I'm just glad we're alive. Thanks for that heads up."
You wave him off. "Don't worry about it. Hope it didn't mess up your research too much."
"Nah. I wasn't doing anything sensitive with those waves as choppy as they were. I was taking a look at the Ginga Pachinko. Maybe there's some way I can figure out to make it better for when we get to Foolshout. I dunno."
"Second pair of eyes might help," you offer. "Show me some tricks, see if anything comes to mind."
Usopp offers you a sheepish smile. "Sure you can't just make a cool new one to compare it to?"
"Your combat style's too weird and improvised for me to keep up with as I am now," you reply. You aren't sure that's true, but it feels right to say.
"Hmph," he says, mock offended, puffing up his chest.. "I'll take that as a compliment."
"You should," you grin.
The two of you spend a bit of time out on the deck, Usopp pointing out everything from angle peculiarities to alignment problems he sometimes experiences with firing from awkward positions - you point out ways that the file or other new tools might help with that. Little things, nothing that really taxes you or trains your skills, but tips that Usopp might find useful.
In exchange, you practice with his slingshot as he supervises, and you become a better Marksman. It's nothing too special, you were already close to a breakthrough, and given Usopp's direct attention, you bet you could have become not only one of the greatest primitive marksmen on Bet (at least, relative to a time where those were more common), but the best a human from your homeworld possibly could be. Of course, even if you had achieved that lofty rank, Usopp would still be a fair bit better than you.
You leave dinner and head home to Earth-Bet-
Location: Brockton Bay, New Hampshire, United States of America, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy, Earth-Bet, Parahumans Multiverse, Parahumans-jcw3
Date: Friday, January 21, 2011
-where, after checking in on Dad, you shearwater over to the Boat Graveyard. It's pretty close to Bradwell and some other spots on New Wave's list, so theoretically, once you finish here, you can head right on down to what you've taken to calling in your head 'the Dirty Syringes District'. Hm. Might need something catchier to call it. Especially since that name would likely cover a depressing chunk of your hometown.
For now, though, you mostly focus in on Fishman Karate. The freezing water of the Boat Graveyard no longer disturbs you too much, and you aren't really doing any intense acrobatics with the Swordfish Fishman form, at least, not any that directly focus on wholly physical use of the transformation.
Fishman Karate is a magical fighting style that emerges from the natural biology and water-affinity of the Fishman race. You still aren't too skilled with it - like Ninjutsu, Devil Fruits, and most supernatural skills outside of your current realm of understanding, Headway has more trouble coming to grips with how to use it than it would with mundane skills. It doesn't make progress impossible, but it does make it slower, at least until you've expanded that frame of reference.
When underwater, and while concentrating a lot more intently than you would prefer to have to in a combat situation, you can use the water in your surroundings to project outwards into pushes, pulls, drawing objects in, or violently expelling them, can increase the water pressure around your vicinity.
For the time being, any Fishman Karate you try is limited to the area immediately around the body, supplementing conventional strikes, and it's not yet worth the trouble, the focus required making it less useful than just punching or grabbing something.
That doesn't change today - perhaps in the future. Deciding you've had enough of training for today at least, you stealthily surface, Sube Sube off the water, and make your way to Piercings' workspace.
He looks pissed - if you had to guess, that's because of the situation with Skidmark and Mush. His phone calls with 'clients' are even more clipped than usual, angrier. There's more intense swearing when the person on the other end equivocates, tries to ask for the equivalent of lines of credit, or says they'll be late. Normally he'd just look bored and calmly tell them to 'pay up or fuck off.'
You recognize a few repeat customers in the steady line of people who approach him, and for some inexplicable reason, Headway deeply appreciates your efforts at capturing photos of them, and Photography gets an impressive growth spurt.
No phone calls from Skidmark, Dwayne, Mush, 'Stain', or any other persons of import to give you any more relevant clues. (You belatedly realize you don't even know Piercings' real name.) You aren't sure you would have made this connection a few days ago, but multiple times, you spot him looking over in one particular direction.
It's not towards the warehouse where Skidmark held his 'accounting meeting' earlier this month, but, with your Geography knowledge, and the help of a convenient increase in Investigation on top of your existing Perception, you recognize that it might be Cammell Street, one of the spots on New Wave's list. Piercings storms off to his apartment, you're almost certain, and you decide that this is a good point to stop for the evening. Tomorrow evening, you'll check out Cammell.
You give Dad a quick update, maybe downplaying the danger of the rogue wave just a little, before you head back to the Merry and crash on your hammock.
Spoiler: ROLLS AND GAINS/GAINS AND ROLLS
You have one day to vote on now. Day 1 (Saturday, January 22, 2011, Friday, June 3, 1532, Saturday, November 18, 2000). Vote closes on Tuesday, May 16, IRL, at 11:00 PM est.
Why do you have only one day to vote on? When structuring the next project rolls after I finished writing the update, I rolled a 93 for you lucky ducks for the next day of the Merchant Hunt project. I think you might have an idea of what that means.
I was really expecting it to take longer than this, that's why I equivocated with the ?? project length, but, no, with what I've put forth, with Taylor's skills and the situation established, it doesn't make sense for it to take that long, especially with a good damn roll like a 93. The outcome is preordained - I've had an idea in mind for the conclusion for a while. Predating the resumption of the quest, believe it or not.
Irresponsible gang not bothering to hide their activites, believing themselves beneath the attention of the Bay's power players + thinker observing them = consequences for them come quicker than expected.
(I'm torn whether you'll have a separate update for the remaining day, or if I'll have a giant update for all three remaining days to Foolshout Island. Probably the former, even if it will result in a shorter update, I'd rather have that than a giant update.)
The Merry will enter Foolshout's climate zone (thereby ending the mandatory boatswain/First Stretch-related actions) on Monday, January 24, 2011, Sunday, June 5, 1532, Monday, November 20, 2000. By Taylor and Nami's estimation, the Merry will arrive at Foolshout on (Wednesday, January 26, 2011, Tuesday, June 7, 1532, Wednesday, November 22, 2000).
You will have four out of the usual seven actions available to vote on. One is taken up by First Stretch-related boatswain actions, and two are related to the developing VILLAIN HUNT project. The reinforce the Merry project is concluded. If you have any input on how you'd like to approach interactions with the Protectorate, feel free to include it in your plan as a write-in, or you can leave it with me. I have veto power, as usual.
Further projects/VILLAIN HUNTs are on hold until after the Foolshout crisis is resolved. (They would be mandatorily put on hold if they had been ongoing upon arrival anyway, it's just convenient that they're all finished.) I've added in the +45 bonuses to Ninjutsu and Engineering discovered in the last thread that were never used.
There were a lot of moving parts this update - please keep an eye out for errors and I'll correct ASAP.
Spoiler: GENERAL TRAINING/ACTIONS
Sorry for the shorter update this time - I couldn't really think of ways to extend it that seemened natural. There were fewer critical conversations that needed to happen (the Vivi chat, the tell Danny chat, establishing character moments), so a lot of it is just training, finishing and progressing projects. There will likely be updates like this as the quest goes on.