Isis: "Are you sure?" she said, sounding unsure.
Dante: "Okay, no problem. It should be easy, right, Trini?"
Trini: "Yeah, they're pretty weak. I verified that none of them have any kind of Haki, so they can't touch you."
That reassured her a little. The idea is this: we're targeting the supernova with the lowest bounty, and apparently he's pretty weak. Normally, I would have gone straight for him, but there are other types with similar bounties, mostly for the LP. So, everyone except Isis decided that she would go and take out his entire crew.
You could say Isis's goal is to defeat an entire pirate crew; that will improve her combat experience and her own self-esteem. The obstacle: Isis herself.
(Note: Obstucalo, oioioi sisisi taco sombrerou.)
Isis: "But I'm not sure I can defeat 30 pirates alone."
Dante: "I can do it, so if I can do it, everyone can." She looked at me with an irritated look; she didn't really mean it; it was just to annoy her.
Arthur: "Look, if anything happens, we'll be right there. Besides, if anything happens to you, Sulli's here to heal you." She looked at Sulli, and he gave her an okay sign.
I was getting a little bored; they'd already been trying to get me to go and defeat them for an hour and a half.
Dante: "Isis, I think you're going to give me no choice; if you don't, I'll never make another barbecue for you."
I watched as Isis charged straight at the pirates. It wasn't all 30 pirates, but like 26, but it didn't really matter, since the idea is to go after the captain more than anything; the rest will be found sooner or later.
Arthur: "Well, she's pretty fast," he said, handing me the scopes so I could see.
Arthur has progressed to a very good level with the use of his Devil Fruit; as the saying goes, practice makes perfect. To see his progress, it used to take him about 5 seconds to create an iron shield, since, depending on the material used, it's easier or harder to manipulate. Not to mention the thought processes involved, which can be how he created it and the procedure involved. But now it only takes 2 seconds to create the shield, a change that can be life or death. Another good thing is creating the bullets for Trini's pistols; it takes about 10 seconds for a single cartridge.
Sulli: "Are you sure you want Isis's Devil Fruit to be known to someone else? It might be more useful if used in a way that the enemy has no way to counter it."
Dante: "Hmm, yeah, I thought the same thing at first, but I need Isis to get stronger, to develop as a fighter. You might have some countermeasures later, but if that happens, she'll be able to defend herself without any problems." With a perfect skill with her fruit, she can reach the level of a high-level vice admiral, and if she learns Haki, she can reach admiral level. An example of this is Kisaru; I have nothing more to say.
I decided to use binoculars to see the fight more precisely. Realistically, I didn't need to, not because of my incredible level of Observation Haki, which is tiny compared to Trini's, but because the level of destruction in the place can be seen from miles away.
The people around them escaped from the place, as they were a few meters away from a huge tornado that would tie up everything in its path. I can only thank Isis for knowing how to control herself and not destroy the place around her. Through binoculars, I saw pieces of arms and other limbs in the tornado. It's a good thing the reward said "dead or alive." From what Sulli told me, she's already killed, so her consciousness shouldn't be that distorted at this point. I think she doesn't realize what she's doing; she just wants to defeat them all in the most effective way so she can get back to cooking her favorite meal.
As I've said before, I don't mind killing, but it's not that I do it either; I only do it in emergencies; I always avoid killing. It's the same with the others: if you have to kill, do it; don't sacrifice yourself to save a criminal, among other things. We're not moralists here; we can be heroes, at least I am, but not the kind-hearted ones who forgive and save everyone. We're more like heroes from mythology. Those who become one by massacring an entire enemy army while protecting their homeland and comrades. There are certain limits and morals we keep in mind.
After about 40 minutes, the carnage ended. In the end, we didn't need to call the Navy, since they arrived on their own. It would be ridiculous if, given all the spectacle Isis put on, she didn't come. We had to go save her from being mistaken for a pirate and imprisoned; I don't want to go through what happened in Welliston again.
After receiving the reward, I decided to go to a nice restaurant to eat; there's no point in having money if you don't spend it on the good life. And speaking of the good life, I was thinking about what I wanted to spend next in the system with the LPs. I already had something in mind, but my eyes fell on a specific Devil Fruit that had already been consumed.
*Flashback, nine years ago*
I was super happy with my system; apparently it wasn't helping me get stronger individually, but I could do that on my own. I've never needed anyone for that. If others can do it without help, why can't I?
But if I wanted to buy something, I needed to project myself into everything I wanted to buy, and there were a lot of things.
Another thing to think about is the canon of the series, which is what happens in the world of One Piece. I thought about the most powerful fruits in the series, which sadly had already been chosen, except for the Hito Hito no Mi Nika model, but I hadn't planned on getting that one, since I really wasn't interested in consuming one, at least not until I leave this world.
Suddenly, I remembered something. I immediately started looking for the fruit and found it, but there was something that got me thinking. I saw the Yami Yami no Mi in the catalog, but the fruit had been consumed; in other words, the fruit already had a user and hadn't died yet.
*End of flashback.*
I checked the Yami Yami no Mi in the system again, and it was still occupied. My intention was to get it so that it wouldn't cause any problems in the near future, so no one would consume it. But now I can't. Of the people who might have them, I can only think of two groups: the bigwigs in the government, who could be some holy knight, since I only know two, and the other is the former Rocks pirates. Maybe one of them has that fruit, and that's why Blackbeard wanted it so much. It's even possible that Rocks himself has it, since after his confrontation with Roger and Garp, nothing was heard from him. He could be alive and in hiding or even locked away. Nobody knows.
*groan*
Arthur: "What's wrong?" He asked me, his mouth full of chicken.
Dante: "Only..." I took a ticket out of my pocket, and everyone looked at it" and it said everything we owed for the damage Isis did. "I may not have blown up a house, but that doesn't mean I didn't destroy private property. Everyone stared at the amount of money we owe, which is theft from my point of view, but there's nothing we can do. This requires a bounty hunter.
*The next day*
In the end, we were left penniless, nothing, zero belly fat. But the planning must continue.
Tomorrow was the day the auction was held, so we had to act today, no matter what; there was no other option.
The five of us were grouped near the auction. Arthur, Isis, and I were going to go head-on to take down these guys. Trini was going to be there as backup with a rifle she had stashed away, with Sulli as her bodyguard, since she'll be 100% focused on us, which will leave her vulnerable.
As we got closer, I realized there were two important characters. One was a guy named Disco, who's organizing all this; later on, he'll be an affiliate of Dofy. Right now, they must be merely allies in crime. The other guy was the one who seemed most important, not because of who he was, but because of who he represented.
It was one of Doflamingo's officers, Machvise, I think, since he wasn't as fat as he appears in the manga. Doflamingo is older than me, but he's not that far behind. The fact that he's already recruited this guy tells me he's already starting to build his empire.
From my perspective, at least from the standpoint of the series, Doflamingo is a great character and a great villain. But that's fiction; in real life, it's a different story; he's one of the biggest pieces of trash that could exist. If I could, I'd kill him outright if I saw him right in front of me.
I know I said I'd avoid killing, but with everything this guy does... I think it's better to keep it short and sweet, especially if it's Doflamingo's death.
Obviously, it can't be done; I don't know when I'll have the chance to confront him. If he sees me as a threat he can't defeat, then he'll hide from me his entire life if possible.
And I'm not planning on hiding, so that's likely what will happen. And if it does, it's best to take away any future from his family members, if possible. I'm not going to kill him, I'll just have him say he's a pirate and a kidnapper, and that's it. One of the advantages the title of hero gives me, even though I'm not a sailor, is that I have a certain influence on certain people. These people also know that I traveled here with Garp, which gives them a plus.
Dante: "I'm coming," I said as I walked toward the auction alone; I didn't want them to be affected by what I was about to do. The two nodded at my command.
When I was close enough, the guards noticed me.
Guard: "Hey, the auction is bad..." They couldn't finish what they were saying.
At that moment, I used my Conqueror's Haki; in this case, my idea is to eliminate as many people as possible from the equation. That way, it will be easier to rescue the people who were here. Both guards fainted immediately. With my Observation Haki, I saw other people fainting inside the auction as well. And likewise, there were others who didn't.
Arthur and Isis quickly appeared at my side, a little dazed; I need to practice being a conqueror more.
Dante: "I was able to take down the weakest in both strength and willpower, but the opposite still remains. The strongest and most willful, so it won't be so easy."
Arthur: "Come on, we won't be long," he said as he created a shield and held the Durindala in his other hand.
Isis: "It won't be a problem," she said more cheerfully as she flexed her arm in a sign of strength. After her capture by the pirate crew, her depressed personality has been slowly fading; she's returning to her original personality, before she left with us. She won't be the same again, but it's better than being depressed all the time. It's a good thing my plan worked. They grow up so fast, I thought as I wiped away an imaginary tear.
Once inside, I let the children play with their toys, not paying attention to what they were doing. My mission is to find the keys and rescue the slaves, and if possible, some money. A thief who steals from a thief is forgiven for a thousand years, they say.
The last time I came here was with my brothers, so I remember what the place is like, at least where the slaves come from, and that's where I'm heading.
After passing a few rooms, I came to a place where there were many people, most of them unconscious. I decided not to waste time and went right in.
Inside were the aforementioned characters: it was Disco and Machvise, along with two other guards who hadn't fainted. Of the slaves there, only one hadn't fainted, and it wasn't Rayleigh, unfortunately.
Disco: "You, how dare you attack this auction? Do you know who you're going to anger? There are some tenryūbito right now who were planning to go to the auction tomorrow; you don't want their fury to fall on you," he said as he tried to get up. From what I can see, his Haki was indeed affected; Now I don't know if they woke him up or if he was just hit by something.
Dante: "As if I cared," I said as I launched myself at the four of them. As the saying goes, hit and then ask, in this case, where the keys are. Something tells me they have them, so I just have to defeat them and that's it.
Machvise leaped high above me, and suddenly he fell at terrifying speed. I quickly moved away, avoiding the attack.
I didn't want to drag this out, so I struck Machvise with a single blow from my sword to the side of his torso. It wasn't fatal, but serious enough that he couldn't fight properly at the very least.
The guards also attacked, and with a single blow each of them were knocked down. Just in case, I used Armament Haki; I don't want any surprises here.
Machvise: "You... how did you f-" I didn't let him finish; with a single blow to the jaw, I knocked him out.
I looked at Disco, who was staring at me fearfully. I didn't let him speak, and with a soru, I approached him, kicking him and sending him flying into a wall, also knocked out.
Once everything was finished, I looked for my keys. Disco found them in his coat.
I asked the remaining slave to wake the others. While all this was happening, I opened the cell, and the ones I was waking up were being freed from the collars around their necks. I also gave him directions on where to leave.
From what I can tell, Arthur and Isis had already finished taking down the remaining guys. Once that was done, I took Machvise and left. I left Disco here. I could have taken him anyway, but that would really anger the celestial dragons; taking the auction away from them would make them come after me, so I left him sleeping on the floor.
I met up with the two outside the auction; the former slaves were there too. In the end, we gave them directions on where they were and what they could do. They thanked us for saving them and left.
Once with Trini and Sulli, who did almost nothing since no one came while we were doing this, we went to the marine base to deliver Machvise.
The guy didn't have a bounty on him yet, but we handed him over anyway, just to piss off Doflamingo. And while we were at it, I told him who I was and let it be known that I was the one who did it. It's not so bad being in Doflamingo's sights, since he'll send his men after us, and in the process, we'll defeat them and gradually cut off his manpower.
I know that in the future, Dofalimnog will be a force to be reckoned with. But that's in the future, and when that happens, we won't have to worry about him, since he'll be much stronger.
The bad thing is that I couldn't get any bellies out of there; the good thing is that Hun keeps getting precious stones and the like, so that's enough to pay for food for today and tomorrow. After this, we'll have to stay incognito for a few days, so they don't say it was us.
There's no need to worry about something like what happened with Luffy happening again, since there was a Tenryuubito involved there, and that wasn't the case here, since I don't count.
*The next day*
Third-person POV
Disco: "I'm so sorry, Your Majesty, but I can't do anything; security failed and the enemy was very strong," he said between sobs, afraid of what they might do to him.
???: "Your whining doesn't interest us. We came for slaves, and guess what? He doesn't have any slaves, not even to give as compensation," she said as she raised her foot to crush his head.
???: "Wait," said a woman near the man, "killing him won't do any good; this trash is the one who organizes and provides the connections to bring in the resources. If you kill him, you'll have to replace him, and it will be hard to find someone who can do what he does."
Disco's face returned to color. She felt herself slipping away from death.
???: "I just want you to tell me what the person who attacked you looked like," the woman told Disco.
*Moment of transition*
Dante's POV
It's been two days since we raided the Grove 1 auction. We've been pretty short on money; the good thing is that tomorrow we'll be able to hunt down the other pirates left in Sabaody, and another one might arrive; that means more money. We're really short on money. It's as if we'd left Arthur all our money and he'd gone to the casino.
It's been two days since we raided the Grove 1 auction. We've been pretty short on money; the good thing is that tomorrow we'll be able to hunt down the other pirates left in Sabaody, and another one might arrive; that means more money. We're really short on money. It's as if we'd left Arthur all our money and he'd gone to the casino.
Right now, I was on my way to exchange the jewelry Hun got for Belly. She's the most important member of the group right now, even more important than me, the leader, the great hero of Paradise.
As I was walking toward the store, I suddenly heard a voice calling my name.
???: "Ah, but it's you, Dante, it's been a long time." I immediately recognized that voice; I couldn't mistake it for anything. The moment I turned around, I saw her. It was Anna, my sister. "What a coincidence! I never expected we'd see each other again so early."
Dante: "What are you doing here?"
Anna: "Hmm, I came to buy slaves at the auction, but oddly enough, when I went... There weren't any." I tensed a little; she stared at me. That meant she knew it was me. "You can rest easy, though, since I won't do anything; the deal isn't finalized yet." With that, I was able to relax a little more.
I looked at the guy next to her. They were both dressed in their astronaut suits. The guy looked familiar, but I don't remember him.
Anna: "Yes, let me introduce you to my fiancé; you don't need to know his name, since that doesn't matter." We both looked at her strangely.
???: "What do you mean by that, Annastasia?" She didn't look at him; her gaze was fixed on me. With a grim smile.
I looked around. There weren't many people, and the few who were there were kneeling, looking at the ground in a sign of respect.
Anna: "Even if I can't catch you, that doesn't mean I can't get you into trouble."
My alarm for bad situations went through the roof. She was going to do something, and therefore, I had to leave as soon as possible. But I was too slow.
Anna had a fan, but I knew it wasn't an ordinary fan. A blade emerged from it and, with a swift movement, she slashed her fiancé's throat, then disappeared as if he weren't there.
At the scene, only me and the tenryuubito were left bleeding on the ground with no chance of survival, as she slashed almost his entire throat.
Suddenly, screams were heard from the people around us. I drew a blank, as I didn't expect Anna to do that.
All I know is that an admiral will come, and the only one they can blame, sadly, will be me.
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I'm not used to writing so much; I won't be able to make this chapter any longer, but I think I got it right, at just the right time.
I had planned to make it longer, but I want to think carefully about what I'll write next in the story.
I'll start writing more words per chapter so we don't have so many chapters piled up. Of course, this may not always be the case, as I will always prioritize my studies. But if something unexpected happens, I will always try to make up for it in some way.