Before his demise, Absalom worked as a freelance reporter under alias of "Absa" during the timeskip.
Spring Time (A Bellamy SI)
- Thread starter Arthedain
- Start date
Absalom is safe and Shiryu is dead. And BB's missing crew mates will eventually show up. In fact, Bellamy is hunting one of the down this very minute.
The original plan saw Hewitt pick up a fruit but now I'm no longer so sure I want to give him one. And even if I do, I need to decide between Blamenco's fruit and Treasure's.
MrRobot
In doubt there's always the Sun!
So the pocket fruit or the chain fruit? If you had to choose between those I would way the chain one, the pocket one is too much situational and could as well be replaced by having bullshit tech.
I don't particularly see the chain one jeing jailbroken to a level of usability that it would make the more exotheric aspect pop up in a year trough. He may as well get a special weapon. The Best i can see it using as a grapling hook, iron wips and chainswas wich is some power but not really the more fancy side of chain powers.
If you get something like the float float fruit trough, even if vastly weaker it would still add a new dimension to combat.
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Chapter 90: Payback War II
– Marco –
Ace's Dai Hiken marked the end of the prelude, for no sooner had the blue flames engulfed the traitor, did the key combatants of both camps begin entering the fight one by one. Hachinosu trembled as Blackbeard's five Titanic Captains clashed against Whitebeard's commanders in a furious exchange of fire, steel and might."Karma-yoi! You and Squard take command of the boys-yoi! We'll take care of Teach and his cronies."
"On it! Just kill them for us, Marco."
"Guys, on me! Chaarge!!"
Kingdew shattered a building trying to crush him, while Jozu leaped through the falling debris to strike the one who'd hurled it at them in the first place. A bullet meant for Haruta's head let out a cascade of sparks upon meeting Izou's own, Van Augur warping out of Haruta's reach soon after.
"There's nowhere to run, Avalo Pizarro!"
"Who said anything about running, you stupid brats? Behold the power of the Isle Isle Fruit!"
Off to the side, the Corrupt King barely exchanged a couple of blows with Rakuyo before melding into the ground. Within moments the island came alive, giant arms of stone and earth seeking to crush all beneath its weight… only to be blown apart by Curiel's bazookas.
"Hick. Drunken Spitfire!"
"That barely tickles, you inebriated sod!"
More than motivated after Marineford, Atmos charged through the alcoholic flames, uncaring for the burns they inflicted upon him. Blenheim was no different, and the 13th and 9th division commanders respectively, cut their way through the fire to get at Vasco Shot.
"Marco! An urgent report from Captain Islewan! You've got to…DIE!"
"Not today, Catarina Devon!"
"Vista! I was hoping to kill you today. Though do tell me, how did you know?"
"Do you think this is the first time we've fought an impersonator? Think again!"
Meanwhile, an assassination attempt was intercepted before it could properly threaten Marco himself. Yet, despite being pincered between Vista and Speed Jiru, Marco's wannabe murderer laughed and fought back, the disguise melting away to reveal Catarina Devon's hybrid zoan in all its glory. The Dog Dog Fruit, Model: Kyubi no Kitsune, a mythical zoan equal to Maco's own. A beast with mastery over illusions and fire.
A tricky opponent to be sure, but one his brothers should be more than equipped to handle. Especially when they outnumbered the enemy two to one. Infamous criminals they may be, but regardless of their reputation, facing two of Whitebeard's commanders at the same time was no easy task for anybody. Which left only the big bad for Marco to worry about.
"Cross Fire!"
"I've seen that trick before, Ace. Don't you have anything new?"
"Then try this on for size – yoi! Phoenix Great Flame!"
"Two against one? That's a bit much against a former crew mate, isn't it Marco? Zehahaha."
"Bluebird!" "Hiken!"
"Vortex!"
The Whitebeard pirates had learned their lesson from Ace's defeat. The second division commander's report had been extensive, leaving no detail out in its recounting of the battle on Banaro Island. While insufficient on its own, when combined with the known identity of the fruit, it had been enough to formulate some basic strategies on how to deal with Blackbeard. The first of which was obvious. If their foe could nullify devil fruit users by grabbing hold of them, the easiest way to counter that ability was to simply stay out of reach.
"Zehahaha, what's with you two? Are you scared or something?"
"You wish! Hiken!"
Of course, merely limiting themselves to ranged attacks alone was never going to be enough to defeat Teach. For one, Teach was surprisingly nimble for someone his size and two, the man had observation haki. However, the adage that nobody was perfect had survived the ages for a reason. In particular, the traitor turned out to be susceptible to the sin of pride. Vanity. Hubris.
"Hey, what's with the distance, guy – Hrrrk?"
"Crane Claw!"
That the arrogant bastard looked down at them wasn't surprising when considering the events of the last year. Especially when the memory of his victory over Ace remained fresh and kept stroking his sense of superiority, followed by his journey from strength to strength. As such, Teach had increasingly fallen into a subconscious pattern of complacency the longer Marco and Ace maintained their useless ranged attacks. Meaning, that when Marco burst out of Ace's Hiken to plant a clawed foot into Teach's gut, the man had been caught thoroughly off-guard. Yet, even while staggering from the impact, Teach's hand lashed out, grasping for the offending limb.
"Vortex!"
"Burn!"
"HOT! Hot! Hot hot hot hothothothot!"
The attempt was stopped when Ace enveloped both of them in an inferno, trusting in the healing flames of a phoenix to help Marco escape unscathed. Which he did by the way. Blackbeard on the other hand, whose body drew in the surrounding flames, was faced with very painful consequences.
Blackbeard rolled to the left. He rolled to the right. His large hands patted frantically at the fiery tongues burning him alive. It was a futile effort, for Ace maintained the blaze, not letting it waver for even a second. Marco soon added his own flames to the mix, trying to burn all the oxygen out of Blackbeard's lungs.
It was a plan that would have likely worked if the enemy had only eaten the Dark Dark Fruit. Even if he could absorb parts of the inferno, it was of no use if Ace and Marco could pump out more than Teach could stomach. Yet, Teach had stolen more than the power of darkness from the Whitebeard pirates. His stolen ability was one, which had made their adoptive father a name to be feared the world over, and he'd obviously spent a year studying its use.
"QUAKE!"
The inferno shattered and the firestorm broke, the countless fiery tendrils covering Blackbeard's body snuffed out in an instant. All because the madman had slammed a quake into his own body, releasing a shockwave centered around the man himself. When it passed and the dust settled, Blackbeard's huffing and puffing form was revealed to the world once more.
Gone was the joviality and the complacency in his eyes, replaced by the cunning monster who had handed Red Haired Shanks his trademark scar. Unsurprisingly, once they clashed again the same trick didn't work twice. The same was the case for anything else Marco and Ace attempted, forcing them to push their creativity into overdrive. However, Marco and Ace had been brothers-in-arms for years and were intimately familiar with the capabilities and fighting style of the other. New combination after combination flowed out of them without pause, the two of them working flawlessly together to maintain their momentum.
Often, one of them would keep Teach occupied in hand-to-hand combat, accepting the momentary loss of their devil fruit abilities and using armament to survive Blackbeard's two. All in order to buy time for the other to find an opening. An opening in which to set the traitor aflame once more.
After only a few minutes, Marco and Ace were battered and bruised, the combination of Teach's strength of arm and Whitebeard's power being too much for armament alone to handle. However, all would agree that they'd dished out as good as they gotten and then some, for Blackbeard looked far worse. Certainly aided by the Dark Dark Fruit amplifying and magnifying any and all damage dealt to its host.
"Ok, time. Time. Time." Teach wheezed, clutching at his fractured ribs. "Why don't we talk for a moment? Oi, that hurts!"
"We've got nothing to say to you, yoi." Marco drawled while Ace kept tossing a fireball up and down. But if their disinterest disappointed Blackbeard, he didn't show it. Rather, the man began grinning from ear to ear.
"Ah, but I have something to say to you and I promise that you won't want to miss this."
"Hike-"
"Ah ah ah… I wouldn't do that if I were you, Ace. After all, I've got a hostage."
"A hostage, yoi?"
"Marco, why are you listening to this guy?" Despite Ace's protests, Marco's ears remained open. Thus, there was no way for him not to hear Teach's next words. Words, which brought Marco's brain to a screeching halt.
"Zehahaha. Not just any hostage. I've got Whitebeard's son."
– Izou –
Blackbeard said what now? Who did he hold hostage? Questions flooded Izou's mind, his brain racing to find answers for all of them and coming up empty. For one, since when did Pops have a biological son; two, why did not one of Whitebeard's sons know about it; and three, how the heck did he end up in Teach's clutches?"So, unless you guys want poor little Weevil to lose his itty-bitty head, you're going to sit tight and hear me out."
Izou wasn't alone in his reaction. All over the battlefield, the charge of the Whitebeards faltered as the news spread like a wildfire. Bewilderment, confusion and disbelief slowed their footsteps and ensnared their arms. For their opponents, who'd been steadily approaching a rout, this momentary lull in the fighting was godsend.
"Don't you find it odd? Weren't you guys one big, happy family? Why wouldn't he tell you he had a son? A real one? Actually, better yet, why would he actively hide him from you?"
"Shut up, Teach!"
"Obviously, it's because he didn't trust any of you! The old man was probably worried that you'd reject little wee Weevil or outright harm him. After all, aren't you Whitebeard's successor, Ace? Everybody around you seems to think that, at least. Tell me, aren't you even a little tempted? Remove him and you have no one who could possibly challenge you as Whitebeard's heir."
"I'm not like you, Teach."
"Whitebeard doesn't deserve your loyalty, Ace. Not after lying to all of you for years. For decades. In that case, we have no reason to fight, do we? Come, let's put the past behind us and conquer the world together!"
"In your dreams, yoi."
Yet, none of Izou's bethren paid the reforming enemy lines any mind, all of their attention firmly glued onto an elevated podium upon which three figures had appeared. A wrinkled and tiny old woman in shackles and a nondescript thug holding a naginata to the neck of a stocky, blonde man. It was also immediately apparent that this third figure was the one Blackbeard was referring to, for featured prominently upon his face was an all too familiar mustache.
"Help. Save. Me. I. Am. The. Son. Of. Whitebeard. Help." Weevil woodenly said in as monotone a voice as one could imagine. Izou couldn't imagine worse acting if he'd tried – and he was certain that it was acting – not least because Weevil turned to his mother after saying his obviously barely rehearsed lines. "Did I say that right, Mama?"
"Yes, you did, Weevil. You truly are my treasure." The withered granny replied, seemingly unconcerned by her fetters. If someone didn't find anything odd with that exchange between mother and son, then that someone needed professional help. Urgently.
Much to Izou's chagrin, that someone ended up being one of his friends.
"Don't worry, Weevil! We'll rescue you in a jiffy! Just sit tight!" Squard loudly promised, before raising his blade in a rallying cry. "It's the same thing we did at Marineford when we rescued Ace! Onwards, men! For Whitebeard!"
Normally, having a portion of their forces split off from the main line to do their own thing would have been bad enough. To make matters worse for the Whitebeard pirates, Squard just happened to be commanding their entire left flank. While most of them didn't follow the Spider on his rescue mission, his departure did throw them into disarray as the task of coordinating their attack fell to the individual captains at the front.
"Come back, Squard! It's a trap! It's fake! He's got to be a fake!" Islewan called out after his rampaging ally, who briefly did look back apologetically before continuing to hack his way to the podium. "Don't you find this a little too convenient? He can't be Pop's son!"
"We don't know that for certain, Islewan! If there's even the smallest chance he could be, that's already too much for me to ignore! Not after Marineford. I lost Pops. I cannot lose his son too!"
"Oh, by Davy Jones's bloody locker, you've got a point. Wait for me!"
With that the battle resumed in earnest, though with a distinctive desperate tinge to it. Their carefully planned attempt to divide the Blackbeard pirates and defeat them in detail was placed on hold, as Izou's allies no longer had the manpower to complete an encirclement while simultaneously launching a rescue mission. Instead, they switched to a more defensive stance to weather the storm their enemies unleashed upon them.
Whatever Teach had wanted to say was lost in the din of the fighting, Ace and Marco more preoccupied with keeping his mouth shut and hence unable to issue the execution order. Izou kept himself busy too, herding Van Augur like a hunter would his prey. Spreading his shots out in a careful and deliberate manner, he ensured that the teleporting man had no choice but to appear within range of Haruta's blade, unless he wanted to escape the battlefield entirely.
Blackbeard's sniper had looked astounded the first time this happened, staring incomprehensibly in Izou's direction for a split second too long. Long enough for Haruta to slice his glasses in two. Though, that did happen to be the first and last time Haruta caught up to the guy, because from then on Van Augur kept teleporting away as soon as he appeared. He didn't even bother trying to take a shot, seemingly content with wasting Izou's time. It was a waiting game, one in which both sides were trying to hold out long enough for the other to make a critical mistake.
If it had been before his stint with the Bellamy Pirates, Izou may have struggled.
Slightly.
His opponent was gifted in observation and he'd been grinding his axe for years, whereas Izou had been content with maintaining his status quo. Hence, when combined with the Warp Warp fruit, someone who'd formerly been a mere annoyance, may have turned into a credible threat.
Unfortunately for Blackbeard's sniper, Izou had been cosplaying the infallible instructor for the past year or so. With how rapidly all of the Bellamy Pirates had grown, it had forced Izou to improve himself, to review and rediscover skills he'd once thought long since mastered. Considering what sort of monstrous prodigy Aisa had turned out to be, observation haki had arguably received the most polishing. And it showed.
The longer their confrontation went on, the closer Izou's misses became. Eventually, it got to the point where he could afford to have Haruta leave to assist elsewhere while still keeping Van Augur in check. And when the inevitable happened and Blackbeard's sniper staggered back, clutching his bleeding shoulder, Izou deemed the moment right to send the long-awaited signal. After all, if Teach had played his trump card by revealing Weevil's existence, he couldn't complain if the Whitebeard's replied in kind.
Unnoticed by most of the combatants on the field, a shadow approached the podium from the rear. The few lookouts along the way fell before they even knew they had fallen, silent steps carrying the figure from sentry to sentry. Within the span of a few minutes, a gap had been created in the wall of human bodies, allowing the shadow to slip through and leap onto the podium. Unnoticed by most that is. Teach wasn't most people, but he was too far away and too busy to do anything about it. As such, the only thing left for him to do was complain. Which he did. Vocally.
"Oi, Ace. Calling those guys… that's just plain cheating."
"Says the person wielding two devil fruits!"
One had to give it to the Revolutionary Army. They could be darn sneaky when they wanted to be and that went double for their officers. How else could they routinely infiltrate and successfully exfiltrate out of the World Governments high security facilities? Preoccupied by the sight of Squard, Islewan and Haruta approaching from the front in a loud and conspicuous manner, the guard holding a naginata to Weevil's throat never stood a chance.
"Alright. Now, where are the keys?"
After a brief moment spent rummaging through the unconscious guard's pockets, Weevil and his mother were safely ensconced in a protective cordon set up by Islewan and his men. With his job done, Sabo gave Squard and co a playful salute before speeding away in the direction of the main fight.
"Mama, is it time?"
"Not yet. Just wait a little longer, Weevil. Like a good boy."
"Ok, Mama."
After all, who said that a trump card had to be discarded after a single use? Especially on such a finely balanced battlefield where the lightest touch could tip the scales decisively one way or another? Weevil's rescue had just been the beginning, the first of many dominoes that had to fall for the war to end. Now, they could wait for them to tip over on their own. Izou was certain they would with time, but where was the fun in that?
Especially when they had a hammer named Sabo?
Author's note:
As for WHY Weevil turned up...uh...butterflies? BB lost Shiryu to WB and isn't as well off, so he had to think of something. But thanks to Sabo his ploy failed. Hooray.
...
You guys don't believe me, do you?
Just for recap, the current matchups:
Blackbeard vs Marc, Ace (+Sabo coming to help)
Van Augur vs Izou (Haruta left midway through)
Catarina Devon vs Vista & Speed Jiru
Jesus Burgess vs Jozu & Kingdew
Avalo Pizarro vs Curiel & Rakuyo
Vasco Shot vs Atmos & Blenheim
Sanjuan Wolf: unaccounted for, Doma & McGuy are waiting in reserve
Doc Q: unaccounted for, hunted down by Whitey Bay & Epoida
Lafitte: unaccounted for, hunted down by the Decalvan Brothers, Blamenco & Bellamy pirates
Weevil: being rescued & brought to safety by Square, Islewan & Haruta
Law, Urouge & Bonney are...somewhere.
Ok
So Izo is likely too win his match, meaning the end of Teach's currently most valuable subordinate.
With Sabo's aid, the fight will likely end with Ace and Marco winning but I imagine Teach will survive, albeit with scars or some parts lost.
The rest unclear how they will go as no confirmed trump cards have appeared yet.
But I imagine it's in their favour atm.
So unless BB can pull something out of his ass, they will win, even if with costs
So Izo is likely too win his match, meaning the end of Teach's currently most valuable subordinate.
With Sabo's aid, the fight will likely end with Ace and Marco winning but I imagine Teach will survive, albeit with scars or some parts lost.
The rest unclear how they will go as no confirmed trump cards have appeared yet.
But I imagine it's in their favour atm.
So unless BB can pull something out of his ass, they will win, even if with costs
MrRobot
In doubt there's always the Sun!
She probably does not have that power.
One thing that it's interesting is while white beard would be probably missing the title of Yonkou it would mean he aould try to chummy up to other Yonkou in the future, my guess would be Big mom, because she is kinda stupid with even her betrayal being able to be seen a mile away.
One thing that it's interesting is while white beard would be probably missing the title of Yonkou it would mean he aould try to chummy up to other Yonkou in the future, my guess would be Big mom, because she is kinda stupid with even her betrayal being able to be seen a mile away.
It will take a long while until more flashbacks for the Rocks Pirates will be revealed like Buckingham Stussy's role in the crew and her abilities aside being formerly a New World pirate in her own right before retirement.
- Location
- Vancouver
Yeah, she's like 6 and has great Observation and the Rumble Rumble fruit? I could easily see her becoming Bellamy's successor and Yonko after he retires.
Blackbeard is tough, but with the help from Bellamy, the other Supernovas, and the Revolutionary Army, I could see Blackbeard losing this time around. Maybe not dying, but if he loses all of his crew and has to retreat, that'll be the end of his attempt to be the next Yonko.
If he does lose, I wonder if Aokiji would end up joining Bellamy? I can't see the former admiral joining up with Whitebeard's crew or anything.
So an angle I haven't seen anyone mention is how Blackbeard may have gotten Weevil and his mother to join his crew as a replacement for Shiryu and is using them as basically a Trojan Horse. It's weird that people seem to forget Blackbeard is about as charismatic as Luffy he just has a different appeal for different people. This is same guy that managed to convince Aokiji and it wouldn't even be hard for him to convince Weevil's mother either.
Also I find it very amusing that some already believe Blackbeard's loss is forgone conclusion when their are still variables unaccounted for in this like his missing crew members. I guess it depends on the author but having Blackbeard incur a significant enough loss here without extracting a significant pound of flesh from the Whitebeards would be kind of anticlimactic for the guy who is supposed to be the Luffy's main rival for the title of Pirate King.
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We're not saying that he is guaranteed too lose here
We are saying that currently victory is in WB pirates favour as currently he is losing too Ace and Marco and Sabo just arrived
While Izo is easily handling his main opponent, and while I can see Buckin caring more about money, I doubt Weevil would happily work with his 'dads' murderer without complaint.
Also one of those unaccounted for is being dealt by Bellamy and co who are far from weak and regularly fight Izo, who while likely stronger than any individual member of the crew, would easily lose against whole group.
Nevermind Bellamy and co have support as well for dealing with said member.
Sure its not set in stone, but we are saying that BB won't be walking away with complete victory at bare minimum, he is likely too lose another Captain or two at the worst
Aokiji will join BB just not now.
...uh. Yeah. About that.
Chapter 91: Payback War III
– Squard –
Things were going… not quite swimmingly but well enough. Especially when considering the stiff opposition.In the first place, none of them had harbored any doubts as to Blackbeard's strength. Even if one discounted Ace's defeat, the mere fact that Teach had survived an encounter with Pops already marked him as one of the toughest bastards alive. The same went for his crew, who had been blown away but came back swinging. For this very reason, the Whitebeards had done everything in their power to achieve numerical superiority where it mattered.
As a result, the battle's momentum had shifted completely over to their side. Faced with a two vs one situation, Teach's senior officers had no choice but to remain on the defensive, doing their best to weather the storm. Yet, weather it they did.
If nothing else, this was a clear reminder that the Whitebeards' decision to strike sooner rather than later had been a good one. While it may have been understandable that those captains stemming from Impel Down's infamous sixth floor were equal or even slightly stronger than the commanders, the same shouldn't have been true for Blackbeard's original crew. Despite the many close calls and the numerous minor injuries they racked up, none of them had allowed the one critical blow to bypass their guard. And that made Squard uneasy.
Squard had no idea how Teach had done it and he wasn't quite sure he wanted to know. But somehow, his original crew had undergone a dramatic transformation, going from not even posing a real challenge to being significant threats. All in the short timespan since their clash with Ace on Banaro Island.
Still, just because they'd achieved qualitative parity didn't mean that the Blackbeards were winning. They would break soon, Squard could feel it in his bones, if only he and his friends could push a little harder.
A brief glance around confirmed that yes, Teach still remained trapped within a three-way encirclement by Marco, Ace and Sabo. Off to the side, Jesus Burgess was slowly being tenderized by Jozu's and Kingdew's fists, while Van Augur was playing hide and seek with Izou. All the while, the island was being terraformed around them by the clash between Avalo Pizarro, Curiel and Rakuyo; with the Corrupt King screaming in pain whenever Rakuyo turned another part of his granite body into dust.
Sadly, things weren't only positive. Sure, Catarina Devon had lost an eye to Jiru's lance, but unfortunately their resident speedster was being carted away himself, bleeding profusely from the stump where his right arm used to be. Enraged, Vista was doing his best to return the greeting with Haruta's aid and he was getting closer by the minute. But that wasn't going to undo the damage already done. As for Vasco Shot, that man had given up trying to deep fry Atmos and Blenheim altogether, choosing to divert his attention onto the surrounding Whitebeard pirates instead. Naturally, when faced with the choice of taking his head or protecting their friends, the two commanders opted for the latter.
Yet, all in all, there remained not a single card Blackbeard had left to play that Squard could see. His horde was stuck in a brutal melee and his officers were preoccupied. Blackbeard himself wasn't getting out of that scrap alive and the hostages had been rescued. It was time to send in the reserves.
With a wave of his sword, Squard sped back towards the front, two hundred of their best and brightest following close behind. The enemy's defenses buckled as his unit made contact before disintegrating altogether, allowing Squard to rip his way through their lines nearly unopposed. Once they'd assumed positions behind the enemy, the rest was easy. Surrounding the enemy piecemeal, Squard began rolling up the front line bit by bit in a methodical manner. Surround and crush. Surround and crush. Again and again and again. Increasingly, fear entered his opponent's eyes as more and more Whitebeards flooded through the gap, reaching its zenith when Avalo Pizarro retired from the field.
They had done it. The battle was effectively won. The ships who'd been the diversionary force were about to enter port with further reinforcements. All they'd now need to do was…
"WEEVIL?!? What the fuck are you doing?"
"Treachery! The bastard has betrayed us!"
"The ships! Protect the ships!"
Squard's head snapped around, his trained eyes quickly finding the source of the disturbance. It wasn't very difficult to find. After all, how could he possibly miss the sight of their last remaining Moby Dick being cut in twain by the one Squard had believed to be Pops' son? With every swing another of the barely guarded ships met its end, the skeleton crews being unable to even delay Weevil by as much as a second.
Further damage was briefly stopped by Islewan and Jiru placing themselves between Weevil and his targets, though it immediately became apparent that they wouldn't be enough. Apparently, Sleepy, Forliewbs and Reforte had seen the same thing and were rushing to join the fight. And all Squard could do in the meantime was freeze in place and ask himself the following question.
Why?
He dearly wished that someone would explain it to him, because he just didn't understand. What did Weevil have to gain by betraying those who flew his father's flag? Why would he help his father's murderer? Why now? Why after they'd risked their lives to rescue him? Why? Why? Why?
"Above us!"
"Hard to port! We need to get out of the way! Hard to port, damn it!"
"It's big! Scratch that, it's fricking huge!"
"CANNONBALL!!!!"
"We're capsizing! We're CAPSIZING!"
"Teehee."
Focused on the Weevil, everyone failed to notice the threat approaching from the rear.
As such, Sanjuan Wolf's return caught them completely off guard. Some only noticed the danger when the seas were overturned and ships swallowed by the waves thrown up by the world's largest giant diving into the ocean. Half the ships Marco had held in reserve in case of an emergency were sunk immediately while the rest were scattered. Two more were crushed soon after when they didn't move out of reach in time, Sanjuan Wolf's hands treating them like toys. Not long after, the sounds of cannon fire reached Squard's ears, as Doma and McGuy tried their best to stop him from wading into port.
"Zehahaha! Give up Ace! You guys are trapped."
"Don't laugh too soon, Teach! It's not over yet!"
"Oh, but it is. Did you seriously believe that I didn't know about your spies? Your ambush only worked because I allowed it!" Blackbeard boasted. "Haven't ever wondered why I didn't stop you from gathering your allies? Why I chose not to attack you guys before you could muster your full strength? Surely, you didn't think that it was because I feared you?"
"You bastard! You baited us…"
"Of course I did. And lo and behold, you guys sailed right into my trap without suspecting a thing, zehahaha!" Blackbeard gloated. "I suppose I should thank you for saving me the trouble of hunting you down one by one. Admit it, you guys are finished."
"Not if we crush you first!"
"Maybe, but can you do it in time to save your friends?"
"What are you talking about, yoi? They can handle Sanjuan Wolf. They don't need saving."
"In that case, I should probably stack the deck in my favor, zehahaha. Oi, Doc Q! It's time!"
Wait, if that guy was here… then who the fuck were Whitey Bay and Epoida chasing?
"Haa…haa…I'm…here, Teach...haa."
"You want to know something interesting, Ace? Doc Q ate the Sick-Sick fruit, which allows him to afflict others with diseases!"
"What?!?"
"Let's see how well you fight when you're a bloody midget!"
"Haa…one shrinking disease…coming right…up…haa."
– Laki –
When they'd begun their hunt for Lafitte's ship, their target had been just that. A single ship with a single ship's crew. Instead, they found three frigates, packed to the brim with Blackbeard's new recruits all thirsty for blood and carnage. Veterans of the New World one and all, survivors of a thousand battles and the cream of the crop amongst those calling the pirate haven of Hachinosu their home. It was a force that would have made many a marine Vice Admiral balk and some Warlords think twice about attacking.They didn't stand a chance. Much like wheat before the scythe, they were mowed down by Commander Blamenco and the Decalvan brothers before they even knew what was happening. The only reason the Blackbeard pirates hadn't been immediately sunk, ship and all, was the need to confirm Lafitte's presence. Much to Laki's silent dissatisfaction, the Bellamy pirates had taken a bit longer to clear the frigate they'd been assigned. Though on second thought, what did it say about them that she was trying to compete with the Whitebeard pirates on an even footing?
However, whatever disappointment she may have felt in her own performance, it was outweighed by the sense of confusion. This was Lafitte's squadron, of that there was no doubt. One of the prisoners had revealed as much when they'd questioned him. In fact, the prisoner had claimed to have seen the Titanic Captain board the flagship before they'd left port.
So, that begged the question: where was Lafitte?
"Any luck, Captain Decalvan? Though from the looks of it, it doesn't seem like guys had any luck either." Bellamy asked once they'd joined the Decalvan brothers. However, the elder of the two was already shaking his head before Bellamy was finished speaking.
"Nay. None at all. Lafitte, that cowardly rat…"
"…isn't on this ship either. And we searched this ship high and low for him."
"Then he must be hiding from Commander Blamenco on that frigate over yonder." Bellamy mused, scratching his chin. "Though I haven't picked up any sounds of fighting from that direction for a while now. How about you, Aisa?"
"Nu-uh. It's all quiet."
"In that case, Blamenco probably crushed him already…"
"…or he wasn't here in the first place. Which means he's back on Hachinosu. They bloody bastards tricked us!" Decalvan Jr. cursed, seemingly frustrated by the subterfuge. And why wouldn't he? They'd been led on a merry goose chase.
"I guess, there's not much to do then apart from regrouping with Commander. If we return now, we should make it in time to help the main force."
"You heard the rookie!"
"Let's pick up Blamenco and get out of here!"
"Aye aye, captains!" With the order given, the pirates rushed to obey. Sails were unfurled and anchors raised, the seasoned sailors moving with a fluidity that could only come from years of experience. As such, they were ready almost as quickly as Laki and her friends.
"Don't worry about Commander Blamenco, Captain Decalvan. We'll let him know."
"Alright, rookie!"
When they approached the Whitebeard Commander's location, they could see him and his division members walking about on deck. That was when Laki's senses began tingling.
"Uh, Bellamy? I don't like it. It's too quiet." Aisa murmured; her eyes scrunched in concentration.
"Yeah, I feel it too. Let's hurry."
Tingling became warning bells, which increasingly turned into a muted brass orchestra the closer they got. The Whitebeard pirates seemed fine, their faces betraying no traces of anxiety or fear. Rather, they were peaceful and relaxed as they milled about, periodically moving below deck in groups until only Blamenco remained.
"Hoi! Commander Blamenco! If you guys are done searching for Laf… HEY, MOVE DAMN IT!"
"BEHIND YOU!!!"
Neither Bellamy's exclamation nor Aisa's warning scream managed to garner any sort of reaction from the 6th division commander. Rather, he remained passive as the enemy stepped into his shadow. As a result, when the Black Pearl pulled up alongside the captured Blackbeard frigate, the Bellamy pirates got a front-row seat to a blade being slipped in between the commander's ribs.
"Ah, you're right on time, ladies and gentlemen. I was just about to come looking for you."
"Lafitte!"
"The one and only. The pleasure is all yours, I'm sure." Lafitte smiled, tipping his hat by way of greeting. "I do hope you enjoyed my little opening act?"
"Opening act? This?" On the Captain's signal, the Bellamy pirates began spreading out and slowly surrounding Lafitte on all sides. Their opponent did nothing to stop them, casually wiping the blood off his sword stick with a piece of Blamenco's shirt.
"Oh, yes. What else would you call it?" Lafitte said airily. "Frankly, I'm a little insulted that Marco deemed a single commander enough to deal with me. He should have sent at least two if not three."
"Three? You think you can fight Whitebeard's commanders three-on-one and win?" Bellamy asked with a healthy dose of skepticism. Yet for all that he seemed outwardly relaxed, even going as far as to bury his hands in his coat's pockets, Laki knew that he was tense. After all, so was she.
"Dear heavens, no. I'm not delusional."
"…" Laki had been a huntress for near two decades. In that time, she'd faced predator and prey alike, not to mention that she'd been both more often than she'd cared to count. She knew what being faced by an apex predator felt like. That feeling of dread, the growing probability of death and the reflexive adrenalin rush, all those were familiar companions of a hunter's profession
"Why do you think I brought three ships with me in the first place?"
"…you wanted to split us up."
"Ding ding ding! Got it in one. Congratulations! Have a cookie!" The hum of a walking stick twirling around stopped for a moment, replaced by the slow sound of clapping. "A three-on-one would be tricky for me, but three one-on-ones? Now that's a lot easier. Especially if you all let down your guard like the late 6th division commander did."
Lafitte however, didn't give off such vibes. Instead of the overwhelming presence of someone like Enel, their current opponent was a blank. Despite staring at him with her own eyes, her observational haki seemed confused when it came to him. And that, if nothing else, made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge.
"You intentionally sacrificed your men." Laki realized, her gut clenching at the very thought. That sort of thing was one of the greatest taboos that a leader could commit amongst her people. The tribe would fall apart otherwise and be unable to pool their strength when it really mattered. "All to lure us into a false sense of complacency."
"And it worked wonderfully. Commander Blamenco was so busy knocking my men about, he didn't sense me coming until it was far, far too late. After that…well, you saw the result." Lafitte smirked, his cane continuing to make circular motions.
"How did you know we were coming?"
"Oh please, surely you didn't expect us not to know. Especially not with how blatantly Marco was gathering men and ships. Figuring out the when was easy." he scoffed, seemingly unconcerned by the two rifles being trained on his head. "As for the where… seeing as I was the lure, the where was pretty obvious, no?"
"You're stalling." Bellamy realized.
"So were you." Lafitte pointed out. "But did you really think you'd survive long enough for the Decalvan brothers to rescue you?"
"If you knew that, then why wait?"
"Wasting time, mostly. I'd fly back if Teach needed me, but alas, he has more than enough cards to play without adding my humble personage." Lafitte grinned, before glancing at his watch. "I suppose I could let you in on a little secret. After all, it's about time."
"Time for what?"
"Time to decisively prove the new era belongs to Blackbeard. I guarantee you, Marco is about to have a very bad day. For that matter, why don't you join us, Captain Bellamy? Amongst your little group of rookies, you're pretty talented. I'm sure you'd do well under Marshall D. Teach and it isn't like you'd owe the Whitebeards anything after today."
"That's generous of you, but I think I'll decline. I don't like working for anyone else."
"More's the pity, I suppose. Well, I gave you a chance."
"Ready to fight, are we?"
"Oh please. Why should I fight you, when I can hypnotize you instead?"
With that, the circles stopped, and the cane came to a halt between Lafitte's feet with a soft clack. Laki's world went dark.
Author's note:
Just for clarification, the WB pirates were attempting to drive a wedge into BB's lines and divide his forces into two. Then they would surround and destroy them one after the other while the commanders fought the titanic captains. Square basically said, "screw it" and took a large chunk out of the manpower they needed to complete the encirclement so the WB gave up on that plan. Meaning that the battle turned into two battle lines crashing into each other. Weevil then got "rescued" and was brought to the rear where the ships were docked. As soon as the last WB reserves were sent into battle, Weevil started destroying the ships to cut off their escape route.
Doc Q had been hiding (with none of the WB commanders being familiar enough with him to pick him out out of thousands of different voices on the island), Sanjuan Wolf came back after losing his tail to ambush the ships holding watch. He can handle seawater coming up to his chin (though it's tiring) and he'll wade into shallower waters soon enough.
As for Lafitte's hypnotism, that's from the wiki.
I mean, there has to be a weakness/limits to his hypnotism because otherwise it would be a bit broken and impossible to fight against.
YuffieK
(Verified Ninja Princess)
Unless he ate the Mythical Opium Bird Zoan Devil Fruit. Because Teach and his crew have Antagonist Plot Armor.
Sad to say, Weevil isn't hypnotised. He's here completely by Buckin's free will. We'll see if Bellamy can't convince him otherwise much further down the line.
Bellamy kinda shot himself in the foot here, because Lafitte needs a little bit of time to activate his hypnosis. By trying to play for time so that the Decalvan brothers could back him up and not taking his eyes off a very dangerous and stealthy individual, Bellamy played right into Lafitte's hands...
Still not sure what Lafitte's DF is. I really wish I knew.
Chapter 92: Payback War IV
– Ross –
You ever get that uneasy gut feeling? The one screaming at you that something was about to go horribly, horribly wrong? Well right now, that feeling was refusing to leave Ross be. It hadn't ever since Lafitte began talking and it had only grown the longer he kept twirling that stupid walking stick of his.Thing was, one didn't survive the streets for long without having very good instincts or at least a very trusty gut. And if that trusty gut told you to jump, you didn't ask how high. You simply jumped. When one added observation haki into the mix, that gut feeling turned into a dependable premonition. Which was why Ross hadn't questioned his haki, when it told him to commit a grievous sin. One, that would have caused every combat instructor in the world to scream and rip their hair out in frustration.
He closed his eyes and looked away.
By all conventional wisdom, this was a monumentally stupid move to make. Suicidal even. Especially against an opponent who outclassed him drastically in every way, where missing the smallest bodily cue could mean the difference between life and death. But… well, he'd seen what happened when people ignored their haki and hence his paranoia had taken over. He'd even dragged Hewitt along with him, forcibly spinning the cook around a split second before Lafitte brought his cane down with a soft clack.
At first nothing seemed to have changed. Ross certainly hadn't felt any different. And when he'd heard the twin cracks of Laki's and Rivers' rifles, Ross had felt a great sense of relief. One that had calmed his roiling gut enough for the sailmaker to leap into motion, charging Lafitte who'd been knocked off-kilter by the initial barrage. Completely open. Vulnerable. And most importantly, within reach.
"Hewitt, let's go!"
"Already way ahead of you!"
If only their snipers could keep up the pressure for a little longer, the Blackbeard pirate was about to get dogpiled by their entire crew. Lafitte's eyes widened, his gaze fixed upon a haki-covered, jet dial propelled fist racing towards his face.
Then, he smirked.
Ross' head rang as a sea stone bullet smashed into him, barely having managed to interpose his hand between his head and certain death. As it was, the force still sent him tumbling head over heels into the far railing. Hewitt met a similar fate, his molten frying pans proof of their sacrifice, having bought him precious time to dive out of the way of Laki's plasma bolts.
"Where the hell are you aiming at, Rivers! Have you suddenly gone blind or something?" Ross roared at the airborne sniper. "You could have killed me!"
Rivers' response was to calmly reload his gun, before proceeding to aim and fire. Aim and fire. That was all he did, but he did it with unerring accuracy, leaving no room for Ross to do anything but hunker down and take it. Hewitt for his part seemed to be quickly working his way through his near inexhaustible supply of cooking implements.
Yet, the current predicament did leave enough breathing room for Ross to ascertain what sort of fucked up situation he'd found himself in. All around him, the deck had erupted into chaos as the Bellamy Pirates devolved into a civil war.
Nero was methodically working his way through Muret's defenses; with the only reason he hadn't succeeded yet being Funkreed's spirited resistance. Eddy, who would normally have rushed to assist, was barely managing to fend off the captain himself with Aisa's support. Meanwhile, Lily and Sarquiss were having the relationship fight of the century. If that didn't proof that something unnatural was going on, nothing would.
What was going on? Wait. Hadn't Lafitte mentioned something along the lines of hyp…
"Roughly half of you? I've got to say I'm thoroughly impressed. I was aiming to catch all of you, but I suppose this isn't bad. Not bad at all and it's certainly far more amusing to watch."
"What the fuck did you do, you fucker!" Lily yelled, before turning around to land a textbook uppercut into Sarquiss' jaw. "Stay down, dickhead!"
"Hypnosis is such an underrated ability, you know?" Lafitte replied. "Doesn't matter how strong they are or how strong willed. Actually, that just makes it all the easier, because the stronger they are, the less likely they are to miss my little circles. And the stronger their will, the less likely they are to question themselves or their instincts. All I have to do is…nudge them a little to see things from my point of view and their will do the rest of the work for me."
"Well, undo it now! Bring them back to normal or I'll fucking kill you!"
"I'd rather not fight a crew of Rear Admiral and Vice Admiral tier enemies all at once, thank you very much. That would be such a hassle, and I do have the Decalvan brothers to deal with as well. On that note…ta-ta!"
With one final wave, Lafitte sprouted white, feathery wings and sped away. Soon after, alarm bells started ringing frantically from their allied ship as the Decalvan Pirates did their best to keep him away. They predictably failed, resulting in rifle fire being replaced by the screams of wounded and dying men. Not that the Bellamy pirates had any shits left to give about the fate of their allies, because they had far more important matters to worry about. Such as reestablishing their demolished chain of command.
"Alright Shitheads! As the quartermaster and with both the captain and the first mate out of commission, I'm assuming command! Anybody gonna take issue with that?"
"No! But if you're going to take charge…oof…can you do it a bit more quickly?" Muret called out, hastily deflecting a shigan with a pair of scalpels. "Preferably sometime before Nero gifts me a new hole to breathe through!"
"Shut it! We're switching dance partners!" Lily declared, bodily pulling Muret to safety. "Aisa, keep Rivers and Laki busy! If I have to even glance at them for the rest of the day, I'm throwing every cookie overboard!"
"You're a big meanie!" Aisa accused, though she flew off to complete her mission regardless. Of course, this also meant that Eddy's situation worsened considerably very quickly.
"Lily… I don't want to rush you, but some assistance would be KINDA NICE RIGHT ABOUT NOW!"
"Mani, get the fuck out there and help Muret put Nero to sleep! I don't care how you do it, but I want him getting some shuteye before I'm done clapping some sense into my fiancé!"
"Are you sure that's a good matchup? You know I don't do well in a frontal engagement and he's a trained assassin."
"It's not fair and we're shorthanded! Suck it up!" Lily snapped before turning her smoldering gaze unto a frozen Ross and Hewitt. "What are you two waiting for? A written invitation?"
"Well…eh…"
"Go and help Eddy keep the captain busy before he turns us all into bloody paste!"
"There's no way we can handle the cap…" Ross began to protest, but Lily shut him down immediately and effectively.
"NOW!!!!"
"On it!"
– Eddy –
Ok. This was not a problem. They could handle this. They'd faced worse odds and survived before. Plus, they sparred all the time during training. Sure, Eddy usually got his arse handed to him on a regular basis, but he'd landed a few good hits of his own every so often. Once in a while. Intermittently. Occasionally. Sometimes. Sporadically.OF COURSE THIS WAS A BLOODY PROBLEM!!!
Eddy was confident that he could fight damn near every Rear Admiral in the Navy and easily come out on top. He'd learned two types of haki while most of them had not, he'd received training from a Whitebeard Commander and he'd probably survived enough combat situations for the difference in experience to no longer matter. So, when Lafitte had referred to the Crew as a bunch of Rear Admiral and Vice Admiral tier fighters, Eddy had mentally placed himself near the top of the pack.
The issue was that Bellamy was so far above a Rear Admiral that it wasn't even funny anymore. It had been funny on Marineford when he'd gone through them like they weren't there, but the difference in physical stats was just patently unfair. The only thing still keeping Eddy in the fight were his own speed which matched the captain's own. Well, that and Bellamy's puzzling decision not to activate his Thunder Cloak.
"Wake up, Captain! This isn't the right time to be playing around!"
As it was, he was barely managing to keep himself alive, his knees buckling from the strain every time he parried an attack. And there were so many of them raining down without rest. If it hadn't been his life on the line, Eddy may have been impressed by how much force remained even after redirecting around half of the starting amount. But, as it was his life on the line, his brain did not have the capacity to reflect on such matters. Thankfully, relief finally came in the form of Hewitt's attempt to brain their captain with a frying pan, his loud approach creating enough of a distraction for Eddy to catch his breath.
"Frying Pan Technique: Whack-A-Mole!"
Though his enthusiastic assault soon resulted in him getting trapped by Bellamy's new Spring Cube. While Eddy got to work cutting the cook free from his prison, the task of keeping the captain busy fell upon Ross' shoulders. A task which he did quite well, expertly using the many jet dials attached to his joints to distort his body out of harm's way. Whenever that wasn't feasible, Ross would use an impact dial to intercept that which he could not dodge.
"Keep him still, guys!"
Nobody expected such a state of affairs to last for long, least of all Ross. As such, when Bellamy transitioned into a grapple mid-punch, Ross grabbed hold of the offending arm without hesitation. Hewitt was quick to mirror him, wrapping up Bellamy's left arm in a giant dish cloth and pulling it taut with all his strength.
"Eddy, now!"
"Sorry, Captain but this is for your own good!"
"Shut up and swing already! We can't hold him for much longer!"
Eddy's blade smashed into his captain's head with all the force he could muster. Springs went flying everywhere, as Bellamy's Coil Chassis deformed to absorb the blow. Yet, the hope that the impact would snap him out of whatever hypnosis Lafitte had placed him under, was extinguished very quickly. Dozens if not hundreds of tiny springs converged upon the trio, packing a far greater punch than their minute size would suggest.
"Ack, they're like bloody bees!"
Ross used his impact dials to knock them away while Eddy's arms blurred as he did his best to create a cocoon of safety around himself. Hewitt, on the other hand, pulled out a giant cooking pot.
"Potluck Festival!"
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/s...est/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20080126014631
The moment he opened the lid, everything was drowned out by the deafening sound of air being sucked into a vast empty void. Bellamy's springs, which had until then been flying circles around Eddy and his friends, froze mid-flight before beginning a gradual descent into the cooking pot. Slowly at first but speeding up the closer they got to the silvery kitchen implement, until they were all drawn into open maw. Upon which Hewitt proceeded to slam the lid shut. The sight was so surreal that even Bellamy paused to try and make sense of what they'd just seen.
"Hewitt… what is that?"
"A cooking pot?" Hewitt smiled innocently, causing Ross to give him a deadpan look.
"A cooking pot."
"It's a special cooking pot?" Hewitt tried again to no avail. "Fine, I layered the insides with as many breath dials as I could fit into it. Then Laki helped me add the option to reverse the airflow, so that instead of expelling air, it sucks it in. A complex system, which I don't understand at all, then empties the dials as fast as they're filled so that I can maintain the attractive force indefinitely. It's basically a very powerful vacuum cleaner."
"A vacuum cleaner. Shaped like a pot."
"I'm a cook. I have a certain aesthetic to maintain."
Eddy wanted to argue this point more. To express his own incredulity because otherwise he'd feel like he was the odd one. He really did. Yet, that would have to wait until a better time because Bellamy had activated his Thunder Cloak. Whatever balance the trio had believed they'd achieved evaporated near immediately in the face of a raging storm. Before he could even blink, Bellamy was on him, fists already only centimeters from Eddy's chest.
"This is going to hurt, isn't it?"
"Spring Gatling."
It took Eddy three painful bounces on the ground to regain a semblance of balance. Still, apart from an ugly bruise beginning to spread across his ribcage, physically he was more or less fine. Four times Bellamy had tried to cave his chest in, and three times Eddy had managed to block him. It would have been four if his sword hadn't turned into a pile of molten metal mid-parry.
Things would have been a lot worse if it hadn't been for Ross jumping to Eddy's defense. Hewitt had joined him soon after, delaying the Captain long enough for Eddy to get his bearings. Not that his current situation was all that positive to be honest. He was a swordsman without his sword. Would he be able to positively contribute to the fight going forwards? Unlikely. In fact, it would be a miracle if his atrophied hand-to-hand abilities didn't weigh the others down instead. In a case like this, doing the smart thing would probably mean retreating to find one of his practice blades.
"Hewitt? I thought cooks weren't afraid of a little heat."
"Ross…what about that says little to you? Additionally, that phrase is referring to kitchen level heat! The way he is now, it's a bloody miracle this ship hasn't caught fire yet! Kitchen and all!"
The problem was time. Would Hewitt and Ross be able to hold on without him? Would Eddy be able to do his part with the blunt swords he had left? Again, unlikely. He did have one other path of action he could take, though it was one he'd been putting off at Izou's behest. Yet, with Bellamy sending his two friends reeling, Eddy no longer had the luxury of waiting until he was perfectly ready.
With his mind made up, his hands reached across his shoulder to draw his bejeweled sword. Eddy wasn't a fool. He knew it was a cursed blade and hence, he'd been carrying it around to get used to its aura on Izou's recommendation. Once a holy sword, the Shichiseiken now granted immense power to any wielder it acknowledged in exchange for mental corruption. But what choice did he have if he wanted to save his friends? If he finished things quickly before the sword could really dig its claws into him...then maybe?
His fingers closed around the hilt and his world went red. Everything was hot. And cold. And everything in between. Strength flooded his arms, and his wounds disappeared as if they'd never existed in the first place. Exhilarating power, sweeter and more addictive than the greatest drugs, filled his being along with a new sense of confidence. Surely, he'd be able to knock some sense into his captain now, right? If he got a little roughed up in the process, well, it was all for his own good anyway.
Eddy wasn't going to kill him or anything. He wouldn't even hurt him all that badly. Just slice off his limbs to keep him still and… "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
"Are you sure? You know you need me."
"I need a sharp sword. I don't need you!"
"Are you willing to bet Muret's life on that? If you're not quick, Nero is going to kill her."
"Muret is strong and Funkreed is with her. My job is to delay the captain."
"If you say so. This was just meant to be a greeting anyway. When you fail, I'll be right here, waiting for you. Consider today a freebie."
The red hue lessened slightly but didn't go away. Not that it mattered. Nothing really mattered anymore, apart from his mission. Keep Bellamy busy. Keep Bellamy busy. Break his legs-JUST KEEP BELLAMY BUSY!
Armament became easier, observation became muddier. Though, when broken limbs healed within moments, that too no longer mattered. Sure, even with the sword boosting his abilities, landing a solid blow on Bellamy remained a difficult task. Yet, in the same vein, Bellamy no longer had the ability to put Eddy down in one blow. He'd need two or three and Eddy had minions he could use to prevent that from happening.
Like all things however, the fight had to end someday and that time came faster than Eddy had anticipated. Sparks flew as metal met metal, Bellamy's haki coated fist grasping Shichiseiken's ebony blade like a vice before it could pierce his shoulder. Ross, on the other hand, wrapped Bellamy's entire body up in canvas, holding on for dear life. And Hewitt? Hewitt used the provided opening to approach his momentarily immobilized captain and stuff…something down his throat.
A second passed. Then two. Then…Bellamy swallowed. The following convulsions sent Eddy and co bodily flying, Eddy vision clearing as he lost his grasp on the Shichiseiken. Which meant he had a clear view of his captain and friend kneeling on the ground, metaphorically retching his guts out.
"Hewitt, what did you feed him?"
"Grilled squid tentacles dressed in peanut butter."
"…uh. That's a rather creative combination."
"I know, right? It tastes so bad." Hewitt grinned. "Which makes it perfect."
"As long as you're happy with it, I suppose…"
A tortured groan interrupted the trio's conversation, causing three pairs of eyes to snap to where a very pale Bellamy was clambering back to his feet.
"I swear, Hewitt. If you serve that or anything like it to me ever again, I'm throwing you overboard. And if you two idiots let him do it, you'll be joining him."
It was a threat. A rather potent one too, if one considered the local maritime life. Yet, their faces lit up, worried frowns being replaced by wide relieved smiles.
Author's note:
If the combination of grilled squid and peanut butter rings seems familiar to you...I shameless copied it from Shokugeki no Soma.
A little bit of explanation.
Bellamy's crew is equal if not stronger than most of Whitebeard's allies at the moment. Bellamy himself is solidly into Vice Admiral territory (near the top actually while Marco, Izou & Ace are somewhere between Vice Admiral & Admiral level).
Basically, the crew looks like this:
- Bellamy: Vice Admiral~Vice Admiral+ (He would struggle against the stronger Vice Admirals like Momonga but he wouldn't lose)
- Aisa: Vice Admiral-
- Nero: Vice Admiral-
- Lily: Vice Admiral-
- Eddy: Vice Admiral-
- Sarquiss: Rear Admiral+
- Laki: Rear Admiral+
- Ross: Rear Admiral
- Hewitt: Rear Admiral
- Rivers: Rear Admiral (Rear Admiral+ with Fuza)
- Mani: Commodore+ (will get stronger once she gets used to her new DF)
- Muret: Commodore (Rear Admiral- with Funkfreed)
Also, a rear admiral isn't weak (that's what X-Drake was before the time skip) so Ross & Hewitt are almost at the level of a supernova pre-timeskip. Quite the improvement from Jaya, I'd say.
Currently, the WB pirates are on the backdoot due to Weevil & Sanjuan's ambush + Doc Q's disease. Partially because BB is stronger than the WB estimated that he'd be.
So things aren't looking all that well right now, but the BB pirates won't be walking away from this with only a flesh wound like in canon.