Hey guys. How have you been?
So ye, took some break. Over the course, I kinda planned out the remaining plot of this story. There probably will be plot holes, and some to many aspects from canon will not even appear here. There's just too many things in One Piece, and I can't afford to be too greedy and include all of them.
As for the upload schedule, I just decided to term it as 'not set.' There def will be chapters being posted each week, for leaving it for a prolonged time will make me lose motivation, but I am not going to keep it regular.
Hopefully, by the next chapter, we will be entering the New World. The Fish-Man Island itself just bores me out too much. Gotta get out of here.
Anyway, hope y'all enjoy the wonderful weekend.
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[Sea Forest; July 8th, 1522]
"Rowan-san."
Within the intense atmosphere, Jinbe, who was sitting by, spoke up in a resolute manner.
"I also have a fault in this."
Hatchan turned around in shock, "No, it was just us! Don't lie for my sake, Jinbe!"
"...Jinbe."
Rowan shifted his eyes to Jinbe, which were clouded by the mix of fury and confusion.
Jinbe, then bowed down to Rowan with his head touching the ground all of a sudden, "Before you bring your judgment upon Hachi and me, will you take time to listen to our story?"
From the back, king Neptune sighed in fatigue.
"What exactly is going on right now?" Ace whispered as he looked to the left and right, "Why are we fighting among ourselves?!"
"Don't interfere, Ace." Marco stated from Ace's side, "This is an order."
This was stupid. For a moment, Rowan momentarily felt a pang of regret that he left Kuroobi alive. Perhaps he should kill Hachi right now and be done with it. Kill them and fulfill his revenge, just like what he's been doing up until now.
'Heh,' Rowan couldn't help but let out hollow laughter within himself, 'I don't even understand what I am doing anymore. Mom, dad, Pob, what have you done to me?'
Returning his attention back to Jinbe, Rowan finally stated,
"Speak."
"Huu..." Taking in a deep breath as he raised his posture back, Jinbe began to speak, "It all started from the return of Fisher Tiger, our big boss."
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[AN: I'm not taking the entire time to explain the past that was thoroughly told in the canon. If you wonder what happened, go read the actual One Piece or wiki.]
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[Area Near the Fish Bus Stop; approximately 1 hour later]
"Oh, they are doing pretty well by themselves." From the side, Dan, who was now seen to be sitting along with Carmen and Cavendish on the side, commented as they spectated the battle between Nojiko, Nami, and Hawkins.
"That Mythical Zoan fruit that Nojiko got..." Cavendish narrowed his eyes, "...it's too flashy! She stands out too much!"
"Of course that's the first thing you think of." Carmen snorted before placing her hand on her chin, "Now, why were they fighting again?"
*BOOM*
On the battlefield, Nojiko, who was in a slim hybrid form, slammed her paw onto the ground as Hawkins dashed backward to dodge her attack.
"By the way, where are the others?" Carmen asked Dan and Cavendish in realization, "Why are you guys here anyway?"
"Because you are too slow." Dan responded, "Bonney and Law should be bringing their ships to the Sea Forest by now."
Cavendish pouted as he crossed his arms, "I simply came here to shine, but it's you who prevented me from doing so!"
*PAZZZ*
From a dense cloud that Nami somehow generated above Hawkins, quite potent lightning slammed down onto Hawkins.
And due to him being a straw man, the heat generated from the lightning brought life to a fire that began to burn on Hawkins's body.
"Oof." Dan exclaimed with a frown upon seeing the gruesome situation that Hawkins was within.
"Haa... you are more annoying than ever." Carmen deadpanned at Cavendish, "Why did it have to be you who ate the Glint Glint fruit? I prefer Alfred a hundred times more."
"Suck it up, loser." Cavendish wiggled his eyebrow as he took out a rose and began to munch on it, which earned a growl from Carmen.
"You want to have a go, light-headed moron?!"
"Bring it on, toasted-brain!"
*BOOOOM*
The Twin Cats pirates and Hawkins pirates came to a stop upon hearing a loud noise on their side.
'Tch... what are they up to?!' Hawkins, who was still in a gigantic straw-doll-devil form, thought in a cold sweat, 'Why are the Grimheart pirates here? And the way they communicated with those Twin Cats... this is why the rate of survival was low, I see.'
Carmen and Cavendish were seen to be fighting among each other.
"Fruit ability is the only thing you know, huh?! Yeah?!!" Cavendish screamed childishly as he blasted a beam of light.
"Says the idiot who doesn't even know how to use 1% of his fruit ability!!!" Carmen retorted with a similarly childish scream as she blasted a ball of flame.
"Come on, you guys..." Dan, who was sitting by, groaned as he covered his face in embarrassment.
The Twin Cats pirates and Hawkins pirates stared at the dispute between Carmen and Cavendish with a dull look, before turning their heads back to each other.
"...Hey Nojiko," Nami whispered as she squinted her eyes at Carmen and Cavendish, "is that how our fight started?"
Nojiko bent down and lifted up one tarot card that was scattered on the ground, before inspecting it, "...It's just a normal card."
Then, both of them turned their attention to Hawkins, who was seen with burns, gashes, and bruises all over his body. His state seemed miserable.
"...What." Hawkins muttered, trying to come off as impassive as he could. The reason he was in such a state, well... he was distracted by the sight of Carmen, Dan, and Cavendish. What will happen if he defeated Nojiko and Nami? He had to look for what lied beyond the victory of his crew, and this led to the current situation.
*BOOOOOOM*
"F*** you!!!"
"No, f*** you!!!"
Dan shouted in annoyance, "F****** stop already!!!"
"Here." Nojiko threw the card in her hand back to Hawkins, "What are we doing here?"
'You've realized that just now?!!' Hawkins felt like cursing against his character.
"Well, too bad." Nami said while leaning her bo-staff on her shoulder, "I still had a few more tricks to test out."
Hawkins unconsciously shivered upon hearing Nami's words.
"...I never had any intention to fight any of you." Hawkins decided to sacrifice his pride in return for the survival, "I apologize if my attempt to conduct my fortune-telling felt threatening."
Nami nodded comically with her eyes closed, "You are forgiven!"
"Just don't do your fortune-telling thingy ever again, alright?" Nojiko stated as she retracted back to her human form.
Hawkins's fists clenched in anger. With a tickmark on his forehead, he took in a deep breath to ease his anger.
"Huh?" Nojiko raised her eyebrow, "Are you angry?"
Hawkins was so close to exploding. He, the 'Magician' who was known to never reveal his emotion to anyone, was so close to losing his senses in anger.
"...No, I am not."
Bringing his crew together before they get attacked once again, Hawkins made a swift escape.
*BOOOOM*
"Ahhhhh!!! Die already!!!!"
"No, you!!!"
All that was left in the field now, was the Twin Cats pirates and Dan spectating the fight between Carmen and Cavendish.
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[Sea Forest]
"...And therefore, it was me who sent Arlong and his crew to the Cocoyasi village." Jinbe ended his statement with evident guilt on his face, "I... didn't know that Arlong would go to such an extent, that he will do the very same thing that we suffered against. Now, with everything have been said, even if you were to end us, we will accept it gladly."
Hatchan simply sat silently with his head lowered.
"Haa..." Rowan sighed hollowly as he gazed up, "Arlong was one despicable as****e. Should've given him the death worse than a simple shard by the neck."
Rowan began to walk toward Jinbe and Hatchan.
Everyone stood by, awaiting Rowan's action.
"Oi, Rowan!" Ace voiced out in a cold sweat, "Are you really going to do it?!"
"Shut up, Ace!" Jozu barked at Ace with seriousness, "Regardless of our relationships at the current moment, the fact that they partook in bringing such a tragedy upon Rowan can't simply be overlooked!"
However, in contrast to everyone's expectations, Rowan simply walked past Jinbe and Hachi.
"Jinbe." While walking, Rowan spoke out in a monotone, "Then protect your island properly. You say that Otohime's will is rendering you unable to enter the island, because you are wanted? You got to be kidding me. You are willing to let those pirates harm your people and give rise to another batch of folks who bear hatred for humankind?"
Jinbe raised his head up in surprise.
"Hachi. As for you... ha! I really wished for you to be the same ol' Hachi as before. I would've enjoyed killing you." Rowan continued to walk, "But killing someone who is willing and guilty... death isn't a punishment to you. It's the liberation. Therefore... go follow Kuroobi to Cocoyasi. Protect them with your life. Ask them for forgiveness. Live to suffer. Done."
Hatchan felt his jaw gaping open.
"B-but..." Hatchan weakly spoke up, "I was part of the Arlong pirates!! Why are you letting me go?!!"
He couldn't understand. He thought that he will suffer a fate worse than what his imagination was capable of thinking, not this... act of virtue that could hardly be seen in the Great Era of the Pirates, and from the infamous 'Grimheart' nonetheless.
"I know that you've killed thousands! So why spare me?!"
"Because that's the torture greater than any other. Do you even know how hard it is to ask for someone's forgiveness?"
Rowan kept walking forth as he ignored the eyes of all the others.
"Oh, and if you die before reaching Cocoyasi, I will find your corpse and mutilate it."
Hachi simply gazed at Rowan in disbelief, who walked away to the inner area where the Poneglyph lied.
'I don't need to understand myself. I don't need to justify anything—whatever. Screw these internal monologues.' Rowan placed his hands in his pockets. He was done with this emotional distress.
The unique environment of the forest, which was encased by the light illuminated from a root of the Sunlight Tree Eve, was a sight to behold. At some distance away, Rowan could see many owner-less ships that have been impaired beyond repair. Simply put, the scenery was quite chaotic, and ironically enough, such a chaotic sight restored order within Rowan's mind.
And now, Rowan was standing in front of the blue Poneglyph. Although he wasn't able to understand the message that was inscribed on its surface, however, he finally found it. Just as Sob told, the 'One Isolated.'
"Ha...!" Rowan couldn't help but let out an amused laugh upon seeing the hidden message. What was written indeed was the same as the words spoken by Sob, however, she didn't say the entire truth.
Immortal, or in shortened form, Imu. Call it in reverse, and his name becomes Umi. Who exactly is this man? The one who received an immortal surgery through the wielder of Op Op fruit. The one who came from the very beginning of time, through the wielder of Time Time fruit. The one who owns the might of Human Human fruit, model: Umi, the god of sea. A ferocious being, where even the fully awakened ability of the 'Eyes of Gorgon' failed to achieve the victory against. Do not confront him, descendant of Vasilia. Joy Boy is our only hope. Hide, and wait for the day of liberation. I leave this message in the hands of fish, the inferior and isolated slaves who believe themselves as equal to us, the superior ones. Perhaps accepting their terms was the reason why we lost.> Rowan, after reading the message, muttered, "Vasilia... deserved its fall." The family of Vasilia, from what Rowan could deduce from this message, was no different from the Arlong pirates. "Thanks, oh the hailed ancestors of mine. I'll take this for a petty purpose of mine." And now, Rowan's eyes were now glowing brilliantly in bright red and gold respectively. With the special vision granted by the golden-coloured eye, Rowan's whole world now seemed to be shaking and vibrating non-stop. Incredibly acute eyesight that allowed him to glimpse the movements of individual particles. Unlike the previous stage where he felt them, he could now see them as well. 'And as for red, I don't even have to test it out. Naught but a simple augmentation in the use of Conqueror's Haki: Manifestation.' The Infusion, which he acquired by analyzing how Garp used it, was an extremely advanced technique that Rowan was still in the process of improving. And the Manifestation was a step beyond that. It was akin to how Armament Haki worked, and Rowan somehow knew, 'The more the amount of Conqueror's Haki that can be manifested, the better my control over it is. The opposite case of how the chakra in Naruto works.' Retracting his empowered eyes and turning around, Rowan gazed at Carina, Alfred, Farul, Robin, and Urouge, who were now standing behind him. Now, it was time to let go of the past. Rowan let out a smile, to which his crew notably relaxed upon seeing, 'I would rather focus on the present.' What lied just ahead of the Fish-Man Island was the real start. The sea where the Marine and World Government were unable to control. Big Mom. Kaidou. Shanks. Perhaps some other hidden threats as well. And finally, Imu. Rowan could already see how troublesome his future will be. "Upon the request we gave just now, the fish-man named Den has begun to coat our ship." Carina stated while pointing her thumb to her back, "He says that it's going to take around 3 weeks in total. Excluding ours, there are 4 more ships to coat, after all." Rowan shook his head, "It's 3 now." Urouge, with a grin, spoke up in confusion, "How?" "Apoo is dead." "Ehh... around 2 weeks and 4 days then?" On the other hand, "So this is the Poneglyph. Ho, this is the first time I've personally seen one before." Alfred stated while stroking his mustache. "Joy Boy… apology letter?" Robin, whose eyes were busy reading the context of the Poneglyph, muttered in realization, "This isn't what I expected. None of it mentions the historical context within the Void Century. Just who—no, what are you, Joy Boy?" All the troubles within the Fish-Man Island finally seemed to be settling down.