He was indecisive. Dante truly had no idea what he wanted to do. There was equal merit in either option, a chance to explore the world some more. Although, one option would involve a lot more... ass whooping.
Oh well. Chances are it wouldn't take that long for him to go muscle down those Vinsmoke fellas, he could probably raid Impel Down afterwards and still be back before sundown. Then again, when you're capable of damn near stopping time following a schedule becomes a lot easier.
The treck over to the North Blue wouldn't be the most fun to endure, though. Come to think of it, he's never even been out of the Grand Line. For good reason, too. Everything outside of the Grand Line seems to just be kinda worthless.
On second thought, the best bet would be to shelf the Vinsmoke expedition until he either finds someone to navigate the world for him, or until he learns to sail himself. Dante never thought the day would come, but... he may have to put together a crew.
The only thing left to do now is get moving. Impel Down is pretty close by, he should be able to bring the Deadweight over, pay them a quick visit. He could do this the easy way, activate Quicksilver and just Trick through the facility while he grabs Ace and leaves, but it wouldn't be very fun that way.
No, he wanted to become legend, become the first man to break in and out of Impel Down, see how high his bounty can go, how much he can infuriate the Marines before their entire system falls apart after they lose half their forces trying to take him down.
Rayleigh would probably be pissed, but as long as the results are agreeable then the old bastard won't care too much. After all, he just wants to be sure Ace isn't Roger's son out of fear, the guilt would destroy him. Dante isn't exactly sure what would happen after that, but he was sure it would end in a group hug.
But... what would he do about Marineford if he bust in now? There would be no Summit War. It would be impossible, Ace was the key. Without Marineford, the One Piece wouldn't be real, he couldn't accept that.
'Fuck it', he thought to himself, 'I can always bust into Impel Down at any time, I don't need Ace to be there for it.'
With that idea set in his mind, Dante decided he would get the Vinsmoke business out of the way beforehand, believing that it would take only a few days at best. He had a time limit of 6 days before the execution took course, he initially had 7 however his faffing about with Robin took one down.
Come to think of it... it shouldn't be too bad for him to spend some more time enjoying life. In his defense, he hasn't spent much time with his friends lately.
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Sanji's boot misses its intended target, as Dante dodges to the side, avoiding the blow entirely. In response, Dante grabs Sanji's leg, tugging on it and throwing Sanji off balance as he careens towards the half-devil, helpless to avoid the right hook that sends him flying across the field.
From there, Dante hastily jumps up to avoid Luffy's stretched leg trying to sweep him out, shooting into the limb with Ebony and Ivory as it passes by, with each bullet sent back at him. This was just as Dante intended though, because before each bullet landed he would enter his Royal Guard, building up large amounts of 'Feedback' energy as he did so.
Upon landing, he unleashed said energy in Luffy's direction, causing the young pirate to be sent back by the sheer force of energy and the minor shockwave that came from it. When his Observation Haki alerted him of an incoming threat, he turned his head, facing Usopp who paled in fear and caught what looked to be a ball.
Immediately sensing danger yet again, Dante turned and threw the ball into the face of an approaching Nami, who had been trying to sneak up and whack him with that rod of hers.
The result was... catastrophic. It exploded across her face, revealing that it had been Usopp's 'Chili Star', causing Nami to drop down and claw at her eyes, cursing Usopp for 'using that fucking bomb'. Dante wagered that she was incapacitated.
Zoro suddenly flew into his field of vision, having been thrown towards Dante by Franky, who now was unleashing round on him from his own machine gun embedded in his arm.
Dante summoned a wheel of spectral swords that spun at high velocity, slicing through each bullet and sending them off course, into the surrounding trees and greenery. As the swords did work, Dante summoned Abbadon, intent on disarming Zoro as he had before only to frown as a chain link of Robin's arms held down the hammer.
From behind, he heard Luffy's fist hurtling through the air towards him, alongside Sanji's boot once more coming for his midsection. He smiled. They were somewhat learning.
"Good attempt."
He Tricked high and dismissed Abbadon, causing Sanji and Zoro to become entangled, Zoro having to hastily twist the blade so as to not tear into Sanji's foot, only for both of them to be socked by Luffy's fist.
As he landed, Dante smacked both of his hands against eachother and wiped down his coat before clapping, both to show his appreciation and signify that the bout ended.
"Congratulations, thats the closest you've come to even getting dirt on me."
He looks at Zoro, Sanji and Luffy.
"Next time, we'll take a look at what you three have been cooking up. And it better be good. Keep working on team combat, yeah?"
He walked past the still screaming Nami, patting her on the shoulder before deciding that he had been having enough fun, and that he couldn't put off his business forever.
With no elaboration whatsoever, Dante simply walks off, back towards the Deadweight. It was time for more tomfoolery, though this time with a distinct terrorist agenda.
The Vinsmoke's won't know what hit them.
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Well, it seems like they're going to have to wait a little bit before they know what hit them because Dante forgot how utterly boring those journeys across the ocean can be.
Another thing he didn't account for was how exactly he was supposed to arrive at the Vinsmoke Kingdom, some 'Germa 66' as it was called, a terrible name if Dante were to be entirely honest.
But anyways, the issue lied in the fact that he was going to need to go backwards to get into the North Blue. He couldn't just go up or down through the calm belt, no, because the Red Line was just a giant ribbon of mountains across the world. The planet was utterly divided, and he'd need to take a trip up the Reverse Mountain if he wanted to go to the North Blue.
Issue being? Well, the North Blue current only went up the mountain, so getting down would pose a slight issue. Thankfully for Dante, he had a plan. When his ship reached the top, the intersection point, he would simply grab the Deadweight and throw it into the North Blue.
Actually, no, screw that. Dante didn't want to be contained by the ocean, he refused to back down to some water! Cracking his knuckles, Dante jumps off of his ship and engages his Devil Trigger, the crimson lightning bolts once more lashing against his surroundings, being water this time, killing any fish in the vicinity.
Unfurling his wings, Dante grabs the Deadweight and simply ascends into the sky, towards the Reverse Mountain, and within a blink he finds himself directly above it. It's an odd natural structure, but he doesn't pay it much mind beyond that. If his calculations are correct, he needs to send the Deadweight into the top right from where he is.
Licking his thumb and pointing it out into the skyline so as to mimic a scope, Dante finds the right angle and nods his head, hurling the boat forward into the sky, watching with pride as it flies graciously, landing in the North Blue as the water around explodes outwards.
He probably could have flew over into the North Blue and dropped the Deadweight in, but throwing it felt more fun. Anyways, from there Dante simply flies over to his ship and disengages his Devil Trigger, finally able to go see what Germa 66 was all about.
This took a lot more work than he expected. Should've just asked for a picture and opened a portal, but oh well. Tomfoolery trumps all.
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According to the letter Dragon had so carefully handed to Dante, these folks were extremely advanced scientifically. The trade routes were a priority above all else, but if he could muscle them into full cooperation, or even offer some form of protectorate then he would get a bit more respect from Dragon.
Dante didn't have much in terms of expectations upon hearing they were 'technologically advanced', nor did he improve those expectations upon hearing they'd been underground for some time, not pushing out of their zone in the North Blue thanks a contract with the World Government.
And boy, wasn't that a surprise. Turns out, these guys supply the R and D department of the World Government, so they're a possible link to old Vegapunk. The World Government wouldn't expect the Army to be hiding right under their noses, and business would carry on as usual if all went well.
However, when Dante laid eyes on the 'Germa Kingdom' as it were, he found himself slightly confused. The whole place was just giant castles, tens of castles intertwined across the island. It didn't seem too advanced, but he wagered the goods would be held inside them as opposed to being out in the open.
With hopeful thoughts in mind that he could find fellow connoisseurs of the gun variety, Dante decided to dock the Deadweight right on the metaphorical front porch of the island, leaping over a steep railing that had been placed around the island.
Oddly, he felt a lot more signals on his Observation Haki than he expected. Hell, even the floor gave off a life signature. Before he even bothered trying to introduce himself, or force his way into the central buildings, he leaned over the railing, and saw something that he, in his many multitudes of adventures, would never forget.
"Is that a giant fucking snail?"
Indeed, he had been staring at the Germa Kingdoms true source of land. There was no island. Instead, it was just a series of artifical platforms held up by snails. Perfect for swift mobilisation. They'd always have the home turf advantage if they brought their home with them. Somewhat.
Now Dante was getting excited. These guys must be crazy if the whole island is just a bunch of damn snails. The hell are they gonna do if he just kills all the snails?
Dante smiled. He's already got the perfect scare tactic.
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"Hello, Germa Kingdom!"
Dante announced as he walked across the front most platform, finding himself at a large gate surrounded by two towers.
"Identify yourself, trespasser."
A cold, dry voice came over a radio that was placed next to the gate, one that Dante was all too pleased to answer.
"Name's Dante. Red Devil, you might've heard of me."
He leaned against the wall that the radio had been placed on, stroking his ego as he did.
"Anyways, I figure its time I start branching out a bit, ya get me? Big pirate gotta have some big friends. Mind getting me in contact with the man in charge round here?"
...
"You have exactly 15 seconds to leave before we open fire."
On cue, several men decked out in the most ugly uniform he had laid eyes on in this world began to line up over the roof of entrance gate, holding what seemed to be rifles.
"Right, guess we're doing this the old fashioned way. So much for diplomacy."
Dante gave little attention to the weapons poised to fire on him, nor did he care for the countdown across the radio. He had bigger priorities.
Summoning forth his dual Kalina Ann, Dante smiled and unleashed a storm of missiles, all aimed towards the door. 'I'm feeling pretty medieval right now', he thought as he dismissed the missile launchers.
In an instant, several hundreds of shots were fired at him, but Dante couldn't care less. He was finally having fun after such a boring journey, and he wasn't gonna let some gunfire change that. Dodging it all was menial to him.
Calling upon his Devil Sword and walking forward through the now blasted open gate, Dante began his siege.