"WHAT!"
That was all Atlas' racing mind could manage as he unintelligibly opened his mouth and closed it multiple times while his eyes widened into saucers.
This woman had just declared what? He had just met her! What the hell was she on about 'husband candidate"?
As he stood there rooted to the spot like a new branch from the processed wooden floorboards, Charlotte turned her smug look to him as she cackled.
"Mama-hahahahaha!" Again it caused the waters below them to swirl around chaotically into minor waves as they crashed into the ships side and roughened up their peaceful travel.
"What the hell do you mean by that? I barely even know you!" He nearly screamed in a deep roar as a tick mark bulged across the side of his forehead, threatening to pop and give him a bloodshot eye at any moment.
"Simple! You have met my requirements, the first to ever manage and become my possible husband!" She spoke with an unrelenting pride that seemed to state that this was an honour he should be thankful for.
Instead he was planning his new escape from a completely different type of hell he found himself in.
'seriously Atlas, how do you keep finding yourself in these places!'
He wanted to run and try his luck at the bottom of the sea, he had managed to stay alive for ages as his Fishman distorted future self, maybe he could wait this lunatic woman out till she got bored?
No, she was obviously insane. She would probably find some way to scoop him up from the seabed and force him into acceptance. A shiver ran down his spine as he thought of that.
His hackle raised, he suddenly lost all sense of fear for this mad woman and her words. His teeth gained a sharpened edge as his eyes hardened into a glare that could cut.
The air grew stiff and frigid as if in anticipation for what was to come.
"I am not yours to control! Try to force me into anything and I cut you into such small pieces that even the most powerful spyglass won't be able to make them out."
What started as a hour ended in a frigid cold that caught in the air as if the threat alone caused it to drop into a tepid frozen state.
Linlins eyes narrowed into slits as her booming laughter came to a sudden stop. The world around them seemed to hold its breath as it watched the exchange nervously.
Then just as suddenly as she had stopped, she started laughing again, even louder this time. "Perfect, my future husband should have a spine too! No weakling pushovers could ever be with me!"
The words erked Atlas further as his stoney countenance turned into a grimace of rising frustration. "I am not yours!" He shouted back, though it seemed lost in her laughter.
"Oh, well we shall see about that." Charlotte spoke again as her petulance flared, she hated being told what she could and couldn't have.
If she said he would be her future husband then her future husband he would be! Besides he was only a candidate, he hadn't even earnt that place yet.
"Tch, you should be pleased. Do you know how many men I have turned down, I am Charlotte Linlin! One of the strongest pirates out there and a woman all men want!" As she spoke she struck a pose as if expecting him to suddenly realised the error of his eays and grovel by her feet.
Instead though all that did was further annoy him. "Look lady, I have no idea who you are beyond what we talked about! If you want me to be your husband then you better earn it your damn self!"
Atlas didn't even register what he had said, too caught up in his own anger and rising frustrations that had been mounting higher and higher ever since he finally made his escape.
When he finally took a breath and looked up at Charlotte, it hit him. Did he just... No, no that wasn't what he meant.
But it was clearly too late. Charlotte had at first been too taken aback to speak, but now she seemed to be nodding along to something as her eyes held a certain light.
Gone was her own frown and dangerous air, instead a new bubbly energy seemed to fill her.
"Ohhhh I see.. yes yes that makes sense, after all only the best would accept the best. If I want the best husband I should prove myself the best wife to him too. Mama-hahaha." Light dawned in her eyes as she nodded rapidly at the idea seeming to like it more and more.
Atlas went Gray and then white as he blanched at her words, that had not been what he meant at all! Just as he was about to correct her, Charlotte thrust out her hand and grasped his, shaking it firmly.
"I accept! You will prove to me your worthiness and I will do the same back! Mama-hahahahaha, I like it!" And then she turned and ran off as if already rushing to somehow prove herself.
Atlas was left, mouth hung open and hand still hanging limply where it had been shook by Charlotte as if sealing a business deal.
What the hell had he just gotten himself into now. He didn't know but he could already feel the beginnings of a headache creeping up on him as he tried to think about it. Whatever it was, it would be a pain.
A small nagging feeling though crept up. The feeling of wanting somewhere to belong, a family of his own. He shot it down with a snort, yeah he had never imagined it quite being like this though!
A long, weary sigh escaped his lips as he decided to rest his frayed emotions before fixing this mess. Linlin had been a rollercoaster ride of emotional turmoil, constantly taking his already exhausted mind beyond its limits before he even had any time to truly heal it from the years of emotional trauma that scarred it.
"Mad woman, only explanation for her!" He mumbled to himself as he slumped against the rails again. He shook his head ruefully as he could already imagine the troubles she was going to cause him.
Yet, now that he had claimed down, he couldn't help the light smile forming in his lips. It had been a gut reaction to get so angry but as it's cloud lifted he could tell that he wasn't as bad off as he thought.
Yes the pink haired looney might try and call him her first 'husband candidate' again, but really what did that even mean? He wouldn't be forced into anything unless he proved himself and he had a feeling that if he could do that he would be able to force her to give up and not the other way around.
Instead he now saw her antics as funny, she was clearly a woman who flew by her own ideas and desires never stopping to form a proper plan. She just jumped right into it and used her overwhelming strength to make things go her way.
Like a little kid playing with their toys, she just didn't know any better. Seeing that he couldn't be truly angry at her anymore. Annoyed? oh hell yes, but angry? No, there wasn't any malicious intent there just a simple want with no idea what it means to get it.
Maybe he could show her that, then she would leave him alone?.. no, even though he had only just met her, he could tell that she was not the type to give up or change things easily.
Deflating like a lead balloon he settled back into the railing. His mind still desperately trying to find ways out of whatever game Charlotte Linlin was playing. Shaking his head, this was just another reason to get stronger.
Only then could he be in control, no more following other people's desires. Gritting his teeth he felt the wood strain under his clamped hands as they tried to crush down.
He hated feeling this weak, his whole life he had only ever felt like a puppet with his strings being pulled by others. Soon he would cut those strings and be his own person.
For now though, all he had managed was swapping out the puppet master. He only hoped Rocks was if not better atleast lazier in his control. So far Atlas had to admit that seemed to be the case but now Linlin proved he wasn't the only one he had to worry about.
With that in mind he went further up the bow of the ship, finding an empty spot he sat down to think through his ability and all its uses he knew of.
So far, Saturn had 'trained' him to be able to not just change the age of anything he touched, even though that alone had proven quite powerful, but to also transform himself into other races.
He had marvelled at that. How does his fruit even work like this? Manipulating age is one thing but 'distorting his future self', as the scientists had called it, to become a literal giant! That didn't make sense at first.
But eventually Atlas had just come to accept it, the constant confirmation it was possible proved it. All the times hearing the scientists tell him to stop limiting his fruit started to wear off too.
They were always so adamant that his fruit could do so much more, I could do so much more I just had to stop holding myself back.
'What did that even mean? I did everything they showed me to do, I mastered the transformations into Giant, Fishman, Birkan and mink.
I passed each of the so called training they put me under for each of those races and I never gave in! How was that holding myself back?'
Just thinking about them caused Atlas' heart to race as his blood felt like it was boiling through his veins. Anger surged through him like molten lava through a volcano, just waiting to burst out and destroy everything around him.
Sitting there as the air washed over him, carrying the salty tang of the ocean, he took big gulping breaths to calm himself back down. The sting of the sea salt a reminder that he wasn't there anymore.
He was free of that place, at least as free as he had ever been before. He let his mind wander as it took in the sounds of the ocean.
Crashing waves lapped against the ship, breaking into foamy wash as it pushed against the surging water coming up behind it. Wind rushed lazily about carrying a slight cold about it, but offset by the beating sun up above.
As he sat there immersed he could swear he felt each person lolling about the deck, keeping themselves busy with what ever task they could as they waited for something more interesting to happen.
The fish in the sea swimming in their large schools about the hull, hoping the large shadow of their ship could protect them from the larger creature lurking just a little further out.
Those too swam below, but they seemed to hesitate upon getting closer, as if some base instinct screamed at them to avoid that hulking mass sailing over the waters above.
Even they knew they would only be prey to the people who filled its wooden body. Atlas let out a soft chuckle at that, the idea of these massive beasts of the sea afraid to come too close.
As he let his mind wander on, he imagined one of them, a younger and more brash one, seem to snort at the others. It swam closer and closer to them. The others of its kind seemed to want to stop him.
Warning him back, but he didn't listen. Instead he picked up his pace as he aimed for the surface to the starboard side of their ship.
His figure moved lithely with an impressive speed for his size. Soon he was near to the top, just about to burst through the water's surface.
'BOOOM!'
Atlas snapped his eyes open as he pushed to his feet in a single motion. Swivelling round he looked for what had caused that sound.
Their on the starboard side was a massive head of some scaley sea monster, it's whicked grin stretched across its face as it bared it's gigantic razor shape teeth at them.
A sadistic gleam lit up its eyes as it watched them. At least for the split second it lasted. Before Atlas could even move to fight it himself, the beast was dead.
The golden haired swordsman had cleanly sliced it's head off, bisected just beneath its lower jaw as it was about to open.
The creature hadn't even had time to open its mouth and make a sound before it had died.
The swordsman floated forwards as he slapped the things body and head, before it too suddenly lifted from out of the water, trailing behind the ship.
"Shihahaha, looks like meat is back on the menu guys!" The golden haired flying swordsman shouted as he stepped back onto the deck.
Atlas though was too focused on the dead sea monster floating behind their ship. It was exactly like the one he had been imagining... It's light blue scales glinting in the afternoon sun.
Was he just imagining that.. or was there more going on?