Koby and Te stood over the motionless bodies of White Crow, Worg, and the remaining syndicate members, their breaths heavy but determined. The fierce battles had taken their toll, but they were far from finished. Te glanced at Koby, and they both nodded, knowing what had to be done next.
Koby pulled out a small, gleaming stone from his pocket—the Philosopher's Stone they had created in their secret lab. It pulsed faintly with a deep, otherworldly energy. Te, always the more impulsive of the two, crouched down beside White Crow's body. "This guy was tough, but his power's even more useful to us."
With a quick motion, Te activated his Nen and extracted the essence of White Crow's Devil Fruit, the Pāpu Pāpu no Mi. A translucent, eerie glow appeared over White Crow's chest, and slowly, the swirling essence of the fruit's power was pulled from his body and into the Philosopher's Stone.
The stone vibrated in Te's hand as it absorbed the Devil Fruit's power, the glow becoming more intense. Koby, keeping watch, felt the air shift around them, the power of the Devil Fruit now contained within the stone, stored for later use.
"That's one down," Koby muttered, glancing over at Worg's limp body.
Te moved over to Worg next, repeating the process. This time, Worg's soul, infused with his monstrous strength and Haki, was drawn into the stone. The Philosopher's Stone glowed brighter, its energy nearly overwhelming as it consumed the power of two formidable enemies.
"Feels stronger," Te said, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "This'll come in handy."
Koby nodded, pocketing the now-enhanced Philosopher's Stone. "Let's finish this up. The kids are still out there."
Without another word, the boys sprinted out of the fortress, their senses heightened, and their determination burning brighter than ever. As they exited, the moonlight revealed a group of children being led toward a large, ominous ship by syndicate members. The kids were terrified, their eyes wide with fear as they were dragged closer to the vessel.
"Not on our watch," Koby growled, his flames igniting once more.
In a blur of speed and precision, Koby and Te charged at the remaining guards, dispatching them with swift, brutal efficiency. Flames and explosions filled the air as the boys tore through the last of the pirates, leaving nothing but charred remains in their wake. The children watched in awe as their captors were obliterated.
Koby bent down to one of the kids, a small girl who looked no older than six. "You're safe now. We'll get you all out of here."
Te, surveying the scene, added, "Stay close to us. We'll make sure you get home."
After guiding the children to safety and ensuring they were far from the danger zone, Koby and Te returned to the fortress. They hadn't come this far just to leave empty-handed.
"Time to see what treasures these guys were hoarding," Te said with a grin as they re-entered the crumbling structure.
The fortress's interior was eerily silent now, with only the faint echoes of their footsteps bouncing off the stone walls. They navigated the twisting corridors until they reached a hidden room, tucked behind a false wall in the back of the fortress. Inside, piles of gold, jewels, and artifacts were scattered across the floor, glinting in the dim light.
"Jackpot," Koby muttered, his eyes scanning the treasure hoard.
But as they moved deeper into the room, they found something far more disturbing. A collection of documents lay on a large desk, and as Te picked them up, he felt a chill run down his spine.
"Koby," he called, his voice tense.
Koby moved over, looking over Te's shoulder at the papers. They detailed experiments—twisted, cruel experiments conducted on children. And at the top of each report was the name Big Mom.
"These kids… they were being trafficked," Koby said, his voice filled with disgust. "White Crow wasn't just running some small-time operation. He was supplying children to Big Mom for her twisted experiments."
Te clenched his fists, his anger boiling over. "That psycho was handing over innocent kids for some sick scheme."
Koby's expression darkened. "We knew Big Mom was bad news, but this… this is on another level."
Te tossed the documents aside, fire burning in his eyes. "We'll deal with her one day. But for now, we've got what we need."
The boys gathered what treasure they could carry, taking the most valuable artifacts and gold. But the weight of their discovery lingered in the air. As they left the fortress, they knew this was just the beginning of something much larger, much darker. Big Mom's influence was more far-reaching than they had realized, and one day, they would have to confront her.
But tonight, they had won. They had saved the children and defeated a warlord. And they had grown stronger in the process.
"We'll be ready for whatever comes next," Te said, glancing at Koby.
Koby nodded, the Philosopher's Stone humming faintly in his pocket. "Yeah. Let's get out of here."
After leaving the fortress with the rescued children in tow, Koby and Te made their way to a safe spot near the coastline. The night air was cool, and the ocean waves gently lapped against the shore, creating an eerie calm after the storm of their battle.
Te pulled out a Den Den Mushi, the small snail device slowly coming to life as its eyes opened, blinking sleepily. The boys had taken the Den Den Mushi from one of the fallen White Crow crew members earlier, knowing it would come in handy for what was about to happen next.
Koby nodded to Te, signaling him to make the call. Te grinned as he adjusted his voice, masking his real tone with a deeper, more authoritative sound.
The Den Den Mushi rang for a moment before a stern voice answered on the other end.
"This is the Marines, state your business."
Te smirked, keeping his tone calm and composed. "We've located a major pirate hideout near the northern coast. There are children here who were being trafficked, and several members of the White Crow crew have been captured."
There was a pause on the other end before the voice responded, more alert this time. "White Crow's crew? You're saying the Warlord himself is involved in this?"
"Not anymore," Koby interjected, still maintaining his cool facade. "White Crow and his lieutenants are dead. We dealt with them. But there are a few lower-ranking pirates left, tied up and waiting for you. The priority is getting these kids to safety."
Another pause, followed by a low murmur of voices in the background. The Marine on the other end spoke again, his tone skeptical yet cautious. "Who exactly are you? How did you manage to defeat a Warlord and his crew?"
Te glanced at Koby with a mischievous grin. "Just consider us good Samaritans with a talent for dealing with scum like White Crow. If you want more details, you'll have to figure them out yourself."
Koby added, "We don't have time to waste. The children need to be evacuated immediately. Send a team to this location—coordinates are attached."
Te quickly fed the Den Den Mushi a coded set of coordinates. "The pirates will be here long enough for you to deal with them. If you don't want to miss this opportunity, I'd hurry."
There was a long silence before the Marine finally relented. "Understood. We're dispatching a unit immediately. Stay where you are and don't interfere further."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Te said with a smirk before cutting the call.
The Den Den Mushi's eyes drooped shut as the connection ended. Te tossed it into the ocean, watching as it sank beneath the waves.
Koby leaned back against a nearby rock, exhaling slowly. "Think they'll buy it?"
Te shrugged. "Doesn't matter. The Marines will be here soon enough, and once they find the pirates and the kids, they'll handle the rest."
Koby nodded, glancing at the children, who were huddled together, some still shaken from the ordeal. "We should move them to a safer spot before the Marines arrive."
Te agreed, and the two boys led the children to a nearby cliffside, ensuring they were well-hidden from view. As they waited for the Marine ship to arrive, the boys sat in silence, their minds racing with the events that had transpired.
The horizon soon lit up with the glow of approaching Marine ships, their sails bearing the unmistakable symbol of justice. The boys watched from their vantage point as the Marines stormed the pirate fortress, capturing the remaining White Crow crew and securing the rescued children.
"We did it," Te said quietly, a sense of satisfaction washing over him.
Koby, watching the scene unfold below, nodded. "Yeah. But this is just the beginning."
(There will probably be a couple more chapters of their childhood to introduce some characters then we wrapping this thing up for more adventures)