Chapter 20
Quick foreword: I'll start using the Gregorian Calendar. There will often be small timeskips and i hope it will help clarify the TimeLine.
Reminder! Ainz spawned in in year 1505. Luffy was born in 1505. Rogers execution was 1500. Ohara was around 1502. Canon year is 1522-1524
I'll only start with the Calendar now. There might be inconsistencies with the distance people will travel in certain amounts of time because i don't know much about the map but i hope you'll forgive me for that.
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07:45, 13th May 1505, Marineford, GrandLine.
The morning sun glinted off the white stone of Marineford, casting long shadows from the towering walls and justice-inscribed banners that fluttered high above. Seagulls circled lazily in the sky, their cries lost beneath the clang of boots and barked orders echoing across the plaza.
Rows of Marines drilled in perfect unison, their rifles gleaming under the sharp eye of a grizzled sergeant. Cannons lined the battlements like silent sentinels, their black mouths aimed toward the horizon — a reminder to the world that the hand of justice never rested.
At the heart of it all stood the towering Marine HQ, its architecture both grand and unyielding. Inside, officers moved briskly through marble corridors, files tucked under arms, Den Den Mushi crackling with updates from distant seas. Somewhere, a Commodore shouted down a junior officer for a late report on pirate activity in the South Blue. Elsewhere, a group of young Marines carried rations of food and gunpowder, preparing for departure.
The entire fortress bristled with unending activity as ships came and went, answering the calls of distress of glorious kings and famished villagers alike. It was proof, proof of the Marines effort to hold the Line and the sweat and blood they invested into protection. Into Justice.
Yet, above the hanging banners of justice, above the hardworking men and women promising to do everything in their power to contribute in creating a haven for the weak, the presence of a duo of masked individuals soured the atmosphere.
Their steps silent and their presence suffocating as the group of masked individuals moved towards the office of the Fleet Admiral. Trainees, soldiers and even officers parted in front of the group, while gazing at them with distrustful eyes.
Yet the figures did not mind the looks, simply advancing towards the office with the professionalism and apathy of stone faced killers.
The well oiled door opened without a creak as the Agents entered the room, ignoring the scowl on the Admiral's faces.
The amount of people in office was negligible. The Fleet Admiral and the Admirals were present along with some notable Vice Admirals.
The 2 Agents sat down, readying themselves for what would surely become a heated debate. The Admirals did the same, most notedly the famed figure of the Golden Buddha, Sengoku who held a stack of papers and reports as he nudged his friend, Garp awake.
Sokuon sat at the desk, his leg impatiently bouncing underneath the table while Zephyr was absent.
One more Vice Admiral was present, a blackish gray haired woman with wrinkles and a tired air. Her name was Tsuru, she was one of the most prominent female marines in the World, wielder of the Wash Wash fruit. While not being a powerhouse of the level of an Admiral, she was a Veteran fighter who was known for having mastered her devilfruit and being a masterful strategist.
What about Kong, the fleet Admiral? He felt uncertain. His position isn't exactly friendly when it came to paperwork. It had been skimmed through and he felt like a lot of context was lacking for him to be making any major contributions to the discussion.
Yet, duty called and the meeting started.
"Let us begin. First, a clarification of the situation. The events which were mentioned in the rapport transpired in the West Blue around two weeks ago."
The Voice of Admiral Sengoku was the first to speak up, his voice clearly carrying through the room.
"However, the context of the issue is broader. We will first structurize what exactly happened at Soja island, as mentioned in the Local Commodore's report."
A few nods appeared. Kong was especially grateful. He had heard about the Gambino family's dismantlement and that was somehow linked to a merchant... That was all he knew.
"The clearest matter first. Soja island. An island located in the West blue, in the sphere of influence of the Gambino family. The Gambino family is one of the 5 great Families who rule the Sea. However, they also happened to be the family the most exposed to our Influence, being that of the Marines.
Not being able to contest in strength, they ruled through corruption, appealing to greed. Their territory always did encompass several island, but it was already suspected that Soja island was their main base of operation."
Everyone followed so far.
"Their network consisted of merchants or rather smugglers. The contacts they had within the Marines made trade more prosper for them and their collaborators. Their military strength? Next to none. Information was their weapon. A large amount of thugs and criminals, even pirates flocked to them but despite that, these men weren't loyal. They were opportunists whose collaboration with the Gambino family stemmed out of the resource they could get and the information in order to avoid contact with the Marines."
"In short, it was a safe-haven for criminals."
"More than that. It was a direct link to the underworld. Crime could be processed through the family. They worked like a merchant guild. Finding connections and creating deals for those who struggled to do so themselves. Worse than that, they actually USED Marines in order to send shipments around. Their claws ran deep."
Sengoku's head turned towards the 2 Agents.
"Merchant ships affiliated to the World government contributed to their business as well."
The neutral look on both agents' faces told them everything they needed to know.
"We'll make sure to report the issue."
A few dark looks were exchanged at the insincere statement. Nevertheless, Sengoku continued.
"The Gambino family's main base was located on Soja island. But no move was done against their family. The main reason were the other 4 families. Their rivalry kept each other from growing too powerful. Taking out all the 5 families would theoretically be possible but that would leave the entire region unstable and new crime syndicates would appear as soon as the old disappeared.
So, Status quo was maintained."
"A bit less than 2 months ago, the Merchant made his appearance. The Pollo Pirates, a small time pirate group, was annihilated by the Merchant and the prisoners on the ship were freed. The Merchant and the prisoners were allowed to stay at the base until new homes would be created for them. The local Commodore attempted to recruit the Merchant but failed.
Now, two weeks ago and around a month after the Merchants appearance, this happened. An Assassin of the Gambino family attempted to kill the Commodore. A special poison was used, one which is simply referred to as a Deathpoison. It has a 99% kill rate."
Both Tsuru's and Kong's faces scrunched up while Sokuon's feet tapping stopped.
Even Garp listened attentively now. The two agents remained impassive.
"Every Marine who came in contact with it, died. The only exception was the Commodore. The reason for his survival? A small statue made of an unknown material. When someone holds it, or even just carries it in their pocket, the poison becomes ineffective."
He allowed a moment of silence for everyone to take in the information. The particularities of the poison had not been in the report after all.
Tsuru spoke up.
"I assume that the Merchant is involved in the matter?"
Sengoku gave a nod.
"Indeed. The apprehended members of the Gambino family were quite clear on that. He introduced himself as Momonga and sold them several interesting items, including the poison in exchange for 2 Devilfruits."
"Momonga... Is that his real name?"
"The other identity he used in the Marine base was Ainz Ooal Gown. It should be noticed that he sold several items, including the small statue capable of resisting the poison to the local Commodore. We can look into those later.
Back to the events. The assassination attempt failed because of the small totem. It was given to the Commodore for free, under pretext of being a strength enhancer."
Kong spoke up this time.
"So, he knew about the assassination and intervened? Why would he save him?"
"Wasn't it mentioned in the report that he had a strange obsession with advertising his stuff? He apparently even gave some to the villagers he had saved..."
Tsuru had immediately followed up on Kong's question.
The ensuing silence as everyone pondered over the question was soon broken by one of the CP agents.
"That is not important. What truly matter is his ability to create such weaponry. The reports mentioned swords capable of controlling ice, scrolls capable of spitting out lightning and fire as well with food and drinks with a myriad of effects. He apparently uses his Devilfruit to create those items. We have been given the order to retrieve these items and bring them back for inspection."
The Agents cold voice drew stares, but he did not shift under the pressure.
Sengoku's eyes narrowed behind his glasses.
"You're here for the weapons."
It was less a question than a statement. Everyone present was aware that the World government attempted feeding Zoan fruits to objects. They had succeeded on multiple occasions. But Paramecia's? Logia's? Feeding those to objects had been written off as impossible. It was still researched, but no one truly held any hope for it.
"Now that someone can create such weapons, i suppose you would like him under your wing."
That was Sokuon, who felt excluded out the conversation and wanted to say something, be it accusatory or not.
His gaze was met with the same calm intensity the agents bore throughout the entire meeting.
"This ability is not just dangerous. It's revolutionizing. If it falls into the wrong hands, chaos could ensue."
The agents gaze darted back to Sengoku and Kong.
"You said it yourself. Corruption runs rampant in the Marines. It would be dangerous for you to have him stay with you."
Frowns appeared but no answer ensued. Until the famed "Temper of the Navy" suddenly exploded.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING YOU DAMN ROACH?"
Everyone immediately winced at the booming sound of Garp's voice. The Agents immediately looked at Kong, clearly expecting him to be the one to reign Garp in.
Tsuru bore a frown and Sokuon's anger seemed to silently flare as much's at Garp's.
Sengoku's look simply darkened. No one moved to stop Garp whose rant continued.
"I BET HALF THE REASON THAT MAFIA'S FAMILY EVEN STAYED IN BUSINESS IS BECAUSE OF..."
A fist crashed down on his head in time and Garp turned around, his gaze dark as he locked eyes with Sengoku.
"DAMN IT SENGOKU! Why'd you stop me? It's the TRUTH!"
"QUIET GARP. I'M DOING THE TALKING!"
Garp shut his mouth. He was aware that things like negotiation and diplomacy were not his strong suit, but listening to the CP Agents talking down the Marines was unacceptable for him. He crossed his arms huffing.
Kong's gaze had turned icy at some point and the next statement was obviously a threat.
"You and your colleague better think twice before insulting the name of the navy. And about the items... We'll be discussing that topic before making any decision."
Both Agents remained seating, but discomfort was obvious in the one who had remained silent throughout the whole meeting. The other one however, showed no sign of remorse. Nevertheless, they remained silent.
"Sengoku, continue."
The man took a breath before talking.
"There isn't much which remains to be said. Despite the man's involvement in selling and giving away the items, he does not seem to favor anyone more than another. He left for the GrandLine the day before the assassination. He most likely knew about it and tried to stay out of it. His only involvement in this whole thing seems to be the Weapons and equipment.
After the assassination attempt, the Commodore successfully subdued the entirety of the Gambino family's authority. The island is now fully controlled by the Marines. The only merchant ships allowed to leave are those procuring the Soja shipments."
"I see. That is all about the events? Then i would like to find everything we know about the Merchants personal abilities."
Kong immediately followed with another question. He wanted to bring up a topic of interest in order to make everyone forget about the CP Agents comment and Garps outburst. If they started talking about the Merchants items now, the bad atmosphere would likely remain.
It seemed as it worked as everyone with the exception of Tsuru perked up. Everyone here was a fighter and a little bit of a brute/battle-maniac and strength was always interesting to them.
Sengoku's glasses gleamed as he pulled out another file.
"Ainz Ooal Gown. Honestly, we don't have much on his strength. User of the "Mise-Mise-no-mi." He is capable of storing pretty much anything. Fruit awakening was mentioned. He can forcibly store things and his abilities are more brutal than you'd expect from a "Store Store" fruit."
The entire atmosphere of hostility had vanished as everyone listened to the abilities with growing interest.
Garp snorted. "Bet he's just another brat relying on his Devilfruit for everything."
But Sengoku immediately shook his head at that.
"He uses his Devilfruit a lot, true enough. But he is said to have interesting applications of Haki. Our Commodore confirmed him having Observation Haki. But his Haki is apparently strong enough to suppress his entire presence. It's impossible to sense him with Observation Haki. So he might have some skill."
The already interested stares intensified, especially those of the CP Agents. For assassins like them, becoming invisible to the color of observation would be a Godsend ability.
But skepticism was present as well. To become fully invisible to Haki seemed like a stretch. Haki was an ability which relied on willpower. But it also sensed willpower. If someone bore strong killing intent, Observation Haki would inevitably flare up. An assassin suppressing their willpower was nothing new.
But if a person used their Haki to consciously scan a room, the chances of missing an assassin were next to none, even if they suppressed their intent. In the end, Observation Haki mostly focused on the presence, and that was something that could not simply be extinguished.
Suppressing your presence to the point of being invisible, while standing in front of someone? That was... perhaps not impossible, but rather unlikely.
In the end, while the people present were impressed, they were all confident in their Observation Haki. Surely they'd be capable of sensing him.
"He was mentioned to have a powerful physical built and he seems to be rather cunning. We do not know if he is aware of the problems his merchandise entail, but he is certainly very capable of staying low. We have not heard of him before his recent appearance and we do not know enough about him to find out his origins."
Sengoku drew a big breath. It was time to talk about the merchant's most important asset.
"The equipment we know of consists of weapons and consumables mostly. The food and drinks are apparently capable of granting more strength and speed, even intelligence. But the real power comes out of his weapons."
He threw the CP Agents a sharp look
"His weapons are capable of emulating the effect of devilfruits. The currently recorded items are barely over a dozen. An example would be a short sword, currently in the possession of the assassin sent by the Gambino family. He is still running free somewhere.
But his sword's abilities are dangerously similar to Rear Admiral Kuzan's devilfruit abilities. The Gambino family associates confirmed that anyone is capable of drawing the swords power with minimal training. Apparently like instinct. That logic applies to most of the Merchants weapons, with no notable exceptions yet."
Sengoku waited a little, clearly anticipating many questions. Garp was the first.
"WAIT. How could he have the Ice Ice fruit's abilities if Kuzan already has it?"
"We are currently pondering the same question. There several theories on that. The first one. A similar but ultimately different Devilfruit was used. 2. He used a fragment leftover of the Devilfruit. 3. The Devilfruit was in his hands before it landed in Kuzan's. He used its ability and the Devilfruit reincarnated."
Tsuru interjected.
"I think the last option to be rather unlikely. Even Objects which have consumed Devilfruits have to be destroyed in order for the fruit to reincarnate. If the sword still exists, then it could not have reincarnated."
But Sengoku shook his head.
"We thought so too at first, but someone brought up an excellent point. His Devilfruit is capable of storing concepts and intangible things. He might not truly "feed" the devilfruits to objects. It is more apparent to "store a fragment of the abilities." If he can store strength, it means that he extract it from a person. What if he extracts the devilfruit abilities from a fruit? Without feeding it to anything? It would also explain why the sword is weak in comparison to the Fruit."
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Silence.
"That... sounds far-fetched."
An Agent spoke up but Sengoku shook his head again.
"We are dealing with someone who has found an abstract use of his own Devilfruit abilities. Writing off statements because they "sound far-fetched" is dangerous. The entire concept of the "Store-Store fruit" sounds far-fetched to me, yet here it is. We believed that Paramecias and Logias couldn't be fed to Objects, yet it might just be what's happening. Let us not be hasty do dismiss possibilities."
Kong let out a sigh.
"Do we know where he is?"
"Only that he entered the GrandLine."
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"Do we know more about his inventory?"
The other Agent spoke up. They had come to collect what they could from the Marines and find out more about the abilities and weapons.
Sengoku hesitated before speaking.
"We have a few files and they smell like trouble. He seems to have many powerful lightning abilities. It might be an indicator to the legendary Goro Goro no mi."
A frown appeared on the Fleet admiral's face. They had been searching for that fruit for ages. It was one of the most legendary fruits in existence and uncontested for it's title of strongest Logia. The Marines had their fair share of Logia users, but more Logias capable of speed would grant the Marines an amount of mobility they had never seen before. And speed was power. That was proven by Kizaru. The soon to be Vice Admiral did not have much skill with Haki, yet would undoubtedly become the most important force of the Marines in the future. The reason for that was simply the fact that he would be the fastest deployable Marine in current time. Having another such fruit would greatly help them restore order in the New World.
Sengoku continued.
"And it most likely isn't the only one. Fire based abilities point towards the Mera-Mera no mi. We recovered a scroll capable of unleashing a powerful flame. The Gambino family did not get to use or test it. We ourselves have yet to test the flame due to the fact it's fire is apparently finite. But we were told that it is very powerful. Many forces out there are sure to covet him once his abilities get known."
"If this Momonga or Ainz was supplied with Devilfruits, he could create a lot of powerful weapons. But..."
Sokuon was interrupted by Kong.
"...is it even worth it? Giving the fruit to a person would grant even more power, no?"
Tsuru answered in Sengoku's place.
"You forget an important detail. Controlling an object is easier than to control a person."
A grim atmosphere settled in the room as everyone was reminded of the powerful Vice Admiral who had left the Marine so shortly after being promoted.
"Dragon."
He was a powerful fighter with one of the most dangerous Devilfruit out there on the sea. It had seemed like a worthy gesture, to grant the son of the Marine hero such a powerful fruit, but he defected soon after that and was brandished a criminal by the World government. No one had believed the Son of the esteemed Marine hero to turn out the way he did, and because of that, a fruit capable of dominating most battles out on the sea had fallen out of the Marine's hands.
Yet Tsuru spoke up again.
"And additionally to that, you have to consider more. The Objects we found were sold to criminal groups like they were nothing. It is very possible that the merchant is capable of creating more powerful weapons which he keeps for himself. The Deathpoison for example? Our scientists did not understand anything about it and it's composition. But if such a powerful poison is sold to people like it is nothing, do you really think he has no more powerful version of it? No one would grant another an ability he could not counter.
I doubt this is the extent of his creations."
Silence settled over the room as everyone considered that.
It persisted for a short while, until one of the Agents brought up the real reason for their visit.
"We want a full catalogue of every piece of equipment of that Merchant. They are to be handed over to the CP Agencies."
Kong's face scrunched up as he already knew the discussion would not end anytime soon...
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Around the same time, Grandline, Drift-vale Atoll
The weather was nothing short of magnificent. The Sun was out and the distant cries of Seabirds echoed over the Waves which crashed down against the port.
The town was bristling with activity as the sound of Haggling and negotiation dominated the market.
This was Drift-Vale Atoll. Also known as the floating Bazaar.
Atolls were a specific type of islands, created by volcanic activity. What set them apart from normal islands was that the Volcanic activity usually took place underwater. It led to the top of the Volcano breaking through the surface of the Sea and forming a ring shaped island. Inside of the ring, the now-extinguished volcanic activity had ended and created a Lagoon.
So Atolls usually lacked the high reaching mountains or hills and instead usually had rather flat surfaces. That trait remained similar even underwater, with the Waters being rather shallow and filled with reef and Corals.
And drift-vale Atoll was no different in its creation. There were only a few differences between it and normal Atolls.
The most obvious one was the amount of Lagoons and the wide surface it had. As if volcano after volcano had been messily placed next to each other, many different Lagoons were present, some very far apart, and others so close they intertwined.
It was essentially a Valley of Atolls which looked like the different Atolls had drifted until they merged. That was the Origin of the Name: Drift-Vale Atoll.
The place was obviously inhabited and both Merchants and Pirates flocked to it with enthusiasm. The first and obvious reason was the fact that it was one of the first destinations on this route of the GrandLine, leading to everyone travelling with a Log-pose to have no choice but to stop here for 36 hours.
Yet, despite the rather short time for the Log-pose to recalibrate, many pirates remained here even after several months.
As to the reason why? Simple. It was a Paradise.
The islands biggest official trade consisted of Sea creatures. The amount of fishermen on the island was astonishing. Running out of food in such a place was impossible.
The shallow waters around the Atoll made the Sea inhabitable for bigger Sea-kings and most creatures used the place as a refuge.
That made it a hotspot to fishing and many other activities involving the cultivation of Seafood.
But was that enough reason for Pirates to stay here?
No. The reason for their stay, was simply the treasures hiding in the Lagoons and the entirety of the Atoll.
The Lagoons were said to be treasure dumps for Pirates who had travelled the Sea ages ago. So, it was only logical for other pirates to try their Luck, especially given the fact that plenty of them had actually succeeded in finding snippets treasure here.
Despite common thought, this lawless place had it's own order. The Marines were present, yet avoided interfering. The Merchants were wary, yet always remained safe. And the pirates were scheming, yet never acted.
The reason for that? The Guild of ropes.
It was the main merchant guild on the Island and they were also the ones enforcing the "no-conflict" policy. Not even the Marines had the right to arrest any Pirate while on the island. And they were fine with that. They even enforced that rule and made sure to avoid conflict, only intervening when a group of troublesome pirates tried to stir up trouble.
The Guild had actually been created by the former inhabitants of the Island. It had been a way to avoid fighting with Pirates and instead supplying them with information, treasure maps and the best places to find riches.
Growing in fame, some Pirate groups set aside their Goals and settled down on the Island in order to work with the guild, protecting it in exchange for more "exclusive" information.
That was how the Guild of ropes had functioned, and they now had considerable manpower, enough to be considered the rulers of the place.
It was currently led my Madame Rigga, a former Pirate who had abandoned her way of Life in favor of building a good relationship with the indigenous inhabitants of the island. It led to her inheriting the Guild and using her connection with the inhabitants to find out every piece of rumor and history about former outsiders visiting the island.
Her knowledge and information were about to be put to the test as she entered the "Hullbone Inn", accompanied by her small group of body guard and plopped down on her sea in front of another group of people.
The talk started with short introductions, and neither group wasted much time to get to the point. It was the classic negotiation, with the group trying to find a good Lagoon in order to dive for treasure. Madame (that's her first name) negotiated for the price and soon pointed them to one of the more dangerous but profitable places, although warning them of the presence of smaller Seakings in the Lagoon.
Just as it looked like the negotiations came to an end, she called for the group to wait a little before going. Something had caught her practiced eye.
"What is it?"
The gruff voice of the captain wasn't aggressive but a little impatient. He had just learned of a good spot after all.
"That sword. What's up with it?"
Her finger pointed to a Bastard sword (long sword which can cut or stabb) in the hands of a simple pirate which had a faint dark blue glow on it.
The Captain's gaze landed on the sword of the guy and his expression changed to a small grin, mirroring that of the Wielder of the sword who theatrically leaned it on his shoulder.
"You want to know?"
She didn't miss a beat as she pushed back a little of the money the Captain had paid for her information.
"Some Merchant boarded our ship a few hours before arriving here. Sold us an "improvement to a sword." Said he'd do it for free if we give him a little info about whatever experiences we had on the Sea. The sword was just a regular old Bastard sword before the guy arrived."
He stared at her with a grin.
Accustomed to it, she pushed back a little more money and asked.
"The guy didn't just made that sword glow did he?"
The captain laughed a little and suddenly drew a rapier. (stabby swords)
It held a faint light blue glow. More of his men drew out weapons, and each one had a weapon glowing with a faint light in some different color.
The captain then spoke.
"It ain't just the color. Watch."
He stood up and swung his rapier diagonally before lunging at nothing. Her eyes widened as she saw a a faint light blue rapier manifest at the and of his first swipe, which then shot towards the place he lunged at with only a momentary delay.
"What the hell."
The guy sat back down with a grin, clearly proud of his weapon.
"Yeah, every swipe i do creates a rapier made of... magic or sumthin. And the lunge directs it. Takes a bit of focus though."
"Ya saying that Merchant basically turned ya weapons into ...magic weapons? How?"
The captain just shrugged. "Hell if i know. Probably some Devilfruit. But the guy warned us. He said some of the more complicated effects may run out at a certain point. Were only experimental. But i ain't complainin. Whole thing didn't cost anything but sum words."
Madame's jaw had dropped open and she soon closed it as her mind raced in order to find the best way to sell or use that information.
Her gaze snapped back to the guy who stood back up to leave. She doubted him to know anymore so she didn't urge him to stay, but...
"Ya know where that merchant is?"
The Captain just signed no with his head while heading out.
Still, she called after him.
"If ya know where he is or ya can bring him here, there'll be compensation."
She then leaned back in her seat, and was soon left alone with her bodyguards and the Barman who signed her he would open the bar for more customers soon.
Contemplating everything she'd heard, she just downed her drink and headed to the exit, turning the "closed" side to "open" at the door.
She had just learned quite the news, and was sure to try to find out more about it.
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Several hours later
She had managed to find some other people who had met the Merchant and even get a general description of what he looks like.
Needless to say, she was exhausted. The esteemed boss of the Guild of ropes, Madame Rigga had to personally run around and ask for information, spending a small fortune just to find out if someone knew someone who knew about the merchant.
'It'll be worth it.'
So she thought. A person capable of turning things into magic things was bound to bring in some serious income.
Lost in thought, she was currently walking back to her Guild with her guards until one of her guards suddenly grabber her shoulders and yanked her aside.
She had been about to run into a huge figure who was standing in front of her guild, staring at the sign with strange intensity.
She thanked the guard with a nod, grateful of having avoided whatever interaction she could have had with some big weirdo. She was just too tired for that.
They simply walked past the guy who soon noticed them.
"Ah. Excuse me please. Is this a Merchant guild?"
Madame rolled her eyes to the unwanted question. Taking a deep breath, she turned back and answered.
"Indeed, this is the Merchant guild! But it's a little late don't you think? There is no one at the reception desk now. Why don't you ...aaaahhhhh come in!"
Originally wanting to tell the man to leave, she soon changed her mind upon seeing the mask she had heard so much about.
The man seemed a little confused at her contradictory sentence.
"Are you sure? I can come back another time..."
"No, come in."
"... Very well then. Thank you for you hospitality."
She could not see his expression behind the mask, but she could practically hear that he had raised an eyebrow at her enthusiasm.
They soon sat down and one of her tired-looking bodyguards went to get them a drink.
Madame cleared her throat.
"It is nice to meet you. I am Madame Rigga, the Chairwoman of the Guild of Ropes."
"Nice to meet you. I am ... Ainz Ooal Gown. A humble Merchant."
She cheered internally upon hearing that. It would have been way to awkward if he had been some other random guy.
"I have recently heard about your trade in the waters surrounding Drift-Vale Atoll. I must say, your wares and services have certainly awakened my interest."
"Oh? Information certainly travels fast. I heard a little about the Guild of ropes as well. I have only recently entered the GrandLine and i wished to find some connections to facilitate my business."
The polite smile on Madame's face grew a little.
"Well then it seems we'll be able to help each other."
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Marineford, 18h30, Fleet admiral's office
The discussions had ended several hours ago and they had not done so on a good note. The CP Agents had been serious when they said that all of the Momonga's items were to be handed over and that was obviously unacceptable.
It had led to several moments of escalation and everyone had left the office with a discontent look on the face. Kong alone remained, skimming through some reports with a tired gaze.
'This post is a headache... It'll be Sengoku's turn soon enough. Patience me...'
Sengoku had already practically overtaken Kong's position. He already had more paperwork than Kong but somehow managed to balance it with his duties as an Admiral.
And Kong was grateful for that. He already should have left this post a while ago given that the position of Commander in chief of the World-government awaited him.
'Whatever, i'm sure it'll happen soon.'
Then, a report suddenly caught his eye.
"A report from the investigative unit?"
The report was one handed by Rear Admiral Strawberry, who had been the one to investigate the presence of one of Gecko Moria's subordinates in the West Blue.
"What's this about...?"
He raised his eyebrow as he read, taking in the information.
"Two people with a strange affliction brought back by Strawberry... They went crazy and jumped into the sea while disembarking? Suicide? Bodies not found? Strange."
He flipped the page and his expression scrunched up a little. "Requesting search for bodies for scientific purposes?"
He finished reading it and then just set it aside with a contemplative expression. There wasn't much you could do when a body was swallowed by the Sea. Nevertheless, it had happened right here at Marineford, so Sengoku had already approved it.
"I wonder if they found them..."
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West blue, same time
The Lich's emotions were torn. No. Scratch that. It was unhappy.
Everything had progressed as it should. The Marines had a misconception about the Lich's loyalty and it would have enough time to grow in power and knowledge.
There were a few problems but only one of them could not be solved.
"This one will have to leave it's island..."
Gecko Moria. It's supposed Master who was currently in the GrandLine. If the undead and Moria remained apart, the Marines would surely start questioning them...
But the undead's scions were already on their way. They had managed to leave the ship of the rear admiral and sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Now, they followed the guidance of one of the Lich's sharks.
But even so, the Lich would have to leave it's island soon. It was simply not a good place for it to build up and improve it's domain. It could not easily attack civilians due to the Marines presence and it's title as a subordinate of a Warlord of the Sea. That meant it could only hunt and use Pirates to improve it's domain...
"...which are abundant in the place known as the Grand Line."
Going to the GrandLine was the best way to rise in power and further expand it's network. But it was dangerous as well. The Lich had already managed to get a solid amount of birds into the GrandLine, but it's sea-creatures were simply not powerful enough and kept being eaten or simply attacked by others.
But the danger wasn't actually what bothered the Lich.
It simply did not want to abandon it's TRUE master's gift. It's birthplace.
"...Soon. But not yet."
It was better to avoid rushing. Let it's scions contact that Warlord and keep feeding off the island until the time it'd go to the Grand Line.
GrandLine, Florian triangle, night.
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Silence dominated this part of the sea. The only sounds present were those of the waves crashing against the island and someone rummaging through a ship.
That someone was Gecko Moria. His former warship had been towed to shore given it's inability to remain at sea and he was currently sorting out the inventory and corpses on the ship.
Moria's gaze was empty as he lifted the bodies of his former crewmates and did his best to properly preserve them. He was aware that they would decompose eventually but there was nothing he could do against that yet.
While doing that, his mind was churning. It had been made official. He was now a warlord of the Sea. The public had yet to find out about it but the Marines already knew. That granted him a lot of freedom already.
But freedom wouldn't help him deal with Kaido. So what would?
He had spent a long time thinking about it and still had yet to find a surefire way to kill him. He had launched himself into training, creating new moves and refining his swordsmanship, yet all he could see were all the ways Kaido would counter them.
His training had slowed down after realizing how hopeless his situation was. Instead, he delved into the intricacies of his Devilfruit.
In the past, he combined his swordsmanship with his Doppelman and only a few other techniques such as "Brick bat" or his strongest: "Shadow Asgard."
While he did use his fruit to reanimate corpses from time to time, he rarely did so, believing that his own strength would be enough to deal with most problems.
He had been proven wrong.
He quickly figured it out. Swordsmanship was an art. Useable for battle but not the best way to fight. There were other factors in battle which were far more important than individual skill.
If power was lacking, then numbers could make up for it.
That rule generally did not work. Conqueror's Haki and many different fighting styles or abilities made armies obsolete. Powerhouses like Kaido or even himself couldn't simply be taken out by numbers.
But for Moria's army, it would be different.
They were Zombies. They were simply undefeatable through ordinary means. You could wound their bodies and put them out of shape to fight, but they wouldn't die. The only ways to kill a Zombie were salt, Seawater, fire or killing the person whose shadow had been stuffed into the Zombie.
But Moria wasn't planning on just gathering the corpses and shadows of weaklings. If his army expanded, he'd gradually get access to more powerful shadows and more powerful corpses.
A grin formed on his face as he imagined Kaido desperately flailing around while being cut to shreds by the Dragon-slaying swordsman whose corpse he had stolen.
Shimotsuki Ryuma.
'That's it. I won't even have to do anything. Kshikshikshi'
He resumed his work with gleeful enthusiasm, occasionally throwing a glance towards the Casket in which Ryuma's corpse was laying.
There was no need for him to train his swordsmanship anymore. It was useless against Kaido anyway. Injuring and winning against Kaido was something only swordsman like Ryuma could manage. And then, there was also the continent-pulling giant. If he managed to retrieve it... Kaido would be beaten to a pulp!
His hoarse laughter resonated through the island once more.
"Still..." the defeated pirate suddenly threw his head back and looked up towards the sky. "How long is that bird gonna keep watching me?"
His eyes narrowed. He wasn't stupid enough to not understand that this bird acted as a surveillance agent for someone. The first suspects? The Marines or the world-government. He had been the first Warlord to be recruited and perhaps they wanted to know what a newly appointed Warlord would be doing with his position.
'Might also a be a news agency...'
It didn't really matter that much. There were more than one such birds and they seemed capable of seeing through the fog. The only reason he had seen it in the first place was due to his Observation Haki.
He scoffed. He wouldn't need his Haki much longer. Soon, his army would destroy anything in his path! Until then, he'd do the bare minimum in order to find powerful shadows.
A powerful shadow fitting for a powerful Zombie. That way the best way for his creations to bloom.
He remained on the island for quite some time. The useable bodies had been stored away on a small ship which had been handed to him by the Marines and he had enough ressources to start his voyage.
He needed a crew. People he could use.
He needed to build a sanctuary for the power of his army to grow.
But before that, he needed to find victims, with shadows powerful enough for him to put his strongest zombies to work.
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"He's setting sail."
The raspy tone of the Lich was not easily decipherable. It itself wasn't sure whether it should be pleased that the Warlord finally started moving or not.
"Show the Warlord the way."
The vision he shared with his bird immediately closed in on the warlord. The bird dove down, only to land on the helm of the ship. To meet him face to face.
An envious sigh escaped the Lich as he observed Moria's imposing figure who had clearly noticed the bird, looking at it with intrigue.
"Such a powerful body... A powerful ability, wasted on such a coward..."
The monologue of the Lich went unheard by anyone. He wasn't planning on talking to the Warlord, not that he could. His undead scions did not have the necessary devices for that.
"Still... such power could perhaps find it's place underneath master's guidance."
Gecko Moria's abilities, pitiful as he was, were powerful. No. Not just powerful, but useful.
The Lich had observed the man for a while and had grown more disappointed with every second. It had not even had high expectations in the first place.
The pirate's power had been adequate when the Lich first spotted him. But now, it was slowly but surely fading.
The purple shockwaves had entirely ceased to take place and the Lich was confident in it's guess that the ability had entirely disappeared.
His muscular body was still in good shape, that wasn't something which could be changed in a matter of weeks after all, but it would soon start weakening as the pirate's training regime softened.
Very rarely did the pirate actually train, only sometimes making sure his stamina remained with occasional intense training regimes.
"The duality..."
It was baffling. The lazy pirate did not train for several days, audibly grumbling over how useless it was in the face of this "Kaido."
And then he proceeded to go through a training regime which the Lich would never be able to replicate with it's undead body.
Shattering boulders with punches, not stopping after hours. Running with weights on it's back. Performing evasive maneuvers with speed and flexibility his body belied.
It was incredible to the Lich. How could such a powerful foe lose to anyone? It's master was not taken in consideration. There was nothing which could beat a god after all.
"Kaido... He might be a bigger danger than i thought."
He uttered the words and a mental order was soon transferred to his network of birds, trying to gain information on "Kaido's" location.
"Now..." the Lich's attention refocused on the Warlord who had crouched down in front of the bird, watching it with an unsettling grin.
"Let us see how good this Vermin is at following instructions."
The Lich's grin mirrored that of the Warlord's.
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"What an interesting bird..."
Moria had crouched down in front of it, having noticed it's strangeness.
A grin was on his face. He was very aware that someone controlled the bird and most likely wasn't part of the Marines. The World government also wasn't likely a culprit. If they had access to such abilities, they'd milk all they could out of it in order to gain more control over the new world.
"A zombie bird..."
Despite Moria's grin, he was a little unsettled. Not out of fear of the bird, but rather about different possibilities.
An ability which worked similar to his.
The ability to reanimate dead animals? Or just to control corpses? Stemming from a Devilfruit?
"What could it be..."
This was his power. He had just never really considered using it on animals. Putting a shadow of an animal in the corpse of another? It actually wasn't a bad idea for his future plans...
But that was not important right now. How could someone have a power comparable to his own? There were never too same Devilfruits out at the Sea.
So this one had to be different...
The bird suddenly spread it's wings. It was the only intact part of their body, as if someone had taken great care of it's ability to fly. Everything else about it was rotted and mangled.
Moria just chuckled.
"Kshikshikshi. Well, what do you want, you little bird?"
The bird immediately took off, heading south-east.
Moria hesitated for a bit. The bird immediately flew back, then back to south-east. No way to be any more clear about this.
The ship changed course. Moria's imposing figure looked comical at the helm of the not-so-imposing-ship but he did not care.
"I wonder if it's a trap."
No reason to worry. He was to be the future Pirate King. If someone was kind enough to point him in the direction, there was bound to be something there.
And he'd be sure to find a use for it.
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Author comment:
This took a while again. I'm struggling to have the story move along, while keeping things natural, without making events seem forced. I don't know if i succeeded, so let me know.
You might notice, but Moria will definitely be a key character. It's just too much of a waste not to do so.
I got to admit, i'm not too happy about this chapter. Especially the two undead humans i introduced earlier. I had an idea what to do with them, but it's difficult to give them much relevance. I'll try to fix that.
I've also been preparing the Elden ring x One piece stuff. But the idea is not fleshed out yet. Suggestions?
Someone mentioned i should write my chapters in advance and release them in order to get schedule. But the problem is that is already take too long to write. I'm balancing stuff with family, studies and Driving license. (I got my license yesterday btw.) So getting an upload schedule won't be possible anytime soon.
As always, if there is something you think could be better, let me know. I'll see what i can do to correct or work on stuff.