One Piece Fic (CH26) (Patreon)

I deeply apologize. Had some stuff going on in the evenings, so not much time to write. A birthday tonight and last night. Work. Chores. You guys know the drill. I should be back on schedule now. I was also fiddling with a Warcraft story that wouldn't leave my head. Might see a chapter for that today or tomorrow.

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Jack hovered in the water, deciding his next course of action. He’d already become aware of Baroque Works boarding the ship—a big surprise, if he was being honest. Despite Ace’s warning, he’d expected them to make use of the distraction, turning tail and running.

It was a second or two before he swam toward the surface, having decided on a course of action. Arguably, it was better to keep the pressure on by trying to sink the ship. However, he didn't think Baroque Works could handle Hina without him. Neither Mr. 3 nor Mr. 2 stood a chance—the former's weakening presence confirmed as much. Mr. 1 seemed like he'd be a decent match, but Hina didn't actually have to beat him down. She just needed to restrain him; not too difficult, given his physical strength wasn't that great.

Having learned how to project his Haki a short distance, punching holes in steel wasn’t too hard for Jack. Dealing with Hina was another story. Being a user, she could defend herself, unlike an inanimate chunk of metal.

He wiped the saltwater from his eyes, looking upward Ace and Smoker were still at it. Fortunately, it seemed the Whitebeard pirates' lieutenant had gotten the upper hand. Though, not having the time to worry about Ace, Jack quickly clambered on board, drawing a few wide-eyed looks from the panicked marines.

"I-It's that pirate!"

"Oh no, not while Hina-sama is busy!

"Crap, we don't stand a chance!"

Frankly, Jack didn't pay much attention to such small-fry. He'd have ignored them entirely if it wasn't for a vaguely familiar-looking marine getting in his way.

Jango, unmistakable in his heart-shaped glasses, pointed a finger at Jack's face.

"Stop right there. I won't let you lay a finger on my beloved Hina. I'll be the one to take you down! Don't resist and let me send you peacefully into the land of your dreams. Stare deeply at this and listen to my countdown. Yes, just like that. One... two... Jango!"

The moment the last word left his mouth, he fell over backward, hitting the deck with a thunk. He snored loudly, oblivious to the chaos around him.

Jack sighed.

"It seems he still hasn't ironed out that kink yet.”

Disinterested, he turned his gaze toward the battle happening on the deck. As expected, Hina had made short work of Mr. 3—laying unconscious at her feet. Currently, she was engaged with Mr. 2, the okama trying and failing to get past her iron-clad defense.

"Un... deux... trois!"

He spun in place, launching a sequence of kicks. They smacked uselessly against Hina's metal body, leaving Mr. 2 huffing in frustration and exertion.

"Damn it... huff... you're not joking around! Perhaps the time has come for the power of friendship to shine. Mr. 1, help me deal with this mademoiselle!"

Heeding Bentham's call, the tall, muscled man emerged from Baroque Works' ship, leaping across the gap. He landed firmly on the deck. With narrowed eyes, he stared at Hina, his blade-like fingers scraping together.

"Marine captain Hina. Your reputation proceeds you."

"...Hina isn't interested in receiving compliments from pirates. She will quickly deal with you lot and restore order to her ship."

Not giving them a chance, her arms extended, shooting toward Mr. 1. The clang of steel-on-steel echoed in the air, the Baroque Works agent being flung back from the collision. There was no doubting his power, but he couldn't match Hina's haki.

"You left yourself wide open, my dear. Don't underestimate me!"

Taking advantage of the opening, Mr. 2 launched himself at her back. However, he'd barely covered half the distance when a length of metal suddenly, shot at him from below. It wrapped around his leg, bringing him crashing to the ground.

"What-...?!"

Uncomprehendingly, he watched as the length of material severed, the remnant contracting to reconstitute Hina's leg. She glanced at him over her shoulder.

"You will find Hina is also quite good at kicking. Even if hers are a little strange."

“A marine sneak-attacking a pirate—how is that fair?”
“Hina’s justice doesn’t care about such things.”

“Marines like to talk about principles but it’s nothing but hypocracy-…”

Seeing that Mr. 2 still wanted to talk back, she quickly bound him up, making a point of sealing his mouth too. Having one leg weighed down by hundreds of pounds of steel, there was no chance of escaping.

When she was done, she glared at Jack, completely ignoring Mr. 1. There was no way she’d miss him spectating the battle between the two from afar.

“Hina thought you’d keep being a pest under the water, but it seems she was wrong. You do have some courage after all.”

Jack grunted, rolling his shoulders. His shirt hung off him in tatters—an unfortunate side-effect of his Seimei Kikan’s enlargement.

“Thanks. I don’t suppose you’d go easy on me as a way of appreciation?”

“Is that a joke? Hina doesn’t find it very funny.”

Jack raised his arms into a guarding position. He stared intensely at Hina.

“Then let’s get this over with. Just to let you know, I’m not planning to lose this rematch. I’ll take you down for sure.”

The ghost of a smile played on Hina’s lips.

“You pirates put too much stock in words. If you can defeat Hina, then do it. There’s no need to talk so much.”

“…”

Tension was thick in the air. This battle wasn’t one either side could afford to lose. The pirates didn’t want to end up in Impel Down, and the marines had no idea what they’d be subjected to as the defeated—fearing death or worse.

“This seems like a time for ‘Handsome Jack’s’ secret technique. No matter what foe I’ve gone up against, I survived to tell the tale. I call it… nigerundayooo!”

Suddenly, just as the battle seemed about to start, Jack turned and fled in the opposite direction, grabbing Mr. 2 by the collar and slinging him over one shoulder. He leapt off the boat, flying toward the other vessel.

Hina was momentarily stunned, but then her expression twisted to anger.

“…it seems Hina was wrong. Pirates are just pirates. They don’t know a thing about honor or courage!”

She extended her arms, transforming into metal as they shot toward the two flying figures. However, there was a loud bang somewhere below her, the ship suddenly lurching and throwing off her aim. Being thrown to one side and bumping into the railing, she could only watch as they as they escaped.

“Damn it, what is it now?”

Turning her head, she saw a trail of smoke coming out of the engine room, accompanied by frantic shouting. Though, that was what caught her attention. Instead, it was a cloud of sand, coming out of the ship’s every nook and cranny. The grains drifted into the air, slowly reconstituting a human figure.

Soon, Crocodile’s half-human, half-sandman face stared down at her.

“Game, set and match, marine captain Hina. While you were distracted, I sabotaged the machinery. Gears, pipes and pumps don’t do well when clogged with sand.”

He sneered.

“You can attempt to save yourself and your crew, or continue your pursuit. The choice is yours.”

Leaving those words hanging in the air, he followed Jack, Mr. 2 and Mr. 1 back to the ship. It was already sailing away, putting more distance between them. Baroque Works had taken advantage of the opportunity to disengage. Most likely, Crocodile had informed them of his plan from the start.

Hina growled.

“You think you can escape from Hina? She will capture you no matter what!”

Crocodile’s laughter rang from across the water.

“Is that so? If I remember correctly, your superiors stationed you in Alabasta. You’re stuck patrolling those waters. Well, no matter. Even if that wasn’t the case, you’d still fail…”

On the deck, his tall figure could be seen waving an arm above his head.

“Let’s go! Or do you want to hang around until they repair their ship?”

“””Yes, Crocodile-sama! Er… we mean no, sir!”””

The sailors were hustling and bustling, bringing down the sails and reeling in the anchor. Soon, the ship was heading toward the horizon at full speed.

Ace also withdrew, leaving the battered, bruised and burn-scarred Smoker behind. He waved at the marines, his expression somewhat apologetic.

“Uhm… don’t worry about your subordinate. I’ll make sure she’s dropped off at a marine base or something. See ya later!”

He left a trail of fire behind him, soaring through the air like a comet. Both Smoker and Hina could only watch them leave. There was simply no way they could abandon their ship and crew. Perhaps if some of the other captains or admirals had been in their place, but neither of them were that kind of people.

Eventually, Smoker tore his gaze away, looking at their smoking ship. A growl slipped from between his lips.

“Damn. This is going to take a while to fix. Firefist Ace—I hope you keep your promise. If anything happens to Tashigi…”

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The following days were spent in relative tranquility. With the marines dealt with, Baroque Works had little to worry about. They were also more at-ease with Jack and Ace, having seen them in action during the fight. It was somewhat ironic for them to be worried about betrayal, given they weren't exactly the most moral individuals themselves, but that was how things worked on the sea. Loyalty and trustworthiness were valued even among scoundrels, even if it was only to one's own.

It was a week or so later that they finally spotted the first island after Alabasta. Eager to wash up, resupply and stretch their legs, they moored their ship at the rickety, run-down docks. Evidently, 'Beanpole Island', so it was called, wasn't a very popular destination.

Standing on the wooden planks, watching as the crew disembarked, carrying crates and barrels up and down, Jack looked at Ace. They were still mostly staying together, being more familiar with each other than with the rest.

"We'll probably stay here for a day or two. I'm going to look around in the meantime. You coming with me?"

Ace shrugged.

"Nah. I'm tired. These bastards snore so loudly, I can't get a wink of sleep. I'll find a quiet spot to have a nap."

"Got it. See you around, then."

"Same."

Saying their farewells, the two parted, going in opposite directions. Jack wasn't really that curious about the island. Rather, he wanted to find an opportunity to train. The fight against Hina had reminded him where he placed in the pecking order. It wasn't that she was overpoweringly strong, but her devil-fruit made her incredibly difficult to fight. If he let his guard down at any moment, he'd have found his arms and legs weighed down by a few hundred pounds of steel. He was a beefy boy, if he did say so himself, but there was no way he'd beat her while having to lug around that much weight.

However, if it were someone else, say... the current 'World's Strongest Creature', Jack doubted Hina's powers would've been that much of a hinderance. He couldn't get that swole—he wasn't a literal twenty-four-foot-tall giant, for starters—but that didn't mean he didn't have his own means.

Lost in thought, he was just about to put the docks behind him when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning his head, he spotted a certain perky blonde, dressed in a yellow dress. He didn't know how she managed it, but Ms. Valentine managed to look fresh despite being stuck on a boat with a bunch of sweaty men for more than a week.

She smiled brightly at him.

"So, what are we doing?"

Jack blinked, but then he remembered the promise she made shortly after him 'joining' their crew.

"...oh. Huh. Well, I was just about to do something else, to be honest."

"Is that so? You don't want to spend time with little old me? How am I supposed to feel about that?"

She frowned coquettishly, pinching the corners of her dress. The tight fit highlighted every line and curve, her legs seeming even longer in her high-heeled pumps.

His eyes lingering on her figure, Jack really had to work hard to stay resolute. He wouldn't give in to temptation. Not when he'd received a wake-up call so recently.

"Ms. Valentine-..."

"Call me Miki."

"...Miki then. I'm not the kind of guy to break his promises, but-... no actually, you might be able to help me."

Seeing him not elaborate, she tilted her head.

"Well? You shouldn't keep a girl waiting, mister."

Jack tapped his chin, grinning.

"I think... you'll enjoy this too. Follow me."

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