One Piece: Wild Hunt

Chapter 100: Stirring

While Thomas was in the midst of his journey to Tokyoku, a certain pink-haired Yojimbo was standing at attention in front of a tall, muscular man with a long braided goatee, an afro, and a mustache. He also wore thick circular glasses, but his most distinguishing features were his white and gold Admiral uniform and the many medals pinned to his chest.

Staring at the woman standing across from him, the highly decorated man, known globally as Fleet Admiral Sengoku, narrowed his eyes into a wisened look as he said, "Miyamoto Musashi...it's not often I meet with recruits fresh out of the Officer Training Academy. However, given your performance during the most recent training exercise, I wanted to thank and commend you for a job well done. Who knows how many young and promising recruits we would have lost if not for your timely intervention..."

Though she maintained a straight back, Musashi adopted a relaxed smile as she said, "The Fleet Admiral honors me with his words. I just did what any capable Marine in my position would have done."

Nodding in approval, Sengoku remarked, "That's why I called you here today. Your strength, speed, and endurance are exceptional, and your swordsmanship is unlike anything we've ever seen. If not for your inability to use Haki, I would have nominated you for the position of Rear or Vice Admiral here and now..."

As bylaws dictated that Marines ranked Rear Admiral or higher needed to have a certain degree of mastery over Haki and the Rokushiki techniques, the highest rank Sengoku could assign Musashi was Commodore. While Commodore wasn't exactly a low rank, especially for someone fresh out of the Academy, it wasn't a clear reflection of Musashi's strength. It also didn't give her a lot of upward momentum. Unless she abruptly awakened Haki, she would likely spend the entirety of her career working under men and women much weaker than her.

Linking his fingers together, Sengoku adopted a serious expression as he stated, "I know you seek to prove yourself in the New World, but I would like to extend you the offer of becoming my Adjutant. You will spend most of your time at Headquarters, but I will occasionally send you to deal with situations beyond the scope of ordinary Marines..."

Furrowing her brows, Musashi asked, "Don't Adjutants need to complete a bunch of paperwork? I'm thankful for the Fleet Admiral's offer, but sitting at a desk all day, running errands, and playing the part of a secretary isn't exactly what I signed up for when I joined the Marines."

Nodding his head, Sengoku replied, "I understand that. However, if I were to assign you to an ordinary post, there would be at least two people with higher ranks than you. I don't want you to become bitter serving under those weaker than yourself, so please consider my offer. In exchange, I can assure you that you will not be required to perform mundane tasks or fill out paperwork. Rather, when you're not busy with other assignments, I was planning to have you act as a swordsmanship instructor. Then, once you have proven yourself and yielded results, I can make a case to have you promoted beyond the rank of Commodore..."

Realizing that Sengoku was attempting to 'help' her, Musashi closed her eyes and lowered her head ever so slightly as she replied, "It appears I misunderstood the Fleet Admiral's intentions. I would be honored to serve as your Adjutant."

Suppressing a sigh of relief, Sengoku sat back in his heavily cushioned chair, a somewhat grandfatherly smile adorning his face as he said, "I see great potential in you, Musashi. Twenty-seven-years-old and you already possess strength and skill exceeding the average Vice-Admiral. Before I retire from my position as Fleet Admiral, I'll make sure you've received the recognition you deserve."

Adopting a smile of her own, Musashi replied, "I will never forget the Fleet Admiral's kindness."

Waving his hand in a dismissive manner, Sengoku said, "There's no need for such politeness. I know you're an unfettered spirit. Now that you've agreed to become my Adjutant, the only people you need to be wary of are Sakazuki and anyone the World Government sends down to conduct an investigation. If anyone else gives you trouble, feel free to teach them a lesson or use my name. Just be sure to avoid seriously injuring or killing them."

Narrowing her eyes in amusement, Musashi replied, "I'll be sure to keep that in mind," before pausing for a moment and asking, "Is there anything else?"

Shaking his head, Sengoku stated, "That's all for now. Your promotion and transfer paperwork have already been filled out and should be processed before the end of the day. Enjoy the rest of your day off."

Nodding in affirmation, Musashi turned and attempted to leave the room but stopped when a Marine came bursting in with a panicked look on his face, nearly bumping into her.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! Urgent report from the Meteorological Survey Department! What appears to be a series of massive ships and floating islands are heading toward Headquarters as we speak...!"

Rising to his feet, Sengoku slammed his heavily reinforced desk as he shouted, "Ready the anti-air batteries and have Kizaru report to me as quickly as possible!"

Before the Information Officer could run off to relay Sengoku's orders, a loud and boisterous laugh echoed through the office as a tall, incredibly muscular man with spiky grey hair and a goatee entered the room with a paradoxically fierce look on his face. He had a broad smile on his face and a scar around his left eye, but the most notable thing about him was the 'pressure' he exuded. The moment he entered Sengoku's office, it was like gravity had increased, and the air became thicker.

While most people were cautious or showed deferential respect towards Sengoku, the broad-chested man crossed his arms and remarked, "Looks like that tenacious old lion has finally decided to come out and play. If I-"

Noticing the presence of Musashi, the somewhat elderly man stopped mid-sentence, adopting an even broader smile as he said, "Well, if it isn't Musashi. I heard you saved more than a hundred officer candidates from a surprise raid. Not bad."

Bowing her head ever so slightly, Musashi replied, "That's high praise coming from the Hero of the Marines. I merely did what I had to do to protect myself and my comrades."

"Nice answer!" shouted Garp. Then, while laughing in his characteristic bwahaha-like manner, he attempted to give Musashi a firm clap on the shoulders. His eyes flashed when she effortlessly evaded him, but he wasn't able to comment on it before Sengoku shouted, "Now isn't the time for your antics, Garp! If this truly is Shiki, he must have shown himself for a reason! We need to prepare immediately...!"

While maintaining his nearly perpetual grin, Garp began picking his nose with the pinky of his left hand, lazily asserting, "You're going senile. If we attack him this close to Headquarters, he's bound to send his islands on a crash course with us. Rather than preparing our defenses, we should be ordering an evacuation."

Though he would ordinarily disagree with Garp, Sengoku found himself unable to retort his long-time friend's words. They both knew what kind of man Shiki was. He was remarkably petty, so if he thought there was even a remote chance he might lose, he would attempt to take as many people as possible with him.

Slamming his fist on the table, Sengoku exclaimed, "Dammit...!" before plopping back into his chair and falling into deep thought. It had been twenty years since Shiki was active, but as the former rival of Gol D. Roger and the man who once commanded the largest Pirate fleet in the world, he was a force to be reckoned with...

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Reading the headline, 'Marine Headquarters Attacked!,' an amused smile developed across the face of a pink-haired woman with fierce blue eyes.

"That's enough," said the woman. "Go and prepare us something to eat."

In response to the woman's words, a young man with neatly combed blonde hair and swirly eyebrows ceased massaging her feet, responding, "Yes, Captain Drake~!" before rising to his feet and racing off to prepare a feast. In the wake of his departure, a second, short-haired pinkette, lying next to the first, remarked, "Such an enthusiastic response...I almost feel sorry for him..."

Shrugging her shoulders, the first pinkette, Drake, responded, "He can blame that 'Master' of mine. I don't want him throwing a hissy fit the next time we meet, so I'm trying to limit my interactions with other men. Lucky for you..."

Punctuating her words, Drake gave her lounge companion a firm smack on her exposed buttocks. The impact left a visible handprint, but the scantily clad pinkette didn't seem to mind, smiling as she mused, "Indeed..." Then, after placing her head against Drake's shoulder, she asked, "I am curious, though. When will we have the chance to meet this 'Master' of yours? He must be quite something to command a woman of your caliber..."

Snorting through her nose, Drake flatly replied, "He's a goody-two-shoes; that's what he is. He has all this power and potential at his fingertips, but he's too concerned with what others think to use it properly. I can only hope he's come to his senses the next time we meet..."

Tracing her finger up Drake's abdomen, the short-haired pinkette mused, "Well, he must have 'some' redeeming qualities for you to be doing all this for him. There aren't many women who would readily build an empire for a man they hate..."

Shrugging her shoulders, Drake leaned back, allowing the second pinkette to sit atop her as she replied, "I wouldn't be here if not for him. So, even if he sometimes annoys the shit out of me, I have an obligation to help him achieve his dream. That means you'll need to work hard when he eventually shows up..."

Nodding her head, the short-haired pinkette adopted a smile as she replied, "Of course. I promised to serve you in exchange for my freedom and allowing the Germa Kingdom to continue existing. When your Master appears, I will serve him to the utmost of my ability..."

In the midst of her response, the short-haired pinkette donned a large, somewhat futuristic strap-on. It was bright pink but had the texture and feel of an actual penis. Drake may have temporarily given up sleeping with men, but there was no way she could go several weeks, months, or years without a good dicking...

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Though it hadn't even been a month since Thomas's departure, Vivi found herself picking at her food with a listless look on her face. Governing the city of Erumalu kept her busy, and she enjoyed seeing the smiling faces of her people, but it was hard to feel content without the warmth of the man she loved. Even the delicious meals prepared by the staff of the Enma-tei failed to make her feel fulfilled...

Interrupting Vivi's thoughts, the voice of a mature woman mused, "Ara? Eating alone, are we~?"

Blinking back to awareness, Vivi raised her gaze to find Robin entering the private dining room of the Imperial Suite. A practiced smile immediately adorned her face, but before she could respond, Robin added, "It's okay. Even though I wasn't nearly as close to him as you were, I also miss him. Would you like to talk about it~?"

Though she was tempted to refuse, Vivi found herself unable to do so when Robin made herself comfortable next to her. The two of them didn't really get along, largely due to the fact that Robin was one of the reasons Crocodile was able to cement his position in Alabasta, but Vivi was willing to give her a chance. Thus, after a moment of deliberation, Vivi exhaled a tired sigh before releasing all the complaints she had about her work and the fact that Thomas had gone on a journey without her, a sentiment that just so happened to be shared by the green-haired catgirl lurking in the rafters overhead...

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(A/N: This is the end of Volume 1. If you'd like to vote on what I work on next, feel free to head over to my patre0n. I'll be doing a public poll to decide which story I will invest the next hundred chapters in. It will most likely be Endless Path: Infinite Cosmos, but the decision is ultimately the community's to make.)