| Ravelings of Fate is an article written by Tabor gorilla. |
| Ravelings of Fate is an article written by Berserkchart486. |
We thought we were prepared[]
It had been hours since the fleet surrounded the island trapping whatever pirates rested there in its borders. The country had managed to contract an army of voyagers using their vast sums of gold, acquired from years of successful trade with other nations. Yet, even still, the men and women that rested on the beaches, their guns pointed towards the enormous fleet encapsulating them, stood resilient to protect their homeland from the potential invader, the queen of the seas herself, Daddy L. Legs: a Yonko.
James, a relatively new recruit to the country’s army, smiled as he prepared to face the oncoming assault.
“Watcha smiling about? In this situation…with our army? You’re crazy,” an older gentleman announced, his hair grayed, and his voice raspy as he sucked the last bits of liquor from his empty bottle.
James was disappointed in his squadron leader, a man whose reputation had brought him to apply to the army on the basis of working under him. At this point, he was used to his pessimism. “Because I’m about to fight for our country. That’s why. Don’t think we’re all like you,” James replied swiftly.
“Oooh, yet to give in eh?” the captain inquired amusingly. “Good. The nobles must be twitching with delight. But, what do you really know about these Yonko, these supposed legends?” James’ grew more attentive.
The captain, Ironwood, pointed towards the fleet. “Let’s take Legs for one…Born a sickly child, her parents, in desperation fed her a devil fruit in efforts to restore her fleeting life. Their gamble worked, and she survived, and with that survival came immense strength. She became a proper woman, a warrior willing to lead to her clan to greatness, and eventually threatened the natural order of Wano, the country of the ninja and samurai, and other sword-wielding freaks. Her might however, caused her own people to betray her, to surrender her to the nobles of her country to condemn her to death.”
“T-they what?” James jumped, his voice more surprised than angry at the tale. “S-she led them greatness and they betrayed her? What the heck?!”
Ironwood chuckled. “She escaped though, and in the world, she learned the truths of her abilities. When she ruminated on the darkness of her curse, it inspired visions of power and might. She knew the path would be arduous, but she held no fear. She, a woman beloved by all souls, the ancestors to all spiders, would devour the gods themselves.” James eyes grew wide.
“Midway, however, she devoured men and other creatures, obtaining their strengths and using their strengths to conquer fragments of our world. So then, the World Government declared her a Yonko, not for virtue, or for recognition, but for might…So I ask, James, do we have a sodding chance?”
Angrily, James leaped forward. “Course we can! Who in the hell says we can’t, ya know?” His hands clutched the beginnings of Ironwood’s flak jacket tightly. Nonchalantly, Ironwood gestured in the direction of the fleet as one lone ship moved poked from formation and headed towards the island. “What’d ya think that ship is there, boy?”
“Enya, take us forward, and let’s ensure that we don’t encounter any issues on our way there. The justice shouldn’t have to suffer any damage in this little excursion,” Legs ordered briefly over a Den Den Mushi. Though they were on the same ship, Justice was simply titanic, and was often called a moving fortress by those who encounter it; It was imbued with so much fire power that it could unleash a fury stronger than any Buster Call the Marines could issue. Afterall, the weapons, the sails, everything, were a product, either directly, or indirectly, by Legs’ innovations. She loved providing instruments for her workers to use, and using those instruments, they brought about a greatness that would have taken them lifetimes to learn.
Legs stood on the edge of her ship, her massive frame overshadowed by even bigger cannons that rested on her side, pointed in the direction of the island that her own ship seemed to overlook.
“Um, Empress Legs…” Enya started over her the Den Den Mushi, “Can you tell me why we’re here again? I mean, I was paying attention except during the meeting.”
Legs sighed. “Enya, this land is a valuable trading outpost that we can use to exchange information and other goods with pirates. It’s the closest thing to a pirate paradise since it has open shores to all, despite being affiliated with the World Government.”
“Right!”
“You weren’t paying attention again, were you?” Legs inquired.
“Sort of! Um, just…I’m a little busy, so in like one sentence, sum it up!”
“Island has a lot of money, Enya.”
Enya chuckled. “Gotcha boss! We’ll dock shortly then.”
“Yes, you do that,” Legs started. “Meet me there soon then.” She dropped the Den Den Mushi onto her deck, and ferociously leapt from her deck, tilting her own ship downwards from the sheer force as she tore across the open waters.
“What the hell!?” Ironwood leapt up, pushing James off of him. “Did something?! Who the?” Before he could issue the order, another soldier had already taken the liberty to lift his binoculars in her direction. “She-She just fucking jumped?”
“All the way from out there?” James interrupted as he stood next to Ironwood. “That’s at least five miles at sea, if not more! Is she crazy?”
“No,” Ironwood commented, “She’s simply that powerful, kiddo. Didn’t ya listen to my lecture? She’s a Yonko, and not only that, she’s considered the best of them all. This era’s whitebeard.” He looked onwards intensely, hoping to spot glimpse of her in the ocean. “Listen, James, kiddo! Get Minnie! She’ll know what to do!”
“Yes please,” Legs replied as she stood behind both the men who had been staring carelessly into the ocean. Their breaths froze as her shadow encapsulated them. “Please do grab this Minnie. If she’s in charge, I would love to speak with her about your surrender.”
Her tone grew even more confident, if not alluring almost, as if she was speaking to children. "You do plan on surrendering, right?"
The first ravels[]
Minnie, High Marshal of Ortstand, was not the one charge, but merely the strongest warrior the island had to offer at the moment. Yet even she knew she could not bring any challenge to the might of a Yonko, let alone the Black Widow, to whom many people referred as the single strongest being in the planet, even those whose lips were not honeyed but years of servitude and adoration. She understood that too well from the moment she saw Legs leaps and gracefully plummeting in the middle of their ranks, bypassing their defenses like one would step up a scale in a ladder. The two women were far in distance- Minnie was located with the rest of the sniping forces in barracks above the hills to monitor the rest of the battlefield, yet Legs' mere presence was pulsing and reverberating through her body as if the Yonko were standing right in front of her. The country had gathered thousands of soldiers- not a speck compared to the might of a Yonko full naval force, but far more than what any single pirate could reasonably take on with his own hands- yet they were all feeling like ants and mosquitoes, dwarfed by a predator of monstrous size and power.
Instead of feeling defeated, enchanted or powerless, Legs' enormous power was for Minnie another reason to strengthen her focus. Such encounter did not the Marshal take neither by surprise in the slightest; the presence of the Black Widow's banners, flailing over each and every municipality of her island while had dominated her visions for more than entire weeks. And in those dreams, Ortstand was burning. Whether Legs was a woman or monster or even a true goddess, Minnie would have faced her no differently than she did with each criminal: deliver on her swift and efficient justice. Only the means and the tactics had to change, which had to be infinitely subtler and much more well-orchestrated than what is usually required for the common scum of the sea. In the few weeks Minnie received her vision, she had spent all the time she had not only in advising the authorities of her city, but in carefully profiling and studying Legs' powers, mindset and skills. She concocted a profile of the woman, the statesman, the warrior, and found in her a few small, but crucial weaknesses; they were little more than invisible cracks in a mountain of physical and political power, but few hits in weak points can cause the most tremendous avalanches.
The very weakness Legs was showing to Minnie right there was her decision to face an army of men with nothing more than her raw power, confident that alone it would suffice to dismantle each and every challenge Ortstand could provide. By measuring the pure force of the parties involved, the Emperor was surely right. But Legs was ignoring that companions provide more than a raw power for a leader: they serve and eyes and hears, to understand what she may have missed. Going alone and boasting her power to the very country she sought to subjugate was a vain move from Legs, a smug demonstration of pump. That step made all too easy -comparatively speaking- for Minnie to catch the spider in her own web of arrogance.
Her eyes were sliding to another person, a man was walking through the crow to talk to the Emperor. Minnie gulped and chocked: she had her own father, Walter playing crucial part in her schemes without him even being aware of. She felt terribly guilty of making a pawn out of him, but she simply found no other option. Her lips moved incessantly, praying that her plan was coming into fruition, praying for having her dad safe and sound in her arm at the end of the ordeal. Minnie had now nothing but to wait, organizing webs or countermeasure in the worst-case scenarios as the events were unraveling before her eyes.
While the soldier were retreating from Legs' imposing presence, not laying a single hit on her person as they were ordered to do, Amicus Saligny, current Director of Ortstand, the highest office in the entire island, walked side by side his own old friend and mentor Diana Walter, Director emeritus and ambassador of the country. Their current different in rank was not reflected in their physical stature: Saligny was a only moderately tall man, while Walter had a thin and towering figure, though not on the same level of his daughter Minnie. His own predecessor had always casted an of benevolent authority, wisdom and assertiveness perfectly blended in a frame. For those reasons, the younger Saligny had always looked at Walter as a friend and a mentor, a figure that inspired him to abide to his duty with the highest degree of decorum and devotion. He never thought the man who inspired to become Director was the one who followed him as he was basically surrendering the freedom of their people to the maws of a foreign power.
The older ambassador was looking at his pupil not with disgrace, but benevolence, as they both knew any other option was suicide for them and their island. His face betrayed not anger or frustration, but sadness and almost detachment. He had suffered and lost too much to afford another war, another conflict which would have reaped the life of so many children. If he had been younger, maybe he would have fought tooth and nails until victory or total annihilation, like his daughter suggested him to when she received her vision the first time: but he was old and scared and almost alone. He had one joy left in his life, his daughter Minnie, and would not have risked her for anything in the world.
The two figures, surrounded by dignitaries, their long robes leaving their mark over the sand: despite their heavy clothes, Walter hunched posture and stilted walk was painfully evident. Saligny walked too as slowly as he could, so to let his old friend time to breathe. They passed over battalions of restless soldiers, each of them more and more they further near the Yonko herself. Those nearer Legs were all stunned, petrified in an expression of awe rather than fear, trembling mice before a living legend.
Looking directly at the Empress’ figure standing tall in front of the sea, he felt the sheer magnificence of the figure almost flooring flat, a pillar of beauty, confidence, and power. Opposing her in a contest of might was not merely a desperate struggle, but a futile one. The only idiot was still thinking of matching the Yonko was that dimwit of his little brother, still with his rifle pointed at the Empress while trembling in mortal pallor. Saligny sighed: James’ patriotism and optimism were all admirable qualities, but all poisoned a but a rashness which bordered on suicidal carelessness.
On the other hand, Saligny had quite the opposite problem: he found Legs' presence so smiting he had trouble to find a word to the Yonko which was not of utter defeat or stupid deference. He looked on his mentor’s face to find more courage: Walter understood, and put a caring hand on his protégé. Savigny took a deep breath and spoke in a deliberately slow and calm manner.
“Put down your weapon, James. This is not a fight which can be won with force alone, not in a million years”. Then spoke to Legs. “Welcome to our shores, Miss Legs. My name is Savigny Amicus, Director of Ortstand, servant of the People of this humble State, and the man on my sight is the venerable Diana Walter, our trusted ambassador. We have come there to discuss our future relationships as faithful friends and allies. We do not wish any war nor ill will among each other, only peace”.
“Well, that’s perfect.” Legs responded as she watched the men around her drop their arms. “I was worried that I would lose valuable soldiers, allies, and resources from our fight. Really though, I’m glad that you are an intelligent people, unwilling to foolishly challenge me in a battle that you were clearly not going to win. It not only demonstrated intelligence, but a willingness to swallow one’s pride; a characteristic not many people share.”
A small smile creeped onto the edges of her visage. “However, this should not be a place of communication,” Legs continued, simultaneously signaling her fleet to stand down, stalling her own ship temporarily in the waters. “They shouldn’t approach anymore, so please, let us take our conversation elsewhere. Perhaps somewhere more personal.”
Saligny pointed at a large (though rather small from their point of view), elliptical palace at the top of a large hill, circled with three- to four stores stone buildings. "Our Embassy shall be the perfect place to discuss such matters. We shall escort you personally to the place".
With a sign of Saligny hands, the ranks of soldiers and mercenaries all opened to welcome the passage of the Yonko. The convoy slowly passed the through the coastal city, walking through the freshly made barracks built to endure a long and grueling siege. The eyes of the soldiers were all on Legs like the woman had put them on a spell. She walked silently, politely smiling at every look she received from the troops of Ortstand. Many lowered their eyes in bashfulness, overwhelmed by the attention that this Goddess was giving them; others, instead, trembled in fear and scorn, knowing that the arrival of Legs meant for the them the loss of their lives, their freedom or both. Yet Legs looked at everybody with the same placid benevolence, as they were all nothing more than children in her eyes.
The travel through the capital was pleasant, as the warm sun was bathing the main road connecting to the municipalities. Yet they had to walk unnaturally slowly, since Walter breath was becoming heavier and his steps sloppier. The common folks, which trenched in their homes waiting for the roaring of blade and cannons, were coming at their windows to see Legs in self. Their sense of wonder was even greater than those of the soldier, but scornful comments popped from time to time. Legs gave all the people she met the same seraphic look she reserved to the troops below. Saligny sighed, and pondered on Legs' unflappable and serene attitude toward the citizens: maybe she was trying to conquer the heart or the people of Ortstand, who were jealous of their relative independence and hated conquerors: maybe Legs was so calm because the people of the city meant nothing to her, posing the same amount of threat to her as specs of dusts. His old friend Walter spoke with the Empress in a courteous manner, giving her all the information he knew about the island’s history, culture and population.
“The people of this island are proud and loyal, miss Legs. We are one of the few countries of the World Government which had never had a monarchy since its very foundation, bearing the banners of a republic for centuries. But we are also known to be generous and welcoming to all who come to our shores with good intentions. I am sure they will accept you as a friend and a benefactor, once they fully recognize the magnitude of your benevolence and power”. Not that they would have much choice in the matter. They already shut down the first ambassador Legs sent them before, having too much care of their own freedom to bow down before a tyrant, one who has also the habit of requesting the very lifespan of their citizen as tribute. A heavy burden to bear, to be sure, but Walter was sure that it is better to lower oneself head sometimes rather than have it chopped off clear. If Legs was as charismatic and powerful as she looked and felt like, maybe their Parliament would be swayed from their folly of opposing an Emperor head on. The specter of the Minnie’s prophecy still haunted him, but he shrugged it off. There was time to change distant futures: Legs’ threat was chocking his island right there. His dear daughter would have understood that, eventually.
The trio reached the embassy, a tower roughly twenty meters tall, enough to accommodate even the most imposing of guests. The welcome room was minimalistic in its design, yet clean and comfortable. Small conches were put on the side of the room, filling the air with sweet fragrances, yet not to an overbearing degree. Walter and Saligny sat down on two small chairs, while Legs was left with a couch fitting her large size. The younger politician took a deep breath, feeling a certain unease to negotiate among people of such fame and age, certainly more he could ever boast. Even if the Empress was nothing but pleasant, he could not but feel the itches of an incoming danger. Whatever plan Minnie had orchestrated to deal with the Emperor, he prayed it did not blew right her in face.
“As my mentor reminded you, Miss Legs, our Parliament refused your proposal of allegiance, judging these terms to be somewhat unilateral”. He sugarcoated a lot the virulent campaigns and the public outrage sparked with the Black Widow’s ambassador visit. “Nevertheless, the fact that you agree to came on our island on your own feet, without having the cannonballs roaring, give me a lot of hope in settling this whole affair in good terms, without any blood shed”.
“Naturally so,” Legs responded, relaxing onto the velvet couch they seemingly prepared for her. “Like I’ve mentioned before, I enjoy those who don’t foolishly allow their pride to stand within the way of inevitable change. You care very much for the lives of your people, same as I. And when, your people become mine, I will care very much for you and them even more than I do now.” Her smile widened.
“So please, continue and inform me of your terms. I’m fairly interested in what you have to offer me.”
“Miss Legs, as a the First of the Citizens of this country, I can promise I will do anything in my power to convince our Parliament to surrender.” Saligny spoke. “You may perorate your cause in person to our Assembly to stir the necessary support. If you agree of halting the hostilities, I shall summon the Parliament and organize the broadest public consultations as soon as possible. Your proposal will be scrutinized and voted by all citizens of this country. I may office the Government, but the power to decide on such questions lies only on the People, of whom I am nothing but a servant.”
“Thus, Miss Legs, brings to the reasons of making the new state of affair as less onerous for Ortstandt as possible, which is my duty as an ambassador”. Diana Walter continued the discourse of his pupil, his voice was graveling, yet gentle and patient. He tried to summon all his skills in diplomacy his old bones could muster, as he was speaking less to a woman in flesh and bones and more to a force of nature or a fickle god.
“Miss Legs, Ortstandt is an already rich island. Our people have done commerce with every person coming to our shores with kind intentions. We have been noting but friendly with your crew and delegates, engaging in fructuous transactions. The riches you have brought to our island in exchange of our servitude are truly magnificent- items wondrous beyond belief- but their price is simply too high to pay even for us. One of the terms that caused our People to refute your request the most was the toll they require on our souls, our lifespans. We are a People of merchants, but we prize our life and independence more than any amount of gold. We are wise enough to know that a long, well lived life is a far greater treasure than any material good.” His mind came to his daughter, Minnie; many times he had prayed to be a grandfather, to see the little fruit born from his daughter smiling and giggling on his lap. He knew that such dream was foolish, with the grief gnawing his health day after day. But he wanted to give his beloved Minnie at least the chance to become a grandmother, to surpass him in age and growing old, happy and serene.
“I am sure that our Parliament will accept an alliance far more easily without the taxes on our souls. We shall close our doors to your enemies, offering shelter to your troops, coming to our aid as your dearest friends. And we will do it in heartbeat, without asking you a single of your enchanted items. But please, spare us from the tribute of your years on this Earth. We do not desire any goods we are not willing to pay for; do not force us to pay what we cannot give… I am begging you...”
The last word of Diana Walter was little more to a rattle, the wheeze of a dying man. He coughed violently, his body jerking on the chair. Savigny came to aid, trying to hold the breath of his friend. -Please, don’t die me now…- he muttered in his own mind. -Old friend, I need you. Your country needs you. I can't face that burden alone. -
Legs listened onward to his terms, though they much more resembled that of a plea. She would have to be heartless to not hear the voices all of those who resonated with his words. He truly did not speak for himself, but for the collective inhabitants of this wonderous country.
“I can truly see that you really do represent the voice of the people, and I can feel the love and admiration that you have for the people of this land,” the Empress addressed casually. “However, even so, I must respectfully refuse your conditions.” The mood of the room grew grim as she continued to speak, yet, her voice remained ever so calm and apathetic. “Now, you’re probably asking why right? Simple. There is no parliament, because Ortstandt is not a democratic society, but rather a monarch. When I inquired your terms earlier, I was not asking for your surrender; that has been guaranteed with my presence. What I asked for was what could you offer the larger kingdom you were about to be a-part of. Becoming a territory of mine only benefits you, thus, you can’t truly expect me to assimilate you without some sort of offering, can you?”
Legs relaxed further on the couch. “However, I am not heartless, and I respect the customs of your land. Thereby, I will revise your terms to something much more…admirable; Your people will have a drastically reduced soul tax, in exchange for an increase in economic taxes by approximately twenty five percent. Yet, this does not eliminate the soul tax in its entirety. However, such is truly a price to pay for your benefit.”
She turned to face Diana directly. “My items are pure works of art and craft, imbued with power capable of manifesting the very essence of god itself. Imagine a world free of disease, famine, hunger. A world where the old can live as the young, and where the young can frolick carelessly. A world where a hurricane never swallows islands wholes. A world where every merchant Is charming, every shipwright is skilled, and talented, every soldier is brave, courageous, noble, and skilled.”
Legs leaned lower. “Diana, allow me to craft you an item capable of prolonging your fading life. I can see very much the dissipating aura. Accept my terms, and I can fix all of this. I can bring you back to the world again. I can ensure that under my care, with my magic, with my protection, I can make manifest your wildest desires."
She clapped her hands together, and as she pulled them apart, a silky paper fell from her pores until it solidified. "Sign the contract, Diana. Offer me your country, and I will bring forth the dreams of your people; I will create the most ideal world."
Diana Walter closed his eyes, entering deep in his thoughts. A heavy, tense silence fell in the room, Savigny breath becoming heavier and heavier at every second of wait. After stretching to a nigh unimaginable degree, the old man spoke to goddess offering longer life.
“I suppose I must thank you, miss Legs, for giving this old relic a chance of prolonging his mortal life, cherishing new days with the people he loves. And yet, I must at least postpone your offer. If I accept you contract right now, the people of our country would see me as a traitor who appeased a wicked witch, a turncoat who sold his country in exchange for a few years of his wretched life. No, miss Legs, the vision of a world like the one you so vividly described… you must share it with the People… only they can make it a reality".
Walter remained silent yet again: even breathing was a fatigue for him. Savigny lowered his hand to his lap; he didn’t want that with all his heart, but was ready to face the storm for the two of them.
“Rest, my friend. I shall continue to speak for both, and for Ortstandt. You have done more than enough. If Legs permits that, then you should go home e keep yourself well.”
Diana let another caught, his sight was starting to blur. Two of the guards helped the old ambassador getting on his feet. With the Empress permissions and greetings, he was escorted to his home, were a bed and medicine were to keep him more alive. Savigny continued to speak, scared, yet in no way less resolute.
“To speak as my own mentor alluded, miss Legs, the scenario you propose is quite enchanting, but it is not me who can sign this offer. I understand more than anybody that we have no hope of victory shall we face your wrath. However, that does not mean we would ever accept to be under the yoke of anybody.” He left his sight to match Legs lavender polls, being sure she was looking at a man confident of his position and what little authority he could boast of, speaking in the same terms as the Empress.
To put it in another way, there is one thing you must do in order to fulfill that dream of yours, to have us becoming welcoming and loyal subjects of your empire: giving us choice, or rather, the appearance thereof. There is nothing that we have value more than our democracy, something even that wretched World Government has always honored. No one, not even World Nobles, has ever dared to come to our island with the posture of a master giving orders of our subjects. This is the thing we value the most, even more than our life. To have you acting like a conqueror and boastfully demanding to establish a monarchy, rather than at least paying formal respect to our will of independence, would be nothing short of an outrage. Very few people would ever accept that, and even I can assure I could do little to sway their hearts. Your power alone may destroy us, but it can never make Ortstandt love you.
Prove your benevolence to the people, instead. Do it before the Parliament; but more importantly, do it before the crowd. I shall arrange that your terms of surrender shall be heard not only before an assembly of politicians and common people alike. Almost the entire island will be there to see, people of all ages, races and social extractions. Show them benevolence, respond to the occasional insults with magnanimity; prove them that you love them as a mother and respect them as their most sincere friend. Give them the greatest miracles they have ever seen, dazzle them with the grandeur of your ambition. If the masses are conquered, so the Parliament shall yield.”
“Man,” Legs groaned leaning her head backwards onto the top of the couch, “you’re really making me work for this island.” She sat up groggily, her movements much more fluid and careless than they were before.
“Look, Saligny,” she started slowly as she recollected her thoughts, “you make a pretty good point and..well I think that it’s a splendid idea for me to try a diplomatic approach. Not because it’ll guarantee this island, my might have already guaranteed this island.”
“No,” Legs stood up, stumbling ever so slightly in her walk, “I’ll enjoy the challenge of It is all. Plus, it’ll give me the chance to demonstrate to the world that I am, or can be, a diplomatic player, not just some conqueror.” She smiled. “Yes, this will actually do perfectly.”
She turned away from the window she faced, falling on her ass as she did so. “Whoops, crazy me. I’m just stumbling everywhere right now, haha!” Her face had become a slight red. “Let’s…um…l-let’s go with your plan, Salivgny, haha!”
Saligny eyes twitched almost by reflex; how someone like Legs, a Yonko, a warrior skilled and powerful beyond belief, more a demigod than a man could ever stumble on his feet like... well... like any normal piss-poor drunken woman? He kept both his mouth and mind shut: there was no advantage in having a cataclysimcally acting clumsier if she could still snap your neck in a less than a blink of an eye and destroy your country without breaking a sweat. For the time being, Saligny just had to play with the negotiations like nothing was happening.
The Prime Minister took a bell near his seat, and summoned an attendant, well groomed despite the simplicity of the outfit.
"There I believe we are finding common ground. It is most pleasing. So, to begin our friendship, what better way would be rather than us offering you a meal? The time is ripe for dinner, I suppose. Ambrose, take few appetizers for our guest."
The attendant bowed in courtesy and went to the dinner. He returned bringing a few fresh meals, mostly toasts and few bottles of wine. Saligny reserved himself a portion while giving the lion share of the meal to Legs.
"Forgive us for this relatively austere meal, but in times like that, a leader must guide by example, and I cannot afford any luxury while my people must live with frugal rations. What little we have spared, however, is all yours. We shall provide with a banquet worthy of your stature once the annexation is complete."
“W-What do ye,” Legs hiccupped as she devoured the plate before her, “I-I…this is waay more than ‘nuff. I’d totally get fat if I ate anymore…me thinks?” Suddenly, Legs slammed her hands down onto the table, destroying it in one fell swoop as her face became a bright-red flush.
“W-What d-d-d-d….you do to me?!” Her drunken self asked, yet, by the reasoning of her tone, it sounded much more like a demand than a question. “You’ll explain yourself! Or you’ll….,” she almost drifted into a sleep, shaking herself awake with sheer willpower.
“Fuck me,” Legs finally before finally collapsing onto the floor like any other drunk.
“Fuck you, indeed.” Nicholas thought looking at the Yonko’s massive frame cradling and snoring on the floor like a giant toddler. She might have a been a pleasant person to deal with in private, perhaps even a well-meaning and generous statist, sincerely concerned with the fate of her subjects: but Legs was still an autocrat which ceaselessly lusted for power, and whose cravings would have dammed his compatriots to sacrifice their lives like they were a country of barbarians. What was just a few moments an invincible witch or goddess, now laid down bare, impotent. What kind of miracle made the fall of the titan possible?
“Pure caffeine, if you are wondering how I managed to knock out Legs, Sir.”
Nicholas turned his head on the door, Minnie finally standing near the jamb of the embassy. Her posture was firm, fittingly for her rank, with a slight inflection of her head. Minnie looked at the sleeping Emperor, brought down to the world of men. Aside of her massive height and built, which thoroughly dwarfed most men, there was little of the mountain of power her physical presence could command with a glance. With the strong, nasal rasps coming from her mouth, Legs was looking like the oversized version of a baby hippo. Funnily clumsy, totally innocuous, and even kind of… cute and innocent. “Among the dials used to diffuse dials for the perfume, I have shuffled some which are specifically breaded to absorb and emit pure caffeine, an odorless substance to which spiders and half-spiders like Legs are intoxicated by. Currently, Legs has been experiencing the equivalent of an extreme hangover; it won’t be enough to kill her, but will keep her sleeping like an angel for enough time to complete the second part of my plan.” The young soldier came closer to Prime Minister, then bowed down enough that her head went lower than that of the comparatively rather small Prime Minister. “Forgive me, Sir Saligny, for not having flashing you out my intentions before they bore theirs fruits. With Legs inhuman perceptiveness, any single of unnecessary knowledge could have led to a catastrophic failure. I assure, Sir, that I have talked extensively to the Parliament, and I have received their approval for all the phases of my plan.”
“I believe you, Wilhelmina.” Said Saligny, knowing that if it were a person she could trust more than anybody was the young High Marshal, who inherited her father honesty coupled with the idealism typical of youth. “And then, Minnie? What are we going to do with the most powerful woman in the world, drunken in our chamber, surrounded by her troops from every angle?”
“We are going to make a deal with them. First, we take Legs as a hostage, being sure she will be being under the barrel of a gun every second of her permanence as our guest.” The last syllable was dripping with sarcasm. “The Widow Pirates won’t risk the life of the captain so easily; furthermore, I am going to force them to disperse their ranks, so that they may not be able to flank us in an effective way. Then, I am going to sail with the Emperor to a ship and head to the nearest Marine naval base. There I shall trade the life of the Empress for enough forces to face retaliation in case her crew decides to inflict their wrath upon us. But I think, at that point they will too busy dealing with the fate of their master to pay any undue attention to us. Their affairs are not our business, Sir.”
Saligny exhaled a murmur, a breath of indecision and fear. “This plan of yours is staggeringly clever. But it is just as risky. There are virtually millions of inconveniences that may happen, millions of wrenched that may wreck our machine, leaving us dying crushed under its rubbles. Yours is a gamble on which we are betting nothing less than the life and future of Ortstand. The risks might not be worthy. Maybe it would be more prudent to let it slide, to bring Legs safe to a bed and organize excuses for when she will be woken up…”
“The future of Ortstand will be sealed in fire, steel and blood if we lower our heads under the tyrant’s request, Sir.” Minnie spoke with a firm and urgent tone. “With due respect, Sir. My visions have never been mistaken, not once. Should the banners of the Spider flail over our beloved city, it will be devoured by chaos and destruction. Everything we cherish, everything we believe in, it will be lost if we don’t act to stop fate.
Besides, how can we people of Ortstand, land of freedom and independence, just give in to the whims of a madman? Should we let us ourselves as plates, letting Legs banquet with our souls while trampling all over our pride. Our island is shining like a jewel in the sea, a bastion which shaped the world since its foundation, independent, fierce, unbroken. Yielding now would be a shame on our Fathers and a betrayal of our children, who shall live a diminished life as subjects and meat to a witch.”
“Wilhelmina, your reasoning is marred by much immaturity. There are forces men must bend to: the roaring of hurricanes, the trembling of the earth and the inexorable decay of mind and flesh. The will of an Emperor is among these absolute fetters, these holy writs. In our world, mortals cannot hope but…”
“We have just succeeded!” Minnie’s voice turned almost in growl, her temper was having the best of her politeness, for once. “Look at Daddy L. Legs right there, First of the Yonko, now as threatening as a child thanks to material we extract from normal coffee! She is the living proof there is a weak spot in every armor, a weak link in every chain. The Four Emperors are mighty beyond belief, but they still live within and are bound by the realm of men, no matter how much they pose as omnipotent gods. They can bleed, be poisoned, die of sickness; but, more importantly, they can be outsmarted. If it is said that the Will of a King is necessary to thrive and prosper in the new World, then we shall shove the Black Widow how iron clad our determination is, how the force of our mind can overcome any adversity. We shall…”
The devil thus mentioned turned on her side, looking like for the briefest to moment, to awaken from the slumber. The faces of the two citizens of Ortstand wouldn’t have turned paler had someone smeared on them chalk and toothpaste. Frozen in a terrified glance, on the brink of soiling himself, Saligny gave Wilhelmina the strictest of order without uttering anything: “Minnie, please, for God’s sake, SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Minnie happily complied. Fortunately for them, Legs was still sleeping lovely and merrily, murmuring some gibberish about a certain Aoshin and how it managed to demolish him/her in a sake drinking match. They both thanked and prayed God.
Saligny sighed. “Before you make your final decision, there is still something I must partake with you: it is about your father. The Empress saw something in him, the wound in his aura where his life is bleeding through. She offered us, in exchange of our compliance in the surrender, a way to cure his illness, or at least prolong his permanence on Earth. You should know better than anybody else: Legs can make miracles happen, and saving Saligny would be an excellent way to gain the approval of the People. This might be our only chance to save his life, to have Walter still walking among us. I hate the soul bargain as much as you do, but ponder on this: wouldn’t it give some vindication to the years we will give if they could somehow give new lymph to our Walter? Conventional medicine can only go as far, certainly not enough to save him from the abyss. Can you go as far as renouncing the chance of a prodigy for the sake of our freedom? Can you go as far as renouncing your own father, Minnie?”
Saligny came to close to the young woman, barely reaching her waist. Despite their difference in ranks, height and heritage, they both shared a man whom they loved and treasured above every other person: In Saligny mind, Walter was his father as much as he was hers, thus making them related in spirit. And he gave his advices not like an authority or a senior, but a concerned elder brother.
Minnie lowered her head, feeling it heaver and dizzier than ever. The chance, the possibility of saving her dad again… having him smile again, run again, having him being the happy and healthy man she remembered from her childhood… She would have given her lifespan thousands time over to make it happen for just a day. But not a single day from one of her friends, comrades, compatriots. And, never, never risking the fate of her home country for her selfish desires.
“I m-must, Sir. My duty toward the People of our country stands above all. Above anybody.” Minnie whispered in a formal tone, a single stream of tears flowing through her face. Right there she was not the daughter, but the soldier of Ortstand, the bastion of her freedom. There was no time to squander in grief, no room for doubts or second thoughts.
With swift movements, she pulled off two pairs of sea stone handcuff, the bane of devil fruits users. Her hands were firm, her movements precise: in less than a blink, the Empress had both her hand and feet chained. Her physical menace was neutralized, at least for the time being. Minnie hoisted Legs over her shoulders, the enormous frame of the Yonko almost engulfing her own; the woman was unimaginably heavy for a normal human, but her mass was still insignificant for someone strong like the High Marshal.
“I shall bring Legs to the higher post, where the Black Widow crew can see we are not bluffing. There I shall make the deal, so that we may go undisturbed. With due respect, Sir Saligny, I must go.” She gave her superior a military salute. Saligny paid respect to the formality. “Stubborn as a mule, yet sharp-witted. Brave, loyal and compassionate: truly the spitting image of you, my old friend.” He mused. “Now the dice of fate has been thrown. I pray it reveals the winning faces for us. Our life depends on it.”
Minnie left the embassy.
Visions of a New World[]
Legs had never expected that as a prisoner she would be supplied with food, a sizeable room, and a rather comfortable bed. In fact, the only confirmation that she had truly been a prisoner was not the environment she was in, although she was unfamiliar with it, but were the sea stone shackles coiled around her hands and legs; she was weakened. She gazed past the sea stone bars, watching the guard there who had never turned an eye to Legs for more than a second. They remained vigilant and alert, overly so Legs thought. With the seastone, she was pretty much incapable of accessing any of her strength, even that which the Devil Fruit doesn’t provide. “You know,” Legs started finally, addressing the motionless guard. “You can look at me. The sea stone prevents my escape.”
The guard didn’t respond.
“Can I at least know where I’m being taken to? I’ve been sleeping for a fairly long time. I think I might’ve missed some details.”
"No, you can't." Minnie thought, still and mute like a statue, yet ready to shoot at the slightest provocation from her target on any of the Black Widow Pirates. The less the Empress knows about their trade, the least problem. She might have been chained up, guarded every seconds, but Legs was still and Emperor. With monsters like those, no precaution was in excess.
"The bathroom is there. That is the most I can say to you". He indicated a small squatting toilet in the left angle angle of the room. "Forgive us, but in case of need, you shall perform your bodily functions while one of us is seeing you. I hope that does not disturb you."
“Oh, of course not! I am a prisoner after all, though, I must say the hospitality is truly lovely,” Legs continued, approaching the bars so that she could be slightly closer to the guard. “May I ask whose telling me this information so that I can properly thank them?”
Minnie’s face turned redder than a tomato. “T-Thank you. There is no reason to be so kind… there is none. I mean, we have tricked you, made you fall asleep and imprisoned, so the least we can do is treating you with a minimum respect. I m-mean, proper decorum is something everybody deserves; no matter how much you are an enemy of somebody, you entitled to give him at least something to eat, a nice place to sleep and some privacy. I know how does to it feel to have strangers looking in your most intimate moments, it’s ugly, dehumanizing and humiliating, so we are simply acting as human beings, there is truly nothing special in how we act, we are simply not savages, that’s all. I mean, we are also trying to s…” The young Marshal bit her tongue before revealing her intentions. While must she always melt off at the slightest compliment, losing all her composure? Her slave masters called her the “blushing killer” for a reason.
Legs chuckled slightly. "You wouldn't be the first to trick me, and you surely won't be the last. But, I can assure you that you're the first to be this kind to me. The World Government makes me out to be this monster born from the depths of hell, but long before that, I was a young soldier, just like you, simply trying to create a haven for me people. Yet, for my dreams, I was imprisoned and sentenced to death." Legs paused for a moment as she recounted her experiences.
"I was stripped naked, barely fed... there was nothing that they really didn't do to me. Yet, what gave me hope, and what pulled me to take action against such tyranny was the kindness of others. Those people remain my most loyal friends and commanders even to this day." "I'll remember this act of kindness, miss...?"
“Wilhelmina.” Minnie lowered her head: either Legs was an amazing actress, one of the greatest she has ever seen: or she, like the Young Marshal, knew too well of the bitter taste of captivity and humiliation, of having your freedom and dignity stripped away on the whims of stronger men, the crawling sensation of lustful hands all over your skin, searching for the weakest, softest spots in your body. All those things echoed through the voice of the Empress, sentiments which are not easy to emulate. The idea of sending a person to the World Government wardens, where God only knew what they would have done to her, did please her one bit. But she had to continue. Legs was the mortal enemy of her people, the bane in her nightmares. Making her travel comfortable was the greatest kindness she could afford.
“But do not mistake our basic decency for true friendship. Should I not fear retaliation you my people, you would have been as good as dead in the moment you feel asleep. You might have been a former slave, but you have come to us like a bully and a jailer. I shall not suffer your reign on Ortstand, not as long as I live.”
"As a bully you say?!" Legs jumped in amusement. "Wilhelmina, please forgive me, but that's such a foolish statement. I came to Ortstand, as a companion, not as a jailer. If I had truly wished, I could have obliterated your beaches the moment I landed upon its soil, commanded my troops to destroy your armies, and to take advantage of your women, but I did no such thing."
She leaned closer to the bars, her voice growing softer like a madman's whisper. "I offered your people negotiations, and chances to compromise with my own wishes. I have yet to force anything upon your people."
“That is the mentality of a bully, condescending and entitled.” Minnie’s voice became venomous, a roar of anger. “Miss Legs, your reasoning reminds me a lot of the people who used to imprison me. Lord Nicholas, the World Noble, he really used to tell me how grateful should I have been for the days he didn’t beat me, rape me or force me to fight in his stupid coliseum. And if I dared to look him grim for his hypocrisy, then he was ready to throw this gratitude off the window. Just as I am sure you, Legs, you would have taken your gratitude away in case of denial. As long I cannot say “no”, miss Legs, and still walk on my own legs, then I am forced by you.”
"And your mentality is one still of a former slave, with no disrespect miss Wilhelmina." Leg, on the other hand, remained calmed and amused just as she had been the entirety of the conversation. "You speak truth that your...Lord Nicholas, as you still call him, was surely entitled. Him deciding not to beat you, or rape you one day does not excuse the instances he does, but there lies the fallacy in your comparison." Legs smiled. "I have never raped, nor beaten you before, or your people. You have no reason to think I would suddenly either; After all, take a look around. I was the one deceived, and tricked. I was the one intoxicated and drugged. I'm the one in the prison with no idea where I'm headed. And do you know what for, Miss Wilhelmina?"
Her smile creeped into a condescending smirk. "Sheer speculation."
"Miss Legs." Minnie's tone became calmer, almost tuning to the seductive tone of the Yonko. But the poison was still there. "Having our country surrounded by warships almost bloated with weapons amounts to a bit more than some sheer speculation, at least to me."
"Yes, ships infused with weapons to protect their Empress from the wraths of the sea and the marines that seem to make my life forfeit," Legs informed casually. "I approached your land, leaving my armada several miles away."
"But, Miss... Wilhelmina. May I ask something of you? Why were your armies ready? You had to be aware I was approaching, yes? And then the plan you concocted couldn't have been improvised."
“I have my…. unique sources of information.” Minnie kept as cryptic as possible; the more the woman deduced on her Haki, the worse was for her. Better instead to divert the Empress' attention on something else. “But, since we are very close to our goal, Miss Legs, at least I can tell where we are headed. There is a Marine base relatively close to our Island. Once we reach it, we are going negotiate with the World Government a deal: you in exchange of a stable military force to protect us from your followers. Do not hope your pirates to save you, Miss Legs: if we perceive the glimpse of a threat from them, I will blow your head off.”
"Wait...time out," Legs started, "You're taking me to the marines and you're going to expect them to care about your island enough to give you an armada to stop my soldiers from extracting revenge?" She chuckled. "Oh, my... Wilhelmina, you're truly a foolish woman now. And then, not only that, but if I try to escape, you'll kill me? So then, the question is, how well protected do you expect to be then, because at that point, you don't have me to trade for forces."
"You cannot escape from our shackles, Miss Legs. There is relatively less to fear from you than one of your followers. We will keep you guarded until the Marine send to our base enough stable forces. We won't release you to the Marine until they give us the power to back up. Only then we'll give you in their custody. And, because of your status, I am quite sure I can negotiate a lot of forces to help us. "The World Government has a lot of corruption among its ranks, but it would be seriously stupid to their part to screw up this deal."
"Are you sure about that?" Legs question was simple, yet so strangely complicated. "Do you think the World Government can live with someone capturing someone they haven't be able to? I would think very carefully about this, and I would urge you to consider further negotiations with me. They aren't as nice as you believe them to be."
Of all the words utter by the Empress in the conversation, that was the only one which struck a serious blow. The weak link on his plan relied on the good will of the Marines, an organization which has proven time and time again to be corrupt and inefficient. Sure, she had the base contact with Admiral Fuyuki, a man true to his word. But what if her request doesn’t reach the right ear? What would come to her plan, if some officer had the idea of betraying them for the scraps of glory? All sank in the ocean, along with her hopes for Ortstand. Steps rushed through the belly of the ship. Private James came to the guard post, his breath falling short. He was laughing exuberantly. “Minnie, Minnie, we made it! Navy’s ships are approaching! We made it!” James face betrayed youthfulness and exuberance, happiness for the closing of a goal. Yet it turned into worries as he looked in the eyes of the Marshal. Marshal eyes rolled over his head, his body shacking and tremble; she looked a like a pallid version of herself, close to a corpse. “What’s happening, Minnie?” James rushed to the girl side. She barely avoided a fall toward the ground. “What’s happening!” Minnie recovered, a mask of sweat dripping over her face. She looked in the eyes of Private James again. “Listen to my orders, James. Take the key from Legs prison and shackles with you and stay down here. If you hear any kind of noise from the Den Den Mushi on the side”. She pointed at a snail near the prison entrance; it was connected to many others in various parts of the ship, so that no tentative of free Legs would have gone unnoticed.
“Free her. We have little time. Don’t ask any question!”
Legs smiled casually as the guard James approached. She had remembered him from earlier, taking note of his bravery in the face of adversity. His face did not betray his emotions as he approached with the key. "I see," she started, "I see that your leader is finally heeding my advice." She bent her head slightly. "Or, this means that you guys are planning on turning me over right about now?"
James kept his composure as much as he could, but could not help but nodding a thought as he heard Minnie’s boot rushing through the stairs above: "I have no idea."
Marine Battleship
“Commodore—”
“Shush your mouth,” the shorter, brown hair man announced, a sort of arrogance present in his tone. “Can’t you see that I’m preparing my speech for the masses as I stand upon the precipice of greatness?”
“My apologies Commodo—”
“Admiral,” he lightly corrected. “My rank as a mere Commodore won’t be present for much longer.”
“Admiral Vale,” the soldier forced out. “We have surrounded them as you’ve instructed. Should we make the exchange now?”
“Ah, yes,” Vale noted. “Now I want you to sink their escorts and we’ll forcefully take Legs from them.”
“W-What?” The Captain leveled soldier inquired confusedly, a level of concern occupying his visage. It was obvious that he wasn’t quite use to Vale as of yet. He was new.
“You heard what I said. Admirals don’t repeat themselves, Gaman.”
Gaman, a tall, rather built, long-blonde haired soldier, nodded. He had heard tales of Vale’s cruelty before, which is why he was reluctant to be transferred there, but he had ultimately dismissed the rumors are mere rumors. Now, he recognized the truth in them.
“And, Gaman,” Vale called as Gaman began to walk away from his study, “You may take whatever women on the ship you see fit as yours. The treasures as well. The nation is supposedly rich.” Gaman smiled. “Thank you Admiral Vale.” He walked out, having been amused that Vale was often generous to his own men came true.
As he stepped out onto the deck, he addressed the equally corrupt men before him.
“Listen men, we are to attack, conquer, pillage, and steal the Yonko from them. This is our only chance at this. Ensure we do not fail.”
Thus, as it went, the first cannonball was shot, crippling one of Orstandt’s escort ships within seconds.
Back on the Orstandt’s Ship
The waves from the cannonball rocked the lower decks, making it somehow even more difficult for James to stick the key into the seastone cuffs and chains that restrained Legs. His hands were already shaken as the fear of her retaliation consumed him. She was truly…powerful. The aura she radiated was enough to explain that.
“Calm your nerves, James. I’m not going to attack you. You, afterall, are setting me free,” Legs reassured, her voice as calm as usual. Yet, that serenity was indicative of her arrogance, her condescension. James gritted his teeth and turned the locks, letting the shackles hit the floor. “I-I don’t like you.”
Legs smiled. “But I like you, James.” Her reply was quick as she strolled past him. She casually walked up the stairs, inhaling heavily as she took in a gust of fresh air. The winds blew heavily as the battle between Orstandt and the marines commenced. Standing in the midst of it, surprised almost, was Wilhelmina. Legs approached carelessly.
“Do you see what they do now, miss Wilhelmina. I told you they wouldn’t let you go this easily.”
Minnie didn’t want to retort to the Empress standing near her, free and at the peak of her power. She didn’t want to give her any kind of satisfaction, nothing she could gloat about. Besides, she was too busy dealing with Marines ships in war assets. The forces of the Navy were flanking them on all sides, cannonballs and gunshots flying all over her head. Minnie counted roughly ten of them, and none of them was a warship worthy of the title. Amidst the utter failure, she at least had the cold comfort her ship was not facing a Buster Call or even worse. The fools she talked to with the Den- Den Mushi were that greedy and stupid.
While pointing at the enemy cannons, Minnie grinned his teeth with such they started aching. Meticulous planning, immense risks, great sacrifices… all was lost. Any chance of sparing her home from her fate, destroyed by the ambition and sheer stupidity of few officials, scattered in the dusts of war. They weren’t planning for any negotiations; ships were deployed to trap them the very moments they had stepped down. Ready to be sunk or even worse, and then to retrieve Legs body from the bottom of the ocean, while her comrades would be slaughtered like cattle. Tearing down one of the escort ships while she was begging them to stop and reconsider. Exactly as she had seen in her vision.
Tall on the quarterdeck, she charged a shot aimed not to a marine, but to their weapons, to bare them from their claws. The ships she took didn’t have enough arterially the match a marine convoy in a serious struggle, but her trusted Gandiva was equipped with all the means she need to fight an all war even against ships. Equipping her main muzzle not with normal ammunition, but Flavor Dials. It was the same kind of device she used to knocked out Legs, but this time was filled with inflammable gas, rather than caffeine. With every fire of her, Minnie had ricocheted her unusual projectiles in the middle of any cannon muzzle she could find; with every of their subsequent fires, any attempt at shooting at the ships resulted in roaring flames, an explosion worth of TNt, columns of smoke surging from their bulwarks. Most of the enemy’s ships were shining in the sea, people were screaming inside, pulling in buckets of saltwater to prevent the blaze from devouring the tender woods and their very lives.
Minnie stopped for a moment, then watched his black Den Den Mushi. “Here is Diana Wilhelmina, High Marshal of Ortstand. I’m asking you to cease the attack immediately, or many lives on both sides will be lost on both sides. I am equipped to disable all your artillery. You lack the means in sinking us. You are wasting your resources and men in search of an object with zero to none strategical value, I...”
An unholy sight caught her attention, as she peeked in burning cargo hold, one of the farthest; many marine sailors were covered in fire like candles, screaming at the top of their lungs. Mere pawns for the ambition of their superior, paying their loyalty with their life and horrifying suffering. Guilt was chocking Minnie’s throat.
“For God’s sake… there is no reason to fight anymore! Commodore Vale, you won’t take any glory for this fight. Legs is free, she is on the deck right now. I repeat, Legs is FREE! It is useless to continue...” Minnie’s voice turned in a sob. “Please, our men are dying for nothing… stop… please.”
From the vessel of the commodore, no reply was coming. Minnie could see they had discovered Legs liberation from the lookout face, which was inch close from passing out and falling from his post. Marines on the deck was entering from and leaving the captain’s cabin, all the crew thrown in utter chaos. For a moment, she hoped that the Emperor’s presence had frozen the stupidity in the people’s veins, praying that, as dishonorable scum the commodore was, he had enough wits left in his moldy brain not to challenge the mightiest of the Yonko while she had no shackles on her.
The ship did not back down from the insane challenge, with a steeling maneuvers it positioned itself in perfect perpendicular position from the Ortstand main escort. Minnie squinted, taking a full look at the hull right in front of her: a teethed monstrously, armored as a rhino, with razor sharp becks to not just plowing to boats, but to shredding them in pieces. She charged Gandiva and shot in the middle of the ram, hoping its metal shields were not as tough as they looked: predictably, it bounced off with only the slightest dent.
Considering the caliber of the projectile, as large as mortar blow, the close distance and the fact she had imbued the attack with Haki, she knew of only one material strong enough to shrug off such attack: Seastone, in thick sheets. Minnie shouted with every gallon of oxygen in her lungs:
“All of you, run on the sides of the both, don’t get caught by the blades! Get away from the center!” Not too much of a necessary advice, as soldiers had already taken their comparatively safe position. Only Legs stood at the middle of the ship, too busy at the relishing of the fresh yet spiced air of wind and gunpower. Her serenity recalled in Minnie's mind of the time she came to Ortstand, a god bathed in the sun, showering inferior being their benevolence. But a glimpse in Legs eyes was different: behind her nigh closed eyelids, Minnie could perceive a demon struggling to be unleashed, a passion for fighting burning as strong as the sun during summer middays.
Minnie had no time to talk, but formulated a prayer in her head. In that moment, she recognized her utter finitude, weakness and total dependency on greater forces. Even if she could see the future, even she had fought with everything she could, fate remained high in the sky, so above her grasp. The ravelings of fate spinning out of control, only to coil back to Legs. Maybe was that strange dominance over improbable events, even more than strength and charisma, what makes a true king. To take the events and, inevitably, turning them to their will. To transform the absurd in reality.
Legs walked towards the approaching ship in almost slow motion, as if her mind and reflexes existed in a separate crack of time and space; they had. For as long as she could remember, her tutors and mentors had always spoke about controlling the pace of battle. If you could make your opponent move to your rhythm, you could predict their movements. Thus, she trained. She delved into perfecting that craft, and through the various blessings bestowed upon her upon birth, she soon discovered that her mind existed on a separate plane. Her reaction times were virtually instantaneous, and thus, she delved further into her studies and sought to challenge the elements themselves. She stood upon the grasslands of a stormy day; by the end, not a single raindrop had reached the hearth, and she had finally understood that she had not only learned to control the pace of battle, but could even predict the rhythm and tempo of the world. The gunpowder and debris that scattered among the winds were carelessly floating amidst the air as if a gentle breeze pushed it carelessly. She stepped around each sparkle of powder, hoping to at least keep her outfit clean. To those around her, Legs would have disappeared already, having been lost in the cresses of her movement, a mere blur in the eyes of those unable to follow.
She rested upon the edge of the ship, facing the incoming aquatic projectile that threatened to send her to the bottom of the sea. Her smile intensified as she crouched ever so slightly, and pulled her fist back along her hip, the sheer force of her action rebuking the very wood upon her own vessel, sending chunks of debris floating around her. The eyes of the marines that sailed towards here fell still, and the faces of their commodore dropped in what seemed to be surprise and fear. Legs amused them with a wink before launching her tempered fist forward like a rocket, not with the intention of striking the Seastone hull itself, but to use the very world that she had learned to control to her advantage. The sheer strength of her punch emanated shockwaves that bent the very sea to her will, uplifting the tides into waves that consumed the hull, rocking the ship off balance enough, nearly tipping the massive vessel on its side, so that the gale winds that had been crafted alongside the tsunami were enough to send the ship skidding across the surface of the moving ocean, so insignificant like a smooth pebble, and as easily achieved as throwing one.
Legs turned to face the people that stood in awe behind her. She cleared her throat. “Don’t feel bad, I’m usually about to die.”
“She didn’t even hit the ships… didn’t even it that ship… didn’t even it that ship…”
Minnie’s brain was caught in loop, reciting a mantra to just comprehend the sheer magnitude of what she and her crew had just witnessed. Roughly three seconds passed before she took her breath and did even consider in assessing the situation in a rational way. Minnie’s reaction time had always been described as nothing short of portentous, organizing thousands of subtle inputs to create a coherent a detail picture of the landscape in seconds, keep control on each surge of emotion and act without fail. When many men would have stumbled, she run forward, steadfast, sharp and resolute. And yet, she had stared aghast in the void, overwhelmed, or better yet, shut down by Legs’ utter display of power. By sheer strength and alone, the Empress had confirmed the insurmountable difference between a Yonko and average pirate, a demi-goddess and a mere man.
Minnie’s glare turned on Legs, while all her comrades where still bewildered. So strong yet so calm: almost intoxicatedly beautiful. Minnie was lucky to have administered both on herself and her crew chemical suppressants, so that they may not fall prey to the Empress alluring scent. A being, like that, serene and wrathful like the Ocean itself. Impossible to kill, impossible to hurt, impossible even to resist it. On some level, impossible even not to admire, venerate and love. How was she supposed to defeat the grim fate for her island if its harbinger was such an invincible being? Minnie lacked even the drive to curse. Her knees had grown soft and jelly like butter, on which she slipped, kneeling to the ground.
“Soldiers, put your weapons back. Don’t get slaughtered for nothing. It’s an order.” She muttered. “If our conversation before has left you with any anger in your heart, Empress of the Sea, please, lash it out on me only. The only thing I beg you for is to spare my men.”
“Please, Wilhelmina. Stand up,” Legs asked. “Don’t kneel for doing what you believe to be right. Like I’ve said, I’m no barbarian. If I wanted to kill you or your men, I would’ve done it already.”
"Then... what you intend to do?" Minnie said, pensive. After seeing the fate of their admiral, the enemy fleet had fled like a bunch of chickens. Minnie's Kenboshoku was not triggered: whatever thoughts were crossing the Empress mind, they did not involve punishing them. The mercy Legs was showing them was almost shocking: most tyrants in her position would have butchered both her and her soldiers without a whim. She dared not too believe too much in the Empress, but her intentions were undoubtedly pure. But they had always been: therefore, why all the horrid visions of her burning home? Evidently, things were more complex than she taught at the beginning; perhaps fate was playing a game with her.
"Simple. I need to go back and appear before the people to plead my case, do I not?"
"Y-yes." Minnie's whisper implied utter defeat. Soldiers were erupting in joy: they had passed through two storms, an assualt from Marines and the potential wrath of a Yonko, and passed unscathed. Hope was springing from their heart, but also great fear, as Minnie's prophecy still haunted their heads. They did not(edited)
what to do to help their captain: after all, only a fool would have tried to even slightly unease a Yonko after being pardoned by them for betrayal. James, however, was of another opinion.
"F-forgive miss Legs. He said. But there is something our captain must tell you, which is of primary importance. And I know, it will sound crazy..."
"James... what are you doing?" Minnie was flabbergasted.
"Please," Legs started. "Tell me what you must. In this world, with what we've just witnessed, nothing sounds crazy."
Minnie cleared her throat: "Do you remember when you asked me how I orchestrated your capture? The reason is that I saw your arrival. In the sense that I can see the future, I think is because my Kenboshoku Haki is incredibly developed. I saw your flags flailing over my island weeks before you have come to our shores. For that reason, I also ordered James to free: I foresaw his death on the hands of the marines the moment in stepped below."
Legs smiled in delight. "My heavens, you do have a gift." She stepped towards Minnie, and kneeled down to meet her eyes, "And that gift will come to assist you greatly, but it has blinded you, and now you're simply a prisoner to a fate that you have proven to yourself to be an inevitable truth." Legs paused. "Men are not prisoners of fate, Wilhelmina, but prisoners of their own mind."
"Thank you... but my Haki is nothing more of a basic evolution of an ability which everyone can learn with due time and exercise. I mean, I am really not special at all... ahahah." Minnie turned red and bit her tounge; Legs chuclked playfully. No matter how much deep the Marshal stared in the Empress' lavander eyes, she could not find a trace of malice in it. Legs' concern seemed genuine and believable, as well as her interest for her gift. A rain of hope crossed the mind of the High Marshal: she never believed that her ace in the hole was actual pure honesty.
"What do you mean, Miss Legs? The things the I see with my Haki are incoming dangers to the people I love. But the events are not written in stone: they can be changed, if I can understand their cause and defuse it in time. Miss Legs, I really believe in when you say you want to become a friend of us and our people, but my gift gave me a vision of our island under your banner: it was burning, my people screaming in pain. This is the main reason of why I have opposed you."
"Then the solution is quite simple," Legs nodded. "I have many enemies, marines, pirates, assassins. I can't possibly predict who will be the cause, and if your visions have revealed my arrival, and the marine's assault, then I can trust its arrival." She fell silent, going into a deep thought. "Yes, the solution is simple. I can't take this island, not until I at least can guarantee it's safety, and the causes of its destruction, who could destroy it, the possibilities are simply endless. I'll have to leave your home country alone for the time being."
"However, I refuse to walk away empty handed," Legs continued, extending her hand to Wilhelmina. "You possess a gift bestowed upon you by the gods themselves, Wilhelmina. Allow me to help your harness the brute of your powers, to extract your full potential. Please, join my crew."
Minnie took Legs much larger hand, holding it with a firm touch. Any doubt in Minnie's mind was throughtly dissipated: the woman above her was kind and just leader, one who is willing to put the need of her subjects before her thirst for conquest. That was truly Empress worth following. "For having spared my men and my island, my life is yours. I vow to serve you with all my talents and my heart until I draw my last breath."
She stood up to the Legs, just to bow before her with an appropriate curtsy. The rest of Minnie's men, without a spoken order from the High Marshal, joined her in paying respect to the Empress.