One Piece: Rise - Romance Dawn 2

That could be a problem actually.

Well, if you didn't have the perfect counter.

Your hands went to your coat and you unsheathed the sea stone dao blades hidden there. You pulled them free and quickly crossed them before you, catching the massive beam.

The force of it blasted you back a good few feet before with a roar, you thrust the blades up, cutting into the kinetic beam and parried it over head, directing it into the sky, and away from your shiny new ship.

You kept that up for a good few seconds until the beam died down, to reveal the panting form of El Drago who went wide eyed upon see you, "W-what, how!?" he spluttered in shock.

You didn't bother answering and blurred forward as fast as you could go, appearing in front of him a moment later in a blur of Soru, he frantically dodged to the right and dodged your left blade, but, couldn't do anything to stop the second sea stone blade in your right hand coming around in an arc and cleaving right through his neck.

His headless corpse dropped limply to the deck a moment later, followed by his wide eyed decapitated head hitting the wooden floor beside it and rolling around like a ball for a moment.

You flicked your right blade, flicking the blood off of it and sheathed both blades once again, then allowed your transformation to fade as you sunk back into your normal human form.

"Now what-" you paused before you finished your sentence as you felt a familiar type of energy with your haki, that felt like the energy with El Drago appear deeper within the ship.

Well now, wasn't it your lucky day?

It looked like the Shout Shout fruit had reincarnated on the ship. Most likely within the ship kitchen.

'I can probably get a good two hundred million for it at least.' you mused. Someone who was smart with the fruit, could do a lot with it.

For instance, if you had it, off the top of your head you could use it to massively amplify the size and force behind wind blades you could fire from your swords. El Drago's mistake was, was being an idiot that thought he could only make sound from his voice.

Heck, what about stomping your foot? You could probably create a literal earthquake doing that with the fruit, or at least create a kind of geyser of kinetic energy that shot up from the ground.

Your father had once told you. No matter how silly the power a Devil Fruit gave was, they were never truly useless and could be incredibly overpowered, it all just depended on the user.

Truly, El Drago was a real fool.

You put it out of mind and looked over towards the entrance leading deeper into the living area of the ship, "Don't bother, I know you're there," you called out, "That's my loot you've got your hands on. Now drop it out here and I'll let you go."

During the fighting, the commotion had drawn the female thief you'd felt on the ship with your observation haki, and she'd crept up to take a peek at what was going on after grabbing up a bunch of stuff from deep in the ship.

You felt her hesitate, and fear spike in her, before she smothered it and resolved herself. The doors to the living area of the ship opened up, "Shishishishi, looks like you caught me," a sheepish female voice echoed from within before she stepped out, "How'd you know I was here though?"

The one who stepped out was woman, more than a girl. A voluptuous beauty with what you could see, purple hair held up by a black hat. She was wearing an open white shirt that left the swells of her huge creamy breasts in clear view, and a pair of tiny black shorts that were practically painted on her wide hips and held up by orange suspenders that looped up over her shoulders. Both her arms were over her shoulder, holding a large grey sack as large as she was tall.

"Haki." you casually replied and gave a pointed look at the bag over her shoulder.

She gave another sheepish laugh before pulling it over her shoulder and dropping it to the ground between you both, "Well, can't blame a girl for trying at least, right?" she winked

"You just had bad luck," you smirked, "If I didn't come here for El Drago's ship and treasure, you would have gotten away scott free."

"I definitely would have," the purple haired beauty laughed, before slumping lightly, "What's with my terrible luck? First Mad Treasure, and now the biggest name in all of East Blue, Red Magnus."

Oh, she recognized you on sight? You must have been more famous than you thought.

And Mad Treasure huh? He used to be one of the big names of East Blue. He popped up a few years ago, racked up a fifteen million beri bounty, and then disappeared off to the Grand Line last you heard. You hadn't heard of him since.

"So how much beri did they have?" you asked, curious.

The voluptuous purple haired woman sighed, "Quite a lot, biggest haul I've ever or at least would have had, in beri alone there's twenty six million, but that's not counting the jewels or the absurd amount of gold on the ship," she explained, gesturing to the bag, "I guess it's your haul now."

You could feel it, there was no falsities in her words. She was resigned to the fact that she couldn't get away from you if she drew your ire.

And that was quite the haul indeed. With the beri, gold and jewels, it was probably at least a good fifty million beri. And that was on top of the real prizes. The ship, and the Shout Shout devil fruit.

You eyed the woman. 'She's not bad really.' you mused. As you had noticed before with your observation haki, she was quite a bit stronger than the average pirate fodder. And she was good enough to get on a pirate ship and into their treasury without any of them being any the wiser.

If it weren't for you, she would have as mentioned gotten away clean as a whistle with all the treasure of El Drago that she could carry to herself.

"What's your name?" you asked, interested.

She blinked, before giggling and cocking her hip, "Don't tell me my good looks have drawn you in shishishi?"

"They have, but that's not why I'm asking," you replied, unashamed, she was an incredible beauty after all, you hadn't seen many that could compare, "I'm on the lookout for talented people, and you seem to fit the bill."

"Is...that so?" she looked surprised for a moment before grinning again, "My name's Carina, nice to meet you, I suppose? Well, I'm not really sure on that front. On one hand, you kinda screwed me out of the biggest payday I've ever had, but on the other you aren't going all rar and trying to kill me."

"Carina huh?" you mused, before asking, "So why are you doing something as dangerous as stealing from pirates."

Carina shrugged lightly, "I like money." she replied. Truth, but only a half truth at best from what you could feel.

"Who doesn't?" you chuckled lightly. You weren't too fussed on beri in general, but even you liked having your pockets full, "But there's more to it than that I'm sure. Like the reason I'm a pirate is because I got picked up by one and learned from him after my kingdom got slaughtered and conquered as a kid." you casually dropped your tragic past.

She winced, "Yeah..I heard about that," she replied, "It was big news what happened to Cozia, and even more so when rumors of you started appearing a few years later as a little boy killing marines."

"That's what they get for standing by and refusing to aid us." you replied, unrepentant.

"Well, can't say I blame you," Carina rubbed at the back of her neck before changing the subject, "So interested in little old me huh? Well if you really must know. I grew up really poor, so poor my family could barely afford food, never mind health care. And my mother ended up getting sick and dying when I was a kid. So I decided at one point, I wanted to get rich as possible, so I started stealing."

Truth. There was a hidden sorrow that she was holding back, and it was nowhere near that simple. But it was the truth according to your haki.

"Getting rich huh? I dig it," you mused, before holding your hand out towards her, "How about joining up with me as a pirate? I'm starting my own crew and I could use talented people like you as I said."

                                                                       ___________

So this was the former prince of Cozia, huh?

It was almost too ironic for her to be meeting him here and for him to be getting in her away. Really, really annoying with how strong he was since she didn't stand a chance against him, but still, very ironic.

Very ironic, in just how similar they were.

A prince turned pirate, and a princess turned thief. Though, compared to him, she hadn't exactly landed too well on her feet after the destruction of the Oykot Kingdom.

After the destruction of Cozia, he became a pirate right after and his name had been on the lips of everyone in the East Blue for years. As far as this sea was concerned, Cozia D. Magnus was the top dog, and there wasn't anyone that could apparently challenge him. Be they pirate, bounty hunter or marine. He'd destroyed an entire base of marines after the execution of his old captain, One Hundred Plans Kuro.

Where as, she was three years old when her kingdom was destroyed after the marines abandoned them, and she and her only surviving family member, her mother, alongside a few of their families personal guards were made to labor away as slaves at Tequila Wolf. And after her mother was beaten to death by the Marine Vice Admiral in charge when she could no longer work after falling ill, Carina had managed to escape with the help of her families guards who staged a mutiny when she was thirteen. Thanks to their sacrifice, she was free from slaving away until her death, or more likely, spending her life as a bed warmer for the marines working personally for the Celestial Dragons.

So they were so very similar, yet, at the same time, so very different. And yet, here they stood and it seemed the former prince of Cozia was interested in recruiting her.

As she thought, so very ironic.

'But...if it's him.' Carina bit her lip as she considered his offer. She wasn't lying. She really did love money, and it was her dream to become as rich as possible, so rich that even the Celestial Dragon's would never move against her.

But there was another dream she had. The dream to see the head of Marine Vice Admiral Graydle separated from his shoulders.

But, that was impossible for her. Not only was he an absurdly strong Vice Admiral of the marines. On top of that, he had a powerful Devil Fruit that allowed him to become liquid metal.

Even with the training she had received growing up on the sly from Nakia, one of her families personal guards that got enslaved alongside her and her mother, it was simply a pipe dream to be able to defeat a man like that.

...But if it was the top dog of East Blue, who's absurd strength she'd just witnessed in full, slaughtering through a powerful pirate crew as easily as breathing, then it might be possible for him.

                                                                                        __________

"An offer from Red Magnus himself huh?" Carina mused, giving you a coy look, "That kind of offer doesn't come along every day."

"Considering it's the first offer for anyone to join me I've made, I'd say so," you snorted, "So, are you interested?" you asked.

"Well, I can't say I'm not, if today is anything to go by, you'll be getting your hands on a lot of money," Carina mused and you felt her emotions shift, intensifying as she focused on you. You could feel, she wanted to accept, but there was also something she wanted from you specifically, "I suppose I wouldn't mind joining you..."

"But?" you raised an eyebrow at her.

She clasped her hands behind her back, coy look intensifying as she leaned forward, allowing her large breasts to hang down, jiggling slightly and almost falling out of her shirt, "If you'd do one thing for me." the purple haired beauty purred seductively, trying to entice you.

Those are some really nice tits, you had to admit. But still you rolled your eyes, "Don't do that," you snorted, "If there's something you want as part of my crew, just come out and say it to me up front, don't play the seduction crap unless you want to actually end up in my bed."

She blinked, looking shocked for a moment before standing up straight and laughing lightly, "Shishishi, I guess I should huh? You wouldn't exactly have such an amazing reputation if some nice tits and ass would have you eating out of the palm of my hand, teenager or not," Carina shrugged, before grinning at you, "Alright, there's someone I want dead. And I doubt anyone in East Blue is capable of killing him beyond you."

Well, you wouldn't say nice tits and ass couldn't sway you, it was one of the reasons you were asking her to join on top of her being quite competent.

"Oh?" you raised an eyebrow in interest. Carina spoke casually of Mad Treasure, and was confident enough in herself to steal from El Drago, so she had to have at least a decent take on the strength of people.

Whoever this person was, he must actually be quite strong.

"Have you heard of Tequila Wolf?" she suddenly asked, changing the topic.

Your second eyebrow joined the first, "I have." you nodded. Your father could rant and rave about Tequila Wolf for days on end if allowed. He had absolutely hated it. A massive, massive bridge being built on the orders of the Celestial Dragons, and had been for seven hundred years. If it was up to him, he would have had it torn day and the ones working and enforcing everything there put to the blade.

"The guy I want dead, he's the head of that operation," Carina revealed, "Vice Admiral Graydle of the marines and a personal lap dog of the Celestial Dragons."

You clicked your tongue. As expected, more marine trash. Now, to be fair, you didn't hate all marines. There were good marines out there just trying to help people. But, there were just as many pieces of trash that were really just pirates wearing the uniforms of marines.

You didn't specifically go out of your way to kill marines unless they attacked you. But, guys like that? The type that were behind allowing Germa 66 to get away with their shit? Those, you loved to personally watch the life drain from.

"If you can kill Graydle for me, I'll happily join your crew," Carina said, and crossed her arms under her bust, "But, on top of being really really strong, he also has a really powerful devil fruit that was gifted to him by the Celestial Dragons, one that lets him turn into liquid metal."

..That could actually be a real challenge. Your father had informed you long ago that all Vice Admirals had to know at least one type of Haki, and they were usually proficient in at least one of the Rokushiki as well. Your father had also stated, he was not quite on the level of a Vice Admiral back then. And this one, apparently had a logia devil fruit as well.

A real challenge indeed. But also a real proper way to test your strength as it was now and ascertain where you truly stood in the world and give you a taste for how far you needed to go to accomplish your dream.

Your dream of being the strongest. So strong that none could ever take anything from you again like what happened to your kingdom. Stronger than the Marine Admirals. Stronger than the Yonkou. And stronger even than Whitebeard and Roger themselves ever were. And then once you were as strong as you wanted, so strong that none ever wanted to mess with you again, you would rebuild your kingdom.

A way to test where you stood. A way to get a competent crew member and real higher tier piece of eye candy. A way to stick it to the marines once again. And if you were lucky, a logia devil fruit that would be worth an absurd amount of money, or even a way to make another crew member much more powerful in the future.

Yeah, this was definitely worth going for.

"Alright," you crossed your arms and nodded in agreement, "We'll head to Tequila Wolf from here, I'll kill this guy and then you can join up with me, simple as that." it wasn't like you were in any particular rush to go to the Grand Line right now, and this would also let you fulfill the wishes of your father.

"Wait...really?" Carina gaped, shocked that you'd agree to it so easily, "Just like that?"

"Just like that yeah." you shrugged.

"Well, alright then...shishi." Carina laughed sheepishly.