Chapter 105: A Rivalry Births, Another Ends
"I don't understand what he's saying... Crocodile could be many things, but he's not an ungrateful bastard. I know he respects Hancock and Veyron just as much as I do.
So, for him to claim that he doesn't know who they are? No, he insists he only knows who Primrose is. I might be overthinking it... in which case, I know I have to give him a good hit for the insolence he's just spouted.
"Lady Robin, we have to retreat!" Pell yelled at me during his battle against Mr. 1, Daz Bones, who was no pushover at all. There were other members, all wielding quirky Devil Fruits. Some of them are even life-threatening. He and the army couldn't cope.
"We will retreat for now, but before that!-" I raised my arms together, a familiar gesture from five years ago, and I knew exactly what would happen next.
Crocodile rushed at me, aiming to strike before I even uttered the name of that technique, a classic move.
"The boss should have told you not to go around announcing your techniques!"
"..."
I released my position before executing the technique, catching Crocodile off guard. The next thing he saw was my knee, imbued with Armament Haki, connecting with his face—a gigantic knee at that.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!
His body rocketed across the city, and I knew I wouldn't be able to use that strategy again. Five years ago, Hancock, who had learned from Veyron, taught us that using repetitive poses in battle was a fatal mistake. This was especially true for me, as I tended to put my arms together before using my Devil Fruit power. It would give away our next move to an enemy who had already learned our pattern, which is why I was confident that Crocodile would fall for it.
But then again, 'He said Veyron... not Hancock? Veyron never taught us this.'
I didn't have time to delve further into that thought. My black hole abyss was swallowing the majority of the sand in the vicinity, allowing everyone to breathe. However, it also meant I was sucking the air away, potentially causing them to suffocate. I had eliminated one problem but created another.
I summoned two gigantic arms and waved frantically to disperse the sand, clearing at least some of it. But the sandstorm remained dense. Once again, this country was to Crocodile what the ocean was to a fish. The only reason he hadn't taken it over yet was because of my presence.
"Retreat, Pell... the building has already fallen."
"I understand!"
My Observation Haki warned me of impending danger. I jumped, and two dark wings manifested behind me. In the place where I had been, hundreds of spikes emerged from the ground.
I groaned and turned to look at Miss Doublefinger, someone I had once considered a comrade along with the other members of Baroque Works.
"You're still on time to turn around, Miss All Sunday."
"Don't say that when you were about to kill me!"
Dozens of massive arms imbued with darkness appeared around us, sinking the sand into pits and disrupting their balance. Once I saw that Pell and the army were gone, I planned my retreat.
Amidst the shadows of the sandstorm, a massive sand arm intended to collide with me.
I groaned in annoyance and took a stance, covering both of my legs in Advanced Armament Haki before rushing to meet it.
It was like this every time he recovered. I couldn't leave until one of us was defeated or until the 'night' came... then it would be my playground and he'd retreat... he only attacks during the day because he knows this is my weakest moment.
With a stylish pose, I struck that fist with everything I had, a technique I had learned from Primrose.
BOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!
It was going to be another long and sandy day for me, but with the fall of this district, I might have to consider having the Nefertari Family retreat from the palace. The insurgents already controlled sixty per cent of the city, and with them taking over the international finance district, the citizens would feel even more of the drought's impact. It might escalate further as Alabasta wouldn't be able to pay the national tribute this year, and they would send an admiral here to collect it.
I had another option... calling Veyron or Stussy for help. If I asked, would he answer? Would he leave what he was doing and come to help me? Would he reproach me for leaving?
If I returned to him, would I still have the motivation to continue searching for the truth of this world, or would I remain there, basking in his arms?
Too many questions, too little time.
** **
Fishman Island, New Fishman District.
Compared to the main resort filled with exotic shops, friendly and beautiful mermaids, and an overall joyful atmosphere, the new Fishman district was indeed, as my mother said, the slums. It was clear that only crooks would converge in this area.
At least until now, I had believed these planned holidays had a purpose. Prim and I weren't having the best time, but my beloved mom and wife seemed to be enjoying herself - and that's rare. It was as if she had wanted to take me to a million places, but I never had time for it. Now that I had finally relented, her countenance brightened up.
She then wanted to take me to see Shanks, and her enthusiasm was palpable. That was until now.
Now her enthusiasm was gone, replaced by what I could only define as sorrow.
When we arrived at the place, a run-down bar, there were two crews inside, partying with each other: the Sun Pirates and the Red Hair Pirates. Upon seeing us, they all cheered.
"Dracule Veyron, my man!"
"Look, the little boy is a little man now!"
"Hahahaha!"
I greeted everyone there, even though we weren't the closest of friends. We had coincided once or twice in our lives. I also greeted the Red Hair Pirates, including Benn Beckman. Surprisingly, there was also a girl sitting in the far corner, minding her own business. She had half of her hair white and half red.
'Uta?' I recalled my mom mentioning her, but before I could approach her, I was approached by another massive acquaintance.
"Boy!"
"Tiger!"
Fisher Tiger hugged me tightly. I didn't know much about him, except that he climbed the Red Line to save my girls back then. I wasn't sure about his future in the story.
"It's been a long time, you've grown up a lot compared to back then. Although I couldn't see you very well inside that mantle. Let me introduce you to my brothers!"
He led me deeper into the bar.
"This is Jinbei, and this is Arlong!"
!!!
'Arlong!? Shouldn't he be in the East Blue at this point in time?!'
"So this is the powerful Lightning God~" The massive shark stood in front of me. I didn't find him intimidating, but I was mostly clueless as to why he was here. Or could it be that I'm farther than I think from cannon? It should only be a couple more years before Luffy sails.
I'll think about that later. Then there was Jinbei, the fishman who had helped Luffy during the Marineford incident and was a warlord, but he's not a warlord now. Although I believed he didn't look as shady with blond hair and everything.
They looked like Yakuza!
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Jinbei said politely, contrary to his intimidating appearance.
We exchanged some words until my mom entered the bar, and her cold, dry words soured the atmosphere immediately, causing the cheering to stop.
'Oh... damn, I forgot!'
It was normal for me, but it wasn't normal for her!
"Shanks..."
"It's been a while, Mihawk, Veyron~"
Shanks walked forward, missing his straw hat and his left arm. It was normal for me because I knew this was going to happen, but the look on my mom's face struck me to the core. She was sad.
"Your left arm..."
"Ah, this is but a scratch~" He joked and held the empty socket where his arm was supposed to be, but the joke didn't land. My mom's gaze was fixed on it as if she couldn't believe it.
"Who was it? Teach?" Her killing intent flared up, and Shanks shook his head, scratching his head awkwardly as if he knew this confrontation was inevitable. Perhaps it was worse than he expected. Everyone in the bar was watching their exchange, including me.
"I haven't seen that man again, Mihawk... it was an accident. Accidents happen even to me, you know?" She put his hand on her shoulder, but things got worse.
PA!
My mom slapped his hand aside.
"Don't touch me... an accident? You know what this means, don't you?"
It was as if we had gone back seven years to that first time I met her, heartless and apathetic, not because of wickedness or disinterest, but because she was hurt.
"Darling."
I tried to appease her, but she didn't let me. Everyone was so baffled by everything that had just happened that they didn't even process that I had called my mom 'darling'.
She unsheathed her sword and pointed it at him, her intentions clear.
"This is Fishman Island... we can't fight here."
But my mom didn't back down, "A spar of swordsmanship."
"I'd prefer to fight you with everything I have, Mihawk!"
My mom didn't listen. She left the bar with her sword in hand.
"Shanks, go..." Benn Beckman slapped his shoulder with knowing wisdom, as if this moment had weighed on his conscience for years.
With no other choice, Shanks steeled himself and left the bar, and all of us followed. We watched from a distance. He unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Mihawk without making a move.
"Tch! If you're not coming, then I'm going!"
WHOOOOSH!
CLAANG!!
Their swords met, and I could see Shanks groaning and retreating, struggling to hold his own with just one hand.
CLAAANG!!
CLAANG!!
The battle continued, with Shanks displaying his craftiness and style, but I could tell from miles away that my mom was holding back. Was she doing so deliberately? I began to understand the reason for her disappointment.
Shanks couldn't give it his all as a swordsman anymore, and my mom couldn't help but hold back due to his condition.
This was the end of a rivalry, and sadly, maybe even the end of a friendship.
CLAAANG!
In less than ten exchanges, Shanks' sword flew out of his hands and clattered to the ground. He raised his arms in defeat.
In my mother's eyes, I saw that she was on the verge of shedding a tear. Without a word to her defeated foe, she resheathed her sword and started walking away, leaving me in disbelief. Was she really going to leave just like that?
"Veyron... I'm heading back to the hotel. This is disappointing, and my eyes have been tarnished."
"Don't be like that, Mo- Mihawk!" I quickly corrected myself.
I flashed next to her, but she refused to stop. When she turned to look at me, her eyes were red. It was clear she didn't want to cry in front of everyone.
Earlier, she had seemed so enthusiastic, pulling me towards the Fishman District with a vigour I hadn't seen before. I almost felt jealous of how much she had been looking forward to seeing Shanks. But now, I understood. She had been excited to witness his progress over the past five years, and now she felt that all that anticipation had been in vain. Maybe she even believed that her dearest friend was now disabled.
All of Shanks' dreams seemed to have come to an abrupt end. But I knew better. I knew that wasn't the case at all. This man was a Yonko!
The red-haired pirate, Shanks, looked down picked up his sword and sheathed it, but defeat was etched all over him. It was incredible how much the opinion of a woman could change a man. He was currently a Yonko, one of the strongest pirates in the sea, but because of this defeat, he appeared crestfallen and insecure.
'I won't allow this.'
My love for her and my respect for Shanks as a character compelled me to act. I wanted to show her that he wasn't finished.
*RUMBLE!!*
!!!
I unsheathed Kokutou Youbi and pointed it at him, emitting a wave of Conqueror's Haki that halted my mom's steps. My sword no longer symbolized the day; it was black, forged from Kokutou Twilight, the dowry of the Dorotialis, to create a new blade.
But even with this dark sword, I aimed to bring 'day' back to their friendship. My darling is like me, she's got no friends at all... I won't allow her to lose her friendship with the redhead pirates just because of some swordswoman pride.
"Don't be reckless, Veyron!"
She shouted at me, and I understood her concern. I wasn't the only person in this world capable of sinking Enies Lobby with a single attack, but I was the only one with the balls to do it and face the consequences.
A battle between Shanks and me at our best was no different from a battle between me and her, or at least least a weakened version of herself as she believed. It would spell disaster for Fishman Island. However, I wasn't the same person I had been before. I could easily create a battlefield for us away from here, even underwater.
"You want to fight at your best, don't you, Shanks?!"
"... That's right!"
CLAANG!
He unsheathed his sword and clashed it with mine. He was eager to prove, both to my mom and to himself, that losing an arm didn't diminish him. He was still Red Hair Shanks, a Yonko and ex-member of the Pirate King's crew.
"Then follow me... I know where we can fight."
He followed me eagerly, and after a moment's hesitation, so did Mihawk.
"I HAVE TO SEE THIS SH*T!"
"THE CAPTAIN VS. THE LIGHTNING GOD!? COUNT ME IN!"
"ME TOO!"
I levitated Shanks and my mom towards the skies, far away from the limits of the bubble covering Fishman Island. The red-haired pirates followed us as far as they could but there was a limit, the Fishmen however, continued to chase after us even into the water.
"Are you sure? You're a Devil Fruit user, Veyron." He looked around, my forcefield stopped us from touching the water but he was still concerned due to my incapacity to swim. Ridiculous, I have already found many ways to circumvent that.
"Hmph, you should worry about yourself... I'm thirsty for a good fight as well."
"Then I assure you, kiddo... you won't be disappointed. Let me experience with my sword how much you've grown since you bit my hand back then!"
Maybe I needed this too. Ever since I destroyed Ennies Lobby, nobody had shown up at my doorstep to challenge me. My most thrilling fight had been against my mom five years ago, and since then, we hadn't gone all out against each other unless we were in the bedroom.
Maybe this was the reason I felt so empty. Be that as it may, I now had a rival. I just needed to create the battlefield.
I waved my hands and the dome expanded creating a massive bubble at the bottom of the ocean, a lot of sea creatures swam around us, trying to see what was going on in there. I extracted all the air I needed from Fishman Island before landing on the soft wet sand.
My mom looked at us from afar with her arms crossed, completely trusting my capacity to keep this bubble. The fishmen were standing behind her hyping us up.
"You see that Hody! We're about to see a battle of powerhouses!".
"... Hmph, humans".
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone