At the dock's horizon, near the Gray Terminal, the waves lapped gently, echoing the rhythm of the East Blue winds.
The sun shone brightly, illuminating the serene sea, but the dock itself appeared sterile and grimy.
Close to a moored vessel stood Satoru, his star-patterned blue eyes hidden under blindfolds, his silver hair reflecting the daylight. Beside him was the striking figure of Chun-Li in her blue qipao, her thigh muscles showcasing her combat prowess.
On the approaching ship, three female figures stood out: Mai Shiranui with her seductive appearance, accentuated by her red outfit and confident stance;
Crimson Viper, whose crimson hair swayed in the breeze, and the imposing posture of Cammy White in her green leotard, displaying her military background.
The ship finally docked, and the three women disembarked, their gazes meeting Satoru and Chun-Li's.
The three women disembarked, Mai's eyes met Chun-Li's. "Chun-Li?!" She exclaimed, surprised.
"The captain and I settled our differences," she declared, waving to the newcomers. "I'm back with the crew."
"Chun-Li is with us again. The past is the past," said Satoru, "Now that everyone's here, let's get down to business."
The sea breeze mingled with the fresh wood scent of the ship's deck. Gathered around an improvised table were Satoru, Mai Shiranui, Crimson Viper, and Cammy White.
He unfurled a map on the nearby table. "I wish to invade the Goa Kingdom. The nobles' coffers are filled with Akuma no Mis, gold, maps, items, and jewels. And I want them all."
With the exception of Chun-lin, everyone else already knew this.
Chun-Li frowned, "I understand. The nobles there deserve a lesson."
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As the discussion unfolded, Cammy White approached Satoru,
revealing his wanted poster. "This surfaced in Foosha village. It seems someone has taken notice of your deeds." The poster displayed the familiar face of Satoru with a bounty of 57,000 Berries below.
He accepted the poster, examining it with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. "Good thing they got my best angle," he joked, his voice laced with satisfaction.
Crimson, leaning in, eyes twinkling, provocatively said, "Indeed, captain, you look irresistible in that picture." Their gazes met, a flirtatious tension in the air.
Mai, witnessing the flirt, held back. Her usually calm and passionate expression now shaded with jealousy. The tension among the crew grew palpable.
Satoru laughed, "Let's focus on what's important. We have a kingdom to plunder."
"I apologize, Captain, but I think we could wait for another moment to attack; it would be good to study the map's layout more and identify all possible escape routes. We can't get cornered," said Cammy.
"I've told you this won't be necessary; there's a secret tunnel leading directly to the port. If all other routes are blocked and things get complicated, we could use it as an escape route.", Mai Shiranui, bending over, the movement shook her voluminous breasts.
"How did you know about this?" a surprised Satoru asked.
Mai, with a mysterious smile, replied, "I have my ways." She continued, "And here, beyond the castle, are the locations of all these nobles' mansions. If there are gold, jewels, and Akumas no Mis, they are surely stored in secret safes in these places."
"That means we'll have to infiltrate silently. And before getting discovered, we should locate, retrieve whatever items are there, before the Goa army mobilizes, right?" Crimson pondered, staring intently at the table's map.
Satoru smirked, "Ah, don't worry about that. Let's see if they can handle what I have in mind."
Saying this, he took a small set of dice on the table and, concentrating intensely, used his Akuma no Mi. He was brimming with energy from previous battles and had purified it for use.
He threw the dice overboard, and the items began to transform; in a blink of an eye, four majestic Pidgeots, flying Pokémon, appeared.
"Oh, they are magnificent," said Crimson, approaching and touching a nearby Pidgeot.
"These will be our means of transportation for the invasion," he declared. "We will invade from above, during the night. The element of surprise will be our advantage."
"Mai, you will be the main strategist for this mission, using your ninja skills to help us locate and notify where the treasures are," Satoru continued. "And you, Crimson, your observation will be essential for everyone's coordination; you'll stay in the sky with this Den Den Musnhi, helping us avoid guards and unwanted attention. And Cammy and Chun-lin will position themselves strategically to ensure we leave without any hitches, disarming and knocking out any civilian, noble, guard, or commander, based on Crimson's intel."
"So, the plan is to infiltrate by air, and everyone will carry out their tasks, but how will we transport the treasures after they're located?" Cammy asked.
"We'll transport them underground. Once Mai locates all the points and passes the coordinates, I'll make digging Pokémon that'll create a route outside, directly from the locations."
"That's a decent plan," Cammy remarked, "But we need to be prepared for contingencies."
"Yes. I'm slightly concerned about a vice admiral showing up," Satoru admitted, "They are strong and don't underestimate pirates."
Crimson Viper chimed in,
"Right. You mentioned they have a power called Haki, and we don't. So, if we encounter a vice-admiral, we're in trouble."
Cammy agreed,
"We're at a disadvantage in that regard. You still can't use Haki, captain?"
He sighed, gently tugging the blindfold covering his eyes. "I haven't had the time yet. Once we're done with this, we'll lay low for a while. And train."
Cammy looked to the sky, where the early signs of sunset colored the horizon. "We need to get ready. Night will fall soon."
Satoru looked at his crewmates, "Let's do this. Be ready in 10 minutes."
The crew nodded, moving to fulfill their duties. The decision was made. Mai, who stayed behind, raised an eyebrow.
"You were referring to Garp, the Marine Hero, right? I remember you mentioning he's not an ordinary vice admiral and he originates from this sea." She paused, "But you don't think he'd come for a 57,000 Berries pirate, do you?"
"I don't know," Satoru replied, smirking, "He's unpredictable."
A few minutes later, Cammy and Crimson Viper joined them. "All supplies are ready," Cammy reported.
"Let's go," he said, smiling.
The group headed to the lower deck, where Pidgeot and Fearow waited, majestic and ready to fly. The attack team mounted the Pokémon, and Satoru looked at his comrades, giving a nod.
With that, they soared into the sky, fading against the backdrop of the setting sun, a shadow descending onto the Goa Kingdom.
I want to inform everyone that after this theft, we will experience a time skip in the narrative. I'm still determining the exact duration, but it will be, at most, one year. I aim to fully utilize this 20-year gap preceding the main plot, which is why I've been careful about moving forward in time too quickly. However, this upcoming time jump is essential for the story's progression.
Lately, I've been contemplating the idea of setting up a Patreon to offer additional content. However, I'm unsure if there would be enough interest in it. Would a side story or exclusive content garner any support? I'm open to suggestions and feedback.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank all of you who have been following and supporting this story. Your reading means so much to me. See you soon!