One Piece: Wild Hunt

Chapter 64: Shifting Tides

After learning that Thomas's group had returned, Nami returned to the Merry using Karoo, Vivi's Super Spot-Billed Duck mount. She had been planning to return to avoid having to sleep outside, so Thomas's arrival was as good an excuse as any.

Not finding anyone on the deck, Nami entered the lounge only to pause when she stepped inside. Everything was where it was supposed to be, but she immediately perceived that the furniture was slightly larger and that the interior was more spacious.

Noticing Nami's arrival, Chloe asked, "Is this another one of your women? You've quite the collection built up here, don't you?"

Recovering from her momentary stupor, Nami's brows furrowed as she retorted, "I don't belong to anyone." Then, to confirm her mind wasn't playing tricks on her, she questioned, "What happened here? Everything seems 'bigger' than I remember."

Nodding his head, Thomas answered, "You can thank Illya and Ruby for that. They used the Grade 5 Caster Card to expand your cabin, the bath, and the lounge area. Now, it shouldn't feel nearly as cramped as it used to."

Though various questions popped into her mind, Nami set most of them aside to focus her attention on Illya and Chloe. Their skin, hair, and eyes were distinctly different, but their remaining characteristics were virtually identical, prompting her to ask, "Are the two of you twins...?"

Beating Illya to the punch, Chloe replied, "It would be more accurate to say we're the same person. But viewing us as twins isn't wrong. What's it to yah...?"

Shaking her head, Nami replied, "I was just curious...speaking of which, how old are you two? You look a bit young for a pair of girls brought back by Tom..."

Seizing the initiative, Illya quickly responded, "I think there has been a misunderstanding. Chloe and I...we're not in a relationship with Tom-san. We're just working together."

Metaphorically sweeping Illya's feet out from under her, Chloe revealed, "That isn't entirely true. Tom and I have a Master-SlaI meanServant Contract. As for our age, we're a few months away from turning sixteen. How about you...?"

Crossing her arms, Nami retorted, "You don't look fifteen..." before adding, "And I'm eighteen; not that it matters."

Directing her gaze to Thomas, Nami asked, "Just how many more people are you planning to invite to the ship without discussing it with Lucy and the rest of us?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Thomas replied, "I honestly have no idea. A few days ago, I couldn't have imagined this turn of events. Now, how about you sit down, grab something to eat, and listen to my explanation before biting my head off?"

Though she didn't approve of his tone, Nami eventually sat down with her arms crossed, waiting to hear what Thomas had to say. When he divulged that Illya and Chloe were from a different world, she couldn't help feeling a mixture of exasperation and annoyance. As a result, she felt like a bit of a bitch when Thomas subsequently revealed that their friend's world had been destroyed and that they were assembling the Install Cards just for a chance to restore it...

When Thomas's explanation finally came to an end, Nami massaged her forehead, groaning, "You go from wanting to help Vivi save her Kingdom to wanting to help these two save an entire planet...what's next? Saving the Solar System? The Universe...?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Thomas maintained a neutral expression as he replied, "I'm just doing what I can with the circumstances presented to me. I mean, what's the alternative, ignoring people who need my help...?"

Shaking his head, Thomas's expression became serious as he added, "I might be an asshole, but I also understand that power and responsibility go hand in hand. Even if I attained the power to do whatever I wanted, I would still try to help people. I mean, I wouldn't even be in this situation if someone infinitely more powerful didn't give me an opportunity. It would be pretty dickish of me if I didn't at least try and pay it forward..."

While Nami still had a look of exasperation on her face, nearly everyone else in the lounge, especially Vivi, looked at Thomas with varying degrees of approval. Even Ruby was no exception, though she did point out, "I can see why the Creator chose you. You might look like a muscle-brained fool who only thinks with his lower head, but you have a good heart."

Shaking his head a second time, Thomas insisted, "This is honestly the least I can do. If I were a truly good person, I would summon the Hind, fly over to Alabasta, and liberate Vivi's people immediately. Instead, I'm taking my time, prioritizing the development of my strength, and enjoying life as much as possible. At the same time, hundreds of millions of people are suffering under the tyranny of opportunistic Pirates, corrupt Marines, and infinitely more crooked World Nobles. I might not be evil, but calling me 'good' is an overstatement..."

Shrugging her 'shoulders,' Ruby replied, "I take it back. You don't 'look' like a muscle-brained fool; you are one. I mean, are you even listening to yourself? If every 'good' person had to live up to the unrealistic standard you've set for yourself, there wouldn't be any."

Nodding her head, Chloe appended, "There's nothing wrong with enjoying life. Everyone has the right to live and be happy. It only becomes an issue if your lifestyle is maintained at the expense of others..."

Biting into a cherry tomato, Chloe narrowed her eyes as she mused, "If I had to guess, you dislike people calling you 'good' because you have a guilty conscience. Not because you've done something bad but because you plan to skirt the line while 'sampling' various cultures. Sound about right~?"

"..."

Taking Thomas's silence as confirmation, Chloe shrugged her shoulders, stating, "Ruby's right; you are an idiot..." before rising to her feet, yawning, and adding, "Well, I'm off to take a bath. Have fun fretting over pointless things."

Waving her hand, Chloe departed the lounge, descending into the storage room on her way to the bath near the ship's rudder. Illya followed soon after, but not before turning to Thomas, adopting an apologetic smile and saying, "Don't let Chloe's words get to you. She 'usually' means well..."

Shaking his head, Thomas adopted a wry smile as he replied, "It's fine. I also have a habit of saying what's on my mind, so I can't condemn others for doing the same..."

Instead of responding to Thomas's words, Illya adopted a wry smile of her own before grabbing Ruby and following after Chloe. The abruptness of their departure caused an uncomfortable atmosphere to descend upon everyone in the lounge/galley, so while there was still a lot to discuss, the conversation and associated dinner abruptly came to an end...

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With Vivi and Astolfo insisting he leaves the dishes and cleanup to them, Thomas found himself in the men's cabin, silently perusing the pages of his logbook. Zoro and Usopp were both at the feast hosted by Broggy and Dorry, so he currently had the entire cabin to himself.

"Hmmm...?"

Reaching the pages that denoted the status of himself and his Servants, Thomas's brows perked up as he noticed two new entries, one for Chloe and another for the EMIYA Card. He probably could have gone the rest of his life without knowing Chloe's three sizes, but the rest of the information was fairly useful.

Seeing that Chloe had an actual Skill called Kiss Demon, Thomas shook his head and focused on the EMIYA Card. Its Parameters were a lot lower than he expected, but there were a few other things that caught his eye...

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[Profile]

Name: EMIYA

Install Class: Archer, Grade 5

Status: Sealed(003%)

Affinity: C

Mastery: E-

Species: Human, Magus, Counter Guardian

Gender: Male

Age: N/A

Height: 187cm

Weight:78kgs

Blood Type: B-

Likes: All kinds of housework

Dislikes: Heroes of Justice

Talents: Fiddling with junk, all kinds of housework, cooking

Natural Enemy: Himself

[Parameters]

Strength: D(23)

Endurance: C(38)

Agility: C(35)

Mana: B(40)

Luck: E(10)

NP: Unlimited Blade Works(E~A++)

[Class Skills]

Independent Action(B), Magic Resistance(D)

[Personal Skills]

Clairvoyance(C), Mind's Eye[True](B), Magecraft(C-), Projection Magecraft(A), Hawkeye(B+), Circuit Connection(EX)

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Though there wasn't an explanation for Status, Affinity, and Mastery, Thomas had a pretty good idea of what each represented. By inserting a big of Magical Energy into the Card, he caused the 003% to increase to 004%, indicating it was either the 'charge' of the Card or how close it was to manifesting as an actual Heroic Spirit. As for Affinity and Mastery, they seemed to indicate his compatibility with the Card and how close he was to mastering either its use or associated Skills...

Recalling that Illya had brought the Artoria and Medea Cards with her, Thomas briefly considered testing his theory by trying to summon one of the two as Heroic Spirits. If his suspicions were correct, that could be a game-changer. Not just because it implied he would be able to meet the actual Ishtar, but because he could increase the number of allies he had while also gaining access to their knowledge.

Though he was still planning to increase his strength and fight on the frontlines, Thomas had been contemplating establishing an organization to collect information and replace the World Government. He had no idea how to go about it, but he knew he could start by utilizing Benienma's Inn Creation Skill. With sufficient funding, she could apparently manifest and staff her Enma-tei with various yokai from Hell. More importantly, each of her manifested Inns were linked, allowing authorized individuals to travel between them in an instant.

While he had no idea how to manage an intelligence organization, Thomas supposed that Robin could point him in the right direction. Benienma also had hundreds of years of experience operating the Enma-tei, so he could potentially entrust everything to her while he focused on his training. If nothing else, he would have a mystical bathhouse comparable to the one from Spirited Away all to himself...

Though it probably wasn't feasible, Thomas couldn't help visualizing the scene of a private bath filled with One Piece's most prominent beauties. Even if they weren't members of his 'harem,' he was pretty sure he could make the Enma-tei a kind of hub where everyone gathered to celebrate or exchange information. Girls like Nami would likely be opposed to the idea, but Thomas knew that Mermaids, members of the Mink Tribe, and people from Wano probably wouldn't even bat an eye even if he decided to take a dip in an otherwise all-female bath...

Exhaling a heat-tinged sigh, Thomas sprawled across the too-small sofa and stared listlessly up at the ceiling. Though he could delay it for a time, the only way he could accomplish his increasingly ambitious goals was to part ways with the Straw Hats. He simply wasn't suited to the lifestyle of traveling around on a boat, but, more than that, he felt as though he was supplanting Lucy as the Captain and taking away opportunities for her to grow and reach her full potential.

Holding up the EMIYA Card, Thomas considered whether or not he would be a good replacement for Sanji within the crew. He was an exceptionally talented chef, and, despite his low Parameters, he could contend against foes with relativistic speed and reaction times. His Projection Magecraft allowed him to emulate the Mystic Codes and Noble Phantasms of other Heroic Spirits, allowing him to trade blows and keep up with people who were 'much' stronger and faster than him.

Assuming EMIYA could be summoned, the issue was supplying him with enough Magical Energy to stay manifested. He was also nearly as bad as Shirou was when it came to inadvertently wooing women, so summoning him was the same as giving up on Nami. As annoying as she was, Thomas still harbored a small hope that she would come around. If not, well, there were plenty of Mermaids in the sea and Mink on land...

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(A/N: What do you guys think about the Install Cards functioning as catalysts to summon their respective Heroes? And before anyone jumps to conclusions, feel free to defer to the Install Card AUX chapter. At least 30 of the 63 Cards listed are associated with male Heroic Spirits, so no, they would not all be joining the MC's 'harem.')

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