//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: War Criminals // by Dirty Bit //------------------------------// Chapter 8 Compromised Comrades The group stared warily at the neighboring ship and the many other humans that were on it, but the assassins focused solely on the one holding the Den Den Mushi, whose eyes shifted into narrowed slits and a scowl. "You found them? Identify their location to me right away." An old and gruff voice said through its mouth. "We've stumbled across an invisible field leading us to an entirely foreign location. Our suspicions of the rogue ship's disappearance in the East Blue have been confirmed." The man replied into the transciever. He got a good look at the colorful cast that were beside the assassins and spoke into the transciever again "There appears to be some technicolored ponies and a floating monster in this area as well." "I could care less about the inhabitants at the moment, just do your jobs as CP9 agents and bring those traitors to justice!" The Den Den Mushi shouted with indignant eyes. "Right away si-" Before the man could finish, he was knocked back by a green wave as he dropped the Den Den Mushi and fell back against the ships central mast. The rest of the crewmates looked up to see Lucci with his right leg stretched out in the air as he stared down at the other humans with contempt, Hattori flying off of his shoulder. "Chief Discord, we would like to engage this problem by our own hands." Lucci said icily without looking at his temporary superior. "Well, this is a personal matter, so who am I to deny you the privilege of getting even with your former subordinates?" Discord shrugged. He then snapped his fingers as Kalifa was changed back into a human, shocking the humans on the other ship. "That monster can change forms!?" One of the crewmates shouted as some of them armed themselves with rifles, preparing for battle. Lucci took the initiative and hopped in the air and made his way towards the other ship using his geppou, with the other assassins following suit. When they reached the other ship, they began making quick work out of all the other humans on board. On the right edge of the ship. Kaku used his Kami-e to dodge some of the bullets being fired by the many rifles aimed at him before retaliating with a few rankyakus towards the small group that wielded them. Blueno and Kalifa were back to back while staring down the enemies surrounding them before they took them out one-by-one with a blur of speed. On the upper deck, Kumadori and Fukuro were knocking agents off the ship and into the water. Jabra wasted no time attacking his opponents in his hybrid wolf form, easily going through any enemy in his way. One of the agents scurried away from the battle on the main deck and quickly went into the cabin, lucky to have not been caught by the former agents they were fighting. He went down a nearby latter that lead to the bottom deck of the ship, which was both large and covered in darkness. He stood near the ladder and caught his breath before speaking up. "Hey! We need you up here now! They're as formidable as we thought!" He called out to the darkness and waited, as if expecting an answer. The agent was met with silence as a small moment passed. "Heh...Better late than never. I was beginning to think I was called here for nothing." Came a deep and predatory voice. "We're dealing with former agents of CP9 that have mastered the art of Rokushiki! Of course they would be powerful opponents!" "Powerful, huh? Then why haven't you thought about letting me know sooner? That would be wiser than multiplying the body counts with cannon fodder..." The agent shivered before regaining his composure. "You have to hurry! We're already losing several men to those traitors! Chief Spandine sent you here for a reason!" He called out again. "Bahahahahahah!" The deep voice laughed loudly, startling the agent "You trash think you can just order me around like I'm some kind of dog?" Shuffling was heard, followed by large footsteps towards the now cowering agent "I obeyed Spandine only because of his rank and the fact I was promised a good fight. I understand the situation, but don't think you have the right to tell me what to do." The agent could make out a large silhouette weilding a broad weapon "Just move aside already. I've been itching for a fight after sitting down here bored out of my mind." _____ "Argh! I hate this!" Rainbow Dash said as she watched the humans fighting on the other ship. "What's gotten ya bent outta shape?" Applejack asked her friend with an arched eyebrow. "We can't just sit here and stare at another battle like this. We gotta get in on the action, too!" Rainbow Dash replied boldly. "I'm with Dashie." Pinkie smiled "Watching is good and all, but maybe they won't mind if we stepped in, too. There's plenty of baddies for everypony!" "Pinkie, I'm sure we can leave this little skiff to them." Rarity said with a grimace "This is entirely unlike their previous encounter with the diamond dogs. And besides, we already know they dwarf us in power." "So? Fukuro hasn't even read Pinkie's power yet. How can we be sure she's not stronger than them?" The cyan pegasus said to Rarity while pointing at Pinkie. "Yeah! Maybe I can help them!" Pinkie added cheerfully. "Girls, we can't just step into battle like this. We could possibly get in their way." Twilight interjected as she looked at the other ship "This is a personal matter to them, after all. It wouldn't be right to intervene." "Twilight, we already ignored the opportunity to get even with the diamond dogs, and that was a personal matter to us." Rainbow Dash shot to Twilight "If anything, we gotta give them all the extra help they can get!" "I don't know, Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy said with Hattori resting on her mane as she noticed the dwindling numbers of agents fighting the assassins "Don't you think they already got this covered? There probably isn't anyone left for them to fight." From what Fluttershy had said, there was indeed rarely anyone left standing save for the seven assassins, who were just finishing their fight with ease. Fukuro and Kumadori joined their allies down on the main deck after they finished, while Jabra reverted into his human form. "As I thought. These CP9 agents aren't worth the effort." Lucci said abrasively "Now all that matters is sending them back to our world and see to our departure as well." "Awwww, do we have to? I was starting to like it here, chapapa!" Fukuro whined, then flinched when Lucci gazed at him. "We have no other option. We've been discovered by our former subordinates. Our current position only invites attack." "Not to sound mutinous, but I'm with Fukuro." Kaku spoke up with a smile "Sure, this place seems too good to be true, but there's that sense of wonder that's similar to our own world. And there's rarely any notable crime around here." "Indeed. It wouldn't hurt to stick around and see if we cannot gather any more knowledge for ourselves." Blueno piped up, looking out to the distant city of Baltimare. "Listen to yourselves!" Jabra snarled at Blueno and Kaku "You think we can even make a life here? This place sucks!" "To you it does." Kalifa shot towards Jabra as she straightened her glasses "Meanwhile, we find it interesting." "You four can ramble on about how much you enjoy this cathartic world, but we need to focus." Lucci said as surveyed the ship and the battered bodies laying on the floor "We'll have to dispose of this ship rather than send it back. We need to cover any and all tracks." He ignored Kumadori feeling hurt that his own feelings about Equestria weren't acknowledged. Before they could devise a plan, a smashing sound was heard that shook the ship. "What the hell?" Jabra said, darting his head around to spot the source. There was a pause before the cabin's walls burst forward, scattering splinters everywhere as a gaping hole was made. The dust settled to reveal a large shadowy figure that wormed its way out of the cabin and stepped into the light. He was taller than Kumadori and Fukuro, and his arms and hands were bigger, resembling a gorilla's, wearing a fine black suit much like the agents on the ship, only he wasn't wearing a hat. He had blonde spikey hair, a thin moustache, and a five o' clock shadow on his chiseled face. His fierce emerald eyes leered down at his opponents as he donned a toothy grin. His left hand contained two rings - one on his middle and ring fingers - while his right hand held what appeared to be a knuckle duster made of a green substance, but it paled in comparison to the oversized sledgehammer gripped in his left hand, shown to be made with the same material. "Whoa! That guy's huge!" Rainbow Dash blurted out from the sidelines. She watched the large man leaned his head to either side, cracking his neck as he stared down at his new opponents. "So...you're the traitors I was told about, huh?" His grin widened "I gotta say, this will be very enjoyable." "What if we are?" Jabra snapped back "Meanwhile, who the hell are you?" The large man pointed a right thumb to himself with pride. "Agent of CP9, Norvell the Hammer. I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I've done plenty of excellent work back in my time..." Kaku blinked after the agent introduced himself. 'Why does that name sound familiar?' Kaku thought to himself while staring down Norvell with his allies. "I see. Well, it doesn't exactly matter to us, does it?" Lucci asked sarcastically as he stepped forward. "Perhaps not." Norvell said calmly as he lithely swung his large sledgehammer into his right hand, now gripping it with both hands "You do have a point. Why reminisce with a pack of traitors when I can simply take you back myself? Show me the strength that got you this far!" He readied his hammer for a swing. Lucci, feeling as if he could easily fend off the blow, remained where he stood. "Tekkai." He uttered as he stood his ground. The silent assassin saw how fast the hammer came, and when it made contact with his right shoulder, he didn't expect to be carried off into the air so easily, nor did he anticipate the excruciating pain that came with the attack. His eyes widened as he caught the brief glimpse of triumph on Norvell's face before he was launched out into the water. Needless to say, the other assassins were shocked by this. Discord and the ponies gasped, and the former snapped his fingers and conjured a balloon raft near where Lucci was descending. Lucci was dazed for a moment, but quickly regained his senses before he used his geppou to barely avoid the raft and water below him and quickly make it back to the ship his allies were on. He gripped his right shoulder with his left hand as he gritted his teeth. 'How is this possible!? Unless...' After getting a better look at the hammer, he grunted in surprise before regarding his fellow assassins "The rest of you be careful! His hammer is made of seastone!" He noticed a warm liquid that was coating his left hand, and Lucci growled. He never thought he would see the day where some random agent drew first blood upon him with ease. To say this was humiliating was an understatement. "Heh, you have a good eye." Norvell said as he brandished his large weapon, looking at it pridefully "I was lucky to have this back when seastone was more abundant than it was now. It helped me with a lot of missions." "Dammit...So my devil fruit powers are useless?" Jabra asked before shaking his head, a confident grin on his face "No...No, they're not." He transformed back into his hybrid wolf form "I just gotta keep my distance is all. As long as I'm not in range, he can't touch me." "Bahahahahaha!" Norvell roared in laughter "Wishful thinking from a traitorous dog! How amusing!" He got in a stance as he held his hammer "Soru!" Norvell vanished in a blur before appearing in front of Jabra, startling him as he chuckled briefly with a cheeky grin. "Soru!" Jabra quickly moved out of the way before he could get struck with the hammer. Norvel made a sizeable hole in the floor before bringing it up and turning to face the other agents. "You realize we'll end up destroying this ship, don't you? Why not spare yourselves the trouble and come quietly. You wouldn't want to invite anymore trouble, would you?" Norvell asked condescendingly. "The hell we will!" Jabra growled "What happened back at Enies Lobby wasn't even our fault!" "Oh? And you think that little confession will absolve you of your crimes?" Norvell said as he looked at the group of assassins. He then noticed that one of them was missing "Huh? Where did-" The sound of a door opening behind Norvell caught his ears, and he turned around to see a finger approaching him. "Shigan!" Before Blueno's finger could reach him, Norvell grabbed the agent's arm and slammed him onto the floor on his back, pinning him down with the top of his hammer. Blueno groaned in pain and weakness as he felt his power drained from the stone's touch. "Bahahahahaha! I guess I underestimated your abilities in stealth. I should expect no less from practitioners of Rokushiki, let alone a Devil Fruit user." Norvell looked down at the strained expression on Blueno's face "But unfortunately, you don't even come close." He looked over at the other assassins - all of whom were tense - and his eyes once again fell on Lucci "Say, now that I get a better look at you, I recognize you now!" He pointed a finger at the silent agent "You're Rob Lucci, right? You made quite the name for yourself back at CP9." He then shook his head with a disappointed frown "What a shame. To think that such a talented assassin like yourself would wind up like this..." "Chapa! Blueno!" Fukuro shouted as he dashed towards Norvell. "Yoyoi~! We must save our comrade~!" Kumadori bellowed as he followed after Fukuro while spinning his shakujo. "You fools!" Lucci shouted as he watched the two large assassins rush into a futile struggle. He grunted again as he felt his wound stain his leopard shirt. Lucci closed his eyes briefly before opening them and discarding his black coat, tossing it on the floor "We'll have to surround him if we have a chance of fending off Norvell." "Are you insane!? Besides Fukuro and Kumadori, the rest of us are Devil fruit users. If we go anywhere near him, we're screwed!" Jabra said. Lucci shifted his eyes towards Jabra. "They're also weak in comparison to such a strong opponent. We have no choice but to aid them." Lucci replied. "I'm sure we can strike from a distance if we tried." Kaku said with a confident smile "Let's give it a shot." With a nod in agreement, Kaku, Jabra, Lucci, and Kalifa shot up into the air. Meanwhile, Norvell placed a foot on Blueno's chest as he readied his hammer in anticipation of his two attackers. Fukuro and Kumadori dodged a mighty swing as they moved to either side of Norvell in a pincer formation. Fukuro readied his leg while Kumadori held out his right hand, making a circle with his index finger and thumb. "Rankyaku!" "Shigan Q!" "Tekkai!" The combined strenght of Fukuro and Kumadori did little to penetrate Norvell's defense as he held his arms up to block the attacks on both of his sides. He then looked up and noticed that four more rankyakus headed his way. Gritting his teeth, he quickly swiped his right hand downward to pick up Blueno by his head before holding him up against the oncoming attacks. The door human roared in pain as all four attacks connected with his back. "Hey! That's cheating!" Pinkie called from the sidelines. "Not even that. It's downright awful!" Applejack added disapprovingly as she glared at Norvell's action. "The coward..." Lucci uttered as he and his group descended onto the ship. Norvell tossed Blueno towards Fukuro, who managed to catch him despite staggering from the force of his throw. He then faced Kumadori and swung his hammer towards him, leading the kabuki assassin to defend himself with his shakujo. There was a large clash, and the kabuki assassin found himself struggling against Norvell's might as the seastone hammer pressed against the shakujo's midsection. "Yoyoi~! You mustn't u-underestimate my power~!" Kumadori's locks began to wriggle as they grew out. Norvell grunted before jumping away and distancing himself as he readied his left leg. "Rankyaku!" A large green wave sped towards Kumadori, who braced himself when he noticed it was closing in with his tekkai. He grunted as some of the attack's power got through his defense. "We'll have to surround him." Kaku narrowed his eyes at Norvell "It's our best option at this point, but we'll have to be careful." "Whatever. As long as he doesn't touch us with that hammer of his." Jabra said warily as he got in a stance with the others. They quickly dashed towards Norvell and surrounded him in a circular pattern, waiting to counter whatever move he has planned. "How droll. I never thought I'd actually be cornered like this." Norvell said calmly before he grinned "Guess I'll have to step it up, since I know who I'm dealing with now." Gripping his hammer tightly with both hands, Norvell disappeared in a blur, reappearing behind a surprised Fukuro and knocking him into Kumadori before snatching Blueno and tossing him harshly into Kalifa. Jabra thought he could sneak in an attack with his back turned, and used his own Soru to appear behind Norvell and get the drop on him. Norvell, noticed the shadow over his head and grunted before he raised his right hand to meet with Jabra's claws. As Jabra's claws connected with the green knuckle duster, he felt himself become weak as he went into his human form. 'What the...His knuckle's made of seastone, too!?' Jabra thought as he descended from the air, stupefied as he felt his body drained of power. He then felt his arm gripped by Norvell as his body was swung into the air for a brief moment. "Have a nice flight!" Norvell shouted as he swung his hammer, connecting with Jabra's back as he was launched into the neighboring ship, crashing through the wall of the cabin. "Oh my goodness!" Fluttershy gasped as she galloped off of the upper deck and into the cabin in search of Jabra. "That gorilla's got quite the edge on our friends." Discord said as he squinted his eyes at Norvell "Depending on what happens, I just might intervene." "I'm worried for them myself." Twilight said in concern before she looked down at the gaping hole on the ship made by Jabra "We might just have to if they can't hold on like this." "And here you said this was a personal matter to them." Rainbow Dash snarked before she stared at Norvell with a confident smile "Let's just make a grand entrance and show that big ape what we've got!" "Have ya spit yer bit or somethin'?" Applejack asked Rainbow Dash "We both saw what he did t' Jabra. Discord's th' only one with a fightin' chance." "Oh stop, you'll make me blush." Discord said playfully as he placed his claws on his cheeks. Back on the other ship, Norvell ran towards Kaku and attempted to swing at him, only to miss as the giraffe human flew upwards with his geppou to distance himself. He decidedly pursued him into the sky with the same technique as he tried striking at him again with his hammer. Kaku narrowly dodged each strike as the skyward chase continued, and he felt more pressured each time Norvell got closer to harming him. 'Now I remember him! There's no other CP9 agent alive with that much tenacity in combat besides Lucci. This man...he was the best assassin before our generation.' He stared wide-eyed into Norvell's bloodthirsty face as he continued swinging his hammer. The more they used geppou and moved along the skies, the more Kaku felt his legs about to give out with the amount of effort put into avoiding Norvell's strikes. "We're coming, Kaku! Chapapa!" Kaku looked down and saw his friends moving up towards him and smiled briefly before letting himself fall and avoid another swing from Norvell. Meanwhile, the hammer agent looked down at the other agents following Kaku and grinned. "Excellent. Now I can take you all out in the sky..." He then turned his body to face the incoming assassins from below, bending his legs as if ready to launch himself. "Kamisori!" Norvell began to zigzag with extreme speed towards them, catching them all by surprise. "But that's-...!" Fukuro trailed off. "Lucci's tech-" Kalifa couldn't finish her sentence as Norvell encompassed each agent in the air, constantly passing through them with a strong hit from his hammer. The only one who managed to avoid this was Lucci, who was lucky to be grazed in the chest when his reflexes kicked in. He could only watch as his allies were being tossed around in his attack before they were sent down onto the ship with his hammer coupled with his blinding speed. The five assassins - now riddled with wounds - landed roughly on the ship as Norvell and Lucci landed. The latter scoffed despite his two injuries while the other stood tall and proud, gently pounding his hammer into the palm of his right hand as he grinned down at Lucci. "Bahahahahaha...Now I can see how you failed in your mission and let the Straw Hat crew have their way with you like that." Norvell taunted, much to Lucci's ire "It really is a shame that you were stripped of your position afterwards. Maybe things would be different if I arrived. We might have even been friends." "And just what makes you think we'd even be friends, let alone allies?" Lucci spat. "Well, we're kindred spirits, you and I. We're the strongest of the CP9; the creme of the crop." Norvell spread his arms towards Lucci "I respect those that are actually strong or of high rank, as opposed to the trash littered before us on this ship. If you and your friends hadn't been labeled as enemies of the World Government, I probably wouldn't even raise my hammer against you unless ordered to. And you know how it goes with the World Government." He reached into his suit and pulled out what appeared to be a pair of handcuffs "Won't you do the right thing and go down with some dignity?" Lucci couldn't really bear his current position and all that came with it. He had been outmatched by some random giant carrying invaluable equipment, and now here he was taunting him, comparing each other as the same person, and politely asking Lucci to turn himself in. The fact that this was really happening made him tremble with rage. "Don't be so quick to boast victory just yet, you cretin. You're stupid to think we're anything alike, and even more stupid to think we would even become friends if the circumstances were different." Lucci shot a piercing glare up at Norvell, disregarding the wound on his right arm "Also, my allies are just that: allies. They are not my friends. I never even considered them as such before I had been wrongfully decommissioned from CP9." He began to grow in size as his clothes bulged, as well as his features changing. Lucci spread his hands, revealing the claws in his hybrid leopard form. "I do not desire friendship! I desire Dark Justice!" "So you're mind's made up, huh?" Stuffing the cuffs back into his suit, Norvell gripped his hammer and grinned at Lucci "Alright then. Have it your way." _____ Jabra groaned as he laid in the wreckage from his painful flight. He silently hoped he didn't crash into the ship's rations, especially the meat. His vision blurred for a moment before he noticed a yellow and pink object hovering over his sight. "Jabra, are you alright?" Fluttershy asked with heavy concern. "Me? Yeah, I'm fine. That was nothing..." He stated ostensibly before grunting in pain "He just got lucky was all. I'm not going down that easily." "Oh goodness. Are you sure you're okay? You look badly injured." Fluttershy said as she held out her forehooves to him. "Don't sweat it, alright? I had worse." Jabra said as he brought himself up from the wreckage he laid on. He looked out of the gaping hole he made to see Norvell and Lucci having a standoff while the other assassins were on the ground "What the hell is that cat doing?" He noticed Lucci transforming and gritted his teeth "There's no way in hell he can take on that bastard by himself." He inched towards the hole and went into his hybrid wolf form "No one's surpassing Lucci but me." Jabra shouted as he leapt out of the ship and made his way towards Lucci and Norvell. Fluttershy couldn't bear watching the humans getting more injured than before, and decided to fly back up onto the upper deck to her friends. When she reached them, she approached Discord with pleading eyes. "Please, Discord, you have to stop them!" Fluttershy begged with a troubled glance "I don't think they can take any more if we just leave them to fight like this. They probably can't keep this up for very long. Aren't you responsible for their well-being?" Discord looked down at Fluttershy, frowning at both her obvious discomfort and the fact that she had a point on her last question. As personal of a matter it was to them, Discord was still responsible for the assassins. He narrowed his eyes at the other ship as he crossed his arms. "You're right, Fluttershy. Perhaps it's time for me to step in and put this gorilla in his cage." Discord said as he smirked at his own quip. "I wanna go, too. I at least want to give that chump a piece of my mind!" Rainbow Dash said vigorously. "Sorry, Rainbow Dash," Discord held an eagle claw out in a halting gesture "but as Fluttershy pointed out, this is my job." Fluttershy smiled up at Discord, to which he returned before facing the other ponies "I shant be too long. Don't wait up, my little ponies." He said before winking out of existence. _____ Kaku grunted as he laid on the ship, and he lifted his head to see Lucci and Norvell about to fight. He slowly got up as he watched his ally about to confront his greatest enemy since Straw Hat Luffy. 'Lucci, no. You can't do this.' He thought as he watched in mild terror. Lucci growled before he used his soru to approach Norvell on his right, narrowly avoiding his hammer as he jumped into the air and attempted to strike him from above, only for Norvell to quickly hold up his right fist, showing his seastone knuckle. Lucci quickly retreated with his geppou before he could touch the knuckle and gave him some distance from Norvell, who grinned as he reeled back his left leg. "Rankyaku Zanbato!" Norvell swung his leg and a large, blade-shaped green wave shot towards Lucci, who braced himself as he clenched his fists. "Tekkai Utsugi!" Lucci's chest puffed out and expanded as he awaited the oncoming attack. As the wave connected with his chest, the leopard human was pushed back as his clawed feet scratched against the floor. Lucci staggered for balance the moment the wave dissipated, but he didn't notice Norvell right in front of him, swinging his hammer and connecting with the left side of his head. Lucci reverted to his human form as he was sent flying off the ship, stunned after his latest blow as he felt something warm on his face beneath the breeze that swept over his body. Why is it that his pride as an assassin was slowly being crushed by his latest follies? He thought he had tempered his body into the powerful weapon he was known to be, but between losing to both a pirate and a veteran CP9 agent, he felt doubt slowly welling into his stomach. He landed into something hard, but furry, and Lucci looked up to see himself being carried by a familiar wolf-like figure. Not too long after, he was set down on the same ship he was sent off from, on his knees as he felt his face. "Get up, Lucci. As much as it leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I know you're stronger than that." Jabra said as he kept a wary eye on Norvell. "I don't know what's more humiliating..." Lucci said as he got onto his feet, his left hand on his latest wound as he glared at Norvell "Being outmatched by this oaf, or being saved by you." "The feeling's mutual." Jabra grinned briefly "Wouldn't be the first time, though." He added before getting into a stance "Now put 'em up, already. We gotta fight!" "You're in no position to order me around..." Lucci said as he went back into his hybrid form. "Bahahahahahaha! Are you both so dense that you would throw your lives away just to best me? This is just sad!" Norvell bellowed in amusement. "Your little friends didn't fare any better against my Kamisori. What makes you think you can handle me?" "Maybe they won't have to!" The new voice caught Norvell by surprise as he looked around. He felt something tap his right shoulder, and he instantly turned his head to look over at the battered assassins behind him. "What the-" He twitched when he felt a party blower blare at his left ear, making him turn back to face an equally confused Jabra and Lucci "What's going on? Is this some kind of strategy of yours?" "Well, I wouldn't say strategy, since I'm not really an orderly type of creature." Norvell instantly turned to the sky in anger. "Who's there!? Show yourself!" Norvell shouted, beginning to lose his patience. Meanwhile, Jabra and Lucci now knew who exactly was distracting Norvell. "Chief Discord?" Jabra whispered as he looked back at the other ship, seeing only Twilight and her friends "But where is he?" "I'm serious! I'll take apart this whole ship if it means finding you!" Norvell threatened as he gripped his hammer in rage. "But then how will you return home? Wouldn't that put a damper on your little plan?" Discord's disembodied voice asked teasingly "It seems many folks really don't think clearly when angry." Norvell growled as the voice was chuckling "All right, maybe if I do show myself, it'll actually calm you down to where you can think and act rationally." There was a flash of light before Discord was seen floating in front of Norvell with a smug grin on his face. Norvell was caught off-guard by his sudden appearance and how ridiculous he looked in the agent's eyes. "Who are you? Or what, for that matter..." Norvell gawked at Discord's appearance as he bowed to him politely. "Discord. And the word you're looking for is draconequus. And you are?" Discord asked nonchalantly. "Norvell the Hammer of CP9." Norvell answered tersely "Now what gives you the right to try and make a fool of me when I'm on an important mission? Obstruction of justice is a punishable crime, you know..." He said with a sneer. "I'd like to think myself above the law, amongst other things. I am a spirit of chaos, after all." Discord answered with a shrug "Besides, I just so happen to be caring for these same individuals you're currently roughing up. I can't really have them in bad shape like this; it makes me look bad as their caretaker/chief." "So you're the one keeping them out of the World Government's eye, huh?" Norvell said as he reeled back his hammer "Well, I don't take kindly to snakes hiding wanted criminals!" He growled as he swung his hammer towards his head, only to feel his hammer connect with the air and nothing more "Huh?" Norvell looked up, and his eyes widened when he saw Discord's smug expression as his head was floating off of his body. "My, my, you really do act on impulse. I should introduce you to Rainbow Dash sometime." Discord taunted as his head floated back to his body "But I digress. Be a sport and turn your ship around, won't you? I'm not entirely fond of violence, but I'm willing to fight for my friends." Discord warned halfheartedly. Norvell growled. "You little smartass! It'll take more than a simple warning to make me look the other way!" Norvell spat as he pointed his hammer at Discord "You don't realize the scale of the actions these traitors committed, nor do you have any right to meddle in the affairs of the World Government. I'm taking them back with me so they can answer for their crimes." "Au contraire." Discord's voice was heard behind Norvell, and he instantly looked over his shoulder to find the draconequus floating behind him "I happen to know a great deal of their plight. Whether you know this or not, the whole incident with them wasn't entirely their fault." "Also, not for nothing, but..." Norvell turned to his left to see Discord yet again, smirking at the bewitched agent "You're in my world right now, so you don't have much power here bar what you've demonstrated on my associates, who I may also consider my friends." "Not to mention what I've said earlier..." Norvell turned to his right to see one more Discord with the same exact expression "I'm willing to fight for my friends, even if it means having to show you just how much power I have over them and you." "So, little Norvell..." All four Discords chorused tauntingly "Won't you be a good little boy scout and hold up the white flag for your sake? I can assure you, I have more power at my disposal than what has been seen, and even I wouldn't want to see me 'unwind', as it were." For the first time since he arrived, Norvell found himself trembling, in a mixture of rage and possible anxiety. Something about this creature had already rubbed him the wrong way, but how he was displaying his powers was making it worse for him. He grunted in frustration as he looked over and noticed the Den Den Mushi laying down in the ground. Begrudingly, Norvell got out of his battle stance and walked away from the many Discords that surrounded him, bending down to pick up the Den Den Mushi and speaking into the transceiver while his hammer rested on the floor. "This is Norvell the Hammer reporting in, sir. I'm returning to HQ." He said professionally, albeit bitterly while the Discords watched with hidden triumph. Jabra and Lucci were surprised themselves to see Norvell surrendering like this. "Really? Have you captured the traitors?" The same gruff old voice was heard from the snail with a smile on its face. "It's with a heavy heart that the mission I was tasked with has ended in failure. There have been...complications that will be addressed upon my return. I apologize for this turn of events." Norvell continued. "What!? What complications!? Norvell, I demand an explanation now!" Norvell grunted when the snail appeared angry, and spoke into the transceiver. "All of the men sent on this ship have fallen to the traitors, and this new world we arrived in seems to be guarded by a powerful force..." Norvell shot a dirty glare at the draconequus clones as he spoke "I'll explain further once I reach HQ." "See to it that you do!" The voice spat "I'm very disappointed in you, Norvell..." "I'm aware, sir, and you have my deepest apologies. Norvell out." Norvell hung up the Den Den Mushi, as it made a 'kacha' sound. Meanwhile, Discord's clones have vanished, leaving only the one left to cross his arms. "If all's said and done, I believe we'll be going our separate ways now. Thank you for listening to reason, Norvell." Discord said condescendingly. Norvell tossed the Den Den Mushi, hitting one of the downed CP9 agents as he picked up his hammer and glared at Discord over his shoulder. "This isn't over! Mark my words, those criminals you're keeping under your supervision will see justice. Even they know they don't belong here. You're only delaying the inevitable." Norvell snapped as he walked over to the upper deck, taking the ship's wheel "Enjoy your victory, because it's not going to last!" "I'll keep that in mind." Discord said as he waved a claw at Norvell frantically before snapping his talons and disappearing with the assassins. Norvell could only turn the ship around angrily as it crossed over the invisible field with the same brightness it entered with. Discord reached the other ship as the light from the field faded. The assassins were gathered on the main deck while the draconequus was floating over the ponies. "Despite the boo-boos gained from this ordeal, I think that went rather well." Discord said with a smile "Now what say we report back to Celestia and Luna?" "How can you say that so easily?" Twilight chided "The humans are terribly injured after that battle. They might need medical attention!" "And how." Applejack said as she looked at the assassins on the main deck with a frown "They've been roughed up somethin' fierce, Ah know that much." She looked at the unreadable expression on Lucci's face as he stood beside his allies. "Well, I'm sure they can last if we manage to teleport one last time, but they definitely deserve a break after today's discovery." Discord said as he floated over to the assassins with the ponies following him. When all were gathered, the draconequus saw fit to snap his talons and teleport the group once more. _____ Celestia and Luna looked over Canterlot from the balcony of the throne room, overseeing the activity of their subjects while waiting for Discord's group to return. While their mission was possibly dangerous, they had to take solace in the fact that Equestria isn't currently in a panic. "I worry for Twilight and her friends." Luna broke the silence as she looked down at the city "As necessary as it was to keep this information under wraps before their discovery, I never realized they would simply join Discord and the humans on their job." "Well, you know how curious Twilight can be." Celestia said with a wry chuckle "But that's not to say your feeling is not ignored. I hope that they all return safely." There was another moment of silence between the two sisters before Luna turned her head to Celestia. "Not that I'm entirely curious, but what could the human world be like to breed such colorful murderers? Could there really be more villainy there than in our own world?" Luna wondered to her sister. "Considering Lucci's adamant outlook, it may seem that way. But perhaps we're only looking at it through his and his allies' perspective. For all we know, even their world could harbor certain good traits to balance out the evil they confront themselves." Celestia hung her head down "Although, I could be making a large assumption after their former leader had cast his subordinates away from an error he caused himself." "This Spandam sounds most revolting, indeed." Luna said in disgust "Could there possibly be worse humans than him?" "For all we know, he may just be the tip of the iceberg." Celestia as she looked up at the sky "Unless we decidedly planned an excursion to the human world, all we can do is see it from the assassins' point of view." "Perhaps. It's a stretch, since we'll possibly end up being abnormalities ourselves, much like the humans are here." Luna replied. They heard the throne room doors open, and the sisters turned to see Discord and Twilight entering, the former appearing laidback. "Twilight and Discord. I take it the lot of you arrived here safely?" Celestia asked as she and Luna approached the two visitors. She grew confused when Twilight hung her head down with a sad expression while Discord scratched behind his head while looking away awkwardly. This easily spelt trouble for the solar princess as she took a deep breath "Can you tell me what has happened on your journey?" "Well, there's good news and there's bad news." Discord said hesitantly, noticing Celestia's expectant glance that demanded him to continue "The good news is that nopony's none the wiser about the field the humans have entered." "And the bad news?" Luna asked as she stood beside Celestia. "It turns out that Lucci and the other humans were indeed being followed, and they now know the location of not only my field, but Equestria as well, meaning that they may or may not decide to come back with more forces in an effort to try and arrest our new friends without any regard to our world." Discord said in one breath before stroking his goatee with a pensive glance towards the ceiling "Well, if Norvell's threat was anything to go by..." "The humans know of our location!?" Luna said in shock "We mustn't let them traverse through the field and reach Baltimare! We risk worldwide panic and possible war!" "Calm yourself, Luna. As much as your concern is noted, it's best that we act accordingly to our intel and make sure that we are ready to defend our land before they see fit to invade." Celestia said to Luna before facing Discord "Where are Twilight's friends and the humans?" "Oh, yes, about that." Discord said hesitantly again "Remember when I mentioned a human named Norvell?" _____ Copious amounts of medical tape and bandages were being used to cover whatever wounds were sustained by the humans; a majority of which for Blueno, Fukuro, and Kumadori and their massive forms. The humans sat shirtless in their beds while several nurses, with the volunteered assistance of Fluttershy, were patching up the wounds carefully. While they were seeing relief from what was nearly a futile struggle, Lucci remained silent and bitter over the fact that he had accumulated another loss since Enies Lobby. He was in no mood to talk as he continued to brood over not only his crushing defeat, but the fact that his own chief had to stand in for him in order to make Norvell cease his attack. Hattori, while perched on top of Fluttershy's mane, looked at his master with sadness as the timid pegasus patched Lucci's wounds. "Almost done, Lucci. You'll be better in no time." Fluttershy said in a comforting tone as she focused on bandaging Lucci, oblivious to his indifferent silence. "This is such a disaster." Rarity said as she looked at the humans being tended to "To think that there existed a human capable of trouncing all of our friends." "Hey, at least Discord put a stop to him, right?" Rainbow Dash said as she looked at Rarity "I'm sure he can do it again if that giant jerk decides to come back here." "Well, iffin' those other humans do come back, Ah think they might come in bigger numbers. Equestria can't afford t' be invaded like this." Applejack said with a frown as she watched the nurses working feverishly. "That human was such a meanie pants." Pinkie ranted "Why do there have to be big bullies everywhere you go?" The door to the infirmary opened to reveal three alicorns and a draconequus entering, and Pinkie's mood instantly changed "Oh, hi Twilight, hey Discord, hey princesses." She said happily. "Hello, Pinkie. I'm glad to see you aren't injured." Celestia said with relief as she looked ahead at the humans "Although Discord was correct in the damage that was collected from the journey." "And the one named Norvell did all of this to you before Discord's intervention?" Luna asked the humans "I never really got to see a demonstration of your strength, but how powerful could this Norvell possibly be?" "While we don't know his exact doriki, Norvell the Hammer is a seasoned agent back at CP9." Kaku said as he sat up. He was currently without his cap as parts of his body were covered in medical tape "He was one of the best assassins before our generation flourished, despite his towering size. His two greatest assets are his mastery over Rokushiki, and the hammer to go with his name. His hammer's made of pure seastone, which is an effective weapon against Devil Fruit users such as myself." "If it weren't for that, we would've had the edge on him." Jabra said as he sat on the edge of his bed with his own wounds patched, looking down in anger "We were lucky to have Chief Discord help us out at the last second." "And before you peg me as the bad guy, they insisted on fighting by themselves for personal reasons." Discord interjected tersely "Norvell's appearance was just unexpected is all." When the nurses finished patching up Blueno, Fukuro, and Kumadori, they decided to take a break from their duties and let the humans recover on their own. Needless to say, they were equally demoralized by their defeat. "That Norvell guy was too tough, chapapa." Fukuro muttered dejectedly. "Indeed. It seems we bit off more than we can chew again." Blueno said with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. "Yoyoi~! As happy as I am to be re-rescued by our chief, I cannot live with the shame I've brought to him and my friends~!" Kumadori leapt off of his bed, got on his knees, and held a knife he acquired out of nowhere with both hands "I must uphold my honor thusly~! Such is my code as a ronin~! Seppuku~!" He stabbed himself, only to stop the blade with his tekkai again, and mourning the fact that he cannot die. "This is a crushing defeat for all of us, Kumadori. Now isn't the time for your antics." Kalifa said sharply as she sat on her own bed, her glasses off. "I'm sorry that this all happened to you, but we're happy you're all okay." Twilight said to the humans "I hope your wounds heal soon." She looked over at Lucci, who had remained silent throughout his time in the infirmary. Twilight undoubtedly felt that he was the most affected by his latest defeat, and approached his bed "Rob...I really am sorry to see what happened back there. If we were as strong as you, maybe we could-" Her heart stopped when she looked into Lucci's eyes. It was like looking into the eyes of King Sombra; a hate-filled darkness in his slitted eyes directed towards the lavender alicorn. She knew he was crushed by his defeat, but Twilight never realized the intensity of Lucci's gaze would be this overwhelming as she stared back at him with widened eyes. "I don't want your pity, nor do I need it..." Lucci uttered as he got up and walked away from the group. He headed towards the door as everyone watched. "Hey, what gives?" Rainbow Dash said "Where are you going? You're hurt, remember?" "That is none of your concern." Lucci shot back, much to Rainbow Dash's anger. "Rob Lucci, while I'm happy you're still in one piece, I implore you to stay here and rest with your comrades." Celestia said firmly "The damage you've acquired is no doubt severe." "I've had worse. Moreso, I don't take orders from you. Now kindly get out of my way. I'm in no mood to be surrounded by anybody." Lucci said to Celestia without hesitation. "Now see here!" Luna snapped angrily "You've no right to talk to my sister in such a way, especially after she and Discord willingly took you and your fellow assassins in!" "Hey, princesses." Celestia and Luna looked over at a serious Jabra, who stared back at them. "Don't bother with him. It's not worth it wasting your breath." Jabra then glared at Lucci "His mind's made up. Let him mope in peace." He noticed how Lucci glared back at Jabra over his shoulder. "If it's peace and quiet you're seeking, might I recommend the garden?" Discord said nonchalantly "You're free to roam there, but that's all I can give you at this time." "...Understood." Lucci responded after a brief moment of silence. Hattori cooed before he got up from Fluttershy's mane and glided towards his master, only to be stopped by a hand. Lucci looked at a confused Hattori as his hand was held out "Stay here." He commanded before he turned away and made for the door. Celestia and Luna begrudgingly moved aside for Lucci as he made his way out, leaving behind a crestfallen pigeon who was comforted by an equally crestfallen Fluttershy. "Seriously, what is his deal!?" Rainbow Dash nearly shouted "I can understand hating to lose something, but he didn't have to be so saddlesore about it!" "You don't get it, do you?" Rainbow Dash looked over at Jabra, who didn't face her as he sat down on his bed "A man's pride is sacred. Lucci's was already crushed after losing to Straw Hat Luffy. This latest defeat's just par for the course." He faced Rainbow Dash with narrowed eyes "There's nothing worse than losing a battle when you're in good fighting condition. Not to mention the fact that our own chief had to step in to clean up our mess. To an assassin, it's the ultimate embarrassment." "Wow. Never thought about that way." Rainbow Dash said, her mood changing after Jabra's explanation. She then looked towards the rest of the humans. "Do you all actually care about that guy?" "Believe it or not, we do." Kaku spoke up "He might not reciprocate our feelings, but we're the closest thing we have to a family, especially since we're wandering fugitives. In fact, we were the same people who brought Lucci away from Death's door after the Enies Lobby Incident." He then smiled at Jabra "Jabra over there literally jumped through hoops to help build up the medical funds." "Don't tell her that, you moron!" Jabra snarled as he instantly turned to Kaku, clenching a fist. This earned a shared giggle from the ponies and some of the humans. "So you really do care about Lucci, even if he's one of the biggest pricks alive." Rainbow Dash said before smirking in respect "I admire your loyalty, and this is coming from the Element of Loyalty." "Lucci doesn't realize how much good friends he has!" Pinkie said cheerfully. "Well, technically, Lucci is correct as us being labeled as allies sharing a common goal, but I can assume that we've grown closer ever since we've been cast away by the World Government." Blueno said with a ghost of a smile. "We stick together through thick and thin, chapapa!" Fukuro declared proudly. "Yoyoi~! We may even be considered as blood brothers~!" Kumadori bellowed. "That's sexual harassment." Luna observed the humans and their comical banter. While she was obviously reviled by Lucci's background, including the many innocents he slaughtered, she couldn't help but feel touched at how his comrades were treating each other as friends. Celestia was equally touched as she watched their amiable display with a smile. "You know, perhaps you deserve a reward for your trouble." Discord said with a smile "I'll be right back." He teleported away momentarily before he reappeared with three floating boxes "Ta-da~!" "Hey...Those are our supplies." Kaku said "Including our clothes and-" "Y-You got it..." Jabra said with tears welling in his eyes as he stared at the second box. He could not only smell the aroma, but nearly taste it as his mouth salivated. "Well, you have been through so much, and we forgot to bring back the essentials after our trip. Consider this your well-deserved R&R for the day." He set the boxes down in front of the humans and turned to the ponies "I believe we should leave them alone for the moment. Wouldn't want to stick around for Jabra's eating habits." Celestia nodded and ushered the element bearers out of the infirmary as she, Luna, and Discord followed. Jabra wasted no time in opening the second box to reveal neatly stacked meat inside. "Bless you, Chief Discord..." Jabra said tearfully as he gnashed away at the meat. Outside of the infirmary, Discord and the ponies stood in the hall, beginning to wonder about the possible attack in the future. "Discord. From what we've gathered from your journey, we're certain that a confrontation from beyond the field is unavoidable. Therefore, you'll have to lead the defense on Baltimare's waters." Celestia instructed "Depending on whether or not the humans manage to recover in time, they shall aid you as well." "Duly noted." Discord said nonchalantly "I must say, despite the possibilities of enemies in the future, I'd like to see more of the humans." He looked behind himself down a hallway "A pity that poor Robby's in a foul mood. If he were more cheerier like you ponies, I wouldn't mind putting a smile on his face." "Neither would I." Pinkie chimed in "Why does Lucci have to be so grumpy all the time?" "I know that he wants to be alone, but..." Twilight said as she looked down the same hallway "I feel I should at least check on Rob for myself. Perhaps apologize for offending him." "You needn't apologize to that human, Twilight." Luna said "You did what you thought was necessary and he responded poorly to your comfort." "Be that as it may, it just doesn't feel right to leave him alone like this." Twilight said before looking over at Celestia "May I?" "If it's in your best interest, Twilight, I won't stop you." Celestia said warmly. "Do be careful, Twilight. You've already seen how mean Rob can get." Discord warned. "Of course. I won't be long." Twilight said as she went past Discord and down the hall "I'll be back soon." She called to them as she trotted away. _____ Lucci stood by himself in the epicenter of the Royal Garden, looking up at the afternoon sky. With his latest failure, his mind was racing, and he was content that he got some alone time away from his allies and those ponies who thrive on friendship. He thought about where his power stood, how much longer he was going to be in Equestria, but he also thought about his position as far as actually challenging the World Government. 'I was created as a tool of justice. This has always been my way of life, and yet here I am, fighting against the same people that helped me become the weapon I am today...' Lucci thought to himself as he looked down at his right hand. "This cannot stand. What kind of assassin would I be if I didn't have the power to envoke proper justice on my enemies?" He clenched his right hand into a fist as he gritted his teeth, frustration beginning to seep into him "Why did I have to lose to Straw Hat? Why did I have to be stripped of my rank because of an incompetent superior!? Why did I have to be bested by a veteran agent!?" His right fist trembled in anger as he thought out loud. "The worst part is...my future remains unclear, even if I'm successful in fending them off..." Lucci admitted to himself bitterly. He couldn't exactly figure out what to do once he arrived back into his world aside from training to grow stronger. Between the World Government and the pirates that they fight, Lucci and his comrades were somewhere in the middle. They couldn't keep up their roles as vigilantes forever and he knew that if they went their separate ways, they couldn't possibly survive on their own. For the first time in his life, Lucci found himself in a state of confusion. Did he actually care for his fellow assassins more than he should? Was this world finally getting to him? He shook off any possible doubt that seeped into his mind and went back to brooding on his loss. It could take some time for Lucci to restore his health, but that doesn't mean that all of his wounds will heal. From a distance behind a nearby bush, Twilight observed Lucci standing alone and frowned at his apparent despair. While she knew he was a hardened killer, Twilight was certain that Lucci was possibly crying on the inside. Even if he was mean to her and the others, the leopard human could possibly be aching for companionship instead of living alone. After all, Discord himself was a monster before he accepted friendship into his life. Taking a deep breath, Twilight decided to approach Lucci, anticipating any possible harshness that may be sent her way. So far, all she earned was his trademark glare. "Why are you here? Was I not clear that I wished to be alone?" Lucci asked abrasively. "Yes, you were, but that doesn't mean nopony's worried about you." Twilight countered before she stood up properly "Look, I know this might be a bad time, but I want to apologize for what I said to you back there. It was wrong for me to rub salt in the wounds." "Apology accepted. Now, away with you." Lucci replied harshly. "Rob, I'm serious." Twilight said, trying to stand her ground "This isn't just about you, you know. Your frie-I mean, your allies are just as crushed about this as well. Not to mention they're equally worried about your well-being as much as their own." "Why must you trouble me with this sentimental garbage? We're assassins. We kill in the name of justice. Even they should know that it isn't wise to just place too much trust and care in each other." Twilight stared before she narrowed her eyes. "Then why did they choose to save you then?" Twilight asked cheekily, to which Lucci's eyes widened "Whether you know this or not, they still care about you, and they even brought up how they pitched in to get you back on your feet. If they were what you expected of them, they would've probably left you behind, but they didn't. Do you know why?" Lucci glared at Twilight in silence, and she chose to continue "It's because they see you as more than just an ally in a situation. They respect you, they care about you, and most of all-" "Stop." Twilight was cut off by Lucci's brief interruption "I don't need to hear anymore of that friendship nonsense. It is indeed true that I would have been dead without their help, but you don't need to use that as a hook for your little lecture. The fact that you had the audacity to claim that as the base of your speech is disgusting." "Back in my world, I never relied on friendship; only my strength and my wits as I trained to be an agent of CP9..." _____ "What a joke..." "This kid's supposed to be one of our next agents?" "Why does teacher even bother with him?" Lucci hid his tearful eyes beneath his top hat as he stood with his olive branch, with Hattori perched on top of his hat. Day after day, even if he was improving, he had to deal with more insults from his peers, and it was beginning to get to him. His first kill was a success, but he still had a long way to go before he could follow through on his dream to be stronger than justice all on his own. It was at that moment, that Lucci decided to double his training to test his limits and break them in time. Whether it was doing push-ups or squats with a boulder on his back, practicing his punches and kicks in the water, or taking bullets to the chest, he was beginning to excel in his training as his childish demeanor began to fade. On his second mission, he managed to kill again, and his shock was less than his first one. Many missions afterwards, he began to develop a wicked mentality of enjoying his missions in his own sadistic way, even smiling before going in for the kill. On missions with partners, they began to see Lucci's new side, and grew to fear him as his power grew exponentially. When he reached thirteen, his results after his change were put to the test, and he took Sakazuki's words to heart. His reward for the mission's success was a special fruit that changed his life forever... _____ "I'm not so naive as to think that friendship is what I need in life when the world I live in reminds me that justice is what truly matters." Lucci said "Whether or not they do care about me shouldn't concern me, nor should I rely on it. I was raised to stand alone against the worst. And if I die fighting for what I believe in, then so be it." "Well..." Twilight said with a neutral glance "If what you're saying is true, why aren't you standing alone now?" Lucci arched an eyebrow "Not now as in right now, but against the World Government? If you actually stuck to your words, you would have left your allies behind the moment you were healed, despite them sharing the same goal, and yet you stayed with them." Lucci remained silent "You talk big about enacting justice and relying only on your self, but you still stand with your allies, even when your own future is undecided. Shouldn't that say something?" Twilight turned away from Lucci as she began to trot off. "You're never alone, Rob Lucci. I learned that lesson myself..." Twilight said as she left Lucci behind. Lucci could not believe that Twilight had the unmitigated gall to give him a lecture about friendship much like Princess Celestia. The worst part was that her explanation, as well as her counterpoints were entirely solid. He could have chosen to leave his allies behind and pursue Spandam on his own, yet he decided to stick with them not only out of mutual circumstances, respect, and hatred for their former superior, but the fact that they were the same people who gave him a second chance to pass down justice towards his enemies. 'I really hate this world...' Lucci thought to himself before he decided to end his brooding session and seek out the others. To be continued...