Pony Piece: Yonko Journey

by Theblondeknight

2) The First Encounter: Arrival in the New World!

The calmness of the warm day was a rarity in the New World. As the Red Force sailed along, the men singing and lounging about, their captain stood alone in the aft section, behind the man at the wheel, gazing into the clouds above. The rowdy noises from under the palm trees in front of the wheel were drifting right by him. His black cape fluttered in the gentle breeze, and he closed his eyes. He hadn't felt like this in a very long time.

The Era of his youth had passed. The next generation of pirates and marines were slowly rising up. He'd heard the rumors, the tales of sightings even from where he was, about the group causing havoc at the start of the New World. To think, not only the fiasco with some crazed supremacist at Fishman Island, but then Punk Hazard. It made laugh to himself; wild and unrestrained as ever. Nobody could touch Luffy's freedom. Shanks admired that in one so young, but it was far from what he most admired in Luffy.

Then again, with the events of Dressrosa behind that crew as well, even he had to wonder how long they could stay afloat. The difficulty of these waters only rose sharper as you progressed. Nothing was guaranteed, but he hoped with all his might that their promise would stand.

His thoughts were disrupted when one of his oldest friends approached, quiet like the breeze.

"Captain? You've got that look in your eyes..."

Shanks laughed, and Benn Beckman smiled, smoke billowing from his cigar.

Akagami turned around and he did indeed stare at Beckman with that look only a first mate would recognize.

"The seas haven't been this calm in a while," Shanks commented.

"Yeah, it's pleasant," Beckman agreed.

"Enjoy it."

"I know. I'm not at your level, but I've sensed it as well....It's not hard to figure out, even without this power," Beckman added, taking the cigar away for an instant and running his free hand over his silver hair.

"No. It's not. The Revolutionary Army is stirring, Teach is moving with fierce treachery, and Sakazuki is igniting the lanterns for war...where's an Emperor to fit in?"

"And then there's that group..."

"Which one?"

"Eh?"

"You'll see. Tell the men to soak in the last couple hours. Tonight we make sail."

"Where to?"

"...Towards that group."

With that, Shanks trod down the wooden steps, coming within earshot of Lucky Roo's chugging of the ship's largest keg of drink. Always a fan of the party life, Shanks opted not go nearer to the festivities under the palm trees, avoiding the sounds from the soft grass. The chanting was growing louder, but was drowned out as he entered instead through the doors that led below deck. He ventured down the empty hall, halfway lit by the sunlight streaming through the open windows. His door was the last one, his cabin sitting directly below where he'd been conversing with Benn Beckman a moment ago.

His quarter's were large, but surprisingly plain. A few maps on the walls, none used for charting directions. His saber was at his side, but the short sword he'd used as an apprentice also hung on the wall, right beside his bed, which was opposite the door. A large, but beat down rug lay on the floor in the center of the room. His desk sat atop it, filled mostly with empty cups and dishes, but a nice mess of papers lay underneath those. He hadn't used a pistol in a long time, it was never his preference, but it sat, as always, in its case on the stand beside his bed, along with clean paper and a pen.

He was not going to any of that, however. Not just yet. His eyes set immediately upon the chest in the corner, where the secrets of his past were buried. He shut the door behind him and was kneeling down in front of it in a matter of seconds. He couldn't remember the last time he opened it up. Life was about the differences you could make in the here and now, and while it was good to remember the past, and more than anything learn from it, it was the future you would always be waiting on as you lived through the day's challenges. He was no longer a cabin boy. No longer the red haired brat on Roger's ship. He was a Yonko now, and the things he did would shape this era, where he sat among the top dogs, waiting for the youngsters to knock him and his fellows down.

The lid opened with a bit of a squeak after he'd removed the lock, and he began to rummage around the mementoes of his past at once. He paused here and there to observe and recall, but he did not find what he was looking for until he had nearly emptied the chest.

---

Twilight's horn hadn't been this sore since she gotten out of school. After the myriad of final exams and magical aptitude tests, she'd always thought of herself as very magically conditioned. Setting sail into the unknown had proved her quite wrong. She gritted her teeth and felt the sizzle of her magical's prowess burn her once again, firing off several more spells. With the heavy rains pouring down upon the sea, her forehead was steaming constantly as more spells were cast.

The best unicorn guards were lending their strength in pushing back the monsters attacking from all sides, but even teamed up their magic was hardly enough to be effective. Most of their time and energies were spent bolstering the magical shield that was placed around the ship during its production. Its integrity had been greatly overestimated, because they were hardly a few days into their great voyage, and the abuse it had taken by giant fish, colossal squids, enormous crab-like spiders, and the rest of ghastly assortment of natural predators in these waters had nearly rendered it useless.

Twilight was sure their numbers had grown so large because ponies had ceased to sail across their paths for so long, even just a few of these creatures would bring them great trouble. As it was nopony had slept in over 24 hours, the kitchen and medical bay were constantly sending ponies in and out, and the squad of pegasi assigned to lead them through the monster's domain had all but fallen apart; only Rainbow Dash remained airborne, leaving her signature trail in the stormy skies for Applejack to follow at the wheel.

The only good thing about there being so many of the deadly creatures was that they fought amongst themselves as much as the crew of the Crepuscular Star. Apparently, a source of food so large or rare as their ship was not common. But Twilight took no fancy in being a delicacy. She was doing her best, but if they didn't catch a break soon....

A fish of enormous proportions jumped suddenly from the black depths, its maw as large as Twilight's castle back home. The cannons fired, but the fish absorbed them like pellets, and crashed into the shield, which only barely held out. For several minutes the more consistent attacks came, battering tentacles, underwater bumps and crashes, a strange electrical surge, and various other devices to destroy the ship. Twilight fended them off one and a time, but she was waiting tensely for the fish to jump back out. Any second now...

Their cannonballs were halfway exhausted already, and the shield could only be powered by unicorn magic for so long until its crystalized source in the engine room could be repaired, and needless to say, Twilight was the only one capable of making such repairs. The engines themselves had also found themselves in disrepair, although this was due to an unfortunate accident which occurred before the monster attacks began (Pinkie would definitely have to be talked to about where surprise parties could and could not be held). Regardless, they were operating on storm power alone at the moment. Spike had been charged with repairing the engines in the absence of AJ and the other shipwrights; their hooves were largely in his claws right now. If he'd only hurry up!

"Look out ahead!" A guard exclaimed, holding fast onto a second that was hanging precariously over the railing.

"Everypony brace yourselves!" Applejack added, turning the wheel to attack the incoming obstacle at a better angle.

"Reinforce the bottom of the shield!" Twilight cried as the ship began to vault up a wave so large that the vessel's bow was pointing towards the lightning above.

The last time one of these waves had carried them up, one of the spider-crabs found it opportunity to attack from inside the wave, and their hull had nearly been ripped in half. The unicorns refocused their magic so that it went towards the bottom of the shield, with Twilight alone facing the dangers that assaulted the top half.

And then it happened. The giant fish had returned, emerging from the top of the wave and gaping to swallow the ship whole as it rocketed back down. Twilight charged up her magic as long as she could and let it fly, a deep pink beam that the fish was helpless to avoid, and as it swallowed the magic blast it shrank at once. By the time it had hit the shield it was hardly larger than a child's doll, and smacked off the protective barrier and back into the abyss.

Rainbow had gone out of sight over the wave, and a squid had chosen this moment to wrap several tentacles around the shield, threatening to flip the vessel over, and that meant the end of the journey for sure. Twilight was panting as she forced herself to coat the shield with an anti-sticking agent, but the natural ability of the squid's suction cups were putting up a decent fight. Her plan might work, but not soon enough, and she divided her magic into two beams, one to coat the shield, the other to burn the squid's tentacles. Shockingly, the squid proved resilient, and the flames set upon it did not force it to release its hold.

If anything, it had enraged the squid that was now bearing tighter around the shield, though steadily losings its grip thanks to Twilight's coating spell. The unicorns had all gotten weak knees, and as the ship was taken higher up the wave's girth the squid's efforts were aided by the reappearance of a spider-crab. Poking its many pincer-like limbs into the shield around the hull, the ship buckled and the threat of capsizing was imminent. The squid gave it one more go, and then the grave sound of defeat erupted as magical sparks fell upon them; the shield was cracking, falling to pieces as the spider crab's legs began to surround the ship and push it further away from the water.

"Hold on!" Applejack yelled, clenching the wheel for dear life. The guards all around grasped the railings or each other, many clenching their eyes shut. The cannons below deck had ceased firing. They were turning over, gravity was going to drown them if the monsters didn't devour them first.

No. Not like this.

Twilight felt her chest tighten, her eyes went hazy, and more than anything else she felt a rush of warm blood run down her horn and into her face, but she succeeded in teleporting the ship. She knew it was extremely reckless to do so without a more concrete idea of where they needed to end up, but it was crunch time. Sacrifices had to be made. She had yet to lose one of her crew's lives, despite the odds, and she would take any chance to prevent certain doom. She'd made a promise to return. To save everypony.

But even Twilight Sparkle, a Princess of Equestria, could only push so far past her limit. When they landed again there was a temporary respite, but it couldn't last longer than a snowflake in the desert. She wanted to re-erect the shield, but her horn would not ignite. Her magic was there, she could sense it, even begin to feel it collect in her horn, but it would not reveal itself. Every time she attempted a spell the steady flow of blood trickled out faster.

She could hardly register on anything else except her inability to protect the crew. Applejack was yelling louder than anypony, and Twilight picked up on the fact that the waves had mostly ceased, but they were being pulled along very quickly. Like a small figurine, the Crepuscular Star was pulled along in the vast waters, and although they had escaped their previous predators, more awaited them wherever they had reappeared. The first and closest was a large sea serpent, though it had thick, black scales and resembled a great water-dragon as far as Twilight could perceive it.

The Princess could feel her legs moving towards the side of the boat as the rains continued to pour down upon them, though she wasn't entirely sure why her brain was giving them the command to move. Thankfully, several guards had clasped a hold of her. She sputtered out questions, realizing that her voice belonged to a pony that had just been in a terrible accident, but was unable to change it.

"Why...we end up....monsters water?"

"Hold on, Princess! We're taking you right to the medical bay!"

"Stand aside!" A female guard shouted as they barged through the doors that led inside, pushing two guards coming up out of the way.

"How...taking me...no!" The shaken voice staggered out again.

"Don't speak, Princess, save all your strength!" A third urged her.

Before she knew it, she was laying on a bed in the medical wing, the older stallion who had come out of early retirement from Canterlot Central Hospital on the request of Princess Celestia looking over her immediately. As one of his assistants, Fluttershy rushed to stop the blood leaking from her friend's horn.

"We need her back on deck ASAP!" The female guard told the doctor as he looked deep into Twilight's eyes and began filling in the notepad in his hoof, adding more notes upon further study.

She began to lose her hearing, catching only a few words the doctor began trading with the guards, but her vision was clearing up. The medical bay's chemically pristine smell was coming to her attention as well. The ship suddenly rocked to one side, and many bottles and bags and jars of various medical paraphernalia fell to the floor. Fluttershy seemed rather distressed as she bandaged Twilight's horn, and began to run a warm rag over her fur.

The guards rushed out, and the doctor bent down, trying to ask Twilight questions, but for whatever reason she had lost the ability to properly reply, and could hardly do more than mutter nonsense and jargon. Fluttershy and the doctor then began talking, and another rumble shook the medical bay. Twilight felt something cold pour over her head and sink into the bandages around her horn; the doctor was making more notes and scrambling around the jars on the floor for something.

A third great shake caused even more of his equipment to fall over, and it was then that two guards carried in a blue pegasus; Rainbow Dash was breathing hard, her eyes closed and her mouth agape. She was laid on a bed near the one Twilight was laying on, but she looked much more disposed than the lavender princess, who even now was trying to get up but held down by Fluttershy. Something had to be done about this. Twilight lost sight of Rainbow as another of the doctor's assistants blocked her view as she attended to the brave pegasus.

Twilight's head was suddenly tilted so that she and the doctor were looking into each other's faces. He was attempting to tell her something, but her ears were not yet restored to working condition, and her vision was still blurred, if but slightly. He gave it a good three or four tries, but soon went to the cabinets with contents spilling out once more, and it wasn't long before Twilight felt a great cold sensation. As she shivered, she found that her vision was failing altogether and the world soon went black. Her hearing did not recover, and after a slight jab into her neck, she lost all feeling in her body as well.

After that, she could not possibly describe what happened to her.

---

"Go fish."

"Aww!"

"A ten?"

"Go fish."

"What about a seven?"

"Aww man! Fine, whatever...just take it."

"Heh heh.....let's see....four."

"Seriously!? Lousy game..."

"Thank you!"

Twilight opened her eyes warily. The light hurt them deeply, and she immediately covered them with her hoof. The conversation continued and the sound of cards changing hooves ensued once more.

"One more set....let's see....a three?"

"Even Rarity?"

"Aha, I win!"

"Should we go again?" Applejack asked.

Twilight let out a moan of anguish and all interest in another game of go fish was instantly dropped. She dared to open her eyes, slowly letting the light in and blinking several times to adjust. She began to sit up and the girls rushed over, leaving the table and cards forgotten.

"Twilight!" Rainbow exclaimed.

"We were starting to get real worried," Applejack confessed.

"Oh.....my head...." Twilight whispered, as though admitting a shameful secret, and plopped right back into the bed.

"It's no surprise you feel awful," Fluttershy explained, trotting happily over from the other side of the room, "you were extremely overworked. Fatigue worse than any I've ever seen...except maybe the Honey Rush a few years back...those poor bees..."

"But you lasted just long enough, saved the entire ship and crew!" Applejack praised, stepping aside so Rarity could bring Twilight a glass of water.

She drank gladly, and handed it back to Rarity after finishing the contents in a span of seconds. It was only then that she noticed her horn was still bandaged. A sinking feeling set in, but she forced the conversation onwards, in part to take her mind off what may have happened to her, and out of great curiosity as to what had transpired after she passed out.

"We got away?" She croaked, looking from face to face as they explained the details of their escape.

"Sure did, and just barely at that," Applejack began, "I managed to steer us clear of the sea critters who were after us after you teleported the ship, they didn't pursue us after the water fall."

"Water fall?"

Rarity took over the explanation, "I thought we were done for, especially with you and Rainbow Dash unconscious. From where I was in the charting room, looking desperately through old books and scrolls for anything to repel the beasts with, there didn't seem to be the faintest chance. When I heard muffled cries of an oncoming water fall, I nearly fainted myself."

"But that was the best part," Pinkie broke in, "tumbling down in a panic, ha ha, panic....it's all much funnier in hindsight."

"Well, I didn't wake up until after we'd fallen, but we've gotten almost everything working again. Obviously the shield is a bit out of our ability, but the ship is working almost perfectly otherwise," Rainbow picked up after a small moment of awkward silence following Pinkie's outburst.

"And best of all, now that you've woken up, almost everypony is accounted for and doing fine," Fluttershy finished.

Twilight inwardly grimaced and externally frowned; she wouldn't call herself "fine" in any way at the moment. But the troubling part was that glaring word she'd dreaded to here since they set off. 'Almost' everypony is accounted. 'Almost' everypony is doing fine. Her friends picked up the distress, and looked sheepishly to one another, and at last, Fluttershy elaborated on her statement.

"Three ponies were lost between the start of the attacks and coming up after going down the water fall."

"Who?" Twilight asked, feeling twice as bad as when she had awoken.

"Wingspan couldn't take any more during the attacks, told me had to go back to the ship...I told him to go, but I never made sure he made it back. He didn't," Rainbow said sourly.

"Cloven and Tera Obsidian were seen before the attacks, but once we reorganized after the fall, they were nowhere to be found," Rarity noted with similar melancholy.

So those were the first unlucky heroes? The ponies who would be remembered by few and sorely missed by fewer. Wingspan, a pegasus with a humorous side and skills on par with the best of them; Cloven, an earth pony guard who was always the last of his squad to settle down at night, the first up in the morning to prepare for the day; Tera Obsidian, the sister of Slate Obsidian, who had been left behind in Equestria, both of whom were renowned for their charming attitudes and uncanny luck in dangerous situations. It seemed luck only got her so far.

These names and faces...how soon would it be before Twilight would have to memorize others? She hated to think about the fact that all three had been lost under her watch. The only thing that could possibly be worse now was to forget them. Twilight refused to forget them. She wished she knew more about them.

"Well..." Twilight said at last, "I take it things have been quiet ever since?"

She wasn't quite ready to try getting up again, but her eyes had adjusted better now, and for the first time in days, at least, she breathed in fresh air. A break had been caught, and that was more than enough to give her the willingness to push forward.

"Things have been pretty quiet for the past couple days, perfect party conditions," Pinkie Pie responded, sporting a mischievous grin.

"We've all had a chance to recover and unwind a bit, aside from worrying over you," Applejack concurred, "but now that your up...I don't think we've got one problem too big to handle."

Now was the time. Twilight smiled and pushed herself off the bed, the pillow underneath her sticking to her back for just a moment. Helped out by Rainbow and Pinkie, Twilight got her feet, wobbled for a moment, but like any second hoof skill, her balance returned quickly. She embraced them all and silently thanked Celestia for overcoming the hurdle behind them. Now, it was time to tackle the next.

They broke off the hug and Twilight's eyes looked up as she bent her head down, reaching instinctively towards the bandages around her horn. She was too afraid to know the full extent of damage done, but relief fell on her when nopony seemed fearful of explaining. Rarity levitated a hoof-mirror in front of her so she could more easily observe it. Upon a better view, Twilight too smiled. It was still in perfect position, no visible cracks along it and no signs of strain between the horn and her skull. Fluttershy confirmed her good feeling and passed her the doctor's official report, orating it to her.

"Superficial damage caused by extreme fatigue and use, but nothing permanent or seriously debilitating. The bandages can come off as soon as tomorrow morning."

She still had a headache, but things had turned out alright in the long run. The Crepuscular Star was back in order, aside from the shield, which would be attended to the moment Twilight ate and cleaned herself up. The question of how to better remember the three ponies lost to the journey, as well as how to avoid another torrent of sea beast attacks if possible, would be next in line. The world was a little more ordered again, and the quiet nature of their situation could not be more perfectly expressed by the calm wind and the warm sun shining overhead. The Star was gliding along in a glassy, blue sea scape that stretched farther than the eye could see. If for but this moment, all was well.

---

The morning brought with it a thick mist, and yesterday's blue tapestry sewn together with warmth was a far cry from the choppy waters and chill in the air as the sun rose once more over head. The guards on duty quietly went about their work as the rest of the ship awoke. It was not long before the smell of something warm and invigorating was lofting out the galley windows. The engines hummed to life again before most of the crew had congregated in the dinning hall, and at last the ship was propelling forward. Things were indeed back on track.

Spike was feeling particularly antsy as he sat at a table with Rarity and Fluttershy, twaddling his thumbs and looking towards the entrance every couple of minutes, eagerly awaiting Twilight's arrival. Seeing as he had been aiding in the restoration of the engines with Applejack and her crew once the great ordeal was over, and indeed, during much of it, he was not able to see Twilight since before the attacks began. Of course, part of the reason their reunion was delayed was on the doctor's orders, wishing that nopony disturb Twilight's rest. By the time he lifted that medical order and allowed the rest of the Mane 6 to wait at her bedside, Spike had finally allowed himself to rest and fallen into a deep sleep of his own.

"She'll be along any second now, don't you worry," Fluttershy consoled as Spike frowned, still receiving no sign of the lavender pony's arrival.

"You think so?" Spike asked, squeezing his legs with his claws.

"Of course, we're telling you dear, she was up and about as if none of it had happened yesterday," Rarity replied.

"I should've stayed up. I shouldn't have so much as dozed off until I knew she was okay," Spike scolded himself.

"Nonsense, you can't possibly blame yourself. You've proven yourself to be an invaluable part of this crew, Spike. You've earned as much of a rest as any of us. Twilight knows that more than anypony," Rarity soothed, putting down the scroll she'd been reading up till that point, and patting him on the back.

"Thanks Rarity," Spike said with a smile, small but genuine.

Their conversation was cut short when Pinkie burst through the door to the kitchen, carrying two large trays of pancakes and eggs, to which the crew cheered. Pinkie's cooking had proven itself to be a great resource, and though they had to wait for it, the time spent in anticipation had thus far only served to enhance the quality of the meal. The line soon formed as the trays were laid down on a table near the kitchen door, and Pinkie and her assistants brought out second trays of flapjacks and eggs, along with several batches of toast.

Yet the ponies had hardly dug into their meal when that too was cut short. A distressed cry from the deck caught the mass' attention, and many of them rushed up top to see the source of the disturbance. Given the massive amounts of fog over the waters it was hard to perceive just yet, but the pony to first cry out "ship ho!" from the crow's nest could see it just fine.

With Twilight not yet on the scene, it was Applejack, who had stationed herself at the wheel during breakfast, shouted out orders.

"Everypony, battle stations! Stand by for a possible threat!"

Guards rushed to their posts, the cannons slowly rolled into place, the engines hummed as the ship maneuvered to a more battle-savvy position. Spears and swords and crossbows had been given out, shields were brought to center, and breakfast was put on hold as the incoming ship drew steadily nearer. Soon enough, when it had become more clearly defined and shown its size to be about equal to the Crepuscular Star, they read the word on the front of the sail: MARINE.

The creatures aboard the ship wore cloaks, but they also seemed to wear military uniforms, most with slight variations. Some of them were rather large, others quite small, many had unusual characteristics when compared to the rest of their numbers, but they all stared with equally bewildered expressions at the ponies as the ponies did at them.

Rustled voices on the MARINE ship drew their attention, and nerves were steadily rising. Applejack attempted to keep everypony calm, but it was clear the creatures on the ship would not let the ponies pass without investigation. Congregated groups on both ships continued to talk amongst themselves, but neither made the first move just yet.

Applejack had sent a guard below deck to fetch Twilight, who's skill sets in diplomacy and magic would both come in handy, depending on how the first few minutes progressed. One of the marine ship's crew left the deck as well, though several more had joined with the gathering to look at the ponies as their ships moved in parallel positions and both stopped.

"Oi, what's this?"

"What are they!?"

"It can't be an all Awakened Zoan crew...can it?"

A moment of silent intrigue on the other ship ensued, and the ponies looked rather nervously to one another, Applejack looking with desperate hope that Twilight had arrived, but it was not so.

"Howdy there," the shipwright spoke, deciding that some action had to be taken at last, "what can we do you for?"

"Did you hear that!?"

"No way! It said something!"

"It's definitely not an Awakened Zoan crew!"

"I've never seen anything like this!"

"Who are you?" A female's voice asked from behind the gathered soldiers on the Marine ship. They parted and let a soldier of some considerable rank (and beauty, judging from the expressions they gazed upon her with) walk to the railing of the ship. Applejack allowed another pony to take the wheel and did as the female soldier had done, gone to the railing as she explained.

"We're on a mission from Equestria. We aren't looking for trouble, and if you'll let us, we'll pass by without another word on it," Applejack answered, as Rarity and Spike drew up behind her.

"Equestria?" The female soldier repeated, clearly hearing it for the first time, "What island is that?"

"It's our home, a many day journey from here," Applejack once again replied, wonder how much information was too much to give. Twilight was really the pony to do all the talking...

"You said mission. What sort of mission?" The female questioned, more suspicion in her voice than before.

"Well.....to be perfectly honest....I can't tell you that."

"What she means to say is," Rarity interrupted before anything else could be said, "that's a bit confidential. But we truly mean you no harm at all, and are just interested in passing through and continuing with our journey."

"So you say, but you aren't flying the appropriate colors," The female soldier accused, pointing up at their sails, which bore no marks at all aside from Twilight's. The Marine ship was bearing their name and insignia on the sails, and a flag registering the ship as in service to some form of World Government was also visible.

"Well, we simply haven't had the chance-" Rarity began, but was cut off at once.

"If you aren't flying the World Government's flag or that of the Marines, then you're obviously pirates. This entire scenario is suspicious, but that fact seals it; we'll be taking you into custody."

"Now wait just one-" Applejack started, though she too was cut off as the female officer drew her sword and called for a boarding.

Instantly, the pony at the wheel turned their ship away, but grappling lines shot out of the Marine ship a little faster, and the two vessels were bound together. The Crepuscular Star was drawn towards the Marine ship and the soldiers jumped aboard as soon as they were able, drawing swords and other melee weapons, while the soldiers on the deck of their ship drew long range weapons that looked like wooden-metal pipes.

"We have to put up a fight!" Applejack shouted, and the ponies marshaled themselves, taking their own weapons and sparring rather evenly with the soldiers. Spike found himself shaking as their ship fired cannons and the Marine ship quaked mightily. The soldiers did not take to being attacked well at all, and the battle began with fierce blows to the ponies, as several guards were knocked off their feet and pushed.

"For G-5 and Captain-Chan!"

The Marines pushed forward, but thankfully, were more interested in taking them captive than in outright killing them, although Applejack suspected that being killed was nowhere near out of the question. Confounded! Where was Twilight?

Already several guards were bound and tied, and though the ponies were fighting admirably, they were outclassed in combat, especially when the female Captain jumped aboard and joined the rumble. She wore red framed glasses, and her slender build was a sign of her great speed, for Applejack had not seen her jump down at all, and had at first thought she too could teleport. Her sword was unsheathed, and her determined eyes stared right into Applejack's.

Well, if that didn't make it her fight, what would? Whatever was keeping Twilight, it was surely not without good reason. Until their own Captain was ready to reveal herself, Applejack would take her place. The Marine Captain recognized the acceptance of the challenge, and ran forward, as did AJ.

Applejack had always considered herself fast, but in the unknown dangers of the Great Blue Sea, she may as well have been a slug. The Marine Captain charged forward, and just before her sword was in range she disappeared from sight, reappearing behind the earth pony and butting her in the side of the head with her sword's hilt. Applejack was tough, but words like "tough", "fast", and "strong" obviously meant something else here, because she was on her knees instantly.

She could feel her legs being bound together by the Marine Captain, and try as she might to resist, that blow to the head had decimated her determination, and she was almost completely bound and gagged before help arrived. Like a comet flying down from orbit, Rainbow Dash had returned from her scouting rounds, and flew in at top speed, catching the Marine unaware, and sending her flying across the deck of the Star. She rolled several times, but managed to get to her feet before she stopped skidding. Blood was coming from the side of her mouth, and the outlines of Rainbow's hoofprints were still red.

"Thanks," Applejack muttered, working herself out of the binding; at least rope tricks seemed to be the same here as back home.

"I can't leave you guys alone for half an hour, huh?" Rainbow teased, helping the shipwright to her feet.

"How dare you attack Captain Tashigi!" One of the other marines erupted, charging at the pair of them from behind. Rainbow flew up to evade his fist, and knocked him down with ease after flying circles over his head. Applejack had regained some of her pride by fending off two more. Others attempted to join in, but then the woman called Tashigi spoke.

"Enough! I'll do it."

The marines hesitated for a moment, but backed away from Applejack and Rainbow Dash. The pair of ponies drew closer together as Tashigi raised her sword once more and steadied herself. Rainbow did a better job of keeping up with her than Applejack could hope to, but even with flight on her side, Rainbow was hard pressed to avoid the flurry of strikes sent her way. Tashigi gave no pattern, attacking both indiscriminately. Her fast-paced offense left little room for either pony to attack, and without weapons they had an even harder time with it.

Their battle had drawn the attention of most of the ponies and marines alike, and both sides cheered on their champions, the marines cheering louder whenever Tashigi managed to cut strands of hair from the ponies' manes and tails.

"Go, Captain-Chan!!"

"Show them the power of the Marines!"

"You can do it!" Spike shouted from the sidelines, feeling rather useless, "We've faced worse than her before!"

But then, Tashigi completely neglected Rainbow, and focused everything on Applejack. Three times she swung her blade in quick succession, and three times she narrowly missed, but the fourth swing came at an opportune time, and Applejack did not evade quickly enough. Her right fore leg received a long, vertical cut and she hobbled onto her side as Tashigi aimed to remove the leg altogether; evidently one did not have to make sure a prisoner had all its limbs to be considered taken into custody.

Rainbow dove in to stop her, but Tashigi was more tactful than anticipated, and her farce had worked. When Rainbow was least expecting it, the Marine turned and her sword was inches away from taking an eye when Rarity interrupted, levitating a sword to block the path, and Rainbow crashed into the wooden deck, thanking Rarity as she skidded along.

Now an official part of the duel in Tashigi's eyes, Rarity was forced to defend herself with the sword as Applejack regained her bearings and pulled Rainbow up as well. Not at all skilled with a sword, however, the white unicorn was soon cornered and lost her grip on the levitating sword, which was flung overboard. Sputtered on by a strong inward courage, Spike leapt into action to defend Rarity, drawing in breath quickly and releasing flames as fast and fiercely as he could.

It was a good thing the vessel had been comprised of magically enhanced wood, which had a tremendously hard time catching fire, because everything around Tashigi was bathed in emerald flames. The Marine Captain burst out, her jacket and pants having caught fire, and she dashed in front of Spike before he could finish drawing in his next breath. A look of annoyed rage sat upon her face, and she drew her leg back quickly to kick the baby dragon aside, but was once again stopped before she could do so.

This time, however, Tashigi felt that she could not move at all. She quickly noticed that a deep pink aura had surrounded her. This couldn't be haki...could it? No, this field of energy was unlike anything she'd experienced before, distinct even to all she had felt and seen at the Paramount War. This was bad.

On the other hand, Spike and the ponies looked extremely relieved as all eyes drew towards a previously unheard voice. A wad of white bandages was thrown onto the deck and a lavender pony with both wings and a horn emerged from the doorway, a truly furious expression on her face.

"What is the meaning of attacking my friends?" Twilight demanded.

"Princess!"

"Twilight!" Spike exclaimed, dashing to her side instantly; she gave him a small smile, and returned to face the woman called Tashigi.

Tashigi was silent, but trying desperately to free herself from the paralyzing effects of Twilight's magic. The Marines looked outraged, some of them shouting at the pony crew, others threatening to utterly destroy them if Twilight did not release their Captain, but the Princess paid them no mind, shouting back to them in a far more menacing tone.

"We are here on our own business, seeking nothing but our own well being. I don't know exactly how this battle started, but I am ending it right now! My friends and everypony on this ship are out of bounds!"

Tashigi felt herself go weightless as she was levitated off the enemy ship's deck, her sword dropped and her body hanging down like a rag doll, as she was flung back across the deck and back onto her own ship, crashing through the door that led below deck. The Marines went completely silent in rage and horror, but seeming satisfied when yet another previously silent voice spoke up from the door where Tashigi had just been sent rolling through.

"Hey, scum!" a large Marine with white hair and a nasty scar running across his face said as he revealed himself, looking twice as furious as Twilight had a moment ago, "You've really done it now. I guess I'll have to handle you all myself."

Twilight looked apprehensive, perhaps viewing her outburst as a bit too impulsive, and the other ponies seemed equally tense. Opposite them, the marines praised the newcomer with gleeful exclamation.

"Vice Admiral Smoker!!"

Author's Note:

Originally, this chapter going to go on a bit longer, but I just wanted to get this PUBLISHED and give you all more than just one chapter. So, the continuation will resume in chapter 3. I hope you enjoyed, and I thank you for reading. Comments are always welcome, even the sucky ones that make me hate my life after I read them

Much love as ever, TBK

Comments

[Daxen123]

Well shit

[Theblondeknight]

6965783 Heh heh heh.....Chapter 3 is on the way