Captain private room
Third person
"Are they all present?" The white-haired man, who was lying on his bed, blanketed up and completely nude, asked in a languid manner.
As she rested her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat, the orange-haired girl replied, "Yeah, they are in a sour mood."
A woman with black hair contributes as she feels like it. "What do we call ourselves when so few people actually want to join our crew?"
"Additionally, I'm interested in the fund. We are at our lowest point ever." As she clung to the white-haired man, the orange-haired girl spoke.
"Robin and Nami, you need to chill out." Speaking calmly, the man drew them both closer and squeezed their round plump bubble butts to allow them to cool down.
Usually, they become anxious.
They groaned with pleasure and gazed into his assured and confident eyes. All of the stress and small tensions they had been experiencing subconsciously were erased by a feeling of warmth and love.
They have been working for navigation and other ship activity tasks for 12 hours straight due to the current crew being shorted by 2 members who went somewhere, so as a reward he kisses their forehead and lets them rest.
"I'm going to meet Graybeard. I will administer the test to the new members while she looks after them." As he dressed, the man spoke.
"Be careful. We want a reward at night, and we are too exhausted, Captain." Reminding him, Nico Robin said although she may not get it.
"I'll be anticipating it. Hope.... Also you owe me 2 million berries." Nami went on.
Hope, the captain, grinned and said, "Yeah," before heading out. Ignoring the money hungry Nami character switch as he is quite used to it.
—--------
Area for training.
Sharp shadows were cast against walls adorned with weapon racks, odd instruments, and unmarked crates by the icy hum of the overhead lights that reverberated throughout the enormous room. The air had a subtle, sterile, metallic smell, reminiscent of an unoccupied battlefield.
Strong women stood in silent discomfort around the room, their eyes sweeping one another, some inquisitive, some defensive.
With her arms crossed and her brow furrowed, Rebeeca took the lead. "All right. Someone must speak. Where the hell are we, and why does this feel like a setup?"
With a grunt, Bonney leaned against a steel pillar and crossed her legs casually, but her eyes were keen. "I was about to ask the same thing," she said. "I'm sleeping off a bar fight one minute, and then I wake up here."
With her arms folded and ghosts flickering behind her, Perona hovered just above the ground. "I can't recall anything. I was out after just one blink. There is no doubt that this is not a coincidence.
Kalifa sighed and adjusted her glasses. coordinated kidnappings. Weapons. Unaccounted for, a group of dangerous women assembled. It's obvious that someone views us as pieces on their board.
With her arms crossed and an unreadable expression, Yamato said, "You're not wrong."
"But we weren't all pulled here." A number of heads turned.
With each step, Reiju's Raid Suit's subtle hum murmured. "A few of us received an invitation. But when it comes to blackmail, "invited" is a generous word."
Stussy's eyebrow went up. "Enchanting. Would you mind sharing who sent the invitation?
Uta spoke quietly while seated on a metal bench with her legs crossed. "There was no who.... Wait it might served as a symbol. A Jolly Roger, but with a twist. White-painted.
Viola's mouth opened a little. "So, this has to do with pirates."
Silently standing close to the far end, Freya's golden eyes looked around at the others as if making a calculation. "Yes," she said plainly.
Although she spoke in a calm tone, each word had meaning. "You're not merely here by chance. You were selected, which is why you are here"
With her fists clenched at her sides, Rebecca questioned, "Chosen for what?" "To engage in combat? To be of service?
What sort of crew coerces others into joining?
"Not tricks," Lilith said, her smile piercing. "Just some inspiration. A few of us required encouragement. An ultimatum to others.
Tall and shaky in the corner, Shirahoshi held up her hand. "I didn't want to come," They warned me that my brothers would be singlesd out if I didn't.
Hiyori's face went white. "You were threatened by them?"
Sif responded, "They didn't threaten me," with his arms crossed and his voice low and solemn. "They put me to the test. claimed that a war was imminent. An actual one. And unless we take action, monsters will rule the seas."
"War?" Hiyori's voice reverberated. "You're telling me that someone assembled us for a crew—?"
Slowly, Reiju nodded. "Not just any crew. the kind that hasn't been created yet.
Smoke thickened the silence. Nobody had any obvious presumptions or conjectures.
"Why us?" inquired Bonney. "Yes, we all appear to be strong, but the majority of us are strangers. What is the connection?" Yamato sensed people around her by speaking in Haki.
Lilith's smile faded as she glanced over her shoulder. "We need to answer that question before they arrive."
Perona cocked her head.
"They?"
The lights went down before Lilith could react, and a faint clicking sound came from the door as Hope, disguised in an odd outfit, stepped inside.
The tense silence was broken by the sound of sliding steel.
Steam curling out like a beast's breath, a huge door at the far end of the training hall hissed open. Conversations stopped in the middle of sentences, muscles stiffened, and all eyes turned.
Well, well, well.
Two figures entered.
One was a man, tall, calm, and composed, with a thundercloud-like stare prior to the blow. His posture was relaxed but unreadable, and he wore a dark coat with silver trim. The other was a woman with raven-black hair tied up in a long, flowing gray cloak. Her very presence disarming, her smirk glistening with calculated charm.
With cryptic words and a voice like silk over steel, she said, "Ladies." "I apologize for the impolite accommodations, but history is rarely greeted with grace."
Uta asked angrily, her eyes narrowing. "Who in hell are you?"
Grandly, the woman swept her arm and bowed. "Min-ah Yoon." You might have heard rumors.
The strategist, negotiator, and gatherer of risky opportunities is Graybeard with the bounty of 900 million berries. She stood up straight and pointed to the man next to her. She held up a hand to the man next to her.
"Everyone is familiar with the name—Hope. Former World Government Vice Admiral. breaker of pirate fleets and executioner of renegade warlords. Even the Navy was afraid that the man's cold justice might become absolute.
The room became visibly cold.
Jewelry Bonney's mouth twisted in disapproval. "I believed he had vanished."
"He did," Min-ah said with ease. "Ignored the hypocrisy of the World Government." Out of clarity, not weakness.
"In Wano, he was known as 'Black Star'—the sword of silence,"
Hiyori murmured.
Reiju's shoulders were tense as she crossed her arms. "Half of us were abducted by you. Why the showmanship?"
Min-ah stated, "You weren't abducted." "You were gathered.
Otherwise, you wouldn't have come. But you were secretly anticipating this moment.
Lilith laughed. "You really enjoy listening to yourself speak."
At last, Hope came forward.
Like pressure from deep water from the ocean's limitless depths, silence struck.
His voice cut through the room, even though it was quiet and almost gentle. "I created chaos by enforcing a world that claimed order. I witnessed what is hidden behind the justice banners. I didn't keep it. I'm creating something new right now.
Crossing her arms, Perona rose in the air. "A crew of pirates?"
"A cause," Yamato clarified, moving forward to stand next to him. He's not trying to find servants. He seeks out equals. devoted and trustworthy combatant.
Stussy gave a nod. He doesn't bow down to anybody. He shatters them.
Min-ah spoke in a honeyed, low voice. "All of you have been selected. Some of you, like Sif, Freya, Lilith, Uta, Yamato, and Stussy, came on your own initiative. Some... needed convincing. However, you are all here because you are afraid of this world."
Like a seasoned fighter who has fought in numerous conflicts, Sif's voice was calm but steady. "And hope is offering us the option to either be used or use our power for something bigger."
Hope's gaze swept over them once more, lingering momentarily on the ones who were still uncertain. Kalifa. Bonney. Rebecca.
Boa. Viola. Every glance felt like a condemnation, but nobody dared to turn away.
He stated, "This is not a demand. It's a chance. to combat. to rebel."
Like a lash, Viola's voice sliced through the space. "Against whom?"
Hope coldly repeated what she had said. "You ask, 'Against whom?'"
He inhaled deeply. The words that followed were like bullets.
"Against the oppressors. Those who fund terror in your homes while sitting on their thrones, clad in gold and blood, and grinning."
Without moving a finger, he pointed.
"You, Viola. Rebecca. Your kingdom was attacked by whom? And who supported them?"
He stared at Uta and Boa for a second. "Who held you as a slave? Whose fear is keeping you imprisoned on that island for years?
He squinted at Shirahoshi. "Princess of the Sea, who killed your mother?"
He then swept over each of them. "And the rest of you—who bought your soul for their nefarious work, who deprived you of your freedom, or who made you kill in silence?"
He asked them a question that had no response.
His voice rose with conviction as he took another step forward.
"Lies—red lines drawn by tyrants—are the foundation of the modern world. Eight hundred years ago, that line did not exist. Once upon a time, all races coexisted under one sky. in liberty. in unison."
"A world without flags or gods in charge. A world of happiness, success, and meaning."
In the stormlight, his eyes shone like iron. "You are free to leave. And allow yourself to be enslaved by fear, authority, and unjustified loneliness.
"Or stay... and earn your spot next to me, have friends, family, a purpose, and a life that is worth living!" Hope concluded his remarks.
In order to persuade those who are unsure of the cause, the goal was to instill confidence, assurance, and hope.
Min-ah grinned more broadly. "He was referred to as a monster by the world. Permit them. However, cages are broken by monsters."
There was a deafening silence afterwards.
Then Freya appeared, radiant and divine. "I have seen hollow kings and walked with gods. The first man I think has the power to alter fate is you. I support you."
With a low growl, Sif followed. "I'll roar with you if the only language they speak is war."
Hope didn't grin. He just gave one nod.
And the world changed for that instant.