While Ashivra and Ben were together in the shower enjoying themself, the Miss Love Duck III sliced through the waves. Its Sea-Prism-coated hull glided through the water. On the main deck, Zala, Marianne, Robin, Saphir, Mikita and Perona stood looking ahead. They could feel the cold wind howling.
Zala stood at the reinforced railing. Her fingers traced the cold texture of the steel. She looked up at the sky, where heavy, grey clouds were beginning to form. "The weather does not look good," she remarked.
Marianne felt a sudden wave of shivers rack her body. "I can feel it getting colder," she said as she hugged herself tightly to keep the warmth in.
"Take this," Robin said calmly as she handed a thick oversized coat over to her. Robin looked up into the air. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the atmosphere. "The pressure is dropping fast," she remarked.
Mikita shivered violently. Her arms were wrapped around her chest. "This weather is changing too fast," she complained. "I need to go grab my coat, too," she added.
Zala looked over. A dry smile formed as she looked at Mikita's choice of attire. "You're practically naked," she said as she looked at her cleavage.
"So are you," Mikita fired back with a playful wink as she looked at Zala's own revealing dress.
"Well, I'm certainly not complaining," Zala laughed. She looked at the sea and pointed toward the faint outline of land appearing through the mist. "The fourth Gem is out there," she added.
Saphir smiled. "And it will be ours soon," she remarked.
"I just hope the fourth one isn't hidden in another freezing cave," Marianne muttered as she buried her face into the collar of the coat Robin gave her.
"I found that in Ben`s room," Robin remarked.
Marianne smiled. She buried herself in the coat.
"He has coats?" Saphir asked.
"Quite a few," Robin responded. She looked around at the faint traces of a skyline. "We all know that's exactly where it's going to be," she said sarcastically.
"Where's the Captain?" Perona asked as she floated a few inches off the deck.
Zala let out a soft chuckle. A playful smirk danced on her lips. "Ben and Ashivra are still in the shower together," she revealed.
"They're having some quality time," Mikita remarked with a knowing grin.
"He's simply performing his Captain's duty," Robin added smoothly.
At the mention of what was happening below deck, Perona felt a slight flush creep across her cheeks. "Typical," she said.
The ship suddenly lurched as a massive rogue wave slammed into the bow. A spray of water flew over the railing, hitting the deck.
From the sky, HQ and BM flew down to join them on the deck. "Everyone, it will start to snow soon," HQ reported.
"My daughter said things might get rough," BM added.
"In the meantime, breakfast is almost ready," HQ announced.
At that moment, a heavy whistle tore through the frigid air. A cannonball plummeted from the distance and It struck the water just meters away from the Miss Love Duck. It erupted in a towering geyser of foam and ice that rocked the ship violently. A thick cloud of black smoke came from the waves.
"We are under attack," Zala shouted as she gripped the railing.
"It's coming from over there," Mikita said as she was prepared to leap into the air.
As the smoke began to clear, six silhouettes emerged from the mist. The name of the ship was written.
The lead ship was a heavy, low-slung brigantine called the Iron Tusk. It had a ram shaped like a giant walrus tusk. "Let's get them, Captain! The money is ours," a mercenary shouted from the tusk-shaped bow.
Next to it glided the Screaming Siren, a sleek, three-masted frigate with sails made of blood-red silk. Along its railings were rows of oversized brass horns. "They have the Gems!" someone added from the deck.
From the starboard side, the Frost-Bite approached, a smaller, agile vessel. It sat high on the water. Its deck was crowded with several oversized harpoon launchers that pivoted toward the Miss Love Duck. "It will be all ours," a voice remarked greedily.
Cutting through the water was the Cinder-Galleon, a ship bristling with iron pipes that vented dark, oily steam. "Take them dead or alive," a male voice shouted from the bridge.
Towing behind was the Black Anchor, a massive, wide-beamed ship. Its rows of cannons were already in position, their barrels smoking from the initial volley. "Fire again," the Captain of the ship ordered.
Finally, the Silent Shadow appeared. The ghost-white schooner blended almost perfectly with the frozen mist. On its deck stood men in white fur cloaks, their long rifles glinting in the dim light as they took aim at the girls on the deck.
"We have company," Robin said.
BM and HQ nodded at each other. "Let the Miss Love Duck handle this," HQ said.
Marianne smiled. "She can," Marianne remarked.
The Miss Love Duck III, with its vibrant pink hull and elegant swan figurehead featuring signature heart-shaped eyes, stood in sharp contrast to the grey fleet.
"They think we're just a pretty ship," Saphir said.
"We are," Marianne agreed.
"You all seem pretty calm," Perona added.
"The Miss Love Duck will show what she is capable of," BM remarked.
"They're about to have a very bad day." Robin giggled.
The Black Anchor fired a second volley. It travelled through the sky and went directly towards the Miss Love Duck. Then the cannons hit and exploded. There was a massive explosion. "Did we get them?" a pirate said on the Black Anchor.
As the smoke cleared, they saw a translucent pink barrier. The Miss Love Duck was unharmed.
"Is this the shield?" Perona asked. She had heard it from Nojiko before during the girl`s talk.
"It is," HQ confirmed.
At that moment, from the reinforced railings of the deck, dozens of retractable mini-cannons slid out. They hissed with pressurised air.
"I have not seen these cannons in action," Saphir said.
"We are in for a treat," Robin remarked.
The turrets opened fire on the Frost-Bite. The sea-prism coated shells shredded the oversized harpoon launchers before the mercenaries could even pull the triggers. "My harpoons! They're turning to scrap," the captain of the smaller vessel screamed as his deck was torn apart.
The Miss Love Duck fired a second volley at Frost-Bite. The air hissed as dozens of sea-prism coated shells tore through the freezing mist. They slammed into the smaller vessel's hull and punctured the wood and metal with ease. A devastating explosion rocked the ship as the shells ignited its internal fuel stores. Fire erupted from the center of the deck. The ship sank down.
"That is one down," Robin said as she looked at the ship taking water and men plunging into the freezing water.
"Look at the tower," Marianne cheered as she pointed upward. The roof of the expanded command tower slid open and revealed the massive King Cannon Mark II.
"I remember when we used to destroy Enies Lobbies," Mikita remarked.
"We did it to save our sister," Saphir said.
"I remember a certain someone worrying," Zala commented.
"He gets a bit cute like that," Robin said as she smiled. She thought her lover, her husband came to rescue her.
The King Cannon Mark II fired an explosive charge. It propelled the round into the vast expanse. In an instant, the air fractured with a resounding boom as the projectile hurtled towards its destination, leaving behind a trail of smoke. The Miss Love Duck shook at the force. The shell travelled through the sky over the ocean. It struck the walrus ram with a deafening crack and splitted hull.
"The lead ship is sinking in one hit," Zala said.
"It was able to destroy entire buildings," Mikita added.
"She is so strong," Saphir remarked.
The Cinder-Galleon tried to close the gap. The Miss Love Duck`s mini-cannons on the port side fired a synchronized blast. The shells flew through the air and hit the ship. It punctured the oil tanks on the galleon's deck. The ship erupted into a fireball of its own making and went down.
"Bye Bye," Marianne said.
The Screaming Siren came from the other side. The Miss Love Duck`s mini-cannons on the starboard side fire a volley. The shells flew through the air and hit the ship. The rounds pierced the hull and hit the ammunition room. The room exploded and caused an explosion which tore the ship apart.
Mikita watched from the deck and smiled. "It is screaming for sure," Mikita remarked.
In the chaos, the Silent Shadow and the Black Anchor tried to retreat into the mist.
"The are trying to get away," Robin said as she looked at the ships.
"We will not let them," HQ said.
The King Cannon fired two more large shells. The shells were launched into the air. It whistled through the sky and hit their targets. The first obliterated the Black Anchor's magazine and caused the massive ship to vanish in a cloud of smoking pitch. The second struck the mast of the Silent Shadow and snapped it like a toothpick. The shell then exploded and broke the hull into pieces.
"Wow," Perona whispered as she floated. "I didn't think we could take out a whole fleet without even breaking a sweat," she added. She thought it was impressive. She wondered if the Miss Love Duck was used on Thriller Bark what would have happened to it.
At that moment, the rest of the crew rushed out. Kaya, Alvida, Honey, Nojiko, Vivi, Conis, Raki, Maya and Kalifa all came out. "We heard explosions," Nojiko said as she looked at smoke rising in the distance.
"Is everyone okay?" Vivi asked as she looked around.
"It looks fine here," Kalifa responded as she looked around and inspected the ship.
"We are all fine," Robin confirmed. "But they are not," she said.
Alvida walked forward. She looked around. "Who attacked us?" Alvida questioned.
"Not sure," Mikita shrugged. "The Miss Love Duck destroyed them all before we had a chance to get involved ourselves," she added.
"We should capture one alive and make him talk," Kalifa said.
"Not on the Miss Love Duck," Alvida responded.
"There is plenty of space on their ships," Raki said. "Or what is left of it," she added.
"Where is Ben?" Conis asked as she looked around.
At that moment, Ben and Ashivra emerged from the lower levels. "Is everyone okay?" Ben asked as he saw everyone had gathered.
"You certainly took your time," Mikita remarked.
"My love was simply performing his duties as Captain," Alvida teased as she leaned against her mace with a knowing smirk.
Ashivra didn't say a word. She he just offered a satisfied smile and silently agreed with Alvida.
"Pervert," Kaya muttered quietly under her breath, though a small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
"That is sexual harassment," Kalifa added as she adjusting her glasses.
Ben cleared his throat. He looked out over the railing. The sea was littered with black smoke and the charred, bobbing wreckage of ships.
"Like you thought, we were attacked," Zala explained as she pointed toward the sinking remains of the Iron Tusk.
"But the Miss Love Duck took them all down before they could even touch us," Marianne added proudly.
"It is highly likely, they heard we have the Life Gems and decided to try their luck," Robin suggested.
"That is likely exactly what happened," Raki agreed.
"Then the longer we are here, the more of them will come," Ben said. "Let's head to the island now. Nojiko, take us in."
The girls all nodded. The Miss Love Duck surged forward. As they approached, the mist parted to reveal Xyli Island. It was a frozen fortress of a landmass, dominated by towering white peaks that pierced the heavy grey clouds. There were dense forests of pine trees with thick layers of sparkling snow. The air was filled with the faint, whistling howl of a permanent blizzard circling the island.
"The water is deep water right up to the coastline," Nojiko said. "We can dock the Miss Love Duck right against the island and walk straight onto the island," she added.
"That's useful," Conis remarked.
The Miss Love Duck glided toward a natural pier of solid ice. With a heavy mechanical groan, the ship dropped anchor, and the hydraulic drawbridge lowered with a thud onto the frozen shore.
The cold wind of Xyli Island bit through even the thickest coats. It sent a sharp chill across the landing party. They stepped off the drawbridge, and the group came to a sudden halt. The pristine white snow was heavily disturbed. There were hundreds of deep footprints leading in all directions.
"That's a lot of tracks," Nojiko whispered.
"And they aren't old," Robin said.
"I am counting hundreds of people," Raki said as she looked at the tracks.
"There were no ships here," Conis said as she looked around.
"They might have docked on the other side of the island," Zala remarked.
"Should we get the vehicles?" Ben asked.
"They might get stuck in the snow," Robin responded.
"We can probably cover more ground on foot my love," Alvida added.
"Okay, let's stay close for now," Ben said.
The girls all looked at each other and nodded. They instinctively tightened the circle. Kaya and Conis pressed close to Ben's front. "You have a natural flame," Kaya remarked.
"It does help," Conis responded.
"I have one as well," Ashivra said as she stood firmly at his side. Her new black axe rested on her shoulder as she scanned the treeline with a predatory gaze.
Mikita and Alvida leaned in on his other side, their shoulders rubbing against his as they shared body heat. "My love is warm," Alvida remarked.
"Stay close, everyone," Ben said. He then thought this could be a bad idea.
"I don't think you have to tell us twice," Alvida teased as she pressed closer into his arm.
"You're like a human furnace, Ben. It would be a crime to let all this warmth go to waste," Robin said as Robin stood over his shoulder.
Vivi and Saphir pressed in from behind. Their breasts touched his chest. "We are just getting close," Vivi remarked.
"Yes, just close," Nojiko teased as she tucked herself close to Ben's chest alongside Honey. She looked up at him with a wink.
"I like this," Honey said.
"This is one way to keep the crew morale high in a blizzard," Zala remarked as herself and Kalifa maintained the outer edge of the huddle.
Kalifa adjusted her glasses, which were beginning to fog. "A centralised heat source is the most logical path to survival," she said.
Maya walked behind. "The Goddess will lead us," she whispered as she looked at Ben.
"This cold is different," Raki remarked.
Marianne squeezed into the very center. "It's freezing, but at least it's crowded," she muttered. .
"Is it just me, or have you got more muscular since we left the last island?" Mikita asked as she playfully poked Ben's chest.
Perona, hovered around them. "He is more muscular and his smell," Perona said as she sniffed him.
"Girls," Ben said. He didn't pull away. He looked out at the massive trail of footprints. "Let's keep going," Ben added.