The Super Tortoise cut through the waters surrounding an island. Its massive shell served as a steady platform for the three women. Carina stood at the edge. Her hair whipped in the wind. There was a small, stray smile tugging at her lips.
Helsing leaned against the railing. She looked at Carina. Her skin was glowing. "You've been glowing," she remarked. "
Naomi didn't look up. She simply tipped a bottle of high-proof alcohol back and drank it down. "Even after a few bottles, I can't match the glow," she muttered as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
Helsing looked at her. "Why are you drinking this early?" she asked.
"It is always a good time for a drink," Naomi replied with a lazy shrug. "Besides, as a person, I function better when I'm drunk," she proudly added.
Helsing turned back to Carina. "There were sounds coming from that room," Helsing said. "Did you do it with him?" she asked bluntly.
Carina didn't even hesitate. She gave a slow, satisfied nod. Her eyes shimmered with that memory of being in his arms, the kiss and when he entered her. "Yes. And it was amazing," she blurted out.
Helsing's brow furrowed. She was not surprised. She thought given he was the only man and they all seemed to be doting around him. She thought, that's how it is. She thought he was still just a man, a pirate who can be manipulated by his own lust. If he's that easily swayed, he can be manipulated. A smile formed over her lips.
Naomi let out a dark, raspy chuckle from behind her bottle. "You've got it backwards, Helsing. It's the other way around. He's the one doing the swaying," she said.
"In many ways, he is the one who manipulates, yes," Carina added as her smile turned a bit more mysterious.
"I disagree," Helsing countered as she gestured toward the weapon sheathed at her hip. "He's already giving all of us gifts to buy our loyalty. That is a classic sign of a man trying to buy affection," she added.
Helsing looked at the weapon Ben had gifted her. It was a curved cutlass, its blade forged from a shimmering, midnight-black steel. Along the spine were small, recessed grooves designed to whistle through the air. The handle was wrapped in the skin of a black sea-snake, and the guard was a solid silver cobra coiled protectively around the knuckles. At the pommel, a viper's head stared out with ruby eyes.
"It is a fancy sword," Carina said.
"It is the least he can do for her, breaking it," Helsing muttered.
Carina laughed. "And the Devil Fruit he gave you as well, Helsing? Was that just a bribe, or was it something more?" she asked.
Helsing stiffened. "Yes," she said as her cheeks slightly went red.
Naomi stared at the looming cliffs of the island. "I never imagined being here," she whispered. "I feel like following a man like him will mean life will be filled with surprises," she added.
"He even gave you a Devil Fruit for you, Naomi," Carina remarked.
Naomi took another zip of her bottle. "He's different. Maybe even a little stupid to trust us this much," she said.
Carina chuckled. "Then we should be the ones making sure we're there for him to prevent him from doing something stupid," Carina said firmly as the Super Tortoise nudged against the hidden docks of the island.
Helsing sighed. She thought she would see how it all goes.
The Super Tortoise walked towards a beach. They were near a nondescript port town. It was the kind of place that did not even appear on most maps.
"Why are we here?" Helsing asked as her hand rested on the hilt of her new black-steel cutlass.
Carina stepped forward. "Because I have unfinished business. We're here to get back what belongs to me," she stated.
Naomi took a final swig from her bottle and tossed it away. "The scammer got scammed, didn't she? I can smell the desperation from here," she remarked.
Carina ignored the jab and led them down a dusty path away from the main town, toward a secluded den built into the side of a cliff. "Why didn't we take that thing with us?" Naomi asked.
"It would make too much noise," Carina said. "We are going to need to be a little quiet," she added.
They got closer to the Den and they saw a group of men sitting around a pile of looted chests. One of the pirates was holding the jewelry.
"What is the plan?" Helsing asked as she looked at the group of men.
Carina approached the man and kicked him. He went flying forward. "They are mine," she shouted as she looked at the jewelry.
"Get them! Don't let those women take our haul!" one pirate shouted as he waved a rusted cutlass over his head as he charged towards Carina.
Naomi didn't even put down her bottle. She reached back with her free hand and pulled a bow from her shoulder. She notched a strange, glowing arrow. At the tip was a small, reinforced glass capsule pulsing with a volatile violet light.
"Dyna Stone Blast," Naomi said coolly as she released the string. The arrow hissed through the air and struck the lead pirate square in his barrel-shaped chest. On impact, the capsule shattered. A massive, localised explosion of purple energy erupted. The shockwave tore through the front line and sent five men flying backward like ragdolls. Their scorched clothes smoked as they tumbled into the dirt.
"So much for being quiet," Helsing said.
"What is going on?" a man shouted as he walked out of his Den. He had dark brown hair slicked back and a gritty smirk plastered across his wide jawline.
"Captain Donai, we are being attacked," said another man who stood next to Donai. He had a bald man with a forehead so high it looked like a cliffside. He had a short sleeve shirt and pants.
"By whom Honma?" Donai questioned.
Donai turned his head towards a blond, spiky-haired man. He had stripy shorts and pants. "Nanya, figure out who is here?" he asked.
"Give it back, Donai!" Carina shouted. "The 5,000,000 Beli you stole from my hidden stash. Now," she demand.
The three pirates jumped. Their mouths fell open in exaggerated, comedic shock.
"Carina?!" Donai roared. His intense gaze locked onto her. "You've got some nerve coming back here," he said. "We earned that money by finding where you hid it," he added.
"You stole it," Carina snapped.
Donai laughed. He saw the two women next to Carina. "Get 'em, boys," Donai ordered.
Honma charged forward first. His massive rectangular jaw swung as he let out a guttural shout. "I'll crush you," he said as he swung a heavy iron club.
Naomi moved with a drunken, swaying grace. She leaned back just an inch, the club whistling past her nose. "Bottle Smash," said Naomi as she swung her heavy bow like a club to knock down. She hit Honma in the head. "Too slow," Naomi muttered.
Honma's eyes bulged. His thick eyebrows shoot up. He felt blood leaking from the back of his head. He then fell to his knees and collapsed into a heap.
Nanya leaped into the air. His vertical hair wobbled as he tried to bring a sabre down on Helsing. "Taste the steel of Nanya," he said.
Helsing didn't even break a sweat. She drew the black-steel cutlass Ben had given her. The silver cobra guard shimmered in the sun. With a single, fluid motion, she parried the blade and sent a shockwave through the hilt that numbed Nanya's entire arm.
"Coiling Fang," Helsing said as she swung her black-steel cutlass in a tight, blindingly fast circular motion. The recessed grooves along the spine of the blade caught the wind, producing a terrifying, high-pitched hiss that sounded like a thousand vipers striking at once.
Nanya got hit and got hit in the stomach. Blood leaked from the wound. His eyes rolled back into his head. His mouth fell open. He crashed into the ground in a pile of his own blood.
Donai growled. He pulled a pistol and a cutlass. "I'll kill you all," he shouted as he rushed towards Carina.
Carina smirked. She thought of the power Ben gave her. Her clothes started to stretch to accommodate a sudden surge of powerful muscle. Her lavender hair recedes into a sleek, ink-black coat of fur. Her eyes sharpen. There were violet slits, and her hands and feet lengthen into heavy, padded paws tipped with retractable claws. With a low, guttural growl, her spine elongates and her face pushes forward into a lethal feline muzzle. She was in her beast form. She thought this was the power of the Neko Neko no Mi, Model: Black Panther.
Donai barely had time to scream. Carina lunged forward in her Black Panther form.
"What in the?" Donai gasped as he tried to fire the pistol.
Carina let out a guttural, bone-chilling roar that vibrated through the forest. With a flick of her powerful, padded paw, she swiped at his wrist. Her retractable claws caught the steel of his gun. The gun went flying away.
Carina's other paw lashed out. Her claws caught the light for a fraction of a second before they slashed across Donai's rugged face. Four deep, jagged furrows opened from his forehead to his wide jawline. There was blood leaking from the cut.
"My face," Donai said as he let out a high-pitched, gargling shriek of agony.
Carina then lunged forward and pinned the pirate leader against the ground. Her slit eyes burned. She reared back her right paw and drove her needle-sharp claws deep into Donai's chest.
The sound of flesh tearing was sickeningly clear in the quiet of the den. There was blood soaking into his. "Stop," he begged as he felt the cold steel of her claws grazing his ribs.
"Please! Stop! I surrender! Take it all," Donai sobbed. There was blood trickling from the corners of his mouth. "Just, don't kill me, please," he cried.
Carina held the position for a heartbeat longer. Her muzzle was inches from his throat. With a flick of her wrist, she withdrew her claws and left four weeping holes in his chest.
She leaped back with a grace that was entirely feline. Her body mid-air as the transformation reversed. Her ink-black fur receded. Her muzzle pulled back into a human face, and her muscular frame softened into her slender regular form. She landed lightly on her feet. Her lavender hair falls perfectly back into place.
Carina looked down at her hands, which were now human again. She thought a few drops of Donai's blood still stained her fingertips. She wiped them casually on a nearby silk cloth.
"I will be taking it all and even yours," Carina said.
Within minutes,Carina hoisted the sack of Beli over her shoulder and filled bags with the loot. They headed back to the Super Tortoise. "See?" Carina said. "I told you it was worth it," she added.
The three girls arrived back at the Super Tortoise.
"All that for a bag of Beli?" Helsing asked.
Carina hoisted the heavy sack. The gold made a clunk sound. A predatory glint remained in her violet eyes. "It's not just about the money, Helsing. It's about the principle," she said. "No one and I mean no one takes what belongs to me. Not anymore," she said.
Helsing smiled. She thought she was right.
Naomi let out a soft, hazy giggle, "The Panther has claws, but she's still a thief at heart. We're pirates," she added.
"Yes we are," Helsing responded.
"Wat do you two want to do now?" Carina asked as her gaze shifted between them. "Now that we've got the gold back, I am okay," she said.
Helsing sighed, her hand resting on the silver cobra guard of her blade. "I just wanted to clear my head," she said. "I could not be on the ship that soon," she added.
Naomi looked down at her bottle. "I felt a little bad joining so suddenly too," she said. "I usually take things slow," she said. "But he has given us freedom, freedom to make decisions," she said.
At that moment, they heard the sharp sound of a chirping. They looked at the Den Den Mushi. A miniature, pink-tinted snail popped out. It was Alvida. "Hello," Alvida said. "How was your trip?" Alvida asked through the Den Den Mushi.
"All well," Carina responded as she picked up the Den Den Mushi. "We got everything we wanted," she added.
"That is good to hear, my love will be pleased to know you are happy," Alvida said.
Helsing and Naomi thought of Ben.
"Well, The Miss Love Duck's sister ship, the Miss Love Geese, is in need of some reinforcement, " Alvida said. "A princess from an island is asking for help and my love is handling other matters ," she added.
Helsing crossed her arms. "And why should we care?" Helsing asked.
"Because," Alvida's voice dropped into a purr on the other end, "my Love wants to help," she added. "And he told me to tell whoever helps that he will personally oversee a reward," she added.
The atmosphere on the Super Tortoise shifted instantly.
Carina's eyes widened. Her mind immediately raced through images of Ben's strong hands and that confident smirk. "A reward from Ben?" she whispered. A fresh blush crept up her neck.
Helsing's stoic expression wavered. Her grip tightened on her sword. She thought a reward would be nice. "Well, if the Captain insists," she said.
Naomi finished her bottle in one long swig and stood up. She suddenly looked very sober. "Tell him to get the reward ready," Naomi said.
"We're in," Carina shouted into the Den Den Mushi.
They thought the promise of their Captain`s reward was far more motivating than any bag of pirate gold.