Fearsome Emperors
The party had come to an end, and the destroyer landed next to the Moby Dick, Whitebeard's main ship. Veyron gasped as he realized that Moby Dick was significantly larger than the destroyer, although their efficiency and power couldn't be directly compared.
Whitebeard jumped back onto his ship and was warmly welcomed by his crew. "Thanks for taking care of pops, oi!" Marco, his commander, was the first to greet them back. Veyron nodded with a smile, but he noticed that Ace was not among them. He frowned and realized that Blackbeard, or Teach, wasn't there either.
'Was it because of the changes I made, or is there something else I'm not seeing?'
"It was a blast, Veyron," Whitebeard said, taking a seat back on his ship, with everyone on the destroyer bidding their farewells to him.
"Thanks for your help, Whitebeard. This isn't a final goodbye. As I mentioned, I'll contact you once the cure for your disease is ready, although we might need some blood and other supplements from you," Veyron replied.
"I'll provide whatever you need," the titan laughed.
"cough We might need feces," Whitebeard added.
Everyone's expression twisted in disgust, with eyebrows furrowing the most. Inside the destroyer, two men, in particular, were laughing heartily: Shanks and Rayleigh.
"I take back what I said... Let me die in peace," Whitebeard grumbled.
"Pops, don't be stubborn! If it's a cure, we have to try everything!" the Whitebeard Pirates chimed in.
"Hahahaha!" Shanks laughed.
"Pft! That's right, Whitebeard... Don't be stubborn!~" Rayleigh joined in.
"Shut up, you bastards!"
It seemed that the rivalry between the Roger Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates would never end.
"Anyway, I'm off..." There was no time to linger; Veyron had many tasks ahead. Rayleigh and Shanks had to be taken back to Sabaody and Fishman Island, respectively. Rayleigh had a shop to attend to and a wife to cuddle, while Shanks had to sail to the New World with his crew, his plans still unknown. Viola had to be returned to Dressrosa, as she was en route, but Whitebeard was in a hurry, so she was delivered first.
Additionally, Veyron had promised to take Yamato back to Wano. The battle was over, but there was still much to be done. 'I also have to take Robin back to Alabasta and sort out Crocodile... but that can wait.'
"Thanks for coming, Whitebeard... I'll never forget this favor," Mihawk said, brushing her hair and noting that she had requested his help through Shanks.
"Don't mention it, Hawkeye. Oi, Veyron..."
"Hmn?"
"I leave Wano in your hands... I know that with you there, everything should be fine. That country was important to Oden and Toki; it will always be a regret of mine that I didn't keep them on my ship. But if I entrust it to you and this girl, I believe it'll be all right," Whitebeard said, smiling toward the end and falling back into his seat, relieved.
'It's strange to meet reliable individuals these days, Roger... I'm fortunate to have this brat around now.'
Veyron simply nodded and levitated back to the ship. "It will be done."
"Listen up, everyone... starting today, the Whitebeard Pirates are allies of the Kuja Fleet and Dracule Veyron!"
"YEAHHHH!!"
"Pops, what about the Red-Haired Pirates?"
"Them? Forget them..."
"Oi, Whitebeard!"
"Guararara!~ The next time we meet, we might be enemies, but I'll let you go for now since it was fun, Red-Haired. The world is bound to get interesting from this point on; after all, one Emperor has fallen, and another has risen~."
"Hahaha, I suppose that's true."
Whitebeard's cryptic words and Shanks' laughter puzzled their crews. 'What fallen Emperor are they talking about? What is happening?!'
"I'm not a Yonko; I don't have time for that nonsense. I have too many inventions to create, too many ladies to love to waste my time playing pirate. I'll leave that to you guys."
The two Yonkos found their eyebrows twitching during his rant. Perhaps in this world, only one individual would reject this title willingly. In the past, Veyron had managed to avoid the title due to his 'inactivity.' There had only ever been four Emperors.
The 1st Emperor, Gol D. Roger, had held one position. But after he became the Pirate King, that spot became vacant, eventually taken by Shanks in recent years.
The 2nd Emperor, Rocks D. Xebec, had perished at God Valley, and all records of his existence were erased. His spot was later claimed by his former crewmate, the strongest man alive, Whitebeard.
The 3rd Emperor, Davy Jones, had been a fierce pirate until he lost his mind, forever cursed by the sea. Nothing was known of him after that. His position was later taken by the strongest creature alive, Kaido of the Beasts.
The 4th Emperor, Vander Decken I, was an infamous figure who had held the title even before rookies like Gold Roger and Whitebeard rose to prominence. Tales said he had become so strong that he lost the sense of life, massacring his own crew. He was destined to roam the seas in his ghost ship, searching for the ultimate treasure. Little was known of him after the start of the Great Pirate Era, but his position was taken by the Golden Lion Shiki before he was imprisoned in Impel Down after losing a fight against Sengoku and the Hero, Garp.
Each of the individuals who had once been known as Emperors of the Sea was undeniably fearsome, someone no one would want to cross on a bad day.
And Dracule Veyron was definitely within those ranks. The difference was his activity. Unlike the others, Veyron hadn't actively sought to be an Emperor or to be recognized as one. The only vacant spot, Shanks', was one he didn't fight to attain.
But now that Kaido was gone, there was a vacant spot that needed to be filled, and the perfect candidate was there.
"Guarara!~ Being an Emperor isn't a choice... I look forward to the next edition of the newspaper in a few weeks!"
Whitebeard laughed heartily all the way until the destroyer was no longer visible. The four Emperors had almost never coincided in one spot throughout history. This time, it had truly been an event that shook the world.
The death of a Yonko and the fall of a Knight of God.
**
**
Veyron looked at the bright sun that had now completely dawned on a new day. Behind him stood his beloveds, companions and friends.
"There are many people yet to drop off. But I won't be around for all of you... Yamato, we're going to wano to sort out your thingy".
"Yes!~" She had already given up on being called Oden, Veyron was stubborn and Whitebeard even more so.
"Robin, you're coming with me".
"Oh, so you're taking the lass along~" Primrose giggled and started gossiping with an equally giggling Sandersonia and Marigold. She had been doing a bit of 'spying' on them and things seemed to have gone well which made her happy.
She wasn't the only one spying though.
"Darling..." Hancock fidgeted. She wanted to go but didn't know how to say it.
Robin for her part approached and kissed him openly in front of everyone, with both Rayleigh and Shanks beginning to feel a mixture of awkwardness and jealousy, they looked at Mihawk who was nonchalantly sitting on a corner drinking wine and enjoying the view of the sky. They couldn't understand for the life of them how the brat still had his head on his shoulders.
...
"Remember I'm the only one that knows how to sail the Destroyer. So I can't go with you" She pinched his nose a bit and approached to whisper, "We have plenty of time so just make sure to come back quickly~".
He gulped, having forgotten that detail.
"Then just Yamato and me-".
"Darling!" Hancock insisted, this time frowning.
"..." Veyron crossed his arms and glared at her with equal furore. Seeing that he wasn't about to give way, Hancock used her secret weapon. Opening her cleavage a bit and appearing cute.
"Are you really... not going to take me?".
'Ugh!'.
Veyron felt like his heart was turned into stone by this attack, but he needed to be firm.
"N-No..."
"That's right little brother please don't be so heartless..." Sandersonia pulled the same trick, hers was more impactful for obvious reasons.
"We want to make sure to go through our promise with Yamato till the end!" Marigold followed.
'Ugh!'.
'My heart...'
Veyron coughed a bit and his gaze turned stern, he decided to decline resolutely before Primrose -who was in the process of opening her cleavage up, decided to join them.
"No is no! Prim, take them to their room".
"..." The captain and chiefs sulked, walking back into the ship, straight into their rooms followed by a sighing Primrose who nodded at him, in truth she also didn't want them to go.
"Robin, you should first take the beautiful Viola back to Dressrosa and then drop this red-haired drunkard and the wrinkly old geezer".
The princess blushed and evaded his gaze after coughing a few times, she didn't want to go just yet.
"Brat you know no respect. What is this difference in treatment?! I've known you since you were a kid, I'm like your uncle, respect me!" (Rayleigh)
"With how much I've sacrificed for you! I even let you have Mihawk" (Shanks)
SNORT! (Mihawk)
'The hell are you two talking about? You think I don't know you two are perverts? It takes a pervert to know a pervert. I'll make you two walk the plank straight into the sea if you keep looking at my girls!'
*cough!*
"Anyway, I'll talk to you later, Shanks, Rayleigh thanks for everything. I owe you two a favour".
"Hehehe~ Don't worry, I'll make sure to capitalize that favour" Shanks laughed and extended his only fist forward, which he bumped.
"For me anything you want to gift me is good... just stay away from my bar. I don't want the fleet admiral, admirals, knights of god and five elders together with all your enemies at my door looking for you" Rayleigh scratched his head, not holding back at all.
He didn't need to make long farewells with them as for the last few years even if they didn't see each other, they had been in contact. Sabaody was a place he frequented. And although Shanks was always doing his own thing, he called Mihawk quite often.
They were good friends, perverts... but good friends.
"Let's go Yamato".
He pulled the girl into his embrace, but there was no reaction from her whatsoever, no, in fact.. she jumped on him and hooked like a koala!
"Let's go!".
'This girl has no sense of self-worth!' Even then, since she was like this he didn't hold back and hugged her back against his body since he was going to fly them back to Wano anyway.
!!!
Yamato yelped when two hands pressed against her butt to keep her in place, she tried to conceal her face in his chest but failed because her horns bumped against his face every time!
"P-P-Put me down!".
"Oi stay quiet! You're a boy aren't you?~ so why does this make you uncomfortable?".
'There he goes...' Robin sighed and resisted the urge to laugh, 'Another one will bite the dust soon'.
Gotten like that 'Oden' had no choice but to comply since certainly, she was a boy, 'B-Being touched down there by another boy is normal, right? Or isn't it? which is it?!'