Chapter 21

◇1 year and 6 months passed since the Summit War◇

At a certain place in the Grand Line, A strange vehicle is crossing the middle of the sea. Its path is created with thin ice created by a DF user. There's a penguin that follows the vehicle.

"Ararara, Finally... finally, I tracked it down."

A giant ship that looks like an Island is in front of the man riding the vehicle. The word 'Thriller Bark' is written on the sails of the Island Ship.

He proceeds to enter the Iron gate and went to the port of the town. His companion stayed at the dock while he explored the town.

The townspeople of Shadowfen were curious about this mysterious man. The bounty hunters didn't think much of him but if there's any marine and pirate here, They would surely be shocked by the tall man with a bicycle.

In the middle of the town stands a grandiose Onsen, A bathhouse for the masses. It was a major tourist spot in the town and the perfect place for people to relax.

"Ooh. There's a bathhouse here? It's been a while since I soaked in warm water."

And so, The tall man entered it and removed his clothes before going to the hot spring.

Then he saw some familiar faces inside and proceeds to dip in the hot-water bath. He lets out a moan and relaxes his body.

"Aaah~ This is heaven~ The water feels great."

"Nya?!"

"Aokiji?!"

"Oh, that's a major character right there. Anyways, I'm feeling weak~."

"Roronoa! How disgraceful!"

"Shut up! You Giraffe~!"

"What?! Giraffe is not even an insult."

A lot of men who were dipping in the large bathtub finally recognized the tall man. It is the former marine admiral Kuzan. Also called Aokiji when he was one of the weapons of the WG.

Kuzan felt weak as he was soaked with water, He's currently observing the people in the bath with him.

The first one he noticed was the pirate hunter. He didn't expect to see a Nakama of Robin here, Since this place was the home of various bounty hunters.

Right now, That green-haired swordsman is fighting with a man that has a squared and long nose.

The next person to interest him was the cat-like child who's observing him quite closely. Kuzan guessed that the kid has a devil fruit since the kid only dips his legs in the water instead of bathing.

Finally, The one who he wanted to meet was bathing together with a big-shot swordsman. The young man was totally relaxing and was being reprimanded by a man with eyes like a hawk.

"You, Devil Fruit users are such a troublesome. You even lose your power in the bath."

"I can barely manage if I'm half-submerged. But Mihawk-san... Aren't we going to talk about him?"

Kuzan almost fell asleep due to how relaxing the bath is. He noticed that all the people inside the bath is staring at him.

"Arara, who's going to ask first?"

◇◇

My mind is currently thinking about the previous time. The Onsen is a perfect place to do some deep thinking and to relax your thoughts.

It's been 9 months since I returned to the Thriller Bark. A lot of happenings that I don't even know where to start to talk about it.

Just kidding, I also don't know the news outside the world. Why?

It's because I was on intense training for 6-months and spent the next 3 months roaming around the world. Including the New World.

But the 3 months I spent after the intense training has a lot of events that were important to me and the Guild.

Well, let's stop thinking for now and talk with the visitor.

"Mihawk-san... Did you notice him from the start? You didn't even bat an eye when he entered, You should've told me... This is my territory, you know." (Shikage)

"Hahaha, It means that you have a long way to go, Kage-kun."

"Tsk... If it wasn't for the bath, I would've noticed him too." (Shikage)

Oh, Right! Mihawk-san and the rest are also here in Thriller Bark.

Because of...

"Nyahaha! Ani-deshi~! You know that strong guy?!"

"Hah... Don't think about it, Ototo... Still, Why are you here, Aokiji?"

Because my self-proclaimed little brother is a bit weird and got another brother for himself. The Nakama of Nami and the former bounty hunter, Zoro.

I don't know what happened back at their training but it seems that Raiden and Zoro become close enough to be like brothers.

Oh, Back to the issue, They're here because they are now part of the Guild and also because I invited them to have a vacation here on Thriller Bark.

I remember back then when I saw a team application consisting of Perona and Mihawk. And it was a bit rude of me to spit the tea I drank to Kalifa due to the shock I received.

Even now, I still couldn't understand what Perona did to Mihawk. As I expected, That girl is really strong.

"Hmm... Huh?! Why did I come here?!" (Kuzan)

"How should I know!" (Zoro)

"Well, well, I didn't come here to fight. I'm not even a Marine anymore." (Kuzan)

That's right, We saw his scar and the condition of his legs. I couldn't even imagine the scale of their battle. I raised my body and sit at the rails of the bath.

"Oi oi, Kuzan. Tell me the truth, Why are you here?" (Shikage)

Kuzan raised his eyebrows since I reacted. He saw me moving away from the water. He knew that I was on guard against him.

*Sigh*

"I'll never say this again so listen carefully." (Kuzan)

Zoro, Kaku, and Raiden gulp at the serious atmosphere. While Mihawk-san and I listened to him.

"After the battle with Sakazuki, I was at loss... My justice was broken and my body too. It took half a year to recover from the damage and a year to fix my justice. Hah..." (Kuzan)

We saw him touching his scar and reminiscing about the battle. But Kuzan continued talking while bathing.

"Then I started to roam the seas, The thing that fixed my Justice was the same thing that I'm afraid what Sakazuki would do in the future. It is Violence! I saw Islands being devastated by piracy. There's a lot of Islands that are destroyed by the Blackbeard Pirates. At first, I wanted to sneak into the group and deal damage within but... I saw your Guild hubs, Shadow hunter Shikage." (Kuzan)

"Ugh..." (Shikage)

Damn it, Why did you have to bring it up?!

My plan to expand in the New World experience a setback. Although the expansion is successful at first, then we had a clash against the Blackbeard Pirates.

Some of our Guild hubs in the New World were destroyed. I think that's what this man saw. We are at war with Blackbeard. We were just supporting the civilians and people who are terrorized by Blackbeard.

"I couldn't help but be curious about the organization that helps the people from violence... Well, It was kinda hard to track down the HQ because it keeps on disappearing. What did you do?" (Kuzan)

"Ah... That's a trade secret. Hahaha. Still, I didn't expect you to make a contact with me. So, what will you do now?" (Shikage)

I wonder what this guy wants to do? I'm excited about the choice of him joining the Guild.

"Well... I just arrived here, I'll need to check it out first. Anyway, Looks like you join the Guild, Hawk-Eye." (Kuzan)

"Indeed... It is good for killing time. Also, a good source of money." (Mihawk)

"Hey! You didn't have to say it like that... hah..." (Shikage)

Mihawk-san is so direct!

But he's a bit special in the Guild. He has total independence and has the same rank as I am. The only thing we need from him is to have his participation against total annihilation. It's like a battle to the death with Blackbeard Pirates.

"Now then, I think I'm finished bathing. I'll be waiting outside." (Zoro)

"Ah! Wait for me Ani-deshi~" (Raiden)

"Roronoa! I dare you to spar with me!" (Kaku)

"Shut up, Giraffe! At least learn to [Imbue] your Haki to your swordsmanship first." (Zoro)

I saw the three of them going out of the bathtub and guessed that they will drink milk after the bath. Well, I guess it's booze for the green-hair.

The only ones left at the bath are Kuzan, Mihawk-senpai, and Me. It's kinda awkward being surrounded by older men.

"Kage-kun. What are you going to do with the war?" (Mihawk)

"First of all, I am on good terms with Fire Fist Ace. So, there is still a way for me to expand the Guild. But this is my last resort, I would need to challenge Blackbeard since he's also hunting for us. It's a battle between hunters! Who knows who will be the one who's hunted." (Shikage)

"Ah, The Devil Fruit hunting. That guy has some deep knowledge about Devil Fruits." (Kuzan)

That's right, Blackbeard was the first to initiate the war. He was hunting for the Devil Fruit of my older sister! The Suke Suke no Mi.

Oh, Curious about her? She's the other team member of the Shadow Gear. Her name is Lily. And she has a snake pet called Yume.

◇Flashback: 2 and a half months ago◇

The Black Pearl is in the New World. We did pass the Fish-man Island and arrived at the New World.

Aboard the Black Pearl was my team and a great number of zombies to make up for the lack of sailors.

After celebrating a bit, We sailed to a nearby Island. Then I look at my team member aside from the zombies. It's a lady with her snake. Right now, I have a team of 2 people and 1 pet.

Next to me is the Suke Suke no Mi user, Lily. She's a Kuja and she was raised at Amazon Lily. And yeah, She's named after the Island. Lily was just a normal warrior of the Kuja tribe who saw the announcement of the Guild.

She's 21 years old and her snake's name is Yume. She has light blue hair and eyes, a slim figure with ample breasts, long legs, wide hips. But don't let her figure dupe you. This young lady is a natural hunter. She took interest in the Guild and proceeds to leave the Island.

We actually met when I was micromanaging the Guild. Like Raiden, She's the promising rookie of the HQ when she successfully hunted a pirate who's a terror to the ladies.

She trailed him for 1 month and showered him with arrows before that pirate would victimize another lady.

Oh, The bounty of that pirate is at 53 million ฿. So, She's a C-rank. We started to work together way before I met Raiden. Aside from Kaku, She's the only one to grasp Haki and she's applying it to her archery. And because she's older than me and she's scary, I kinda look at her as my older sister.

She is a calm-minded hunter and also a cold-blooded one. Her hate for vile men is so deep that she made a sub-team made of female hunters that specialized in hunting male outlaws and protecting women.

The only downside was her affection for alcohol. But she won't drink to the point of damaging her life and reputation.

She's also protective of her sub-team and her team. She's also reliable and I can trust her. Lots of women are already looking up at her. If anyone is claiming the greatest female bounty hunter, Then it is Lily.

Due to the trust I have in her, I let her eat the perfect DF for a hunter. Many sought out this fruit, especially the perverted men. So, it is a blessing that a lady had eaten this instead of a man. But this DF is also one of the riskier DF to have. Because of the chance of being targeted by the pirate group that's hunting for good DF abilities. And this group had finally made a move against us.

It happened suddenly, As we were exploring the Island we chose at the New World. When someone suddenly blocked our way and we're now in a standoff.

It's a named character! He's called Shiryu, the rain. He also has a lot of men with him.

"If it isn't the former head jailor, It's too bad we didn't get to work together." (Shikage)

"Fuu~ I've come here after hearing an interesting info. That young lady, I heard you have a handy Devil Fruit ability." (Shiryu)

"Is that so... Did you, by any chance, want to have this ability to peek at the woman's bath?" (Lily)

This is bad, I knew that this guy has the Suke Suke no Mi in my Shikadiary. I signal Lily with my eyes and she nodded, We recognized that we are being hunted by an Officer of the Blackbeard Pirates.

"Apologies... I have to kill you." (Shiryu)

*Swing*

*Clang* *Crack*

(Ugh... He's strong.) (Lily)

Lily reacted fast and [Imbued] her arrow to block the slash. But it isn't enough because Lily's arrow broke and she was sent flying by Shiryu.

I instantly use [Shadow bind] and countless tentacles emerged from his shadow to tie the swordsman. And summoned a lot of zombies to deal with the pirates.

"Quick, Lily, Get out of here!" (Shikage)

"Be careful, Shikage! Come to me, Yume~" (Lily)

The Kuja hunter grabbed her snake bow and instantly use her ability. She disappeared from our eyes. And started to hunt the pirates together with the zombies.

Since we're using Haki, We do know her place and that she's retreating.

I faced the tied swordsman. He easily overpowered the tentacles and freed himself. After breathing out the smoke, He opened his mouth.

"You, The Captain has a message for you... It is War, Shadow Hunter Shikage. We are going to hunt the hunters!.. Is what he wanted for you to hear." (Shiryu)

How cute~ But I'm not intimidated by him or even Blackbeard.

"Is that so? Hahaha~ You guys think you're hot stuff now, huh? I've trained my ass off after battling with an Emperor. If you want to hunt me, Better go ask your Captain to do it himself!" (Shikage)

I can hear him getting angry, There's no stopping this... War it is!

Shiryu charges at me while swinging his sword with momentum.

I focused my Haki precisely on my two fingers and [Harden] them.

It was refreshing to see the look of panic in Shiryu's eyes as I caught his sword using only two fingers.

After doing the intense training, I can finally manipulate shadows and Haki at will.

Shiryu quickly jumped back, He was staring at me like a monster and he blinked.

That's all the time I need to use [Substitute] to the shadow behind him.

*Puchi*

He didn't understand what happened but he felt the pain in his back. He turns his head to look behind him. He saw me and my dagger embedded in his back.

*Woosh*

He swung his sword and I move away to dodge it. He spitted some blood, It's because I hit a vital organ. It's only a matter of time until he bleeds into his death.

He saw me smiling. Shiryu's eyes widen so much!

"Suprised? Yep, I'm strong..." (Shikage)

"Impossible... Captain said you're only a half-assed Shichibukai. *spits* Where... How did you get so strong?" (Shiryu)

There's no way I would answer it, I wasn't self-taught. I have a master, It's all because of the Divine book and my Shikadiary.

Imagine learning the training of the Straw hats from the Shikadiary and applying it in the real world, You can't help but Improve with this much assistance.

Then we continue the fight until the next day. I couldn't help but respect him because he lasted for a day and a night even though he's heavily injured. He also didn't ask for reinforcement to help him.

He was heavily injured and retreated leaving his sword behind. I took his katana and didn't chase after him. I'm quite tired after the battle. I also sustained a few injuries. Shiryu is quite tough to kill.

Now, There's no turning point. It's a war against the Blackbeard Pirates. But I'm not afraid. I've trained really hard for this kind of situation.

I am proficient at using the three Haki's with an awakened fruit and ridiculous techniques in my arsenals!

I can finally say that I'm part of the top fighters in the world right now!

Bring it on, world!

◇◇

I finished recollecting the reason for the war.

We are outside of the Bathhouse right now and I can see Raiden with his new katana at his back, Raiu. Translated as 'thunderstorm.'

The ladies also finished bathing and meets up with us.

"Ararara, You're also here, that busty babe from the Straw hats." (Kuzan)

"Oh, Nami, are you guys done?" (Zoro)

In front of us lies the Navigator of the Straw hat. It's Nami together with Perona, Lily, and Kalifa.

◇◇

(a/n: Credits to Gingee for giving me an Idea~! Oh Btw, Think that Shikage's power level is at Rayleigh, of course, a little bit at his prime. As for his awakened fruit, It is because of non-stop animating animals and [Doppelman] with the OC's shadow.)