One Piece: My Crew Uses Zanpakuto

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Ikki crossed his arms and shook his head firmly.

"That won't do, Perona. Your strength isn't there yet, and with your personality it's hard to guarantee you won't end up offending someone at Headquarters. Under normal circumstances I could step in and cover for you, but right now you need to keep a low profile. Stay in the gym and don't go out. That way I can focus on what needs to be done without worrying about you."

"But... but I want to see Lord Moria."

Perona pouted, her expression genuinely wounded. She had finally said it out loud.

Ikki looked at her and sighed.

"Perona, I understand. But the Warlords aren't in a comfortable position right now either. If the Marines find out about your connection to Moria at this particular moment, it puts you at a disadvantage, and it puts us at one too. There will be other chances down the line. You don't have to let them see, right here in front of the Marines, that you used to be Moria's subordinate."

He knew what the original story held. After the Marineford War, the Marines would move against Moria. If they already knew about Perona's ties to him, she could easily become a target by extension, and Ikki's own position would grow complicated. The Marines had already planned to replace Moria once they were done with him.

His strength simply wasn't enough to justify his seat among the Warlords, and with Doflamingo's imprisonment already reducing their numbers, the calculus was shifting. The Marines wanted to use Moria and then discard him.

What neither Ikki nor Fleet Admiral Sengoku yet knew was that something else had been set in motion behind the scenes. The Five Elders, the highest authority in the World Government, had quietly arranged for their own agents to converge on Marine Headquarters.

Once the war was over and they had extracted what use they could from Ikki, they intended to move against him directly, to capture him and force him to surrender his power. If he refused, they were prepared to use his companions as leverage.

It was fortunate that Ikki remained unaware of their intentions. Had he known, he would have gone straight to the Whitebeard Pirates to discuss a joint response against the Marines.

"Perona." Belo Betty, standing close by, reached over and placed a hand on Perona's shoulder. "This whole situation is dangerous and unpredictable. Let's go along with Captain Ikki's plan. As for Moria, I'm sure you'll get a chance to see him."

Beside her, the lenses of Kalifa's glasses caught the light for a moment. She was thinking of Absalom, the Clear-Clear Fruit user she had killed, the man whose death had allowed her Zanpakuto to be drawn.

"Okay... fine. I understand."

Perona pouted, but nodded.

She wasn't naive. She knew perfectly well how many terrifying figures were gathered at Marine Headquarters. The only reason she had been able to stay composed about coming here at all was because Ikki was with her.

But now that even he was saying he had to tread carefully, her instinctive timidity came rushing back, and suddenly the idea of getting anywhere near Headquarters felt far less appealing.

She agreed to stay in the gym. And quietly, alongside that agreement, she felt something harden inside her. If she became strong enough, she wouldn't have to hide from anyone. She could see Moria whenever she wanted, and the Marines couldn't touch her or anyone around her. For now, that would have to remain something she held onto in her imagination.

"Thank you for understanding, Perona."

Ikki patted her on the head and smiled.

Then he looked at Nami, Vivi, Nojiko, Viola, and Shyarly.

"Nami, Vivi, Nojiko, the three of you are already among the strongest in the crew. Your combat ability without even drawing on your Zanpakuto is comparable to what you'd find at the level of Marine Headquarters battles. With your Zanpakuto, you're no weaker than a Marine Vice Admiral. Fleet Admiral Sengoku asked me to bring powerful allies, and the three of you are who I'm bringing."

"Viola, Shyarly, your identities aren't a problem. I don't intend to have either of you fight. But since we're here, you're welcome to take in the view. When the war actually begins, head back inside through the gym."

All five of them nodded.

"Don't worry, Captain Ikki. I'll give everything I have," Nami said.

"With us here, things will work out," Nojiko said.

"I never imagined I'd end up at a war," Vivi said. "I wonder if my father will be terrified when he sees me here."

"Even if he is," Viola said, "he'll trust that Captain Ikki will keep you safe, won't he?"

"Marine Headquarters," Shyarly murmured. "I never thought I'd see it with my own eyes. I wonder... will Whitebeard's fate change because Captain Ikki is here?"

She found herself thinking back to a divination she had performed once before. In that vision, both Ace and Whitebeard had died in the war between the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates. Now Ikki had entered the picture, siding with the Marines. In theory, that made things even worse for Whitebeard's crew.

The deaths of Whitebeard and Ace seemed, if anything, more certain than before. There might even be more casualties among the Whitebeard Pirates than the original outcome had shown.

But Shyarly held her judgment. She would not say anything definitive until she had seen how it ended.