Chapter 133: Joy…Girl?
Chapter 133: Joy…Girl?
A/N: Recommendation, Cue This as Background: (https://youtu.be/nhr0igKYIMQ?si=cl9N-jMvGx00pFoo&t=6)
*Thump*
For a moment, Luffy had feared the worse, as Yamato’s heart stalled out with the massive infusion of spiritual energy the High Priestess had just poured into her. But now…
*Thump* *Thump*
Wait…what was…
*Thump* *Thump*
What was…
*Thump* *Thump* *Rattle* *Thump* *Tatttata*
The world shivered and warped, every beat of Yamato’s heart causing Luffy to nearly lose control of his spiritual energy as Yamato’s flooded the world with every pulse. Then, it picked up speed and began to tap out a rhythm in a way that should be utterly impossible for a human heart. Her heart becoming the baseline for something more that seemed to float through the world, even as Yamato herself began to steam.
No, not steam.
That was condensed spiritual essence in the form of white smoke that was leaking out of her.
Luffy’s Voice of the World Perk was going mad, as sounds of tribal drums beating a pattern that made the very world want to dance echoed and carried, to the point it drowned the whole world out. Yamato’s entire body crackled with Haki, a mix of black-red and golden lightning arcing off of her but failing utterly to harm Luffy. Yamato smiled, more widely than he’d ever seen, her eyes lighting up with power as they opened.
Luffy felt in the moment the High Priestess’s energy stopped mattering one wit. How his own spiritual infusion was momentarily examined, then a grin of wild approval was somehow sent back along his connection. Blinding white POWER burst from Yamato as she pulled them both to her feet, a wild laugh spilling from her lips and her hair splaying out, igniting with the sort of holy energy Luffy had only ever felt from his own transformation and Shichiseiken. Only it was, if anything, even more potent than what he’d felt in his own fully Awakened state.
The energy stabilized, somehow gently ejecting the High Priestess’s infusion, even as it embraced Luffy’s own presence and energy, almost seeming to draw his energy into a dance. The outpouring of what Luffy could only call Solar Fire drew inward and upward, forming into a looping ring that went from over Yamato’s fiery hair, down to just below her hips, and back up. Even her clothes shifted color, though not by much, as she’d always favored white to begin with. Her horns shifted to gold and expanded, tying up her hair, a golden rope circled her sash as her usual hakama became more streamlined.
Then Yamato’s eyes locked with his and the wild mania that starting running through her emotions softened. The power receded, but only slightly, and the wild jubilation radiating off of her remained. Still, when she spoke, he knew it was still her, still connected to his spirit and not struggling at all. Somehow, he instinctively knew she would have without that anchor. But with it…
“Come, Luffy! We should dance!”
Luffy wasn’t able to resist that feeling of jubilation, allowing his lover to pull him into a wild but shockingly coordinated dance that obeyed no rules, the two of them even stepping on what felt like solid air without Geppo. Still, even as he was pulled into her tempo, a part of his mind couldn’t help but wonder and worry just how far that pulse in the Voice of the World had carried…
… … …
In the New World, a massive elephant lifted its head. Disbelief on its face as it spoke, scaring the shit out of the Mink on its back, as none of them could understand the noise.
“The Drums of Liberation. I can hear them. Joy…boy? No, something is different…”
To the complete and utter confusion of the Mink, the elephant known to very few as Zunesha turned and began moving with purpose. It’s stride suddenly faster and longer as it pointed directly toward the South Blue.
… … …
For just an instant, flickers of power shuddered through the frame of an immense robot. In that instant of partial consciousness, a check was made. Too far, came back the result, and the remaining embers of power within the Iron Giant shifted back to standby mode. The only one who would notice the brief change, and then not for days when he made a random check of certain secret instruments, was a scientist with an overlarge brain and a few too many bodies. His curiosity would burn deeply enough to run a complete check over Emet once more, only to be disappointed that whatever had briefly awoken the ancient machine had changed nothing about its overall dormant state. Given he wasn’t even supposed to have the ancient relic he would, of course, mention the brief moment of activation to absolutely no one.
… … …
In a dark throne room a shadow raged, the Five Elders shuddering in terror as their meeting was interrupted. The only thing their Sovereign would say to explain himself was a gritted name. One that horrified them with what little they understood and frustrated Saint Nerona Imu himself to no end. Not just because of an old enemy returned, but because something was blocking him from feeling where it had happened.
Orders would go out in the morning to every World Government Agent, to prioritize finding the location of the Strawhat crew at all costs. An effort doomed to fail, as the only group of Marines who had any idea where they’d been had become stranded on an island in the South Blue, attempting to make repairs to their schooners and mostly failing. They were unable to even report what they’d seen, as their transponder snails had somehow had the sheer bad luck of having caught some sort of disabling infection. Something Luffy would never know to connect to the feeling of dice rolling in the back of his head, days ago during the encounter. A sensation he’d long since learned to ignore unless it was particularly loud…
… … …
Closer to hand, the fifteen other members of the Strawhat crew had stopped where they were. Every single one of them turning without fail to the familiar but massively enhanced wave of unfocused Haki, carrying with it some feeling of Joy that none had realized could be attached to Haki at all.
Zoro clicked his tongue in annoyance, suspecting Yamato would be even harder to fight in sparring now. Kuina furrowed her brow in curiosity at how the Haki had been tied to an emotion and a bit of spiritual energy, already wondering if she could do the same thing and what use it could be, a thought that would eventually form an unexpected revelation for her style. Nami, whose Observation Haki was particularly sharp, could practically see the grin on Yamato’s face and found herself giggling along without knowing why or what for. Robin would stare in curiosity until Nami’s giggles distracted her, and Vivi would end up giggling as well in reaction to Nami, which started a vicious cycle of laughter that was hard to stop. Eventually, even Robin got caught up in it, despite her best efforts to resist.
Nojiko and Pagaya looked up from the deal they were making with the locals, staring for long moments before shaking off whatever this new insanity was about. They could find out later, and they’d been in the middle of something, the two most grounded members of the crew simply getting back to business. Sanji and Chopper would stare between the source of the Haki…and a few abruptly much more strongly glowing ingredients that were leaking light out of the saddlebags Chopper wore. This, they both thought, bore investigating. Chopper in particular had managed to gain just enough sense for the spiritual from his work with Kaya to realize the ingredients in question were absorbing something from the wave. Probably not Haki, but something else.
Kaya and Usopp both scowled, even as they tried not to laugh as well. Yes, there was Joy in that wave, but they’d been just about to get beyond first base in the private bath when it abruptly felt like Yamato was playing Voyeur! Hina and Perona would barely slow down for a brief glance during their own, similar activities, both of them getting a charge out of the unexpected ‘presence’ of their crewmate. Which would later lead to a bit of embarrassment for both of them as they looked back on the moment in the privacy of their own minds.
Last, but absolutely not least, were Brook and Dis, who had been far closer by to that surge. Brook, who had volunteered to wait with the ship and had been meditating, abruptly understood the technique he was trying to create far better than he ever had before. His entire form filled out with a ghostly visage of his previous body…that very awkwardly had Yamato’s boobs grafted on. While he would appreciate the sight personally, it would also take him weeks yet to figure out how to reproduce the trick without the boobs, and he would mention it to no one at all until he did.
As for Dis? She was drawn by the feeling of Freedom carried in the wave. For the first time, almost in a trance, her Nymph form would step off the ship, without simply turning inert. Confused and amazed by the new possibilities this offered, she tentatively began to explore the dock. She couldn’t go far, not yet. But she somehow understood how she was doing what she was, and was almost certain she could improve upon it. Something that would come as quite a surprise when she later revealed it to the rest of the crew.
Perhaps it meant nothing, perhaps it meant everything. But one way or another, the Drums of Liberation always heralded change. In time, some would embrace them and others would fear them, but for now, they beat time for just two people as they spun an intimate dance together in a hidden place under the stars…
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
A/N 1: I hope some of you actually used the link :-). I used that same video to form the right mindset for the scene I wanted. I THINK it came out suitably epic, but I'm also the author, so I'm biased :-p.
A/N 2: At any rate, it should be obvious that Luffy's precautions helped, and Yamato is a bit more grounded as Joy Girl that canon Luffy was as Joy Boy. Also assisting this was the fact that Yamato is honestly better fit for the Nika fruit than Luffy ever was, in my opinion. Nika is SUPPOSED to be the 'Hero of Liberation.' Luffy...isn't. Ultimately, canon Luffy is extremely selfish, even if his version of selfishness is somewhat heroic because of his good nature. He helps people right in front of him because that's what feels good to him, not for some greater motive. Yamato, on the other hand, spent her entire life soaked in blood, sweat, and tears in the pursuit of Liberating Wano. As she's more in tune with the Liberation aspect of Nika, she'll be a bit more Focused than we ever see of Luffy in Gear 5, so far as I know, and retain more of her personal agency in her awakened state as well.
A/N 3: *sticks tongue out* You didn't think I made the island of Starfall JUST as a place to Awaken the Nika Fruit, right? No, I went to elaborate detail with it, rather than just using some random empty island or Sixius, as the barrier created by the Starlight Spear...hid where it happened from Imu. He sensed the Voice of the World change, but because it happened behind a barrier that is anathema to his very existence, he can't tell where they are or how it happened.
A/N 4: I've honestly felt bad about underutilizing Dis, but the truth is that I don't often show the crew ON THE SHIP, doing things. So I took this chance to upgrade Dis so she can leave the ship at least a little bit. Currently really only enough to run around a port town they are docked at, but that range might increase a bit over time.