Chapter 13: Dreams, Ambitions, and Desires

After a peaceful night's sleep, Thomas awoke early and headed toward the kitchen. Benienma was still in the process of cooking breakfast, so he just mulled over his thoughts as he waited for everyone else to trickle in gradually. Once everyone but Astolfo and Asclepius had arrived, he revealed, "Now that we've gathered our entire crew, I've been thinking about our path moving forward..."

Raising her brows slightly, Drake mused, "Oh? Isn't it a bit too soon for you to be leaving the nest? You only recently started your training, and it hasn't even been a full month since we arrived."

Undaunted by Drake's teasing, Thomas explained, "I intend to continue my training. However, we can't just idle about forever. My idea is to have us act as Bounty Hunters, clearing the surrounding area of Pirates to both collect their Bounties and begin building our reputation. It's only a matter of time before we're labeled as Pirates by the World Government, but if we only target other Pirates, the Marines won't feel as inclined to get rid of us. Once a spot opens up, we could even be appointed the position of Shichibukai, allowing us to travel freely."

Though she didn't think Thomas's proposal was bad, Drake pointed out, "We can already travel freely. Also, didn't you say the World Government is filled with wannabe Gods who tyrannize, suppress, and enslave others? Do you really want to work with them 'just' to make things easier for us? I believe a certain cat and horse girl might oppose such an approach..."

Prompted by Drake's words, Caenis said, "I'm done for hunting Pirates, but you're out of your fucking mind if you think I'll cooperate with these 'World Nobles' in any way. If we didn't have an agreement, I would go to that Mary Geoise place and slaughter the lot of them."

Following Caenis's words, Atalanta was much more succinct, stating, "The World Government is the enemy..." with slightly narrowed eyes.

Nodding his head in approval, Thomas replied, "You're right. However, we aren't in a position to declare war on the World Government. I'm nowhere near powerful enough, and the strength of the Marine Admirals is no joke. We don't even know if the powers you all wield can harm a veteran Logia user, so we should take things slow and pretend to play nice until we're in a position to stab them directly in their heart..."

With no one offering a rebuttal, Thomas felt a little more confident as he added, "Besides, if we 'do' become Shichibukai, we can actually claim the Bounties of other Pirate crews, even the Four Emperors. Defeating them as regular Pirates would be the same as giving up billions of Belly. I'm not overly concerned with our finances, but it's better to have an abundance of money than none..."

Changing her tune immediately, Drake stated, "I'm with our Master on this one. I'm down for crushing other crews just for the hell of it, but if we can profit off it, we might as well. The power of my Noble Phantasm is highly dependent on the amount of wealth and treasure I've accumulated. With enough funds, I could produce a flying armada and an army of phantoms numbering in the tens of thousands. Then it won't matter what the World Government throws at us."

Following Drake's words, Thomas attempted to convince the two animal-eared girls by saying, "I'm not suggesting we jump at the chance to ally with the World Government or do their bidding. I'm proposing we take advantage of a loophole within the current system so that we can travel, punish the wicked, and aid the helpless with impunity. Not everyone on the side of the Marines is a villain. Most are people who genuinely believe in justice and helping others. If possible, I would rather focus our efforts on eliminating the truly malevolent actors within this world, not the honest fools who simply wish to protect their friends and families."

Snorting through her nose, Caenis retorted, "It's fools like those who let tyrants stay in power. Listen, I'm fine with playing along if this is what you want to do, but the moment one of those 'Celestial Dragon' bastards gets on my nerves, that's it. I'm killing them. If you try and stop me, I'll kill you as well."

Narrowing her eyes slightly, Musashi adopted a challenging look as she mused, "You can try, but things might not end the way you expect..."

Meeting Musashi's gaze, Caenis's eyes gained a hint of bloody red as she said, "You're playing with fire, Musashi..."

Responding with a wink, Musashi mused, "And you're playing with all five elements, my dearest Caenis..."

As the tensions within the galley quickly reached a palpable level, Chiron inserted himself into the conversation, assuring, "It shouldn't be an issue. According to our Master, the Celestial Dragons only leave their Holy Land to purchase slaves within Sabaody Archipelago. With the Hind's ability to fly and submerge, we need not moor at their harbor. If we encounter one of them 'outside' their territory..."

With Chiron looking at him, Thomas straightened himself as he added, "I would prefer to deal with them after we're strong enough to stand against the Four Emperors, but if a Celestial Dragon crosses our path and tries to take advantage of us...we show them no mercy. I would rather become a fugitive hunted by every Marine Admiral in history than lower my head to those inbred sacks of shit..."

Having heard everything she needed to hear, Caenis adopted a smile that exposed her prominent canines as she replied, "Now you're speaking my language. If that's the case, you have my support and my spear. Once you get stronger, we'll butcher every single one of those bastards."

Though he had misgivings about 'butchering' anyone, Thomas nodded in response before shifting his gaze to Atalanta. Like Caenis, she also had a Berserk transformation, so he would prefer to have both girls on the same page as him to avoid future accidents or 'misunderstandings.'

Closing her eyes, Atalanta's expression and tone were largely neutral as she stated, "I care not for these Celestial Dragons. So long as they do not come to me, I won't go to them. My priorities are saving any children we encounter on our journey, performing my duties as a Sniper, and keeping you safe from harm. I will only concern myself with the Celestial Dragons if they imperil these three things..."

With Drake, Caenis, and Atalanta on board, Thomas could breathe a sigh of relief. Chiron, Musashi, Benienma, and Astolfo would naturally support him. As for Asclepius, the errant God was perfectly content with holing himself up inside his room or roaming the island to research various flora and fauna. So long as he was allowed to treat any mysterious diseases or illnesses they encountered during their expedition, he wouldn't care about their destination or objectives.

Realizing there was still one more person whose opinion he needed to consider, Thomas directed his gaze to Beethoven. When she sensed his gaze, she raised her own from the sheet music she was working on, tilting her head to the side as if to ask, 'Do you need something?'

As it was a good opportunity, Thomas asked, "Just out of curiosity, what is everyone's wish? You don't have to share if you don't want to, but it could bring us closer as a crew if we knew what each other longs for. I can start us off...?"

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Since Thomas was looking at Beethoven as he spoke, everyone's gazes turned to the ashen-haired girl to see how she would respond. She shrank in her chair under the intense stares of so many people but didn't hesitate to reveal, 'My dream is to complete a Symphony that encapsulates the essence of humanity. I completed the first Movement before my death, so I intend to use my time as a Heroic Spirit to complete the remaining three.'

Before anyone could ask, Beethoven wrote on another slip of paper, 'My wish is to perform my Symphony in front of the entire world. If my melody can resonate within the hearts of the masses, I believe they can put aside their differences and strive for a brighter future. Together.'

Voicing the thoughts of Thomas and several others, Chiron smiled as he said, "That's a wonderful dream. My own wish is rather selfish, so much so that I'm somewhat reluctant to share it..."

Despite his words, Chiron showed very little hesitation as he went on to say, "My wish is to reclaim what was once mine, the Immortality I passed to Prometheus. I do not wish to live forever, but it is one of the few things that links me to my parents. Relinquishing it was one of my only regrets in life..."

Earning the chagrin of everyone who sympathized with Chiron, Drake playfully mused, "How lame—clinging to something you willfully gave away? Harboring regrets from a previous life? I didn't take you for the sappy, sentimental type. As for me, my dream, ambition, and wish are all the same. I want to burn as brightly as possible during the moments I'm alive, no matter how many times I'm summoned or reincarnated. There is no meaning to an existence that clings to the past or fusses over a future that has yet to be shaped. If you want something, take it. If you fail, keep trying. The world may label you a villain, but there's no good or evil once you're six feet under or feeding the fishes."

Directing her gaze to Thomas, Drake's expression became even more playful as she added, "Take our Master here. He threw away everything just for the opportunity to realize his dream. Now, he's slowly clawing his way up from being a mundane sack of shit to someone capable of trading blows with monsters that can shake continents. He might be useless right now, but I respect the hell out of his determination."

Taken aback by Drake's unexpected praise, Thomas found himself at a loss for words. He still felt betrayed after she slept with Chiron, but as neither of them 'belonged' to him, he at least pretended it didn't bother him. Now that she was abruptly saying she respected him...he honestly didn't know how to feel...

Instead of waiting for Thomas to recover, Drake directly her piercing blue eyes to Caenis, asking, "What about you, horse girl? You give off the vibe of a woman spurned, so I imagine you're out for revenge of some sort...?"

Narrowing her eyes into a scowl, Caenis unhesitantly replied, "I won't be satisfied with ordinary revenge. I intend to supplant Poseidon as the God of the Sea and then slaughter every God who regards humans and those beneath them as playthings. Since I have been summoned to this world, I will start with these Celestial Dragons. I'll plan my next move once they're all dead."

Adopting a fairly vicious smile, Drake remarked, "I like you. You're hung up on the past, but you're not clinging to it. You've also got a pretty amazing body, so let me know if you ever feel lonely. I'm more than willing to keep you company."

Clicking her tongue, Caenis left Thomas wide-eyed as she asserted, "If I have needs like that, I'll go to our Master. I wasn't bestowed Independent Action like the rest of you, so I'll need to store excess Mana before we get into any major conflicts."

Directing her penetrating gaze to Thomas, Caenis's blue eyes narrowed as she asked, "That won't be a problem, will it?" in an overtly threatening tone. Thomas got the impression she wouldn't take no for an answer, but, at the same time, he had absolutely no reservations about having sex with a Divine Spirit that could humble even the most attractive sports models from his previous life. Thus, before his brain could fully process what he was being asked, his mouth replied, "Not at all. In fact, I would consider myself one of the luckiest men in the world..."

Furrowing her already wrinkled brows, Caenis was about to ask what Thomas meant by his words, but we preempted by Drake interjecting to say, "The two of you can argue as much as you want later. For now, let's hear what everyone else has to say. Now that we're talking about it, I'm actually a little curious to hear what everyone's wishes are."

Though her horse-like ears twitched in frustration, Caenis tore her gaze away from Thomas, directing it to Benienma. She and Musashi talked a lot, so she already knew the pink-haired samurai just wanted to continue honing her swordsmanship. If she were to wish for anything from the Holy Grail, it would be a worthy opponent.

With everyone directing their gazes to her, Benienma readily revealed, "I plan to wish for everyone to have full stomachs and for no child to starve as I once did. If that is beyond the Grail's power, I will remain at Master's side and help him fulfill his ambitions, dechi."

Hearing Benienma's response, a wry yet appreciative smile developed across Thomas's face. He suspected that if anyone were to stay at his side, it would probably be Benienma. He had no plans of accepting her 'services,' but he had come to appreciate her care. She could be a little overbearing at times, but it was nice to have someone constantly thinking about his well-being...

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(A/N: It seems Caenis found a ship other than the Hind to work on...)

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