Chapter 20: Tension

Waking less than a minute after he had collapsed, Thomas attempted to jerk to a seated position but found his head pressed down by a tiny yet powerful hand, its owner, Benienma, stating, "Please calm down, Master. You just fainted from shock. Give yourself a chance to recover, dechi..."

Though he relaxed a bit after hearing the familiar voice, a fresh wave of nausea and vertigo nearly overwhelmed Thomas as the aroma of blood invaded his olfactory senses. In response, Benienma did something he never expected, using her apron to cover his face as she supported his head with her tiny yet pillowy thighs.

In the most soothing tone she could manage, Benienma whispered, "It's going to be okay, Master...those men were evildoers who would have wronged many others throughout their life. You should not feel guilty about sending them to Hell..."

As a former torturer from Hell, Benienma had very little compassion for those who lived life at the expense of others. Gally and his crew were far from the worst sinners she had encountered, but the auras that exuded from their bodies were far from righteous. They weren't beyond redemption, but they could always discover it in their next life, once her fellow torturers had finished purifying them of sin...

With Benienma reminding him that there was, in fact, an afterlife, some of Thomas's anxiety waned. That was one of the things that hit him hardest once he came to terms with the fact he wasn't dreaming. Before, he wasn't sure if 'anything' awaited him after death. However, with people like Zelretch existing, alongside the possibility of moving between worlds, he now knew with absolute certainty that someone or something would be waiting to judge him. It was the kind of thing that made a guy want to live on the straight and narrow...

After taking and exhaling several deep breaths, Thomas muttered, "I'm fine now...thanks..."

Though she removed her surprisingly fragrant apron from Thomas's face, Benienma didn't let him rise immediately, stating, "You should stay put for the time being. Taichou can handle negotiating with the Marines and the staff of the Baratie. Master need not push himself, dechi..."

To incentivize Thomas to stay put, Benienma placed her hand on his forehead before running her fingers through his increasingly mane-like hair. He hadn't cut it since his arrival in the world of One Piece, but as it didn't make him look like a homeless person like it did in his previous world, Thomas was letting it grow out. It frequently got in the way, but he was willing to tolerate a few minor inconveniences to look cool...

Closing his eyes, Thomas allowed Benienma to comb through his hair for several minutes until Caenis abruptly returned from searching the enemy ship, landing next to them as she asked, "What happened? Did you take a stray shot or something...?"

Smiling wryly, Thomas rose from Benienma's lap, nearly regretting it immediately as there was still a tremendous amount of blood covering the deck. The nausea he had only recently gotten over returned, but he did his best to maintain a brave facade as he awkwardly replied, "I overestimated the durability of my opponents and ended up making a bit of a mess..."

Looking around at the bloodied deck, Caenis's eyes narrowed as she remarked, "I can see that." Then, with an 'approving' smile, she added, "Congratulations on your first kill. You might not think it now, but it will get easier with time. Also, don't let the deaths of this trash bother you. You know damn well what would have happened if we were too feeble to protect ourselves."

Punctuating her words, Caenis waved her hand in a seemingly casual manner that produced a strong, persistent gust of wind that gradually removed the blood from the deck. Her Divine Core of the Sea God(B) gave her the Sub-Skills Authority of Water and Authority of the Ocean. The former, as its name implied, allowed her to manipulate water. The latter sounded similar but manifested as an authority over weak-willed sea creatures, ocean currents, and storms. Once she reached her final Ascension, she would even be able to produce continental hurricanes and smite foes with divine lightning.

Once the deck was slightly cleaner, Caenis met Benienma's gaze as she said, "I'll take over from here. The only thing of note on the enemy ship is a few barrels of fresh water and poor-quality ale. They have a fully-stocked larder, but the only items inside are dry biscuits, canned beans, salted beef, and some dried tangerines. If they have any actual treasure on board, I couldn't find it."

As she didn't possess EX-Rank Luck or the coveted Golden Rule Skill, Caenis decided to return early and leave the more thorough search to Drake. She didn't mind hauling things over, but it seemed like a waste of time. The only thing of value on the enemy ship appeared to be the ship itself.

After shooing the petite sparrow girl away, causing the feathers on Benienma's apron to become visibly ruffled, Caenis sat down in a surprisingly girly manner, smacking her meaty thigh as she said, "If you're still feeling dizzy or nauseous, come and put your head down. I'm sure you would prefer my thighs over some brat's."

With the feathers around Benienma's collar ruffling to the point it appeared she had a fluffy mane, Thomas half-expected her to get in an Iaido, sword-drawing stance. She clearly didn't approve of Caenis's attempts to supplant her care but didn't lash out. Instead, she turned her attention to him, ostensibly awaiting his response.

As tempting as Caenis's offer was, Thomas didn't want to see the two at odds with one another. He also felt it would be kind of pathetic if he continued lying in the middle of the deck and letting someone comfort him, so he said, "Thanks, but I'm mostly okay now. If anything, I need to get up, walk around, and get some fresh air..."

Following his words, Thomas forced himself to stand, fighting against the weakness in his knees. When he attempted to stand upright, his guts felt as though they were twisting about, the color draining from his face as he adopted what he intended to be a reassuring smile but came across as someone in desperate need of a toilet.

Staring at Thomas with furrowed brows, Caenis remarked, "There is a difference between bravery and folly. Pushing yourself during training is fine; pretending you're okay when you're not is just stupid."

Rising to her feet, Caenis stepped in before Thomas could respond, wrapping her arm around his body to support him as she ordered, "Put your arm over my shoulder. I'll help you over to the sick bay. And no, this isn't up for debate. Say something stupid, and I'll carry your dumb ass like a princess..."

Swallowing the words that were about to leave his lips, Thomas did as Caenis instructed, linking his arm around her shoulders and letting her walk him over to Asclepius's laboratory-like examination room. He felt like he 'needed' to push through the discomfort he was feeling, but he wasn't going to protest if someone like Caenis insisted he takes it easy or receives treatment...

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While Thomas was receiving treatment, Drake had a smile on her face as she sat across from a fairly tall man with brown skin, pink hair, thick eyebrows, a scar on his right cheek, and metal bolts seemingly drilled into his knuckles. He was presently out of uniform, wearing a pinstripe suit over a dark blue dress shirt, but he was actually a Commissioned Officer in the Marines, specifically holding the Rank of Lieutenant. This was the third-lowest Rank an Officer could have, but as he hailed from Marine Headquarters, the pink-haired man was extremely proud of his status, flaunting it every chance he got.

Despite Drake informing him that they were the ones attacked, the pink-haired man, Lieutenant Fullbody, 'insisted' that she accompany him for a meal so they could discuss the matter in greater detail. His intentions were as transparent as a glass of water, but Drake humored him to see how far he was willing to exploit his authority. The moment he crossed the line, separating himself from the 'naive fools' that just wanted to protect their friends, family, and the innocent masses, she would shoot him square in the forehead.

While waiting for their meals to arrive, Fullbody openly ogled Drake's substantial cleavage as he asked, "So, you and your crew are Bounty Hunters? If that's true, why have you set sail with a black flag? Even children understand the implications of doing so..."

Adopting a sly smile, Drake mused, "You should consider familiarizing yourself with the ordinances you're intended to uphold. There are no statutes outlining the color and appearance of a ship's flag, only that it is easily identifiable and doesn't misrepresent their association to any publically recognized organization or group."

As he didn't appreciate being lectured about Marine bylaws, the smile on Fullbody's face faded as he restated, "I'm a Lieutenant from Marine Headquarters. You would do well to remember that when you speak to me. Depending on the contents of my report, both you and your crew will be labeled as Pirates for the rest of your lives..."

Maintaining her smile, Drake narrowed her eyes in amusement as she questioned, "Is this the reason you became a Marine, Lieutenant? To lord your status over others and threaten them with false accusations? You must suffer from the world's worst 'handicap' if you need to resort to threats to have your way with women..."

Understanding what Drake was insinuating, Fullbody's already furious expression turned into a cold glower as he practically growled, "Only a Pirate would dare speak against a Marine Lieutenant like this..."

Shrugging her shoulders, Drake replied, "My crew has never attacked a civilian vessel, confronted the Marines, or assailed a coastal city. If you want to label us as Pirates just because your feelings are hurt, feel free to do so. Just know that your stupidity will jeopardize the lives of countless Marines. My crew won't just hold out their wrists and accept being apprehended for crimes we never committed. You can take your tyranny and shove it up your ass, Lieutenant Foolhardy."

Slamming his fist on the table with enough force to shatter it, Fullbody rose to his feet, bellowing, "You've crossed the line, wench! Now both you and your crew can rot in Impel Down...!"

Rolling her eyes, Drake was about to cripple Fullbody when a glass of wine suddenly flew by the pink-haired man's face, followed by a loud and gruff voice shouting, "The Marines have no jurisdiction here, and I won't tolerate violence against women in my restaurant! You and your men are no longer welcome here, Lieutenant Fullbody...!"

Accompanying the voice, a tall, elderly-looking man with blonde hair, a braided mustache, a peg leg, and a comically tall Chef's hat walked over with an enraged look on his face. Drake had noticed him among the people watching the 'show' earlier, but now that she was seeing him up close, her sapphire blue eyes narrowed at the number floating above his head. It was hazy, unlike the pure white Bounties of others, but the number 87,000,000 floated above his head...

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After a quick examination from Asclepius, Thomas was informed that he was in shock, the symptoms of which were low blood pressure, an increased heart rate, and a debilitating degree of nausea bordering on incontinence. Instead of providing him medicine, however, the taciturn God of Medicine provided him a cup of cocoa and told him to lay down on Caenis's lap. Trying to suppress the effects of shock with medical intervention could leave sequelae in the form of mental trauma, so his 'prescription' for Thomas was hot chocolate and a thigh pillow...it was surprisingly effective...

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(A/N: Drake is about to ignite a powder keg...)

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