WHOOSH!
I dropped the cigarette I had been smoking for the last five minutes and watched the small cloud drift apart. The sunset in the sky islands is no doubt marvellous to look at. There is no place in the world that's closer to the sun than this spot, Amazon Lily.
I, Rocks D. Ali, was sitting on the beach, my coat fluttered with the wind alongside the contrast of my thoughts.
The sky is getting dark, I arrived three days ago and I'm still waiting... but while I do so, there are many things still in my mind.
My mind scope has switched inadvertently after visiting Marie Geoise once again. I had massacred at least a dozen of them without repercussions. In this world the biggest sin ever was to even touch a celestial dragon... if they knew what I did. The whole marine would be on my arse, three admirals at least to hunt me down.
CHA!!
A blue lightning strike sparkled in the skies, it was like a tree branch dancing across. During the sunset? only one person could do it. He's flashy even when he doesn't intend to be.
He landed before me afterwards with a frown in his face.
"I didn't think you'd come here straight".
I flipped something in front of his eyes, it was a card. This card allows me to take the concealed transportation vessels that travel from Rusukaina into Skypea, Shandora and Amazon Lily. The exact location of those islands is secret and only personnel with these cards are allowed to travel.
It is something very valuable and also something extremely dangerous if it were to fall into the wrong hands. I received it back then when I was his slave... he probably thought I got rid of it.
WHOOSH!*
!!!
The card shot from my palm back into his much to my outrage.
"What is it? You don't trust me?"
"You turned against Robin, created an uprising in Alabasta against the Nefertari, dug a massive hole underneath the city that without careful engineering, could have caused a catastrophe and millions of deaths".
"Tch, nothing was going to happen" It is so annoying each time he lectures me about boring holes.
"In the mission to Marie Geoise, you indiscriminately massacred at least ten of them, if it hadn't been for Isabel, we could have been exposed, I would have had to bear the brunt and enter a full-blown war with the world government".
"..."
Only now did I realise that he wasn't happy. No, he's very angry with me right now but at the same time, I can tell that he's not in the mood to engage either.
He approached me until our faces were in close proximity, that manly aura of his wouldn't fade away. There was no lightning involved, but I felt a shiver run down all the way through my spinal cord.
"Did it make you feel better...? Massacring them?"
I bit my lips, unable to control my blush. He may be unhappy with me, but I'm delighted at the opportunity he gave me. Before I noticed, I was embracing him the same way I would with someone who had saved my life.
How many years of grief did you help me erase in one night?
"You have no idea, Veyron... I would do it a thousand times".
I know this is not the answer you want. But this is what I truly feel.
"..."
As I expected he released me nonchalantly and started to walk away, perhaps disappointed. He didn't touch the topic again sadly, I would have loved to go more into detail.
"Since you're here that makes it faster for us, come with me".
My eyebrows twitched, this is as uncaring as he usually is, but I feel unexpectedly irritated. A bit of realisation struck me all too suddenly as his steps resonated on the soft sand.
It was that foreign emotion that I felt so disgusted with so many years ago, I hated it.
'Love... It's been a while'.
Whenever I felt this emotion, things never ended well.
**
**
As I led Ali across the beach of Amazon Lily, I was trying to think what the best position would be for the workshop. The Island is a gargantuan chunk of land floating in the skies, the sea at the shores is the sea of clouds but underneath there is the bottom side of the island which spans about five hundred metres in depth. From an strategic point of view, security, and many matters considered, it is better that the lab be outside of the main city and the mountain range.
I turned to the side deep in contemplation and caught Ali looking at me deeply, it wasn't just a prying gaze, when I tried to sense her intentions, what I felt was a carte blanche.
Why is she looking at me like that?
"Is there a problem?"
"..."
She didn't answer me at first but instead frowned before casting her coat aside.
"Nothing... have you decided?"
As a matter of fact, I haven't... my mind is somewhere else right now. Hancock should be in her mansion now picking up some things that she needs before we head back to Rusukaina to continue our little date. I just want to make sure Ali starts working on this because I need it ready very quickly. This date with Hancock has made me realise that the time I spend with my girls is important.
I need this workshop in Amazon Lily operative. She has to create the underground layout and tunnels and then I'll hope to transmutate sea stone and create the whole facility out of it, then a team of Amazonian and Shandian experts will bring all the equipment necessary, it isn't the first time we have done it... this time it should be faster as I don't have to teach Ali anything, she's already an expert in it.
"I'll leave it up to you. Frankly speaking, I'm not in the mood for this, but it has to be started the earliest possible. Create it as big as you can without getting close to the mountain range, and several stories, I want each room to be at least two hundred cubic metres in size-"
"Are you free tonight?"
'Eh?'
I thought I heard wrong, "Pardon?"
"Are you free tonight?" She repeated herself
"I'm not, do you have something to talk to me about?"
"If you're not free then that's okay... just go, I'll finish this and tell you when it is done, mas-ter~".
"I thought you said you'd be a subordinate at most?" I resisted the urge to laugh, not at all displeased.
"Becoming the strongest man's slave may not be a bad deal. I get good food, powerful allies, a safe home, and entrance to Rusukaina, Amazon Lily, Skypea and Shandora at my will. In exchange, I must call you 'master' and follow your mild orders. If someone messes with me they're going to be obliterated, why would I reject it?".
"... mild?"
I feel like she's making fun of me but yes, that's basically it. She's useful to me and all the people who work under me are under my protection, I just don't like the way she worded it.
"If I finish this in record time I get a reward too, don't I?"
"Now you're just asking for too much, Ali".
"I can have it done in two days, then I get to ask you for something".
"If you finish it in two days, then I'll override your punishment for the incident in Marie Geoise".
Her eyes cleared up and a small smile resurfaced as she approached me until we were facing one another, she didn't consider people's private space.
"You can punish me for that, master~"
*THUD!*
She waved her hand a bit and her massive characteristic golden hook fell off her arm, surprising me.
The secret beneath that golden hook... was a hand that was made out of sand. It had been amputated sometime in the past and she recreated it using sand.
She also discarded all of her coat and clothes, remaining naked in front of me in all her 'splendour'.
Her silhouette was slender, curvaceous and blessed in all spots... a toned big bottom, thick legs and athletic build, her breasts were moderate in size and although her figure was perfect, her skin was most noteworthy.
She had plenty of small scars and marks all over.
"I used to have more before Ivankov turned me into a man... I guess it has something to do with his powers. When he turned me, the scars didn't disappear but they lessened up, only the biggest ones were most noticeable and now that he returned me to a woman, it is even more so... my body is far from being perfect, but it is all yours now, master".
"..."
"So what are you waiting for, go ahead and punish me, I have been bad~"
She spread her arms to me in all her naked self in the middle of the beach and I sighed.
"Very well, I'll punish you and this will be me officially acknowledging you as my slave, note that I won't ever let you go, Ali".
"Fair enough".
She sat down and spread her legs open, making my head tilt slightly.
'So that's what she's trying to do... how naive'.
I pointed a finger at her.
CHAAAA!!!!
!!!!
*BAANGGG!!*
She wasn't expecting the lightning strike that fell from the skies, right on her head.
"AAHHHHH!!!"
"Your punishment for almost exposing me in Marie Geoise will be... five strikes".
"W-Wait..."
CHAAA!!!!
"AHHHH!!!"
CHAAA!!!!
"OHHH!!!"
CHAAA!!!!
CHAAA!!!!
"AHN!~"
"..."
I mustn't have heard that last one right.