Good people, I want to say two things, and the last one is very important.
First, the Whitebeard drawing was also among those I was lucky enough to beat quickly. I also mentioned a hypothetical scenario involving the Rocks and Roger drawings, but only if I managed to cut off Dante's final attack, something that could easily have been interrupted by their opponents.
Now, the second and most important thing: I want to ask, and I expect a completely serious answer, if you're going to add Artoria Pendragon to the harem, and if so, which version: the classic one, the Lancer version, or the Caster version from LB6. If you ask me for my preference, I'd choose the Lancer Artoria Alter.
Well, I hope someone will deign to answer my question, and then we can continue with the chapter.
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Dante's POV
I was in an intense blue space; everything was empty; it was just me and the covered skeleton from before.
???: "You did quite well; it's a shame the fight didn't end. honestly, I couldn't say if I would have done better or worse."
Dante: "I appreciate the compliment," I said, sitting down on the ground. "So, what now?"
???: "Nothing now; I'm leaving forever. I have nothing more to do here."
Dante: "Have a good trip," I said with a farewell gesture.
The skeleton was already walking into nothingness, only to stop in the middle of its path.
???: "Oh right, I'm gritting my teeth for what's coming."
Dante: "Huh?" I exclaimed, only to feel a sharp pain throughout my body, something unbearable; I felt the entire space blur and fade away.
...
I opened my eyes, still feeling all that pain in my subconscious.
I glanced to the side and saw Balesca with a book; it was the book on Norse mythology I had written some time ago.
Balesca noticed me looking as she closed the book and looked at me.
Balesca: "I see you're awake. I thought you'd gone to the other side."
Dante: "It seems I'm more tenacious than I appear. Tell me, how long has it been since I fainted?" I asked.
Balesca: "A week."
Upon hearing this, I jerked my torso up, only to feel the pain intensify and a head close to me jerk back, ramming me with its horns.
Yamato: "What happened, another enemy?" she said, suddenly leaping into a fighting stance.
I hadn't realized Yamato had been sleeping with her head on my bed, and my movement startled her awake.
After flapping her tail like a rabbit, she looked at me, her eyes glistening, and she began to cry.
Yamato: "Waaaaaa," she sobbed, grabbing me in a bear hug, a hug so painful it made me want to die right there. "Master, I thought you were dead; when I saw you all bloody and motionless, I feared the worst."
Balesca: "Stop, you'll kill him if you keep this up," she said, pulling Yamato off me.
I just lay there, still, feeling my wounds reopen, covered in dampness and mucus.
Yamato: "I'm sorry, Master," she said, wiping away her tears.
Dante: "It's okay, just be more careful," he said, his voice filled with pain and suffering.
...
Dante: "I see, so that's what happened," I said as I opened my mouth to receive a spoonful of mashed potatoes from Balesca.
Dragon: "Yes, that's all; it turned out to be more complicated than it should have been," he said.
I stared at the man in front of me, who had some bandages on his body, but nothing too serious.
While Balesca fed me, since I couldn't use my arms like a normal person, I overheard everything I hadn't heard about what happened while I was fighting Ruby's four elites and what happened afterward.
It turns out that while I was fighting, there were several World Nobles on the island, with the main mission of capturing me, but luckily, Dragon had gone to meet me, which led him to encounter these guys and stop them.
Dragon: "They're very annoying beings; no matter how much you damage them, they come back to life."
In the end, with Balesca's intervention, once my battle was over, the World Nobles left with some rather important things.
The important thing is that they didn't achieve their main goal—point for the good guys.
Dante: "Well, getting back to the other thing, what else do you need?"
Dragon: "I'd like you to tell me more about these people; this is the first time I've faced a Knight of God; I'd like to keep an eye on the others."
Dante: "To be honest, I don't know much; what I do know is only from my family."
Dragon: "Could you tell me that then?"
Dante: "You're asking me to betray my blood family; of course, there's no problem."
At that moment, with all the pain in my soul, I pulled two photos out of thin air, throwing them on the bed for everyone to see.
Dante: "Here are the last two Knights of God from the Manmayer family. The one on the right is Ares, my blood father. I killed him a long time ago, so he should be fine. He had the Dragon Fruit; it was modified, so if they possess it again, I don't know if he'll be using those weird technological gadgets. The one on the left is my aunt. Being my brother's blood sister, she took the position after my father lost his knighthood due to a bet over leadership."
Yamato: "How so?"
Dante: "From what I understand, it was a system: if you win, you become the leader of the Knights of God; if you lose, you're expelled. Well, Ares lost, and that's why he harbored resentment toward Figarland."
Dragon: "What about the others?"
Dante: "Oh, yes, the children. There are five of us siblings: two sisters and three brothers."
Yamato: "That reminded me of when I faced a woman who claimed to be your sister," she said.
I snapped four photos out of thin air, my arm aching, and threw them onto the bed.
Dante: "Is that one of those two?"
Yamato: "It was that one," she said, pointing to a photo of a woman with long, green hair and blue eyes; she had small braids in various parts of her hair.
Dante: "That's Dianna; she's the youngest of them all; she possesses the Devil Fruit: Angel of Life; she's the antithesis of my Devil Fruit."
Balesca: "And how do you know that?"
Dante: "Well, that's the fruit she initially offered me to eat, but I refused it, and since it was mine, I ended up giving it to her," I said, taking another photo. "Since we're starting with the women, this is Annastasia, my eldest daughter and older sister."
The photo showed a tall woman, about 1.89 meters, with blonde hair styled in drill-like pigtails, characteristic of an ojou-sama; she also had honey-colored eyes.
Dante: "She must be the current head of the family; besides possessing the Clone Fruit, she can clone anything except living beings, with the exception of herself; she can make multiple clones, swap them, make them appear within a certain range, and eliminate them at any range."
Balesca: "A very useful Devil Fruit."
Dante: "And very annoying," I said, showing another photo of a man with green hair, an undercut ponytail, and blue eyes.
Balesca: "I ran into him when I was fighting Ruby."
Dante: "Alexander, my youngest son and younger brother, has the Crystal-type Logia-type Devil Fruit. As the name suggests, his body is made of crystal; he can transform into crystal, generate crystal, and be immune to physical attacks without Haki."
That's when I took the last picture.
Dragon: "Those people look familiar."
Dante: "He's my older brother and former heir to the Manmayer family. To sum it up, he's dead, and his Devil Fruit is already in use, so there's no need to worry about that."
Dragon: "Who possesses it?"
Dante: "My eldest son, Gilgamesh."
Dragon didn't say anything, accepting that.
Yamato: "Are those all the members of your family?"
Dante: "No, only those I can mention. The others are from the branch family or lower. There's also a phantom member out there, but I have nothing to say about her."
After that, I started talking about Mary Geoise, Pangea, the Gorosei, and the Empty Throne.
It was mostly because of this guy's help, and even though his actions don't solve anything, he does good deeds and has a lot of charisma.
While we were talking, I learned that they had captured two of Ruby's four elite members: a guy named Franco, the card player, and Priscilla, the artist.
I didn't know what they were going to do with them, but that was Dragon's business, not mine.
It would take me two more weeks to be able to walk normally, without my whole body aching from not being able to move a muscle. Right now, I miss Sulli; her medical skills were extraordinary.
You know what you've lost when you lose it. I think that's how the saying goes, but it doesn't matter. The important thing is to have your health.
We spent four days on a boat until we reached an island where the revolutionary army's hideout was located.
I spent the rest of my time talking with Dragon, playing with two kids named Koala and Sabo, discussing politics with some commanders, and playing chess with a fish-man.
Throughout this time, Balesca and Yamato barely left my side, especially Balesca. Yamato had to keep training.
In the end, I grew very fond of them all, enough to convince me to form an alliance with these guys who didn't even know where they were walking.
The alliance consisted of meeting once a year to discuss important matters and strategies and exchange relevant information.
I was grateful they had hung the Skíðblaðnir on the side of the ship when they came here, since I couldn't explain how the ship appeared out of nowhere; it would be the same explanation as why I fly: magic.
And so, with the promise to meet again next year, we left, heading towards Sabaody, since we were currently in Paradise.
For a moment, the thought of visiting Hancock and Luna crossed my mind, but I wasn't feeling well, and the plan was to get home as soon as possible.
The truth is, I need some time to rest, and that includes taking a break from driving the Skíðblaðnir.
The truth is, my lungs were the most damaged; that's something that can be fixed, but it will take time for my body to heal that area, plus I feel like I still have clotted blood there. I don't know if that's possible; I'm not a doctor, but something inside me feels like there's something in my lungs that's making it hard to breathe sometimes.
Dante: "I'm feeling a bit tired, and I need to eat; where does the log pose point?"
Yamato: "Hmm, it points to eight o'clock," he said, pointing to the magnetic clock.
Balesca: "What a surprise," she said, looking at a map.
Yamato: "What's wrong?"
Balesca: "Jaya Island is in that direction."
Yamato: "So what's so important about that?"
Balesca: "It's a lawless city where several pirates from Paradise hang out; it's one of the best places to hunt pirates, but only if you have the strength to capture a dozen of them; otherwise, it's impossible."
Dante: "It's a shame we can't go bounty hunting anymore."
Balesca: "Yes, it is a shame." She said with a predatory smile, which she returned.
Yamato stared at us, not understanding our nonverbal communication.
...
After about 20 minutes, we arrived at Jaya Island. We went straight to Mock Town.
As soon as we got to the town, I realized it was more organized than I expected. Point for the pirates.
Dante: "Let's find a bar where we can get something to eat." I said to my two companions, to which they simply nodded and followed me.
As we walked through the town, I felt many eyes on us; it was ironic what they were saying.
Some recognized me; others were staring at my face, especially women; others were looking at Yamato or Balesca; others wondered if we were pirates or something; some even thought we were infiltrators. The truth is, we attracted a lot of attention.
I felt a burning gaze from some of these people, but I didn't take the time to identify them; I just wanted to eat something and drink a cold soda with ice.
"Hey, beauties, how about you come with us and leave that old man over there?" said a guy who looked pretty young. To be honest, I felt a little bad when he called me old, but there wasn't really anything I could do, since it was true in a way; I'm already 34, and I don't get any younger with time.
Yamato didn't know what to do, whether to attack, not attack, ignore them, or answer back. Luckily, Balesca was there to the rescue.
Balesca: "You guys are funny; I wouldn't mind leaving this old man and going with you," she said, extending her hand for them to take. The young man took it, his eyes lighting up.
And so they both left while a dozen other men followed them.
I just watched them go and prayed.
Yamato: "Was that a good idea?"
Dante: "This is a lawless area; that doesn't matter. I just hope he's not complaining too much when I get back." I said, turning to go to a bar near our area.
When he walked in, the whole place went silent.
Dante: "How dramatic, I just came to eat and have a drink," I complained as I walked to the bar.
I had ordered a hamburger, something they didn't usually make here, but they were preparing it for me anyway. While Yamato was deciding what to order, I felt someone else enter the bar, stomping their footsteps until they were standing behind me.
???: "Are you Dante Manmayer?" a young man's voice said.
I turned around to look at the pirate behind me, who was smiling.
Dante: "It's me, so what?" I said, looking at him. He was a freckled man with black hair, an orange hat, and an open shirt.
???: "Nice to meet you, I'm Portgas D. Ace. I've heard a lot about you from Gil and Grandpa," he said with a smile that lit up the whole place.
I just covered my eyes as I thought about what he'd said, about knowing Gil, something I already knew. What I was wondering was what those two demons had said about me.
...
Ace: "Yeah, I still remember when Luffy challenged Gil to a duel to decide who was stronger, you or Shanks," he said while eating a piece of meat. "In the end—" he couldn't finish what he was saying, as he suddenly fell asleep.
I just watched him, amused; Garp's mornings had rubbed off on Ace despite not being related by blood.
Yamato: "Hey, Deuce, is Ace okay?" she asked, a little taken aback, forgetting the peculiarities of the people in this world, especially since she had one even stranger than Ace's.
Deuce: "Ah, that's normal; he'll be fine." He said, dismissing the seriousness of the matter and continuing to eat.
At that moment, someone appeared behind me. Everyone tensed up, except for Yamato and Ace, one because she was used to it and the other because he was asleep.
Dante: "How did it go in the end?" I asked, handing him a glass of drink.
Balesca: "They didn't have many decent things; the best they had was loose gold."
She sat down next to me, gesturing for a guy who was standing there to sit beside me. I glanced over to see her cleaning her spear, which was covered in a fair amount of blood; her clothes were also stained red, but she didn't seem to care.
Ace: "Oh, what was I saying?" he said, waking up with a start and looking at Balesca. "Oh, I'm Ace; nice to meet you," he said with a small bow.
Balesca: "The pleasure is all mine," she said, without taking her eyes off her weapon.
Dante: "So, what do you plan to do now?" I asked Ace.
Ace: "Actually, I want to ask you something," he said, scratching his head humbly.
Dante: "And what would that be?"
Ace: "I want to fight you, even if it's just once," he said seriously.
When I heard him say that, I started laughing; I even shed a tear, but when I looked at him again, I realized he was staring at me very seriously.
Dante: "Are you serious?" I asked him.
I stared at him for a while. To be honest, I like Ace; you could say he's hated for his decision-making and his lack of strength. Something that, ironically, can be fixed with a few punches.
Dante: "Let's do something better: if you win, I'll do anything you ask, except join your crew; in return, I get the same, but I can't ask you to abandon your crewmates or stop being a pirate, what do you say?"
Ace thought for a moment.
Ace: "Sounds good to me," he said, smiling.
I knew he'd agree since I'd removed something from my conditions that he was afraid I'd ask of him.
Dante: "Let's meet tomorrow on the shore of Jaya Island to fight."
He just nodded, and with that, he decided; the celebration continued.
As the party continued, I watched Yamato and Ace interact, remembering that in the original story they were friends, but fate prevented them from seeing each other again. Perhaps things would be different now.
Later that night, I called Trini.
Trini: "Hello, Dante, what's wrong?" she asked, a little worried.
Dante: "I was just calling to say I won't be coming back for now."
Nothing was said on the other end.
Trini: "Excuse me?" her voice was filled with disbelief and anger.
Dante: "I found something I can't let go of; once I finish my personal mission, I'm going home."
Trini: "You know how worried everyone here is; Sulli must be worried sick. Celestia was furious; they had to anesthetize her to calm her down because of the baby."
Dante: "If you already told me once, you don't need to repeat yourself."
Trini: "I'm repeating myself because you're acting like a child. Tell me, it's not something related to Arthur's Devil Fruit, is it?"
Dante: "No, I abandoned that mission."
Trini: "Then you have to come home, and as soon as possible."
Dante: "Oh, I can't hear you, chiii. I think there's interference, chiii." I made static-like sounds with my mouth.
Trini: "I'M WARNING YOU, DANTE, IF YOU DON'T COME HOME RIGHT NOW."
Dante: "We aliens are being abducted; I have to go." And I hung up.
The Den Den Mushi started ringing a few seconds later, but I ignored it.
Balesca: "Are you sure about this?"
Dante: "Leave the problems of the future to the Dante of the future; you're talking to the Dante of the present." And so, the Den Den Mushi rang all night without anyone answering.
...
I was checking the bandages on me, making sure they weren't loose. Ace stood before me, ready for the fight.
Dante: "Aren't you going to draw those pistols you've been carrying?" he asked curiously.
Ace: "Not at all, they're more for decoration than combat, especially when I have this," he said, showing his finger, which then burst into flames.
I just gave him a mocking laugh, which he took offense to.
Balesca: "Alright, get ready," he said, acting as referee. "Let it begin."
Ace wasted no time and went all out.
Ace: "HIKEN!" he shouted, unleashing a burst of fire at my position.
Using my speed with Soru, I positioned myself to the right.
I waited for him to realize my position, and the moment he did, he opened his eyes in panic and threw a punch, which I caught with one of my hands, infused with Haki. With the other, I delivered three well-placed punches to his face, finishing with a kick directly to his nose, a move that sent him crashing to the ground, unconscious.
Balesca: "Winner, Dante," she said, pointing at me.
None of the Spade Pirates said anything.
I approached Balesca.
Dante: "I need you to go to an island and find medicine and medicinal herbs for me; take the Spade Pirates with you to help and steer the ship."
Balesca: "I understand," she said with a nod. "You heard, we're leaving," she said, like a military platoon commander.
???: "And the captain?"
Dante: "He's staying here," I said curtly. "You're going back to Jaya Island, so don't worry about him; just fast travel," I said, spitting out a little blood as I finished my sentence.
And so everyone left except Yamato, Ace, and me.
He gave Yamato a meaningful look, which made her sigh.
...
I was fishing from the shore when I felt Ace wake up.
Ace: "Mmm, my head hurts," he groaned. "Wait, where am I?"
Dante: "On a beach, with a nice view of the horizon," I told him honestly.
Ace looked at me, confused, but after a few seconds, he snapped back to reality.
Ace: "I see, I lost."
Dante: "Yeah, and with that, you have to do something I ask of you."
Ace: "If that was the deal, then what are you going to ask me to do?" he said resignedly, but not complaining.
Dante: "I'm going to challenge you for six months," I told him directly.
Ace: "What?!" he said, confused and shocked.
Dante: "You heard me, and it starts right away: 200 laps around the island to warm up."
Ace: "Wait, wait, wait, you're saying I'll be trained by you for six months?"
Dante: "Yeah, I'll also give your crew a bit of a workout to even things out."
Ace: "Wait a minute, where are they?" he said, noticing they weren't around.
Dante: "They went to run an order for me. Now don't waste any time and start running; Yamato's already way ahead."
And as I said that, a slightly sweaty Yamato came trotting past us, completely oblivious to everything happening around her.
Dante: "That's her 159th lap."
Ace just stared at me in disbelief. Seeing him like that, I stuck my fishing rod down in the sand and stood in front of him.
Dante: "You'd better get going unless you want to, like Garp would," I said, cracking my knuckles.
My new disciple just stared at me incredulously before starting his 200 laps around the island. I heard his silent complaints but ignored them.
And with that, I returned with the fish.
*6 months later*
I was peeling an apple while Balesca was preparing the fish for lunch.
In the distance, Ace and Yamato could be seen fighting each other. I have to admit that his talent, both in combat and with Haki, is almost absurd. During this time, he was able to develop his Haki to a beginner level, along with his Observation Haki; he also managed to awaken his Conqueror's Haki, but it's not controllable.
During this time, I taught him not to depend on his Devil Fruit, that it shouldn't be the source of his power but rather a tool to enhance himself.
I taught him three basic fighting styles: karate, kung fu, and capoeira. I also helped him develop Devil Fruit abilities inspired by Hades, from when he fought him. Balesca helped with that, since she knew the former Mera Mera Fruit user better than I did.
The other Spade Pirates made decent progress, but none of them managed to awaken Haki.
Today was the last day of training, something everyone knew; after lunch, everyone would go their separate ways.
...
Ace: "Thank you so much for everything; I'll be eternally grateful." He said, bowing.
Dante: "Don't worry, but if you want to repay me in any way, do me a favor."
Ace: "And what would that be?" he said with a smile.
Dante: "Take her with you," I said, grabbing Yamato and practically throwing her on top of him.
Yamato: "Wait, Master, he's kicking me out; he doesn't want me anymore," she said, sounding embarrassed.
Dante: "It's not that. Your skills are stagnant, and training alone won't get you any further anytime soon, so go with Ace to strengthen yourself both mentally and physically. Besides, you can't be under my wing forever; remember your agreement with your father."
Yamato had tears in her eyes, but after hearing my words and thinking for a moment, she nodded.
Dante: "I'm entrusting her to you, Ace."
He just smiled, implying that I shouldn't worry.
After a tearful goodbye, the Spade Pirates left with a new crew member. Only Balesca and I remained.
Balesca: "So, what now?"
Dante: "We're not going home," I said, walking towards the Skíðblaðnir, followed by her.
Halfway there, I stopped and turned to look at her.
Balesca: "What's wrong?"
Dante: "I was just thinking about everything you've done for me and how you've always been there for me when I needed you."
Balesca: "Don't worry, Dante, I do it because I enjoy it and it makes me happy to be with you."
Dante: "Yes, and that's why I thought I'd reward you and help you convince Celestia when I finally get that threesome you keep asking for."
Balesca: "Really?" she said excitedly.
I just nodded, and she hugged me, and with that, we went home.
(Note: They didn't manage to convince Celestia.)