Chapter : Side story 1/2 Diana after One Piece
The apartment was quiet when Diana returned home.
The soft yellow lights near the kitchen were still on, casting a warm glow across the room. Outside the large windows, the night sky stretched over the city, dark and calm after the rain earlier that evening.
Diana stepped inside slowly and closed the door behind her.
For the first time in days, there was silence.
No sound of battle.
No crashing waves.
No shouting pirates.
No roar of guns or cannons.
Just peace.
She let out a slow breath and rolled her shoulder slightly. Parts of her skirt were burned from the fighting she had gone through in another world. There were faint scratches on her arms as well, though most were already healing.
Despite that, she looked relaxed.
Content.
There was even a faint smile on her face.
Then her eyes moved toward the center of the room.
A tall dark figure stood there silently.
Batman.
He stood near the shadows like he had always belonged there, his cape hanging heavily behind him.
Diana was not surprised.
Honestly, she would have been more surprised if Bruce had not come.
She placed her sword near the wall and glanced at him.
"What are you doing here, Bruce?"
Batman's expression did not change beneath the cowl.
"I found you had disappeared," he said in his deep calm voice. "I came to check on you."
Diana stared at him for a moment before walking further into the apartment.
Batman watched her carefully.
He immediately noticed the signs of battle.
Burn marks on her clothes.
Damage near the edges of her armor.
Tiny cuts on her skin.
But what caught his attention most was not the damage.
It was her mood.
Diana did not look disturbed.
She did not look tired in the way soldiers usually did after war.
Instead, she looked… satisfied.
Bruce had studied Diana. He knew her well enough to understand what that meant.
Diana was a warrior at heart.
She believed in peace, yes, but she also believed battle had meaning when fought for the right reasons. Combat was not something she feared. In many ways, she embraced it.
That alone told Batman enough.
Whatever world she had entered had been dangerous.
And she had enjoyed fighting in it.
"Then you could leave now, Bruce," Diana said casually as she removed one of her bracelets and set it on the table. "I'm back now."
Batman did not move.
Instead, he slowly stood straighter and walked toward the large window beside the living room.
The city lights reflected faintly across the glass as he looked outside into the dark sky.
"You know, Diana," he said quietly, "those people are different than us."
Diana did not answer right away.
She simply walked to the fridge and opened it.
Cold air escaped into the room as she grabbed a drink from inside. After closing the fridge, she sat down calmly on the couch and took a slow sip.
Batman continued speaking.
"Especially those huge armored soldiers."
Diana glanced at him slightly.
She already knew who he meant.
Gaius.
And the Ultramarines under his command.
Batman's voice remained calm, but Diana could hear the concern underneath it.
"I investigated what happened in Metropolis while they were there," Batman said. "I watched how they moved. How they acted."
He turned slightly toward her.
"They moved like trained military units. Perfect discipline. No wasted movement. No hesitation."
Diana stayed silent.
Batman continued.
"They kill quickly. Directly. They solve problems with overwhelming force." His eyes narrowed slightly beneath the cowl. "They aren't heroes. They aren't vigilantes trying to save people through ideals."
He paused.
"They're soldiers."
Diana leaned back against the couch.
"They are warriors," she corrected calmly. "Not merely soldiers, Bruce."
Batman looked at her.
Diana understood why he thought that way. To someone from Earth, especially Bruce, the Ultramarines looked terrifying.
Massive armored giants.
Cold discipline.
Absolute loyalty.
Violence without hesitation.
But Diana had fought beside their leader. She had seen his honor, his courage, and his loyalty.
Still, Bruce's concern was not unreasonable.
"But they still serve an empire we know nothing about," Batman replied. "What if they decide to invade Earth?"
The room grew quiet for a moment.
Diana studied him before smiling faintly.
"Do you know what kind of empire Gaius serves?"
Batman answered immediately.
"An authoritarian theocracy."
Diana blinked.
Batman continued without hesitation.
"Militarized to an extreme level. Emotionally repressive. Obsessed with order, survival, and loyalty." He crossed his arms. "Ruled by an Emperor."
For the first time since returning home, Diana looked genuinely surprised.
That was far too accurate.
Batman noticed her expression.
"I deduced it," he said simply. "From the way the Ultramarines behaved. The way they spoke. The way they obeyed." He paused briefly. "Tony also gave me some video footage."
Diana shook her head slightly with a small smile.
Sometimes Bruce truly was unbelievable.
With only limited information, he had managed to understand the Imperium far more than most people ever could.
"You are right," Diana admitted. "Even correct to be worried."
Batman remained silent, listening carefully.
Diana took another drink before continuing.
"But that danger only exists if they are in the same universe as us."
Bruce's eyes narrowed slightly.
Diana understood more about the strange multiversal system connecting worlds than he did. She knew crossing between universes was not simple. The worlds remained separated unless specific conditions allowed travel.
That knowledge reassured her.
Bruce, however, was not easily reassured.
"But are you sure they couldn't enter ours unnoticed?" he asked.
Diana looked at him quietly.
She understood why he was asking.
Bruce prepared for possibilities before they became disasters. That was simply who he was.
And honestly…
If the full Imperium ever reached Earth, even she knew it would become a serious problem.
Diana trusted Gaius.
She respected him deeply.
But Gaius himself and the Imperium he served were two very different things.
The Imperium was massive.
Endless war.
Endless armies.
A civilization built around survival and conquest.
If something like that ever appeared fully within this universe…
Bruce's fears would not be unreasonable at all.
Diana slowly nodded.
Batman noticed immediately.
That small gesture told him enough.
He was partly reassured by her confidence.
But not fully.
Never fully.
Bruce silently made a decision in that moment.
He would continue monitoring the situation.
Monitor Diana.
Monitor Earth.
Watch for any sign of dimensional activity connected to these worlds.
Because trusting someone was one thing.
Trusting an unknown empire was another.
Finally, Batman stepped away from the window.
Before leaving, he spoke again.
"Come to the Justice League tomorrow," he said. "We're discussing a new base."
Diana nodded calmly.
"I understand. I'll come."
Batman gave a small nod in return.
Then, without another word, he stepped onto the edge of the open window.
The cold wind moved his cape slightly.
A second later, he jumped.
Diana watched him fall into the darkness outside before the sharp sound of a grapple gun echoed through the night.
The cable shot upward.
Batman disappeared between the buildings almost instantly.
And then the apartment became quiet once more.
Diana sat alone on the couch, holding her drink loosely in one hand.
Her eyes drifted toward the dark city outside.
Bruce's deductions replayed in her mind.
The Imperium.
Gaius.
The Ultramarines.
Batman had understood far more than she expected.
And perhaps more importantly…
He had understood the danger.
Diana trusted Gaius.
But if an empire like the Imperium truly arrived in this universe one day,
Even she did not know what would happen then.