27 Heart to Heart

After watching Lucy put down enough fruits and vegetables to feed an elephant, Thomas tracked down and explained the situation to Drake. When she learned that the person he had been raving about for the past year had their gender swapped, she laughed like there was no tomorrow. Fortunately, she had no qualms about engaging the Straw Hats in a 'mock battle,' weighing anchor and leading the way in the Hind while the Going Merry struggled to keep up.

During the brief voyage, Drake surprised Thomas by calling him into her Cabin and saying, "I think you should join the Straw Hats..."

Blinking in surprise, Thomas instinctually responded with a confused, "Pardon?" before furrowing his brows and asking, "Are you serious...?"

Nodding in affirmation, Drake, sitting behind her desk, linked her fingers together, saying, "Before you get too upset, let me explain my reasoning. If you disagree with me, we'll continue to do things as we always have..."

Inhaling a steadying breath, Thomas suppressed his growing anger and frustration, stating, "Let's hear it..." in a dull monotone.

With an uncharacteristically serious expression on her face, Drake said, "I've been watching you for the past year, Tom. In that time, I've come to understand many things about you. First and foremost, you didn't come to this world to experience your own journey. You came here to experience 'their' journey..."

Before Thomas could respond or try to defend himself, Drake raised her hand to silence him, adding, "Secondly, you're obsessive and have self-esteem issues. You're constantly fretting over one thing or another, and you can't help comparing yourself to the rest of the crew. Not only does that stress you out, but it also forces us to measure our actions so that we don't upset or offend you somehow."

Narrowing her eyes slightly, Drake declared, "Put simply, you're holding everyone back. Instead of focusing on your journey and making the most of your situation, you're constantly pushing yourself to try and catch up to us and people you haven't even met yet. By joining the Straw Hats, you'll be able to grow alongside them without having to worry about constantly being in our shadow. Furthermore, that frees us to travel into areas of the sea you simply aren't ready for."

Pulling out the guidebook Thomas had written for her, Drake added, "We already have a general understanding of where you'll be heading during your journey, so we can make preparations for the future while you focus on the present. That gives us the chance to grow without having to worry about your safety, and if shit 'really' hits the fan, you can always call us to your side using a Command Spell."

Setting the guidebook on the table, Drake wrapped up her pitch, stating, "This isn't a permanent arrangement. Once you reach Sabaody, we'll be primed and ready to pick you up at your leisure. We could also meet up sometime after the Paramount War. I have a few ideas in mind about how we can most benefit from that situation, and I can't implement them with you acting as a leash."

Though Drake's argument was fairly compelling, Thomas's brows remained firmly furrowed as he asked, "So, that's it? I'm in the way...?" Without sugarcoating things, Drake nodded her head, answering, "Yes, though, keep in mind, I don't blame you. By your admission, the world you came from was a mundane and perfectly 'ordinary' world. Even after a year, you haven't truly adapted to life within this world. The Hind offers you too many advantages, and you've never really had to struggle. You train hard, sure, but you always act with the knowledge that we will bail you out the moment shit hits the fan. While that's true, to an extent, you'll never be able 'reach the pinnacle' so long as we're babysitting you."

"..."

Taking advantage of Thomas's silence, Drake's expression softened a bit as she added, "Listen, Tom...you may be a fool, but you're not an idiot. I'm sure you realized most of these things before I laid them out. If you didn't have us as a crutch, we both know you would do everything in your power to become a member of the Straw Hats. That sense of 'responsibility' you feel, the thing that drives you to prepare exhaustively, is holding you, me, and everyone else back. Instead of planning for life, go out there and live it."

After drawing in another deep breath, Thomas exhaled a prolonged sigh through his nose. He knew Drake was right, but, at the same time, he felt like he was being 'discarded.' Their separation might only last a year or so, but by the time they reunited, Drake would have invariably recruited many additional members to the Wild Hunt. He would basically be an outsider in his own crew...

Seeing through Thomas's thoughts, Drake asserted, "Relax. I won't make any promises regarding myself, but I can assure you that Caenis, Musashi, Atalanta, Benienma, and Beethoven won't be sleeping around. The former would never admit it, but we both know she's developed something of a soft spot for you. Even if our future crewmen and women attempted to hit on her, I imagine she would just beat the shit out of them..."

Noticing Thomas was on the verge of relenting, Drake narrowed her eyes in amusement as she added, "You could also take her with you, but her ability to manipulate the sea and storms would make things too easy for you. Her presence would also remove your need to conscript that Franky fellow, and, depending on the situation, she might get in the way of you 'wooing' those lasses on the Straw Hats. Caenis might not be the jealous type, but her presence would be a powerful deterrent to any other women that want to get close to you..."

Hammering her point home, Drake mused, "What were their names again? Nami, Robin, Vivi, Shirahoshi, Scarlett, Carrot, Wanda, Reiju, Yamato, and now Lucy? As a member of the Straw Hats, you will invariably cross paths with each and every one of them..."

Smiling wryly, Thomas pointed out, "Shirahoshi is barely sixteen three years from now, and she's also like ten to fifteen meters tall..."

Rolling her eyes, Drake retorted, "She's also a living weapon with the power to destroy the world. Besides, with the power of the Mana-mana-no-Mi, you can do anything you put your mind to. Just look at how much you've changed in a year. You're more than 210cm tall, and your face and hair and indistinguishable from when you arrived in this world. If you want to grow to fifteen meters, I'm sure you could figure something out."

"..."

As frustrating as Drake's words were, Thomas found himself increasingly convinced. He no longer had plans to build a massive harem out of all the One Piece heroines, but he would be lying if he said he had renounced the idea completely. Each of the girls Drake mentioned had their charms, and if he played his cards right, he should have a chance with at least a few of them...

After letting Thomas's thoughts wander for the better part of a minute, Drake revealed, "We'll be reaching our destination shortly. Once we get there, I plan to make a 'bet' with that Lucy girl. If their side manages to secure the victory in our skirmish, they'll be permitted to let you join their crew. If our side wins, I'll ask them to look after you for the next year or so. Then, if things play out as they did in 'canon,' we'll either pick you up after Bartholomew Kuma has separated you or sometime after the end of the Paramount War. Sound like a plan...?"

Though he still had the impression he was being 'discarded,' Thomas only hesitated for a moment before nodding his head, answering, "Fine...as you pointed out, I 'do' want to travel with the Straw Hats. But what will you be doing in the meantime...?"

Without hesitation, Drake replied, "First and foremost, I'm going to go pick up that treasure at the Jewel Ice Sheet. After that, we'll follow your plan, becoming Shichibukai before spending the next year or so drafting people and preparing for the Paramount War. On that note..."

Narrowing her eyes, Drake said, "If and when you encounter Marshall D. Teach fellow, ignore him. So long as that Ace kid isn't dead for more than twenty-four hours by the time we recover his body, Asclepius should be able to do something about it..."

Before Thomas could question her, Drake regained her smile as she said, "There is a method to my madness. If you have Musashi kill Blackbeard, it will completely derail the 'plot' you're familiar with. And if Ace doesn't die, at least for a short while, Lucy and the Straw Hats won't feel compelled to train during the two-year 'time skip.' I don't mind if you want to accelerate things, but if you enter the second half of the Grand Line early, you risk never crossing paths with characters such as Kinemon and Momonosuke. You also imperil the 'prophecy' of Toki, so no matter how much you loathe Blackbeard, you should do your best to tolerate his existence. He is one of the many whetstones that will help you and the Straw Hats reach their full potential."

"..."

Realizing that Drake had likely memorized everything he wrote in the guidebook, Thomas asked, "Just how long have you been thinking about getting rid of me?"

Adopting a mischievous smile, Drake replied, "From the moment you first summoned me. I don't like to be bound or restricted, so even though we have a Master-Servant relationship, I've wanted to do my own thing from the beginning..."

Rising to her feet, Drake walked around to the front of her desk, stopping just in front of Thomas as she added, "Like you, I came to this world to experience the thrill of a new adventure. I initially planned to share that adventure with you, but you have far too many 'attachments' that prevent you from making the most of the opportunity we've been presented. That may change in the future, but only after you leave the proverbial nest and figure out what you 'truly' wish to accomplish in this world..."

Fixing Thomas's collar, Drake's smile softened as she said, "You wouldn't have been able to summon me if we weren't at least a little similar. Once you embrace that aspect of your character and blossom into the man you wish to become, I'll be waiting. That's one of the perks of being a Spirit...I never have to worry about getting old. Even if you spend the next century trying to figure things out, I'll be ready and waiting to accompany you on whatever journey you have planned. Just make sure it's exciting..."

Retracting her hands from Thomas's collar, Drake gave him one last look before walking around him, revealing, "We've reached our destination. Do your best in the upcoming battle. Even if the outcomes appear similar, there is a difference between 'joining' a crew and 'accompanying' one on its journey. If you want to stand on equal footing with that Lucy woman, don't be afraid to punch her in the face and prove your worth...both as a man and a potential partner..."

Finished with what she had to say, Drake pushed open the doors to her Cabin and departed without looking back. In her wake, Thomas lowered his gaze to the ground, his mind uncharacteristically empty except for the words Drake had just spoken. He honestly wasn't comfortable with hitting a woman, but for the sake of his future and to earn Lucy's respect, he was prepared to give it his all...even if he was 'very' likely to get his ass kicked. After all, even if he charged up for a full hour, he wouldn't be able to level a normal-sized building, much less a five-story pagoda...

...

..

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(A/N: For those who are apprehensive about the novel following the canon timeline, don't be. While many of the locations and people will be the same, everything Thomas does will create ripples that affect events later down the line. Lucy's gender will also factor heavily into how events play out, so treat this as a 'spin' on the original story. One with adult themes and a lot more killing xD...)