The City of Beginnings and Endings

Though Benienma prepared lunch, everyone, sans Atalanta, departed the Going Merry once they reached the Baratie. Lucy and the Straw Hats had originally ventured to the floating restaurant in search of a Cook, so, even though they had Benienma to prepare meals for them, they still wanted to ask around.

Shortly after the group took their seats in the restaurant, Thomas was surprised by Zeff emerging from the kitchen, his wrinkled face especially gruff-looking as he revealed, "That Drake woman asked me to pass on a message once you showed up. She said that clinging to the known goes against everything an adventure is supposed to represent before taking off with that idiot son of mine. Here, take this."

Accepting the letter Zeff offered him, Thomas opened it to find a mere two lines written. The first was telling him not to be too butthurt since she needed a replacement cook. The second teased that he wouldn't have to worry about Sanji hitting on his Servants or acting as a 'competitor' for the female Straw Hats' attention.

Exhaling a sigh, Thomas crumpled up the piece of paper before placing it into his pocket, meeting Zeff's gaze, and responding, "Thanks for passing on her message. I appreciate it."

Shrugging his shoulders, Zeff replied, "It's about time that brat set out to fulfill his dream. Anyways, the food's on the house today. Make sure to fill your bellies before setting out yourselves. The sea can be an unforgiving mistress, and you never know when your next meal will come..."

Punctuating his words, Zeff passed out menus like a skilled dealer at a casino before returning to the kitchen. In his wake, Thomas mulled over both his words and the letter penned by Drake, a mixture of excitement and uncertainty swelling within him as he imagined what the future would be like without one of the key members of the Straw Hats in the crew...

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After departing the Baratie, Nami insisted that their next destination be the Conomi Islands. She didn't want to set sail for the Grand Line without visiting her home, so, even though it took them twenty-three days in the opposite direction, that was where they headed.

Fortunately, while Drake was capable of piloting the Hind with her mind, she had insisted that Thomas learn how to sail properly. Caenis was also an experienced sailor, so the going was fairly smooth despite the journey taking 'a lot' longer than Thomas expected. This gave him plenty of time to acclimate to life on a 'normal' ship, and, to an extent, it demonstrated how the Straw Hats were able to improve so drastically between arcs. It simply took weeks to months for them to reach their destination...

By the time the Going Merry was preparing to moor at Nami's village, Cocoyasi, both Zoro and Lucy had made tremendous progress in their mastery of Observation Haki. Thomas also reduced the charging time of his energy blasts to one second, so his next goal was to channel a single beam for thirty seconds. This was easier said than done, but if he could master converting Mana into Magical Energy while actively channeling it, his battle capabilities would increase tremendously...

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As it wasn't his business to meddle in Nami's private life, Thomas didn't protest when he was asked to watch over the Going Merry while she and Lucy made their way ashore. In the anime and manga, it was common for the Straw Hats to split up upon reaching a new island, so he wasn't going to insist on following certain people around in the hope of seeing certain events play out. Rather, he intended to take Drake's advice and 'do as he pleased' when the opportunity presented itself.

With such thoughts in mind, Thomas readily accepted when Caenis asked if he wanted to take a bath together. The two of them didn't get to spend nearly as much 'quality time' together now that they occupied cabins that were separated by gender. They compensated for this by taking the same shifts and periodically fucking in secret, but living in such close proximity to other people was fairly stressful.

Shortly after entering the bath and reclining her back against Thomas's muscular chest, Caenis lazily droned, "We seriously need a bigger ship..."

Nodding his head in affirmation, Thomas replied, "Our next ship should be around the same size as the Hind. Unfortunately, it'll be another seven to eight months before we acquire it..."

Exhaling an exasperated sigh, Caenis fell silent for a few seconds before reaching between her legs to caress Thomas's painfully erect cock as she playfully inquired, "You can't help yourself, can you? Are you so infatuated with my body that we can't even bathe together without you entering into heat...?"

Without waiting for Thomas's response, Caenis leaned forward slightly, adjusting the position of her hips so that she could practically devour his cock as she sat back down, exhaling a faint yet audibly impassioned sigh as she did so. Thomas wasn't the only one that got horny when they were together. Rather, after more than a year of fucking at least 2-3 times a week, Caenis felt an aching feeling in her loins even when Thomas wasn't near her.

Leaning her head back, Caenis gazed up at Thomas with a teasing look as she remarked, "You got bigger...at this rate, ordinary women aren't going to be able to 'accommodate' you. Want my help seducing Nami before you outgrow her completely...?"

Smiling wryly, Thomas replied, "As cute as Nami is, I'm more than content with the woman currently sitting in my lap. If I 'outgrow' her, then I guess we just weren't fated to be..."

Snorting through her nose, Caenis was tempted to lambast Thomas and call him an overly sentimental asshat. Instead, she squeezed her thighs together and began twisting her hips, stimulating his cock as he reached up to massage her breasts and pepper her shoulder with kisses...

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After idling off the shores of the Conomi Islands for an entire week, the Going Merry returned to the Baratie one last time before setting sail for Loguetown, the final supply point for any ship looking to enter the Grand Line. It was also where the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, had been born and executed. As such, it was regarded as a pilgrimage site for every Pirate originating from the East Blue.

Fortunately, unlike the canon Thomas was familiar with, none of the Straw Hats had a posted Bounty by the time they reached Loguetown. Because of this, the Going Merry was allowed to moor within the city's main port after paying a docking fee, placing them fairly close to the many shopping districts within the world-famous city.

Before everyone departed to purchase various goods and supplies, Nami distributed funds to Zoro and Usopp, giving each of them a mere 100,000 Berries while setting aside 3,000,000 for herself and Lucy. They would be purchasing most of the food and supplies for the journey, as well as some other necessary items, so neither of the boys complained. As for Thomas, Drake had left him a decently-sized treasure chest filled with 80,000,000 Berries and a few gold bars worth approximately 200,000,000. Nami had already 'claimed' this as funding for the crew, but she allowed Thomas to take what he needed since he had willfully handed it over.

With Zoro and Usopp splitting off to do their own thing, Thomas accepted Nami's invitation to accompany her and Lucy around town. He understood she was essentially asking him to be their bag carrier, but he didn't mind as it invariably meant he would get to see them try on various outfits. He was also curious to see if Buggy and Alvida would make an appearance when they reached the execution platform, so he happily accompanied them while Caenis willfully stayed behind to watch over the Going Merry with Atalanta and Astolfo.

Matching Thomas's expectations, one of the first places Nami dragged him and Lucy to was a famous, high-class boutique named after one of the world's most renowned fashion designers, Rebecca Hanberg. Upon entering the store, Thomas earned a questioning look from Nami as he stopped in place, staring at the poster of a 'familiar' young woman with peculiar red and white hair.

"What's up?" asked Nami before following Thomas's gaze and inquiring, "Are you a fan of Uta's music...?"

Adopting a wry smile, Thomas replied, "I've never heard any of her songs. She just looks 'familiar' to me..."

Understanding what Thomas was insinuating, Nami's brows perked up as she imagined encountering the increasingly famous Diva. To her surprise, Lucy eventually noticed the two of them staring at the poster, walking over to join them before tilting her head to the side and remarking, "Oh, I know this girl. She's Sh-"

Before Lucy could say something potentially ruinous, Thomas interrupted her, stating, "You shouldn't disclose her identity publicly, Lucy. Her father is famous, and not in a good way. If people learned of their connection, all of her father's enemies would attempt to kill or kidnap her..."

Opening her eyes wide, Lucy responded with a surprised, "Oh..." before looking up at the poster, furrowing her brows, and asking, "Would people really do such a thing?"

Nodding his head in affirmation, Thomas replied, "Most Pirates are cruel and malicious people who do everything in their power to benefit from a situation. Nami should have told you about what happened at her village, and I've warned you about the dangers of the Celestial Dragons...never underestimate the depravity and wickedness of humans who seek power for the sole purpose of dominating others..."

Hearing Thomas reference her past, a sigh escaped Nami's throat as her previously good mood diminished. She understood he was using her as an example so that Lucy would comprehend the importance of what he was saying, but it still bothered her. Not being present at the time of Arlong's defeat denied her the 'closure' she would have obtained by witnessing his downfall directly.

Realizing he may have stepped on a landmine, Thomas's smile became even wrier as he muttered, "Sorry...as an apology, I'll foot the bill for a few of the outfits you pick out..."

Regaining her vigor in an instant, Nami was practically beaming as she exclaimed, "No take-backs...!" before dragging Lucy over to the location of the most expensive articles of clothing. She was still a little upset, but, understanding Thomas hadn't meant any harm, she put on a happy front that became authentic when he was forced to fork over nearly 3,800,000 Berries for the outfits she selected for herself and Lucy.

Though his smile visibly cramped when he saw the receipt, Thomas paid it without a fuss. The impromptu fashion show he had received was worth a few million Berries, and the weight of the bags wasn't too much to bear now that he possessed superhuman strength.

Fortunately, while Thomas originally planned to carry around the bags the rest of the day like a proper chaperone, Nami had them return to the ship to drop things off before making their way to the town center, the location of Gol D. Roger's execution platform.

Shortly after reaching the remarkably crowded square, Lucy made her way over to climb the metal scaffolding. She wanted to see what Gol D. Roger witnessed just before his death, so she ignored Nami's protests, pushing her way through the crowd with a starry-eyed smile on her face.

Just as Thomas was beginning to wonder if Buggy and Alvida were going to make an appearance, Benienma abruptly appeared from his shadow to inform him, "There are enemies, dechi..." Then, as if spurred by the petite sparrow's words, a very conspicuous group of people wearing tan cloaks forced their way into the square...

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(A/N: Nami is entrapping herself. Even if she's currently taking advantage of him, giving Thomas the boyfriend treatment will invariably make it a reality (O w O)...)