Chapter 24: The Spy & Benefactor

Ark One, Part Four

(Two Weeks Before Uta Gives Birth)

Third Person POV

Two days have passed since the Black Citadel had been raided and secured. During that time, Crow had gotten to know his dark elf captives.

Olga wasn't what he imagined, as the Lunarian thought she'd be a lot more sinister, cold-hearted, and hostile, but much to his delight, she was quite the opposite. The Dark Queen was nothing but polite and compliant. The mature dark elf was a great conversationist, knowledgable, surprisingly charming, and had a dark sense of humor, which he found refreshing as he was able to tell her a few of his fucked up jokes he usually would never tell anyone but King. Her overall behavior was odd, and if it weren't for his Advanced Haki Observation, the Lunarian wouldn't know if she was attempting to get his guard down so that she could kill him and escape. Thankfully, her behavior toward him was genuine.

However, the most surprising thing to Crow was that she made suggestive remarks toward him, and he caught her looking at him like a piece of meat. The Lunarian inwardly smirked at that and shouldn't be surprised he caught the eye of the Dark Queen. Crow is well aware that he's a walking chick magnet and knows that he can virtually have any woman he wants. However, every once in a while, the Lunarian underestimates or forgets just how attractive he is to the opposite sex, as he doesn't really care for his appearance. Nonetheless, Crow doesn't mind being eye candy or even more if he gets lucky enough. However, the Lunarian could really do without the dirty looks Olga's handmaiden was giving him. 

Speaking of her handmaiden, the Lunarian attempted to converse with Chole, but she refused to talk to him. All she did was glare at him and throw the occasional insult at him, which didn't bother him since he'd heard worse from his fellow pirates. Olga scolded her handmaiden for her behavior toward him. However, the Lunarian waved it off and said he didn't mind her attitude since it was reasonable but warned the elves he wouldn't always be so lenient and has a limit to how much bullshit he'll take.

"Hey Olga, what was it like when my people were still around?" he asked out of curiosity. 

Olga smiled fondly and had a look of nostalgia in her eyes. "They were a kind, humble and fair race. Whether you were an elf, beast folk, demi-human, or monster, everyone was treated equally...they were the reason why war, poverty, prejudice, and corruption hardly ever plagued Eostia. I couldn't recall when the Lunarians did something wrong during their reign, and if they did do something improper, I have no doubt it was most likely inconsequential and was quickly rectified. It's a shame you and your mentor are the only ones left..."

Crow took a moment to absorb all the information before asking. "...do you have any theories on why they suddenly vanished? I know the main story is that humans hunted them down, but if I'm being frank, I don't believe that."

Call it a gut feeling, but Crow knew there was more to his race's near eradication. While not to be underestimated in any shape or form, a large group of humans were no match for a single Lunarian, much less an entire population of said race.

She frowned, which the Lunarian found cute. "Many possibilities came to mind... unfortunately, I can't prove any of them."

"I see...that's unfortunate," Crow sighed. "Perhaps Kaido or King know something."

The young Lunarian didn't doubt they had at least some theories on what had happened to his people, but he doubted they'd be willing to share it with him anytime soon.

Olga frowned at the mention of the Oni. "I can't believe your leader forced you to join his forces and become a whore," she growled.

To say that the dark elf queen was furious when Crow told her about his situation would be the understatement of the century. While she did agree that the Lunarian should repopulate his species, she didn't agree with how it was executed...Olga knew she sounded incredibly hypocritical, considering she forced thousands upon thousands of unfortunate women to be breeding stock for her force before the dark queen obtained her Devil Fruit, but she didn't care. All races, even her own kind, were nothing compared to the Lunarians, and harming them in any way or forcing them to do something against their will should be punishable by death, in the dark queen's opinion. The Lunarians were the only ones who treated her people kindly and fairly and were given the same opportunities as any other race, so because of that, anyone who had ill intent toward Crow should die an agonizingly slow death and have everything they loved ripped away from them.

The teen sighed and shrugged. "It is what it is, I'm afraid, but it's not too bad. Because of Kaido, I met Ulti and Yamato," Crow smiled and thought about his lovers fondly. "Anyway, when I discovered why I was so important, I wanted to know more about my kind, " he said irritatedly. "But so far, I haven't found out much until now. Not even King knows much about our race."

Olga looked at him sadly. "It must be frustrating not knowing much about your heritage," she said empathically, wishing she could help him somehow. 

Even when the Lunarians freely roamed the world, little was known about them except for their appearance and immense power. The race was incredibly secretive about their social structure, technological advancements, customs, and other aspects of their civilization. Only a few individuals had the opportunity to learn the ways of the Lunarians. 

"You have no idea..." Crow sighed. "The only lead I have is my locked memories, but even then, the probability of learning anything about my race from those memories is slim..." he closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. 

Olga thought for a moment, and an idea came to mind. "Perhaps I could help you with that. I know a spell that helps restore a person's memories."

Crow opened one of his eyes and looked at the dark elf suspiciously. "What's the catch?" he asked.

She smirked. "Oh, how you wound me, Crow, and here I thought we were getting along," she said amusedly. "I want nothing from you..." Crow gave her a "stop bullshitting" look, and she chuckled. "Ok, perhaps I do want something from you..."

"And that is?"

Olga got dangerously close to him, with their noses nearly touching, and and smiled. "Take me as one of your women," she said bluntly, surprising everyone but Crow. 

"Only been here for two weeks, and you already have five women wrapped around your finger. This is getting fucking ridiculous," Mikasa muttered lowly, with her tone filled with disbelief and jealousy.

"M-My Queen! Y-You can't--" Ogla glared at her, making the girl quickly shut up. 

She looked back at the teen. "So what do you say? My body, loyalty, knowledge, and aid in exchange for your protection."

Crow hummed and thought about the deal. "Don't get me wrong, you're pretty hot, and I wouldn't mind having you all for myself, but what's your angle in this? You're not the type to just offer herself on a silver platter or at all. I know a prideful person when I see one, and you're definitely that," he pointed out, surprising the older dark elf. 

Olga laughed and looked at the teen, impressed. "I'm glad you think with the head on your shoulders and not the one between your legs...but you're correct, I have an angle. However, it's not malicious in any shape or form..." she said truthfully. 

It didn't take long for the Lunarian to figure out her motive, and he looked at her with a sad smile. "You just want to help bring my people back, don't you?" Olga looked at him, shocked, and then nodded, sighing heavily. 

The dark elf sat beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. "I do...if your people were still around, Eostia's current state would've never happened, and people wouldn't have suffered so much. I owe your ancestors everything and more..."

The dark queen's motive made sense to the Lunarian, and he couldn't blame her for wanting to bring back the people who once protected them from the horrors of the world. It was a win-win situation for both parties. Crow would get another hot wife with substance for himself, and she would get a powerful mate who would give strong Lunarian children that would one day bring security and safety to Eostia. 

"I see...but is this something you really want?" Crow asked softly. "What you're asking for isn't something you can just change your mind on. Once you commit, there's no going back," he warned the dark elf. 

Olga got in front of him and gave him a determined gaze. "I want this."

Crow smiled. "Alright then, but don't say I didn't warn you," he said jokingly, and the dark elf chuckled. 

The dark elf leaned toward the Lunarian and was about centimeters from kissing him, but she stiffened when she heard an unfamiliar male voice. "Uh, did I come at a bad time?"

Everyone turned their heads to see Hick's standing there with an amused look on his face. The dark elves glared at him, with Olga's being the fiercest of the two due to her moment with Crow being ruined. 

"Yeah, you did," the Lunarian sighed and stood up. "What do you want?" he asked with a cold tone. 

"No need to be hostile," Hicks chuckled, feigning to be unbothered by the hostile looks he was receiving. "I just need to talk with you in private. It's important."

Crow briefly narrowed his eyes at the human, causing the man to sweat nervously. "Fine, but make it quick," he looked at Mikasa. "Don't let anyone in," she nodded, and the teen looked back Hicks. "Lead the way."

Hicks led the Lunarian toward another room, and once the door was closed and locked, Vult's right-hand man did something that threw Crow in for a loop. Hicks's slowly transformed into a beautiful girl who looked to be the same age as the Lunarian.

She had long, straight red hair tied up in a ponytail, fair skin, and bright violet eyes. She had a slender frame with noticeably large breasts, childbearing hips, and long legs. Her attire was a blue forehead protector, a short-sleeved, tan kimono-like blouse with a dark embroidered border, held closed with a black obi, a short dark skirt, stockings that stopped at her thighs, and brown sandals.

"Kami, it feels great to be back in my body, Dattabane!" the redhead sighed in relief and smiled brightly. 

"The fuck?" Crow said, confused as fuck.

Remembering that the Lunarian was staying a few meters away, she blushed in embarrassment but shook it off and greeted him. "Hiya, I'm Kushina Uzumaki. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Crow," The Lunarian quickly figured out that Kushina was the spy King was talking about. 

Crow chuckled. "Likewise. I didn't expect King's spy to be Vult's second in command or a sexy redhead," he muttered that last part to himself, but Kushia was able to hear, and her face turned a similar shade of red as her hair. 

"S-Sexy?!" she stammered. 

The Lunarian's eyes widened slightly, and he sighed. "Shit, you weren't supposed to hear that...anyways, what did you need to see me in private for?"

Quickly composing herself, the redhead's expression turned serious. "I wanted to warn you that Vult has been recruiting Olga's subordinates into his sex empire, and soon, he'll be trying to get you on his side," she revealed, making the male teen narrow his eyes and let out a growl. 

"Is that so?... Well, Olga's gonna be pissed, that's for sure, and does that idiot think he'll be able to recruit me into his stupid sex empire?" Crow couldn't help but ask.

Kushina shrugged.  "Eh, not really, but he's staying optimistic about it. However, he does plan to kill you if you reject his offer, but how he'll pull that off is beyond me."

Crow nodded. "Anything else I need to know about?"

Kushina grimaced and slowly nodded. "Yeah...Due to limited time, I couldn't put this information in the report I sent. But I discovered a few months ago that the Black Dogs have the support of a mysterious benefactor who goes by the moniker Asmodeus. The only thing I know so far is that in exchange for his support, Vult has to provide him with women and...and...children," she said with a disgusted and angry tone.

Crow's blood boiled, but he quickly calmed himself down because if he didn't, the Lunarian knew he'd do something stupid and couldn't afford to let his emotions get in the way of the mission. 

"I knew Vult was a piece of shit but fuck...I shouldn't even be surprised by this," he sighed and rubbed his face. "Thanks for telling me this, Kushina. I'll put in a good word for you when we return to Wano," he said, smiling at the redhead. 

Kushina blushed, seeing his smile, and looked at the ground. "T-Thank y-you Lord Crow."

The Lunarian smirked mischievously as an idea came to mind. "For a job well done and having to deal with the Black Dogs for so long, I think you deserve a reward," Kushina's eyes widened, and she looked at him with panic and frantically waved her arms. 

"T-There's n-no need for--" Before she could finish her sentence, the Lunarian pressed his lips against hers, effectively shutting her up. 

The kiss was short yet deep, and when Crow pulled back, he had to hold himself back from laughing at the redhead's state. Currently, Kushina's face was redder than her hair, steam was coming out of her ears, and she looked like she was moments from passing out. 

"That should be a good enough reward..." he leaned toward her ear. "For now," he said huskily, sending shivers down the poor girl's spine; Kushina then abruptly fell to the ground and was unconscious. "Maybe I took things a little too far..."

(Timeskip)

Once Kushina woke up, she quickly gave the Lunarian a piece of her mind for teasing her, much to Crow's amusement. Afterward, she transforms back into Hicks's disguise, and the two go their separate ways. When Crow returned to the dungeons, he informed his allies of what he had learned, and Olga was understandably furious. 

She screamed. "Fucking bastards!! After everything I've done for them, this is the thanks I get! I'll kill them all!" Conquers Haki was beginning to leak out of her violently. 

"And you'll get that chance, but you'll have to wait for now," Crow said, and the dark elf glared at him.

"Why can't you just kill them now?!"

"Gotta get a recording of Vult confessing to his crimes so I can bring it to Celestine to prove he's an enemy or otherwise, they'll never believe me," the teen argued.

Olga sighed and nodded. "Fine..." Her eyes then shot open when she realized something. "Who did you say the Black Dog's benefactor was again?"

He looked at her, slightly confused, but answered her anyway. "Uh, Asmodeus, why? Do you know who that is?"

The dark queen pales when she hears that name, and everyone looks at her worriedly. "This is bad...This is really, really bad..."

"What's wrong, your grace?" Chole was immediately by her side. 

"I'mma go ahead and assume that's a yes..." Crow commented, seeing her reaction. 

Ignoring her handmaiden, she looked at Crow with fear and rage in her eyes. "The name you spoke of is a powerful Demon prince..." she revealed, shocking everyone.

"Demons fucking exist? I thought those things were just myths," Mikasa said in disbelief, and Olga shook her. 

"I'm afraid that's not the cause. Demons are very real and incredibly powerful, but most prominently, they're unspeakably sinister and have no redeeming qualities...Amondeus is one of the seven demon princes and embodies the sin of lust...if Vult has his aid...then I'm afraid defeating the Black Dogs will be easier said than done..."  

Crow sighed and was beginning to get frustrated with his situation. If what Olga said was true, which he has no doubt it is, then their situation has become tremendously more complicated, and that's something he didn't need. Crow never thought he'd have to possibly fight a fucking demon before, but he guessed there's a first time for everything. 

"Do you think we'll be able to defeat him?" Crow asked.

Olga was silent for a moment but eventually replied. "...it's possible, but it'll be complicated. The only way to harm a demon is by using weapons blessed with divine properties,  drenching them with holy water or divine magic."

"Ok..." Crow replied slowly. "And how can I obtain any of those?"

"You can obtain one of the three at one of the three from Celestine. Just ask her to bless your swords with her magic," she answered, surprising crow. "And you can receive holy water from one of the churches from one of the fortresses. I'm afraid that divine magic is the only option unobtainable for you."

Crow was expecting the items he needed to be hard to acquire, but all he had to do was go to Celestine and one of the churches. It was too bad he couldn't get divine magic, but it was expected. However, he did wonder if he could get regular magic...questions for another time.

"Sounds easy enough. Not gonna lie; I thought I was gonna have to do something crazy to obtain these things, but hey, I'm not complaining."

With that problem solved, the four begin planning their escape from Vult's forces when Crow rejects his offer and their inevitable conflict with the demon prince. 

(A day later)

"Hey, Crow," the Lunarian turned his head to see it was Kushina disguised as Hicks. "Vult wants to talk to you," the former shinobi said, looking at the teen with a severe expression. 

The teen nodded and looked at the others. "Be ready," he then looked at Kushina. "You have the keys?"

The shinobi nodded and tossed them to Mikasa, who quickly freed the dark elf from their magical cuffs.

"Ah, much better," Olga sighed in relief as she felt her magic returning to her and quickly grabbed her scepter.

"Alright, let's go," With that said, Crow and Kushina left the dungeon and went to talk to Vult. 

"Be ready for a fight," Kushina warned him, and his gaze hardened. 

"Don't worry, I'm more than ready," he answered with sheer conviction in tone.

"I sure hope so..."

End.