The Jungle Part 11

The Jungle Part 11

\____-o(X)o-____/​

I smiled as the Patch eased in to port, I'd really been looking forward to returning to Gin-Mirieniu, I'd found these beautiful blue roses in the Archipelago and I'd carefully preserved them for the return trip–

"What's the matter, brat, missing your girlfriends?"

"Oh, suck a dick Chugo."

I didn't correct him, because… well… he was technically right. Ugh.

Years… we'd spent years on the Grand Line… there'd been so many adventures and craziness there and I'd learned so many new things and picked up so many books and interesting things… I couldn't wait to talk to the girls about all of it!

… wait… why did I have to…?

My foot hit the railing for just an instant as I launched myself off of the Patch, leaping to the docks well before we reached them, "I'll be back!"

"Damnit, Florida!" Chugo shouted after me, "Get back here!"

Laughter bubbled up in my throat as my boots hit wood, and I raced off towards Ami's house.

If I was lucky, the roses would match her hair.

---​

Well… that was a bust…

I bounded my way up the steps towards where Makoto and Rei lived, hoping that they were there and that I wouldn't have to search the entire bloody island for them.

My feet touched down on the stone landing before the temple, eyes dancing around and searching for the signs of the girls… teens really at this point since they had two years on me.

"Ah, who is it…?"

The tiny old man that was Rei's grandfather waddled out of one of the portions of the temple, his staff in hand.

I bowed respectfully, my coattails flapping about slightly as I did, "Ah, sir, I'm looking for Rei and Makoto."

The old man that barely came up to my short waist narrowed his beady eyes up at me. Taking in my outfit of a long-coat slung over my shoulders like a cape, a vest with a bunch of pockets over a long-sleeved shirt, long pants and boots, pistol at my side. He glared at me for just a moment before his eyebrows shot up, "Little Jacob! Why, I didn't know you were in town!"

"I literally just arrived a few minutes ago," I said with a small smile, "Probably got here before the Patch docked properly honestly."

"Why, you aren't so little anymore!" The broom was lightly poked into my side, which I ignored with a good natured eyeroll. I was bigger, but I was still a runt. If things held true, I'd be a runt until I was like, seventeen.

"Do you know where the girls are, sir?"

"They said they'd be off having 'adventures' like you youngin's do."

I couldn't help but smile, "We're good at that, yes. Do you have any particular idea where?"

"Missing them aren't you?" he asked with a laugh before eyeing the small bouquet of flowers carefully tucked into my belt, "I don't have to worry about my granddaughters purity around you now, do I?"

That made me laugh and brought heat to my cheeks, "Tcheheheh, no, no. None of that. I have missed my friends, though."

"And they you, child. I do remember them talking about some sort of party in the Elest woods, off in that direction." The bald old man gestured off to the east of the island, making me smile.

A quick little bow, "Thank you sir, I'll be off then."

"Do have fun! But not too much fun!"

I laughed even as I launched myself off over the walls of the temple.

---​

The air rushed in my ears as I leapt from one tree branch to the next, keeping my senses stretched out through the forest, the little sparks of life that were the animals and trees and more.

My grin was threatening to split my face open, I'd missed it here.

I'd… I'd missed the girls. I'd missed this. Just… carefree fun times…

Leaping atop one of the trees, I took in a deep breath, listening and feeling and expanding my Observation Haki out as far as I could. I'd gotten a lot better at it since I was last here, and while it'd been a good while since I'd 'felt' the girls, I knew I'd recognize their signatures.

** Conflict–! **

I blinked, head turning towards the feeling. I couldn't see anything, but I could… I guess the best way to put it would be to say that I felt people fighting. A conflict between several different life signs…

Huh… well, I couldn't recognize anything from here, but it might be a good idea to check it out. Gin-Mirieniu was supposed to be peaceful.

Taking a quick look at the roses to be sure they were secure, I leapt off in the direction of the disturbance.

I made a mental review of my equipment. Dials, check, brought them to show Ami. Guns, check. Sword, not check. I'd left it on the ship. Coat, check. Boots, check. Pants, check. Had gotten used to searing heat for a good while there, pants didn't really bother me on the temperate islands like this.

Overall, I wasn't in the best situation for a fight, but then again… these were the Blues… I'd be very surprised if we ran into anything here that was a serious threat.

---​

"In the name of Love and Justice, we shall punish you!"

…

Seriously?

Okay, this is getting really fucking weird. What's going on here?

Like, I thought I'd gotten used to the fact that the Sailor Scouts are a thing here for some reason. I thought I'd moved past being weirded out by this and gone all the way to expecting it. Like, whatever, sure, there's anime girls in what was an anime in my past life. Sure. Fine. Whatever. I thought I'd been prepared…

But five girls in miniskirts fighting a really effeminate guy with a monster at his beck and call… it's different in person than just girls sharing a name and rough personality. Yeah, I'm calling shenanigans here. I… okay, am I in some sort of crossover reality? Am… am I being ROB'd…? I… I thought I'd just reincarnated but this shit is just getting ridiculous.

Like, to be fair, they're not identical. They're actually wearing proper masks, not just those eye-masks from the show. And honestly, the only reason I recognized them was because of Ami's blue hair and my Observation Haki. So, good on them.

There's Ami. She's… carrying a revolver. Not… entirely sure how I feel about that one. She's got the miniskirt and blue boots… but not high heeled boots, good girl. But instead of that weird, sailor-fuku thing or whatever it was, she had on a blouse and white scientists coat.

Makoto's there, again, miniskirt, actual combat boots, but just a T-shirt in her case, and she's fistfighting with the monster. Rei… bow user… I get the shrine maiden top, but why the miniskirt? It ends up looking like a fetish outf–… is she wearing fucking high heels? She's getting an earful from me for that silliness.

I'm guessing the two blondes are Serena… or Usagi… and… fuck, I can't remember Venus' name. The one with the pigtails is using this… hammer thing, but the other's using a big spiked chain. Pigtails was actually in the sailor fuku thing, but the other was in a really nice blouse. And still the high heels. Damnit girls.

… they aren't doing too bad, actually. There are no powers getting thrown around, 'cause I'd be surprised if any of them had Devil Fruit… I mean, anyone on the Eyepatch Crew would ruin their days, but they'd do that for most people in Paradise, it's only when you start to get to New World ready that you start getting beyond the Eyepatch Pirates.

I stood there on one of the nearby branches as the girls fought the… I'm pretty sure it's a guy, but that's mostly because I'm running off of Sailor Moon knowledge here. If it is a guy, they're pretty effeminate, even in an olive military-style uniform.

The monster was something like… well, actually, not really a monster, it looked more like a bear with wings and a beak and… is that a fucking Owlbear?! What the fucking fucker fuck…

Then the thing swung a clawed wing at the blonde with pigtails, knocking her flying to a general cry of "Moon!" from the other four.

My hand dipped down to my holster of… flowers.

…

What the fuck. So long as I didn't have a tophat.

-o Minako o-​

No–! Usagi was hurt!

Zoisite's monster was going towards her and I couldn't get over there–!

I threw my chain as hard as I could, the weighted end wrapping around one of the wings several times! Got it!

Oh, crap, I don't got it!

The monster kept moving forward, and I dug my feet in, both hands on the chain and trying to hold it back! Another pair of hands joined mine on the chain, Ami grabbing onto it as well to hold the monster back! Still it was dragging us forward, raising its other claw as it approached Usagi, who was still struggling to stand!

"Moon!" I shouted, "Get up!"

Makoto charged forward, grabbing a hold of the other limb, catching it before it could fall and disembowel Usagi–! But she was struggling to hold it back–!

Usagi was still on her hands and knees! The freaking dumpling head was taking too long–!

"OHHHHHH-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!" Zoisite laughed, covering it with that blasted sword before leveling the pistol at Usagi–?! "No more of you stupid girls getting the way of my master's plans–!"

Quick as a flash, a black blur slammed into the Elite Four's glove, knocking the gun flying.

Everyone in the clearing froze, even the monster stopping to stare at the black rose that had embedded itself in Zoisite's hand.

"What…?"

The black rose seemed almost to bloom, unfurling as the blackness faded and revealing brilliantly blue petals.

"Tcheheh. Always wanted to do that."

Everyone's attention snapped up to the sound of the voice, finding a young man standing atop one of the branches, one hand extended outwards as a cape fluttered behind him, a bouquet of roses in his right and a smirk on his face.

"Who–?!"

"Now, I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to go on some sort of monologue about love, justice, and such now." He grinned, green eyes sparkling, "But that's not my style. You hurt my girls, so I'm gonna hurt you. This is your only chance to leave."

Zoisite ripped the rose out, glaring at the young man, "I don't care who you are–"

"Armament: Hardening."

"Arma-what–?"

The stranger's arm flew forward, and the bouquet of suddenly black roses became a shotgun spread flying stem-first at the general!

Zoisite's sword danced, knocking the few roses that were on target aside, "That won't work–"

"Soru." And the stranger was gone, where'd he–

"Eyepatch Kick!"

"Eeeeeeeek!"

My chain jerked in my hand as the owlbear was sent flying into the air, taking Makoto with it and revealing the same stranger leveling his pistol– wait, is that a revolver–?!

I leapt to the side and rolled up into a crouch even as the bang of the gun reached my ears. He'd fired at Zoisite! Of course!

"Kunzite!"

But the bullet was deflected by a crescent blade in the hands of a gorgeous white haired man that'd leapt between the teen and Zoisite.

He'd deflected the bullet.

The white-haired man in general's regalia surged forward, and the small stranger's eyebrows shot up, "Tch–!"

Dappled light danced off of the crescent blades as the general went into a combination, the stranger having to dance backwards to avoid them. Little slices appeared in his long-sleeved shirt, little red lines of blood along his arms and the blades themselves. I realized that the stranger was actually young, probably only our age, and smaller than even Ami, and losing to this new general! Why were we standing around like idiots, we should be helping!

With a snarl, the teen ripped the jacket from his shoulders and threw it towards the beautiful man– "Armament–!"

Who sliced straight through it undeterred!

"Hardening!"

Kunzite's crescent blades slammed into the stranger's arms to utterly no effect.

The gorgeous man had half a moment's worth of confusion before the stranger's foot met his chin squarely, sending him flying backwards.

What sort of ridiculous people were these?!

And how do I become one?!

The two stared off for a long moment, emerald green eyes meeting crystal blue in a deathly gaze, several small cuts decorating the teens arms and a serious scuff on the man's chin–

*thump!* "Crap!"

Until the owl-bear thing and Makoto hit the ground between them again.

"Zoisite." The general said, crescent blades still held up in a defensive posture as he stood between Zoisite and the newcomer.

"Y-Yes!"

"We're leaving."

"Right!"

And with that, the blasted generals crouched before disappearing in a blur like they always did! Damnit, I hated it when they did that… um… what's that teen doing…?

His head swung around, pistol tracking with his gaze. And then the gun barked three times in quick succession as it fired into the forest.

Um… okay…?

The five of us yelped when there were two thumps as the generals fell out of the canopy of the forest a ways away.

The new, gorgeous one had a pair of red splotches in his chest, and Zoisite was doing little better. There was a groan, but that was cut off by the bang of the teen's gun.

"Well, damn…" I couldn't help but mutter.

Usagi finally staggered to her feet, shaking her head.

"I also don't let opportunities like that get past me." The teen grumbled, a sour look on his face as he glared at the corpses.

Makoto, who was still pretty close to where the monster was, slowly approached the smaller teen, "Who…?"

Who turned to grin at her, "What'ch'yall been doin?"

"Jacob–?!"

"Well, that's a more appropriate response now, but still not quite there yet in–"

"Jacob!!!"

Ami slammed into the stranger, Jacob, apparently, like a small missile.

"Jacob!" / "Florida!"

And then, not only Makoto, but Rei added themselves to the tackle, knocking the entire group over in a bundle of laughter.

I shared a glance with my fellow blonde as I started to roll up my chain, keeping half an eye on the unconscious owlbear, "Do you know what's going on?"

Usagi shook her head. "Uh-uh. No clue."

-oOo-​

"Go Wallace!"

"Woohoo." I'd taken a moment to make little flags for Claude and myself with a painted 'W' on them out of sticks and scraps of cloth I carried.

I took the time to gently rub the little hummingbird's head delicately. I always felt like I was going to crush little animals like this, even if I intellectually knew otherwise.

"You truly think that you'll be able to match the glory of a warrior of Shaka?!"

"A member of the Bonney Pirates would tear you apart any day!"

"Hah! As if the great Dumisani would be defeated by a boy in a dress!"

"It's a kilt!"

"You ladies are very pretty," I noted, the hummingbird crooning quietly in my hand, "Are we doing this or what?"

With a snarl, Dumisani readied his massive sword-spear, holding it in one hand as Wallace drew his greatsword.

The two stood off from one another for a long moment, weapons readied, us four spectators quiet. I was keeping half an eye on them to make sure it didn't go to far, as was Katlego. I wasn't really worried, but that didn't mean I wasn't worried. Those were live blades after all.

"Glorious Grass on the Plains!" Dumisani surged forward at a frankly worrisome speed and Wallace on barely got his greatsword up in time.

"Kick his ass, Wallace! Woo!"

Gritting his teeth, Wallace nearly stumbled backwards, blade jerking about quickly to deflect the rapid spear-thrusts. Sparks flew as the enormous spearhead glanced off of his greatsword, and the young Dumisani laughed.

"Is that all you can do?! Slow! Weak!"

Wallace only barely blocked a thrust straight at his heart, the force of the blow enough to send the pirate tumbling backwards, and I realized I'd taken a half step forward to leap between them.

My crewmate rolled to his feet, sword up as Dumisani laughed.

"For glory!" The bearded man snarled, "Pike Breaking Charge!"

And then… he charged. But his greatsword swung in an ever faster figure eight in front of him.

Dumisani dodged backward, well out of range of Wallace's blade, "Hah! Just because you can do that much doesn't mean anything! I'm far too fast for your lumbering form! Your skirt slows you down!" The larger, muscular boy practically danced around Wallace, his spear glancing at Wallace's side.

Once more, Wallace roared, "Pike Breaking Charge!"

"Like I'll let you get–"

"Soru!"

Dumisani jerked backwards, his swordspear surging forward, "What?!"

It was bastardized, it was barely functional, it was hardly even able to be called a Soru since he only blurred, not disappeared… but I still felt pride at his usage of it. Especially as the combination allowed him to cut the head off of Dumisani's spear.

Claude and the hummingbirds scattered throughout my jacket and pockets all collectively cheered, and even I grinned a bit as the kid cursed, launching himself backwards. He made a few attempts to bat away Wallace's dancing greatsword with the haft of his spear, but each attempt only lost a few inches of wood.

Wallace laughed, "What was that about me kilt?!"

With a curse, Dumisani dashed around the claymore's reach and lunged for the head of his spear… really more of a sword now. "Try that again, you skirt-wearing maniac!"

I leaned over to Katlego as Wallace tried again, "Am I crazy, or doesn't the grass thing you guys wear around your waists count as a skirt?"

The kid was introduced to the unfortunate fact of the Grand Line, just because you're smaller, doesn't mean you're weaker. Wallace was a big guy by the standards of my old world, stocky and having easily a foot on me, but Dumisani was even taller and far more muscled. And, sure, Dumisani was faster than Wallace, but Wallace was stronger. Each blow from his greatsword knocking the spear-blade wide, and when Dumisani tried to close inside of Wallace's reach, the bearded man just shifted his grip above the first crossguard and fought with it like a normal sword.

Katlego leaned down the two feet to 'whisper' to me, "Yes, it's a skirt."

"Thought so."

"Kick his punk ass, Wallace! Woo!"

"Go, Team Bonney." I deadpanned, giving my own flags a little wave.

Dumisani launched himself backwards, out of the reach of Wallace's blade. The scarred man started to launch himself forward, but Dumisani almost… bubbled…?

"What…?" Wallace and Claude stared as the kid began to distort and shift and change. My own eyebrows went up and I pulled out my notebook and started taking notes as the young man used his Devil Fruit.

There were a number of notable differences between how he transformed compared to Katlego, but there were a number of commonalities as well. The hybrid form definitely seemed to truly share characteristics with the original human… or, whatever, bazooka? form. It shared characteristics. Though I'd need to see multiple examples of a single fruit in full animal mode to be able to determine if the animal form was the same between them or if it was similarly derived from that of the user.

I hadn't really thought about those implications before. If the animal form was the same between all users, then that meant the fruit would carry the full information about the animal within it. Maybe DNA, maybe otherwise. If not, and if Sengoku and Chopper's transformations were properly indicative (and I remembered properly) that was the case, then it meant only a portion of the information was there… some sort of conversion factor that converted the normal users form into the other form… hrm… conversion factor… would have to look into that.

Oh, and Dumisani had some sort of Gazelle fruit.

Claude gaped for just an instant before rallying, "K-Kick his ass, Wallace!"

"R-Right!"

"As if you could ever hope to match the manly might of my handsome form!"

"… you're a gazelle."

"Gazelles are manly!"

"To be fair to him," I noted, finishing noting any meaningful differences I could see between the transformations in my journal as well as my suppositions for later review, "He's still pretty damn ripped."

He may have been a gazelle-human hybrid whose legs were basically sticks, but his muscles were still bigger than my waist for his entire upper body. So… yeah.

"Manliest Charge of Manliness!"

"Now he's just compensating," Claude muttered.

"Manliest Counter-Charge of Masculinity!"

Claude swooned as Wallace rushed to meet the oncoming warrior, and I had to facepalm briefly at the hypocrisy.

The blades met, and I cringed behind my palm. Wallace was still a bit stronger, but it was clear now that Dumisani was far faster. Each of his movements was a bounding, nigh Soru-like step, blurring from one position to the next. Whatever advantage Wallace's soru had given him was long gone as Dumisani danced in and out of his reach, using blindingly fast hit and run tactics.

More and more small cuts and nicks appeared on Wallace's form as Dumisani laughed, "See now the beau- the handsome power and glorious skill of a member of Shaka's army!"

The spear-blade lashed forward and the sword was just too slow intercepting, biting deep into my companion's shoulder, getting him to cry out as he skidded backwards, and both Katlego and I moved to step forward-

"Wallace–!"

Dumisani's legs bunched up, his sword pulling back for another thrust, "Behold-!"

There was a fire in Wallace's eyes.

My Observation Haki went off like a freaking alarm bell as the man stood. His left arm wasn't working, the cut in his shoulder too deep, the hand twitching uselessly, but he still held onto his claymore.

"Storm–!" His greatsword, held in one hand, came back behind his head, "Ruler!"

A wind, suffused with hints of blue light and Will, exploded out from the horizontal swing. A chaotic pressure wave with hundreds of little vorticies and eddies within it, blue light glinting off of the twists of the gale even as it surged forward like a tsunami. Even perpendicular to the blast as we were, the hummingbirds dove into the folds and creases and pockets of my outfit nearly as one, even as my fellow spectators and I shielded our faces. Dumisani's enormous spearhead came up in a reflexive block, that only just parted the wave around him, and even then, dozens of little red lines appeared in the fur along his arms and legs, a chip being taken out of one of his horns.

Wallace's chest heaved, his beard drooping as he wheezed, the tip of his claymore dragging along the thick grass of the clearing.

Dumisani's trembling sword started to fall, "You–You bastard! I'll–!" Katlego's hands grabbed the slightly larger man's arms, restraining him, "What–?! Katlego, why–?!"

I caught the halfway collapsing Wallace, pointedly ignoring the veritable cloud of hummingbirds that had followed after me, having lost some in the rush to catch him. That attack had taken a lot out of him, when combined with his previous injuries, he still wasn't recovered. "Hey… hey, good job… you didn't focus the attack enough, and your hand wobbled, otherwise you'd have ended the fight there."

"Needed… needed two hands…"

"It's okay," I soothed, hefting him up as Claude surged over, "I get it. Don't worry."

"The fight's not over–!" Dumisani shouted.

Only to get clocked upside the head by his mowhawked companion, "It is. You won."

"Won–?!" Wallace snarled, trying to pull out of my grip.

There was a small click, and the old man had leveled his rifle at Wallace. My body flexed into steel, "Don't try it, youngin'. It'd be a three hundred beli shot, but that's all it'd take."

Wallace bristled, but he yelped when I dragged him down by a twist of his ear. I shot a glare at the old man, damn near'd forgot he was here, before turning back to my companion, "Yes. Won. You're in no shape to continue at that pace."

"It's alright, Wallace," Claude patted our crewmate on the uninjured shoulder. I took a moment to straighten the much larger man out before, in a flash of movement, Claude divested himself of most of his sparse garments, revealing his body and the numerous names tattoo'd upon it, "Allow me to comfort you with my body~!"

"No!!!"

"At least let his shoulder heal up," I noted dryly.

"Not even then!"

---​

"It was nice to see you again, Katlego."

Wallace growled behind me as Claude stitched his shoulder shut.

The much larger man nodded, a smile on his painted face, "And you, Jacob. Thank you for enduring another battle of honor. I am to understand they are not your favored method of combat."

Dumisani nearly bleated, glaring daggers right back as the old man applied band-aids to the numerous little cuts on his skin.

"It's no problem. And it's… sorta? I don't mind an honor fight on principle, it's just, it's kinda complicated. Sometimes they're stupid, other times they aren't. This one was silly, but not stupid."

"I shall take your word on it. And wish you best of luck on your quest."

I snorted briefly at that. What, would I get XP for it? "Calling it a quest is a bit much."

My fingers ran through my hair–

…

Pulling my hand away, there was entire damn line of the little sparkly bastards on my forearm as well as a half dozen sticks in my hand. Each and every one of them doing their level best to give me the puppy-dog doe eyes treatment.

"I said, no nests!"

---​

The Jungle Part 11 End