[IC] One Piece: The Devil's Due (Always Accepting!)

[Restalaan]

@Pacifista

KUROZUMI HAKU

Dear Coriander, this is Haku.

I’m writing this letter to keep in touch, as I had many things to tell you but couldn’t due to our parting.

It’s been weeks since we’ve left Tune town, and East Blue is quiet as ever so there hasn’t been much-

“Haku!” He stood at attention immediately at his name being called, placing the feather pen and letter down in one swift motion.

“Break time’s over! Time to wrap up and head out for the next Island!” The Quartermaster said as the Kirin crew escorted a bunch of captured pirates. Tail end of smoke and fire slowly dying out in the fight.

From afar, the pirates ship was already consigned to Davy Jones' locker. Treasures confiscated will require them to interrogate where it was taken and given back, if such assets were made from illegal trading however…

Haku saluted, slipped the letter back to his uniform then jumped from the cliff overlooking the operation. Landing on all fours before heading to help others, carrying the heavy loads of treasure chest.

Like ants, they worked as one before the heavy anchor lifted even as Captain Cadog looked at the weather and skies.

“Raise sails!” The Helmsman commanded as the Kirin took to the seas once again, cutting through the ocean rapidly to their next destination.

“Each Beli has their number, so we can trace where it’s issued out. From there, it’s just finding the area. Gold’s harder, as each of them had different print from different kingdom-” Their accountant explained to Haku, showing him how to catalogue the pirates' loot.

“And if they’re erased?” He lifted one gold coin, it’s print long gone and seemingly hammered out.

“Set them aside, they’re evidence.”

“And once done?” Haku curiously asked, setting a large amount of gold coins separate.

“That’s up to judges.” Cadog walked behind the two. Smoke pipe in hand as he watched them work. “Officially, it’ll be used for the good of the World Government.”

“But it be more likely to end up in someone's pockets.” He grunted and took a deep breath from his pipe. “Also, take out that coin.”

Without a word, Haku hand took out a single coin from his pocket. Much to the treasurer's annoyance, not at Haku taking but rather, that he didn’t notice.

“Sorry, habit.” He apologized with a nod before being rapped at the back of his head.

“Go swab the decks.” Cadog growled between teeth as the young boy quickly went to fulfilled his orders.

“Good mood sir?” The Treasurer said, well-familiar with Cadog’s temperament.

“Our next destination, Lime Town.” Shoulders loosened as Cadog straightened at that mention. “It’s been awhile since I’ve been there.”

“Ah, I see. Think the Lobster Chow is still there?”

“Hah! It’ll be there! I’m sure of it!” Cadog laughed heartily, why, it’s been standing since he was a child! And he dropped by it every chance he could whenever he’s stationed in East Blue.

And this was a chance to show the kid true East Blue cuisine. Nowhere else would there be other shop that’ll be able to fight against it!

…

…..

…….

“I must had too much of a drink. Cabin Boy.”

“Yes?” Haku dutifully said.

“Tell me, this IS the place called Lobster Chow?”

“It is, sir. And it’s very closed. They even boarded the place even.”

“...”

“BLOODY BLISTERING BARNACLES-!”

-That there hasn’t been much going. I'm, however, told that we’ll be dropping by an Island that serves good food. East Blue cuisine are a bit too heavy for me but Cadog insisted that it's simply my taste bud that's the problem.

I humbly disagree, hardtack and water alongside mites are a fine meal on its own.

Nevertheless, it’s these quiet, boring days I find rather pleasant as I’ve not recall seeing such peace in other seas. My hometown included.

It might be months by the time this letter reaches you. I have many things to share, alongside stories on the Dev, the greater part of the world.

Such as the legend of the Dragonslayer of Wano, forty seven bandits, and felling of the Mountain God.

But for now, I’m healthy and hale, and I wish the same for you, Peppermint, the kids and Mr. Burnet.

Signed
Haku

[ARC 3]

[CHOWDER BLUNDER]

[Pacifista]

RICO

---

“We’re not coming in even if we hear gunshots, so don’t say we didn’t warn you.”

“Okie dokie artichokie.” Rico ran to the doors of the Sundown Inn.

“If you say that in front of him he will definitely try to kill you!” The Sunstrider warned, to no avail. Shaking his head and looking to his partner, he remarked, “We definitely messed up, right?” He only received a hapless shrug in response. “Ah Helios…”

SOLBOOM. The door opened with a bang, Rico’s entry making it swing to slam against the wall. The music stopped cold, performers looking at Rico with terror. The locale was largely empty. Aside from the music performers and bartender, there was only one patron, sipping at his drink, his mess of dirty blonde hair over his eyes. A gold eye shot a dark look at Rico. “We’re fucking closed.”

Rico ignored him completely. “Hey there mister prince chaos man! Some guy named Dave hired me to be your bodyguard. My name’s Ric-”

In a mere moment he faced down the barrel of a gun. Aztec let his tongue loll out of his mouth, grin sadistic. “Didn’t ask.” Rico opened his mouth, but the gun fired. The musicians and bartender flinched, the latter going for a mop.

Rico, however, was still standing. “You guys really like to do that here, huh? Can you at least be quieter about it?” Aztec kept firing until his gun was empty, each bullet making Rico’s body spark, each spark dropping Aztec’s smile slightly. “You should save those bullets for the assassins, they aren’t gonna do much against mebrglkh.” Rico sputtered as Aztec threw his drink in his face. “Oh god it’s in my mouth what is that flavor it’s so gross eeeugh.” As he stuck out his tongue, eyes closed. Aztec’s mug came down on his head, glass shattering with a scream of glee from the young royal. Rico collapsed to the ground, and by the time he got the blood out of his eyes well enough to see, his ward had flown the coop. “Oh bitch.” The bartender, musicians, and chair visibly relaxed with Aztec gone.

“...Chair? The seat that had been behind the stool Aztec rested on stiffened back up. Rico grabbed it and picked it up, finding it heavier than normal. One of its arms reached past him, grabbing another chair and bashing Rico over the head. It turned to splinters, Rico dropping the chair out of shock. “What the what?!”

The chair was not a chair, but a man pretending to be a chair. Limbs and body covered in thin plywood, he ripped his hat off, revealing a human face and torso that was relatively flat. “You little snot I’ve been waiting here for him to let his guard down for hours! I need the hit money to buy a bigger house! My current one can’t fit both my wife and all my chairs. It’s either this or a divorce and I’m too old to play the dating game again!” [Mahoghanie Cherie Blakwood, “The Chairman”, Bounty Hunter]

“Hit money… You’re trying to whack the prince!” Rico said from his prone position. Blakwood grabbed another chair and bashed Rico with it. Wood clacked against wood as he ran away. Rico rolled onto his back before jumping to standing again. Wiping his face with his sleeve, he sprinted off after the Chairman. Once he was outside, his legs lit up and he awkwardly floated down the road in his pursuit. “Frightful Tianlong!” Coming down from his long jump, he held his elbow out, slamming right down on Blakwood. Splinters flicked one way or the other as The Chairman was crushed into the dirt, unmoving. Standing, Rico reeled, calling, “Got yer ass-man right her oc’iffers!” Shaking his head, he cried, “Which way did the prince go?”

---

CATHERINE CORIANDER

---

“It’s because God’s blood runs through the Heavenly Dragons that they rule us all. God lives within nature, within all of us, as long as we let Him in. The Dragons are closest to God and thus hear his will more strongly.” The elderly woman in the nun’s habit was rather animated as she paced back and forth in front of the podium in Melody Island’s church. About the same height as Coriander, she was on the portlier side, her cheeks full, a few locks of gray hair poking out from under her coif. “The Western Dragon Will Faith believes that the Heavenly Dragons are Gods in themselves, that they should not be seen as fallible or human. The Devil too can live in the heart of any human. That’s the Devil Devil, not Avalon the Devil. We must keep our faith strong to keep the Devil at bay! The Heavenly Dragons exterminated his bloodlines, but that doesn’t mean he can’t return in spirit.”

Coriander nodded along, the kids at her side trying to keep pace with the discussion. Sorrel adjusted his glasses. “My dad was talking about how the Heavenly Dragons are dangerous. They can turn you into a slave…”

Mother Basil gave a slow nod of understanding. “That they can. It’s not as though they only enslave bad people either. But it’s not as though a storm only endangers the evil. God acts through nature, but he wasn’t angry at us a couple months ago, was he? We need the water too even if the lightning is scary. The Heavenly Dragons can hurt good people and good families, but we need their guidance to keep the world running! For as many as they might hurt, there are so many more than can be safer for them. They aren’t completely deaf to the Cardinals and Templars, and that any of us here could walk among them on Marie Geoise is a miracle in itself. I think that compared to nature, we might be luckier with the Heavenly Dragons. They can discriminate, or have biases. To some this might be cruel, but to others it’s a blessing. To be a husband or bride of a Heavenly Dragon is the highest honor a human can achieve! To join one’s own blood in holy union with the descendants of Gods: what more could one ask for?”

Coriander wondered, “Wait, does the King Chauderkind Harvine XIV have Dragon blood?”

Basil shook her head. “No, he doesn’t have holy protection. Even if he did, the Marines couldn’t spare the manpower: kings are meant to protect themselves.”

Coriander looked fuzzled. “Then why are they kings? We’re different from the Heavenly Dragons because we don’t have God’s blood in our veins, but why is their blood holy?”

Basil stared for a moment, before admitting, “That is a great question. I don’t actually know, myself.”

“Eehhhh!?” Coriander and the kids exclaimed. “Mother Basil doesn’t know something? I thought I could trust you!” Sorrel gawked.

“W-we can still trust her, no one knows everything!” Peppermint reasoned.

“It’s like she’s not even a person anymore…” Rue muttered.

“Hush you,” Verbena grouched.

“This is why it’s good to ask questions! I’ll come to an answer in due time. In the meantime, I think you’ve been here long enough.”

“Yay!” There were a few cheers, the kids thanking Basil for the sermon before taking their leave. Coriander was the only one to stay behind.

“Do you think I could find the answer, Mother Basil?”

The woman chortled. “I would like to see you try! But you can’t divine it from the air, that will just create another interpretation and schism our faith.”

“I wasn’t going to do that!” Coriander gasped in horror.

“Then how?”

“...I gotta go, thanks Mother Basil.”

“Have a good day, Coriander.”

There was a slight pang in her heart as she took her leave of the church. Seeing the kids further along the forest path, she didn’t feel like catching up with them. They’d go off and find their games. If they really wanted to see Coriander they’d find her no sweat. Instead she headed home, head abuzz with postulation and speculation alike.

Entering her home, she saw her dad by the window, nose deep into a book. Wanting to change, she gave a quick greeting before moving to go upstairs.

“Coriander, there’s a surprise waiting on your desk~” Hyssop teased.

“Thanks dad,” she said with relatively low enthusiasm.

“It’s not a book this time! I’m sorry, I thought you’d love ‘Farming Traditions of the Islesselsi Isles’! You’d wanted to know more about wheat!”

“I was just making small talk about your job, you could have just told me...” Coriander muttered as she closed the door to her room. Spotting an envelope on her desk, she sidled over, throwing her veil and coif onto the chair as she read the name of the sender. Her shocked scream echoed through the house. “HAKU?!” Unable to contain herself, she grabbed it, hopping up and down in her spot before scanning the room for a letter opener. Ungracefully opting to use her teeth and fingers, she read the letter with glee.

Dear Coriander, this is Haku.

I’m writing this letter to keep in touch, as I had many things to tell you but couldn’t due to our parting.

It’s been weeks since we’ve left Tune Town, and East Blue is quiet as ever so there hasn’t been much going. I'm, however, told that we’ll be dropping by an Island that serves good food. East Blue cuisines are a bit too heavy for me but Cadog insisted that it's simply my taste bud that's the problem.

I humbly disagree, hardtack and water alongside mites are a fine meal on its own.

Nevertheless, it’s these quiet, boring days I find rather pleasant as I’ve not recall seeing such peace in other seas. My hometown included.

It might be months by the time this letter reaches you. I have many things to share, alongside stories on the Dev, the greater part of the world.

Such as the legend of the Dragonslayer of Wano, forty seven bandits, and felling of the Mountain God.

But for now, I’m healthy and hale, and I wish the same for you, Peppermint, the kids and Mr. Burnet.

Signed
Haku

Positively ecstatic, she was already considering what her response might be before remembering she was getting ahead of herself: she had to show Burnet and Peppermint the letter too! Rereading it, her mind wandered to earlier in the day. The letter in her hand gave her an idea, a way she might find the answer to her question. She just had to ask! If there was anyone who would know why kings were holy, it would be the Godheads of this world themselves!