One Piece: Wild Hunt

Shortly after Shirou's departure, Illya, Chloe, and Miyu returned to the living room wearing markedly more 'conservative' clothing. Chloe was toeing the line with a choker, a sleeveless black crop top, and a pair of blue jean short-shorts, but it was a significant improvement compared to the black string bikini she wore previously.

Seeing no signs of Shirou, Miyu, accompanied by her floating magical wand, asked, "Is Onii-san preparing lunch...?"

Nodding his head, Thomas replied, "Yeah, he left just a few minutes ago. You should be able to find him in the kitchen."

Without another word, Miyu departed to help Shirou prepare lunch while Chloe practically dragged the nervous-looking Illya into the living room, asking, "So, what did you say your names were?" after taking a seat.

Adopting a somewhat forced smile, Thomas replied, "My name is Thomas, Thomas D. Jensen. These are..."

With Thomas looking toward her, Vivi adopted a more sincere smile as she said, "My name is Vivi. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintances."

Immediately following Vivi, Astolfo practically shouted, "And I'm Astolfo, one of the Twelve Paladins of Charlemagne! Nice to meet'cha~!"

Though Illya was a bit taken aback by Astolfo's vigor, a nervous chuckle emanating from her throat, Chloe was far more composed, responding, "I'm Chloe, and this is my cousin, Illya."

Following Chloe's introduction, the magical wand hovering next to Illya moved forward to perform a pirouette as it cheerfully appended, "And I've already introduced myself as the marvelous Magical Ruby~!"

Pushing Ruby aside, Chloe said, "Now that we've got the introductions out of the way, let's get down to business. Those markings on your hand are Command Spells, aren't they? That makes you a Master. And if that's the case, there should be a Holy Grail somewhere in this world, right...?"

As it wasn't something he could keep secret if he planned to work with the displaced quartet, Thomas replied, "Yeah, though it's somewhere on Laugh Tale, the final island. Why, are you thinking you can use the Grail to assemble the remaining Install Cards...?"

Spreading her hands in apparent helplessness, Chloe replied, "That would be nice, but I can't imagine you or your Heroic Spirits would simply hand it over. What I'm more interested in is your status as a Master. I want you to form a contract with me."

Surprised by Chloe's request, Illya broke free from her nervous silence, exclaiming, "Chloe!? What are you thinking!? You can't just form a contract with someone we just met...!"

Furrowing her brows, Chloe crossed her arms and retorted, "I don't want to hear it, Illya. You and Miyu have become complacent, and Shirou is on his last legs. We've only collected a single card in the past year, so one of us 'has' to venture outward. We can't keep hiding here and waiting for the Kuja Pirates to locate the cards for us...!"

Pointing to Thomas, Chloe added, "This guy here is our ticket to success. He has a ton of Mana and a Heroic Spirit that can apparently locate Install Cards across vast distances. How else would they know to look for them here...?"

Instead of directly supporting Chloe's argument, Thomas said, "Calm down. I already told Shirou that I would help you assemble Install Cards in exchange for lending me one of your Caster Cards. There's no need for you to contract or travel with me."

Slamming the table that was separating them, Chloe exclaimed, "You're wrong! We've been in this world for three and a half years and have yet to collect even half of what we need to restore Miyu's world! Someone from our group needs to get out there, and I'm the best choice...!"

Before Thomas could try and talk her down, Illya exclaimed, "Stop being selfish, Chloe! We all promised to stick together, no matter what...!"

Adopting a serious expression, Chloe replied, "We also promised to do everything in our power to help Miyu restore her world, but we've spent the last year and a half just sitting around, getting all buddy-buddy with the Kuja Tribe. At this rate, it would take decades for us to collect all the Install Cards, and that's if our enemies come searching for us in the first half of the Grand Line."

Directing her gaze to Thomas, Chloe asked, "You're able to track down and locate Install Cards, right?"

Though he didn't want to get caught up in the twin-like girls' squabble, Thomas eventually replied, "Yes, but collecting them is another matter. I empathize with your girls' plight, but I'm not really looking to 'speed-run' my way through this world. My goal is to reach the pinnacle with my own strength, so while I intend to use the Install Cards to expand my skill set, I don't plan to prioritize collecting them."

Shrugging her shoulders, Chloe replied, "That's fine by me. I'm just tired of sitting around on my butt, waiting for some action. There isn't much to do here besides hunting, fishing, and fighting in the arena, so a change of scenery would be nice."

As beneficial as it would be to have someone intimately familiar with Install Cards and Magecraft among his allies, Thomas didn't hesitate to shake his head, stating, "If all you want is a change of pace, set sail with the Kuja Pirates. You don't need to form a contract with me to travel the Grand Line."

Without missing a beat, Chloe replied, "Yeah, but traveling with you lets me catalog any Install Cards you uncover while also keeping tabs on any we lend out to you. Even if you're super trustworthy, we're fighting for the fate of an entire world. If you were in our situation, would you sit back and entrust everything to a person you just met...?"

Nodding his head, Thomas admitted, "You make a fair point..." before crossing his arms and adding, "But you fail to account for one important factor..."

Tilting her head to the side, Chloe asked, "And what might that be...?"

Though it made him feel like an asshole, Thomas replied, "I didn't come to this world to help you and your friends restore yours. I don't mind handing over any Install Cards we happen to find, but having you accompany us would be a perpetual reminder of your plight, affecting every decision we make along the way. We have enough on our plates as is. We don't need that kind of stress in our lives..."

Finding herself at a loss for words, Chloe plopped onto the sofa and fell silent, staring at Thomas with a blank look on her face. The presence of Vivi and Astolfo had led her to believe that Thomas would be a fairly easy mark that she could influence with a bit of 'enticement.' She didn't expect him to respond with such a...reasonable argument.

Inserting herself into the conversation, Ruby said, "Now, now, no need to make a decision right this instant. We're all ultimately on the same side, so I'm certain we can reach an agreement that benefits both parties."

Floating in front of Thomas, Ruby 'stared' at him with the tiny gemstones he assumed were her eyes, asking, "You seek the Caster Cards to expand your understanding and capabilities with Magecraft, correct? While that's certainly a possibility with prolonged use, the knowledge and experience associated with the cards disappear when they're 'unincluded.' If it were possible to retain the abilities of the Heroic Spirits invoked by the Install Cards, Illya and Miyu would have the combined might of every card we've collected over the past three and a half years."

Before Thomas could respond, Ruby explained, "When 'included,' Install Cards integrate the knowledge and experience of the user with the Heroic Spirit they invoke. The integration is so seamless that you'll feel like their knowledge and experience have 'always' been a part of you. However, the moment you uninclude the card, that sensation will vanish. Your memories of the battle will remain, but attempting to focus on them is tantamount to recalling specific aspects of a dream."

Floating over to Illya, Ruby coiled atop the befuddled girl's head like a snake, adding, "That's where we come in. If someone else includes the card, you can learn the skills directly from them. Chloe has even inherited the knowledge and experience accumulated by the Einzbern Family over the past 800 years. That includes knowledge of the Third Magic, Heaven's Feel. With your Mana-Mana-no-Mi, you may be able to complete the ritual and gain access to the Root, freeing you from the control of our Creator."

Blinking in surprise, Thomas asked, "Seriously?" in a disbelieving tone. The reason Zelretch was powerful was because he had gained access to the Second Magic, Kaleidoscope. If he could acquire the Third, he would be among the most powerful beings across all realities. Thus, while it was certainly a possibility, Thomas couldn't help thinking Ruby was talking out of whatever sufficed as her ass...

Understanding Thomas's skepticism, Ruby shrugged her feathery appendages and said, "With enough Mana, anything is possible. You just so happen to have access to a functionally infinite supply and an ageless body. If you put your nose to the grindstone and apply yourself, there is nothing you can't do."

Furrowing his brows, Thomas adopted a serious expression. As thankful as he was to Zelretch, the elderly vampire's 'interventions' had given him a strong desire to break free from the man's control. He seriously doubted he could become the wielder of a True Magic, but giving up without trying was the same as renouncing his freedom. In the worst-case scenario, he could even end up like the 'original' Shirou, serving as Zelretch's personal Counter Guardian for an eternity...

Though he couldn't help feeling he was walking directly into Zelretch's trap, Thomas nodded his head, meeting Chloe's gaze as he said, "Fine. I still plan to do my own thing, but Ruby makes a lot of good points. So long as you don't try and dictate my actions, I don't mind if you accompany us on our journey..."

Pumping her fists, Chloe responded with a triumphant "Yosh~!" before adopting a broad smile as she said, "Now we just need to form a contract. My body practically hemorrhages Magical Energy, so I need to constantly resupply."

While he had never watched the Fate Kaleid anime, Thomas had acquired Chloe in FGO and seen several GIFs associated with the series. Just to be certain, he asked, "And how, exactly, do we form this contract...?"

Leaning over the table, Chloe replied, "It's embarrassing to say out loud. Why don't you lend me an ear...?"

Interrupting before Thomas could call Chloe out, Illya stammered, "N-N-Now, hold on just a minute! We still need to discuss things with Shirou-nii and Miyu! You can't just go making decisions on your own! And Ruby, why are you encouraging them...!?"

Shrugging her feathery appendages, Ruby sighed before saying, "Chloe is right. It's been nearly a year and a half since we settled here, and you and Miyu have become complacent. You even started treating Miyu's Onii-san as your own..."

Flying over to Thomas, Ruby hovered above his head, asserting, "I'm pretty sure this big fella was sent here to remind us that there are worlds beyond this one. If we're going to save Miyu's world and stop Darius, we can't stay here, waiting for things to change. Don't forget that Rin, Luvia, Tanaka, and countless others are waiting for us..."

With a clearly conflicted look on her face, Illya replied, "I know all of that, okay? It's just that even with the Grade-8 Archer Card, we couldn't defeat a Marine Admiral. If we appear on the open seas again, the Marines might send one to try and capture us. Then everything we've worked so hard to obtain will be lost..."

Exhaling another sigh, even though she didn't have a visible mouth, Ruby responded to Illya's words by stating, "And this is why Chloe wanted to go alone. You haven't given up, but you've allowed yourself to be weighed down by despair. At this rate, we can only achieve our goals by relying on 'external' factors."

Plopping down on Thomas's head, Ruby asserted, "My Creator must have sent this man here for a reason. With the power of the Mana-Mana-no-Mi, he could be the key to defeating the Admirals, overthrowing the Celestial Dragons, and collecting the remaining Install Cards."

Resisting the urge to grab Ruby from his head, Thomas flatly remarked, "I'm right here, you know..."

Leaning forward to look Thomas in the eye, Ruby asked, "Am I wrong? If your desire is to stand at the pinnacle of the world, you'll naturally have to depose those already there. Our goals are aligned, so be a good boy and let big sister Ruby do all the talking, okay?"

Raising her 'face,' Ruby looked toward Illya, her voice making it sound as though she was smiling as she said, "Don't worry. Illya can be pretty slow to act, but she's fairly reliable when she does. She just needs someone to give her a light push. What do you think, Shirou-san~?"

In response to Ruby's words, Shirou emerged from the hallway with a wry smile. What he said next all but forced the matter of Thomas lending them a hand...

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..

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(A/N: We lost power for a few hours just when I was going to start writing. It's still storming, but I'll see about releasing a few more before the next reset.)