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Chapter 55: Written as Shell, Read as Dial (R-18)
The Great Mary Geoise Mind-Blowing Operation!! According to the original plan, the only slaves we were going to rescue were Moria and Absalom. However, because of my selfishness, we ended up deciding to liberate every single slave held captive in Mary Geoise. I just couldn't bring myself to abandon them…
Between scattering Piranha Plant seeds, Densuke sending out telepathic messages, and Esune running around like crazy, we somehow managed to gather all the slaves in Mary Geoise into one place… However…
"Uhh~… is this everyone?"
⌁ "Nin. This is everyone Densuke could communicate with. Perona and Moriya haven't arrived yet, though." ⌁
"I see… How many people are here in total?"
⌁ "Ji? Jiii...… A lot." ⌁
The location was the Central Plaza of Mary Geoise. As far as the eye could see, it was just people! People! People! A literal mountain of slaves! There were Fish-Men, Giants, Dwarves, Minks, and a few non-humanoid species mixed in… but that wasn't the main issue. In my previous life, I once watched a super idol hold a concert for 100,000 people on TV, but there were probably even more people gathered in this plaza right now. Were there really this many slaves…? The darkness of this world runs deep.
"Angel-sama~!"
"Explosive-Breasts Apron Bunny Goddess-sama~!"
"Chibi-God-sama~!"
"Please save us!"
"We're begging you! We're begging you…!"
"I don't want to be a slave anymore!"
"I want to go… home…!"
"Please help us, please help us, please help us!"
Densuke, Esune, and I were hovering in the air above the Central Plaza. The slaves were bowing furiously, offering prayers directly to us. It felt less like an idol concert and more like some kind of religion. …Whoever just called me 'Chibi-God-sama', step forward. I just want to talk.
"T-There are so many of them… Big Brother… how are we supposed to evacuate all these people?"
Faced with the unexpected numbers, the Explosive-Breasts Apron Bunny Goddess-sama, Esune, was panicking. Unlike us, the slaves couldn't just fly away to escape.
"Even if we use the Bondolas, there's no way everyone will fit at once, right? W-We'll have to make several trips back and forth…"
Mary Geoise sits at the very summit of the Red Line, higher than the clouds. The only conventional way up or down is by using the Bondolas (bubble gondolas). But if we wasted time slowly moving people in those sluggish transports, the Admirals would definitely catch us. Worst case scenario, we might even run face-first into an Admiral coming up on a Bondola.
"Which is why the Bondola plan is rejected!" I declared, making an X with my arms. Bzzzt.
"T-Then what should we do…?"
"Fuhehe! Don't worry. I've already thought this through! To let this many slaves escape, we're going to…"
"Going to…?"
"Use Densuke's power again!"
"Den-chan's?"
⌁ "Ji?" ⌁
I pointed confidently at Densuke. That's right. By using Densuke's power, we could safely evacuate every single slave from Mary Geoise. How? Before I explain, let's briefly review Densuke's abilities.
Densuke is an Angel Transponder Snail who ate the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Angel. Using this power, she can connect her soul to the souls of others. Once connected, she can communicate via telepathy. That's her core ability. However, this soul connection… doesn't just apply to the living. Incredibly, she can connect with the souls of the dead who have passed on to the afterlife. While it comes with the restriction that she must be physically touching the corpse… Densuke can still communicate with the souls of the deceased.
When I was half-dead, melting from Akainu's magma, the voice that called me back from the brink was indeed Densuke's. …And here is where things get really important… During my one-year training, I mentioned finding an uninhabited Sky Island during flight training, right? This story traces back to then. While exploring that Sky Island, we discovered a massive number of "seashells."
Whoa! We found a Sky Island while flying! Amazing!
↓
There are tons of seashells lying around!? They look rare, let's take some home as souvenirs.
↓
Showing the shells to Ray-san: "Hmm… Dials, huh? Where did you find these?""""Dials?"""
That was the sequence of events. We asked Ray-san for more details about the mysterious seashells from the Sky Island, the Dials. According to him, depending on the type, these incredibly convenient shells could absorb and release various forms of energy. An Impact Dial could absorb and release kinetic shocks… A Flame Dial could absorb and release fire… A Flavor Dial could absorb and release smells… A Milky Dial could absorb and release clouds… The variety was incredibly diverse.
"Wow~, that's amazing. For example, if we got a Flavor Dial to absorb Big Brother's scent, I could smell Big Brother anytime, anywhere."
"Eh!? Esune… do I really smell that much?"
Anyway, while we were messing around and playing with the Dials…
⌁ "Ji…? Jiii... Wow, really…" ⌁
Holding an Impact Dial, Densuke was muttering to herself, seemingly holding a conversation. And then…
⌁ "Jiii, umm… if I do this, then this!" ⌁
BOOM!!!
"!!??" x4
An impact suddenly exploded outward from the palm of Densuke's hand. It didn't come from the Impact Dial. It came from her palm.
"Wha!? What was that!? D-Densuke!? How did you do that?"
⌁ "Jiii, umm, well, when I connected my soul with Impact Dial-kun's soul… I could just do it." ⌁
"I-Impact Dial-kun…?"
…Ah, right. As long as Densuke is touching a corpse, she can connect with its soul. And Dials… are the skeletal remains of shellfish… Which meant Densuke could connect her soul with the Dials… Logic dictated it was entirely possible. But why did she suddenly gain the ability to use the Dial's power!? Was it because her soul resonated particularly well with shellfish? Huh…
⌁ "Niii~♪ Master! Look, look! Densuke can use lots of different moves now! Impact! Flame! Axe! Jet! Flash!" ⌁
BOOM!! FWOOSH! SLASH! RAAAAAWH!! FLASH!
"Uwoooooooh!? DON'T DO THAT INSIDE THE HOUSE!!"
...And that's basically what happened. In short, what I'm trying to say is… as long as she is physically touching a Dial, Densuke can use the Dial's power directly from her own body as much as she wants. She practically gained a cheat ability. End of explanation! Back to the present.
"So, what I need Densuke to do right now is use the power of a Dial to help the slaves escape!"
⌁ "Nin! Understood! Which Dial should I use?" ⌁
"The one we need right now is the Milky Dial! I want you to make a cloud path leading all the way down! Can you do it?"
⌁ "Ji! Leave it to me, Master!" ⌁
Densuke equipped the Milky Dial. And then—
⌁ "Here I go! A-n-g-e-l C-o-m-b-a-t! Milky Road!" ⌁
As Densuke held her hands out, a path of dense, solid clouds began to billow outward, extending rapidly into the distance. It was a somewhat mystical sight. Seeing it, the slaves erupted in excited cheers.
⌁ "Jiii~~!" ⌁
Densuke flew off, continuously extending the cloud path as she went. By equipping the Milky Dial, Densuke could freely generate pathways of cloud just like this.
"I get it! If there isn't an escape route, we just have to make one!"
"Fuhehe! Exactly. And once the cloud path is ready… it's time for this to shine! Special Pop Greeeeens!"
I pulled more seeds out of my hat.
"?? Big Brother. Are you going to summon more Piranha-chans?"
"Nope, wrong. What ever made you think Piranha Plants were the only Special Pop Greens I made?"
"Eh…"
"Let me show you! Line-brand Special Pop Green! No. 2! I call it… the King Size Boaty Banana!!"
I tossed the seeds onto the newly formed cloud path. And then—
Poof!
A humongous banana boat—easily large enough to carry 1000 normal-sized humans—materialized out of nowhere.
"""Uwooooooooooh!!"""
The prisoners gasped in awe at the sudden appearance of the massive banana boat. Even Esune's eyes were wide with shock. Amazing, right?! You can act even more surprised if you want! Fuhehehehe!
"Wow♡ Amazing♡ Big Brother's… massive, magnificent banana…♡"
Is it just my corrupted mind, or did that sound incredibly dirty?
"E-Ehem. This King Size Boaty Banana is a ridiculously huge banana boat I created by selectively breeding a type of Pop Green called the 'Boaty Banana'. Not only can it float on clouds like this, but in an emergency, it can even be eaten as delicious emergency rations!"
Bigness is romance. I love everything big. So, I made these ridiculously massive banana boats mostly just for fun as a hobby… but I never expected they'd actually see use in a situation like this. Preparedness pays off!
"Here we go! King Size Boaty Banana: Full Bloom~!"
I continued scattering seeds rapidly. There were roughly 100,000 slaves. Each King Size Boaty Banana held 1000 people. I brought about 300 seeds with me, so let's see... Yeah, everyone will probably fit! Probably.
⌁ "Jiii! Master! I extended the Milky Road all the way down to the sea! I think it'll hold for about 30 minutes!" ⌁
"Niiiice!"
Flapping her wings, Densuke returned. Alright, preparations were complete.
"Alright, all you slaves! Climb aboard the King Size Boaty Bananas! We're riding this cloud path down and escaping Mary Geoise!"
"""Uwooooooooh!!!!"""
"Ah, please board in an orderly fashion from the front! No cutting in line!"
"""Understood! Chibi-God-sama!"""
"Who the hell is Chibi-God-sama!?"
Load 1000 people, depart! Load 1000 people, depart! One by one, we systematically launched the banana boats. We had to rush and get everyone out before the Admirals arrived.
"Line! I'm back! Sorry to keep you waiting!"
"Ki~shishishishii! Invisible Phantom Thief! Thanks to you, I'm saved! Let me offer my thanks!"
At that moment, Perona returned with a bright smile, having finished her rescue mission for Moria. It looked like she successfully rescued both Moria and Absalom. Thank goodness. …But man, they took a while. Were they doing something else? Hmm…
Whatever. Right now, every single second counted. I needed Perona and Moria to help guide the slaves. I quickly explained the situation.
"Got it! Leave it to me, Line! Horo horo horo!"
"Kishishi! Understood! I just need to pack these guys onto these giant bananas, right?"
"Ah, yeah… please."
Perona was one thing… but Moria was being weirdly compliant. Compared to the Summit War, he looked a little thinner… and the way he was looking at me was practically sparkling with admiration. Creepy! Did he get a character overhaul? …Well, it wasn't a bad thing, so whatever.
"Alright then, let's keep this up and evacuate the rest of the sl—"
"Great Eruption!!!"
With a terrifying roar, an immense mass of heat—a gigantic fist of magma—came hurtling directly toward me.
"—Well, I knew they wouldn't let us escape that easily."
I effortlessly dodged the incoming magma fist.
DOOOOOOOOOM!!!
"Whoa~, high attack power as always. It melted straight through the floor."
I slowly turned around. Standing there was a magma human, his entire body bubbling and boiling violently. Ah~, they finally showed up. And we haven't even finished evacuating all the slaves yet…
"…Invisible Phantom Thief. Why the hell are you still alive… I made absolutely certain you were dead two years ago!!"
An explosive eruption of both body and soul. Yep. It was Old Man Magma, Akainu. …Actually, it wasn't just Akainu. Kizaru and Aokiji had arrived as well. The first time seeing them all together since the Summit War. The Three Admirals… wait, no. Aokiji was promoted to Fleet Admiral, so it was 1 Fleet Admiral & 2 Admirals. What an even more luxurious lineup.
"Ararara… We got a report from the Celestial Dragons that flower monsters were rampaging, but coming here and seeing you… Line. I never imagined you were still alive. Honestly… I'm completely blown away."
"Ooh, you've got the vitality of a cockroach as always, Invisible Phantom Thief~."
Aokiji, wearing an unreadable expression that could have been either surprise or mild amusement, and Kizaru, maintaining his usual aloof, lazy demeanor. Wait, who the hell is a cockroach?!
"…Hey, Line. I highly doubt it, but this whole mess in Mary Geoise… is this all your doing?" Aokiji asked, lazily scratching the back of his head.
I smirked and snorted. "Maybe!"
"'Maybe' my ass. You… why did you have to go and do something like this again?"
"Fuhehe. The parent of a friend of mine got captured and turned into a slave, so I came to save him."
"…"
"And when I got here, I felt bad for the other slaves too… so I decided to just rescue everyone! That's all! Got a problem with that?"
"A problem, you say… Haaaa~… You really are the type to just go and pull off something crazy like this, huh… Seriously, you're a massive pain to deal with…"
Aokiji let out a massive sigh, sporting an expression that was somewhere between angry and amused. Hmm. Still completely impossible to read his emotions.
Bloop, bloop, bubble, bubble… Compared to him, Old Man Magma was wonderfully easy to read. He was radiating pure, unadulterated fury from his entire body.
"…I don't give a damn why the Invisible Phantom Thief attacked Mary Geoise!! He was always a criminal from the start!! That's just the kind of scum he is!!"
Stomping his foot down hard enough to crack the floor, Akainu glared fiercely, veins bulging furiously on his forehead. And the target of Akainu's piercing glare was, of course, me—…Wait, huh? …It wasn't me?
"What pisses me off the most… is YOU, Billion-Hunter Rabbit!!"
"Eh? Me?"
—The target of Akainu's furious glare was Esune, who was standing right next to me. Why!?
"…Listen here! Out of all the Marine candidates, you, Billion-Hunter Rabbit! You were the one I held in the highest regard!!"
"Excuse me!?"
Excuse me!?
"The number of pirates you've captured over these past two years… is a feat no ordinary person could ever replicate. It's impossible without a heart that truly despises evil! That absolute lack of mercy toward criminals!! It resonates perfectly with the 'Absolute Justice' that I uphold! If you joined the Marines! The justice of the Marines would become even more unshakeable… or so I thought…!!"
"…"
"And YET!! Billion-Hunter Rabbit! Why did you reject the Marines' scout!? And why the hell are you standing next to the Invisible Phantom Thief right now!!?"
"…"
"That man is the very evil you should despise!! The absolute worst kind of criminal!! Follow your own justice and join the Marines this instant!!"
"…"
Ah~, it seemed the mental image Akainu had constructed of Esune… was drastically out of sync with who she actually was… Apparently, Akainu had completely deluded himself into believing that Esune was his "kindred spirit." Which couldn't be further from the truth.
"…" Smile.
I shot a quick glance at Esune. She was aiming an incredibly radiant smile directly at Akainu. A smile… but with thick, pulsing anger veins visibly popping on her forehead. S-Scary… I had never seen Esune look like this before…
"Now! Join us and kill the Invisible Phantom Thief!! In the name of 'Absolute Justice'—"
"S h u t y o u r m o u t h ♡"
DOOOOOMMMMNNN!!!
Fueled by Armament Haki, Esune's full-power kick slammed into Akainu's stomach like a cannonball. It was absolutely not a kick that should have ended with a heart mark. If she had used that against an average pirate, the sheer force probably would have sunk their entire ship.
"Gu… Ooooooooogh!!!"
However, as expected of an Admiral… He must have sensed it with Observation Haki. Akainu managed to firmly block Esune's attack. But he couldn't completely disperse the kinetic force, and a small amount of blood flew from his mouth as he coughed. Seriously… Esune is insanely strong…
"Fuuu~… Clean out your ears and listen very closely!! I, Esune, the Billion-Hunter Rabbit! Absolutely despise pirates!! But I hate the Marines just as much!!"
"!!"
"I especially hate YOU, Akainu!! I hate the Celestial Dragons, too! The only person I love… is the Invisible Phantom Thief, Line!!"
"!!?"
"Because I am… the Invisible Phantom Thief Line's… prospective bride—I mean, little sister!!!"
"The… the Invisible Phantom Thief's… little sister, you say…!!?"
O-Oh boy, she actually said it. There's no avoiding a bounty for Esune now. Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji all locked onto us, radiating a chilling, Haki-infused killing intent that made my skin crawl. It looked like the fight was finally starting.
"…Perona, Moria… you two keep focusing on evacuating the slaves…!"
"L-Line, what about you!?"
"We'll… keep these guys occupied for a bit! Let's go! Esune! Densuke! Help me out!"
"Yes! Big Brother!"
⌁ "Nin! Densuke will help Master!" ⌁
Our opponents were a Fleet Admiral & two Admirals… the absolute pinnacle of the Marines' military might. But we weren't going to roll over and lose easily. This was exactly what the one year of training was for!
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