Chapter 36: Peeling Back the Veil

Chapter 36: Peeling Back the Veil

Though Smoker initially tried to usher him to a bar, Thomas insisted they have their discussion in a nearby alleyway. The spirits and wines of One Piece didn't suit his palate, and he had no intention of allowing himself to be entrapped or sedated into a confession.

After reaching said alleyway, Smoker crossed his arms and asked, "Who are you, and what brings you to Loguetown?"

Mirroring Smoker's posture, Thomas replied, "Thomas Jensen. As for the reason I'm, it should be fairly apparent. I'm preparing to enter the Grand Line to hunt down Pirates with higher Bounties."

Furrowing his furrowed brows further, Smoker asked, "So, you're a Bounty Hunter?"

Nodding his head, Thomas appended, "I used to belong to the Wild Hunt, the Bounty Hunting company responsible for turning over Arlong and his crew. There aren't any notable Bounties left in the East Blue, so I'm going to enter the Grand Line to test my strength and try to make these seas a bit safer."

"If that was your intent, you could always join the Marines..." asserted Smoker.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Thomas replied, "Don't look at me as if I'm some snot-nosed brat who doesn't know how the world works. While the average Marine is undoubtedly on the side of justice, corruption runs rampant throughout your ranks. Besides, if I have the option of being paid a fixed salary and earning tens of millions hunting Pirates on my own, why would I willfully place myself in the service of others?"

Exhaling a large plume of smoke, Smoker's expression hardened as he said, "No long-lasting organization is free from corruption and nepotism. So long as you're powerful, you would be able to rise through the ranks and change things from the inside..."

Shrugging his shoulders, Thomas replied, "I wish you the best of luck doing exactly that. As for me, I relish my freedom and the prospect of increasing my wealth. More importantly, my position as a Bounty Hunter allows me to target Pirates that are considered 'off-limits' to the average Marine. Your organization drafted a provision that legalized piracy for the Seven Warlords, and some of those asshats are at the top of my shit list in terms of Pirates who deserve to be put behind bars."

Suspecting that Thomas may have been victimized by one of the Seven Warlords, Smoker gave up trying to convince him to join the Marines. The minds of people who sought revenge were nearly impossible to change, so he exhaled a plume of smoke from his nose and said, "Fine. You seem like a decent enough guy, so I'll let you off with a warning this time. Next time, don't run away from the Marines. You'll only cause an even greater misunderstanding."

Smiling wryly, Thomas replied, "I can't make any promises. I mean, just look at me. I don't exactly give people the impression of a disarming and reasonable person. And you know how 'sensitive' young Marines can be, especially when you put a rifle in their hands. When they feel threatened, they would rather shoot first and ask questions later."

As there was a considerable amount of truth to Thomas's words, Smoker exhaled a thick plume of smoke in the form of a sigh. Thomas was around 40cm taller than him and possessed a broad, muscular frame, sword-like eyebrows, sharp, hazel-brown eyes, and overall rugged features. He was far from the tallest and most physically intimidating man in the world, but it wasn't difficult to imagine poorly trained Marines shaking in their boots when they encountered him.

Shaking his head, Smoker decided to change topics, asking, "That power you utilized before...was that Haki? Have you already traversed the Grand Line?"

Raising his hand, Thomas condensed a small amount of Magical Energy around his fist as he replied, "I am familiar with the concept of Haki, but this is the power of a Devil Fruit, the Mana-Mana-no-Mi. I'm not going to go into the specifics, but it functions similarly to Armament Haki against inexperienced Logia users. No offense."

Exhaling smoke through his nose, Smoker turned around and said, "Stay out of trouble," before taking off like a rocket toward the city square. He now had all the information he needed to complete a profile on Thomas, so he would leave it to the higher-ups to decide whether or not the man was a threat that needed to be apprehended or eliminated...

Immediately following Smoker's departure, Benienma appeared out of nowhere, revealing, "Nami is safe back at the Going Merry, dechi. Shall we return to our companions, or does Master have other matters to attend...?"

Shaking his head, Thomas answered, "Nah, I've seen enough. And thanks for looking after Nami for me."

Puffing out her non-existent chest, Benienma replied, "Of course. There is a possibility that Nami-dechi will become one of my Lord's Seishitsu in the future. Benienma will do her best to ensure her safety."

Hearing yet another new word from the petite sparrow, Thomas raised his brows and asked, "What's a Seishitsu...?"

"Seishitsu is the official wife of a high-ranking official or Lord, positioning them above Sokushitsu, the designation of concubines and mistresses. It is only a matter of time before Master becomes a Lord, so there is a need to secure your successor, dechi."

Though he had learned to appreciate Benienma's 'dedication,' Thomas couldn't help smiling wryly when the petite sparrow mentioned securing a successor. If he wanted children, he would have had them long before he turned thirty-six. He was also twice Nami's age and 'much' larger than she was, so he only hesitated for a brief moment before asserting, "If I'm to have a 'Seishitsu,' it will likely be a woman named Yamato. I still want you to ensure Nami's safety, but don't say or do anything to pressure her into becoming my wife..."

Lowering her head and cupping her hands together, Benienma replied, "Understood, dechi." It didn't matter to her who Thomas's first wife was, so long as he had plans to marry and produce a successor. He could also adopt one, but she considered it one of her duties to ensure at least one person existed to perpetuate his line...

Unaware of Benienma's thoughts, Thomas was about to suggest they return to the Going Merry when a deep, gravelly voice caused both him and the petite Oni to tense as it remarked, "The two of you are not of this world...how curious."

Accompanying the voice, seemingly materializing out of thin air, was a man wearing a dark-green cloak. The moment Thomas met the man's piercing eyes, it was like every nerve in his body tensed, freezing him in place. At the same time, Benienma appeared in front of him, hand on her sword as she warned, "Withdraw your intent, or I will be forced to cut you down, dechi..."

Talents: None

Natural Enemy: Himself

[Parameters]

Strength: E(13)

Endurance: E(17)

Agility: E(13)

Mana: EX(*)

Luck: EX(*)

NP: Unknown

[Class Skills]

N/A

[Personal Skills]

Wayward Traveler(EX), Mana-Mana-no-Mi(EX), Self-Doubt(C), Monstrous Strength(C-), Cooking(D), Lesser Regeneration(E)

Wayward Traveler(EX): A unique but ultimately useless Skill denoting the bearer as someone who has transcended their original world and chanced upon another by happenstance.

Mana-Mana-no-Mi(EX): The bearer has a unique constitution capable of generating and emitting a functionally infinite amount of Mana.

Self-Doubt(C): The bearer is plagued by a lack of confidence, sabotaging themselves and diminishing their capabilities.

Monstrous Strength(C-): The bearer is capable of drastically increasing their strength, speed, and durability but lacks proper control, causing him to damage himself in the process.

Cooking(E): Barely qualified to help prepare ingredients, dechi.

Lesser Regeneration(E): After consuming highly nutritious food over a lengthy period, the user has gained the ability to regenerate faster than an ordinary human.

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(A/N: I will most likely be posting an AUX Chapter that includes the profiles and parameters of each character, as well as an explanation of how Paramters function. If not today, then sometime in the near future.)