Ravelings of Fate

We thought we were prepared
It had been hours since the fleet surrounded the island trapping whatever pirates rested there in its borders. The country had managed to contract an army of voyagers using their vast sums of gold, acquired from years of successful trade with other nations. Yet, even still, the men and women that rested on the beaches, their guns pointed towards the enormous fleet encapsulating them, stood resilient to protect their homeland from the potential invader, the queen of the seas herself, Daddy L. Legs: a Yonko.

James, a relatively new recruit to the country’s army, smiled as he prepared to face the oncoming assault.

“Watcha smiling about? In this situation…with our army? You’re crazy,” an older gentleman announced, his hair grayed, and his voice raspy as he sucked the last bits of liquor from his empty bottle.

James was disappointed in his squadron leader, a man whose reputation had brought him to apply to the army on the basis of working under him. At this point, he was used to his pessimism. “Because I’m about to fight for our country. That’s why. Don’t think we’re all like you,” James replied swiftly.

“Oooh, yet to give in eh?” the captain inquired amusingly. “Good. The nobles must be twitching with delight. But, what do you really know about these Yonko, these supposed legends?” James’ grew more attentive.

The captain, Ironwood, pointed towards the fleet. “Let’s take Legs for one…Born a sickly child, her parents, in desperation fed her a devil fruit in efforts to restore her fleeting life. Their gamble worked, and she survived, and with that survival came immense strength. She became a proper woman, a warrior willing to lead to her clan to greatness, and eventually threatened the natural order of Wano, the country of the ninja and samurai, and other sword-wielding freaks. Her might however, caused her own people to betray her, to surrender her to the nobles of her country to condemn her to death.”

“T-they what?” James jumped, his voice more surprised than angry at the tale. “S-she led them greatness and they betrayed her? What the heck?!”

Ironwood chuckled. “She escaped though, and in the world, she learned the truths of her abilities. When she ruminated on the darkness of her curse, it inspired visions of power and might. She knew the path would be arduous, but she held no fear. She, a woman beloved by all souls, the ancestors to all spiders, would devour the gods themselves.” James eyes grew wide.

“Midway, however, she devoured men and other creatures, obtaining their strengths and using their strengths to conquer fragments of our world. So then, the World Government declared her a Yonko, not for virtue, or for recognition, but for might…So I ask, James, do we have a sodding chance?”

Angrily, James leaped forward. “Course we can! Who in the hell says we can’t, ya know?” His hands clutched the beginnings of Ironwood’s flak jacket tightly. Nonchalantly, Ironwood gestured in the direction of the fleet as one lone ship moved poked from formation and headed towards the island. “What’d ya think that ship is there, boy?”

“Enya, take us forward, and let’s ensure that we don’t encounter any issues on our way there. The justice shouldn’t have to suffer any damage in this little excursion,” Legs ordered briefly over a Den Den Mushi. Though they were on the same ship, Justice was simply titanic, and was often called a moving fortress by those who encounter it; It was imbued with so much fire power that it could unleash a fury stronger than any Buster Call the Marines could issue. Afterall, the weapons, the sails, everything, were a product, either directly, or indirectly, by Legs’ innovations. She loved providing instruments for her workers to use, and using those instruments, they brought about a greatness that would have taken them lifetimes to learn.

Legs stood on the edge of her ship, her massive frame overshadowed by even bigger cannons that rested on her side, pointed in the direction of the island that her own ship seemed to overlook.

“Um, Empress Legs…” Enya started over her the Den Den Mushi, “Can you tell me why we’re here again? I mean, I was paying attention except during the meeting.”

Legs sighed. “Enya, this land is a valuable trading outpost that we can use to exchange information and other goods with pirates. It’s the closest thing to a pirate paradise since it has open shores to all, despite being affiliated with the World Government.”

“Right!”

“You weren’t paying attention again, were you?” Legs inquired.

“Sort of! Um, just…I’m a little busy, so in like one sentence, sum it up!”

“Island has a lot of money, Enya.”

Enya chuckled. “Gotcha boss! We’ll dock shortly then.”

“Yes, you do that,” Legs started. “Meet me there soon then.” She dropped the Den Den Mushi onto her deck, and ferociously leapt from her deck, tilting her own ship downwards from the sheer force as she tore across the open waters.

“What the hell!?” Ironwood leapt up, pushing James off of him. “Did something?! Who the?” Before he could issue the order, another soldier had already taken the liberty to lift his binoculars in her direction. “She-She just fucking jumped?”

“All the way from out there?” James interrupted as he stood next to Ironwood. “That’s at least five miles at sea, if not more! Is she crazy?”

“No,” Ironwood commented, “She’s simply that powerful, kiddo. Didn’t ya listen to my lecture? She’s a Yonko, and not only that, she’s considered the best of them all. This era’s whitebeard.” He looked onwards intensely, hoping to spot glimpse of her in the ocean. “Listen, James, kiddo! Get Minnie! She’ll know what to do!”

“Yes please,” Legs replied as she stood behind both the men who had been staring carelessly into the ocean. Their breaths froze as her shadow encapsulated them. “Please do grab this Minnie. If she’s in charge, I would love to speak with her about your surrender.”

Her tone grew even more confident, if not alluring almost, as if she was speaking to children. "You do plan on surrendering, right?"