Spider Dangling in the Wind

A lone ship sat in drifting on the sea, towering above the waves that dare challenged its supremacy. It was none other than, Justice, the behemoth of a flagship belonging to the Yonko, Daddy L. Legs. Upon the bow of the behemoth sat none other than the Head Scientist of the whole operation, Thatch Vincent. He was currently fiddling with a small sphere as he hummed lightly to himself. As he cheerfully worked out the kinks in his newest projects something appeared on his haki radar, a figure approaching the ship at an extremely fast speed, it'd be there in a second. Thatch tossed his invention to the ground and looked up, poison hydras already at the ready. However he was met with a familiar smug grin, it was his old friend Wynn Erin. "Speeding at our ship so recklessly. I was about to lay you out right here on this deck you know." Thatch laughed, grinning happily at Erin.

"You know I would've dropped you." Erin replied, his smug smile becoming warmer as he touched down on the deck and gave Thatch a large hug. "It's been quite a while."

"It has, hasn't it." Thatch replied, returning the hug. "And for the record you seem like you're better at catching than dropping."

"You heard about Skypiea huh, news travels fast I guess." He broke the hug, leaning against the side of the ship.

"Especially when you've got informants everywhere you tend to pick things up, luckily you didn't scare too many people with that stunt. Just everyone who saw a part of a gigantic dragon above Jaya. The people of Skypiea seem to like you though, saving their island and all." Thatch continued, pocketing his device and joining Erin.

"I'm just glad they're safe, dude who was trying to sink it was a real nut job." He sighed.

"Oh that was one of ours." Thatch replied casually.

"That was ONE OF WHAT!" Erin shouted, turning to Thatch dramatically. "Why is he here part of your crew? He's crazy."

"We're all pretty crazy Erin, I literally turned a rowboat into a sentient being the other day." The scientist laughed as he pulled out a Den Den Mushi. He tapped a couple buttons and it began to ring briefly before someone picked up on the other end. "Oi Legs come on out to the bow, Erin is visiting us and I think he grew a little two." He shouted before turning his head to Erin. "You been eating your vegetables?"

Legs stepped out from the large interior of the ship, its inner workings constructed as a sort of ivory palace that extended hundreds of feet into the air. Her crew had bedrooms of their own, bathrooms of their own, and rooms dedicated to honing their latent gifts. It was a ship that even with enhancements from Legs to the shipwrights, bestowing them with instruments that could increase their creativity, efficiency, etc., it still took months of constant work to even complete. She had been pleased with the results and had decided to hold on to those shipwrights personally to maintain her ship, to ensure that nothing had gone wrong with it. They were considerate afterall, they had made the doorways and hallways thirty feet tall so that Legs could pass through without crouching.

“Ah, so this is the famed Erin that I’ve heard so much about,” Legs announced joyously. “I’m delighted that you’ve come to visit us in our native lands; I hope that the trip, because I imagine that It must have been quite a trip to arrive here from Skypeia, which I’ll take personal responsibility for in initiating my apology. Oh my, I’m rambling in my formalities. How was your trip? That’s the gist of what I am trying to ask.”

"Ahh thank you Empress. It is great to finally meet you as well. Though Thatch has probably told you, I'd like to personally thank you again for letting me use Rusukaina." Erin spoke, adding a small bow. Though he wasn't much for authority, Legs was both the the boss of one of his friends and someone who had aided him. Not to mention she was one of the four Yonko. "It wasn't much, I'm quite quick and I had a lot of energy to burn."

"Heh, does Redbeard know you're out here?" Thatch spoke, grinning at Erin.

"Redbeard split up the crew and left us." He groaned, "I'm so sick of this, first Veno then Redbeard. It's tiring."

"Well you Veno you left behind didn't you." Thatch pointed out.

"Yeah I did, because the man is a god dammed monster, he's just another evil on the seas." He sighed.

"He is?" Legs inquired interestingly, leaning forward ever so slightly towards Erin. "Please, tell me more about Veno? What type of man is he? What type of captain? If you aren't aware, Veno and I are currently affiliates in some sort of the manner. That is one thing the newspaper from a while ago detailing the events of Elbaf managed to correctly deduce," Legs chipped. "Anyway, go on. Tell me about Veno! Tell me about his strengths, weaknesses. Everything."

"You're working with him? Good luck with that." Erin scoffed, "That man is nothing but a mindless killer. He slaughters innocents and attempts to murder his own crew in the name of nothing." He paused for a moment. "He's also just a one track mind, never appreciating anything or anyone. I wish I'd killed him back then, when I had the chance. I held his life in the palm of my hand and yet I still attempted to see good in him, what a terrible mistake on my part." Erin ran his hand through his hair. "If I were you I'd just kill him and be done with it, everything he touches is tainted. It's annoying enough that my bounty keeps going up cause everyone thinks I'm still associated with him."

"That's interesting news, enlightening almost. He never demonstrated that murderous tendency to me, the ruthlessness that has made him so notorious among the pirates of this realm, the cruelty that made Fuyuki turn away from me during our encounter on Elbaf to deal with him," Legs listed casually, her voice almost growing excited at the thought of Veno's craft. "In fact, I thought the rumors about him were incorrect. When he introduced himself to me, he was kind, respectful, humble even. Yes, this is a good thing indeed that you've told me this. He's worthy of keeping around for now anyways."

Legs smiled at Erin. "Speaking of, when are you going to allow yourself to be of use to me, Erin? When will you join my crew?"

Erin shrugged, "You're the one dealing with him, not me." Erin laughed. He however raised an eyebrow at Legs' next, remark. Him, a member of the Black Widow Pirates? It was an extremely odd thought. He looked to Thatch in hope of some context but the man was heavily preoccupied with that sphere of his. "Be of use? What do you even want me for?" Erin asked, still baffled by the request. What could a Yonko want with him. Sure he knew almost every Marine route, but that information was something that didn't really require many of his services. That was just an exchange of information. Why the request to join her crew?

"You're a powerful name on the seas, Erin. You're aware of this," Legs begun, "And in this world, names hold weight. There are some people willing to track you to the end of seas in search of fame and glory, others for what they'll call revenge, and some because their captain told them to. A man's motivation is best left to himself." She gazed off in the direction of the sea. "When I was a child, if you are not aware, there were people who wanted me dead for crimes I had yet to commit, for rebellions that I hadn't even thought to start." She turned back towards Erin, her eyes wet with resolve. "My goal is to create a world where my loved ones can live in eternal peace, unprotected. A world where children can grow up, unharmed, and nurtured. There is no doubt that you can offer me your wisdom, talents, powers, even the respect that comes with your name alone. But, what you could offer me more than all is the idea that Thatch's friend is safe, and protected by my name."

"I suppose my name is known, granted no one has seen me in over three years, supposing that that incident in Skypiea was unheard of as well. My name exists right now but it doesn't mean much, they haven't even updated my bounty posters." He shrugged, reclining into the air like it was a chair to him. "I appreciate your words and story, I too wish for a world that does not simply kill without abandon and spread its many conflicts into the lives of those who do not wish to be part of them." His face held a small smile on it as he stared at the Yonko. "However, while I like both you and Thatch, I don't really want to just follow another person. It has ended again and again with nothing and I'd rather not tie myself down anymore." He continued, his words finally grabbing Thatch's attention, causing the man to look between him and Legs. "I mean no disrespect, I just don't wish for that again."

Legs looked at Erin with a fraught silence, before shrugging her shoulders casually. "Ah, no worries then. Perfectly understandable. You'll come around soon, they always do. Once you explore my territories, witness the happiness of the people, you'll change your mind. However, if you are not a member of my crew, then you are a guest, and you will be treated accordingly. Feel free to dine on any foods you desire, sleep in any rooms you want, interact with any women that you may. Um....consensually, I mean. Anyway, feel free to do so, and tell them you are under the direct guise of Legs herself. They'll bill it too my treasury. In fact," Legs begun, clenching her fist. When she opened her hand, a golden, almost metallic web in the shape of her face. "You show that, and they'll understand what it means."

Erin let out a small laugh. "Geez, Thatch was the sex that good? That why you're still here?" He grinned at the his friend only to be met with a cold look.

"Please do not joke about my boss like that Wynn, I could kill you were you stand." Thatch spoke coldly, literal venom oozing from his mouth. “Whether I’m busy or not matters little,” Legs informed casually, looking towards her nearest cabin boy and beckoning them towards her with her finger. “I’ll need you to arrange transportation for both Erin and I. Tell them to prepare the train for us in approximately ten minutes time. I believe that should be enough time.” Legs snapped her fingers, “Oh oh, and please inform Isshin that I will be escorting Erin around Wano, and that I would like for some of the crew to meet up with us for dinner in the palace. Make it something good too, I could do seafood, maybe some Alabastan style cooking too. The meal doesn’t matter much for me.” The cabin boy nodded in agreement and hastily scurried towards the lower decks of the ship and towards the docks below him.

“I hope you don’t mind trains, Erin. My shipwrights recommended that they build railroads across my territory for faster transportation. They did a wonderful job too if I say so myself. Have you ever taken a train before, Erin?”