Having just defeated the Fish-Man champion of this arena, Dura, you and Mischa are currently popping the fuck off. Mischa looks like she could practically explode, she's so excited, and all around you the screaming of the crowd watching you is almost deafening. While the announcer is busy yelling about how amazing this is, and generally trying to hype the two of you up, you watch a peculiar man in a suit and sunglasses walk toward you.

As he approaches, he shakes both of your hands curtly, speaking in what sounds like a well-practiced monotone. "It's wonderful to see you've done this well, Miss Kumadori and Mister Pierce. While we will be more than happy to award you your winnings and hold a small ceremony to celebrate your victory, we have business first. My employer, Mister Ekel, would like to see the three of you personally. I expect you three will be pleased to hear the offer he has in store for you..."

As he says, 'you three', you notice Trace walking a short distance behind him, all bandaged up and with his arm in a cast. Suddenly, his smile disappears and the kid goes pale. Just as you notice that, you hear a roaring noise behind you and turn around to see Dura lifting himself back up onto the arena, and he starts charging toward you with blood in his eyes.

As you unsheathe your blade and Mischa adopts her fighting stance, you're both interrupted by the suited man stepping between the two of you and Dura. He calmly holds up a hand, gesturing for the Fish-Man to stop. "Dura, please cease this foolishness. Mister Ekel will not appreciate you breaking the rules of the arena."

Unfortunately, Dura quite clearly has blood in his eyes, yelling, "BOLTON, GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY BEFORE I KILL YOU TOO--"

"Disobedience is sin, Dura.", is all the man needs to say, apparently. The moment the words leave his mouth, Dura stops dead, just standing in place as the anger fades from his eyes. In mere moments, his furious expression becomes a vacant one, and he stands completely still. Blood still leaking from his wounds, he doesn't move again until the man says, "Go to the infirmary, Dura."

With that rollercoaster finished, he turns back around to face you, having kept that same calmness and monotone voice the entire time. "We are very sorry for our former Champion's rudeness, Miss Kumadori and Mister Pierce. I ask that you come with me now."

>Keep quiet and go with the man.
>Ask the suited man what just happened with the Fish Guy.
>Quietly ask Trace and Fleur what happened with the Fish Guy.

>>3271842
>Keep quiet and go with the man.

Might be best to wait til we're alone to ask these questions. Trace will tell us if there's anything dangerous we need to know of, and we don't wanna risk startling them and missing out on meeting the guy we want to take down.

>>3271842
>>Quietly ask Trace and Fleur what happened with the Fish Guy.

>>3271928
Seconding.

Welcome back, QM! Looking forward to the thread!

>>3271842
>Keep quiet and go with the man.

File: Ilha.png (448 KB, 605x406)

448 KB PNG

Nodding, you glance at Fleur for a moment, wondering if she knows anything about whatever just happened. You ignore the thought, however, recognizing that now isn't the time to be asking dangerous questions like that. Instead, the three of you follow behind the man quietly. As he leads you out of the arena, Trace has a hushed conversation with Mischa, mostly just gushing about how amazing she was in that fight, and asking if she's really okay walking around with those wounds.

Mischa brushes off the suggestion that she needs to rest, starting to tell some story about having an open wound for weeks before being interrupted by the suited man. He turns around and gestures toward a small, fancy carriage, informing you that, "You will be riding in here, sirs and madam."

As soon as the three of you have piled into the thing, you're driven off through the town. People seem pretty desperate to get out of the way as your carriage comes down the road, but that's hardly a surprise. As far as you're aware, this carriage belongs to the most powerful man in this town, and you're willing to bet he's not someone most people would like to defend.

>Soon... you'll take down that bastard and save everyone on this island from his tyranny.
>Soon... you'll take down that bastard and Trace will be free to live the life he wants.
>Soon... you'll turn that bastard over to the Marines and get your reward.

>>3272096
>Soon... you'll turn that bastard over to the Marines and get your reward.

>>3272096
>>Soon... you'll turn that bastard over to the Marines and get your reward.

Test

>Soon... you'll take down that bastard and save everyone on this island from his tyranny.

From what I remember, we were pretty upset when we heard what was going on here. The reward will be a nice bonus, but helping Trace and the others is the larger motivator, I imagine.

>>3272096
>Soon... you'll take down that bastard and save everyone on this island from his tyranny.
>Soon... you'll take down that bastard and Trace will be free to live the life he wants.
>Soon... you'll turn that bastard over to the Marines and get your reward.

In order of importance, top to bottom.

>>3272096
>>Soon... you'll take down that bastard and save everyone on this island from his tyranny

File: Orchard.jpg (2.44 MB, 4396x2473)

2.44 MB JPG

https://youtu.be/4bhXw_9e_5o

Looking around at the people around the carriage, at everyone walking these streets, and the thin veneer of peace and happiness, you realize something about yourself. Over the past few years, you've just been sitting around. You could always tell yourself that you were doing good for the world, snatching up bottom-feeders and handing them over for cash. After all, turning in criminals is honest, moral work, right?

It's only now that you realize, your mother would have slapped you for thinking like that. You've been sitting at home, drinking and turning in any street scum with a bounty, all while right next door, on an island less than a day's travel away, people have been suffering through this inhumane treatment, day after day. You sat back and assumed that one day you would just stumble into being the kind of person your mother would be proud of. Now you understand why she gave you all those lectures about not being complacent. You've been just as bad as Mikey. Sitting around and watching horrible things happen in the world, and just throwing out excuses about how it's not your problem, and you just aren't strong enough. Absolutely disgraceful.

Soon... soon you're going to make up for that. And it's going to start with Ilha. Soon you'll take down that bastard, Capone Dario, and save this island from the suffering its people have lived through for so many years. That'll be the start of how your way to make up for all those years spent pretending that you couldn't do anything to really help people. You will make your mother proud, like you've always wanted. You're going to fulfill the promise you made years ago, that you'd grow up to be just like her. You... realize that Mischa is shaking you.

As if snapping out of a stupor, you blink, and realize that your hand has been on your cutlass for quite a while now. Mischa is also shaking you with a worried expression, and saying your name in a hushed tone, while Trace is pressed against the wall, looking at you nervously. "Valerio, stop! What's gotten into you? You look like you're about to cut down the next person you see! Please, calm down!"

Taking a few deep breaths, you take the hand off of your cutlass, coming back to your senses just as you all approach your destination. After muttering an apology to Mischa and Trace for scaring them, you look outside and see that you've entered what looks like an orchard. While this wouldn't normally be too strange, the sight of this much greenery on this island is strange on its own. The Dutz Kingdom is an island composed primarily of rock, and what little soil exists here is barely rich enough for grass to grow. As far as you're aware, the only way to get this many healthy plants to grow would be to import tons of soil and water, and then put an insane amount of physical labor into making the land fertile.

(cont.)

File: Collar.png (429 KB, 1043x513)

429 KB PNG

Continuing down the road gives you quite a while to look around, however. It takes you a short while to notice it, but among the dozens of figures you can see dotted around the field, doing farmwork, every single one of them is wearing... some kind of metal collar. Once you see it though, you can't unsee it. It would be painfully obvious why these dozens of men are all wearing thick metal bands around their necks to anyone who knows what Trace told you. All of the villagers must be aware of this. There are probably fathers here who have families in town, just a few miles away.

It isn't long before the three of you are brought to a massive mansion at the center of this orchard. The building is quite garish, and as you're all lead out of the carriage and toward the front doors, you realize that this thing along with the farm around it must have cost more to create than the entire city of Ilha itself. The amount of money wasted on this trash is absolutely despicable.

A pair of servants wearing more discreet versions of the same metal collars step in front of you and open the huge entrance doors for the three of you. Walking inside, you feel marble flooring beneath your feet, and you see expensive decorations all around. In front of you, you also see a fat, grumpy-looking man turn around in a chair, wearing a pinstripe suit and an absurd amount of jewelry. On both sides, he's flanked by suit-wearing guards wielding some hefty weapons.

Looking at you with an amused expression on his pudgy face, and the thick stubble across his upper lip curled into a smile, he grabs the cigar out of his mouth and lets out a deep laugh. "You three must be my new champions! It's a pleasure to meet ya, call me Mister Ekel!"

>Attempt to hide your bloodlust from him, and keep up the facade. [Simple]
>Step toward him with your rage clear for everyone to see, and get ready for a fight. [Effortless]

>>3272674
>Attempt to hide your bloodlust from him, and keep up the facade. [Simple]

>>3272674
>>Attempt to hide your bloodlust from him, and keep up the facade. [Simple]
We need the right moment to strike

>>3272695
>>3272732
As you approach the man, you take a single, slow breath and attempt to quiet the intense fury raging inside of you.

>Roll 1d100, best of 3

Rolled 91 (1d100)

>>3272753

Rolled 58 (1d100)

>>3272753

Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>3272753
I feel like we should wait for Mischa to initiate things, as the captain. Gotta help her grow into the role of leader and such.

Glad to see this back QM, but right when I have class...?

File: Contract.jpg (1.97 MB, 1699x1130)

1.97 MB JPG

Exhaling, you approach with what you hope is a relaxed expression. Trace currently has his face buried in Fleur, and you imagine that he's having a harder time with this than either of you two. Luckily, you can easily excuse his behavior since he's not showing any outward hostility. Stepping toward "Mister Ekel", you and Mischa politely shake his hand, both of you understanding that it would be best to wait for the right moment to strike.

As he steps back, one of his servants hands him a clipboard, and he looks it over for a moment. Giving his servant a nod, he hands it to Mischa, along with a pen. "Right, right. This'll do. Girly, I'm gonna need you to sign this contract here, got it? 's pretty basic, just a little thing 'bout employment and your obligations as a Champ of the Ilha Arena."

Mischa looks over it, giving you a bit of a confused expression. Looking over her shoulder, it does look like exactly what he said it is. A simple employment contract, without any deceptive language or confusing fine-print. The only part that seems to be out of place is the fact that, where Dario's name would go, he hasn't written "Mister Ekel", or "Capone Dario". Instead, he's written "Uru-Uru", for some reason. As you look it over, he speaks up again. "So... you two are going to accept, right? Obviously you're both in deep enough ta realize, sayin no isn't really an option."

With a mutual shrug between the two of you, Mischa nods and accepts the proffered pen, telling him, "We came here to do this after all. What's the harm...?"

The moment she lowers her hand to put pen to paper, however, Trace cries out behind you with a look of panic, "Mischa stop!! Don't sign that contract! He's trying to use his Devil Fruit power!" The moment he says this, Dario gets a bit of a panicked look, and he steps back, his line of guards stepping inbetween you and him.

With an angry expression, he cries out, "WHERE THE HELL DID THAT BRAT LEARN I ATE A DEVIL FRUIT?!", and stands behind a statue nearby, peeking his head out.

>This is bad. Try to defuse the situation by asking if it really matters what you all know. It's not like his guards have attacked yet, the plan to wait for the right moment is still salvageable! [Simple]
>Well... fuck. Attack the guards and try to take them down before he can get away. [Challenging]
>Shit. Try to get past all the guards and take him down right now, without getting blown away by their weapons first. [Near Impossible]

>>3272929
>This is bad. Try to defuse the situation by asking if it really matters what you all know. It's not like his guards have attacked yet, the plan to wait for the right moment is still salvageable! [Simple

>>3272929
>>Well... fuck. Attack the guards and try to take them down before he can get away. [Challenging]

>>3272929
Attack!

>>3273008
>>3272987
You swiftly slide your blade out of its sheath, raising it to attack the guards standing between you and Dario.

>Roll 1d100, best of 3

Rolled 56 (1d100)

>>3273029

Rolled 50 (1d100)

>>3273029
Maybe throw a smokebomb if one of our concoctions czn fo the trick. Thankfully Mischa can just air jump over the guards and catch the big bad while we play distraction.

Rolled 77 (1d100)

>>3273029

Rolled 89 (1d100)

>>3273029

>>3273091
Oof. So close...

File: Explosion.png (847 KB, 1280x575)

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Dashing forward, you manage to cut one of the guards down in an instant... only for another one to launch a shot at you, hit you with a glancing blow. Unfortunately, even with a partial miss, the explosives they're using are powerful enough to launch you clear across the room, slamming you against the wall by the door. Also, they hurt like hell.

In spite of the fact that most of these guards don't have the same combat expertise as you do, the fact that they're armed with weapons like those makes them a significant threat, and you and Mischa are forced to get into cover. Neither of you are hurt too badly by your enemies, as you dart from cover to cover, trying to get closer, but you also are being pushed back against the wall.

Seemingly getting cocky at the sight of his guards pushing you back, Dario laughs and calls across the room. "Well, this's turnin out to be a fun day, isn't it? I got a question for you, girly!"

Predictably, Mischa spits on the ground and yells back, "I'm not telling you shit, asshole! And stop calling me 'girly'!!"

"Fine, fine! I don't mean nothin by it! I just wanna know who sent you chickenshits to try and ice me! We can even make it a trade! I'll tell you 'bout my Devil Fruit power, you tell me about who sent ya! Was it the Lafayette Family? The Marines? I bet it was the Marines, what with ya usin' the Rokushiki."

Avoiding another shot by the skin of your teeth, you call back, "Why the hell should we tell you anything?!"

"Aww, come on! It's a win-win! You tell me who ya work for, and I don't have to try and dig it outta yer corpses. I tell you my power, and ya might just get the edge ya need to actually win this fight. Is that a deal, girly?"

>Deal. Tell him the truth, you're doing it for the people. It'll feel especially good to rub it in his face before you take him down.
>Deal. Tell him a lie. Maybe you can scare him into giving up by convincing him that the Marines have an army waiting for him in town.
>No deal. Would knowing his Devil Fruit power really be that useful?

>>3273121
>Deal. Tell him a lie. Maybe you can scare him into giving up by convincing him that the Marines have an army waiting for him in town.

>>3273121
>No deal. Would knowing his Devil Fruit power really be that useful?

I don’t trust his Devil Fruit ability. It seems to be based around contacts, but that could extend to verbal contracts as well. Best not to risk it.

>>3273139
switching to>>3273151

>>3273151
>>3273155
Don't mind me, just rolling 1d3 for no reason whatsoever.

Would you believe that you just dodged one of the biggest threats in this entire arc?

Rolled 1 (1d3)

>>3273161
AGH, FUCKED UP THE ROLL

>>3273121
No deal

File: Item-Ultra_Poison_Vial.png (28 KB, 256x256)

28 KB PNG

And you even managed to get the best result on that d3. Pretty lucky.

You see both of your cohorts about to raise their voice, and in a panic you cry out, "No deal! I don't trust you for a second, you're obviously trying to pull something!" Fortunately, you say this before either Trace or Mischa speak up. Whether or not they would have agreed to the deal you're not sure, but a part of you feels like it wouldn't have gone well if they had.

"Son of a--", Dario starts, stamping his foot into the ground. "Come the hell on, kid! It's an obvious choice! Why won't you just listen to reason and tell me who the hell ya work for!"

Fortunately, it seems like the situation has defused slightly, now that this conversation is happening. His men are still shooting at you, but it's not quite the same deafening barrage. And thankfully, none of them are wise enough to realize the danger a man hiding behind cover can pose. During the relative calm, you created a concoction...

>A smoke bomb. This will fill the area with smoke, blinding both you and your opponents. Hopefully you'll still be able to take them down through the smoke. [Effortless]
>Rifle-Choking smoke. A special concoction of your own. It's not the cheapest or the easiest to make, but it should temporarily keep the gunpowder in their weapons from going off, jamming them for a time. [Simple]
>Poison gas. It's is fairly simple to make, if expensive, but the real challenge is managing to distribute it throughout the room in a way that'll harm your enemies more than you and your allies. [Challenging]

>>3273176
>Rifle-Choking smoke. A special concoction of your own. It's not the cheapest or the easiest to make, but it should temporarily keep the gunpowder in their weapons from going off, jamming them for a time. [Simple]

>>3273176
Rifle choking smoke

>>3273182
>>3273180
The chemical compound is a little complicated, but you've practiced this sort of thing before...

>Roll 1d100, best of 3

Rolled 88 (1d100)

>>3273203

Rolled 48 (1d100)

>>3273203
Oh boy

Rolled 73 (1d100)

>>3273203

https://youtu.be/N3odad-mGO8

Without a hitch, you manage to put together the compound and diffuse it into a few small smoke bombs you keep in your bag. Glancing out at the opponents in front of you, you throw three small, glass balls, which all shatter on impact. Suddenly exposed to the air, the liquid inside starts bubbling and producing a cloud of thin, mostly translucent smoke. As expected, it works flawlessly, as the next guard to try and fire pulls the trigger several times, looking down at his gun in confusion.

When he looks back up, he sees a charging swordsman just a few feet away from him, swinging his blade up and digging a gash straight through his chest. From there, the fight turns in your favor extremely quickly, and before you know it half of your opponents are down on the ground. Unfortunately, Dario seems to have run up the stairs, and you see Mischa jump straight over your opponents to go chasing after him.

>Tell her to stop, she might not be able to take him on her own. [Challenging]
>Let her go. You'll catch up once all the mooks are done for. [Effortless]

>>3273238
>Let her go. You'll catch up once all the mooks are done for. [Effortless]

>>3273238
>Tell her to stop, she might not be able to take him on her own. [Challenging]
TEAMWORK AHOY

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>3273239
>>3273240
Rolling to pick between these two.

>>3273240
Worried that she won't be able to beat Dario on her own, you start running after her, trying to get her to stop.

>Roll 1d100, best of 3

Rolled 44 (1d100)

Rolled 28 (1d100)

>>3273266

Rolled 36 (1d100)

>>3273266

Calling out to Mischa doesn't seem to get you anywhere, as she's either too far away to hear you, or is just ignoring you. With a grimace, you attempt to chase after her, but before you can get anywhere you're stopped by one of the guards, wielding a sword of his own. And unfortunately, this guard doesn't look like the same kind of pushover as the others, so you end up being held back by him while Mischa gets away from you.

(cont.)

File: Snooze.gif (435 KB, 584x656)

435 KB GIF

>>3273301
Unfortunately, with that, I need to get some sleep. The thread should continue running tomorrow, but for now updates are going to stop.

OP Headhunter Quest is on pause.

In the meantime, I'm considering doing a quick Q&A in this thread. If you have any questions, about the world in this quest or whatever else, feel free to ask them and I'll try to make sure I get to them at some point.

Quest updates: https://twitter.com/op_updates

>>3273151
I'm a little late, but this man is clever.

>>3273305
Good run, QM. So, what’s his Devil Fruit? The Uru Uru no Mi? Sounds like a threat, in any case. I’m thinking....he gains control over anybody he makes a deal with? Or something like that anyways. Glad we avoided getting taken control of or whatever, at any rate.

>>3273305
Thanks for running so far, QM!
In regards to current canon, will we be encountering any established characters during our adventure? Jewelry Bonney and Eustass Kid were brought up in the first thread, I was curious as to whether we'll run into them or not.

>>3273750
Remember how the fish man reacted to being told "disobedience is a sin"? And that was one of his lackeys who said that, wasn't it? So maybe he and/or his lackeys get control over people he makes a contract with.

>>3273305
Agh. Sorry to say, but I'm not going to be able to continue the thread tonight. Thanks to some unforeseen circumstances, it's going to be put off until either tomorrow or the day after.

>>3273750
It's probably pretty obvious, yeah his fruit is the Uru-Uru Fruit. I'm not going to say specifically what it does though, that'd be spoilers.

>>3274121
You'll most certainly be running into established characters as a part of this quest. Jewelry Bonney is someone you're going to be extremely likely to run into, given that she's still in the South Blue (as far as you're aware).

Just don't expect to run into any of the main characters. There's a pretty huge gap between you and the Straw Hats right now.

>>3275189
Awesome. On the subject of devil fruits:
1: How many other original devil fruits and devil fruit users will we be running into?
2: Is there a possibility that we'll have an opportunity to get our hands on a fruit, either to eat or to sell?

We should get a fruit that makes us a living philosopher's stone, producing every day an X amount of alchemic components of our own choice (that we have tasted previously, it can increase while we level up), being able to produce mutagens of creatures after we consume a certain amount of samples (not something too OP at first, like increasing our natural capabilities, Hawk/eagle eyes, poisoned fangs and claws, wings?, maybe abilities from more exotic enemies), inmunity to poisons and acids so we can drink more hardcore potions, etc.

>>3276145
That could be cool but honestly I like the idea of getting something random and figuring out how to adapt it to enhance our abilities than getting something that's meant to go with our current skills.

>>3278923
Agreed. Getting a Devil Fruit that's custom tailored to our existing abilities is boring. I want something completely random that we have to fiddle around with before figuring out how best to use it.

>>3278923
>>3278990
Having the QM roll on a table would be cool, thought that might require he make one.

>>3279398
Could use the superpower wikia and just hit random until there’s one that hasn’t been used in canon.

https://shipoffools.fandom.com/wiki/Devil_Fruit_Encyclopedia

We could use this, also all of the movie devil fruit are technically non-canon so we could get those

>>3280508
>dasu dasu no mi
>able to suck dick for free
Based wiki.

>>3280694
Within reason obviously

File: Debil Fruit.jpg (81 KB, 1001x727)

81 KB JPG

OP Headhunter Quest will resume shortly.

>>3275854
Most devil fruits included here will be original. And I already have some things in mind for which ones will show up.

As for whether or not you'll get your hands on one of your own, it's a big ocean out there, and you're becoming more and more important in it. So they exist and you might just find one.

File: Projector_Den_Den_Mushi.png (134 KB, 430x506)

134 KB PNG

https://youtu.be/PVvQOvLrvvI

Thankfully, the upside to being caught back like this is that you don't have to worry about Trace's safety, since he's still right behind you. It still takes you quite a while to beat down the guards in front of you, unfortunately, but after not long you've got them all out of the picture. That means you can finally chase Mischa up those stairs. You just hope she's not in too much trouble.

Racing down the halls, you trace a path laden with furniture and decorations knocked down in an attempt to slow Mischa down. It takes you quite a while, but eventually you arrive in a large room with a large Transponder Snail projecting several images onto the wall. As far as you can tell, the projections seem to be displaying old recordings of fights going on in the arena. The confusing part is the way that Mischa is just standing there, staring at them in a stupor.

"Mischa?!" Dashing into the room, you grab her shoulders and shake her, but the girl just keeps standing still, staring at the wall full of fights. It's then that you notice Dario standing behind a pane of glass, fiddling with some kind of control terminal. You're not sure exactly what he's doing, but it can't be good...

>Try to shatter the glass he's hiding behind. [???]
>Try to break down the door to the room he's in. [???]
>Try to shake Mischa out of her stupor. [???]
>Write-in

>>3280932
>Try to break down the door to the room he's in. [???]

>>3280932
Break the door

>>3280939
>>3280957
Pulling your blade out of its sheath, you sprint toward the heavy metal door with the intent to cut straight through it.

>Roll 1d100, best of 3

Rolled 16 (1d100)

>>3280982

Rolled 86 (1d100)

>>3280982

Rolled 82 (1d100)

>>3280982

File: Grand_Line_Infobox.png (184 KB, 375x288)

184 KB PNG

It's immediately evident that the door is made out of some tough stuff, as your blade just bounces off of it even with your whole body behind it. So you let out a deep breath, preparing your new technique.

"SPLITTING EDGE!"

Even more unfortunately, you realize that this is some kind of safe-room. Otherwise, you imagine, that slash would have actually cut the door in half. As things are, it looks like you're going to need a few more strikes like that if you want to get the door open.

While you're busy with that, you have to handle another issue as well. That son of a bitch Dario cackling at you and taunting you. "I can't believe ya reeeeally thought it'd be that easy! Ya just figured you could waltz in here and ice me without a second thought!" He continues laughing at you through the transponder snail he's talking into, completely confident in his safety. "Now, I'm gonna offer you just what ya've always wanted, like I did with the girly over there. How would ya like to come with me? I've got a ship that could take ya right into the Grand Line, and ya could become some kinda legendary hero type, right?"

While, obviously, his offer is stupid, and there's no way you'd accept it... somehow it's abnormally tempting. A part of you just wants to... give in and go with him on a grand adventure! But... obviously that would be stupid, right...?

>Continue trying to destroy the door. [Simple]
>Go back and try to shake Mischa out of her stupor. [???]
>Write-in

And

>Roll 1d100, best of 3

Rolled 62 (1d100)

>>3281017
Continue

>>3281017
>Continue trying to destroy the door. [Simple]

>>3281017
What are the walls made out of?

Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>3281017
>>3281025
woops

>>3281026
They look like normal walls, but given that this seems like a safe-room it's pretty likely they're reinforced somehow.

Rolled 52 (1d100)

>>3281025

Rolled 75 (1d100)

>>3281032
Same with the glass, I'm guessing? Okay, rolling to keep slicing the door then.

>>3281035
Who said this roll is for slicing the door?
>>3281024
>>3281025
Trying to push away the thoughts, you grip your cutlass once again and prepare to try and finish this door off. Still, they're lingering in the back of your head...

>Roll 1d100-23, best of 3

Rolled 49 + 23 (1d100 + 23)

>>3281046

Rolled 99 - 23 (1d100 - 23)

>>3281046

Rolled 90 (1d100)

>>3281046
Oh shit

Those intrusive ideas popping into your head are exactly as distracting as you'd expect some kind of brainwashing to be, and they even cause you to hesitate for a moment...

The hesitation hardly matters, however, as you deftly manage to slice the door clean off of it's hinges with just a few more slices, causing the thick metal slab to tilt backwards and fall down with a crash. The last thing you hear before grinning and stepping through the empty doorframe is Dario, muttering, "Wh... what was that noise...?"

As you make your way down the hall behind the door, casually slashing the lock off a wooden door which stood in your way, you turn to see Dario in the control room, backed up against a wall and yelling into his transponder snail. "SOMEBODY, GET OVER HERE AND HELP ME! A- A GUARD, A MAID, A GARDENER, ANYBODY! JUST HELP, HE'S GOING TO KILL ME!!!"

>Tell him you're not going to kill him. That's up to the Marines.
>Tell him you're sorry, but it's over for him. He can have a nice day in hell.
>Write-in

>>3281104
>>Tell him you're sorry, but it's over for him. He can have a nice day in hell.

>>3281104
>No words, just kill him.

>>3281104
(Just a bit of context I should probably put in here, a bounty usually only pays the full amount if the criminal is turned in alive. Just so you guys are aware.)

>>3281104
>Just whack him on the noggin with our sword hilt

None of that monologue crap to give him an opportunity to pull something, let's just nab him and skedaddle.

>>3281104
>Tell him you're sorry, but it's over for him. He can have a nice day in hell.

>>3281104
>Tell him you're not going to kill him. That's up to the Marines.

>>3281128
switching to>>3281124

>>3281124
>Just whack him on the noggin with our sword hilt

>>3281123
In that case, switching to taking him alive.

>>3281104
>>3281124
This. Can't mess around with these headscrew-y types. Give him nothing to exploit, just knock him out and move on.

File: Seastone_Handcuffs.png (415 KB, 1024x576)

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You roll your eyes and let out a sigh as you approach him. His type are so, so common. Trying to weasel their way out of a bad situation even when it's obviously all over for them. Even now, he's gotten on his knees and is looking up at you, begging, "Please, please don't kill me! I'll give you anything! I can give you everything you ever wanted! Money, women fame, powe--"

He's very swiftly shut up by the thunk of your sword hilt slamming into his temple, knocking him out in an instant. The moment he's out, Mischa seems to snap out of her stupor, and those absurd thoughts about joining him disappear from your head. And to tie it all together, Trace comes waltzing into the room with a big grin on his face, carrying a pair of thick metal shackles. He very happily proffers the cuffs to you, telling you, "Fleur told me where these were hidden away. They're a pair of seastone shackles, normally used by the navy. They should keep Dario from using his Devil Fruit's powers once he wakes back up. Isn't it strange that he would keep one of his biggest weaknesses in his own home?"

With a slightly confused nod, you take the heavy metal device, looking it up and down for a short while before you kneel down and shackle Dario's wrists together behind his back. While you do this, you see Trace messing around with the console Dario was just using, doing... something or other. You still don't quite understand how the nervous little runt you met at that restaurant is the same kid as the one you're seeing right now, acting all confident and self-assured.

While you recover from your battle, Mischa coming in and joining you, Trace asks a very strange question of you. "Valerio? Do you want to be a big hero, or would you prefer for your involvement here not to be public knowledge?"

>Sure. Who doesn't want the hero treatment?
>No thanks. The attention really isn't worth it.
>Write-in

>>3281181
>No thanks. The attention really isn't worth it.
That ain't us. The Captain on the other hand..

>>3281181
>>3281195
Backing, Mischa can get her own name out if she wants.

>>3281181
>>3281195
Backing this. This is what captains are for: fobbing off decisions we don't care about on.

>>3281195
This

>>3281181
>No thanks. The attention really isn't worth it.

>>3281181
The next post will take a little while. It's already going to be a long one, and I have to help someone dig their car out of the snow right now.

>>3281297
I hate snow

File: Speak Clearly Into the Mi(...).png (265 KB, 570x647)

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"Weird question to be asking now, but..." You shrug, grabbing a cloth out of your bag and cleaning the blood off of your blade. "I can't really say I'm interested. I don't see the benefit in all the attention. Mischa though...", you mention, turning and looking at the girl in question. She seems confused about why you're mentioning her, cocking her head. "Well? You're the captain, I'd say taking all the credit is fully justified, given your position."

Instead of giving the excited answer you expect, though, her jaw drops, and she asks, "I'm the Captain?!"

While you engage in the very natural response of facepalming, Trace turns to the two of you, holding Fleur in one hand. "Alright, guys. The snails have all been configured now. Go stand in front of that wall, right there, if you want all of Ilha to see your face. Either way, I'm going to start now." And wearing a big, dopey grin, he goes to stand in front of a microphone connected to the big bank of consoles. Coughing into the microphone, he speaks up with an eager confidence and glee that just tugs at your heartstrings. "Ahem! Ladies and Gentlemen of Ilha! Everybody, we have an important announcement!"

(cont.)

File: Announcement Snail.png (555 KB, 1024x639)

555 KB PNG

https://youtu.be/njsS7S4U9Xo

All across the city, from the orchard just outside to the street right outside of the library, transponder snails blink to life, mimicing Trace's voice through loudspeakers so everyone can hear. They all send a cheerful message to everyone in the city.

"Everyone Ilha has just experienced the greatest miracle in the whole South Blue. Mister Ekel, real name 'Capone Dario', has been apprehended and is going to be delivered to the authorities!"

Throughout the entirety of Ilha, roaring cheers and shocked glee come from so many, a wave of excitement flowing through the city. "As most who live here know, the citizens of Ilha have been under the thumb of this man for years. Many of you, especially those visiting, likely have no idea, but this city has been suffering under the rule of this man for years now, and his reign is over!

"Firstly, Mister Ekel is being arrested for his history of crime as the mafia boss Capone Dario. Much, much more importantly, however, he is being arrested for his awful crimes against Ilha and its people. These crimes include mass kidnapping, mass extortion, the trading of illegal goods, and most notably, setting up an underground slave-trade in the city of Ilha. As wild and spurious as some of these claims may sound, I can assure you they're all accurate, and I'm certain that soon Ekel will see the justice he's been due for so many years.

"For everyone listening, I present to you, your hero. The person who helped to save us from Ekel's cruelty." He turns to Mischa as he says this, gesturing for her to get on camera.

The girl seems confused for a moment as you push her into the frame of the transponder snail's vision. It takes her a second of standing in place looking at the thing without a clue of what to do before she finally realizes where she is. "Oh! Hi, everybody! I'm Mischa Kumadori, but you can all call me Mischa!" Like that, her smiling face is projected onto a few dozen screens for thousands of people to see, as she holds up a pair of fingers in a V. "Yeah, me and my crew took out this Dario Ekel guy! Is crew right? Or like... gang? Group? My buddies?

"Uh... whatever you wanna call us, we won! So suck it, bad guys! We're the best! And if anybody tries to say we aren't, we'll just beat 'em up, won't we Val?" A groan leaves your lips and part of you regrets suggesting that Mischa could do this. Still though... it's pretty obvious she enjoys it, and that might be worth seeing on its own.

Finally, Trace takes the microphone back and speaks into it again. "If my predictions are correct, the Marines should be on their way right now. Me and my compatriots will be going now, but we thank you all for listening, and I ask that you please spread the news! I want this to be talked about all throughout the South Blue!"

With a last, cheerful, "See ya!" from Mischa, the transmission ends, and all the snails stop broadcasting.

(cont.)

You all let out a collective sigh and Trace steps away from the console, rubbing gently at his still-broken arm. Seeing that, you start to realize just how hurt you are, and how badly Mischa must be hurting. After all, not too long ago you took a punch to the chest hard enough that you felt it in your toes. And Mischa's wounds from those water bullet things were bandaged up pretty hastily. The worst part is, you're the one who's going to have to carry Dario along.

Your groaning trio make it most of the way out of Dario's mansion when Mischa realizes something groundbreaking. Something which shatters all the foundations of the relationship you thought you'd been forming with Trace. Something which breaks all reason and sense.

"Trace! You never told us your last name!!"

>Mischa is right. What is Trace's last name?
>Eh, it's fine. Trace is what we'll be calling you anyways.
>Good point. Even better point: We never told him our names. First or last.

>>3281613
>>Mischa is right. What is Trace's last name?

>>3281613
>Mischa is right. What is Trace's last name?

>>3281613
>>Good point. Even better point: We never told him our names. First or last.

>>3281613
>Good point. Even better point: We never told him our names. First or last.

Names all round!
(Oh god what kind of insane One Piece family does Trace belong to)

>>3281565
>"I'm the captain?!"
Mischa... did you think we were taking over your ship when we joined? I mean I understand we were mentoring you on where to go and our whole "stepping stone" philosophy but...

Actually, hold up, is she even a pirate? Are we even willing to be pirates? What exactly is our team? Marine-aligned-mercenaries? Trace is a kid, Valerio is a Bounty Hunter (or at least was/has a reputation as one) and Mischa just wants to fight strong opponents I think. Does she have any interest in the legendary treasure or whatever?

Imma go reread the first thread.

File: Fleur.gif (983 KB, 375x298)

983 KB GIF

"That's a good point, Mischa. What is your last name, Trace?" You ask, accidentally bumping Dario's head against the doorframe as you all leave the building.

The kid blushes and looks down at his feet for a moment, chuckling quietly. "It's uh... kind of a mouthful. My family name is... Vocabellock."

"Talk about a weird name.", Mischa blurts out, earning a snicker from you.

"This is coming from Miss Mischa Kumadori? I don't think you're anyone to speak." You shake your head at her as she gets all huffy, apparently upset at the comment. "Regardless, this does bring up a very interesting question. I don't recall either of us ever telling you our names, Trace. How did you learn them?"

You're hardly surprised as Trace gives you the least helpful answer, saying, "Fleur told me your names, back when she told me you could help out."

Before you can call him out for just passing the buck, you're interrupted. A big crowd of those people wearing collars and working this field have gathered ahead of you.

(cont.)

File: Sunset.jpg (99 KB, 1191x670)

99 KB JPG

The group of former slaves stop the three of you as you're walking, immediately showering you with a flurry of thanks and attempting to push gifts into your hands. The only one of your group who isn't extremely flustered in the face of all this praise and these thanks seems to be Mischa, and you and Trace are both forced to just follow behind her in an attempt to keep pushing through the mass of people. Frankly, for you, it's a bit uncomfortable.

https://youtu.be/9voF5C72iDE

After getting so much attention, the three of you finally emerge out the other side and wave behind yourselves, continuing to walk. Eventually though, you see another group. These ones are racing down the road, and you groan, anticipating the same encounter again. You're surprised, however, as the group rush straight past you, hardly paying the three of you any mind. Right then, you realize that they weren't coming to thank you. These people were all running down the road to see their family who had been chained up and forced to work.

Smiling, you have to rest a hand on Mischa's back to stop the tears welling up in her eyes. Unfortunately, your attempts to keep her together fall apart completely as Trace turns toward her and hugs her, muttering, "Thank you two. You've done... more than I could have asked of anybody. Thank you so much."

With Dario over your shoulder and Mischa sniffling and crying over Trace, you watch the sun start to set in front of you. All you can think is that today has been a good day.

(cont.)

Just as you start to regret not having considered trying to find a carriage or cart with some livestock to pull you all along, the three of you reach the edge of town. Things are clearly something of a mess around town, with people out in the streets openly partying and yelling out chants about Ekel being done for. It's really quite inspiring, all things considered. Of course, things obviously couldn't go smooth the whole way out of here. Life simply doesn't work that way. Some obstacle is going to show up and test your resolve once again. This time, apparently, it's a line of Marines standing at attention and stubbornly blocking the path your group is following to enter town.

https://youtu.be/x0tcun4egXo

Once you're just a dozen feet or so away, two of them shuffle out of formation to allow a well-dressed man to step between them. Right before your eyes, you see Marine Commodore Bijoy Beach. Quite infamous for his rank, Commodore Beach is often referred to as the rock of the South Blue. In the most chaotic of the four Blues, Commodore Beach is considered by the public to be the one man keeping Marine influence in the area from crumbling against the other forces. Most people would claim that it's his ability to crack down on injustices with the force of a cannon and wield his troops with the precision of a scalpel that have saved the South Blue time and time again. Even you yourself have quite a bit of respect for the man, as he practically single-handedly held the South Blue together throughout the time Eustass Kid spent trailing a bloody path through the sea.

The question of how he got here so damned quickly is one you don't quite have time to find an answer for, as he approaches Mischa. The well-built, tough-looking seaman extends a hand to shake Mischa's, his other arm pinned behind his back in a formal posture. A deep, gruff voice insists, "Mischa Kumadori, I must commend you for your stellar work in eliminating this major threat to the South Blue. Some other Marines may be irritated that you've managed to so swiftly shut down an operation we've been trying to eliminate for several years now, but I would instead like to extend a heartfelt thank you."

You realize a moment too late that you probably should have stepped in to do the talking sooner. You noticed the cheerfulness draining from Mischa's face the moment you all saw the Marines, but you didn't quite make the connection in time. So while you step forward trying to stop her, she slaps the man's hand away and huffs. Pouting and folding her arms, she turns away from him and steps behind you, mumbling, "I don't wanna talk to any stupid Marine guy. You do it, Val."

>Apologize to the Commodore and ask him what you can do for him.
>Drop Dario at his feet and tell him you'll be waiting at your ship for the payment. Then leave.
>Write-in

>>3281950
>>Apologize to the Commodore and ask him what you can do for him.

>>3281950
>Apologize to the Commodore and ask him what you can do for him.

We apparently have respect for him, so let's show some.

>>3281950

>Apologize to the Commodore and ask him what you can do for him.
mention that you would like to be payed for capturing him

>>3281950
>>Apologize to the Commodore and ask him what you can do for him.

>>3281950
>>Apologize to the Commodore and ask him what you can do for him.

Blushing slightly, you step forward and grasp the man's hand firmly. "I... apologize for my friend's rudeness, Commodore. I'm not really sure what's come over her. I would appreciate it if you could forgive her for that." Even to you, the man is somewhat intimidating. He stands nearly a full foot taller than you, and looks like he could bench-press a whole boat if he wanted to.

A solemn look overcomes his face as you speak, however, his lips tightening and his jet-black moustache twitching. "No, it's nothing you should apologize about. I understand her situation, to a certain degree. I do not blame her for this, I had simply not expected such a vitriolic reaction. But where are my manners. I am Commodore Bijoy Beach, it is a pleasure to meet you, Mister...?"

"Mister Valerio Dentanté Pierce. A pleasure to meet you in person, Commodore Beach." You respond, almost impressed as he pulls his hand back and places it behind his back in a perfect formal posture. If the man didn't have such a commanding presence, you might even say he looks uptight. "So... Commodore, may I ask what we can do for you? If you're concerned about where we're taking Dario, I assure you we are planning on turning him in to the Marines."

"Well, son, that's exactly what I'm concerned about." He lets out a small sigh, seemingly regretful for some reason. "Normally, I wouldn't request such a miscarriage of justice, but it is in my best interest that you do not take that man to any Marine base and cash in your reward. You see, that man is my ticket to becoming a Vice-Admiral."

>"Okay... sure. What's in it for me?"
>"...no thanks. I'll be taking my criminal and leaving now."
>"Ah... of course, sir. If you think it's for the best."

>>3282000
What's in it for me?"

>>3282000
>"...no thanks. I'll be taking my criminal and leaving now."

>>3282000
"...it's things like this that make people distrust the marines."
>>"...no thanks. I'll be taking my criminal and leaving now."

As long as we get paid, we're still handing this guy over to prison to get a bounty. If he wants to wield the fame for it to secure a higher position and do more good as a Marine, that's fine by me if it's fine by Mischa. He seems a hardworking type, and it gives us cover in case the guy escapes at any point.

Really my only concern is that this guy is secretly on Dario's payroll, (unwillingly of course) courtesy of that tricky devil fruit. And a guy like him can't be set free. Too evil, and too dangerous. This guy seems like he isn't a bad dude, and isn't 100% on board with this, which means he's either desperate for that promotion (perhaps trying to get the resources for something he considers important but that is being denied him by his superiors) or isn't actually wanting us to give him Dario, but forced to try and take him regardless.

>>3282093
Really my only concern is that this guy is secretly on Dario's payroll, (unwillingly of course) courtesy of that tricky devil fruit. And a guy like him can't be set free. Too evil, and too dangerous. This guy seems like he isn't a bad dude, and isn't 100% on board with this, which means he's either desperate for that promotion (perhaps trying to get the resources for something he considers important but that is being denied him by his superiors) or isn't actually wanting us to give him Dario, but forced to try and take him regardless.

Spooky thought. Maybe we should have killed him.

>"Okay... sure. What's in it for me?"

Get some Info before we give him a yes or a no.

>>3282006
>>3282093
>>3282121
Three votes for the first option and...
>>3282033
>>3282065
Two for the second, right?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'll start writing now.

"Er... sounds unorthodox. What's in it for me? I can safely assume that this isn't some kind of shakedown, right?" You fold your arms, trying to make a point that even if he's a powerful man you're still willing to stand up for yourself.

The Commodore shakes his head and performs a hand gesture, his men suddenly parting. "Of course not. You're free to go if you feel as though you shouldn't hand Dario over to me. I do, however, have an offer which you might consider more valuable than the alternative. All it would require is for you to play along with a little story. My superiors must think that his capture was my doing, so the official story would be that you were acting as my subordinates. You could consider yourselves contractors, of a sort.

"In exchange, there are a few things I would consider granting to you. One of them would be a ship. I've seen the vessel you're sailing in, and it's hardly fitting. Frankly, I'm confused how a crew capable of taking down Dario so effectively could fit comfortably on such a thing. It doesn't even look like it could fit five men, let alone a team of your caliber. So I could requisition a new vessel for you, one made for say... between twenty and fifty men? We can discuss the details.

"Alternatively, I could provide you with a... treasure. I'm afraid I cannot say exactly what kind of treasure it is, as the mere knowledge that I possess one and am willing to give it to you could harm my standing immensely. I can assure you though, it's a treasure worth more than a hundred million beli on the black market. Or you could keep it for yourself, depending on your preference.

"Finally, I would offer you a position in the Marines under me, but I suspect that Miss Kumadori would not be very interested in that. I will still make the offer, but I strongly suspect the answer will be no.

"Of course, if none of those options interest you, I may be willing to fulfill a request, so long as it is within reason. I am a generous man when I owe a debt."

>The ship would be great. You might not exactly be able to run a ship made for twenty men, but you can discuss the details.
>The treasure sounds... intriguing. You don't suspect the man is trying to cheat you, otherwise he likely wouldn't be so careful about mentioning what it is.
>Actually... you might be able to convince Mischa to enlist...
>Write-in

>>3282177
>>Write-in
>Please give me a moment to talk with my friends
We should ask the others their opinions and maybe check what Mischa's problem with the Marines is.

>>3282177
Fair warning, your decision here will have a greater effect on the path this story follows. Than just what kind of loot you get. For example, choosing the ship will make it exponentially less likely for a scenario to come up where you find someone willing to make a ship of their own for you.

>>3282177
>The treasure sounds... intriguing. You don't suspect the man is trying to cheat you, otherwise he likely wouldn't be so careful about mentioning what it is.

It looks to me like we get a choice here, a Devil Fruit or a good ship? Which one anons? The devil fruit (assuming that's what It Is) Is almost certainly worth more but the ship Is practical... then again, we could always just steal and refit a pirate ship with a bit of luck and effort.

Alternatively, we can try to go the marine way but I bet If we don't pass a hard diplo DC we lose Micha for good, and I'm not willing to to just leave our small motley crew.

Personally I'm leaning more towards the treasure. I feel like the marines in this series are kinda corrupt from what I vaguely recall hearing from the more diehard fans among my friends. Plus, we likely wouldn't have as much freedom and we need to get to the Grand Line eventually.

The boat WOULD be my choice if we didn't have such a small crew still, and also if the QM didn't drop that line about having one potentially made for us, though I'm fine if we don't get that chance even after turning down the boat offer, I just feel like it's too cumbersome right now.

>>3282182
+1

>The treasure sounds... intriguing. You don't suspect the man is trying to cheat you, otherwise he likely wouldn't be so careful about mentioning what it is.

>>3282190
>>3282182
Oh also wanna talk to friends and get their opinions. I am leaning towards the treasure though if they're okay with this exchange and don't have any preference for reward.

>>3282182
>>3282193
adding this

>>3282177
>Talk to Mischa about it
She’s the Captain, after all.

While you're deliberating on what option would be best, you hold up a finger and turn around. Stepping toward Mischa, who is now crouched down and sulkily drawing in the dirt, you tap her shoulder. Keeping your voice hushed, you ask her, "Seriously... what do you have against the Marines, Mischa?"

Her only response is a grunt and a quiet, "Don't wanna talk about it." So you let her be, sighing and turning toward Trace.

"What do you think, kid? Which one sounds best to you?"

He seems surprised at the question, pointing at himself. "Uh... me? You wanna know my opinion? I... guess I would go for the ship? I hear the Marine's ships are pretty well crafted.

"Oh! Well... apparently Fleur thinks you should take the treasure. She says that if her prediction is correct, it's worth more than you think it is. Although, she also says she could be wrong. Her predictions aren't always water-tight."

>You've made up your mind. (Vote on one choice)
>You need some time to think on it.
>You're just going to take Dario and leave.

>>3282202
>You've made up your mind. (Vote on one choice)
>The treasure sounds... intriguing. You don't suspect the man is trying to cheat you, otherwise he likely wouldn't be so careful about mentioning what it is.

>>3282202
I'm leaning towards taking the treasure. First though, how strapped for cash are we, exactly? A Devil Fruit or whatever's cool and all, but if we haven't got any money then getting a big bounty to cruise off of for a while might be better.

>>3282202
>>You've made up your mind. (Vote on one choice)
Treasure. As long as Mischa is cool with it.

We'll get the treasure now, and hopefully hear Mischa's backstory soon.

The fact that she's so glum genuinely harms my heart.

>>3282202
>Treasure

>>3282202
>>The treasure sounds... intriguing. You don't suspect the man is trying to cheat you, otherwise he likely wouldn't be so careful about mentioning what it is.

>>3282182

Supporting this.

>>3282208
You have plenty of savings. At this point, the reason you'd want money isn't to live off of, it's to purchase things. Not many interesting things are available for purchase in the South Blue, unless you really start looking for them. A new ship, however, is something you could purchase.

For context, your current savings is three million beli. To purchase a ship capable of comfortably sailing this ocean, it'd cost anywhere from five million to twenty million, depending on quality and type. A ship capable of surviving more than a few months on the Grand Line would run you something more like 50 million to 200 million beli.

>>3282202
>>3282219
Fuck, I was late. Changing to:
>>3282205

"Alright, I've made up my mind." You turn to the Commodore and fold your arms, keeping a determination in your eyes as you look up at him. "The supposed treasure has me intrigued, and we're not particularly in need of a new ship."

You can tell by the slight sinking of his expression that he was hoping you'd pick the ship, but he coughs and nods affirmatively. "Of course. You have a deal. Would you like to hand over Dario, now?"

Holding up a finger, you take a step backward instinctively. "Hold on. First, I need to know if you're aware of what this man is capable of."

He chuckles, giving you a smile and extending his arm to take the man if offered. "Of course. I've been briefed on his abilities. Although it did shock me to learn that Mister Ekel, the man we'd been tracking for months, turned out to be Capone Dario. Who'd have thought someone with one of the most powerful Devil Fruits imaginable would simply go into hiding with it?"

With only a bit of hesitation, you hand Dario over, Commodore Beach lifting his body up with one hand like the fat mafia don weighs nothing. "You do have a point, Commodore. Frankly, I'm personally new to the whole Devil Fruit thing. I can hardly even believe things like this are possible. It all seems like something out of a story mothers would tell their children to keep them from getting involved in the wrong crowd."

With a hearty chuckle, the Commodore casually tosses the man back into his line of troops, nearly bowling them over with the sudden weight. "Well, now that we have a deal, I'm happy to say that I will be taking my leave. As much as I would love to stick around and chat, possibly ask what brought you to the ingenious strategy of lowering his guard by becoming an arena champion and then having your team assault his manor, neither of us have time for that.

"I suggest the three of you hurry to your ship. Dario was a man with plenty of allies, and I'm certain many of them are already headed this way. If any of them catches sight of the woman who took him down, you might be in some trouble. So take care of whatever leftover business you have here. Your treasure is already being escorted to your ship, it should be there when you arrive."

With that, he gives you a wave, turns around, and begins walking away. "And remember, you didn't get the fruit from me! You probably just found it somewhere in Dario's manor!"

>What a ride. You should take Trace back to the bookstore and figure things out so you can leave.
>Wait! You still needed something from the Commodore!
>Write-in

>>3282230
>What a ride. You should take Trace back to the bookstore and figure things out so you can leave.
Ultimately, the Marines have Dario. Our part is done.

>>3282230
>>What a ride. You should take Trace back to the bookstore and figure things out so you can leave.
We should move quickly. Best to be on another island before more plot drops.

>>3282230
>What a ride. You should take Trace back to the bookstore and figure things out so you can leave.

File: Hat.png (48 KB, 417x166)

48 KB PNG

https://youtu.be/QxztIKy52mM

Letting out a long sigh, you just stare at the sunset over Ilha for a short while while you all walk, waiting for Mischa to get over her funk. You can discuss it later though. Right now, there are more important matters.

Like asking Trace what he needs to grab. "So, Trace, just what important personal belongings do you have?"

The kid cocks his head like the question you asked was completely out of nowhere. "Uh... not much, really. All that's important to me are my hat, my glasses, and my favorite book. I mean, I haven't really owned much else since I was a little kid."

"Right, so nothing extra to grab? Everything's on you now?"

"That's correct! Why do you--"

Your conversation is cut off by Mischa jumping into the air and screaming, apparently all happy and joyful again. "Can you believe it guys?! We did it! We're the big heroes and everything!"

You laugh and nod, reaching the library right about when Mischa screams that out. Trace pushes his way inside first, and the two of you follow, Mischa just bouncing with excitement. Quite literally, in fact. For some reason she just bounces from one leg to the other when she's excited.

(cont.)

>>3282230
>What a ride. You should take Trace back to the bookstore and figure things out so you can leave.

Inside, the place is as quiet as usual. Watching Trace wander into that maze of bookshelves, you relax slightly. The same old man seems to be sitting at the front desk, with his face so buried into a book you can't even see it. While you wait for Trace to do whatever he has to do, you speak to the guy, realizing he has some kind of connection to Trace. "So... the kid's gonna be leaving soon, y'know? I hope that's not an issue for you."

The man gives you a grunt, taking a couple seconds before he speaks for some reason. "Why would it be an issue? He's not my kid. He's just another library patron. Besides, the boy's eighteen now. It's his life."

Something about the man's voice is off, but you find it hard to dwell on when you see Mischa's face. Her jaw is dropped almost to the floor, and she's staring at the old guy with wild eyes. "Trace is eighteen!?! But- but- that makes him older than me! But-- he looks like he's fourteen! Huuuuh?!"

>"Wait, you didn't realize? I thought it was obvious?"
>"Holy shit, Trace is eighteen?!"

>>3282250
>"Wait, you didn't realize? I thought it was obvious?"

>>3282250
"Huh." Shrug.

>>3282250
>"Wait, you didn't realize? I thought it was obvious?" (lie)

>>3282252
Seconding.
Didn’t know that, not that big of a deal.

>>3282255
this

File: ilha public library.jpg (774 KB, 2318x1565)

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"Huh. Interesting." You respond nonchalantly, playing, as usual, the constant straight-man in the group. Thinking about it, Mischa is really melodramatic, isn't she? You really have to wonder if--

Oh, there's Trace. The kid (you're still calling him that) comes wandering back out of the bookshelves, carrying with him a small messenger bag. "Alright, let's go to your ship now! I'll see you sometime, pops!"

Like that, he goes rushing out the door, more eager than you could have imagined. Mischa goes right after him, yelling for him to slow down. Letting out a chuckle, you head toward the door, and look back at the old man one last time. "I promise I'll take good care of him. Don't worry."

Just before you leave, you see him lower the book he was buried in, and you get to see his face. Unsurprisingly, tears are streaming down his face as he gives you a nod, his lips curled up into the faintest hint of a smile.

(cont.)

File: Sunset.gif (851 KB, 500x259)

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Giving the old man a wave, you head out the door, watching your new friends race down the road excitedly. Plenty of people seem to be staring at Mischa, as she's suddenly become their big hero, but nobody seems willing to try and stop a girl who can jump fifty feet into the air just to get her autograph.

Unfortunately, you end up having to chase after the two of them, almost sprinting down the road with how fast they're going. It's pretty amazing how much energy the two of them have, you're hardly able to keep up. By the time you do catch up to them, the three of you have raced all the way down to the docks. Not that that's a bad thing, of course. You did need to leave soon.

You and Mischa jump onto the ship without any hesitation, though Trace stands on the docks wearing a big smile. As the two of you start to untie the ship and prepare it for sailing, Mischa cocks her head at him and asks, "What'cha waiting for, Trace?"

The kid just laughs and smiles, shaking his head. "Well, I'm waiting to see you guys off! Don't you wanna wave goodbye while you're leaving? Don't worry about me, I'll go see if that Commodore is willing to protect me while there are still people hunting Dario's captors."

As he says this, you and Mischa share a look, and the same thought goes through both of your heads. You unfurl the sail and push the boat off, and as it starts floating away from the dock, Mischa disappears. In the blink of an eye, she reappears back on the boat, carrying a kid with a stupid hat and a smart book.

(cont.)

"You're coming with us, dummy." Mischa chides, setting Trace down and stepping back away from him.

The kid starts tearing up as he hears that, muttering, "R-really? You two want me to be a part of your crew...? But... I'm all scrawny, and..."

"Kid. You became a crew member the moment you came with us to that manor. It doesn't matter how weak you are, you have something special, and I want to hold onto that."

He just starts crying, trying and failing to wipe all the tears from his eyes and his cheeks. "Thank you. Thank you both, so much, I'm--" At that, his eyes widen and he turns around to lean over the edge of the boat. After throwing up a few times, he collapses to the floor and mumbles, "...I'm not used to getting this much exercise."

(cont.)

How old are we? I don't recall it being mentioned.

https://youtu.be/HGCqE37mes8

A few relatively quiet hours of sailing pass before the three of you end up passing out all together, having had one of the longest days of your lives. All of you sleep surprisingly soundly through the night, your ship's small size and civilian flag making it hardly a target for anyone.

The following morning, you wake up to a bright sunrise and look out over the ocean, just imagining all the adventures waiting ahead of you. You promise yourself... soon you'll be the kind of man your mother could be proud of.

But first, you need to wake up your crew and get some things out of the way. Shaking both Trace and Mischa awake, you bring them both out onto the deck and show them two things. The first is a small box you found on the ship the day before. The other is a map. First, you decide to go over the map, and what location you'll be sailing to next.

>Golden Mountain. To the northeast, a shimmering, shining pile of rock juts out of the water. The whole thing, from top to bottom, is made entirely of fool's gold, causing it to glitter and shine in the light, pulling in travelers. Despite the mundane nature of the rock it's made of, rumors still spread quite often about how at the center of the mountain, or at the peak, or somewhere else, there's a giant hoard of treasure to be found. And obviously, treasure attracts pirates...
>Centaurea. A somewhat prosperous kingdom further to the north. Things have been calm there for quite a while, as it's one of the more well-controlled states, but rumor has it that the country is struggling to handle civilian uprisings which keep popping up. It's located a few days past Golden Mountain, so it may be wise to make your first stop there, then proceed to Centaurea.
>Snake Island. A relatively uncivilized island to the east, the only people who supposedly live here are a secluded tribe who strictly refuse all outside contact. It's not believed that any outsiders are permitted to remain on the land for more than a day, or be punished with a brutal death, such as being boiled alive or eaten alive by snakes. The nature of the island is shrouded in mystery, as few who go there ever return.

>>3282296
Valerio is a ripe, old idk years old.

>>3282301
>Golden Mountain. To the northeast, a shimmering, shining pile of rock juts out of the water. The whole thing, from top to bottom, is made entirely of fool's gold, causing it to glitter and shine in the light, pulling in travelers. Despite the mundane nature of the rock it's made of, rumors still spread quite often about how at the center of the mountain, or at the peak, or somewhere else, there's a giant hoard of treasure to be found. And obviously, treasure attracts pirates...

>>3282301
>>>Golden Mountain. To the northeast, a shimmering, shining pile of rock juts out of the water. The whole thing, from top to bottom, is made entirely of fool's gold, causing it to glitter and shine in the light, pulling in travelers. Despite the mundane nature of the rock it's made of, rumors still spread quite often about how at the center of the mountain, or at the peak, or somewhere else, there's a giant hoard of treasure to be found. And obviously, treasure attracts pirates...

>>3282301

>Golden Mountain. To the northeast, a shimmering, shining pile of rock juts out of the water. The whole thing, from top to bottom, is made entirely of fool's gold, causing it to glitter and shine in the light, pulling in travelers. Despite the mundane nature of the rock it's made of, rumors still spread quite often about how at the center of the mountain, or at the peak, or somewhere else, there's a giant hoard of treasure to be found. And obviously, treasure attracts pirates...

>>3282301
>Golden Mountain.

>>3282303
So old we've gone past numbers and into letters!

>>3282301
>Golden Mountain
Have you decided what the fruit is yet or will you roll for it?

Pointing to a spot on the map, you tell your still groggy crewmates, "We'll be going to Golden Mountain next. I figure we should be able to find something there, even if it's just a few bounties we can turn in to get our hands on some more funds."

The pair of them nod, Mischa yawning and mumbling out, "Cool. Sounds fun. So what's with the box, Val?"

Putting on a smile, you let her know, "It's the treasure we were given by the good Commodore." Opening the box, you reveal a most peculiar fruit inside. It's shaped like a pear, but the surface of it is covered in strange swirls and the stem is all curled up. Your companions' eyes widen as they see it, and Trace pulls out Fleur where you can all see her.

"Okay, so this is super cool, but what're we gonna do with it?" Mischa cocks her head at you. "Before you ask, I'm not gonna eat it, sorry. I like being able to swim. Also, I don't really need it."

Trace hums for a moment, saying "I'll eat it if you want me to, but only if you think I should."

And while you're deliberating, Fleur's pages read, "Selling it is always an option. Although the sale of Devil Fruits is hardly legal, you could easily get more than a hundred million beli out of it. Of course, eating it may have many, many benefits as well. I can assure you that it will bring you power which could change your entire life if you do."

You take quite a while considering what to do. It seems like everyone is counting on you to make a decision, and you obviously can't pawn this one off on Mischa.

>You think you should eat the fruit.
>You think Trace should eat the fruit.
>You think you should hold on to the fruit, for the time being.
>You think you should try and sell the fruit, even if it won't be easy.

>>3282332
>Is there any way we can tell, other than eating it, what the fruit does?
Do the markings or color mean anything?

>>3282332
>You think you should hold on to the fruit, for the time being.

No need to rush it. Can wait until we maybe find some means of identifying which fruit we got.

File: ONE_PIECE_LOGO.jpg (310 KB, 2560x1600)

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>>3282332
As for this, it's one of the rather important choices you guys have to make, and I need to get some sleep, so I'm going to end things here for now.

OP Headhunter Quest is on pause.

Hopefully, giving it some time will give everyone who's been playing a chance to vote on this decision. It could change a lot, after all.

I'll stick around for a little while to answer any questions I'm asked, but then I'm going to bed.

>>3282342
Is there any conceivable way it could be identified? Every fruit is unique, right? If there is a way to identify it, then I support this. If not,
>>3282332
>You think you should eat the fruit

>>3282339
They have different colourations, markings and the like, but nothing that a laymen like us could identify. We'd either need some sort of book on the subject, like Chopper has, or an individual that's knowledgeable about the different varieties of Devil Fruit.

>>3282332
>You think you should hold on to the fruit, for the time being.

>>3282350
Problem is, if we reveal or even imply that we have a devil fruit, we get a massive target on our back.

>>3282332
>Hold onto it for now, until we can identify it.

Night, AM.

>>3282349
As stated in my other post, they can be identified based on colouration, markings and the like, but nothing our character could identify, and metagaming probably isn't an option, since it's presumably an original fruit Kagi came up with. We'd either need literature on the subject, or someone with considerable knowledge on them.

>>3282353
If we go around asking pirates or whatever, sure, but inquiring at a library or bookstore or university (Do they have universities and colleges and stuff in the OP world? Whatever) would probably be a safe option. And it's not like they rot or anything, as long as we keep it well hidden we should be fine just holding onto it until we find a way to discern what fruit it is.

>>3282325
The fruit's power won't be decided through rolling, and I already have an idea of what it is.

>>3282339
>>3282342
>>3282349
>>3282350
Because I don't really feel like doing more quest writing tonight, I'll tell you out of character.

When asked, Fleur would tell you that while there are some copies of a book which identifies all the Devil Fruits and their abilities, the cost of purchasing one would be absolutely immense, not mentioning how hard it would be just to find one for sale. Not to mention, not all of the Devil Fruits have illustrations in the book, so it might be a crap-shoot anyways.

In her opinion, the odds of actually finding out which fruit it is you have are astronomically low. The best way to find out would really just be to eat it.

She can tell you though, she promises it is a Devil Fruit on par with some of the more powerful ones which exist. She's certain that you won't come to regret the decision if you do eat it.

>>3282366
In that case, changing my vote to
>Eat it

File: ONE STEP BEYOND.png (70 KB, 164x254)

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>>3282339
>>3282332
Hell, Fleur hasn't let us down so far.
>You think you should eat the fruit.
Fortune favors the bold, boys.

>>3282366
>She can tell you though, she promises it is a Devil Fruit on par with some of the more powerful ones which exist.

Hrm, well, that makes me somewhat more interested in ingesting it, knowing we won't get something useless like lighting little fires on the tips of our fingers, but I'll still vote in favour of holding off, at least for now anyways. Not being able to swim is a huge pain in the ass, especially considering we're in the middle of the ocean. Can at least wait until we're on dry land.

>>3282332
>You think you should hold on to the fruit, for the time being.

Sleep on the decision for a little while. We might find a means of identifying the fruit soon, or somebody who deserves to eat it more than us (unlikely, but possible).

>>3282366
>Eat it
I'm hyped. Predicting a logia.

>>3282373
support

>>3282373
+1

>>3282366
>eat it

>>3282367
>>3282368
>>3282375
>>3282424
>Eat it
>>3282372
>Sell it
>>3282373
>>3282374
>>3282377
>>3282404
>Hold it
Tied so far.

>>3282332
>You think you should hold on to the fruit, for the time being.

As a joke, let's have our next crewmate eat it to prove their loyalty.

>>3282583
Omg yes

>>3282429
You think you should hold on to the fruit.

>>3282332
>You think you should eat the fruit.

It's confirmed as a strong fruit by a magic book? OP's giving us the go ahead that we won't be dissatisfied with our choice.

Shot In the dark, I hope It's something to do with Spinning.

>Eat it
Good quest here, keep it up

>>3282332
>You think you should eat the fruit.

>>3282332
>You think you should eat the fruit.
Fuck swimming

Personally I feel like Trace should eat it since he's the one in our group with the least power in a fight. Unless we can think of another way to give him a power boost.

The Commodore wouldn't have given it to us if it was good so to be honest I think this is a dud fruit we don't want to turn into something just as bad as a giraffe

Don't eat and sell it

>>3282957
considering this deal was made under the table, it would be too risky for him to fuck us over considering getting it out he diddn't actually capture the don would mean his carrer is over

>>3282887
Hm, then again, Anon has a point. If we give Trace the Devil Fruit, he'll become strong and get on equal grounds with us and Mischa. Hmmmmmm.

>>3282957
Eh, the Commodore probably has as little idea what fruit it is as we do. And Fleur seems to think it’s a high tier fruit, which is good enough for me.

>>3282987
Eh, let's not give such a rare handout just because we think they 'need it'. He's got... well he's got what's essentially magic. Let's teach the kid to fight, get him swole and he'll work up some new spells with Fluer and be fine.

>>3282332
>>You think Trace should eat the fruit.

Ok changing this vote >>3282957

To eat it yourself

>>3282957
You're shadowrunning. QM straight up told us it's a good fruit.

>>3282332
>You think you should hold on to the fruit, for the time being

>>3282429
Eat the froot

EAT IT!!!!!

>>3282429
Changing my vote from
>>3282374
to
Eat it.

>>3282366
Eat the fruit.

Alright, I'm going to try to tally this up again. I'm not the qm by the way, just to be clear.
>>3282367
>>3282368
>>3282375
>>3282424
>>3283780
>>3282682
>>3282807
>>3282855
>>3282858
>>3283101
>>3283333
>>3283567
>>3283925
>Eat it

>>3282373
>>3282377
>>3282404
>>3282583
>>3282652
>>3283311
>Hold it
Did I double quote anyone?

>>3284010
>Did I double quote anyone?

Not to my knowledge, this seems accurate.

13 to 6, so far.

>>3284027
I glad anons came to their senses and chose the instant gratification choice.

>>3284010
Looks good chief. I hope It's a strong Paramecia, I WANT FUCKING SPIN POWERS but a Logia could be cool too

>>3284905
Mythical Zoan: Glittery Rainbow Unicorn.

>>3284968
Oh god I hope it's not a Zoan.

>>3284971
Glad I'm not alone in thinking this. Fuck zoans.

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>>3284971
>>3285114
>not liking zoans
wtf ?

>>3285181
Literally worst fruits. OP setting would be better if they didn't even exist.

>>3285271
I respect your right to hold such a terrible opinion.

>>3285284
I don't like 'em particularly but I sure as hell don't want one for Valerio. We're already a swordsman and an alchemist I don't think becoming a tiger-person or what have you would be a good fit for us.

If we were a brawler though, I wouldn't really mind It. Wonder If Micha's gonna end up with one.

Has the thread ended, or is QM just taking a break?

>>3288551
Not clear, but we haven't even hit the bump limit yet, so it would be premature to end the thread here.

>>3288551
QM has just been taking a break. Speaking of which...

OP Headhunter quest will resume shortly.

>>3291255
Yay

File: Fruit of Demons.png (1.17 MB, 1210x739)

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Taking a deep breath, you pick up the pear-like fruit and study it, telling your crew, "I'll do it. If Fleur says this is something powerful, then I trust her."

Trace nods and smiles at you, but Mischa gives you a skeptical look. "Val, are you really sure it's worth it? Remember, you won't ever be able to swim again."

"Eh, swimming is overrated anyways. Most of the powerful people in this world can't swim, right? Besides, holding onto it would just paint a huge target on our backs if anyone found out, right?" You smile, realizing the potential this little fruit holds. After all, you're pretty sure Dario was capable of mind control. So what else can these things do?

Letting out the breath you'd been holding in, you lean in and take a bite into the tough skin of the fruit, crunching off a bite and swallowing it. The first thing that hits you isn't some magical spinning power or some amazing surge of energy. It's the fact that it tastes worse than you could have imagined. Seriously, it's like if someone took a thousand rotten fruits, piled them together, and planted a tree in it, then picked the fruit off that tree, let it rot, and then did the same thing over again a couple dozen times. It's almost enough to make you wonder if you've been tricked, and the Commodore just gave you a poisoned fruit.

>Attempt to eat the rest of it. You don't want it going to waste. [Challenging]
>Give up now and maybe finish it later. Maybe.

Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>3286825
Rolling for fruit quality. The higher the number, the more OP the fruit is...

>>3291451
Attempt to eat the rest of it. You don't want it going to waste. [Challenging]
We already dig our own grave. Now, we lie on it.

Rolled 14 (1d100)

>>3291451
>Attempt to eat the rest of it. You don't want it going to waste. [Challenging]

>>3291473
>>3291482
Taking a deep breath, you grit your teeth and go in for another bite. It can't be that hard just to eat a fruit, right...?

>Roll 1d100, best of 3

>>3291543

Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>3291543

Rolled 74 (1d100)

>>3291543

Rolled 77 (1d100)

>>3291543

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It takes, frankly, more willpower than you think most men are capable of wielding, but you stomach another bite. And another. And another.

Over what feels like an eternity, you manage to munch down every part of the pear-like fruit. At one point you nearly throw up, but for some reason you don't feel anything even starting to come up. Regardless, by the end you have just the less-edible parts of the fruit left, and your mouth feels like it's been... violated.

It's then that you look down at your crew and see Fleur's pages. The words on them read, "Er... are you aware that you did not need to eat the whole thing?"

You very nearly chuck the book off the ship, shouting, "YOU COULDN'T HAVE TOLD ME SOONER?!"

After a short while, you regain your composure. The taste has finally left you for the most part, though the memories of it never will. As you look yourself up and down, Trace asks, "Do you feel anything different, Valerio?"

"Not... really? My body feels completely normal. Although..."

(cont.)

https://youtu.be/-qA0tAlxrt8

You realize that now you're aware of a few things you weren't before. You can't exactly tell how, but some part inside of you is telling you that the fruit you just ate is called the Iki-Iki Fruit. You also know that your physical body isn't undergoing any changes.

For some reason, you also have a strange urge to... reach into your own chest. You don't exactly know what that means, but you decide to just let instinct take over on this one. Relaxing your body, you move your hand down toward your chest and press it against the fabric of your shirt. Instead of stopping there, however, your fingers sink into your body as though it were made of water, ripples cascading from your fingers as they penetrate skin. Before you know it, your hand is all the way inside your chest. Around it, you don't feel your organs or flesh, it's just like putting your hand in a container of water.

Inside, however, you do feel one thing. It's some kind of round object, sitting in the center of your chest. Your hand wraps around it and you feel the urge to... pull it out.

>Pull the object out. What's the worst that could happen?
>NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE. HANDS DON'T BELONG IN THERE.

>>3291751
>>Pull the object out. What's the worst that could happen?
straightman " well that's weird, but in for a penny.."

>>3291751
>>Pull the object out. What's the worst that could happen?
I see we got one of the weird ones.

>>3291751
>Pull the object out. What's the worst that could happen?

>Pull the object out. What's the worst that could happen?

Well... what's the worst that can happen?

File: Heart.gif (3.73 MB, 348x317)

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Steeling yourself, you mutter the old phrase about being in for a beli...

Pulling the thing out feels surprisingly natural, and as it leaves your body you don't feel any different without it. As the object emerges from your skin, you get to see what it looks like. The thing appears to be some kind of a yellow, softly glowing orb. While you don't really know what it is, your instincts tell you that what you're holding is best described as... a heart. Obviously it isn't the organ which pumps blood through your body, but to you it feels like the concept of a heart. A thing inside of you which all at the same time is the potential which drives you forward, the core that holds you together, and the thing which makes you more than just an animated sack of flesh.

Just casually playing around with it, you very quickly find that it's form as a sphere about the size of your hand isn't concrete. Just by moving your hand and tugging at it with something that feels like a mental muscle, you cause the thing to twist and deform, bending to your will. Experimentation quickly shows that you can stretch it and form it into several different shapes, twisting it into whatever form you prefer.

You also realize that there's something more to it than just it being an object you can play around with. Somehow, you're aware of the fact that it represents some driving force inside of you. If you were to crush it, you can tell it would be as disastrous for you as crushing your real, literal heart. And if you were to find a way to get it to grow more powerful and vibrant, then in turn you would find yourself with a greater willpower, and possibly even more physical strength.

The last realization you come to while closely examining it is that, being some kind of raw energy, you could almost use it like a kind of fuel. There's no doubt that doing so would drain you, at least for a time, but you'd bet that the raw power of whatever this is could fuel some truly impressive actions.

>Try to form the heart into the shape of a blade. [???]
>Try to form the heart into the shape of a pistol. [???]
>Try to... eat the heart. You never know, it might work... [???]
>Put it away. This all seems like a bad idea.

>>3291848
Try to put it around our sword
Use the Whetstone with it
Eat it

>>3291848
put it in the book

>>3291848
>Try to... eat the heart. You never know, it might work... [???]

>>3291848
Okay. Using something we can't afford to damage as a sword seems like a terrible idea.
Pistol might be workable, but I'm guessing we'd be draining ourself with every shot? Worth a try.
Eating it sounds like it'd be the fuel idea. A super mode is a crutch we shouldn't develop a reliance on, but it's a good thing to have in case of a real emergency.
>>Try to... eat the heart. You never know, it might work... [???]

Is this basically a physical representation of our willpower

>>3291886
>>3291892
As crazy of an idea as it is, you look at the thing and raise it to your mouth, stuffing it inside and swallowing...

>Roll 1d100, best of 3

>>3291996
In a sense, yes.

>>3291848
>Try to... eat the heart. You never know, it might work... [???]

Rolled 92 (1d100)

>>3292002

Rolled 68 (1d100)

>>3292002

Rolled 31 (1d100)

>>3292002

File: Parting Clouds.png (686 KB, 1387x780)

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Surprisingly, it's not as unpleasant as you were expecting. It goes down your throat quite easily, and it actually tastes somewhat pleasant, especially compared to what you just ate before it. As it falls down into your stomach, you let out a small sigh. Nothing really feels different. You're not sure it did anything at all, as far as you--

Suddenly, a wave of energy courses through your whole body, and all of your muscles tense up and start throbbing. Without any warning, you now feel like you could do anything. In fact, in front of the rest of your crew, Mischa and Trace watching with rapt amazement, you unsheathe your cutlass and step over toward the edge of the ship. Letting out a massive roar, you swing your blade upward. An extremely powerful wave of energy leaves the blade, cracking loudly through the sky as it travels.

It dissipates after a few hundred feet, but it's effect on the environment is still obvious. After all, a few moments later, the cloud you were aiming toward splits cleanly in half, separating from the force of the shockwave you sent flying at it.

The very next moment, your sword clatters to the ground. You aren't sure why immediately, but it doesn't take long before you realize your sword isn't the only thing that fell. Apparently, without even realizing it, the burst of energy ended, and you've now collapsed onto the ground. You think somebody has run over and is holding up your head, but you can't quite tell. A nap sounds really nice right now though...

(cont.)

File: Mafia Man.png (90 KB, 605x382)

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While your friends panic about what just happened to you, you pass into a deep sleep and take a nice, very comfortable nap. Unbeknownst to you, however, your recent escapades start to take effect throughout the world.

>A Restaurant Somewhere In The Grand Line, 6PM

A chubby man wearing a fancy pinstripe suit and an almost unreasonable amount of jewelry sits at a table, eating an expensive dinner. All around him in the restaurant are other men wearing suits, all working as his underlings. Suddenly, another man in a suit pushes his way through the front door, hurrying toward the chubby man. The underling whispers something in the man's ear, and his expression suddenly turns cross.

The man grumbles and grabs a cigar, having one of his men light it up for him and puffing on it. "So... somebody took out Uncle Dario, huh? This 'Mischa Kumadori' girl clearly doesn't know who she's messing with. Keep me updated, I'd like to teach her a lesson personally if I get a chance."

Unfortunately, I didn't realize when I started how little time I would actually have to run for, so I'm afraid to say that this is...

OP Headhunter Quest -- Session End

>>3292140
Thanks for running, QM, really liking the Fruit as well! Any idea next thread when?

A new thread will hopefully be posted not tomorrow, but within the next few days after. Sorry for running so short, I'd completely forgotten about a real life obligation which I need to make some time for.

On the bright side though, this means I'll have more time to spend on fleshing out the next island. I already have an idea of what it'll be but there are a lot of missing pieces as things are right now.

As usual, I'll stick around for a little while to answer any questions and stuff like that.

Does this mean haki will be easy for us to use?

Could someone explain the fruit to me? I'm... confused.

>>3293209
Best I can tell? We can manifest our will as a tangible force, and then do things with it.
For straightforward usage, think lantern ring, only our constructs breaking would be very very bad for us.
A less straightforward usage is the short term powerup we just used. There are probably much weirder things we could do if we thought of them. Paramecia can get downright bizarre.

>>3293255
I wonder if we can take "hearts" from other people, too.

>>3293255
I'd probably have preferred a logia, but I guess this could be cool.

>>3293255
If he can take a willpower from another person then this is pretty good. The only bad side about this is not for them to get caught. We can empower ouself with their will by coating it on our blade. Also we should not eat other peoples will or it may twist our personality.

>>3292180
I'm pretty satisfied with both the thread and devil fruit Kagi, so thanks for that. So I know we kinda have to figure this out for ourselves, but could you confirm If this was more manipulating our 'Life force' or our 'Will'?

>>3297876
I'd also like to see If we can sap/give energy from others with this. Hell, maybe we could 'Infect' others with our will to weaken enemies so they can't use their full strength correctly or take over weaker people to help us out In a pinch. This could get really weird, but I'm looking forward to all the weirdness so It's all good.

This might sound really stupid, but I wonder If we can use WILL as an ingredient In alchemy. what the hell could we even do with It?