Chapter 21
After an hour long nap, the Valkyries woke me up and I looked at my map after sitting up. There was a large red dot moving towards my ship directly from the north, it was larger than my ship.
"Can you wake the girls and get ready for anything. I'll look at the front to see what our little challenger wants." I ask the Valkyrie that woke me up and went to the front of my ship right above the doorway that leads inside my ship that is the current tallest structure apart from the masts.
I looked through my telescope to the general direction were the big red dot was showing on my map but... there was nothing... there can only mean one thing... "Prepare for battle, we have a giant sea king on our way. Time for some fishing girls!!!" I yell at the Valkyries.
Returning with my sword in hand, they are dressed like normal fishermen... with a dark green wrench coat made of glossy leaves and a harpoon that is tied to the railings of my ship...
"We are getting our first supply of premium grade meat here... so be prepared for anything." I ordered them, drooling a little bit... and they started cheering. Were did they got those giant crossbows... are they shooting the harpoons with them... Is that even possible?
The sea stake rears it's delicious head in front of the ship. A masive dark gray serpent with a huge dorsal fin along it's back and a huge mouth filled with sharp teeth... Dear me... it's a giant eel, guess the menu for tonight's dinner has been desided. Thanks for the meal... "Fire! Reel that big boy in girls, hahahah" the yell various warcries and shooted their crossbows, latching on the side of it's delicious hide, it try to pull the ship down the ocean with it but my ship it's not moving much.
I entered hybrid form and my sword grew with me to about 12 meters long, I pulled the eal monster towards the ship, using the latched harpoons that are tied to the ship, while I stored the sword's sheath in my storage, and stabbed the eel on the eye a coupple of time. After I died I stored it along with my sword and return to the girls who were a bit confused.
"It's okay now girls, we have some premium quality meat for dinner tonight. Those big fishes are gonna be a good supply of food for our future adventures." I say to the girls to reasure them.
"Lately I feel a bit useless... I can't fight... I don't have to do chores... I..." I hugged Bonney before she continued and I said "It's ok, once we reach Amazon Lily I will find you a good teacher that will help you find your way. There is always at least one thing we are good at, you just have to find what you makes you great and unique over the other." I said patting her head.
"Yeah you will be depressed if you set Lily as your expectations... She is good at everything she does." Lexy said in a happy tone. "That's not true. I don't know any swordsmanship, I also don't like blood and there may also be some other things that I haven't tried before, the only reason I know were we are going is because my magic map and my Valkyrie that steer my ship were I tell them." I pat Lexy on her head and she just giggles.
"You can make tasty food which is all I can dream for." Lapis said with a content smile. "You need to raise the bar a little higher than just eating good food." I pat her head and she continued.
"Well I was always hungry, living by myself... one day I found a strange fruit behind the bakers store serching for my dinner. It turned my body shinny but... it made all the grown-ups look at me weird. They had scary eyes, I overheard the baker telling the other store owners that I would fetch a good price... I was able to get away by turning my legs into emeralds since they increase my speed." I just hugged the girl that has gone through a lot. The othe girls were a bit sad for her and hugged her too, Lapis only giggled.
"Call me if another thing happens, you are dismissed to do what you want, tomorrow morning we shall tackle the Calm Belt." I ordered the Valkyries and they cheer in their traditional spartan cheer I look at them and they are back to looking like viking war maidens.
I just went with the girls inside while Lapis was cheering the Valkyries. After I appraise the sea monster there was a new option...
'Appraisal of the mysterious sea monster finished succesfully. The Whirlpool Eel is too large for removal would you like to dismantle the target.'
Interesting... I clicked yes and the entire eel turned into different cuts, the skin was removed and halve of the meat was cut into fillets, while the rest was in cubes. The bones and organs dissapeared but the blood was stored in a barrel...
"Were did that barrel came from... and why was the blood not trashed like the rest of the organs?" I questioned myself... meh, I have delicious meat so the rest doesn't matter.
After a super nice dinner and a nice bath we went to bed. First thing in the morning we tackle the Calm Belt. I still don't know how to convince the Kujas to let us enter the their island.
"Good night girls tomorrow we shall get through the Calm Belt. Once we reach Amazon Lily, if they let us, we might find some nice teachers to learn of haki and using weapons." I rusttle their hair getting some giggles from the girls.
I wake up the girls early the next day and we all did our morning routine. After we finished breakfast I told the girls to stay inside and close all the windows since I will have to battle my way towards Amazon Lily, I went outside along side Nel and Luc, and we were met with the cheering Valkyries.
"It's time girls, we shall begin our path toward Amazon Lily, since we don't have a sea stone coating under the boat we will be on constant attack from sea monsters. I think that 60 of you should just focus on rowing and the other 20 should focus on fishing." I say to the Valkyries and they cheer and went to their respective positions.
With that, we resume our journey, a bit slower since some of the Valkyries were on stand-by with their giant crossbows. I was seated on my golden wood throne with Nel and Luc on either side. After an hour of rowing we reached the Calm Belt... It sure is creepy... no wind, no movement in the sea, no life of any kind...
Acourding to the map there is no threat around my ship... are the sea monster sleeping or something...
The sea water is even another color, there are no clouds either, after 4 more hours I returned inside. There is still no island in sight on the map, there is nothing on the map for that matter...
Since it was mid day I went to the girls and made lunch after an hour break, finally something happens and I went towards the deck. There was 2 huge snakes looking at our ship... one was looking at Lucoa... The other giant snake was looking at Nelliel... wait were those... yeah that flag, that ship, filled with sexy amazons.
"Halt!!! What is your business in these waters so close to our home." There were some of them aiming at us with their snake bows, loaded with a haki infused arrow.
The Valkyries looked like they want to fight but I don't want to become enemies of the Kuja tribe. I raised my left hand while holding Kusanagi on my right, to call the attention of everyone.
"Hi, I'm Lily, looking for a haki teacher. Heard you girls were naturals so I came to learn from you all. Hope I can help with other things like growing any crops you want, I just want a place were I can feel safe. There are 3 more girls with me, they are young and might also learn a thing or two if you would have us." I said to the Kujas bowing my head a little, hopefully there is no bloodshed.
"Well... this is awkward... I'm Kikyo, current captain of the Kuja Pirates. You said you could help with crops, how exactly can you help when our soil is not that fertile." Kikyo said raising one arm and the arrows are downed, she looks so young I barely recognize her.
I used the arm I have up and put it on my soil, channeling my powers and blooming a bunch of different vegetables. "That is part of my devil fruit, I'm a plant lady known as a Dryad, I can make treasured wood too if you girls need raw materials." I made a small block of of about 30cm squared and throw it into the air above my head and catch it and passes it to Lucoa, who pass it to the Yuda who then pass it to Kikyo.
"Interesting, we can use this to reinforce our fort, how much can you make of this wood?" She asked with a complicated look on her face.
"I guess I can make about 1,000 of those for now but later I might be able to do more. How about it you guys train us and I'll provide raw materials for construction and food." I declared with a proud look I know they don't care for bellies, but they are a bit limited on resources since their lands are a bit dry and their other Island is filled with big monsters too.
"Interesting... so you are willing to join the Kuja tribe, since you are all females and you look specially strong, you might be able to apply to join. Our empress went on a journey 12 years ago and hasn't returned. There has been some slavers attacks about two and a halve years ago, so we are still a little at edge... with your asistance we might not even need to leave our home land... are you willing to help us in exchange of haki tutoring then?" Kikyo asked me with a serious look...
Holy... she is hot, I nodded and the other Kuja pirates and my Valkyries were cheering like idiots... I looked at Kikyo and we both sighed.