Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Beginning of a Plan
In an instant, an intense light enveloped us, and we were teleported to Traverse Town. We landed in the First District, shrouded in an eternal night. The neon signs illuminated the cobblestone streets, but the atmosphere was heavy, dominated by shadows and darkness.
The Sans-cœur didn't take long to emerge from the dark corners. The Soldiers appeared first, their mechanical movements making them look like broken toys. Their yellow eyes gleamed as they headed toward us.
"Here we go!" I called out, drawing my Keyblade.
Luffy, already in his battle stance, grabbed his shield and shouted with enthusiasm, "Gum-Gum Shield Rush!" He charged into a group of Soldiers, his shield in front of him, knocking back the Sans-cœur with incredible force. The Soldiers were thrown back, crashing into walls before dissolving into fragments of darkness.
Nami, on her side, made a graceful gesture with her mage's staff. "Fire!" she cried, and a wave of flames erupted, engulfing a group of Nocturnes rouges floating above us, though it had no effect on them.
The creatures tried to counterattack, but Nami quickly followed up with "Blizzard!" and a rain of icy stalactites fell on them, destroying them before they could react.
I focused on the small elemental Sans-cœur floating in the air: Opéras jaunes, Rhapsodies bleues, and Requiem verts. "Fragmentation," I murmured, activating my new skill. In an instant, my arms and legs detached from my body, flying at incredible speed toward the enemies.
My fists and feet struck the creatures with surgical precision, sending them back into the darkness in a single hit. My body reformed almost instantly after each attack, allowing me to be everywhere at once. I even launched my hand, Keyblade in grip, like a shuriken into a group of Requiem verts, putting an end to their healing.
"Ha! Not bad!" exclaimed Luffy, watching my movements. "I'll give that a try too!" He raised his shield and created a new technique. "Gum-Gum Shield Trampoline!" He jumped onto a Sans-cœur, holding the shield under his feet as he bounced off, crushing the Sans-cœur into the ground and dispersing them into nothingness.
The Sans-cœur continued to pour into the First District. Rondouillards appeared, their imposing bodies rolling toward us like tanks. One of them charged straight at Nami, but she stood her ground. "Blizzard!" she shouted, and a thick layer of ice covered the ground in front of her. The Rondouillard slipped, losing its balance, before receiving a rapid series of blows from her. She finished it off with "Fire!" as flames consumed the creature.
I could have summoned Sans-cœur to assist us, but since my goal was to gather them, I held off—for now. A thought suddenly came to me.
I used the ability I gained from the Darkside to summon Shadows. A pool of darkness surged beneath my feet, and small Sans-cœur with blue eyes began attacking the Rondouillards and Soldiers.
Luffy, still full of energy, took on the remaining Rondouillards. "Gum-Gum Grab!" he shouted, grabbing the bulky Sans-cœur and tossing it into the air. The Rondouillard crashed down onto a Soldat, making both disappear.
He turned to me with a big grin. "Jordan, look at this!"
He started jumping from one rooftop to another, striking the Nocturnes rouges and Opéras jaunes trying to bombard us with elemental spells. "Gum-Gum Mega Frisbee!" he cried, spinning several times before launching his shield at supersonic speed, cutting through a dozen elemental Sans-cœur before it returned to his hands.
The battle continued with increasing intensity, but we were perfectly synchronized. Nami used her spells with precision, taking out the elemental Sans-cœur, while Luffy invented new moves with his shield, repelling the heavier enemies. My Fragmentation ability allowed me to neutralize the small Sans-cœur quickly, striking them relentlessly, even from a distance.
After clearing all enemies in the First and Second Districts, we headed toward the Third District. Things took a more serious turn there. Two Armures Gardiennes, colossal dark metal figures, emerged from the ground, their blue eyes glowing in the darkness.
"This is it!" I shouted, seeing the two imposing creatures standing before us.
Luffy, always excited for a challenge, prepared to face them. "Alright, let's make them fly too!"
I created a protective circle around Nami to give her time to prepare a more powerful spell. "Nami, get ready! We'll need you to weaken them!" I shouted.
Nami nodded, her eyes focused on the Armures Gardiennes. "I'm ready!"
While Luffy attacked one of the Armors with a series of powerful blows, Nami channeled all her energy into a burst of "Fire" spells. A barrage of fiery bullets shot from her staff, hitting the Armure Gardienne and forcing it to stagger backward under the impact. The flames gnawed at its dark armor, revealing weak spots we could exploit.
Seeing the opening, Luffy charged forward. "Gum-Gum Hammer!" He struck with such force that the Armure Gardienne split in two, its metal torso breaking apart before disappearing in a burst of shadows. The boots and gauntlets, however, did not disappear.
I used the waves of Shadow Sans-cœur I had summoned to chip away at the life of the boots and gauntlets of the two Armures Gardiennes, allowing us to focus on the last torso.
The remaining Armor began to spin wildly, creating a mini cyclone to attack us. Nami launched repeated Thunder spells before finally starting to tire.
"Nami, back up, you're out of magic. Stay back for a moment," I said, sending my hand with the Keyblade to target the armor's helmet. Luffy managed to block the torso, preventing it from attacking Nami.
The Shadows finally finished destroying the two sets of limbs, though only 20 of the 100 I'd summoned remained. They joined the fray against the torso, which was quickly destroyed.
Luffy burst out laughing. "That was awesome! We smashed everything!"
Nami smiled, pleased with her performance. "Jordan, do I have a limit on spells?" she asked anxiously.
"Don't worry, Nami. I have a spell limit too, but I think over time, you'll be able to cast more. And eventually, we'll find items to help," I said, smiling as I sheathed my Keyblade.
A message suddenly appeared in my mind:
Luffy gains the Dingo Tornado ability (creates a mini-cyclone that pulls in enemies while dealing damage) and a Horn of Valor (greatly boosts vitality and slightly increases attack).
Nami gains the Magic Recovery ability (gradually restores MP over time) and two Ethers.
Jordan gains 300 Soldats, 60 Rondouillards, 60 Nocturnes rouges, 60 Opéras jaunes, 60 Rhapsodies bleues, 60 Requiem verts, and 2 Armures Gardiennes.
All Soldats, Rondouillards, Nocturnes rouges, Opéras jaunes, Rhapsodies bleues, Requiem verts, and Armures Gardiennes under your command have been leveled up to Normal Mode.
You have unlocked Traverse Town – Hard Mode.
I turned to Nami, a smirk on my face. "See, your problem is already partially solved." I quickly checked her rewards. "As long as you don't overuse your spells, like in the fight with the Armure Gardienne, your Magic Recovery should be enough. But keep an Ether with you, just in case." I took one of the Ethers to store it in my chest, leaving the second for Nami.
Luffy, on his end, was struggling with his new accessory, the Horn of Valor, which looked like a necklace adorned with a small battle horn. He was tugging on it with all his might, the veins in his head bulging with effort.
"Luffy, having trouble?" I asked, watching him struggle.
"I don't get it… It won't attach!" he replied, frustrated.
I shook my head, amused. "Stop forcing it; that just means you can only equip two accessories for now. Take off your Shell Necklace and give it to Nami. She could use a bit more defense."
Luffy nodded, unhooked the turtle-emblazoned necklace, and handed it to Nami before putting on the Horn of Valor with ease. His scratches began to heal almost immediately, likely thanks to the vitality boost.
I thought for a moment. "We should test if it's a percentage boost to vitality or a flat increase. I'll keep that in mind for later."
"Alright, let's get ready for the banquet!" I announced, heading toward the provisions, ready to prepare a feast.
We started preparing the meal. Nami, visibly pleased with her newfound strength, joined me to help. I watched her slice the vegetables with precision, a satisfied smile on her face. Meanwhile, Luffy was watching the meat grilling over an improvised fire.
"Not bad for a thief!" I teased, watching Nami skillfully slice the fruits and vegetables.
She shrugged, smiling. "I do what it takes to survive. And now that I'm with you guys, I think I'll need to improve, especially with these new skills." She raised her staff slightly, proud of her new powers.
Luffy, still focused on the meat, flipped it abruptly. "I don't know what it is, but I'm going to eat it all!" he exclaimed joyfully. His usual enthusiasm brought a lighthearted atmosphere, despite the battle-filled night we had just endured.
As we continued cooking, the delicious smell of grilled meat and vegetables filled the air. I took a deep breath, savoring this moment of respite after the intense fights. The banquet was coming together: perfectly grilled meat, crispy vegetables, and fresh fruits for dessert, all accompanied by a bit of wine we found in the ship's stores.
"Captain, I have a proposal," I said, taking a piece of meat that Luffy had just finished. "Tomorrow morning, we'll tackle Destiny Island in Hard Mode. If we succeed, we'll set sail to help Nami gather the money she needs, and at the same time, we'll search for new crew members. If we fail, we can always redo Traverse Town a second time for more rewards before setting off."
Luffy nodded, chewing on a large piece of meat, a big grin on his face. "No problem! I can't wait to get my revenge on those Sans-cœur! And with Nami's help, we should be able to cover East Blue faster. That way, you can work on making part of your dreams come true!"
Nami, curious, turned her gaze toward me. "What dreams?"
Her intense look surprised me. Nami had a slightly different personality from what I had imagined from reading the manga. She seemed more interested in the details of my goals, and even Luffy, though sometimes goofy, appeared more thoughtful than in the original version.
I took a deep breath, placing my Keyblade in front of me. "You've seen these creatures," I said, pointing to the Primates costauds and Primates chipies wandering around the port.
"My dream is to unleash them on every island. So that bad people are constantly under pressure, relentlessly attacked. If they always have to defend themselves, even the strongest won't have time to harm good people."
Nami listened intently, her gaze shifting from the Sans-cœur to my Keyblade. "That's… an interesting approach," she murmured.
Luffy, in between bites, added with his usual big smile, "That's a plan that suits you, Jordan. Let's make it happen!"
The banquet continued in this warm atmosphere. Nami laughed as she watched us, and even though I could sense she still had some doubts about my plan, she didn't seem as distant anymore. I knew that from this moment, our crew was becoming more united and that our adventures would push us to grow even stronger together.
(Author's Note: A short chapter for farming. Next weekend, I'll probably publish two chapters to avoid leaving you on a cliffhanger. Thanks for your support, and feel free to leave fun gifs of parts you enjoyed! ^^)