Absolute Justice [Absol SI in One Piece] (2024)

Chapter 16: Wax and Wane

"Halt, Galdino."

The Baroque Works agent froze in place, not having expected to hear his birth name spoken in a seedy district of Tamarisk.

"You need to work on that habit," Absol commented as the latter whirled around, a glob of wax in his hand ready to be shaped. "If I'd had any doubt as to your identity, your reaction would have sealed the deal."

"What do you want?" Galdino asked, not wasting time commenting on Absol's appearance nor the snail on his head.

He was a veteran of the Grand Line after all, and had long ago learnt that a strange appearance often meant danger.

"Calm yourself, I'm not here to fight you," Absol chuckled, all the while pressing down on Galdino with Pressure; not enough to cause a true adverse reaction but enough to impress upon him their difference in strength. "I have a message for your boss; one that may prove vital in the days to come, for you and him both."

"I'm not an errand boy," Galdino snapped, anger briefly overpowering his fear. "If you want to speak with Mr. 0, you can send a letter like every other client!"

"How surprising;" Absol snarked. "I thought you were in the market for good news to deliver, something that might redeem you after losing so miserably at Little Garden?"

Just like that, the fear was back.

"How do you know that?" Galdino shivered despite himself. "Did you tap our snail line?"

"No, no, you're thinking far too mundane," Absol corrected him. "I'm something of a fortune teller you see, I have a good eye on events both past and future. That's why I'm here today; on the off chance you can deliver my message before you're sentenced to death for failing your mission."

"...Go on." Galdino urged, his previous bravado long gone at that grim reminder.

"If the stones don't give him what he needs; he should turn to the bottle. Vintages from 12, 27 and 34 are especially good, I hear."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Galdino blinked. "Sounds like gibberish to me."

"It's coded, obviously," Absol retorted. "A bit before your time to be honest, but your boss will understand. Goodbye, Galdino."

A comically oversized Shadow Claw covered Absol from view as he darted away through the narrow back streets, ignoring Galdino's entreaties to wait.

—

"There's more of you back than I expected." Alvida raised an eyebrow as she watched the returning crew load their shopping onto the rowboats.

Indeed, not a single soul was missing from those they'd set out with, a very unusual occurrence where pirates on shore leave were concerned.

"All the bars are shut!" One complained.

"The gambling dens too!"

"No women anywhere to be found, by the locker!"

Listening to the litany of complaints as they set off for the Big Top, Ansol quickly built a pretty comprehensive picture of what had happened to Tamarisk. Even though the brewing civil war was focused on Alubarna and its immediate surroundings, the ripples could be felt even here. Tourists and merchants alike were less than eager to visit a potential warzone, causing a dramatic drop in trade for the local market. That in turn drove away the hospitality industry, as restaurants, inns and taverns cut hours or simply closed altogether in response to reduced demand.

"That explains why the shopping was so cheap as well; we spent a lot less than we expected going in, silver linings and all that." Absol shrugged, ultimately unconcerned with the plight of the every-man. "I'm sure we'll find other places to spend money on leisure; nothing can keep the human desire for a good time down forever."

When the small sailboat rounded the reef keeping the Big Top hidden from the mainland, Absol sniffed cautiously. The air was heavy with the metallic scent of blood, a poor premonition for how Buggy's negotiations had gone. Sure enough, a careful look at the ship revealed several small scorch marks on the hull, though there were no signs of serious damage.

"We're back!" Alvida shouted up at the watch keeper.

Moments later, the men on duty lowered down the boarding ramp, a smooth plastic surfacing kept above water by inflatable balloons tied to the underside. Alvida touched each bundle of shopping before pushing them up the ramp; their newly friction-less state allowing even a small amount of momentum to send them upward in defiance of gravity. The other boats had a much harder time, requiring baskets lowered by pulleys and ropes to achieve the same outcome, which was one of many reasons Absol chose to take the same boat as her.

They were the first boat to finish unloading, after which it was their turn to embark. Eschewing Alvida's offer of a boost, Absol climbed up the ramp with little difficulty, his claws able to find purchase even on the mostly smooth surface.

"Argh!"

Groans of pain became audible as he arrived on deck, no longer masked by the soothing yet deceptively loud crashing of waves closer to the waterline.

"Careful where you're poking that needle," A gruff pirate hissed, bare chested as an orderly sewed shut a thin gash along his ribs. "Who taught you medicine, the village butcher?"

"The midwife, actually," The young boy retorted. "What did you expect? Professionally trained doctors make a good living; not many of them are willing to leave that for the pirate's lifestyle."

"Fair enough- ow!"

Remind me never to get injured here. Absol thought as he looked around; none of the others required stitches, though many showed signs of bruises or small cuts on arms and legs. Buggy was unharmed but visibly fuming while Cabaji looked no happier.

"Meeting go bad?" Absol asked, voicing what everyone was wondering.

"It was rotten from the start," Buggy refuted, fists clenching with barely restrained fury. "Five times our number of men lying in wait, cages for each of us sorted by size and even a set of Seastone cuffs prepared."

"Slavers?" Alvida raised an eyebrow. "They really wanted a live capture, despite your bounty being the same dead or alive."

"Possibly," Buggy hedged. "Normally I'd agree with you, but the Seastone makes me wonder. It's not an easy thing to get hold of, especially in Paradise. Hard to mine and harder still to shape; the only ones who can create fine products like handcuffs? They're based in Wano, and that's a long way away from here. Whoever is supplying the local bounty hunters either has deep underworld connections, or they talk to the Government."

"The underworld wouldn't undermine a meeting under the flag of truce, would they?"

"Not this blatantly," Buggy shook his head. "I know Government propaganda calls every criminal lawless, but that's just because we don't follow their laws. But there are rules; rules have to exist in some form, otherwise you just have anarchy, and of all the rules the truce is among the most important. Knowing that you can meet someone to do business in relative safety? That's the lifeblood of the black market; the bosses know that and protect it fiercely, it's their profit on the line after all. Do what Baroque Works did today, and you'll be lucky if their enforcers kill you quickly."

"Government affiliation then," Absol mused. "Any idea where to go from here?"

"We let the sentries flee," Cabaji nodded. "Tracked them with telescopes until they vanished beyond the horizon. Maybe they just wanted out in the nearest direction, but looking at the four we saw they all converged towards the west as they ran."

"Alubarna." Absol sighed. "Directly due west and the capital city to boot. There'll be a Marine base and a World Government embassy there, as in every member nation. Perfect spots for a bit of skullduggery."

"Wonderful," Buggy groused before pausing as a thought struck him. "Did you manage to pass on my message?"

"I found a suitable taker, yes." Absol nodded. "A bit cowardly, but well-motivated to pass it on."

"Wonderful, in that case we're all done here: sounds like it's time to pay Alubarna and the Marines a visit," Buggy grinned, recovering some of his cheer at last. "Wouldn't be the first time I stole classified documents out of one of their bases, it'll be just like old times."

—

Coming to Alabasta was the right decision. Smoker grinned triumphantly, his jutte raised to strike as he stood face to face with Straw Hat Luffy once more.

Try as he might to run, the rookie pirate wasn't fast enough to outpace his Logia form, not without outside assistance. Surrounding Luffy with billowing white clouds of smoke, he thrust the tip forward in a mirror of their first battle.

"Nobody's here to help you today," Smoker smirked as he lifted Luffy by the neck. "That'll teach you to run. Nobody escapes Justice, especially not a wannabe pirate king."

"Hina thinks Smoker shouldn't tempt fate like that. Hina has seen it go wrong far too many times."

"The rest of his crew are off resupplying at the market," Smoker retorted. "Who else is there to stick their head out for a wanted pirate?"

"Captain Smoker, was it?" A voice called out, immediately proving Hina right. "Would you mind taking your hands off of my little brother?"

---

System update.

[Absol (Male)

Dark - Attuned to that which lies below. Strikes infused with Dark bypass intangibility. Half the standard package of Armament Haki.

Pressure - Impose your will to change your world. Swordsmen call this Killing Intent. New World veterans know it as the Conqueror's Haki.

Super Luck - Critical events tip in your favor more often than not, for no discernable reason. Luck is a skill all its own.

Detect - Will they or won't they? The intent of others, laid bare before you. Local names include Mantra and Observation Haki.

• Future Sight - A long view for a player of the long game.

Shadow Claw - Your hand, upon the lever of Distortion.

Night Slash - A flying slash imbued with the Dark. Anyone taking this to the neck can say good night.

False Swipe - Restraint, the difference between a soldier and a butcher.

The Buggy Pirates - Respected

The World Government - You Exist

Gecko Moriah - Hated

Absolute Power

Objective: Rule a majority of the One Piece world by geography and population

Reward: The Will of Heaven

I Am Your Father!

Objective: Keep Ace alive past Marineford

(Bonus) Objective: Ace is never sent to Impel Down

(Bonus) Objective: Ace kills Blackbeard and his crew

Reward: Increased Reputation with the Whitebeard Pirates.

Bonus: ???, ???]